We examine the impact of the recent US presidential election result. Synopsis: The Straits Times’ associate foreign editor Lim Ai Leen and senior columnist Lin Suling meet up in the studio with Bhagyashree Garekar, The Straits Times’ United States bureau chief who covered the US presidential election all year long, and is back in Singapore for a short break. In this episode, they discuss how Bhagya arrived at her early prediction of a Trump win before the Nov 5 election, how Trump played to...

Its warren of underground bunkers and tunnels, which sheltered the city’s residents during the heavy bombing of the Second Sino-Japanese war, are turned into lifestyle destinations today. Synopsis: The Straits Times chats with ST’s global correspondents about life as it goes on, amid the screaming headlines and bubbling crises. Chongqing bears a grim wartime history. As China’s wartime capital which Chiang Kai-shek’s Kuomintang government decamped to in 1937, it was heavily bombed during...

Political upheaval in Japan as its snap elections see the ruling party lose its majority, reshaping its ties with the US and Asia.  Synopsis: Join The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor, as he distils his experience from four decades of covering the Asian continent. In this episode, Ravi speaks with Tobias Harris, founder of political risk consultancy Japan Foresight on the fallout from the stunning electoral reverses suffered by Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba following...

Unless one candidate wins swing states decisively, a quick settlement is unlikely in America’s cliffhanger election. Synopsis: The Straits Times' global contributor Nirmal Ghosh shines a light on Asian perspectives of global and Asian issues with expert guests. The United States’ presidential election, which polls show is currently in a statistical tie, is unlikely to be settled quickly unless one candidate decisively wins enough swing states - which remains a possibility.  Short of that...

Navigating the US election scene - from Trump's rise to economic worries and the shifting tides of masculinity in politics. Synopsis: The Straits Times’ assistant foreign editor Clement Tan catches up with US bureau chief Bhagyashree Garekar to share her insights into the US presidential elections on Nov 5, 2024. Clement Tan speaks with Bhagyashree Garekar, ST’s US bureau chief, about her experiences covering the US elections. They discuss the changes in American society, the rise of Trump,...

US trade policy and US-China competition concerns are high on the minds of South-east Asia observers. Synopsis: The Straits Times' global contributor Nirmal Ghosh shines a light on Asian perspectives of global and Asian issues with expert guests. Hardening strategic competition with China will remain front and centre of the foreign policy focus of the next US Administration in Washington DC. But while Asian countries have a mixed response to this superpower competition, most seek to stay on...

Some are holding fast to their mother tongue, even with migration overseas, and are coming up with creative ways to spread the learning and use of Cantonese. Synopsis: The Straits Times chats with ST’s global correspondents about life as it goes on, amid the screaming headlines and bubbling crises. Want to pick up Cantonese? Some Hong Kongers - from a software engineer to a playgroup teacher based in Britain - have created new ways of learning the Chinese dialect such as through apps,...

Why action is needed to avoid some countries being labelled as 'scam states'. Synopsis: Every third and fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times' global contributor Nirmal Ghosh shines a light on Asian perspectives of global and Asian issues with expert guests. With their heavy security, territorial control and global reach, we look at South-east Asia’s industrial-size scam compounds, where thousands are lured from low-employment countries to work as forced labour stealing billions of...

The seasoned Singapore diplomat is bullish on India and Asean but says the US should not be underestimated. Synopsis: Every third and fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times' global contributor Nirmal Ghosh shines a light on Asian perspectives of global and Asian issues with expert guests. Veteran Singapore diplomat Kishore Mahbubani, never shy about sharing his views, is bullish on India and Asean, believes China will not invade Taiwan unless the island declares independence - and...

Revered as soldiers, the Gurkhas are Nepalis who are recruited into the British Army, the Singapore Police, the Indian Army, and recently, even the Russian army.  Synopsis: Join The Straits Times' senior columnist Ravi Velloor, as he distils his experience from four decades of covering the Asian continent. In this episode, Ravi speaks with one of the most highly decorated officers of the Indian Army, retired Lt. Gen. Shokin Chauhan, on the future of Gurkhas, the famous warriors from the...

The bitter aftertaste though, is the story of how Chinese Indians are struggling to fit in.  Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times chats with ST’s correspondents in the Asia-Pacific, the US and Europe, about life as it goes on, amid the screaming headlines and bubbling crises.  There is a popular sauce in India, which involves massive amounts of green chillies, salt and Indian spices such as turmeric. And it is sold as a Chinese sauce, in Kolkata’s Chinatown. From...

New episodes from our rebranded podcast channel will drop here: https://str.sg/wB2m Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, get a headstart in your personal finance and career with The Straits Times. Our previous Money and Career podcast channel is now rebranded HeadSTart on Record, taking on a fresher and sharper approach on how to chase your aspirations and grow your money.  Hosts Sue-Ann Tan and Tay Hong Yi will speak with guests on how to navigate jobs and finances in a...

Aggression from China is driving Manila and Washington closer, spurring a loose coalition against Beijing. Synopsis: Every third and fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times' global contributor Nirmal Ghosh shines a light on Asian perspectives of global and Asian issues with expert guests. Despite talks between China and the Philippines regarding resupply of the small contingent of Philippine marines aboard the World War II era ship Sierra Madre which Manila had grounded on the...

ST sports reporters and the SG bronze medalist look back at memorable moments in the Paris Olympics. Synopsis: The Straits Times tackles the talking points in sport every second Wednesday of the month.  History was made on Aug 9, 2024, when kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder became Singapore’s youngest Olympic medallist after he clinched a bronze in the Formula Kite event. In this episode, ST's sports reporter Deepanraj Ganesan is joined by assistant sports editor Rohit Brijnath and sports...

We chat with Mayank Chhaya, Chicago-based veteran chronicler of the Indian diaspora, on Kamala Harris’s appeal and chances in the upcoming Nov 5 US presidential election. Synopsis: Join The Straits Times' senior columnist Ravi Velloor, as he distils his experience from four decades of covering the continent. In this episode, Ravi speaks with the veteran journalist, author and broadcaster Mayank Chhaya, a former staffer with India Post in California and India Abroad, New York, on the rise in...

Hengdian, in Zhejiang province, is booming as the location set for two-thirds of China’s period dramas. Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times chats with ST’s global correspondents about life as it goes on, amid the screaming headlines and bubbling crises. They come with stars in their eyes, hoping to become the next Fan Bingbing or Jackson Yee. In Hengdian, they put their names down and hope to be picked - to deliver a line, to stand next to an actor, or even just to...

Hear why this policy is in jeopardy on several levels, including the risk of being outmanoeuvred and encircled by China in its near east. Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times' global contributor Nirmal Ghosh shines a light on Asian perspectives of global and Asian issues with expert guests. It may have been called a “forgotten” war - but the civil war in Myanmar triggered by the military’s February 2021 coup d’etat, has grave implications for India’s national...

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry wants to take action to get people to return to brick-and-mortar stores. Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times chats with ST’s correspondents in the Asia-Pacific, the US and Europe, about life as it goes on, amid the screaming headlines and bubbling crises. The Japanese are sentimental about bookstores, viewing them as precious communal spaces that do more than just sell books.   And yet, fewer and fewer are going to...

Analysing this is our guest - Ambassador Peter Tesch, the veteran Australian diplomat and policy strategist. Synopsis: Join The Straits Times' associate editor and senior Asia columnist Ravi Velloor, as he distils his experience from four decades of covering the continent. In this episode, Ravi speaks with the eminent Australian diplomat Peter Tesch, a former ambassador to Russia and Germany for his country as well as policy strategist for the Australian defence ministry. They discuss the...

Our guest expert offers a striking insider look at what it was like to cover Donald Trump’s presidency, and lessons learnt from it.    Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times' global contributor Nirmal Ghosh shines a light on Asian perspectives of global and Asian issues with expert guests. Notwithstanding a conviction, and other cases against him, Donald Trump remains the frontrunner for the Republican nomination - and has a realistic chance of being elected President...

Our expert guest on what to expect on the external front from Modi 3.0, India’s challenges, and options. Synopsis: Join The Straits Times' senior columnist Ravi Velloor, as he distils his experience from four decades of covering the continent. In this episode, Ravi speaks with the eminent foreign policy thinker C Raja Mohan, the noted scholar and close friend of India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. They discuss Indian foreign policy in the wake of the recent elections that...

The affordable luxury of personalised car licence plates are proving an enduring and endearing avenue for self-expression in a changing Hong Kong  Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times chats with ST’s correspondents in the Asia-Pacific, the US and Europe, about life as it goes on, amid the screaming headlines and bubbling crises.  HEY YU, DREAMER, ADD OIL. The messages on Hong Kong's vanity car plates can draw nods of appreciation or chuckles for the city’s motorists....

Swiping for love used to be the way for millennials to find a connection, but there seems to be growing dating app disillusionment among the young. Synopsis: The Straits Times’ Natasha Ann Zachariah explores contemporary societal choices and youth perspectives. Bernice Fong, Dhareeni Shanmugam and John Lim are three under-30s who have had different experiences with dating apps over the years.John, who runs a content agency, finds that with everyone having many options, he feels “like a...

South-east Asian countries appreciate there is no strategic balance in the region without the US, so they will find ways to deal with whoever is in the White House. Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times' global contributor Nirmal Ghosh shines a light on Asian perspectives of global and Asian issues with expert guests. How South-east Asia - situated at the crossroads of Asia and the Pacific - sees and navigates growing tensions between China and the United States, is...