The Straits Times Podcasts

With global warming increasing heat risks across the world, early warning systems and early action can be a lifesaver, especially in densely populated Asia-Pacific. Synopsis: Every first and third Tuesday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. More than six billion people are now exposed to heat waves an...

Conditions such as ADHD, autism and dyslexia, as well as the ways one lives with these conditions, can provide fresh ways of thinking. Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, get a headstart in your personal finance and career with The Straits Times. Neurodivergence: A big word, but one imbued with the simple promise of progress. It means to recognise that brains may be wired differen...

Research on the serious brain disorder paves the way to new treatments. Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. Schizophrenia is a serious and chronic brain disorder that affects a person’s ability to think clearly, manage emotions, make decisions and relate to others. Some people may associate the disorder with...

The Great Wall of China was built for protection, but now it's in need of guardians to preserve the 2,000-year-old structure. Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times catches up with its foreign correspondents about life and trends in the countries they're based in. When a part of the Great Wall section in Liaoning started to crumble in 2016, authorities paved it over with ceme...

Now that we’re in 2025, one thing’s for sure – a General Election is on the horizon. Synopsis: Out on Thursdays, The Usual Place host Natasha Ann Zachariah hunts for new perspectives on issues that matter to young people. When exactly? That’s anyone’s guess. But political parties are already up and about, ramping up efforts to touch base with voters. And, judging by t...

From parents of newborns to riders who dismantle their motorcycles to evade repossession, this man has seen them all. Synopsis: Every 3rd Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times examines not just vehicle prices but wider transport issues and trends connected to public and private transport. What happens when a hire-purchase car goes missing or when a marriage turns sour and the fighting parties...

We look at what is happening on the ground with a Myanmar watcher. Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 40 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests. In this episode, Ravi speaks with Pichai Chuensuksawadi, former group editor of Bangkok Post and observer of Myanmar affairs.  They discuss the...

Synopsis: The Usual Place host Natasha Ann Zachariah hunts for new perspectives on issues that matter to young people. Saudi Arabia, China’s Lijiang and Yunnan, and… Central Asia? Could these be the next big holiday destinations for 2025? This week on The Usual Place, Straits Times Life travel journalist Sarah Stanley and co-founder of The Travel Intern Hendric Tay share why they thin...

We take the pulse of the planet for 2025 with our key themes on climate, nature and nuclear.  Synopsis: Every first and third Tuesday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. New year, new format, where we spice things up with a deeper look at the challenges and opportunities in the environmental sector, c...

A young start-up founder talks about quitting his job to take the path less trodden, and discuss with DBS the ingredients for success. Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, get a headstart in your personal finance and career with The Straits Times. Gen Zs are embracing the entrepreneurial life. Instead of working for someone, they want to start their own companies, sometimes fresh o...

What are some of President Trump’s likely policy priorities after he takes office for a second time? Will he do exactly as he threatened? Synopsis: The Straits Times’ assistant foreign editor Clement Tan catches up with US bureau chief Bhagyashree Garekar to talk about President Donald Trump’s possible policy priorities in his second term. In this episode, they discuss the c...

Finding meaning and purpose in life. Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. In this New Year’s day episode, ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo talks to Adj Assoc Prof Angie Chew about the importance of spirituality in our lives. They also discuss how to harness this source of strength to improve our mental...

Political stalemate is diminishing Thailand’s international stature and economy Synopsis: The Straits Times' global contributor Nirmal Ghosh shines a light on Asian perspectives of global and Asian issues with expert guests. Thailand, once seen as a rising middle power, is now stuck in political and economic stagnation that are affecting its international standing. Its years of political tur...

As we inch closer to a new year, will you be putting “losing weight” on your list of resolutions - for the nth time?  Synopsis: The Usual Place host Natasha Ann Zachariah hunts for new perspectives on issues that matter to young people. Dropping the pounds is a classic New Year’s resolution for many people, but sticking to it often proves challenging.  Natasha wanted to...

Developing countries are in a vicious debt cycle with little relief in sight, undermining social progress. Synopsis: The Straits Times' global contributor Nirmal Ghosh shines a light on Asian perspectives of global and Asian issues with expert guests. Some 3.3 billion people live in countries that spend more on interest payments in their debt, than on either education or health. In 2023, a record...

Is modern dating painful and how can those who want to find love in 2025 find love intentionally? Synopsis: The Usual Place host Natasha Ann Zachariah hunts for new perspectives on issues that matter to young people. On this episode of The Usual Place, host Natasha Ann Zachariah dissected the dating game with Andrea Tan, a certified sex, love and relationship coach and founder of Athena Rising Coa...

“Money not enough” - not even raising fares can fix current school bus woes. Synopsis: Every 3rd Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times examines not just vehicle prices but wider transport issues and trends connected to public and private transport. School bus fares are constantly rising, and yet operators are saying that ferrying pupils to schools is a loss-making venture with litt...

Rich lodes of valuable metals lie on the seafloor. Will a global rush to mine them be allowed – and will doing so damage the world’s oceans? Synopsis: Every first and third Tuesday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. Scattered across the sea bed are trillions of potato-sized lumps brimming with...

Good leadership that inspires confidence cuts across age. Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, get a headstart in your personal finance and career with The Straits Times. It isn’t possible to draw lines along age, tenure, skill and leadership in the working world as neatly as previously. The image of top leaders has expanded beyond the notion of someone assuming their position afte...

Factors to watch are increasing population, workforce and productivity. 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 James Cheo, chief investment officer for Asean and India with HSBC Group Private Banking, on the glowing economic prospects for Asean and India...

From unwanted Secret Santa gifts to guest etiquette fails, Natasha and her guests dive into the dos and don’ts of navigating holiday gatherings with humour and grace.  Synopsis: The Usual Place host Natasha Ann Zachariah hunts for new perspectives on issues that matter to young people. The holiday season is here, bringing with it the fun - and sometimes the headache - of social gatherin...

It is safer to live near a nuclear power plant than to ride a plane, says an expert. Do we have a Not In My Backyard (Nimby) syndrome? Synopsis: Every second Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests. Nuclear energy: Why not? That is the response from an expert on why Singapore is exploring it.  The radioactive release from...

Want a dress ironed? A facial? A shirt darned? Or perhaps a coffee freshly brewed, right on your doorstep? 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. More services are being offered by Indonesians on motorcycles and bicycles. Mr Subban has a sewing machine affix...

Hypertension is a silent killer; check it before it’s too late. Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. Do you know if you have high blood pressure or what's also known as hypertension? According to the National Population Health Survey 2022, about one in three Singaporeans aged 18 to 74 has hypertension. This conditio...

The implementation of developing countries’ climate targets hinges on the availability of finance and technology Synopsis: Every first and third Tuesday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. Despite the criticisms surrounding the UN climate conference COP29, which took place over two weeks in November in Bak...