The Straits Times Podcasts

A conversation with the noted anthropologist and Andamans expert Vishvajit Pandya on the need to balance heritage, developmental and strategic interests as the Andaman and Nicobar islands become a geopolitical hotspot. Synopsis:  Join The Straits Times' associate editor and senior Asia columnist Ravi Velloor, as he distils his experience from four decades of covering the continent. In this episode...

Get started on moderate intensity physical activity to stay healthy. Synopsis: Every first and third Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. Singapore wants to be a healthier nation, and everyone needs to play their part by leading healthier lifestyles. This would only benefit the individual, but not everyone exercises regularly. And, if yo...

Will we cede jobs to quantum computing next?  Synopsis: Every first Monday of the month, listen to the Work Talk podcast to help you work smarter, think deeper and get ahead in your work life. We may not time travel anytime soon, but quantum computing may go mainstream among businesses within a decade. What is this technology that inspires science-fiction tales? What do bosses and workers need to...

The role of militaries, and conflicts, in driving global warming can no longer be ignored. Synopsis: Every first and third Sunday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. Even in peace times, militaries are huge emitters of the greenhouse gases that drive global warming. The US military with its global network...

Feeling peckish? Find out why Taiwan is mad about the “Kuai Kuai” brand of corn snacks.  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.  Taiwan is the world’s top manufacturer of semiconductors and advanced chips. But here is the super-chi...

No other car company has invested as much as Porsche to sell cars to consumers in Singapore with a high-end “studio” in the heart of the city. How is it working? Synopsis: The Straits Times offers expert insights if you are in the market for a new vehicle or are tracking transportation trends. Cars in Singapore are the most expensive in the world. In this episode, ST's senior transport corresponde...

So why do the Lions have yet another Japanese coach? Synopsis: Every fourth Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times dives into a sports topic and tackles the hard questions with its guests on Hard Tackle. In this episode of Hard Tackle, Deepanraj Ganesan is joined by Football Association of Singapore president, Bernard Tan and the newly appointed head coach of the Singapore national football tea...

Two young hawkers chat about the profession in this era of high inflation - how to maintain profitability while still serving that affordable meal.  Synopsis: Every second Monday of the month, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests. The cost of living has gotten more expensive in the last two years. Inflation measured by a basket of consumer goods w...

One of our guests also shows us the brilliance of her lyrics by reading them out to us. What are your faves? Synopsis: Each month, The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene. American superstar Taylor Swift has dominated pop culture with her mega-successful Eras Tour, her historic fourth Grammy win for Album of the Year in 2024 and her...

Hear why most Manipuris - of different ethnic groups - just want an end to militarisation and violence. 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. Manipur, in north-east India, is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious state of 3.1 million people. In May 2023, violence e...

Do local banks really have succession issues? Synopsis: Every third Monday of the month, hosts Lee Su Shyan and Ven Sreenivasan - both associate editors and senior columnists at The Straits Times - offer you an extra edge in managing your hard-earned money. In February 2024, banker Wee Cho Yaw passed away at the age of 95. His father founded the predecessor of UOB but it was Mr Wee that grew the b...

Tipping points are a grave threat but it’s not too late for humanity to reduce the risks.  Synopsis: Every first and third Sunday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. The world is on the brink of major changes to the natural world that could have truly devastating consequences for billions of people.  These...

This Budget 2024 special analysis examines how measures announced would benefit Singaporean youth, from education, to housing, childcare and inflation.  Synopsis: Titled “Building our Shared Future Together”, Budget 2024 was delivered by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong in Parliament on Feb 16, 2024.  The plan for revenue and expenditure of the Singapore government was laid...

Former South Korean foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha also ponders the challenges posed by Kim Jong Un’s moves on missiles and Moscow, and Seoul’s ties with Japan.  Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, join The Straits Times' associate editor and senior Asia columnist Ravi Velloor, as he distils his experience from four decades of covering the continent. In this episode, Ravi speaks with Dr K...

Love is in the air for these wushu athletes. Synopsis: The Straits Times looks at the talking points in sport every second Wednesday of the month. In this episode of Sports Talk, Deepanraj Ganesan gets into the Valentine’s Day mood and spoke to a sporting couple in wushu exponents Jowen Lim and Vera Tan.  The pair started dating in 2015 and have since gotten engaged. Lim and Tan who had a good yea...

A seasoned career coach shows what career coaching entails, using host Tay Hong Yi's CV as an example. Synopsis: Every second Monday of the month, The Straits Times helps you take charge of your budding career and realise your ambition. Career coaching is a term frequently bandied about in discourses surrounding employment and employability, and related policies. Though the basic concept is intuit...

Empathy for the generation divide and user behaviour patterns may need to be studied more as Singapore digitalises itself rapidly. Synopsis: Every second and fourth Monday of the month, The Straits Times takes a hard look at social issues of the day with guests. The hard deadline for full transition from an older card-based ticketing system to the account-based SimplyGo public transport payment sy...

We transport you to Keran, which sits on the Line of Control - a ceasefire line dividing Kashmir into territories administered by India and Pakistan. 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.  At a time when people-to-people links are...

They share their experiences trying to be a part of the discourse at Davos. Synopsis: The Straits Times speaks with young delegates at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2024 to find out about their experience. The WEF, held in Davos, Switzerland, brings together some of the biggest names in politics, business and economics from all over the world every year. But it has been criticised...

Wearable tech can help us monitor our heart. Synopsis: Every first and third Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. Today, we can easily find heart rate monitors in wearable devices like smartwatches and fitness trackers. As Singapore shifts the centre of gravity in healthcare from acute hospitals to the community with its preventive care...

To secure his 500 colleagues' jobs, this CEO is making them developers. Bonus segment: What could the Dragon Year bring you?! Synopsis: Every first Monday of the month, listen to the Work Talk podcast to help you work smarter, think deeper and get ahead in your work life. Vital is the Singapore public service’s central agency for corporate shared services entrusted with managing and transforming c...

Human development is rapidly destroying the natural habitat for recovering wildlife populations such as tigers. Synopsis: Every first and third Sunday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. The success of India’s conservation efforts conversely means that rising wildlife populations increasingly, have nowhere...

The sociological and political implications of the temple to the Hindu God Rama that was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India on Jan 22, 2024.  Synopsis: Join The Straits Times' associate editor and senior Asia columnist Ravi Velloor, as he distils his experience from four decades of covering the continent. In this episode, Ravi speaks with the respected sociologist and head of Ind...

As it turns out, it is not from the mark-up on the car itself that pays the bulk of the bills for used car dealerships Synopsis: In this new podcast, The Straits Times offers expert insights if you are in the market for a new vehicle or are tracking transportation trends. Almost 60 per cent of those who sell their cars, are looking for another one. This means that the business of used cars will co...

Xabi Alonso is now head coach for Bayer Leverkusen in the German Bundesliga. Synopsis: The Straits Times looks at the talking points in sport every second Wednesday of the month. This is a special episode featuring a former Liverpool legend John Arne Riise.  In this episode of Sports Talk, ST's Deepanraj Ganesan speaks to former Liverpool and Norway defender John Arne Riise who says that his ex-te...