03 World

Takeaways from China’s National People’s Congress Meeting– warontherocks.com

pgnewser March 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

From March 5 to 12, China held its annual Two Sessions — the National People’s Congress meeting and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. These gatherings provide yearly insights into China’s economic and political priorities and plans. Additionally, this year, the government presented its 15th Five-Year Plan, laying out key policies to 2030. We asked four experts to offer their key takeaways from the National People’s Congress.

Ling ChenWilliam L. Clayton Associate Professor at the School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins UniversityA key takeaway from China’s most recent National People’s Congress is that Beijing is trying to respond to its economic slowdown by pursuing two goals that sit uneasily together. On the one hand, the government emphasized the need to boost domestic demand and household consumption, acknowledging that weak consumer confidence and spending have become major drags on growth.

NBC’s Weird ‘Cubastroika’ Report Is Remarkable for Its Many Omissions– www.newsbusters.org

pgnewser March 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

NBC Nightly News deserves a measure of credit for being the only Elitist Media broadcast network newscast to report on the Cuban regime’s proposed economic opening: a “Cubastroika”, if you will. However, the report is plagued with so many essential omissions that one wonders why NBC even bothered.

Watch the report in its entirety, as aired on NBC Nightly News on Monday, March 16th, 2026:

HALLIE JACKSON: To Cuba, tonight, now descending into a blackout as conditions deteriorate. But in a rare and exclusive interview, one official says the country’s now hoping to open up more of a relationship with the U.S., even with some critics skeptical. Our George Solís has made his way to Havana, and has more.

GEORGE SOLÍS: Tonight, Cuba is in the dark. The entire electrical grid collapsing today as the country struggles with an energy crisis, leaving millions on the island without power. During this latest blackout, people have been spilling out to the streets here for hours. Fortunately, some cloud cover to keep them from this blistering heat.

It’s been three months since a drop of oil has reached the country. Highways are empty because there’s no gas. Women are delivering babies in dark hospitals with no electricity. Conditions are deteriorating. I sat down exclusively with Deputy Prime Minister Oscar Pérez Oliva Fraga, considered by many to be Cuba’s economic czar. His plan- to attract more foreign investors, including large companies from the United States.

OSCAR PEREZ OLIVA FRAGA (In Spanish): Cuba is open to having a fluid commercial relationship…

Israel kills 2 senior Iran leaders as allies reject Trump’s call for Strait of Hormuz help– www.cbsnews.com

pgnewser March 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement Tuesday that the commander of Iran’s feared Basij paramilitary force was among the senior leaders killed in overnight strikes in Tehran, and the Israeli defense minister Israel Katz later confirmed that Ali Larijani, the head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, was also “eliminated.”

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have instructed the IDF to c

Trump has choked off Cuba’s oil supply. China is stepping in with solar.– www.washingtonpost.com

pgnewser March 18, 2026 0

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China is helping Cuba race to capture renewable solar energy as the United States imposes an effective oil blockade on the Caribbean island, creating its worst energy crisis in decades.

As the Trump administration steps back from U.S. climate commitments and reinvests in fossil fuels, China is flexing its dominance in renewable energy, using offers of equipment, expertise and financing as geopolitical levers.

What Iran Attacks On UAE Reveals About The Drone Swarm Campaign– www.ndtv.com

pgnewser March 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

The recent Iranian strike campaign against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has largely been viewed through images of drones striking skyscrapers and residential buildings. But it can also be understood through the dataset emerging from daily interception reports. Beginning on February 28, Iranian forces have launched nearly 1,800 drones and missiles towards the UAE, according to compiled data and interception timelines based on the daily releases shared by the UAE’s Ministry of Defence.

While interception rates remained high and protected key locations, a closer examination of the data reveals a structured operational campaign. The pattern suggests that Iran’s objective was not necessarily infrastructure destruction but imposing economic and operational strain on advanced air-defence networks.

Gulf States Press US to Neutralize Iran For Good– gellerreport.com

pgnewser March 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

At the same time, these sources and five Western and Arab diplomats said Washington was pressing Gulf states to join the US-Israeli war. According to three of them, US President Donald Trump wants to show regional backing for the campaign, to bolster its international legitimacy as well as support at home.

“There is a wide feeling across the Gulf that Iran has crossed every red line with every Gulf country,” said Abdulaziz Sager, chairman of the Saudi-based Gulf Research Center and familiar with government thinking.

“At first we defended them and opposed the war,” he said. “But once they began directing strikes at us, they became an enemy. There is no other way to classify them.”

Tehran has already demonstrated its reach, attacking airports, ports, oil facilities and commercial hubs in the six Gulf states with missiles and drones while also attacking Israel and disrupting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz — the artery carrying about a fifth of global oil and underpinning Gulf economies.

Cuba’s entire power grid has collapsed after US blocked oil shipments for 3 months, Cuban president says– www.theblaze.com

pgnewser March 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

 

About 11 million people on the island nation of Cuba have lost power after the country’s electrical grid completely collapsed on Monday.

Cuba relies on oil to run the power grid, and a U.S. embargo has worsened the energy crisis it was already suffering under. The U.S. ended oil deliveries to Cuba from Venezuela and threatened other countries with steep tariffs if they provided oil to the nation.

‘Taking Cuba in some form, yeah, taking Cuba. I mean, whether I free it, take it, I think I can do anything I want with it.’

The state-owned power operator said efforts were under way to restore power to the island. In the meantime, energy has been rationed and many services have shut down.

“The impact [of the blockade] is tremendous. It is most brutally manifested in these energy issues,” Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said on Friday. “This causes anguish among the population.”

Oil tankers are ‘starting to dribble through ‘Strait of Hormuz,’ U.S. says – National– globalnews.ca

pgnewser March 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

Oil tankers are crossing the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s actions to choke traffic through the shipping route have not hurt the U.S. economy, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett told CNBC on Tuesday, reiterating the Trump administration’s position that the war should be over in weeks, not months.

“Already you’re seeing tankers are starting to dribble through the straits, and I think it’s a sign of how little Iran has left,” he said.

“We’re very optimistic that this is going to be over in the short run, and then there will be price repercussions when it is over for a few weeks, as the ships make it to the refineries.”

Trump Wants to Delay Beijing Summit to Focus on Iran – RedState– redstate.com

pgnewser March 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

President Trump is hitting pause on his highly anticipated summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of March and is telling Beijing that it can wait a month as his team focuses on the conflict in Iran and their attempts to disrupt shipping in the crucial waterway of the Strait of Hormuz.

China has been keeping its cards close to the vest as it has warily watched U.S. forces take out most of the senior Iranian leadership in the last 17 days with Operation Epic Fury. Trump, meanwhile, has worked since the beginning of his administration to rebalance the rules of trade between the two powerful countries, as he believes the deck has long been stacked in the People’s Republic’s favor:

The summit was meant to focus on trade, as both Trump and Xi seek to extend a delicate tariff truce between the world’s two biggest economies. But China showed little immediate sign that it was bothered by the likely delay, which analysts told NBC News may actually prove beneficial to efforts to further stabilize relations.

Trump said Monday that his China trip planned for later this month could be postponed because of the war, telling reporters in Washington, “I think it’s important that I be here.” But his administration has not confirmed that the trip is delayed or shared more specific dates for when it would be rescheduled.

Humanoid Robot That Terrorized Innocent Woman On The Street Detained By Chinese Officers– www.louderwithcrowder.com

pgnewser March 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

A humanoid robot was detained by Chinese officers after it followed and terrorized an innocent woman on the street.

“You’re making my heart race!” the woman raged in Cantonese, per a report in the Macau Post. “You’ve got plenty to do, so what’s the point of messing around with this? Are you freaking crazy?”

According to the publication, the woman was walking along the street looking at her cellphone when she realized “something” was following closely behind her.

Startled, she turned to find the robot.

In the video, you see the robot raising its arm while the woman yelled at it in Cantonese. The clip then cuts to it being escorted away by officers.

This is not the first time a robot was apprehended by police, and it likely won’t be the last.

Treasury Department Shutting Down Sham Charities That Funnel Money to Hamas › American Greatness– amgreatness.com

pgnewser March 16, 2026 0

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The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced Thursday that it has determined four sham charities are directly bankrolling Hamas’s military wing and enabling its operations.

According to the Treasury Department, Hamas is hiding its revenue-generating activities behind civilian organizations, under the guise of humanitarian work, to support the group’s terrorist activities.

Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent was quoted in a press release yesterday, saying,  “Hamas continues to finance its military wing by exploiting sham charities to support terrorist operations. The Treasury Department will not allow Hamas to misuse the charitable sector for its violent aims, and we will continue to target these networks wherever they operate.”

Four separate charities are accused of channeling cash to the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, which are suspected of carrying out some of the group’s most heinous terrorist activities.

Trump laments US allies’ lack of ‘enthusiasm’ to help secure Strait of Hormuz– www.france24.com

pgnewser March 16, 2026 0

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President Donald Trump on Monday repeated his call to nations to help unblock the Strait of Hormuz, and complained that some were not very enthusiastic about providing help ​to Washington.

Trump ‌wants nations to help police the strait after Iran responded to US-Israeli attacks by ⁠using drones, missiles and mines to effectively close the channel for tankers that usually transport a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas.

“Some are very ‌enthusiastic about it, and some aren’t. Some are countries that we’ve helped for many, many ⁠years. We’ve protected them from horrible outside sources, and they weren’t that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm matters to me,” Trump said at an event at the White House.

The Reactions to the Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei Reportedly Being Gay Are Pure Gold– townhall.com

pgnewser March 16, 2026 0

Blurb:

Jeff had the story earlier today: there were reports that the now-dead Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was not happy about his son succeeding him. We might understand why: there are reports suggesting he could be gay. Once again, the rumor mill is spinning rapidly because it’s likely that his son, the new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, is in a medically induced coma. He was severely wounded in an airstrike, which might have cost him one or both of his legs. He has no idea his dad or a large part of his family are dead, nor is he aware of the regional war happening right now.

Still, the memes to this news have been gold. Some we can’t share for obvious reasons, but they’re amazing nonetheless:

‘We’re At War’: Ecuador Kicks Off Anti-Drug Cartel Campaign With US Backing– dailycaller.com

pgnewser March 16, 2026 0

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Ecuador began two weeks of operations against drug traffickers with support from the U.S., deploying thousands of police officers and soldiers on March 15.

The two-week campaign will target criminal gangs in several dangerous provinces, including Guayas, Los Rios and Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, according to the Washington Examiner. The U.S. will provide material support. Officials have imposed curfews from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. in coastal regions until March 30.

“We’re at war,” Ecuadorian Interior Minister John Reimberg told locals in several provinces, the BBC reported. “Don’t take any risks, don’t go out, stay at home.”

He announced that Ecuador was deploying over 75,000 soldiers and police officers for the campaign, according to the outlet. Reimberg also wrote that 35,000 police officers were deployed in Guayas, Los Rios, El Oro and Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas in a post on X. “To the mafias: your time is up. Nothing can stop us,” the post said.

Trump explodes at ‘terrible’ Starmer in furious rant – ‘We spend a lot of money on you!’ | World | News– www.express.co.uk

pgnewser March 16, 2026 0

Blurb:

Donald Trump has slammed “terrible” Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer over the war in Iran. The US President said he was “very surprised” at Britain’s refusal to take part in the US and Israel’s offensive operations in Iran, which began on February 28.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has made clear that the UK wasn’t involved in the attacks, in which Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed, along with dozens of senior figures in the country. Iran has retaliated by targeting US bases in neighbouring countries in the Gulf, sparking fears that a wider regional conflict could be unleashed.

Tehran also closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil trade connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, sending prices soaring.

Trump Called on US Allies to Help Reopen Strait of Hormuz. This Is How They Responded.– townhall.com

pgnewser March 16, 2026 0

Blurb:

President Donald Trump is pressing U.S. allies to send warships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz after Iranian forces shut down large swaths of commercial traffic through the region.

In a Saturday post on Truth Social, the president noted that countries “who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait” would be sending ships to the area “to keep the Strait open and safe.”

He explained that while the U.S. has “already destroyed 100% of Iran’s Military capability,” it is “easy for them to send a drone or two, drop a mine, or deliver a close range missile somewhere along, or in, this Waterway.”

He said he hoped China, France, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and others would also lend their naval support to the effort to reopen the Hormuz Strait.

Israel says it has plans for at least three weeks of war as airstrikes pound Iran– www.channelnewsasia.com

pgnewser March 16, 2026 0

Blurb:

OIL SLIPS ON BESSENT SHIPPING COMMENTS

Despite the turbulence, oil prices, which had been above US$100 a barrel, fell sharply and stocks rallied after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC the US was “fine” to let some Iranian fuel vessels sail through the strait, and believed Indian and Chinese tankers had also passed through.

Ship-tracking data showed a Pakistan-bound oil tanker had passed through the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend, indicating that some countries are able to negotiate safe passage for their vessels.

On Sunday, Trump had demanded that countries relying heavily on oil from the Gulf should help protect the strait, and said he hoped China, France, Japan, South Korea, Britain and others would participate.

However, many – including Germany, Italy, Greece, Japan and Australia – said they would not send warships.

Massive “MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN” Rally in NYC Backing Trump Administration’s Strikes on Iran– gellerreport.com

pgnewser March 16, 2026 0

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Massive march in NYC, backing the Trump Administration’s strikes on Iran.

The Democrat media axis is lying to you. About everything.

Trump Vows to Secure Strait of Hormuz as Warships Deploy, Coalition Grows– gellerreport.com

pgnewser March 16, 2026 0

Blurb:

President Trump put fire under the broader community of concerned nations: the Countries of the World that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help — A LOT! The U.S. will also coordinate with those Countries so that everything goes quickly, smoothly, and well. This should have always been a team effort, and now it will be (Truth).

That message continued through the weekend. New York Sun: President Trump pledged Saturday to quickly reopen the Strait of Hormuz with help from a multinational naval coalition, even while claiming to have “destroyed 100%” of Iran’s military capability in a two-week campaign that has disrupted global oil supplies and raised fears of a broader regional confrontation. “Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social. He called on China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom to contribute vessels, saying those nations have been harmed by what he described as “this artificial constraint” (New York Sun).

President Trump Made a Courageous and Correct Call on Hormuz and Iran’s Actions Prove It – RedState– redstate.com

pgnewser March 16, 2026 0

Blurb:

One thing the Iran War has demonstrated is that the overwhelming majority of journalists and commentators on the war are blindingly ignorant of the basics of military operations, they are unacquainted with the staff process, and they are so eaten alive by the all-devouring TDS virus that they have lost the ability to reason when Trump is involved.

The purpose of this post is not to declare victory, but to demonstrate that President Trump is leading a top-shelf strategic team put together by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. He is getting good advice, he’s listening, and he’s making good decisions.

Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported what I think is a blindingly obvious example of how command and staff relationships work and how the commander-in-chief handles those relationships, and tried to portray it as a scandal or an example of recklessness.

Before the U.S. went to war, Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told President Trump that an American attack could prompt Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz.

Caine said in several briefings that U.S. officials had long believed Iran would deploy mines, drones and missiles to close the world’s most vital shipping lane, according to people with knowledge of the discussions.

Trump acknowledged the risk, these people said, but moved forward with the most consequential foreign-policy decision of his two presidencies. He told his team that Tehran would likely capitulate before closing the strait—and even if Iran tried, the U.S. military could handle it.

Now, two weeks into the war, Iran’s leaders have refused to back down, and the Strait of Hormuz has emerged as Tehran’s most potent leverage point.