CNA Correspondent

This year's presidential election in Russia might be a non-starter. Vladimir Putin’s main rivals are all out of the running -- or dead -- and he could potentially hold on to power for another decade. What do ordinary Russians make of the man who rules with an iron fist? CNA's Teresa Tang talks to former Moscow correspondent Julia Chapman to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...

 A decade since it disappeared, no one knows what happened to MH370 after it took off just after midnight on March 8, 2014. Families continue to pressure officials to keep searching. In this episode of CNA Correspondent, Teresa Tang speaks to Malaysia correspondent Melissa Goh and China correspondent Olivia Siong about where the case stands today.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...

China has long been home to the largest population on the planet, but that’s starting to change. Fewer babies and a super-aged society could spell trouble for the country’s economy. China correspondents Olivia Siong and Low Minmin talk about the potential items on the agenda for the nation’s most important political event of the year – the upcoming “Two Sessions” meetings.  See omnystudio.com/list...

It has been a grinding war. But two years after Russia invaded Ukraine, resilience has emerged as a key trait among Ukrainians. CNA’s Lim Yun Suk travelled to Ukraine to find out how robust the war effort has been, and how its economy is trying to post growth despite the conflict.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some fishermen on Malaysia’s west coast have no catch for sale and are selling their vessels instead, just to make ends meet. Climate change and overfishing are two reasons for the falling numbers. Teresa Tang speaks to Rashvin Bedi about what options fishermen have. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A quarter of a million candidates are running for posts in this year’s general elections in Indonesia. Legislators, councillors and a new president are all being chosen by some 205 million voters. And more than half of those voters are young people. Teresa Tang speaks to our correspondents to find out why the battleground has moved online for the presidential hopefuls.  See omnystudio.com/listener...

Thais made up the largest number of foreign nationals abducted by Hamas when the militants attacked Israel on Oct 7, 2023. Nearly two dozen Thais have since been released and returned home. Thai correspondent Saksith Saiyasombut shares some of their stories with host Teresa Tang in this episode of CNA Correspondent. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Iowa caucuses last week marked the official start of the US election season. But a lot can happen between now and November 5, when American voters head to the polls. Nick Harper joins Teresa Tang with a look at the issues, the hopefuls and the possible roadblocks candidates will face heading to the White House.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Myanmar has been under military rule since a coup nearly three years ago. But on Oct 27, 2023, resistance and ethnic armed groups came together to launch an offensive against the military. CNA’s Leong Wai Kit tells Teresa Tang how they’ve made progress and where the country is headed from here.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The race to Taiwan’s highest office is on. Three contenders are vying for ballots with different approaches to Beijing. The youth vote and growing dissatisfaction over the rising cost of living makes this election one to watch. Deborah Wong and Tan Si Hui give us the state of play.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here's the last of our three top episodes from our archives this year. CNA’s Leong Wai Kit gets rare access to the USS Nimitz, one of the largest warships in the world. He tells Steve Lai about its mission and the complex nature of disputes in the South China Sea. Plus, the thrill of take-off and landing on a runway less than 100 meters long.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here's the second of our top three episodes of The CNA Correspondent podcast. Where can you find possibly the emptiest airport in the world? Look no further than Sri Lanka. The US$113 million airport project was backed by China as part of its massive BRI investments in the country. But was the money more debt trap than development opportunity? Chandni Vatvani sits down with Teresa Tang in this epi...

Here's the first of our top three episodes of The CNA Correspondent podcast. In this episode, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim sat down with CNA’s correspondents Melissa Goh and Afifah Ariffin for an interview in Singapore. Steve Lai gets a peek into all the behind-the-scenes action and what’s next for Mr Anwar’s future and that of his country.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

The leaders of the world’s two biggest economies met on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in San Francisco. Steve Lai speaks to Simon Marks and Low Minmin about the current state of the US-China relationship and the challenges that lie ahead. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine getting paid to get a haircut. The demand for human hair has led to a complete makeover of the economic fortunes of some people in Asia. So what makes some strands more valuable than others? CNA's Teresa Tang sits down with Low Minmin and Tung Ngo for an in-depth look at the production chain in China and Vietnam. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a reclusive country that regularly makes the headlines, but North Korea is now reopening to a post-pandemic world. Teresa Tang talks to CNA correspondent Lim Yun Suk about the country’s defectors, Kim Jong Un’s young daughter and the potential for families separated by the Korean War to be reunited.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thai citizens are among the highest number of foreign fatalities in the ongoing Israel-Hamas War with 23 currently held hostage in Gaza. Thai correspondent Saksith Saiyasombut speaks to Steve Lai about the nation’s efforts to rescue them and repatriate its 30,000 citizens. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

First, they disappeared from public life, then from China's Cabinet lineup. Qin Gang was dropped as the country’s top diplomat and shortly after, Li Shangfu was removed as defence minister. Theories abound as to why they fell out of favour. Beijing correspondent Olivia Siong sits down with Teresa Tang in this episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades, well-known Japanese talent manager Johnny Kitagawa sexually abused young men and boys who were desperate to make it big in Japan’s entertainment industry.  Michiyo Ishida talks to Steve Lai about the reckoning that his agency – which created popular boy bands SMAP and Arashi - is going through now that the country’s worst-kept secret is finally out.  See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

In the deepest parts of Mongolia, Google Maps doesn’t work. The vast country is also the most sparsely populated in the world. But China’s Belt and Road Initiative is set to change that, with massive transport projects in full swing. Olivia Siong takes us there in this episode of CNA Correspondent. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where can you find possibly the emptiest airport in the world? Look no further than Sri Lanka. The US$113 million airport project was backed by China as part of its massive BRI investments in the country. But was the money more debt trap than development opportunity? Chandni Vatvani sits down with Teresa Tang in this episode of the CNA correspondent podcast.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

Ten years since it was first launched at a university in Kazakstan, projects under China’s Belt and Road Initiative have affected lives and livelihoods across Central Asia. CNA’s Lim Yun Suk tells Steve Lai how Beijing is reinventing the Silk Road for the 21st century with an ambitious agenda.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim sat down with CNA’s correspondents Melissa Goh and Afifah Ariffin for an interview in Singapore. Steve Lai gets a peek into all the behind-the-scenes action and what’s next for Mr Anwar’s future and that of his country.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On 7 September Hong Kong smashed a 140-year-old record when torrential rains drenched the city. At its height, 158mm fell in just one hour. As the clean-up happens, new problems have surfaced, that of illegal structures and slope safety. CNA’s Hong Kong correspondent Deborah Wong talks to Teresa Tang in this episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fukushima will long be linked with the wrecked nuclear facility that bears the prefecture’s name. Treated wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is now being pumped into the Pacific Ocean and will continue to flow for decades to come. CNA’s Michiyo Ishida tells Teresa Tang what she saw when she visited for a media tour.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.