politics

Political figures, histories, and current events in the whole scope of modern and past politics. Work place politics.

COP31 Business Forum Launches Global Roadmap in New York
As world leaders gather in New York for the United Nations General Assembly and Climate Week, a pivotal moment in global climate action is unfolding. The COP31 Global Business Forum New York Dialogue convenes this week, bringing together more than 300 senior executives from across the international business community to translate climate commitments into actionable plans. Hosted jointly by the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB) and Bloomberg, the meeting serves as the opening flagship event of “Bloomberg Green New York” and sets the stage for what promises to be the most business-inclusive UN Climate Change Conference in history COP31, to be held in Antalya under the joint presidency of Türkiye and Australia.
By Mark Lim 3 days ago in Journal
No Place For Hate
When I came to work on Monday earlier this week a coworker of mine came up to me and a group of other cohorts and said “so apparently some neo nazis held a rally this weekend.” Most of our responses varied around the realm of “oh really?” Then he preceded to show us a video that a friend of his who was an anti protester against this white supremacist group has sent him when he counter protested against them that day.
By Joe Patterson3 days ago in Journal
US–China Trade Talks Resume in New York: Dialogue Returns, Differences Remain
In a significant step toward stabilising the world’s most consequential bilateral relationship, senior economic teams from China and the United States met in New York on Sunday morning for structured consultations on trade, investment, and emerging technology cooperation. The discussions brought together Vice Premier He Lifeng, leading the Chinese delegation, and, on the American side, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, the top officials responsible for shaping US economic and commercial policy. The meeting, described by both sides as “candid, in-depth and constructive,” marks a renewed commitment to dialogue at a time when global markets remain sensitive to every shift in relations between the world’s two largest economies.
By Mark Lim 3 days ago in Journal
Najib Decision and Its Aftershocks Pardon, Responsibility, and Public Trust
The conditional pardon granted to former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak — allowing him to serve the remainder of his SRC International sentence under house arrest in his upscale Langgak Duta residence, upon payment of a RM50 million fine — has sparked intense debate across Malaysia, raising fundamental questions about accountability, transparency, and the rule of law. While the decision was formally announced as a royal exercise of prerogative under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution, it has drawn sharp criticism from civil society, legal analysts, and members of the public who argue the government cannot distance itself from the outcome.
By Mark Lim 4 days ago in Journal
World at a Crossroads, Autumn 2026 Heat, Conflict, and Fractured Alliances
As political leaders return from summer recess across the Northern Hemisphere, they face a world visibly altered by accelerating climate disruption, deepening geopolitical rifts, and fraying economic partnerships. What began as a season of travel and relaxation has yielded to a sobering reality: from the baking Mediterranean shoreline to the tense US–Canada border, and from the battlefields of Ukraine to the diplomatic stage of Washington, every major region is contending with pressures that show no sign of easing.
By Mark Lim 4 days ago in Journal
Global Policy Begins at Home: Why Multipolarity Must Mean Democracy Everywhere
“We should link global policy with domestic politics.” This simple but powerful insight, articulated by writer and activist Kavita Krishnan, cuts through much of the abstract debate surrounding the emerging multipolar world order. Too often, discussions about shifting global power, rising economies, new alliances, and declining hegemons take place in rarefied spaces: summit halls, think-tank conferences, diplomatic communiqués. They treat the global stage as something separate from the streets, workplaces, and neighbourhoods where people actually live. But Krishnan’s argument is clear: there is no genuine international progress that does not begin with, and continuously return to, what happens within nations and within communities.
By Mark Lim 4 days ago in Journal
State-Focused Shifts Ahead: Fahmi Flags Possible Political Realignments
Pakatan Harapan (PH) communications director Fahmi Fadzil has outlined a shifting political landscape in Malaysia, warning that coming realignments will not follow a single national pattern but will instead unfold differently across each state, shaped by unique local histories, alliances, and priorities. Speaking to reporters after officiating the Madani Adopted Village initiative at Kampung Tebat Kering’s surau, Fahmi emphasised that recent political developments cannot be viewed through one uniform lens and that change may manifest even within PH itself as parties prepare for the 16th General Election (GE16).
By Mark Lim 4 days ago in Journal
Can a New Map Change the World?
Of all the ways to understand global politics, the most fundamental is also the most overlooked: the map itself. Maps do not merely show us where things are; they shape how we see who matters, which regions are large and powerful, and which are small or peripheral. For nearly five centuries, the Mercator projection has been the world’s dominant window onto the globe. But that era is now drawing to a close. On August 4, 2026, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a landmark resolution calling for a shift toward map projections that accurately represent the true size of every continent, a change that carries profound implications for education, geopolitics, and global equity.
By Mark Lim 4 days ago in Journal
PAS Ends Cooperation with Bersatu PN Alliance Dissolved
Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has confirmed that PAS has formally and unilaterally decided to end its political cooperation with Bersatu, bringing to an end the partnership that formed the backbone of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) alliance, one of the most consequential political alliances in modern Malaysian history. Speaking to reporters at Bersatu’s 10th anniversary celebration, Muhyiddin was clear and firm: the decision to part ways came entirely from PAS, led by its president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, and was not initiated by Bersatu in any way.
By Mark Lim 4 days ago in Journal
Shanghai Cooperation Organization: Asia’s Rising Counterweight to Western Influence
There is no doubt that the six-member Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has emerged as a decisive force in global politics, one increasingly capable of shifting the balance of power across the Asian continent. Founded in June 2001, the grouping brings together China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, nations that together span 60 per cent of Eurasia and are home to roughly one-quarter of the world’s population. Its roots stretch further back, to the “Shanghai Five” established in 1996 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, with an initial mandate to resolve lingering border disputes and address the rise of extremism in the wake of the Soviet-Afghan conflict. Just five years after its formal founding, the SCO is clearly moving beyond those original goals, evolving into a broader political, economic, and security alliance with ambitions that extend far beyond regional stability.
By Mark Lim 4 days ago in Journal
Politics Has Already Entered the Asian Games, OCA President Concedes
The President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, openly acknowledged on Saturday that politics has already entered the 2026 Asian Games, a development he made clear he neither welcomed nor endorsed. Speaking to the media just hours before the official opening ceremony, Sheikh Joaan expressed regret that the line between sport and geopolitics had already been crossed, even as he reaffirmed the OCA’s commitment to upholding established protocol for all participating delegations.
By Mark Lim 5 days ago in Journal
Malaysia Belongs to All of Us: No Compromise on Shared Nationhood
At the opening of the 41st Malaysian Chinese Cultural Festival held at Encore Melaka on Sunday, September 20, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim delivered a powerful, far-reaching address that spoke directly to the heart of what it means to be Malaysian. Before an audience gathered to honour one of the nation’s oldest and most vibrant cultural traditions, he issued a firm warning to political parties and leaders across the country: Malaysia will not be held hostage by racial politics. He declared in unmistakable terms that he would make no compromise in safeguarding this country as a true home for every single one of its people, regardless of ethnicity, region, or background.
By Mark Lim 5 days ago in Journal