Dear ST reader,
We hope you’ve been keeping well.
The week kicked off with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s visit to Bogor for the annual Leaders’ Retreat with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, an especially poignant meeting as both statesmen will step down this year.
At the retreat, a long-held tradition in which the countries’ leaders and ministers meet informally to discuss ways to strengthen ties, both leaders pledged continuity in future cooperation between their two nations, which have been described as ‘good neighbours and good friends’.
Turning to a very different kind of relationship, rivalry between superpowers the US and China can only get more intense, says our bureau chief in Beijing Tan Dawn Wei, with troubles over video-sharing app TikTok a mere skirmish amid bigger fights to come. Ultimately, she surmises, dialogue cannot go far enough to resolve many of the frictions and contradictions in this relationship.
We also continue to bring you news of the world’s biggest election, which is currently underway in India and ends on June 1. Bureau chief Nirmala Ganapathy reports on seizures of money and drugs used in vote-buying while our correspondent Debarshi Dasgupta explores why moderate Hindus could still vote for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
Also read Walter Sim’s report on how Japan’s bookstores are fighting back against threats from e-commerce and dwindling readership, and Wendy Teo’s story of volunteer dog patrol teams on the streets of Seoul.
‘A valedictory meeting’: Singapore and Indonesia leaders pledge continuity at their final retreat
US-China fights are set to get bigger
India polls: Why even moderates are voting for the BJP
Storms and weak yuan cast cloud over Hong Kong’s plans for Golden Week
How cities are adapting for climate change
Urban residents are fighting back against extreme heat and floods with cool roofs and deep drainage.
Listen to this Green Trails podcast:
Hosting migratory birds in Singapore
Not letting the sun set on Japan’s bookstores
