The Straits Times Podcasts

Find out why Myanmar is in a state of economic collapse with only one per cent growth in fiscal year 2023/24. 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. Military-driven policies and conflict have shrunk Myanmar’s formal economy, but its illicit economy - long a fe...

Top Singapore sports administrators take the hot seat in our studio. 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 speaks to Sport Singapore CEO Alan Goh and Singapore Sport Institute chief Dr Su Chun Wei and quizzes them on what is ahead for...

How can community spaces co-exist with competing demands while fostering spontaneous and free play? Synopsis: Every second and fourth Monday of the month, The Straits Times takes a hard look at social issues of the day with guests. Managing the use of void decks in Singapore is like a cagey board game – one where Sembawang Town Council played the ultimate “no ball games” card, recently barricading...

Renewable energy is cleaner and more affordable and is poised for rapid growth in South-east Asia once key roadblocks are overcome.  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. Green Pulse is starting off 2024 with an appropriately green theme -- renewable energy. Specificall...

One of them is the sauna boom. Find out why it is taking off in a country of hot springs. 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. Japan is in transition - where younger Japanese are questioning the rules and strictures that traditio...

Find out more how active ETFs are somewhat different from the traditional product. 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 this episode, Su Shyan discusses active ETFs with Ms Ong Ai Ling, portfolio manager and head of AIOI a...

The actor was found dead in an apparent suicide after a two-months long high-profile investigation into his alleged misuse of drugs. Synopsis: Each month, The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene. The year of 2023 ended on a shocking and tragic note for the South Korean entertainment industry when actor Lee Sun-kyun, best known for p...

A conversation with a veteran economist, editor and geopolitical expert on the recently concluded election in Bangladesh.  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 the respected journalist and geopolitics exp...

Standing tall with badminton world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen Synopsis: The Straits Times looks at the talking points in sport every second Wednesday of the month. One Olympic gold, two senior world titles, one Thomas Cup triumph, 27 Badminton World Federation World Tour and Superseries titles, and more than 100 consecutive weeks as world No. 1, there's no men's singles player as dominant as Viktor Axel...

Why more evidence is needed to break down the cost of transitioning migrant workers away from being ferried on lorries. Synopsis: Every second and fourth Monday of the month, The Straits Times takes a hard look at social issues of the day with guests. Migrant workers have been transported in the backs of lorries here for decades, with an ongoing debate about whether the practice should be banned....

These roles may provide a gateway to coveted roles, an expert says. Synopsis: Every second Monday of the month, the Career Talk podcast by The Straits Times helps you take charge of your career and realise your ambition. As economic cycles turn shorter and more volatile, the labour market has turned to hiring workers on contract, including for roles with high skill requirements and leadership oppo...

An ADHD diagnosis can help you make sense of your life. Synopsis: Every first and third Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. The awareness of ADHD, or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, a common neurodevelopmental condition is growing around the world and more people have been diagnosed with it. Yet, many do not know that they hav...

What's the buzzword from our manpower minister in 2024?  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. Jan 1, may mark the beginning of a geopolitically hard year with persistent heart-stopping price tags on things, but the manpower minister wants Singapore workers to know his ministry is hands on...

How premiums are calculated and how making a claim does not mean a higher premium renewal. 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. It is compulsory for all vehicles to have third-party insurance and vehicles that are under financing are required to have comprehensive insurance policies...

Home-grown singer and songwriter Josh Makazo tells us about his breakout year in 2023. Synopsis: Each month, The Straits Times invites music acts to its podcast studio. In this ninth episode of Music Lab, ST's music correspondent Eddino Abdul Hadi hosts home-grown singer, songwriter, and producer Josh Makazo. A rising name in the home-grown music scene, he is one of the most popular artists on Tik...

We look at the nation's prospects in sailing, athletics and football. 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. As the curtain comes down on an incredible year for Singapore sports in 2023, The Straits Times sports desk is already excited for what’s to come in the year ahead. In this epi...

Singaporean singer-songwriter Josh Makazo's intimate live studio take of half of my heart, a song from his latest EP, GRADIENT. Synopsis: This Music Lab playlist features the full live performance of music acts invited by The Straits Times to its podcast studio. Listen to Josh Makazo talk about his musical journey in the full podcast here: https://str.sg/iYCZ Discover Singaporean artiste Josh Maka...

Revisiting the legacy of a 1990s Singaporean icon Synopsis: Can I Tell You Something Crazy is a new scripted series under the #PopVultures banner, which examines with fresh eyes, events that shook Asian media and entertainment. In 1990, Singaporean model Bonny Hicks, just 22 at the time, published her first book Excuse Me, Are You A Model? The book was meant to be a tell-all about the modelling in...

Indonesia’s bold plan to catch cervical cancer early will see 50-60 million women screened and vaccinated  Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times' US Bureau Chief Nirmal Ghosh shines a light on Asian perspectives of global and Asian issues with expert guests. Indonesia’s bold plan to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health concern - the country’s cervical cancer rate is...

It is always good to start having end-of life conversations early. Synopsis: Every first and third Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. There are some conditions that are difficult to treat, others possibly pointless to treat. Doctors know the limits of medical care and they can advise against further treatment, if the care is deemed fut...

Find out about the upcoming market trends and how should you invest in 2024. 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 this episode, Ven Sreenivasan hosts Mr Thilan Wickramasinghe, head of research at Maybank Securities. They d...

We speak to national sailor Maximilian Maeder about his year of wins. Synopsis: The Straits Times looks at the talking points in sport every second Wednesday of the month.  National sailor Maximilian Maeder has enjoyed a bountiful 2023 where the accolades have kept coming for the kitefoiling star.  The 17-year-old became the first Singaporean nominated for the prestigious World Sailing’s Male Sail...

Increases converges at around 4 per cent across the board in a mature high-cost market like Singapore. Synopsis: Every second Monday of the month, The Straits Times' Career Talk podcast helps you take charge of your own career and make your ambition pay off. One source of both cheer and uncertainty in this festive period is talk of performance appraisals, promotions and pay raises. To find out mor...

They share their principles behind the groundbreaking design and their favourite features. Synopsis: The Straits Times speaks with experts to discuss how public housing design has evolved in Singapore. Public housing is all around us. They are in older towns such as Queenstown and Toa Payoh, and in newer ones like Punggol and Bidadari. Eight in ten Singaporeans live in HDB flats. How has the desig...

They share their principles behind the groundbreaking design and their favourite features. Synopsis: The Straits Times speaks with experts to discuss how public housing design has evolved in Singapore. Public housing is all around us. They are in older towns such as Queenstown and Toa Payoh, and in newer ones like Punggol and Bidadari. Eight in ten Singaporeans live in HDB flats. How has the desig...