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Bhagyashree Garekar

US Bureau Chief

Bhagya is US bureau chief at The Straits Times. She was foreign editor at the newspaper from 2020 to 2023 and served as its US correspondent during the Bush and Obama administrations. She produced ST’s first e-book, Myanmar Sunrise, which won an award in 2013 from the Pacific Area Newspaper Publishers’ Association. In 2015, she wrote Living History, an e-book marking the 170th anniversary of ST and Singapore’s 50th anniversary. Bhagya began her career at India’s top financial daily, The Economic Times, with positions in New Delhi and Mumbai. She is a Jefferson Fellow. 

Latest articles

Will 2026 be the year of G-2?

President Donald Trump is promoting the G2, a partnership between the US and China that can address the world’s great economic, security and political problems. PHOTO: HAIYUN JIANG, NYTIMES

The woman who sued Trump and other tales from America’s factory floor

Mr Brian Riley's company, Guardian Bikes, has an annual revenue of US$100 million (S$130.1 million) and is nearing a milestone of being fully made in the US.

‘Amazing’ Trump-Xi talks produce a pause in US-China trade war

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping appeared to have stepped back from the toxicity that had enveloped the trade war.

US, China seal deal on rare earths; Trump says Xi meeting was a 12 on scale of 1 to 10

US President Donald Trump gestures as he boards the Air Force One at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, on Oct 30.

Is the Trump-Xi meeting in South Korea headed for a K-drama moment?

For all his tactical unpredictability, Mr Donald Trump seems to be dealing the weaker hand.

Trump meets Xi: Who'll win the China-US tussle; impact on Asia

In this episode, we discuss about the Trump-Xi meeting and why it remains unconfirmed.

‘He thinks he’s great, we don’t’: Americans march against Trump’s ‘imperial presidency’

In the Texas state capital Austin, between 10,000 and 20,000 people took part in a “No Kings” march on Oct 18.

Pentagon’s Pete Hegseth declares war on US media, but new rules could backfire

Reporters carry their belongings from the Pentagon on October 15, 2025, after news outlets declined to sign new media rules. PHOTO: AFP

H-1B1 still Singaporeans’ best bet for a US job, despite Trump tightening immigration rules

A US flag and a H-1B Visa application form are seen in this illustration taken Sept 22, 2025. PHOTO: REUTERS

Advantage China in the latest US-China spat

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 10: In an aerial view, tugboats assist a container ship as it arrives at the Port of Oakland on October 10, 2025 in Oakland, California. U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening to impose a massive increase of tariffs on Chinese imports in response to China's announcement of new export controls on rare earths. China controls an estimated 70% of the global supply of rare earths minerals.   Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by JUSTIN SULLIVAN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)