The legacy of Lee Kuan Yew, the founder and longtime leader of modern Singapore who died on Monday, is often framed as a lesson in nation-building and global statecraft. In the Los Angeles Times, Harvard’s Graham Allison recalls that every Chinese leader since the death of Mao has cited Lee as a mentor; Lee’s brand of “authoritarian capitalism” is often invoked with reference to Narendra Modi or Vladimir Putin.

Next month, Indonesia will be hosting the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the 1955 Asia-Africa Conference. According to Indonesian President Joko Widodo, the commemoration aspires to remind the world that Indonesia played a significant role in the anti-colonial struggle. Amidst complex contemporary global politics, it will be a challenge for Jokowi to convince the world that this Asia-Africa gathering is necessary and relevant. 

Thousands of Singaporeans braved torrential rains on Sunday for a final farewell to the country’s founding prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, whose funeral drew a long list of leaders and dignitaries from across the globe.

The government is set to launch a new scholarship program for students coming from countries involved in the country’s Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, the Beijing Times reported.

The Israeli government will host a gathering of young scientists later this year as part of efforts to improve the image of a state internationally associated with occupation and military brutality. An estimated 400 young scientists from around the world will meet in Jerusalem in August.

Ministers from European Union countries decided last week to work strategically to counter Russian’s propaganda offensive in Ukraine and other former Soviet states. EU countries intend to collaborate on broadcasting to give citizens in the target countries, e.g. the Baltics, an alternative to the relentless bombardment of Russian media, which produces a highly distorted version of the news aimed at Russian speakers.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been zipping in and out of Central Asia’s capitals, determined not to let the five Stans – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – slide out of Moscow’s orbit. “For Russia, it is about maintaining influence, economic and cultural, and maintaining Central Asia as a security buffer.”