Bölümler

  • The seasoned Singapore diplomat Kishore Mahbubani 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

    Produced by: Studio+65

    Follow Asian Insider with Nirmal Ghosh every third and fourth Friday of the month here:

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    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

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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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  • Eksik bölüm mü var?

    Akışı yenilemek için buraya tıklayın.

  • 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

    Follow Asian Insider here every month:

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  • New episodes from our rebranded podcast channel will drop here: https://str.sg/wB2m

    Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, get a headstart in your personal finance and career with The Straits Times.

    Our previous Money and Career podcast channel is now rebranded HeadSTart on Record, taking on a fresher and sharper approach on how to chase your aspirations and grow your money.

    Hosts Sue-Ann Tan and Tay Hong Yi will speak with guests on how to navigate jobs and finances in a daunting, complex world.

    Hong Yi has been covering manpower and talent topics for ST, with a focus on careers, the job market and workforce trends.

    Sue-Ann will look at how to invest your money and the delicate balancing act between saving and living. Sept 2 Monday sees her first episode dropping across our audio platforms and the ST app.

    Stay tuned for more episodes on chewy topics like how far would you go for your pay cheque and how you can invest from age 18.

    Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles: https://str.sg/mvSa

    Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/A86X

    Read Tay Hong Yi's articles: https://str.sg/w6cz

    Follow Tay Hong Yi on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/D6vT

    Get business/career tips in ST's HeadSTart newsletter: str.sg/headstart-nl

    Produced by: Sue-Ann Tan ([email protected]), Tay Hong Yi ([email protected]), Ernest Luis and Amirul Karim

    Edited by: Amirul Karim

    Follow HeadSTart On Record Podcast channel here:

    Channel: https://str.sg/wB2m

    Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wuN3

    Spotify: https://str.sg/wBr9

    Feedback to: [email protected]

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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:

    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 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:

    Channel: https://str.sg/JWRE

    Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWRa

    Spotify: https://str.sg/JW6N

    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

    ---

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    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]

    ---

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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]

    ---

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    All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

    ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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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 months

    3:26 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Swiping for love used to be the way for millennials to find a connection, but there seems to be growing dating app disillusionment among the young.

    Synopsis: The Straits Times’ Natasha Ann Zachariah explores contemporary societal choices and youth perspectives.

    Bernice Fong, Dhareeni Shanmugam and John Lim are three under-30s who have had different experiences with dating apps over the years.

    John, who runs a content agency, finds that with everyone having many options, he feels “like a piece of meat” - an experience the 28-year-old finds can be dehumanising.

    Meanwhile Bernice has sworn off dating apps. The 28-year-old brand and marketing manager felt jaded and tired from swiping through but not quite finding the match she wanted.

    Dhareeni, a 26-year-old account executive for a public relations agency, shares why she swiped right on her boyfriend, and why she was drawn to his “niche preference” for fish.

    Host Natasha wants to find out why there’s no love lost between young people and dating apps.

    Highlights (click/tap above):

    2:16 Are younger people ditching dating apps?

    7:52 Making dating intentions clear

    16:20 Getting dating app fatigue

    27:54 Have young adults lost the art of conversation?

    38:38 Is it more difficult for young people to date these days?

    Follow Natasha on her IG account and DM her your thoughts on this topic: https://str.sg/8Wav

    Host: Natasha Zachariah ([email protected])

    Edited by producers: Teo Tong Kai, Eden Soh and Zachary Lim

    Executive producers: Ernest Luis and Lynda Hong

    Filmed by: Joel Chng and Marc Justin De Souza, ST Video

    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

    ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa

    Feedback to: [email protected]

    Read Natasha Zachariah's articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

    Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

    ---

    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

    #tup #tuptr

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • South-east Asian countries appreciate there is no strategic balance in the region without the US, so they will find ways to deal with whoever is in the White House.

    Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times' global contributor Nirmal Ghosh shines a light on Asian perspectives of global and Asian issues with expert guests.

    How South-east Asia - situated at the crossroads of Asia and the Pacific - sees and navigates growing tensions between China and the United States, is little understood outside the region.

    Views of China in the region are mixed, with recent surveys showing that China is seen as a valuable partner, and yet not trusted. There is an appreciation that dealing with the US - whoever occupies the White House - is critical as Washington is seen as a strategic balancer.

    Meanwhile, as the US deepens and expands an architecture of alliances across the Asia-Pacific, China has fewer friends and allies and has done little to assuage countries’ concerns over what is, despite Beijing’s professions to the contrary, seen as its hegemonic tendencies.

    The United States’ support of Israel’s actions in Gaza, has also not gone down well in the region, which is dotted with either Muslim-majority countries, or countries with significant Muslim minorities.

    In this episode of Asian Insider, Nirmal hosts Bilahari Kausikan, famously forthright former Permanent Secretary and former Ambassador-at-Large at Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    Now the chairman of the Middle East Institute at the National University of Singapore, Bilahari lays out the regional perspective, and explains why - despite the real risk of an accident between the US and China over Taiwan - a war by design between the two big powers, is highly unlikely.

    Highlights (click/tap above):

    2:47 China: Neighbour with great opportunities yet displays hegemonic tendencies

    4:01 Anxieties about Chinese behaviour and the US' balancing acts

    7:05 "War by design between the US and China is highly unlikely": Bilahari Kausikan

    11:27 "The Global South represents a mood rather than any coherent convergence of interests"

    13:43 "To deal with China, you have to deal with the US"

    14:10 Why the US does not bear the burden or pay any price to uphold international order

    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.

  • Singapore’s most well-known OnlyFans creator Titus Low is slowly moving on from the platform that has brought him fame, money and drama. Lots of it.

    Synopsis: The Straits Times’ Natasha Ann Zachariah explores contemporary societal choices and youth perspectives and digs deeper into issues of the day.

    Sitting down with The Usual Place’s host Natasha Ann Zachariah, Titus opens up about asking to work with his family’s business and pursuing his childhood dream of becoming a real estate agent.

    He shares the lessons learnt and the fallout from baring all online.

    Highlights (click/tap above):

    1:10 What is Titus up to these days?

    9.00 His post-pandemic popularity has dipped, no thanks to today's economic situation

    14.26 Dealing with mental health issues

    23.30 Why he has become more cautious about sharing his life online

    Follow Natasha on her IG account and DM her your thoughts on this topic: https://str.sg/8Wav

    Host: Natasha Zachariah ([email protected])

    Edited by producers: Eden Soh and Teo Tong Kai

    Executive producers: Ernest Luis and Lynda Hong

    Filmed by: Joel Chng and Marc Justin De Souza, ST Video

    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

    ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa

    Feedback to: [email protected]

    Read Natasha Zachariah's articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

    Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

    ---

    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

    #tup #tuptr

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • Hear from our guest expert on Singapore’s stakes in seeing a stable government rule the world’s fifth biggest economy.

    Synopsis: Join The Straits Times' senior columnist Ravi Velloor, as he distils his experience from four decades of covering the continent.

    The world’s most populous nation began voting on April 19 in a seven-phase election in which nearly one billion people are eligible to vote, with ballots set to be counted on June 4.

    In this episode, Ravi speaks with the political scientist Associate Professor Iqbal Singh Sevea, director of the Institute of South Asian Studies, a think-tank under the National University of Singapore.

    They discuss the ongoing Indian election marked by a dip in voter turnout, the competing narratives, the improving national profile of Mr Rahul Gandhi, chances of a decisive victory for Mr Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

    They also look at the need to heal wounds the election has opened in the national fabric.

    Highlights (click/tap above):

    3:10 Continuity vs high unemployment and inflation

    8:09 Singapore’s stakes in the Indian election

    15:01 Why it is not a ‘wave’ election this time

    16:08 A new Rahul Gandhi?

    20:38 Why women voters are key

    24:01 Could polls spring a surprise?

    27:25 Can India heal its wounds after the polls

    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

    ---

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  • The rise of home bars in cities across China shows how young Chinese are craving for companionship but without having to invest in relationships.

    Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times chats with ST’s correspondents in the Asia-Pacific, the US and Europe, about life as it goes on, amid the screaming headlines and bubbling crises.

    #family-style bars is now a search term for listings of home bars, not just for first-tier cities Beijing and Shanghai, but also Zhengzhou in central China, Chengdu in the south-west and Hangzhou on the eastern coast.

    Instead of going to commercial nightspots, young Chinese are looking to spend their free time in the living rooms of strangers’ homes, where they pay for drinks, conversations and games.

    In this episode, ST’s foreign editor Li Xueying chats with China correspondent Aw Cheng Wei on why the trend is taking off, and what it says about the Chinese wanting to make connections in a safe and casual environment.

    Highlights (click/tap above):

    3:48 How are home bars different from regular bars?

    5:08 Home bars are not meant to make money for some owners

    7:00 How home bars are part of China’s “da zi” or companion culture

    11:50 Chinese youths need for a deeper connection

    Read Cheng Wei’s article here: https://str.sg/iAyf

    Produced by: Li Xueying ([email protected]) and Fa’izah Sani

    Edited by: Fa’izah Sani

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  • Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong becomes Singapore’s fourth prime minister on May 15, 2024, when he succeeds current PM Lee Hsien Loong.

    Synopsis: The Straits Times’ Natasha Ann Zachariah explores contemporary societal choices and youth perspectives and digs deeper into issues of the day.

    The upcoming leadership transition - when Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong becomes Singapore’s fourth prime minister on May 15 - has ignited discussions about where Singapore goes from here.

    In particular, what issues are youths most concerned about before they go to the ballot box in the next General Election?

    In this episode of The Usual Place, Natasha hosts three guests:

    Joel Lim, 31, host of Political Prude: The Podcast Gautham Vijayan Kumaran, 26, a final-year student at the National University of Singapore Carissa Cheow, 28, the chief strategy officer for a tech firm and a career counsellor

    From expectations of DPM Wong when he takes over as prime minister, to their thoughts of how the impending general election will play out, these three guests candidly share their views and shed some insight on what youths might want to see from their future political leaders.

    Highlights (Click/tap above):

    4:18 Qualities youth are looking for in Singapore's next PM

    12:19 What youth are looking for when the next election comes around

    19:31 Is there a dichotomy between traditional bread-and-butter concerns and wider, all-encompassing issues such as climate change and civil liberties?

    21:58: Are younger voters harder to convince?

    31:51: How will scandals of politicians in 2023 factor into the next election?

    34:28: Will social media be the dominant platform among voters at the next GE?

    Host: Natasha Zachariah ([email protected])

    Edited by producers: Teo Tong Kai and Eden Soh

    Executive producers: Ernest Luis and Lynda Hong

    Filmed by: Joel Chng and Marc Justin De Souza, ST Video

    Follow The Usual Place Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:

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    ---

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