Hello.
The UK has a new prime minister – again. Rishi Sunak, Britain’s first Asian prime minister, has garnered much attention after a weird time warp for British politics.
At 42 years old, Sunak – the first British prime minister of Indian origin and of Hindu faith – is the youngest British prime minister in more than 200 years. But getting to the top is the easy part for Sunak. While he may be able to restore sanity to British politics, economic stability will be a harder slog.
Aside from the UK, all eyes were also on China, where President Xi Jinping secured a historic third term as China’s leader. The new Politburo and Politburo Standing Committee make it very clear that there now is no alternative power centre in China beyond Xi, says foreign policy adviser Christian Le Miere.
But even Xi will not be able to justify his unprecedented power if he makes mistakes, which backing down from zero-COVID will look like, says international relations professor Robert E Kelly.
One of the key effects of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the shift to work-from-home arrangements, which in turn has triggered a worldwide debate over the desirability of more flexible work arrangements.
Amid the growing calls for a four-day work week, would such an arrangement work for schools as well? NIE’s Jason Tan examines what a four-day school week might look like in Singapore, and if it is feasible.
We hope you enjoy the selection of commentaries this week.
Alison Jenner
Senior Editor, Commentary
.jpg?itok=Ptvm49yQ "The UK has a new prime minister – again 35")
