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When the Auditors Are Not Audited

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I was watching a report about KPMG Australia recently, and the irony was too heavy to ignore. The case, as reported, is not about a collapsed country, not about people losing their life savings, not about a national currency evaporating, and not about an entire population being thrown into poverty. It is about the alleged misuse of confidential information: board papers from Lendlease, reportedly used to gain an advantage in audit bids for major clients such as Westpac and Dexus. Still, look at what happened. The CEO resigned. The chairperson resigned. The head of audit resigned. Partners directly involved stepped down. Parliamentary hearings took place. Regulators moved. The whistleblower, after being badly treated, became part of the public discussion. In short, a professional misconduct scandal was treated as a scandal. Now, let us look at Lebanon. The World Bank described Lebanon’s financial collapse as possibly among the three worst economic crises globally since the mid-nineteent...
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The Long Awaited Iran Deal

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In this video from June 17, 2026, geopolitical analyst Peter Zeihan reacts with sharp criticism to reports of a proposed deal between the United States and Iran . Zeihan characterizes the leaked terms as a total strategic capitulation by the U.S., questioning whether the agreement was born from government incompetence, a lack of focus, or the health of leadership. Key terms of the rumored deal cited by Zeihan include: Financial Concessions: Immediate release of all frozen Iranian funds and the creation of a $300 billion restitution investment fund. Sanctions Relief: The immediate removal of all U.S. sanctions, covering nuclear, militant, and weapon export restrictions. Strategic Retreat: The U.S. would withdraw all military forces from the vicinity of Iran , while granting Iran the right to regulate the Strait of Hormuz , potentially including the collection of fees. Lack of Oversight: The agreement allegedly contains no provisions for Iran ’s missile program or its regional mi...
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من روائع الدكتور الأديب علي الوردي

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  فتح الحمار مذكرة يومياته وكتب فيها: « أنا لا أعرف كـم مضى مـن الزمن على رحيــل الأســـد  ولكن وصلت في نهاية عمري إلى قناعة راسخة لكنها قاسية و مؤلمة مفادها أن ديكتاتورية الأسد أفضل من حرية القردة والكــلاب ،  فهـو لــم يكن يستعبـــدنا بل كــان يحمـينا مـــن         قـــــرود تبيع نصف الغابة مقابل المـــــــوز          وكلاب تبيع نصفها الآخر مقابل العظام.....» من روائع الدكتور الأديب علي-الوردي .
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History of Victorian England

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  In late Victorian London, poverty was so widespread that even sleep came at a cost. One of the cheapest forms of shelter for the homeless was the "four-penny coffin," a wooden box where a person could lie down for the night, often covered with nothing more than a tarpaulin. For those who couldn't afford even that, a two-penny alternative existed: a bench and a rope stretched across the chest to keep a person upright as they slept. This grim arrangement came to be known as the "two-penny hangover"—a haunting image of hardship and endurance in a time when survival itself was a nightly struggle. Despite popular belief, the term "hangover" did not originate from this rope-sleeping practice. While it makes for a compelling tale, linguistic research shows that the word originally referred to the lingering effects of something left unfinished-such as unresolved business from a meeting. It wasn't until the early 20th century, around 1904, that "hang...
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Analysis of the Recent Pakistan-India Skirmishes: Military Balance, Damages, Diplomatic Implications, and Nuclear Risk

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  I had a great interest in learning  about the Pakistani-Indian turmoil and continuous conflict since I watched the movie that depicts the life of  Mahatma Gandhi . The movie explains why the separation between Pakistan and India has happened. Naturally, the movie didn't go into detail and entailed a lot. However, it gave me an idea about the separation, the conflict, and the ongoing dispute. I wanted to learn more, so I started a journey of research with Gemini   and ended up with a well-established report that explains the root cause of the conflict (without going deeply into the historic events), the military capabilities of both countries, the risk of actual nuclear exchange, and recommendations to prevent the catastrophic outcomes that could materialize in case further escalation takes place. I enjoyed reading it, and here I'm sharing it publicly: Executive Summary The recent escalation of tensions between Pakistan and India in April-May 2025, triggered by a d...
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