Myanmar’s crisis scuppers India’s Act East Policy
With limited agency and influence over events in Myanmar, India’s Act East policy is in jeopardy on several levels, including the risk of being outmaneuvered and encircled by China in its near east. Aparna Pande and Avinash Paliwal, experts on India’s foreign policy and South Asian geopolitics, dis…
Japan fights to save its beloved bookshops
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 …
‘Judo, botox and yoga’ – what’s Putin up to in Asia?
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 s…
Looking back at 'pageantry' of Trump Presidency: A ringside view
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…
Could China, India go to war again?
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…
Hong Kong's vanity car plates a creative outlet as freedoms narrow
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 go…
Why war 'by design' over Taiwan is unlikely: Bilahari Kausikan
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 o…
Singapore’s stakes in India’s election: Will polls bring a surprise?
Hear from our guest expert on Singapore’s stakes in seeing a stable government rule the world’s fifth biggest economy. Synopsis: Join The Straits Times' senior columnist Ravi Velloor, as he distils his experience from four decades of covering the continent. The world’s most populous nation began …
Chinese' salve for loneliness: Pay to drink at strangers' homes
The rise of home bars in cities across China shows how young Chinese are craving for companionship but without having to invest in relationships. 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 goe…
No magic bullet but vaccines may help long war against dengue virus
Asia is on the cusp of a summer of life-threatening dengue fever. 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. Dengue fever case numbers have gone up across the g…