WSC's Fifty-seventh Meeting

Like clockwork every month, World Speakers' Coalition Kuala Lumpur had their meeting. This July was our 57th meeting. 

There was a surprisingly good attendance with eleven members and one guest gathering at a new venue in Lorong Kurau, Taman Bangsar Pertama. 

Muhendaran, the organizer and host, chose Kedai Nombor 7, a neighbourhood bar hidden away in this quiet part of Bangsar.

The meeting theme was "World Cup", which concluded Sunday. But the football aficionados among us were still harbouring strong views about the football we witnessed on screen and which we still felt compelled to vent about.

Suriakumar had considered it one of the worst World Cup in the history of all World Cup history! And so, he felt the need to cleanse his soul through "spirited" endeavour. And on Tuesday, the cleansing started unapologetically. 🥃🍹🍺🍻🍸🥂🍷

Truth be told, many of us agreed and so, the whiskey, beer and stout liberally flowed. 

Except for Yen who was taught Football 101, the rest of us talked openly about the games we saw and the teams we rooted for.

I'm surprised nobody supported England or France.

Photos of the said meeting: 

#publicspeaking

#theartandscienceofrhetoric 

#confidentcommunication 

#communicationinnovations 

#worldspeakerscoalition

$6B Budget for Next World Cup

🚨 FIFA are preparing a budget of around $6 BILLION for the 2030 FIFA World Cup. 💰 

The tournament will mark the 100th anniversary of the World Cup, with FIFA planning a landmark edition to celebrate a century since the inaugural tournament in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1930. 🏆🌍

And six countries have already secured their 2030 places after the global governing body for football officially confirmed the tournament’s unique hosting arrangement spanning three continents. Morocco, Portugal and Spain will serve as the main hosts of the expanded tournament, while Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay will stage special centenary celebration matches. 

A US official told The Intercept that recent attacks had wounded “far more” personnel than are reflected in the Pentagon’s current casualty count. They did not provide numbers but said “dozens” had received medical attention. 

According to ⁠Al Jazeera citing CENTCOM, the ongoing conflict with Iran has resulted in 17 confirmed US military deaths, one service member missing, and over 420 wounded. 

And reporting by The Intercept previously found that the Pentagon’s official tally of dead and wounded personnel is a gross undercount, stemming from what one US government official called a “casualty cover-up”. 

There's nothing new about this because it has always been the US practice!

On the Iranian side, at least 3,000 have been killed according to Iranian reports and Al Jazeera's live trackers, though independent monitors like the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) estimate around 3,684 fatalities, with more than 26,500 to 27,000 individuals injured. 

We should anticipate that devastating human losses across Iran will escalate under the weight of continuous US bombardments. CENTCOM already announced they finished their latest round of strikes on Monday, marking the completion of the tenth consecutive night of American air attacks on Iran. 

And US President Donald Trump warned Tuesday on Truth Social that the United States was "not finished" attacking Iran. 

I say it again! Iran should stop pussyfooting with the evil regime that is the US. It's time to declare war and go on the offensive. 💣💣💣

Donald Trump Edited Out of Spain’s Trophy Photo

US President Donald Trump has sparked fury after he "hijacked" Spain's World Cup trophy lift on Sunday. 

Trump, also joined by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, handed the trophy to Spain's captain Rodri (Rodrigo Hernández) after a deserved 1-0 extra-time win against Argentina. 

Before the match, when Trump was in Ankara, Türkiye for the NATO summit (July 7-8, 2026), he severely slammed Spain over its refusal to allow US forces to use Spanish bases for airstrikes on Iran, its failure to meet NATO defense spending targets, and its immigration policies. He has repeatedly described the country as a "terrible partner", a "wasted cause", and "hopeless", and once ordered Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to halt all trade and business with Madrid. 

And yet, the thick-skinned fella shamelessly tried to get into the World Cup final photo with Spain. This man has some sort of amnesia. He claims to hate Spain, yet he still wants to take a picture with them. 

The US president was seen next to the podium as Spain celebrated, but Rodri, as well as Infantino himself, appeared to gently guide him to the side of the stage. 

Trump was still in shot when the World Cup was hoisted aloft but the Spanish football association, however, uploaded the official World Cup-winning photo with the caption: "Dreams come true". The image appeared to have cropped Trump out. 

One fan commented on Reddit: "How long until Trump declares war on Spain because of this?" 

A second fan asked: "Is this filter available for everyday life? Asking for a friend". 

A third fan quipped: "The way the FIFA chairman had to skiddadle his a** over to him to GENTLY usher him away, like he was some toddler that would throw a tantrum if he was too direct". 

A fourth fan penned: "Well, he said that Spain is a bad country and that he doesn't want to trade with them. Lol. Why wouldn't they photoshop him out?" 

A fifth fan wrote: "He has to insert himself everywhere he doesn't belong". 

And, one fan chimed in: "Would have been funny if they just blurred him out".

La Roja Crowned World Cup Champs

I registered for the "Final World Cup @ HQ Bersama" gathering yesterday and early this morning (i.e., 03:00 AM Malaysian time), I watched my first and only 2026 FIFA World Cup event!

[Psst... I lost interest after both Scotland and Iran exited, following the group stage].

The crowning clash pitted defending champions Argentina against Spain.

La Albiceleste entered with the tournament's highest goal count (19), while La Roja boasted the tightest defense, having ⁠conceded just a single goal all tournament. 

I picked Spain to triumph. And they did! They won their second FIFA World Cup title by defeating Argentina 1-0 after extra time. 

Substitute striker Ferran Torres scored the decisive winning goal in the 106th minute, breaking the deadlock after a grueling, highly physical match. The Argies were bullies on the field.

I had dinner first in the vicinity. Nasi Kandar Mamak Kitchen, located at No. 32-1, Jalan PP16/2, Perdana Industrial Park in Taman Putra Perdana, Puchong, Selangor. It was only about 750 meters from HQ Bersama, and therefore, it was convenient for me. 

I had my usual. With extra rice, double portions. And air sirap ais. Altogether RM13.50.

At HQ Bersama, I had the privilege of being up close and personal with Bersama's Rafizi Ramli as he broke down the realities of modern Malaysian politics. Especially the shenanigans of the "dinosaur" parties.

The Real Cost of FIFA’s World Cup Record Revenue

Despite initial fears, football fans have unequivocally proven that they are willing to pay steep ticket prices to experience the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

In fact, FIFA effectively won the battle for fans' wallets, turning the tournament into a historic commercial success. 

However, the data shows that this nearly 99.7% occupancy rate and the staggering 6,527,410 total attendees through the first 100 matches tell a more complex story than just universal fan approval. 

Truth be told, a vast percentage of the tickets were purchased by corporate sponsors, hospitality packages, and affluent travelers – a group that possess the immense purchasing power required to absorb the record-high costs. 

And while the overall cumulative data is record-breaking, early matches featuring less prominent football nations did suffer from noticeable, televised swathes of empty seats (e.g., June 11th's South Korea vs. Czech Republic fixture in Guadalajara, Mexico). 

Furthermore, to combat severe backlash regarding accessibility, FIFA introduced a last-minute Supporter Entry Tier right before the tournament began. This program, which allocated heavily discounted $60 tickets to loyal national federation fans, helped fill gaps in lower-demand games. 

Sure, Gianni Infantino might subscribe to the view that FIFA's pricing model has succeeded financially and that global demand for the World Cup is incredibly resilient, but it has left a lasting debate regarding the tournament's overall inclusivity. 

And if I may repeat, the hostile US treatment towards Iran is a blardy disgrace!

China’s H1 Resilience: GDP Up 4.7%

For years, the dominant narrative in many Western capitals has been that China's rise would eventually slow or even stall. Concerns over debt, demographic decline, a struggling property sector and geopolitical tensions have fueled repeated predictions that China's best days are behind it. 

Despite gloomy predictions on China's future, the country continues to chart steady growth, posting a 4.7% GDP expansion in H1 2026 to stay within Beijing's target range.

The dust settles on the World Cup semi-finals yesterday, solidifying the monumental matchups that dictate who is left standing in the hunt for glory. 

On Tuesday, La Roja produced an absolute masterclass in control to secure their place in just their second World Cup final – they won 2-0 – and yes, Les Bleus got blown away. 👏👏👏

And on Wednesday, Argentina impressively knocked the Three Lions out of the semi-final. La Albiceleste won 2-1 after scoring two dramatic late goals. England actually scored first in the 55th minute, but the Argentines equalized 30 minutes later before they headed home the winner in stoppage time. 👏👏👏

Just as I predicted, it'll be either Argentina or Spain that gets crowned champions on Sunday! 😁😁😁