Headlines

North Korean oppression is a security strategy, not a side issue

At a US House Armed Services Committee hearing on April 22, 2026, that had been convened to discuss US foreign policy amid the Iran war, General Xavier Brunson, commander of US Forces Korea, was asked how the relationship between China and Russia was affecting stability on the

Asia

Trump urges Iran to sign a deal and discusses prolonged blockade

WASHINGTON/DUBAI, April 29 - Donald Trump discussed how to mitigate the impact of a possible months-long U.S. blockade of Iran's ports with U.S. oil companies, a White House official said on Wednesday, as the U.S. president urged Tehran to \"get smart soon\" and sign a deal.

Asia

Trump’s Golden Dome exposed as false sense of security

As missile threats grow more numerous, diverse and technologically sophisticated, a recent US Senate hearing has exposed mounting concerns that the US’s homeland missile defenses are increasingly misaligned with the realities of modern warfare. Assistant Secretary of Defense

Asia

UAE’s OPEC exit signals new global oil order

The reported decision by the United Arab Emirates to leave OPEC and OPEC+ is more than a dispute over oil production. It is a sign that the old architecture of oil power is being reshaped by national strategy, Gulf competition and Asian energy vulnerability. For years, OPEC+

Asia

Asia’s oil shock nightmare has only just begun

TOKYO — As the US-Israeli war on Iran drags on indefinitely, Asia is realizing the extent to which 2026 is a major game-changer for a region that had been “the main driver of global growth.” This is the International Monetary Fund’s characterization. But what a difference two

Asia

Takaichi on a mission to remake Japan’s place in Asia

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is visiting Vietnam from May 1-3 and Australia from May 3-5, with energy security, critical minerals and China’s maritime posture expected on the agenda. The most consequential element may be a foreign policy address she is expected to

Asia

King Dollar still reigns supreme in liquidity-starved Gulf

There is a certain irony in seeing some of the world’s richest countries quietly ask the United States for financial relief. For decades, the Gulf monarchies cultivated an image of inexhaustible wealth: sovereign funds the size of nations, skylines raised from desert sands and

Asia