Afleveringen
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Are Singaporeans too rigid to be funny? How to take ourselves less seriously to overcome stress.
Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, get a head start in your personal finance, career and life with The Straits Times.
In this episode, theatrical clown and actor Shanice Stanislaus shares with host See Kai Wen about how thinking and acting like a clown can help navigate high-pressure environments.
The “Clown Mentality” includes having the audacity to dream and try, never afraid of failing and finding ways to add whimsy into your life. We all have a little clown in our pockets.
Shanice also speaks about her journey as one of the only few professional clowns in Singapore, her award-winning clown shows, and how she helps Singaporeans find their “funny” in her workshops.
Highlights (click/tap above):
0:00 What is clowning?
02:58 Are Singaporeans too uptight to be funny?
07:11 Why we need to learn how to fail
10:51 Comedy is truth and pain wrapped nicely
15:33 Using humour to break the ice in work situations
21:55 How to find your inner clown and humour
25:47 Adopting a “Clown Mentality”
27:51 Shanice’s experience performing as a clown overseas
Follow See Kai Wen on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/qfwqQ
Host: See Kai Wen ([email protected])
Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim
Executive producers: Elizabeth Law and Joanna Seow
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]
Get business/career tips in ST's Headstart newsletter: https://str.sg/headstart-nl
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Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
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Do note: All analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast are for your general information only. You should not rely on them in making any decision. Please consult a fully qualified financial adviser or professional expert for independent advice and verification. To the fullest extent permitted by law, SPH Media shall not be liable for any loss arising from the use of or reliance on any analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast. SPH Media accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever that may result or arise from the products, services or information of any third parties.
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Can Trump and Xi’s new ‘constructive’ framework bring stability to the US-China dynamic?
Synopsis: The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 45 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests.
In this episode, host Ravi Velloor speaks with Wang Xiangwei, the eminent Hongkong-based China scholar and former editor-in-chief of South China Morning Post.
Wang, who is soon heading to the Harvard Kennedy School of Government as a Senior Visiting Fellow, offers a Chinese perspective on the changing dynamics of the US-China relationship, with Beijing now treated as a near-peer by Washington, and increasingly able to set the agenda.
US President Donald Trump, he says, is the most China-friendly person in his Cabinet and the days when even Chinese garlic was treated as a national security risk are long over.
In an odd way, China does not wish to see the US retrench from Asia entirely.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:26 How things have changed in US-China ties
5:20 ‘G-2’ is in place now, and China a peer equal
8:55 Goodbye, Indo-Pacific
13:20 Up ahead, long period of stability
16:17 For the first time, China sets the agenda
20:36 Boards of trade, investment
26:22 Surprise, Surprise…China wants US to stay in Asia!
Read Ravi's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP
Follow Ravi on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor
Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz
Host: Ravi Velloor ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
Follow Asian Insider Podcast on Fridays 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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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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The scheme was meant to build closer ties between parents and schools. Has it achieved its intended purpose, or outlived its usefulness?
Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.
Would you volunteer your time and effort to get your child into a primary school of your choice? For many parents, it’s a no-brainer - even if it involves a huge commitment.
Parent volunteering was introduced as part of the P1 registration system as a way to encourage parents to be more involved in their child’s education and build closer ties between parents and the school. Schools also benefitted from the extra help in their programmes and events.
In 1998, it was announced that parent volunteers would have to complete at least 40 hours of service to the school to register their child in an earlier phase of P1 registration.
But the scheme’s immense popularity among parents has caused it to become increasingly competitive. Some parents ballot to have a chance to volunteer. Others prepare detailed curriculums or send CVs to schools. Some schools no longer accept parent volunteers.
It’s raised questions: Given that volunteering requires time, effort and skills, does the scheme really only benefit parents who have resources?
And isn’t volunteering meant to be something done out of a genuine desire to do good, rather than expecting something in return?
How did the parent volunteer scheme turn into an arms race? Has it outlived its usefulness? Is it time to scrap the scheme entirely?
In this episode of In Your Opinion, Assistant Opinion Editor Lianne Chia speaks with Associate Professor Jason Tan from the National Institute of Education to understand the original intentions of the scheme, what happened along the way - and why choosing a child’s primary school has become such a high-stakes, high anxiety exercise.
Highlights (click/tap above):
4:20 Has the parent volunteer scheme achieved its initial purpose?
5:59 Does the scheme turn volunteering into a transaction?
9:33 How did the P1 volunteering scheme become an arms race?
16:22 Can we really blame parents?
23:59 Is there a way we can return the scheme to its original intention?
27:32 Should we scrap the volunteering scheme - or double down on it?
Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH
Host: Lianne Chia ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim
Executive producers: Danson Cheong & Lynda Hong
Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:
Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb
Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV
Feedback to: [email protected]
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Your guide to a kinder end-of-life journey in the ICU.
Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.
Tan Tock Seng Hospital and National University Hospital recently launched a new initiative called A Kinder ICU that is supported by a 3.93 million grant from the Lien Foundation. The aim is to integrate palliative care into standard ICU treatment.
In this episode, Joyce Teo finds out more about the initiative and the nature of palliative care from her two guests. They discuss how palliative care has evolved and how it provides essential support to patients who are critically ill and their families.
The conversation also explores the importance of reflecting on the desired quality of life as one approaches the end of their journey.
The two guests are Assistant Professor Neo Han Yee, a senior consultant and head of the palliative medicine department at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, and Ms Charmaine Sim, an advanced practice nurse at the medical intensive care unit at the National University Hospital.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:26 Palliative care 10-20 years ago vs now
5:28 Feeling conflicted seeing a family member in the ICU
9:27 There is an art to palliative care
10:23 Life presents you with unexpected crises
14:10 Medical staff will also feel distressed if they are imposing pain on patients
21:12 Helping the family of a man who fell critically ill just before he was about to return home
23:40 Is it fair to keep trying to save his life?
25:03 The doctor is legally authorised to withdraw life support when life-sustaining efforts are futile, but there’s a need to help the family hold that grief
29:30 Filial piety is a virtue but it can also create a sense of guilt
34:26 What is the minimum quality of life you want to live by?
35:43 You cannot assume that you will pass away in your sleep…
Read Joyce Teo's stories: https://str.sg/JbxN
Host: Joyce Teo ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Amirul Karim
Executive producers: Ernest Luis and Lynda Hong
Follow Health Check Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWaN
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWRX
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaQ
Feedback to: [email protected]
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The 2026 World Cup in North America is just around the corner but is it in danger of being too bloated?
The June 11-July 19 tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada will feature a record 48 teams from six confederations, with 12 groups of four teams each.
A new round of 32 will make its debut and the tournament will feature a record 104 matches in total, 40 games more than the 2022 edition in Qatar.
Four countries that will be making their debut in North America are Curacao – the smallest nation ever to qualify for a World Cup – fellow minnows Cape Verde, and Asian newcomers Jordan and Uzbekistan.
In comparison over World Cup history, the first tournament in Uruguay in 1930 had just 13 teams – three groups of three and one group of four nations. One winner from each group advanced to the semi-finals and the tournament comprised only 18 matches. There were no qualifiers then as it was an invitational tournament.
In this episode, The Straits Times collaborates with Money FM 89.3’s Sports Minutes to invite nine fans in Singapore - who hail from participating World Cup nations - and together with columnist and pundit Neil Humphreys, they look ahead to what is in store at the June 11 to July 19 tournament.
Representing their home countries but based in Singapore, are the following fans featured:
Mexico: Mauricio Espinoza, chef/owner of Papi's Tacos in SG
Argentina: Lucas Bilbao, co-founder, Minga Creative Company
France: Stephane Missier, chief strategy officer, BBH Singapore
Brazil: Matheus De Moura Sena, senior tax manager, Deloitte
Spain: Sahil Naresh Primalani, founder, Aula De Lenguas
England: Faraaz Marghoob, group strategy director, BBH Singapore
Morocco: Karim Bencherifa, football coach
Japan: Shuya Yamashita, BG Tampines Rovers footballer
Germany: Lennart Thy, Lion City Sailors footballer
Try out The Straits Times World Cup results simulator: https://www.straitstimes.com/multimedia/graphics/2025/12/worldcup-2026-simulator/index.html
Highlights (click/tap above):
0:55 Humphreys: Quality over quantity? Was it only about the money, not simply inclusivity & diversity?
2:43 Mexico, masks and the love of the game
5:12 Can Argentina make it two in a row?
7:00 A classic modern rivalry between France and Argentina
8:40 Mayonnaise: How mixing special ingredients needs to be done right too, in the case of France with many superstars
10:00 A comeback for Brazil, Spanish flair, or is football finally "coming home"?
14:06 The Morocco dream, history for Japan? Will Germany switch it?
19:09 Can World Cup 2026 overcome all the issues surrounding it?
22:10 World Cup 2026 favourites? Dark horses?
36:35 Is Cristiano Ronaldo too old? Who else should win the World Cup?
Host: Deepanraj Ganesan ([email protected]) & Zia-ul Raushan ([email protected])
Filmed by: Studio+65
Edited by: Jonathan Roberts, deputy head, Audience Lab (video)
Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast
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Being uber-responsible, people-pleasing and a perfectionist are traits that first-born girls in Asia purportedly have.
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.A book in Taiwan on the so-called “eldest daughter syndrome” is now a bestseller translated into other languages.
It looks at how many first-born women in the East Asian society struggle with perfectionism, people-pleasing, burnout, anxiety and other mental health struggles. This often arises from the profound psychological and physical pressures that they face at home.
What is even more insidious is when these traits carry over from the private space to their workplace.
Taiwan correspondent Yip Wai Yee, herself a first-born girl, speaks to foreign editor Li Xueying, another first-born girl, on her personal experience, as well as the question: where is all of this coming from?
Highlights (click/tap above):1:58 What is the eldest daughter syndrome
4:43 Myth vs social expectations
6:29 Eldest daughter syndrome entrenched in Taiwan society
10:17 How it plays into workplace burnout and boundaries
13:55 Managing guilt and saying no as an eldest daughter
Read Yip Wai Yee’s article here: https://str.sg/jbsK
Read Li Xueying’s articles: https://str.sg/iqmR
Follow Li Xueying on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/ip4x
Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz
Host: Li Xueying ([email protected])
Edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
Follow Asian Insider on Fridays 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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A recent Straits Times survey of 1,000 unmarried people explained why the dating scene is so bleak: it’s hard to meet new people, dating can be expensive and there are unrealistic expectations of love and relationships.
In this episode, Natasha chats with:
• Liu Zhiqun, co-founder of Kopi Date, a dating platform that curates one-on-one coffee dates, and
• Dr Kenneth Tan, an assistant professor of psychology at Singapore Management University, who studies relationships from end-to-end - that is from singlehood to why relationships end.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:53 Has dating become harder?
5:29 21 years old, no dating experience
10:10 The ‘perfect partner’ problem
11:33 Has social media warped our idea of romance
14:21 Dating 101: teaching rejection in schools?
18:29 Why people don’t bring their best self on dates
21:46 “Why do I have to work for love as well?”
27:15 Is school the best place to look for love?
31:20 Fear of being alone leads to settling
32:34 Red flags, icks: are they just excuses?
36:25 Old-school gender rules in a modern dating world
41:52 Can the Government fix our love lives?
Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah ([email protected])
Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm
Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG: https://str.sg/8KNT
Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN
Filmed by: Studio+65
Edited by: Eden Soh & Natasha Liew
Executive producer: Danson Cheong
Producers: Natasha Ann Zachariah and Elizabeth Law
Follow The Usual Place Podcast and get notified for new episode drops every Thursday:
Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX
Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P
YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast
Feedback to: [email protected]
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In an age where information is readily available and where we're fed an unending stream of content, have we lost our sense of wonder?
Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.
We live in a time where technology has made information more readily available than ever. Curiosity has been the main driver of human discovery since the beginning of time but when faced with a barrage of information, have we stopped wanting to know more?
In this episode of In Your Opinion, senior columnist Rohit Brijnath speaks with celebrated physicist, educator and rock star Brian Cox. Currently on a world tour with his live show, Emergence, he takes us on a journey across the cosmos, civilisation and human curiosity all while attempting to answer the question: how do we find wonder?
Emergence will be in Singapore on June 10.
Highlights (click/tap above):
4:46 Should people be more curious?
8:51 Keeping a sense of wonder through life
10:36 Are there aliens out there?
15:38 There are things I don't actually know
19:55 Kepler, Galileo and Einstein around a table
29:13 Two weeks in space is ideal
32:46 Why world leaders should go to space
36:11 Are there mysteries that should remain?
38:29 What to look for in the night sky
41:31 Can you see planets in Singapore?
42:06 Is an uncurious person a failure?
47:21 Brian Cox's top musical highlight
55:06 The AI revolution and social change
Books Brian Cox recommended:
The Six-Cornered Snowflake by Johannes Kepler The Invention of Science: A New History of the Scientific Revolution by David Wootton The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle In The DarkRead Rohit’s columns: https://str.sg/wFu2
Host: Rohit Brijnath ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim and Teo Tong Kai
Executive producers: Elizabeth Law and Danson Cheong
Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:
Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb
Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV
Feedback to: [email protected]
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Tech still holds long-term promise but choose companies carefully based on their fundamentals.
Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, get a head start in your personal finance, career and life with The Straits Times.
Talk of an AI bubble has been brewing for some time, with many asking when it will burst.
But young investors still want to get in on the tech wave and buy into a sector that has great growth potential.
In this episode, ST business correspondent Sue-Ann Tan looks at which tech stocks show promise in a mature AI era.
Her guests are DBS Bank head of equity and fixed income Subhra Chatterjee and StashAway head of investment advisory Mark Yeo.
Highlights (click/tap above):
3:00 Tech is still an integral investment theme
6:00 What is the AI bubble
12:00 Should you still buy the MAG7
17:00 How to fit tech into your portfolio
21:00 SGX or Nasdaq or some other market entirely
31:00 What is dollar-cost averaging?
34:00 Different ways to diversify your portfolio
Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles: https://str.sg/mvSa
Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/A86X
Host: Sue-Ann Tan ([email protected])
Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim
Executive producers: Elizabeth Law and Joanna Seow
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]
Get business/career tips in ST's Headstart newsletter: https://str.sg/headstart-nl
---
Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
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Do note: All analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast are for your general information only. You should not rely on them in making any decision. Please consult a fully qualified financial adviser or professional expert for independent advice and verification. To the fullest extent permitted by law, SPH Media shall not be liable for any loss arising from the use of or reliance on any analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast. SPH Media accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever that may result or arise from the products, services or information of any third parties.
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Do fathers in Singapore get a bad reputation for being hands-off?
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah, who chairs the new Marriage and Parenthood Reset Workgroup, drew some flak for speaking about career “detours” as something that should be normalised for mothers - with little mention of a fathers’ role in the parenting journey.
Why do we frame the parenting experience as mainly a woman’s role?
In this episode of the podcast, I put that question to two fathers: new stay-at-home dad Jeggan Rajendram and Kevin Goh, the Group Head of engagement and programmes at the Centre for Fathering.
We discuss who dads benchmark themselves to and whether mothers are preventing fathers from being more hands on.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:05 Are fathers missing from the parenting conversation?
3:30 “Regret minimisation”: Jeggan’s decision to be a stay-at-home dad
7:10 “People still look at me like I was crazy.”
11:27 Mums get a ‘head start’ on parenting
15:08 What’s holding fathers back from being more hands-on?
17:20 Mums, please involve dads, and let go
21:20 Whose standard is the right one?
24:05 The loss of identity as a stay-at-home parent
30:30 Being the stay-at-home parent doesn’t have to be forever
33:27 Encouraging dads to be more active parents
37:11 When dad’s your personal hairstylist
40:08 Will we have more babies if dads and mums are equals?
Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah ([email protected])
Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm
Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG: https://str.sg/8KNT
Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN
Filmed by: Studio+65
Edited by: Eden Soh & Hadyu Rahim
Executive producer: Danson Cheong
Producers: Natasha Ann Zachariah and Elizabeth Law
Assistant producer: Stacey Ngiam
Follow The Usual Place Podcast and get notified for new episode drops every Thursday:
Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX
Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P
YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast
Feedback to: [email protected]
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As AI supercharges cyber threats, how can the "missing 99%" of small and medium enterprises protect themselves?
Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.
Cybersecurity is undergoing a fundamental shift. For a long time, it was treated as a dark art – a deeply technical problem left to IT teams and discussed in jargon few others understood. But as the threat landscape has evolved, major breaches are forcing the conversation into the boardroom, turning cyber risk into a critical matter of corporate governance and liability.
While multinational corporations can afford elite digital defences, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) – the 99 per cent of our economy – are often left exposed. Increasingly, SMEs are targeted not just for their own data, but as backdoors into the larger corporate and national networks they serve. If our current security playbook only works for the biggest players, how do we protect the rest?
In this episode, ST’s Deputy Opinion Editor Bhavan Jaipragas speaks with Gaurav Keerthi, co-founder and CEO of cybersecurity firm StrongKeep, and former Deputy Commissioner of the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:55 Why does cybersecurity switch people off?
5:06 Are boards stepping up to AI threats?
7:25 Why are SMEs still exposed to threats?
10:05 The "Ikea model" for affordable cybersecurity
15:45 Can state-linked cyber threats be solved?
25:12 Cyber risks and opportunities of agentic AI
28:27 Critical actions for boards, SMEs, and users.
31:41 Balancing online security and everyday usability
Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH
Host: Bhavan Jaipragas ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Amirul Karim
Executive producers: Danson Cheong and Lynda Hong
Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:
Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb
Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV
Feedback to: [email protected]
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Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
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Twists and turns can be expected for the rest of this year.
Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times will now analyse the hottest political and trending talking points, alternating between its Malaysia and Greater China bureaus.
For May, host and deputy foreign editor Albert Wai teams up again with senior China correspondent Yew Lun Tian. Their focus is on the Xi-Trump summit held in Beijing from May 13-14, 2026.
Heading into the event, expectations were modest as US President Donald Trump appeared to be distracted by war in the Middle East. At first glance, the deliverables might have seemed slightly underwhelming.
But the bottom line is both men got a bit of what they needed. Mr Trump got purchases for Boeing jets, agricultural products and possibly energy, while Chinese President Xi Jinping articulated a “new positioning” of bilateral relations.
There are also implications for cross-strait ties, with Beijing framing the Taiwan issue as something to be treated with utmost caution while Washington signalled that it might be rethinking the latest tranche of arms sales to the island.
With many geopolitical issues on the agenda, the tariff war appeared to have taken a back seat. Nonetheless, the announcement on the boards on trade and investment has opened up additional and much-needed room for dialogue.
There are at least three more bouts of engagement between Mr Trump and Mr Xi for the rest of this year, and plenty of opportunities for both sides to bargain and make deals.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:34 The world can breathe a sigh of relief
5:14 What is “constructive strategic stability”?
9:09 Temple of Heaven, Imperial Garden: Visit steeped in symbolism
10:43 A captivated Chinese public
13:11 Taiwan should be worried
19:20 Trade tensions take a back seat
21:16 China hugs the US and Russia
Read more: https://str.sg/pyWN
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
Host: Albert Wai ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
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Will a new bystander campaign by the police get more people to speak up for victims for molest and voyeurism?
In this episode of The Usual Place, I chat with Ms Lim Shoon Yin, the executive director of Singapore women’s rights group Aware, about what holds bystanders back and what they can do.
Also on the podcast is Dr Julia Lam, a forensic psychologist, who assesses people who have committed offences like sexual crimes. She studies impulse control disorder and behavioural addiction, among other areas.
She explains why perpetrators cross the line and act on urges, despite knowing it’s a crime.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:51 Are more people reporting sexual assault?
4:20 Why do bystanders freeze?
6:01 Could you become a molester or voyeur?
9:15 Why perpetrators choose to cross the line
10:36 Why take the risk of getting caught in public?
13:42 How bystanders can safely intervene, if unsure
17:33 Perpetrators not deterred by warning announcements, posters
20:22 Do conservative societal attitudes contribute to such behaviour?
26:02 What victims need when they report harassment
Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah ([email protected])
Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm
Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG: https://str.sg/8KNT
Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN
Filmed by: Studio+65
Edited by: Eden Soh, Hadyu Rahim & Amirul Karim
Executive producer: Danson Cheong
Producers: Natasha Ann Zachariah and Elizabeth Law
Assistant producer: Stacey Ngiam
Follow The Usual Place Podcast and get notified for new episode drops every Thursday:
Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX
Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P
YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast
Feedback to: [email protected]
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In an Autonomous Vehicle (AV) crash, should AI save the young instead of the elderly? Germany banned this, but a pragmatist asks: why not let algorithms choose based on age?
Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.
Traffic accidents in Singapore have hit a 10-year high. Every day, motorists are caught speeding, running red lights, and looking at their phones. The proposed solution is radical: take the steering wheel away from humans and hand it entirely to Artificial Intelligence.But as Singapore drafts the legal framework to roll out autonomous vehicles (AVs), where are the dangerous lines we are crossing? From programming algorithms to decide who lives and dies in a split-second crash, to the terrifying threat of a hacked network, are we actually ready to surrender our safety to a machine we don't fully understand?
In this episode, ST assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong sits down with the man building the robot's brain: Professor Marcelo Ang from the Advanced Robotics Centre at the NUS Mechanical Engineering Department, a researcher who first tested an AV in 2013.
They debate the ethics of the trolley problem about picking who to collide with in an unavoidable crash, the liabilities in the event of a driverless car crash, and the brutal reality awaiting thousands of middle-aged drivers whose jobs are about to be automated.Highlights (click/tap above):
2:47 Tesla vs. true driverless - the different levels of self-driving
9:04 The "Guardian Angel" - an underlying physics algorithm that overrides bad AI decisions
11:48 Why level 3 autonomous driving can be dangerous
14:20 Should the algorithm hit the 80-year-old or the 10-year-old in an unavoidable crash
23:55 The hardest engineering challenge: Predicting irrational human behaviour
Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH
Follow Lynda Hong on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/Gm2v
Host: Lynda Hong ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai
Executive producers: Danson Cheong and Lynda Hong
Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:
Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb
Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV
Feedback to: [email protected]
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Feel like you are not enough? Learn how to become your ideal self by acting as if you already are.
Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, get a head start in your personal finance, career and life with The Straits Times.
In this episode, Singapore theatre actor and musician Andrew Marko shares with host See Kai Wen about how the “Act As If” theory relates to his self-growth.
“Act As If” is a three-part technique that requires people to act as if they are already the ideal version of themselves, even when they are not there yet. The process includes visualisation and taking small, actionable steps towards a goal.
Besides opening up about his weight loss journey, Andrew also gets real about his experience as an actor and how he learned to “be in the moment” by playing a character on the autism spectrum.
Highlights (click/tap above):
0:00 Introduction to the “Act As If” theory
2:00 Psychology behind being an actor
6:10 Feelings of inadequacy and facing your inner critic
12:35 How to apply the “Act As If” theory to your life
16:11 Defining the most successful version of yourself
19:15 Andrew’s weight loss journey
25:35 Why being present is important
30:30 Embracing uncomfortable growth
Follow See Kai Wen on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/qfwqQ
Host: See Kai Wen ([email protected])
Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim
Executive producers: Elizabeth Law and Joanna Seow
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]
Get business/career tips in ST's Headstart newsletter: https://str.sg/headstart-nl
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Do note: All analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast are for your general information only. You should not rely on them in making any decision. Please consult a fully qualified financial adviser or professional expert for independent advice and verification. To the fullest extent permitted by law, SPH Media shall not be liable for any loss arising from the use of or reliance on any analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast. SPH Media accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever that may result or arise from the products, services or information of any third parties.
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By 2027, every school will have to follow standard disciplinary measures such as detention and conduct grade adjustment for different types of misbehaviour.
But the measure that divided parents, teachers and parliamentarians was that bullies can get up to three strokes of the cane.
Caning in schools is not new, so why were so many people upset that school bullies will be caned?
In this episode of The Usual Place, I speak with ST education correspondent and former secondary school teacher Elisha Tushara, and chief executive officer of the Singapore Children’s Society Ang Boon Min, about what caused the scrutiny over caning for bullies.
At a time when bullying cases are increasing - albeit by a small number - will caning change behaviour among recalcitrant students? Also, if parents step in to take on their child’s bullies, will it make things worse?
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:35 Does caning students work?
4:55 Do children learn from being caned?
8:22 Creative ways students try to escape caning
11:20 How do children become bullies?
13:34 Reframe the language around bullying
16:35 Most children don’t want their bully punished
19:11 Natural for parents to “feel an ache”
20:42 What is restorative justice?
22:35 Will teachers be stretched further?
26:45 How to help bullied children feel safe?
29:35 Parents involvement can be “unproductive”
Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah ([email protected])
Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm
Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG: https://str.sg/8KNT
Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN
Filmed by: Studio+65
Edited by: Eden Soh & Natasha Liew
Executive producer: Danson Cheong
Producers: Natasha Ann Zachariah and Elizabeth Law
Assistant producer: Stacey Ngiam
Follow The Usual Place Podcast and get notified for new episode drops every Thursday:
Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX
Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P
YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast
Feedback to: [email protected]
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The dopamine trap: Is Asia’s conservative culture driving a porn addiction crisis?
Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.
Asia holds the highest rate of problematic pornography use in the world at nearly one in five people, according to a study which researchers term 'Asian Paradox'. While casual viewing can be healthy for adults in some instances, this taboo weaponises the dopamine hit for tech-savvy youths.In this episode, assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong sits down with Dr Peter Chew, Associate Professor of Psychology at James Cook University Singapore, to unpack this silent epidemic.
They explore the neuroscience behind the digital dopamine trap, why a teenager's developing brain is vulnerable, and why symbolic website bans are failing.
Dr Chew also dismantles common misconceptions, explaining the crucial difference between clinical addiction and religious guilt; how sex education should change; and why abstinence-only programmers cause higher unwanted pregnancies.
Highlights (click/tap above):4:25 Why is porn so devastating to a teenager?
6:40 Does porn addiction lead to sex crimes?
10:05 What does treatment entail?
12:38 Approaching the topic of sex and pornography with youths
16:24 Moral implications towards sex education
Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH
Follow Lynda Hong on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/Gm2v
Host: Lynda Hong ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai
Executive producers: Danson Cheong and Lynda Hong
Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:
Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb
Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV
Feedback to: [email protected]
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A banquet in Beijing does not alter US-China rivalry but both leaders could sell modest outcomes as wins, says analyst.
Synopsis: Every third Friday of the month, The Straits Times gets its US Bureau Chief to analyse the hottest political and trending talking points.
In this episode, US Bureau Chief Bhagyashree Garekar chats with Han Shen Lin, the China Managing Director for The Asia Group, a strategic advisory firm based in Washington DC. Mr Lin leads the firm’s China operations from its Shanghai office.
Concurrently, as an Associate Professor of Practice in Finance at NYU Shanghai, he teaches courses in global finance and markets.
Mr Lin also serves as Chair of the Financial Services Committee at the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai.
He is a US Marine Corps veteran (Indo-Pacific) and Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Ukraine).
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:31 Is the summit happening for sure?
3:12 China could get Tehran's attention on a ceasefire, but will they?
5:39 Why has Trump been so keen to go to China?
7:28 What might be President Xi's top asks?
9:18 Will they talk about AI?
11:24 Trump often trolls foreign leaders but treats Xi respectfully. What does Beijing make of this?
13:54 Will this summit improve ties?
Read Bhagyashree Garekar’s articles: https://str.sg/whNo
Bhagyashree Garekar’s LinkedIn: https://str.sg/gD6E
Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz
Host: Bhagyashree Garekar ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
Follow Asian Insider Podcast on Fridays 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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We are living longer, but are we living healthier?
Synopsis: Every month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.
Singapore is one of the fastest-ageing nations in the world. By 2030, one in four Singaporeans will be aged 65 and above. There are also more Singaporeans living past 100 today. We are living longer, but are we living healthier? And, what does "ageing well" actually look like in our concrete jungle?
In this episode, host Joyce Teo hosts a senior geriatrician to talk about the unique landscape of ageing in Singapore, how to tell if someone is ageing faster than before and what one can do to "age healthier".
She is Adjunct Assistant Professor Noorhazlina Ali, a senior consultant and the head of the department of geriatric medicine at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH). She’s also a dementia specialist.
Highlights (click/tap above):
3:39 Tell-tale signs that you’re ageing faster than others
4:45 Hear about the chair-to-stand test
6:32 How to tell if your memory issues are not part of normal ageing
10:18 Sarcopenia can happen as early as age 40
12:54 Make sure your protein intake is sufficient
16:32 Dr Noorhazlina’s grandfather kept fit with long walks past 90
18:06 Determining the intensity of your elderly workouts
20:07 Are you too old to learn new things?
22:13 Dr Noorhazlina’s personal strategies
Host: Joyce Teo ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Amirul Karim
Executive producers: Ernest Luis and Lynda Hong
Follow Health Check Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWaN
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWRX
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaQ
Feedback to: [email protected]
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India’s poor air is driving much needed investment away from the country.
Synopsis: The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 45 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests.
There was a time when China was thought to have the world’s most polluted cities. However, Beijing’s sustained efforts have overturned that situation. Instead, when the question of polluted cities comes up, eyes turn to India now.
According to the noted Harvard economist Gita Gopinath, a former top IMF official, poor air quality is driving investment away from India and is causing more damage to its economy than US President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
There is enough policy experience, and scientific knowledge, to mitigate the situation. Indeed, India has within itself some of the world’s best scientific brains. The question is whether it has the political will to take the right measures, including pricing essential services such as water appropriately to curb overuse and wastage.
In this wide-ranging conversation, host Ravi Velloor speaks with Chandran Nair, the Malaysian-born, founder and CEO of Hongkong-based Global Institute for Tomorrow on how India could take cues from China to fix its foul air and water.
Mr Nair, a biochemical engineer who in 1994, set up the first foreign environment consultancy in China. He is also a frequent traveller to China and India. He is also a sceptic of the consumption-based growth model that he says is causing irreparable damage to the environment.
Highlights (click/tap above)
3:42 China’s journey from ‘most polluted’ nation
10:52 India’s dismal environmental situation
14:26 Faulty growth models
17:37 Democratic non-dividend: India cannot do a China
22:42 Why utilities like water need to be priced right
Read Ravi's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP
Follow Ravi on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor
Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz
Host: Ravi Velloor ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
Follow Asian Insider Podcast on Fridays 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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