Asian Insider Ep 2: US-China trade war: Who will blink first? 15:57 mins Synopsis: This is Asian Insider, a series by The Straits Times every Friday. Together with our stable of 30 correspondents based around the world, we give an Asian perspective on the global talking points of the week. In this episode, Nirmal Ghosh - The Straits Times’ US bureau chief - discusses the escalating trade war between the US and China. Joining him is Danson Cheong from ST’s China bureau and associate editor Vikram...
Aug 30, 2019•16 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Asian Insider Ep 1: Effects of Hong Kong protests on its people, China and Asia 13 mins Synopsis: This is Asian Insider, a series by The Straits Times every Friday. Together with our stable of 30 correspondents based around the world, we give an Asian perspective on the global talking points of the week. ST's US bureau chief Nirmal Ghosh hosts Hong Kong correspondent Claire Huang and Beijing-based China correspondent Lim Yan Liang, as they dissect the political, economic and regional effect of t...
Aug 25, 2019•13 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Why It Matters Episode 12 Duration: 6:51 mins Synopsis: In this new podcast series for 2018, The Straits Times takes a close look at one key news talking point each week. Kevin Kwan, whose best-selling book inspired the new Hollywood box office hit movie Crazy Rich Asians, defaulted on his national service obligations, the Ministry of Defence said on Aug 22 in response to queries from The Straits Times. The revelation about the 44-year-old Kwan made global headlines. He lives in the United State...
Aug 24, 2018•7 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Why It Matters Episode 10 Duration: 8:45 mins Synopsis: In this new podcast series for 2018, The Straits Times takes a close look at one key news talking point each week. As more Singaporeans come online in the Smart Nation transformation, scams via online, mobile phone and social media routes are on the rise too. The Straits Times' senior tech correspondent Irene Tham gives basic tips and also asks if the banking industry should continue with some existing marketing practices where customers ar...
Aug 15, 2018•9 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Why It Matters Episode 10 Duration: 7:20 mins Synopsis: In this new podcast series for 2018, The Straits Times takes a close look at one key news talking point each week. In July, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said that the latest cooling measures for the Singapore property market - in the form of higher Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty or ABSD rates and tighter loan limits - were introduced because of concerns that the sharp recovery in private home prices "is running ahead of econom...
Aug 03, 2018•7 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Why It Matters Episode 9 Duration: 10 mins Synopsis: In this new podcast series for 2018, The Straits Times takes a close look at one key news talking point each week. SingHealth's recent data breach in Singapore's worst cyber attack, has triggered questions over the country's Smart Nation initiatives. The country's largest and most serious data breach involving the personal data of 1.5 million patients who had visited SingHealth between May 1, 2015, and July 4 this year. Among them, 160,000 peo...
Jul 26, 2018•10 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Why It Matters Episode 8 Duration: 11:40 mins Synopsis: In this new podcast series for 2018, The Straits Times takes a close look at one key news talking point each week. Time magazine, The Financial Times and The Telegraph are just some of the many top news publications that featured photos of the historic June 12 Trump-Kim summit in Singapore taken by The Straits Times' executive photojournalist Kevin Lim. How did he get that prized shot? He also gives budding photographers tips on what kinds ...
Jun 26, 2018•12 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Why It Matters Episode 7 Duration: 12:20 mins Synopsis: In this new podcast series for 2018, The Straits Times takes a close look at one key news talking point each week. The Singapore summit on June 12 will go down in global history as the first meeting between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader, and one which produced a denuclearisation deal. Join host and ST's deputy news editor Jeremy Au Yong as he hosts three guests in this episode. ST's Tan Tam Mei reported on the security ar...
Jun 20, 2018•12 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Why It Matters Episode 6 Duration: 13 mins Synopsis: In this new podcast series for 2018, The Straits Times takes a close look at one key news talking point each week. The Singapore Summit on June 12 will go down in global history as the first meeting between a sitting US President and a North Korean leader, and one which produced a denuclearisation deal. Join host Ernest Luis as he sums up the Trump-Kim Summit with ST's deputy news editor Jeremy Au Yong and the foreign desk's deputy editor Tan ...
Jun 14, 2018•13 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Why It Matters Episode 5 Duration: 8:36 mins Synopsis: In this new podcast series for 2018, The Straits Times takes a close look at one key news talking point each week. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has already announced that his government intends to scrap the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail (HSR), in a move to control government spending and reduce the nation's RM1 trillion (S$337 billion) debt burden. The Mahathir administration said that the cost of building the line, at ...
Jun 06, 2018•9 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Why It Matters Episode 4 Duration: 9:40 mins Synopsis: In this new podcast series for 2018, The Straits Times takes a close look at one key news talking point each week. The issue of Singapore's top schools becoming closed circles instead of social levellers has again come under scrutiny after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong highlighted the problem of stratification in Parliament recently. Host and ST's deputy news editor Jeremy Au Yong dissects the issue with ST's senior education correspondent ...
May 30, 2018•10 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Why It Matters Episode 3 Duration: 10:30 mins Synopsis: In this new podcast series for 2018, The Straits Times takes a close look at one key news talking point each week. Recent remarks from National Development Minister Lawrence Wong that the Government is looking into the ageing Housing Board flat lease issue have been mostly welcomed by observers of the housing and property scene here in Singapore. This, even as as concerns remain over the fate of older flats. What could be the possible scena...
May 24, 2018•10 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Why It Matters Episode 2 Duration: 10:45 mins Synopsis: In this new podcast series for 2018, The Straits Times takes a close look at one key news talking point each week. US President Donald Trump is to meet North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore on June 12 for a historic meeting. But with recent North Korean threats to cancel the summit if Washington seeks to push Pyongyang into giving up its nuclear arsenal, will the meeting still happen and what are the possible venues? Host and ST's d...
May 24, 2018•11 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Why It Matters Episode 1 Duration: 9:10 mins Synopsis: In this new podcast series for 2018, The Straits Times takes a close look at one key news talking point each week. In the wake of two fatal accidents in April 2018, the Land Transport Authority has decided - where feasible - to replace discretionary right turns with red-amber-green arrow lights at the bulk of road junctions in Singapore. Host and ST's deputy news editor Jeremy Au Yong dissects the issue with ST transport correspondent Adrian...
May 24, 2018•9 min•Season 1Ep. 1
