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It can be expected that, following their detention, members of the Sumud Flotilla will separately issue aligned statements alleging mistreatment by Israeli authorities -- a cooordinated effort characteristic of such high-profile activist campaigns. Knuckleheads will believe that. Israel may have won the war on the battlefields, but it has lost the propaganda war decades ago. Chances are you think Israel has no right to board the Sumud Flottila in international waters. And I won't blame you as most folks are easily persuaded by the idea of  "freedom of navigation" and appeals to authority as media tells you so, such as Al-Jezeera here: Al-Jazeera rightly explained a state's territorial waters stretches only up to 12 nautical miles (nm) off the coast. Beyond that is international waters where international law applies. As the blockade extends to 20nm, Israeli Navy has no right to stop vessels in international waters. Ah yes, Al-Jazeera, the Q...

In the moral dichotomy of our times, outrage has replaced reason. If a controversy involves Israel, the verdict is delivered before the facts -- Israel is presumed guilty. Singaporeans of liberal persuasion as well as those from certain faith, jump on the bandwagon in symmpathy with pro-Palestinian mobs all over the world, raining curses on the Israeli interception of the Sumud Flottila and what they say is an illegal naval blockade by Israel. Jew-haters and empty bottles dominate social media where they really do not understand, or chose not to check, whether the blockade is lawful. Who is in the right, who is wrong, is not black and white. But of course, let's blame Israel. Let's unpack this to see if Israel's blockade of Gaza waters is legit and whether they have a right to board vessels in international waters. The Blockade and International Law Under the San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflicts at Sea (1994), a naval blockade is legal...

Chart #1 (note the unequal time series) I drafted this article about 3 months ago but kept it in the back burners. Since the government has released its population data recently (CNA dd 29 Sep 2025 Singapore's population hits new high of 6.11m) I might as well post this now. My data for 2025 and beyond are projections but spot on with the government's actual for 2025. I leave my charts untouched. The charts are produced by Grok based on various publicly available data and projected to 2065. Note the projections are Grok's, not official government data.  Chart #1 above shows key metrics on Singapore citizens only , i.e., excluding PRs and resident foreign nationals such as work permit holders. Like all countries, Singapore experienced a baby-boom after WWII. 1957 saw record Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of about 6.4%. Immediately after independence in 1965 Singapore started seriously on family planning following a White Paper on population management. In 1965 the F...

"They seek him here, They seek him there, Those Frenchies seek him everywhere. Is he in heaven? Is he in hell? That demned, elusive Pimpernel!" Only the evil rejoice in the death of someone. Charlie Kirk's death show us the worse of humanity coming from the progressive Left, Democrats and followers of a certain faith. They labelled him "fascist, nazi, bigot, racist, trans-hater, polarising figure, divisive person, MAGA, white supremacist, Christian Nationalist, mysogynist". Straits Times Dy Editor Bhravan Jaipragas calls his activism "dark messages". What worries me for Singapore is I see a bandwagon of local liberals piled on the condemnation. Even brilliant online commentators like Chris Kuan and Michael Han skewed to the sentiments of the Left. My knee jerk feeling is all these detractors have never actually tuned in to any of Charlie's Q&A sessions. I asked several, such as Mr Han, who indeed admitted so. They have simply judg...

This is the riffle used by Tyler Robinson, the suspected assassin who fatally shot Charlie Kirk on Sep 10. The Mausel model 98 is a spring bolt operation riffle that chambers .30-06 Springfield bullets. It is a recreational riffle used for game hunting. This puts to rest the question raised much earlier of whether  the assassination was a professional hit job. Professional snipers mostly use bolt-operated riffles for its accuracy compared to the gas-operated semi-automatic types. This is because gas-operated riffles have more moving parts and gas venting as the bullet is travelling down the barrel. Every slight movement has the potential to create a shift in the trajectory of the bullet with a significant bearing on point of impact several hundred metres away. There are also some sniper riffles which are gas-operated. The choice depends on mission. For a one or two shot mission, bolt-operated types are preferred, Where missions require concentrated fire power, gas-operated semi-au...

"The big question is... whether or not President Xi will mention the massive amount of support and 'blood' that the US gave to China to help it secure its freedom. Many Americans died in China's quest for victory and glory." Donald Trump. During WWII, Philippines offered to take in 10,000 Jews when no one would. Only 1,000+ refugees arrived as the evacuation was interrupted by Japanese occupation of the country. In 1947, Philippines was the first Asian country to vote for the UN Partition Plan for the state. The Israelis never forget. In 1965 when Singapore gained independence, we sought foreign assistance to help build up an armed force. No one bothered except Israel. They helped built the SAF and for many years on, Singapore never forgets. But that gratitude is fast eroding in present days under pressure from growing liberalism amongst the educated younger generation and as religious sentiments grew louder. When China first stepped onto the world stage ...

THE THAIS TAKE THE PLUNGE INTO AN OLD IDEA Thai Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) announced on 22 Aug 2025 their approval for the landbridge on the Kra Isthmus that will connect the Andaman Sea to the Gulf of Thailand. This calls for the development of two deep sea ports, Ranong on the West and Chumphon on the East, and for the ports to be connected by a 90 km highway and rail link. They will start calling for  tenders in 2026. It is envisaged that East-West bound vessels will use this link instead of passing the Straits of Malacca thus bypassing the port of Singapore.   The idea of shortening the sea route with a canal across the Kra Isthmus isn't new. Ancient traders and explorers in the 17th-18th century had noted the strategic value of the shortcut. In the 1830s the British considered a canal and did some surveys. In the 1950s-1970s Thai/US/Japanese made some studies and proposals. In 2000s PM Thaksin Sinawatra revived the idea of the c...