...Modi became increasingly authoritarian, [Modi expert Christophe] Jaffrelot described, consolidating power over police and courts and bypassing the media to connect directly with voters......

The organizers of the Swiss-based [global National Security Advisors' Meeting] want New Delhi to be represented at the highest level to corner Moscow....

The West is finding it difficult to remove itself from the coils of a policy in which it is trapped. Ukraine is being treated as the last frontier of Europe facing a 'non-European' Russia....

Switzerland and Ukraine are active in gathering support for the proposed peace conference, especially from Global South countries. Four closed-door meetings to prepare for this conference have already been held, but without Russia's participation....

To promote the peace summit, both the Swiss and Ukrainian foreign ministers have visited India to press for its participation in the belief that this will encourage other Global South countries to attend. As for the agenda, India is told that it can pick up those points in Zelensk*'s ten-point [world "investment"] proposal to which it has no objections, and that could be the basis of its participation....

At best, [Modi] could attend the G7 summit for a day and hurry back home. In any case, due to the manner in which the so-called peace summit is being organized, and considering reports of an increasing number of Western military personnel being sent to Ukraine in 'non-combat' positions, along with more arms supplies, India may not deem it appropriate for Modi to be present, and could instead decide—rightly so—on representation at a lower political level.
[...]

channelnewsasia | Lawrence Wong to take over as Singapore Prime Minister from Lee Hsien Loong on May 15 (15.04.24)
In a Facebook post, Mr Lee noted that a leadership transition is a significant moment in any country. "Lawrence and the 4G team have worked hard to gain the people's trust, notably during the pandemic," he wrote.

"Through the Forward Singapore exercise [June 2022], they have worked with many Singaporeans to refresh our social compact and develop the national agenda for a new generation."

....Individual responsibility should go hand in hand with "a greater sense of collective responsibility"—from providing more support for families and seniors to helping Singaporeans bounce back from setbacks with a better social support system. "Ultimately, we aim to build a stronger sense of solidarity and identity as Singaporeans....

Mr Lee asked Singaporeans to give Mr Wong and his team their full support.
[...]
Mr Wong, 51, was named two years ago as the leader of the ruling People's Action Party's (PAP) fourth-generation (4G) team, effectively putting him in line to become the next Prime Minister. This was after Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, who had previously been named as 4G leader, stepped aside in April 2021, citing his age and the lack of a proper "runway" for the top job. Mr Heng is 63 this year. Mr Lee, 72, had previously indicated his intention to step down before his 70th birthday in February 2022, but that plan was scuppered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

archive Li Keqiang question (68), Hu Jintao (80), translations, Eric Li