Author: Suhaib Jabbour

Wars are fought in many ways. In trenches, behind the wheel of tank, at the trigger of an artillery piece, in the rear supporting the troops. But the war in the Ukraine also fights with guile and disguise, deceit, surprise and humor. No intelligence, cold warriors, or secrecy but the unmistaken conviction of bringing the fight to the Russian regime. The team is led by a quirky former academic, a housewife, a gifted arty-farty guy, an editor, some journalists and a few volunteers. There is a cat-lady, a Thor of thunder, a bunch of nerds working out the quirks, and…

Northern Elders showing Buyer’s Remorse for Backing Tinubu in 2023 It seems unthinkable that the wealthy and powerful cattle-herding class could be on the margins of President Bola Tinubu’s ruling clique, but it’s thinkable now. During the eight years of Fulani-born Muhammadu Buhari, the beef-on-the hoof lobby called Miyetti Allah Cattlemen’s Association marched vast herds of bony white cattle the length of the nation over lands public and private with impunity. The herds and their rifle-carrying herders uprooted thousands of small plot farms and sent thousands of civilians to their graves in so-called farmer-herder clashes. During those years, the killers…

Punishing hot weather affects not only a person’s health or work productivity but also affects couples’ fertility and birth outcomes, a project by the National University of Singapore (NUS) found. Rising temperatures could further reduce Singapore’s resident total fertility rate, which dipped below 1 – a record low – in 2023. The rate refers to the average number of babies each woman would have during her reproductive years. Researchers from the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine studied sperm samples from 818 men that were already stored at the National University Hospital’s (NUH) andrology section. The scientists then traced the men’s…

The vicious head of the terror snake meticulously searches for a burrow to strengthen and nourish its body of destruction. The burrow, being political, social and regional instability, makes Sri Lanka a pertinent base for the re-emergence of terrorism — both ideological separatism and religious extremism. As Sajith Premadasa promised in March, an Arab Spring-style protest-riot compilation emerged against the Gotabaya administration that effectively led to regime change in the country. Amidst the raging support for the ‘Aragalaya’ movement in Sri Lanka, one key factor is consistently left out of the equation — the potential resurgence of terrorism on the…

Brussels (4/11 – 25) It’s an old story, a broken record: war crimes in the Middle East, encouraged and stoked by outsiders with their own agenda. Israel, offended and humiliated by the 7 October attacks (for which they had repeatedly been warned by Egypt. Hamas, encouraged and bankrolled by Israel initially, in its effort to undercut the appeal of Al-Fatah, has turned into Frankenstein’s Monster, breaching a border that was trumpeted as the most invincible in the world, with 24/7 surveillance, sensors to detect tunnels, full camera coverage and on and on – yet several thousand Hamas warriors parachuted in…

Brussels (21/10 – 75) In May 2022, tens of ethnic Pamiri protesters were killed by security forces as demonstrations were violently suppressed and an “anti-terrorist operation” was launched in the east of the country. Activists, local leaders, journalists and bloggers were arrested and sentenced in unfair trials. Many reported being tortured. Access to information, including through the media and internet, remained heavily restricted. Domestic violence remained widespread with victims rarely securing justice or support. Afghan refugees continued to be detained and deported. Tajikistan’s economic and political life continued to be tightly controlled by the president, in the 30th year of…

The government of Saudi Arabia will consider investing in Vietnam’s energy sector, especially renewables, and its large companies have also shown interest in the field.The crown prince and prime minister of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, told Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh Friday that he would instruct the country’s sovereign fund to study the possibility of investing in renewable energy in Vietnam. He added without elaborating that a global energy corporation based in Saudi Arabia wants to invest in Vietnam. Chinh, who is visiting Saudi Arabia, urged Saudi funds to consider investing in large projects in Vietnam, especially…

Toronto, Atlanta (22/10 – 66) A recent, and eminently reasonable, proposal to pause the military confrontation between Russia and Ukraine was presented by Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto during the 20th IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, held in Singapore on June 3, 2023. Minister Prabowo, a retired and much-decorated General, suggested the two sides declare a ceasefire, to be followed by the creation of a demilitarized zone on the battlefield. The proposed truce would be monitored by United Nations peacekeeping forces, followed by a UN-monitored referendum to determine which country the disputed territories should join. Most third-world participants – and those from…

In a significant move toward enhancing halal product quality assurance, the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has signed separate memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with Indonesia’s Halal Product Assurance Organizing Body (BPJPH) and the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura). The MoU with BPJPH aims to establish cooperation on the mutual recognition of halal certificates. This includes the development of procedures for conformity assessment, standard specifications, and technical regulations for issuing halal certificates. The agreement ensures mutual recognition for exported local products and promotes the exchange of expertise and knowledge in training, research, and laboratory analysis for…

Speaking when he hosted Yemen’s Minister for Foreign and Expatriate Affairs, Ahmed Bin Mubarak, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula said the two countries will exploit the strong historical and mutual interest particularly in maritime trade, coffee and tea. “We as Kenya have a deliberate policy to engage our Middle East friends, very important for trade and a big market for our coffee and tea. Even when they don’t consume our products they have acted as a major transhipment to other markets,” said Wetang’ula. The Speaker said Kenya sees the Middle East as an important market for its products, and this…