US ‘Disappointed’ That Taiwan Didn’t Approve a Bigger Increase in Military Spending

Politicians Come And Go... The Machinery Of Oppression Remains Authored by John W. Whitehead via OffGuardian,"There is something terribly wrong with this country, isn't there? Cruelty and injustice, intolerance and oppression. And where once you had the freedom to object, to think and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillance coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission. How did this happen? Who's to blame?" V for VendettaA revolution can topple a tyrant without dismantling tyranny.An election can replace a president without curbing the powers...

"We're On Borrowed Time": Vitol LNG Chief Warns Of Coming Food Price Shock Pablo Galante Escobar, the head of liquefied natural gas (LNG) at Vitol, warned the audience at the FT Commodities Summit earlier today that the "world is on borrowed time" and that the Gulf energy shock will develop into a food crisis unless LNG flows resume through the Hormuz chokepoint. "We are on borrowed time. Every day this trade remains closed and every day production does not come back, we are building a problem for the future, and...

Saudis Signal Red Sea Oil Loadings Could Soon Resume For Asian Buyers Bloomberg reports Saudi Aramco may restart crude loadings at Yanbu this week, raising hopes that the critical East-West pipeline route, which bypasses the Strait of Hormuz, could resume operations at half capacity after a drone attack disabled it. While no restart timeline has been confirmed, the overnight development adds to positive signs of progress toward resolving the global energy crisis after Brent slipped below $100 a barrel on reports that Iran offered to reopen the strait in exchange for...