International
Singapore closes the Lee era with the investiture of Lawrence Wong as prime minister
Lawrence Wong was sworn in on Wednesday as Prime Minister of Singapore, which puts an end to Lee Hsien Loong’s two-decades in office and closes the era in power of this popular dynasty, which turned the island into one of the most prosperous countries on the planet.
Wong, until now vice prime minister, today became the fourth leader in the history of the small Southeast Asian nation in an investiture ceremony at the Istana Palace of Singapore, officiated by the country’s president, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, which began around 7:00 p.m. local time (11.00 GMT).
“I swear to protect and defend the Constitution of Singapore,” Wong stressed during the ceremony, broadcast live.
The appointment of Wong, 51, is a before and after in the Asian city-state, since it is the first time that the country does not have any Lee on the political scene, dominated by the family since the mandate of Lee Kuan Yew (1959-1990), “father” of the homeland and the predecessor of the new prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong.
At 72 years old, the firstborn of the deceased Lee Kuan Yew left the position today, as he announced last month, after two decades in power and after having anticipated for years that he would delegate the position to someone younger.
Lee participated in the ceremony and today swore in a ministerial position in Wong’s cabinet, which maintains the heavyweights of the former leader, as he announced this week.
“I am deeply honored (…) I am looking for your trust and support. My team and I will do everything in our man,” Wong said first in English when he got on the stand already as prime minister, and then pronounce a few words in Chinese, Malay and Tamil, the official languages of Singapore.
“Today we are living a milestone. I am the first leader born after independence (1965),” Wong stressed, while praising the legacy of his predecessors and appealing to national unity.
Although Wong, a member like Lee of the formation that has ruled Singapore since its independence, the People’s Action Party (PAP), is expected to adopt a continuist policy with respect to Lee, the current situation suggests that he will have to undertake some changes.
The also Minister of Finance will have to face greater friction between China and the United States and a decline in liberalization, the basis of Singapore’s success, dependent on exports.
“We are facing a world of conflict and rivalries and protectionism (…) We must be friends with everyone while defending our interests,” Wong proclaimed in his speech.
Likewise, Wong, a former official who officially entered politics in 2011 as a deputy, will have to face greater discontent among the population in the face of the high cost of living and the increase in inequalities.
The new leader of Singapore, who went from being a fishing island to one of the countries with the highest GDP per capita following Lee Kuan Yew’s road map – a combination of economic apertourism and control of freedoms – will also have to manage demographic problems and immigration avoiding friction.
The local population (75% ethnically Chinese, 14% Malaysian and 9% Indian) demands more job opportunities in a country that has depended heavily on immigration (about 1.7 million of the total of 5.6 million inhabitants) and that currently has one of the lowest fertility rates on the planet (0.97 in 2023).
“We will fight for a fairer society,” Wong emphasized today, adding that we will have to take “new paths and (take) new solutions.”
Wong will also have to show that the PAP can win electorally without the Lees, when the country has to hold the next general elections before November 2025.
International
Trump signs order to end federal funding for NPR and PBS
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to halt federal funding for two public media outlets, PBS television and NPR radio, accusing them of being biased.
NPR and PBS are partially funded by American taxpayers but rely heavily on private donations.
Trump has long maintained a hostile relationship with most media outlets, which he has referred to as the “enemy of the people.”
An exception is the conservative Fox News channel, some of whose hosts have played important roles in the administration of the Republican magnate.
“National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) receive taxpayer funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB),” Trump said.
“Therefore, I direct the CPB board and all executive departments and agencies to cease federal funding for NPR and PBS,” he added.
The Republican leader argued that “neither of these entities provides a fair, accurate, or impartial portrayal of current events to the taxpayer citizens.”
At the end of March, Donald Trump called on Congress to end public funding for these two “horrible and completely biased networks.”
International
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Japanese police arrested a man on Thursday after he rammed his car into a group of seven schoolchildren in an apparent deliberate attack in the city of Osaka.
The children, who were on their way home from school, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. All seven remained conscious, according to local authorities.
An Osaka police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspect is a 28-year-old man from Tokyo. The officer shared statements the man made after his arrest: “I was fed up with everything, so I decided to kill people by driving into several elementary school children,” the suspect reportedly said.
The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
The injured children, aged between seven and eight, included a seven-year-old girl who suffered a fractured jaw. The six other children—all boys—suffered minor injuries such as bruises and scratches and were undergoing medical evaluation.
Witnesses described the car as “zigzagging” before hitting the children. One witness told Nippon TV that a girl was “covered in blood” and the others appeared to have scratches.
Another witness said the driver, who was wearing a face mask, looked to be in shock when school staff pulled him from the vehicle.
Violent crimes are rare in Japan, though serious incidents do occur from time to time. In 2008, Tomohiro Kato drove a two-ton truck into pedestrians in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, then fatally stabbed several victims. Seven people were killed in that attack.
Internacionales
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.
In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.
Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.
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