Episodi
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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
Follow Li Xueying on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/ip4x
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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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Episodi mancanti?
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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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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:
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Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8
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Feedback to: [email protected]
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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:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8
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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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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]
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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 hill tribes of central Nepal. Gurkhas, who form the largest ethnic component of the Indian Army, have also lately been in the news after it was reported that some of them died fighting for Russia in the Ukraine War.
A celebrated scholar-soldier and a retired second generation Gurkha Rifles officer of the Indian Army, Lt. Gen. Chauhan and Ravi discuss recent changes to India’s military recruitment policies that led Nepal to ban Gurkha recruitment by New Delhi, whether Nepal’s Maoist government will permit Nepalese soldiers to continue participating in UN peacekeeping operations, and the relevance of foot-soldiers in the era of robotics in warfare.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:00 Why Gurkha troops are special
08:50 Special height provisions for Gurkhas in British, Indian armies
11:15 Why Gurkhas go abroad to fight; Gurkhas in Russia
14:40 How India’s new recruitment policy hits Gurkhas
18:00 Could India’s Gurkha Regiment be disbanded?
22:50 Nepal and UN peace-keeping operations
25:00 Future of Gurkhas and infantry in the age of robotics
Produced by: Ravi Velloor ([email protected]) and Fa’izah Sani
Edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Follow Speaking Of Asia Podcast every second Friday of the month here:
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Feedback to: [email protected]
Ravi Velloor's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP
Ravi Velloor on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
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Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
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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 paneer chilli to green chilli, Chinese sauces, adapted for Indian taste buds, are very popular in India.
It is also a representation of how ethnic Chinese - their origins in Kolkata can be traced to the 18th century in India - have assimilated.
But that is not the complete story, for the community whose history has been fraught, from the fall-out from the 1962 war between India and China, to the after-effects of today’s border conflict.
In this episode, ST’s foreign editor Li Xueying chats with India correspondent Debarshi Dasgupta on the Chinese-Indian community’s hopes and fears.
Highlights (click/tap above):
0:48 What are Chinese-Indian sauces
1:59 Indian influences
3:13 A story of decline and atrophy
8:10 A painful history
Read Debarshi Dasgupta's article here: https://str.sg/feZA
Read ST's Letters From The Bureau: https://str.sg/3xRd
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
Host: Li Xueying ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani
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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 disputed Second Thomas Shoal in 1999, tensions remain high in the South China Sea.
In the latest incident, Chinese and Philippine Coast Guard vessels collided near Sabina Shoal, a disputed feature in the Spratly Islands, in the early hours of Monday, Aug 19. The vessels were damaged and though there were no casualties, Washington responded by reminding Beijing of the US's 73-year-old Mutual Defense Treaty with Manila.
China claims most of the 1.3 million square miles of the South China Sea, including the Second Thomas Shoal, where Philippine vessels must run the gauntlet of a de facto Chinese blockade to resupply the marines on the Sierra Madre.
The United States however, also needs to maintain a fine balance, being careful not to be too provocative and back China into a corner, says Indo-Pacific security expert Lisa Curtis, former top US official and now Senior Fellow and director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security in Washington, DC.
Ms Curtis has served as deputy assistant to the US President under three successive national security advisors. She has 20 years of service in the US government including at the National Security Council, the CIA, the State Department, and Capitol Hill, specialising in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia.
Ms Curtis guests on this episode of Asian Insider alongside Filipina writer Marites Vitug, a longtime investigative journalist and author of several books including the 2018 Rock Solid: How the Philippines Won Its Maritime Case Against China, and most recently, the just-released, co-authored Unrequited Love : Duterte's China Embrace which explores the various aspects of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's appeasement of China.
Highlights (click/tap above):
3:25 Why (former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte) hated the US and still dislikes it
5:07 How far the US-Philippines relationship has progressed under President Marcos
9:20 Why it would be helpful if there is more engagement between the Philippines and the Quad
12:49 Provocative air manoeuvres; Chinese shooting flares right in front of the Philippines’ aircraft - is this a test of the resolve of the Philippines and the US?
14:26 A lot of domestic support for Marcos' shift in foreign policy; how South China Sea could be a likely conflict zone besides Taiwan Strait
17:34 Why the Marcos government should make clear to the US, what kind of help they want
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
Produced by: Nirmal Ghosh ([email protected]) and Fa’izah Sani
Edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Follow Asian Insider with Nirmal Ghosh every third and fourth Friday of the month here:
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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 correspondent Kimberly Kwek for a look back on that historic moment while also assessing the Paris Games as a whole and Team Singapore’s overall performance.
We also bring you the full audio from ST’s conversation with Maximilian a day after his final race.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:25 ST reporters talk about the mood on the ground at the Marseille Marina after Max won bronze
7:10 ST reporters discuss what is next for Max
15:25 Max surprised he has yet to receive negative messages
23:55 Max on why “connection” is the main takeaway from his debut Olympics
Read: https://str.sg/AsCE
Follow Deepanraj Ganesan on X: https://str.sg/wtra
Read his articles: https://str.sg/ip4G
Read Rohit Brijnath's articles: https://str.sg/wFu2
Read Kimberly Kwek's articles: https://str.sg/bWY9
Catch visual snippets of the podcast from ST's sports Instagram page: https://str.sg/vn2F
Produced by: Rohit Brijnath ([email protected]), Kimberly Kwek ([email protected]) and Deepanraj Ganesan ([email protected])
Edited by: Amirul Karim
Follow Hard Tackle every month here and get notified for new episode drops:
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Feedback to: [email protected]
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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 US politics of Americans with Indian heritage, including presidential hopeful Kamala Harris and Nikki Haley, who challenged Donald Trump for the Republican nomination.
They discuss Ms Harris’s racial identity, her chances of victory, and whether America is heading toward being a post-race society.
Mr Chhaya also comments on prominent Indian-Americans in the business field, including the heads of Microsoft, Google, IBM and YouTube, and why Indians seem to be doing so well in many facets of American life.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:30 Black, or Indian? ‘Harris has blended well’
6:50 Trump’s ‘just a bit younger’ than Kamala’s father
8:40 Could America see a ‘whitelash’?
10:40 A lengthening list: Usha Vance, Nikki Haley, Ro Khanna…
13:00 Judiciary, tech to pharma, “Indian Americans are everywhere”
16:00 Secret sauce behind Indian-Americans’ success
17:50 The Modi effect
Produced by: Ravi Velloor ([email protected]) and Fa’izah Sani
Edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Follow Speaking Of Asia Podcast every second Friday of the month here:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]
Ravi Velloor's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP
Ravi Velloor on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
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In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
---
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
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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 be a face in the crowd in one scene.
Hengdian is touted as China’s Hollywood, and with good reason - it was here that high-budget dramas and films such as Story of Yanxi Palace and Curse of the Golden Flower were shot.
But it has gained renewed attention in recent years, as Chinese audiences get hooked on micro-dramas - low-budget productions shot in vertical format to be viewed on smartphones.
In this episode, ST’s foreign editor Li Xueying chats with correspondent Goh Yan Han on the dreams that Hengdian represents to Chinese youths.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:17 Different dynasties, same dream
4:51 Crazy plots in two minutes
6:23 Lower barriers to entry
11:01 Youths’ determination and drive
Read more here: https://str.sg/oxfqs
Read Li Xueying’s articles: https://str.sg/iqmR
Follow Li Xueying on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/ip4x
Read Goh Yan Han's articles: https://str.sg/kgq4
Read ST's Letters From The Bureau: https://str.sg/3xRd
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
Produced by: Li Xueying ([email protected]) and Fa’izah Sani
Edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Follow Letter From The Bureau Podcast every first Friday of the month 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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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 security, and plans for connectivity to South-east Asia.
Also, as it remains to be seen where the cards eventually fall, it has also heightened New Delhi’s concerns over potential encirclement by China.
India’s immediate concern is spillover of the conflict into its own volatile north-east, where the state of Manipur - which borders Myanmar - has been witnessing ethnic violence. More broadly, the crisis also threatens India’s Act East policy, and raises concerns in New Delhi as China extends its influence in Myanmar and also in Bangladesh.
Though Bangladesh’s current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is pro-India, the country’s army is supplied mostly with Chinese weapons, and there is latent resentment against India.
But India’s options are limited, as guest experts Dr Aparna Pande and Dr Avinash Paliwal tell Asian Insider host Nirmal Ghosh.
Dr Paliwal lectures in diplomacy and public policy at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, and has just published his book - India's Near East. Dr Pande is a research fellow at the Hudson Institute in Washington, DC and has written books on Indian foreign policy.
Highlights (click/tap above):
3:50 India's big investment in building connectivity through Myanmar
4:51 China's interests in Myanmar's civil and military domains concern India deeply
13:00 All of India's neighbours are its first layer of security
20:18 An asymmetric connectivity benefitting India, but not for Bangladesh
21:49 Understanding India's regional geopolitics through domestic political lens
25:36 India's challenge is broadly with all of its neighbours
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
Produced by: Nirmal Ghosh ([email protected]) and Fa’izah Sani
Edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Follow Asian Insider with Nirmal Ghosh every fourth Friday of the month 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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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 these stores, in line with global trends.
What is more surprising is how the Japanese government has decided to seize the problem by its horns, with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry setting up a taskforce to look into the matter, even as the bookshops themselves are striving to find fresh ways to appeal to customers.
In this episode, ST’s foreign editor Li Xueying chats with Japan Correspondent Walter Sim on why the Japanese government has decided to be so interventionist.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:59 One in two Japanese read “less than one book” every six months3:26 Why the Japanese are sentimental about bookshops
6:15 A “psychic” bookseller in Osaka
10:06 Laments at shuttered shops but it’s too late
12:15 Taking action
17:12 Walter’s favourite bookshops in Japan
Read Walter Sim’s article here: https://str.sg/AWsW
Produced by: Li Xueying ([email protected]) and Fa’izah Sani
Edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Follow Letter From The Bureau Podcast every first Friday of the month here:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]
Read Li Xueying’s articles: https://str.sg/iqmR
Follow Li Xueying on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/ip4x
Read Walter Sim's articles: https://str.sg/wHY2
Read ST's Letters From The Bureau: https://str.sg/3xRd
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
---
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
#STAsianInsider
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Analysing this is our guest - Ambassador Peter Tesch, the veteran Australian diplomat and policy strategist.
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 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 recent Putin visits to North Korea and Vietnam, the message he is sending to China and the region, as well as Russia’s overall approach to Asia, including India. Mr Tesch also comments on the Quad, the security dialogue that groups the US with Australia, Japan and India.
Highlights (click/tap above):
4:20 Russia the disruptor
10:10 A subtle message to Xi
16:00 For China, a convenient diversion
21:20 Judo, botox, and yoga!
26:00 Latest on Quad
Produced by: Ravi Velloor ([email protected]) and Fa’izah Sani
Edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Follow Speaking Of Asia Podcast every second Friday of the month here:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]
Ravi Velloor's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP
Ravi Velloor on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
---
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
#STAsianInsider
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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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 again in November 2024. A look back at his tumultuous four years in office (2017 through 2020) holds clues as to what to expect, if he returns to power.
Some world leaders - Vladimir Putin, Narendra Modi and Shinzo Abe for instance - quickly learnt that the then-President Trump enjoyed being feted, says Steven Herman, former Voice of America (VOA) White House Bureau Chief. He notes that Modi and Trump in particular, held unprecedented massive joint rallies, in the US and in India.
Herman, now chief national correspondent for the state-funded but non-partisan VOA, looks back at Trump’s summitry around the world including with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore and Hanoi, and his combative relationship with the media, in his book - Behind The White House Curtain: A Senior Journalist’s Story Of Covering the President ― And Why It Matters.
Speaking with host Nirmal Ghosh, Herman says that for most US Presidents, the priority is substance over style, but in the case of Trump, leaders took pains to roll out the red carpet knowing that his mood greatly depended on how he was greeted, and whether his ego was massaged.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:33 On travelling the world with Donald Trump: How he very much enjoyed the pageantry
5:14 Why Trump was essentially franchising his name, but "when you're President of The United States, there tends to be a higher level of scrutiny..."
7:00 How the phrase “enemy of the people” that he used, really took a lot of journalists aback
9:45 How the media reacted to this phenomenon
13:07 Herman on the run-up now: "A lot of focus especially by the conservative media not on what Joe Biden is saying but how he’s saying it...they’ll chop up video to make it appear he is stumbling"
14:15 Herman has deep experience working in Asia too: How the Voice Of America has been received or perceived by governments of the countries here
Produced by: Nirmal Ghosh ([email protected]) and Fa’izah Sani
Edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Follow Asian Insider with Nirmal Ghosh every fourth Friday of the month here:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]
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
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
---
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
#STAsianInsider
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-
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 returned Prime Minister Narendra Modi to power for a third time.
Mr Modi resumes office at a time of dire border tensions with China, ruffles in what was a swiftly developing relationship with the United States, and a growing compact between India’s traditional security partner Russia and China.
Highlights (click/tap above):
3:50 A time for fresh choices
8:30 The Andhra factor in foreign policy
13:30 Could history repeat on the China border?
14:25 Soured ties with the West
17:30 Ties with Russia, now a junior partner of China’s
19:50 Soft-pedalling Quad
21:45 Where’s India’s ‘Act East’ policy?
Read more: https://str.sg/qSNa
Produced by: Ravi Velloor ([email protected]) and Fa’izah Sani
Edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Follow Speaking Of Asia Podcast every second Friday of the month here:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]
Ravi Velloor's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP
Ravi Velloor on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
---
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
#STAsianInsider
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-
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. They can tell you a thing or two about their owners' status, sense of humour and beliefs.
Since the authorities made these special plates possible 20 years ago, Hong Kong has seen a proliferation of such plates on its roads. And along with it, communities have sprung up online devoted to sightings of this phenomenon.
In this episode, ST’s foreign editor Li Xueying chats with Hong Kong correspondent Magdalene Fung on the motivations behind this trend and what it reveals about Hong Kongers' deepest desires and obsessions.
Highlights (click/tap above):
0:50 Why vanity plates aren’t just for vanity’s sake alone
3:20 What Hong Kong’s vanity plates reveal about the city and its people
9:55 How a car with a special plate came to be impounded in Hong Kong on the anniversary of China’s Tiananmen incident
12:33 The biggest changes in Hong Kong society in recent years
Read Magdalene Fung’s article here: https://str.sg/KKxa
Produced by: Li Xueying ([email protected]) and Fa’izah Sani
Edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Follow Letter From The Bureau Podcast every first Friday of the month here:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]
Read Li Xueying’s articles: https://str.sg/iqmR
Follow Li Xueying on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/ip4x
Read Magdalene Fung's articles: https://str.sg/dbo9
Read ST's Letters From The Bureau: https://str.sg/3xRd
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
---
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
#STAsianInsider
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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