Bhavan Jaipragas

Asia–Pacific (APAC)

Journalist and Editor at Freelance

Deputy Opinion Editor at The Straits Times

Deputy Opinion Editor, The Straits Times. Previously Asia Editor of South China Morning Post in HK. https://t.co/yEiIHMCn6s

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Articles

Facing US tariffs, Asean unity helps - but nations still need solo hustle

1 week ago | straitstimes.com | Bhavan Jaipragas

A seemingly minor semantic distinction recently highlighted the complex reality Asean faces in how it deals with the erraticity of US President Donald Trump, and indeed all the major powers.
GE2025: Singapore voters can’t afford to ignore harsh new global realities

2 weeks ago | straitstimes.com | Bhavan Jaipragas

From now until the general election – which, by most accounts, seems just weeks away – conversations around dinner tables, over hurried lunches in CBD hawker centres, and at kopitiams on weekend mornings will likely revolve around the hot-button issues people can see and feel. It’s not hard to guess what will be on the menu: Public housing – will HDB flats remain affordable? Cost of living – is the broad middle as well as those less well off getting enough help even as inflation tapers?
‘Do something-itis’ won’t fix crisis among boys shown in Adolescence

3 weeks ago | straitstimes.com | Bhavan Jaipragas

UPDATED Mar 31, 2025, 05:00 AM
Keeping fear and loathing out of Singapore’s politics

4 weeks ago | straitstimes.com | Bhavan Jaipragas

In 2008, while campaigning against Mr Barack Obama in the United States presidential election, Republican candidate John McCain felt compelled to take the microphone from a supporter who claimed she couldn’t trust his Democratic rival because he was “an Arab”. The late Mr McCain’s response was one to remember: “No ma’am... He’s a decent family man, a citizen, who I just happen to have disagreements with.”Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Duterte deserves to be brought to book, but not like this

1 month ago | straitstimes.com | Bhavan Jaipragas

The dramatic arrest and swift extradition of former Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte to The Hague on an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant on charges of crimes against humanity have unleashed a predictable storm of reactions. For families of the thousands killed in his merciless war on narcotics – both during his 2016-2022 presidency and earlier as mayor of Davao – it marks a moment of long-awaited catharsis. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Europe is best placed to break Starlink’s global grip

1 month ago | straitstimes.com | Bhavan Jaipragas

If the EU can deliver an alternative on the satellite internet front, it would not just serve its own interests, but also boost trade and strategic ties with global partners. PHOTO: BLOOMBERGEach passing day of Mr Donald Trump’s return to the White House delivers an unmistakable message to the European Union: contempt. The US President himself has even suggested that the bloc was created solely to “screw” America. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Myanmar junta leader’s Putin fawning shows Russia is his insurance policy

1 month ago | straitstimes.com | Bhavan Jaipragas

For all the talk of an abhorrent new world order in which small nations are forced to pay obeisance to the powerful, some countries seem happy to bow even before the whip is cracked. Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing gave us a vivid example of this last week during his trip to Russia.
What Zelensky’s Oval Office spat has to do with Singapore’s foreign policy

1 month ago | straitstimes.com | Bhavan Jaipragas

Now is certainly not the time for pacifism in defence, or for suggesting that Singapore’s adroitness in maintaining sound ties with both China and the US is misplaced. PHOTO: ST FILEEven in today’s era of whiplash headlines, the events of Feb 28 – when Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky endured an Oval Office blow-up more akin to reality TV – will not simply fade into the ether.
Trump’s war on science will gift America’s golden goose to global rivals

1 month ago | straitstimes.com | Bhavan Jaipragas

By now you would have heard about United States President Donald Trump’s new plan to attract top talent: fork out US$5 million (S$6.7 million) for a “gold card” and you’ll get permanent residency – “green card plus privileges”. On Feb 25, Mr Trump previewed the scheme, claiming it would lure “very high-level people” who can simply pay their way into America’s elite circles, while companies similarly import their preferred talent.
Trump’s Panama Canal fight puts Asian ports on notice

1 month ago | straitstimes.com | Bhavan Jaipragas

At first glance, US President Donald Trump’s crusade against China’s non-military maritime influence might seem like a northern hemisphere headache – a problem far removed from Asia’s concerns. In his first four weeks in office, Mr Trump fixated on the national security threat posed by the Panama Canal – the waterway on the other side of the world through which 40 per cent of all American goods pass.