Amid Doubts

• The Shangri-La Dialogue, a major Asia defense summit hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, has officially opened to address critical regional security issues. • Discussions will focus on escalating tensions in the Middle East, Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine, and concerns regarding the consistency of U.S. strategic priorities in Asia. • Vietnamese leader Lam is expected to advocate for regional stability and the use of consensus to manage differences, reflecting Hanoi's delicate diplomatic balancing act between Washington and Beijing.

Standoff between Iran and US continues as both impose blockades of critical shipping waterway Iranian forces have seized two ships in the strait of Hormuz, as the US and Iran doubled down on imposing separate blockades of the critical shipping waterway that have choked global energy markets.The standoff over the narrow waterway – through which about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passed through during peacetime – raised doubts about whether stalled peace negotiations would resume. Continue reading...

• Adobe's CEO announced his resignation on March 13, 2026, causing the stock to plunge 7.6% in U.S. trading on Friday amid renewed skepticism over its AI initiatives. • The S&P 500 fell 0.6% to around 6,632, with Nasdaq Composite down 0.9%, pressured by oil prices near $100 per barrel from Iran tensions. • This leadership change revives investor concerns about Adobe's competitiveness in AI tools against rivals like OpenAI integrations in competitors.