Episodit
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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 the Second Sino-Japanese war. Bunkers - some 16,000 - were built into the city’s hills and mountains, sheltering terrified residents as the bombs rained down.
Some eight decades on, the Chongqing government has given these underground shelters a new lease of life.
In this episode, ST’s foreign editor Li Xueying speaks to China correspondent Aw Cheng Wei about what it is like to be in those bunkers today, and why Chongqing is approaching its wartime past differently from other Chinese cities.
Highlights (click/tap above):
0:39 Bookshops, car washes and mahjong sessions
2:51 A real coming to terms with its history?
8:24 Making the most of one’s past
14:04 The Straits Times sets up shop in Chongqing
Read Aw Cheng Wei’s article here: https://str.sg/w2Esn
Read Li Xueying’s articles: https://str.sg/iqmR
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Host: Li Xueying ([email protected])
Edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Lynda Hong
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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 his decision to hold snap polls.
They discuss what the results, which saw the long-governing Liberal Democratic Party and allied party Komeito lose their parliamentary majority, mean for Japan, its alliance with the US, and its ties with wider Asia.
Tobias and Ravi also discuss how the results could impact on fiscal policy, and whether the government would now be forced to go in for further fiscal expansion.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:36 Japan’s political ‘earthquake’
4:33 Anger, frustration in Japan
7:50 Domestic priorities to be a focus
8:33 Japan’s foreign policy
17:55 Fiscal discipline will be difficult
21:17 A modernised LDP
Host: Ravi Velloor ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Lynda Hong
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Ravi Velloor's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP
Ravi Velloor on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor
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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 however, both parties have armies of lawyers ready to file challenges to the result - with resolution potentially taking a long time, and concerns over instability in the interim.
While a Kamala Harris presidency would bring a degree of continuity to foreign policy - and possibly some push back against Israel’s conduct - a Donald Trump presidency would have echoes of his first term, in which he bristled against the traditional post World War II international order, bringing up issues even with American allies such as NATO. A second term would bring more transactionalism and disruption even as some countries would like to see him back in power. He has also claimed that he will end the Russia-Ukraine war in 24 hours.
From the eye of the gathering storm in an increasingly severely polarised America, senior journalist, author and veteran foreign correspondent Steven Herman, Chief National Correspondent of Voice of America, shares his views with Asian Insider host Nirmal Ghosh.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:17 The implications from the elections on foreign policies
5:05 Global perceptions of America and how some are eager to see Donald Trump return
6:33 Potential for political instability and the possibility of a long unresolved election
11:16 The public sentiment and political polarization of the elections
15:03 How Trump and Harris are looking at reaching out to younger audience through podcasts
Host: Nirmal Ghosh ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
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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, and the impact of inflation concerns on voter sentiment.
In this episode, Bhagya shares memorable encounters from her travels across the US, highlighting the political landscape and the growing diversity in the population. The conversation also touches on the psychological aspects of masculinity in politics and the uncertainty surrounding the upcoming election results.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:51 Memorable encounters on the campaign trail
8:23 Changes in infrastructure and American society
12:33 The rise of Trump and white nationalism
16:41 Masculinity and political identity
18:57 Economic concerns and election predictions
Follow Clement Tan on X: https://str.sg/uErS
Read Clement Tan's articles: https://str.sg/Ep62
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
Host: Clement Tan ([email protected]) & Bhagyashree Garekar ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Lynda Hong
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Observing with empathy, asking the right questions and listening will go a long way to charting out how to give meaningful support.
Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, get a headstart in your personal finance and career with The Straits Times.
Diversity, equity and inclusion are aspirational ideals that have permeated conversations of work life and good employment.
Yet, there is still room for improvement when it comes to putting these aspirations into practice, if a survey on diversity issues commissioned by The Straits Times and release in August is anything to go by.
In this episode, ST journalist Tay Hong Yi finds out how employers and employees both have their part to play in making workplaces more inclusive in meaningful ways without patronising those who benefit.
His guests are:
Ms Winifred Ling, a couples therapist and relationship coach who has lived with an invisible disability for close to two decades
Ms Hsu Yi Peng, a young leader who helmed an initiative to provide students with diverse needs internship opportunities at her company, HSBC, on top of her day job as a product specialist.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:46 How did the idea of diversity, equity and inclusion come to the guests’ attention?
5:01 What was the learning curve like for Yi Peng when she took on the initiative?
9:20 Should employers or employees lead the charge to promote inclusion?
13:20 How did HSBC devise the support moves for students in the initiative?
19:12 How to balance between providing accommodations and seeing individuals for who they are beyond their traits?
Read the feature by Rosalind Ang discussed on the podcast: https://str.sg/x4oC
Read Tay Hong Yi's articles: https://str.sg/w6cz
Follow Tay Hong Yi on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/AAxy
Host: Tay Hong Yi ([email protected])
Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim
Executive producers: Ernest Luis, Lynda Hong & Joanna Seow
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Feedback to: [email protected]
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Unlocking new sources of financing for nature, ending harmful subsidies and benefit sharing among issues to be discussed
Synopsis: Every first and third Sunday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change.
It has been two years since the Global Biodiversity Framework was adopted, and almost 200 countries are set to gather in Cali, Colombia, from Oct 21 to Nov 1 to discuss the way forward. The framework, touted as the biodiversity equivalent of the Paris Agreement that aims to help the world avert catastrophic climate change, wants to help slow, even reverse, nature’s decline.
The framework outlines four goals that the world hopes to achieve by 2050, including protecting and restoring nature and closing the biodiversity finance gap. The framework also outlines 22 targets, to be achieved by 2030, to help the world achieve the longer-term goals. Targets include the one to restore 30 per cent of all degraded ecosystems by 2030, and to protect and restore 30 per cent of the world’s lands and seas by that same timeline.
At COP16, countries are expected to come up with an action plan to translate these goals and targets into concrete action. But what are some hot topics, and how will countries navigate this? To find out more, hosts Audrey Tan and David Fogarty chat with Mr Will McGoldrick, Asia-Pacific managing director for The Nature Conservancy.
Highlights of conversation (click/tap above):
2:29 Why is COP16 important?
4:48 What does The Nature Conservancy – one of the world’s largest environmental non-profit organisations that is tracking negotiations – expect to see at COP16?
6:40 Protecting nature does not come cheap. What are negotiations looking like on the finance front?
9:46 How do we start to phase out subsidies that harm nature?
14:30 Benefit sharing is expected to be another topic of discussions at COP16. What is it and why is it important?
17:12 How are South-east Asian countries approaching nature conservation?
Follow Audrey Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/848W
Read her articles: https://str.sg/JLM2
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Read his articles: https://str.sg/JLMu
Hosts: Audrey Tan ([email protected]) & David Fogarty ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
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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 the right side of the United States and off the wrong side of China.
Ahead of the US presidential elections on Nov 5, South-east Asia would foresee more continuity under a Kamala Harris Administration, with the Indo Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF, launched in 2022 by the Joe Biden Administration) continuing - while a second Donald Trump regime’s approach would be more bilateral, with Washington’s relations with individual countries shaped by factors such as trade deficits.
Within the broader context of US-China competition though, South-east Asian countries would be looking for more clarity from Washington on distinctions between trade and investment and economic issues, and national security concerns, as host Nirmal Ghosh finds out in this episode.
His guests are:
Dr Satu Limaye, director of the East West Centre in Washington DC, creator of the Asia Matters for America initiative, and founding editor of the Asia Pacific Bulletin. Singapore-based APAC Advisors CEO Steven Okun served in the Clinton administration and is a veteran of numerous Democratic presidential campaigns.Highlights (click/tap above):
4:57 Directionally, the US-China relationship is going to be more tense… regardless of who wins on Nov 5
9:12 More fundamental understanding of the fragmented multi-polar and deconstructing international order
13:14 South-east Asia has been masterful at internationalising the search for autonomy; what could happen if there were to be a Trump 2.0 Administration?
16:02 How will Singapore fare? Why it will be very difficult for businesses and investors to do business or to invest if what's allowed today is not allowed tomorrow - for national security concerns
21:48 US-Asia relations: Why the threads of continuity are likely to overcome the threads of discontinuity
Follow Nirmal Ghosh on X: https://str.sg/JD7r
Read Nirmal Ghosh's articles: https://str.sg/JbxG
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
Host: Nirmal Ghosh ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
Follow Asian Insider on Fridays here:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX
Feedback to: [email protected]
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The conversation in this episode dives into suicide prevention, stigma, and the changes needed to get to Zero-Suicide.
Synopsis: The Usual Place host Natasha Ann Zachariah hunts for new perspectives on issues that matter to young people.
In Singapore, suicide remains the leading cause of death for young people aged between 10 and 29.
A 160-page white paper report called Project Hayat (meaning ‘life’ in Malay) was launched in conjunction with World Suicide Prevention Day on Sept 10 by advocacy group SG Mental Health Matters.
Project Hayat outlines a national suicide prevention strategy for Singapore, and laid out its own research findings and 23 recommendations for addressing the gaps in suicide prevention here.
In this episode, host Natasha Ann Zachariah finds out how we could talk more openly about suicide matters among young people, and what more can be done to address the gaps in support.Her guests on the show are the project’s co-lead Dr Rayner Tan, 35, who is from the National University of Singapore’s Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health.
Shantini Sathiyanesan, 38, calls herself a “wounded healer” for her journey through suicidality, and also for having experienced the grief of losing someone to suicide.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:55 Has Project Hayat’s data studies shown unique barriers specific to minorities in society?
5:30 How to tell if someone has suicidal thoughts; passive and active suicide ideation; what is psychache (psychological pain)?
9:25 Shantini shares her own lived experience of suicidality - having suicidal thoughts, ideation, and losing someone to suicide - despite living a highly functioning life
13:58 What is the suicide question and why is it important to ask it? Paradox of saying “I don’t want to be a burden”
20:10 Importance of Project Hayat’s suicide prevention strategies; what can we do better when someone comes to us for help?
31:23 Dr Rayner Tan on Project Hayat’s bold ‘zero suicides’ target for Singapore; on SOS (Samaritans of Singapore) helplines and the experience it offers
The Project Hayat White Paper is available here: www.sgmentalhealthmatters.com
MENTAL WELL-BEING
Institute of Mental Health’s Mental Health Helpline: 6389-2222 (24 hours) Samaritans of Singapore: 1-767 (24 hours) / 9151-1767 (24 hours CareText via WhatsApp) Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019 Silver Ribbon Singapore: 6386-1928 Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788 Chat, Centre of Excellence for Youth Mental Health: 6493-6500/1 Women’s Helpline (Aware): 1800-777-5555 (weekdays, 10am to 6pm)COUNSELLING
Touchline (Counselling): 1800-377-2252 Touch Care Line (for caregivers): 6804-6555 Care Corner Counselling Centre: 6353-1180 Counselling and Care Centre: 6536-6366 We Care Community Services: 3165-8017ONLINE RESOURCES
https://moht.com.sg/mindline-sg/ https://fycs.org/ec2-sg/ https://www.tinklefriend.sg/ https://www.imh.com.sg/chat/Pages/default.aspx https://carey.carecorner.org.sg/ (for those aged 13 to 25) https://www.limitless.sg/talk (for those aged 12 to 25)Follow Natasha on her IG account and DM her your thoughts on this topic: https://str.sg/8Wav
Host: Natasha Zachariah ([email protected])
Read Natasha's articles: https://str.sg/iSXm
Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DNFilmed by: Studio+65
Edited by ST Podcast producers: Eden Soh & Teo Tong Kai
Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong
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#tup #tuptr #healthcheck
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The SkillsFuture JobSeeker Support aims to help the retrenched tide over financially, while between jobs, after tough talks with unions, employers and the Government.
Synopsis: Every month, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.
As the global economy changes more rapidly and unpredictably, workers may face more risk from job loss despite best efforts.
Yet, going out of a job can pose a hit to household finances. In an era of rising cost of living, lower- and middle-income workers are more likely to jump on the first job offer without considering their aptitudes.
To give these workers more time to find the ‘right’ job for them, the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme will be launched in April 2025, with financial support structured to spur an active job search without incentivising prolonged unemployment.
The scheme, estimated to cost the Government $200 million every year, comes as a result of tough talks among employers, unions and the Government.
In this episode, ST assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong and journalist Tay Hong Yi host Manpower minister Tan See Leng to learn how the scheme has taken shape behind the scenes.
Highlights (click/tap above):
5:38 On the Government relooking its position on financial support for those who have lost jobs
11:11 On the scheme’s gestation: What took place behind the scenes
17:51 What are the safeguards in place for the scheme and why?
21:48 Eligibility criteria: Too complex to understand for job seekers?
25:36 Will the scheme help workers at higher risk?
28:58 How does this scheme reflect the 4G leadership’s approach to policymaking?
Read ST's Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH
Read Tay Hong Yi’s articles: https://str.sg/dSAE
Hosts: Lynda Hong ([email protected]) and Tay Hong Yi ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Studio+65 and Hadyu Rahim
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
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We don’t all have to live frugally and retire by 40 years old, but we need to be financially disciplined so we can retire meaningfully.
Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, get a headstart in your personal finance and career with The Straits Times.
FIRE in this context, stands for financial independence, retire early - a movement that points to the desire to retire earlier than the usual age range of 65 to 70, through a regime of aggressive investing, saving and frugality during one’s working years.
In this episode, ST business correspondent Sue-Ann Tan investigates if Fire is for everyone, and if there are other ways to sustainably achieve financial freedom and retire at leisure.
Her guests are Mr He Ruiming, 35, who as co-founder of the Woke Salaryman, talks about how he initially wanted to retire at the age of 32, and DBS financial literacy expert Lorna Tan, who feels that retiring meaningfully is more important to her.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:42 What are the different types of Fire?
3:14 Ruiming’s journey to achieve Fire by the age of 32
9:40 If I’m 25 now, what should I do to retire at 40?
12:56 What Ruiming wished he knew when he was younger
16:45 Lorna’s alternative to Fire, which is 'Firm' - financial independence, retiring meaningfully
21:46 Trends like loud budgeting which support more financial discipline
27:29 Using excel spreadsheets to track finances and goals
Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles: https://str.sg/mvSa
Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/A86X
Host: Sue-Ann Tan ([email protected])
Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim
Executive producers: Ernest Luis, Lynda Hong & Joanna Seow
Follow HeadSTart On Record Podcast channel here:
Channel: https://str.sg/wB2m
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wuN3
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Feedback to: [email protected]
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Powering up: The world is warming up to nuclear energy as nations scramble for zero-carbon electricity.
Synopsis: Every first and third Sunday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change.
For years, nuclear energy has been reviled as an energy source over safety, cost and the time taken to build the power plants.
But with the world’s growing need for clean electricity to fuel everything from electric vehicles, heating and cooling to giant data centres, nuclear energy is getting its time in the sun again.
Some countries, such as the United States, Japan and France, have committed to tripling nuclear energy capacity by 2050, while others, like Singapore, have said it is not ruling out its use. China is also making big investments in nuclear energy.
Compared to generators powered by fossil fuels, nuclear reactors do not produce any planet-warming emissions.
But will this be the silver bullet to getting the world to net-zero? What else is needed in the world’s decarbonisation journey?
Our guest is Mr Chris Bradley, Director of McKinsey Global Institute and Senior Partner of McKinsey & Company. The institute is the consultancy’s research arm. Chris co-wrote a recent report looking at the global decarbonisation challenge and found that we are only about 10 per cent of the way on the low-emissions journey.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:07 What is accounting for the resurgence in interest in nuclear energy?
7:36 What are some outstanding issues hindering nuclear energy deployment?
10:18 What are the other challenges to the world’s path to net-zero?
12:18 What are the challenges for Asia’s decarbonisation journey?
15:56 How can South-east Asia speed up its energy transition?
Follow Audrey Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/848W
Read her articles: https://str.sg/JLM2
Follow David Fogarty on X: https://str.sg/JLM6
Read his articles: https://str.sg/JLMu
Hosts: Audrey Tan ([email protected]) & David Fogarty ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim
Executive producer: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong
Follow Green Pulse Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:
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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, videos and social media accounts.
This surge in a grassroots effort is coming at a time when many Hong Kongers are feeling unmoored by the political turbulence of the past decade. As more migrate to non-Cantonese speaking societies, they are holding fast to their identity and language in a foreign environment.
There are also growing fears that Cantonese in Hong Kong and Guangdong is a dying language with people abandoning it for English or Mandarin.
In this episode, ST’s foreign editor Li Xueying speaks with Hong Kong correspondent Magdalene Fung on how true such concerns are, and her assessment of these new Cantonese-language tools.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:00 Why Hong Kongers are championing the use of Cantonese
5:20 How these new tools are different from traditional methods
9:50 A living and constantly changing language
13:00 The situation in Guangdong
Read Magdalene Fung’s article here: https://str.sg/AfVW
Read Li Xueying’s articles: https://str.sg/iqmR
Follow Li Xueying on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/ip4x
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
Host: Li Xueying ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
Follow Asian Insider on Fridays here:
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Your mother tongue can also be your super power - that’s what our three guests on The Usual Place tell us.
Synopsis: The Usual Place host Natasha Ann Zachariah hunts for new perspectives on issues that matter to young people.
In this episode, Zhang Xi Ying, a content producer at HeyKaki, C Aishwarya, a branding and promotions executive from Tamil Murasu and Rabiatul Adawiya Binhan, deputy audience and growth editor from Berita Harian, share their views on what it takes to be bilingual.
Beyond acquiring another language, your mother tongue helps shape some sense of your identity, and preserve culture and connections with your roots.
For one, it’s no longer passe to be fluent in your mother tongue, say Xi Ying and Aishwarya. But sometimes, the struggle to pick it up can be real, adds Rabiatul, who is trying to get her two children to learn Malay.
Learning our mother tongues came up at the National Day Rally (NDR) in August 2024.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, said in his Mandarin speech, that he understood that the Chinese community is “very concerned” about the standard of Mandarin in Singapore.
In an effort to spur on students who are strong in their mother tongue, Mr Wong announced that those who do well in these languages at primary school will be able to study it at a higher level from Secondary 1.
Highlights (click/tap above):5:59 Why learning your mother tongue brings you closer to culture
10:48 Clinging to their culture when they can’t speak their mother tongue
13:42 Mixing English and mother tongue languages to appeal
21:23 Hating on your mother tongue
27:26 Connecting with your mother tongue starts at home
Check out the full vodcast here: https://str.sg/sfG2
Follow our guests on HeyKaki, Orang Muda Gitew and இன்னொரு day இன்னொரு slay
Follow Natasha on her IG account and DM her your thoughts on this topic: https://str.sg/8Wav
Host: Natasha Zachariah ([email protected])
Read Natasha's articles: https://str.sg/iSXm
Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DNFilmed by: Studio+65
Edited by ST Podcast producers: Eden Soh & Teo Tong Kai
Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong
Follow The Usual Place Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:
Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX
Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P
YouTube: https://str.sg/wEr7u
Feedback to: [email protected]
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There is no health without mental health.
Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.
Mental health is a national priority in Singapore. While the recent 2023 National Population Health Survey showed that there was an improvement in the mental health of the general population between 2022 and 2023, younger adults aged 18 to 29 remained more affected than other age groups, with about 26 per cent of them reporting poor mental health.
We, at ST, want to normalise conversations about mental health so that people can get timely support. This is super important because there is no health without mental health.
This is why we’re starting a year-long Mental Health Series, which will feature a package of stories focusing on mental health every month.
We will talk to people with mental health conditions about the challenges they face, and what they do to manage their conditions.
We will also look at the evolving mental health landscape here, and tell you what is changing.
In this podcast, ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo talks to two guests about their help seeking journey.
They are her colleague Lee Li Ying, who’s a correspondent at ST and Yusri Shaggy Sapari, a freelance filmmaker.
Highlights (click/tap above)
4:35 Li Ying’s first visit to a psychiatrist
9:13 Shaggy’s help-seeking journey via the polyclinic route
13:06 What’s the difference between a psychiatrist, a psychologist and a counsellor?
18:13 Tips for those thinking of seeking help
Check out ST's new series, No health without mental health: https://str.sg/mentalhealthmatters
Read Joyce Teo's stories: https://str.sg/JbxN
Host: Joyce Teo ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Amirul Karim
Executive producers: Ernest Luis and Lynda Hong
Follow Health Check Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWaN
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWRX
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaQ
Feedback to: [email protected]
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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 dollars from victims worldwide. They are a national security threat to the countries they are based in as well as to the countries they target.
The criminal organisations running these centres emanate mostly from China, and are physically located mainly in Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar but across the region in other countries as well. Sporadic crackdowns of the type recently seen in Laos’ Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, are often choreographed ahead of time, enabling kingpins to evade them.
According to a report released in May by the US Institute of Peace (USIP), as at the end of 2023, scam centres operating out of Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos had accounted for US$39 billion (S$50.1 billion) in stolen funds.
Jason Tower, Myanmar country director at USIP, joins host Nirmal Ghosh in this episode of Asian Insider to talk about the many aspects of this criminal industry, from human trafficking to forced labour and cybercrime.
He suggests that Malaysia - as the next chair of Asean - has an opportunity to exercise leadership as 2025 will mark the 10th anniversary of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on Combating Transnational Crime.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:37 Victims from over 100 countries, with the average scam victim losing more or less all of their assets
5:17 Why Chinese police are becoming more proactive and responding to the situation
7:19 How scam compounds are extremely well-networked around the globe and can get advance information about an upcoming crackdown
11:22 The amounts brought in by these online scams can rival countries’ formal GDPs
15:50 Role of sanctions in combating scams - such as one on Ly Yong Phat, a notorious business figure involved in online scam compounds
19:32 A global crisis that demands action now
Follow Nirmal Ghosh on X: https://str.sg/JD7r
Read Nirmal Ghosh's articles: https://str.sg/JbxG
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
Host: Nirmal Ghosh ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
Follow Asian Insider on Fridays here:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX
Feedback to: [email protected]
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ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
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Home-grown jazz saxophone player Sean Hong Wei is the 15th guest in this music channel.
Synopsis (headphones recommended): The Straits Times invites music acts to its podcast studio.
In the 15th episode of Music Lab, ST’s music correspondent Eddino Abdul Hadi hosts Singaporean jazz saxophone player Sean Hong Wei.
The 25-year-old marked a milestone when his debut album The New Jersey Sessions - a collaboration with his mentor and home-grown jazz maestro Jeremy Monteiro - reached the Top 20 of the chart of American publication JazzWeek in July, 2024. The chart ranks releases based on airplay reports submitted by radio stations.
The album had earlier gone to No. 1 on the overall chart and jazz chart on iTunes Singapore within two days of its release on Jan 1.
The former banking and finance student is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in music at The New School, New York. He also plays regular shows in the city’s vibrant jazz scene, where he meets and learns from seasoned veterans.
He shares his experiences of touring in Asia, including recent performances in Shanghai, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.
Sean discusses his plans to return to Singapore after completing his studies to contribute to the local jazz scene.
Highlights (click/tap above):
0:57 On his album charting in the US jazz charts
4:13 On how his Singaporean background is not a barrier in the close-knit New York jazz scene
7:55 His experiences of touring, including recent gigs in Shanghai, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.
15:25 Getting into the saxophone, and jazz music, in secondary school
18:15 Dropping out of banking and finance studies and switching to music
25:56 Paying $1 for his saxophone, which is now worth $8,000
28:10 His future plans to help the local jazz scene grow
Watch Sean Hong Wei's rendition of Body And Soul, a 1930 jazz standard composed by American songwriter Johnny Green: https://str.sg/nArc
Discover home-grown artiste Sean Hong Wei at:
Spotify: https://str.sg/An5E
Instagram: https://str.sg/yZVP
Read Eddino Hadi's articles: https://str.sg/wFVa
Host: Eddino Abdul Hadi ([email protected])
Produced by: Eden Soh, Hadyu Rahim & Amirul Karim
Recorded by: ST Podcast Team & Studio+65
Edited by: Amirul Karim
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
Discover previous artistes' live performances featured on Music Lab Podcast:
Channel: https://str.sg/7m92
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/w9TB
Spotify: https://str.sg/w9T6
Feedback to: [email protected]
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How can Singapore business leaders become special?
Synopsis: The Straits Times speaks with the new dean of Insead Asia Campus, Professor Sameer Hasija, on executive education and Singapore business leaders.
The new dean of Insead Asia recounts the following meme in an era where workers do not stay put in one organisation for long anymore.
The chief financial officer asks: "Should we be investing in training our people? What if they leave?"
The chief executive answers: "Imagine we don't invest in them and they stay."
In this exclusive, Prof Hasija tells host Krist Boo how going to a business school differs from going to a career coach. He points out why businesses should invest in workers and why business leaders must throw out the 'elitist' in themselves, in today's multi-generational and fragmented workplaces.
He also talks about Singapore's strategy to put more Singaporeans into global leadership positions. Do Singaporeans lack ambition?
Highlights (click/tap):
2:05 What does executive education do for me?
7:46 Why pay for employee development when they don't stay?
9:17 Why are there so few Singaporean global business leaders?
11:47 Do Singaporeans lack ambition, or is it cultural? Are there 'invisible ceilings' in global companies?
16:35 Has performative leadership overtaken values and integrity?
19:02 What could make Singapore's business leaders special in today's polarised world?
Read Krist Boo's articles: https://str.sg/wB2P
Follow Krist Boo on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/shcB
Host: Krist Boo ([email protected])
Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim
Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong
Feedback to: [email protected]
---
Follow more podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
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A university professor says his students are not keen on owning a car, while a motor industry expert says that they would, if cars were affordable.
Synopsis: Every third Tuesday of the month, The Straits Times offers expert insights on new vehicles or transportation trends.
In this episode, COE Watch host Lee Nian Tjoe invites Associate Professor Raymond Ong from the National University of Singapore, who wrote an opinion piece published in The Straits Times in August which said that the current price of certificate of entitlement (COE) needed to register a mass-market car is more affordable to households in Singapore today than it was in 2013. His other guest is motor trader-turned-consultant Say Kwee Neng.
Highlights (click/tap above):
6:15 The reality at the showrooms, where the age of car buyers has changed from 10 years ago
12:05 Car-leasing firms for private hire have changed the game in the demand for COEs
26:20 The danger of the sense of defeatism in youths when cost of a car has reached far beyond their means
35:00 COE and car taxes in deterring ownership "have past a use-by date"
42:00 How much to pay under a distance-based road pricing system or a satellite-based system?
Read Assoc Prof Ong's article for ST: https://str.sg/yKAg
Read Lee Nian Tjoe's articles: https://str.sg/wt8G
Follow Lee Nian Tjoe on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/iqkJ
Read more COE articles: https://str.sg/iGKC
Produced by: Lee Nian Tjoe ([email protected]), Ernest Luis and Teo Tong Kai
Edited by: Teo Tong Kai
Follow COE Watch Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:
Channel: https://str.sg/iTtE
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/iqW2
Spotify: https://str.sg/iqgB
Feedback to: [email protected]
---
Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
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#coewatch
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Can there be respect?
Synopsis: The Usual Place host Natasha Ann Zachariah hunts for new perspectives on issues of the day.
Education Minister Chan Chun Seng recently announced at the Ministry of Education Schools Work Plan Seminar, how parents should communicate with teachers from now on. He said teachers are not required to share their personal phone numbers, and do not need to respond to work-related messages after school hours.
Instead, they should use official channels like their e-mail and office number when contacting parents, and respond to work-related messages after school hours only in the event of emergencies, he added.
These guidelines aim to help schools and parents work together more “positively, constructively and respectfully” while also establishing boundaries so that teachers can have “protected time” of their own.
In this episode, Mr Chan dropped by The Usual Place to chat with host Natasha and her special co-host Jaime Ho, who is also the editor of The Straits Times.
Why is this culture the way it is for now? Or is it just down to a seemingly larger issue of over-parenting or parents being unable to go with the flow in general?
Highlights (click/tap above):
4:55 Is there a culture of over-parenting? Avoiding a 'crutch' mentality
9:50 Mr Chan on whether MOE should "over-protect, over-structure or remove all untidiness from life" for children in general
12:50 Social media impact today: The pressure of being compared, how children and also parents feel it in different ways
13:50 The 'spirit' of the new rule: why it matters, and how the culture could evolve
17:25 On the culture of bypassing the system to "get their own way"; on the case example of orientation for parents - not children - at one school
22:37 Mr Chan on why teachers in Singapore are not here to "service us"
32:40 Looking at flexibility for teachers too, while maintaining the "ethos of teaching", in a "code of conduct"; respecting teachers, their "private time" to "recharge"
36:10 Mr Chan's memories of teachers who inspired him
Follow Natasha on her IG account and DM her your thoughts on this topic: https://str.sg/8Wav
Host: Natasha Zachariah ([email protected])
Read Natasha's articles: https://str.sg/iSXm
Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN
Filmed by: ST Video
Edited by producers: Teo Tong Kai, Eden Soh, Jamie Koh and Rubeen Raj
Executive producers: Ernest Luis and Lynda Hong
Follow The Usual Place Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:
Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX
Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P
YouTube: https://str.sg/wEr7u
Feedback to: [email protected]
---
Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
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#tup #tuptr
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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 warns that no one should underestimate America.
In this episode, Mr Mahbubani says Europe should also revise its notions of being a global economic powerhouse, and the United Kingdom needs to give up its seat on the UN Security Council so India can take it.
Asean has been successful as a regional organisation in preventing Brexit-style breakaways as well as wars in the region - and by 2030 its combined economy will be bigger than Japan’s, Mr Mahbubani contends.
Pressure on China will grow regardless of who occupies the White House after America’s presidential election. In terms of tactics, Kamala Harris would be predictable, but Donald Trump would not.
Mr Mahbubani, currently a Distinguished Fellow at the Asia Research Institute of the National University of Singapore, is among other things former Singapore Ambassador to the UN, former Permanent Secretary at Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and founding Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. He has just published a new book titled Living The Asian Century: An Undiplomatic Memoir."
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:54 Three geopolitical geniuses - Lee Kuan Yew, Goh Keng Swee, and S. Rajaratnam
5:32 South-east Asia has an enormous agency; Asean will be bigger than Japan by 2030
8:46 "I am extremely bullish about the prospects of India," says Kishore Mahbubani
11:11 Chinese and Indian inventors are responsible for 20% of all US patents
15:04 Wars are draining
16:59 Near-universal consensus in Washington DC that the US has about 10 years to stop China from becoming No.1
18:44 You can’t predict what Donald Trump is going to do
Follow Nirmal Ghosh on X: https://str.sg/JD7r
Read Nirmal Ghosh's articles: https://str.sg/JbxG
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
Host: Nirmal Ghosh ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Studio+65 and Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
Follow Asian Insider on Fridays here:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX
Feedback to: [email protected]
---
Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
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The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
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- Näytä enemmän
