Preface to the English-Language Edition

As Hegseth Spars With Congress Over Iran War, Trump Decries Criticism As 'Virtual Treason' There was a bit of a narrative shift on display in Congress as back-to-back hearings on Capitol Hill with top defense and Trump admin officials played out Tuesday, with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth repeatedly on the defensive as he and the administration face intensified scrutiny over the Iran war. And the growing frustration vented in Congress is not just being sounded by Democrats. As Washington Post's Tuesday headline aptly described: Hegseth, Caine encounter intense bipartisan frustration with...

Former Taiwanese Presidential Candidate Sentenced To 17 Years In Corruption Case Authored by Dorothy Li & Frank Fang via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), TAIPEI, Taiwan - A Taipei court on March 26 found a former presidential candidate guilty of corruption-related charges and sentenced him to 17 years in prison, a verdict that has attracted domestic media attention amid the ongoing political deadlock in Taiwan. Ko Wen-je, former Taipei mayor who ran in Taiwan's presidential race in 2024, leaves the Taipei District Court in Taipei on March 26, 2026. Song Pi-lung/The Epoch...

Seven Pipeline Projects That Could Break Iran's Grip On Hormuz Chokepoint Brent crude futures topped $100 a barrel (Read RBC note) as disruption at the Strait of Hormuz spread to Bab el-Mandeb in the southern Red Sea. Combined with intensifying Black Sea fighting between Russia and Ukraine, the widening chokepoint crisis has put the energy complex and broader global commodities market on edge. "The curve on Brent and WTI is getting again very steep backwardated compared to when the diplomatic route to solve the Middle East conflict was on the table...