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Asian Insider episodes

  • S1E19: A look back at Paris Olympics 2024 with Max Maeder

    ST sports reporters and the SG bronze medalist look back at memorable moments in the Paris Olympics.

    Synopsis: The Straits Times tackles the talking points in sport every second Wednesday of the month. 

    History was made on Aug 9, 2024, when kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder became Singapore’s youngest Olympic medallist after he clinched a bronze in the Formula Kite event.

    In this episode, ST's sports reporter Deepanraj Ganesan is joined by assistant sports editor Rohit Brijnath and sports correspondent Kimberly Kwek for a look back on that historic moment while also assessing the Paris Games as a whole and Team Singapore’s overall performance. 

    We also bring you the full audio from ST’s conversation with Maximilian a day after his final race.  

    Highlights (click/tap above):

    1:25 ST reporters talk about the mood on the ground at the Marseille Marina after Max won bronze 

    7:10 ST reporters discuss what is next for Max

    15:25 Max surprised he has yet to receive negative messages

    23:55 Max on why “connection” is the main takeaway from his debut Olympics

    Read: https://str.sg/AsCE

    Follow Deepanraj Ganesan on X: https://str.sg/wtra

    Read his articles: https://str.sg/ip4G

    Read Rohit Brijnath's articles: https://str.sg/wFu2

    Read Kimberly Kwek's articles: https://str.sg/bWY9

    Catch visual snippets of the podcast from ST's sports Instagram page: https://str.sg/vn2F

    Produced by: Rohit Brijnath ([email protected]), Kimberly Kwek ([email protected]) and Deepanraj Ganesan ([email protected])

    Edited by: Amirul Karim 

    Follow Hard Tackle every month here and get notified for new episode drops:

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    ---

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    31 min
  • S1E28: Kamala Harris and Indo-Americans’ stunning rise in US national life

    We chat with Mayank Chhaya, Chicago-based veteran chronicler of the Indian diaspora, on Kamala Harris’s appeal and chances in the upcoming Nov 5 US presidential election.

    Synopsis: Join The Straits Times' senior columnist Ravi Velloor, as he distils his experience from four decades of covering the continent.

    In this episode, Ravi speaks with the veteran journalist, author and broadcaster Mayank Chhaya, a former staffer with India Post in California and India Abroad, New York, on the rise in US politics of Americans with Indian heritage, including presidential hopeful Kamala Harris and Nikki Haley, who challenged Donald Trump for the Republican nomination.

    They discuss Ms Harris’s racial identity, her chances of victory, and whether America is heading toward being a post-race society.

    Mr Chhaya also comments on prominent Indian-Americans in the business field, including the heads of Microsoft, Google, IBM and YouTube, and why Indians seem to be doing so well in many facets of American life.

    Highlights (click/tap above):

    1:30 Black, or Indian? ‘Harris has blended well’

    6:50 Trump’s ‘just a bit younger’ than Kamala’s father

    8:40 Could America see a ‘whitelash’?

    10:40 A lengthening list: Usha Vance, Nikki Haley, Ro Khanna…

    13:00 Judiciary, tech to pharma, “Indian Americans are everywhere”

    16:00 Secret sauce behind Indian-Americans’ success

    17:50 The Modi effect

    Produced by: Ravi Velloor ([email protected]) and Fa’izah Sani

    Edited by: Fa’izah Sani

    Follow Speaking Of Asia Podcast every second Friday of the month here:

    Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

    Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

    Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

    Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

    Feedback to: [email protected]

    Ravi Velloor's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP

    Ravi Velloor on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor

    Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters

    ---

    Discover more ST podcast channels:

    All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 

    The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u 

    In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt 

    COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE 

    Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 

    Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN 

    Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf 

    Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m 

    Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE 

    #PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad 

    Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX 

    ---

    ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts 

    ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa 

    ---

    Special edition series:

    True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T

    The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2 

    Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn 

    Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB 

    Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa 

    ---

    Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

    The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB 

    Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX 

    #STAsianInsider

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    19 min
  • S1E35: Micro-drama boom: In this town, Chinese youths chase their showbiz dreams

    Hengdian, in Zhejiang province, is booming as the location set for two-thirds of China’s period dramas.

    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.

    They come with stars in their eyes, hoping to become the next Fan Bingbing or Jackson Yee. In Hengdian, they put their names down and hope to be picked - to deliver a line, to stand next to an actor, or even just to be a face in the crowd in one scene. 

    Hengdian is touted as China’s Hollywood, and with good reason - it was here that high-budget dramas and films such as Story of Yanxi Palace and Curse of the Golden Flower were shot. 

    But it has gained renewed attention in recent years, as Chinese audiences get hooked on micro-dramas - low-budget productions shot in vertical format to be viewed on smartphones. 

    In this episode, ST’s foreign editor Li Xueying chats with correspondent Goh Yan Han on the dreams that Hengdian represents to Chinese youths.

    Highlights (click/tap above):

    2:17 Different dynasties, same dream

    4:51 Crazy plots in two minutes

    6:23 Lower barriers to entry

    11:01 Youths’ determination and drive

    Read more here: https://str.sg/oxfqs 

    Read Li Xueying’s articles: https://str.sg/iqmR 

    Follow Li Xueying on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/ip4x

    Read Goh Yan Han's articles: https://str.sg/kgq4

    Read ST's Letters From The Bureau: https://str.sg/3xRd

    Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters

    Produced by: Li Xueying ([email protected]) and Fa’izah Sani

    Edited by: Fa’izah Sani

    Follow Letter From The Bureau Podcast every first Friday of the month here:

    Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

    Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

    Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

    Feedback to: [email protected]

    ---

    Follow more ST podcast channels:

    All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

    ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

    ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa

    ---

    Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

    The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

    Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

    #STAsianInsider

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    14 min
  • S1E111: Why Myanmar’s crisis scuppers India’s Act East Policy

    Hear why this policy is in jeopardy on several levels, including the risk of being outmanoeuvred and encircled by China in its near east.

    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.

    It may have been called a “forgotten” war - but the civil war in Myanmar triggered by the military’s February 2021 coup d’etat, has grave implications for India’s national security, and plans for connectivity to South-east Asia. 

    Also, as it remains to be seen where the cards eventually fall, it has also heightened New Delhi’s concerns over potential encirclement by China. 

    India’s immediate concern is spillover of the conflict into its own volatile north-east, where the state of Manipur - which borders Myanmar - has been witnessing ethnic violence. More broadly, the crisis also threatens India’s Act East policy, and raises concerns in New Delhi as China extends its influence in Myanmar and also in Bangladesh.

    Though Bangladesh’s current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is pro-India, the country’s army is supplied mostly with Chinese weapons, and there is latent resentment against India. 

    But India’s options are limited, as guest experts Dr Aparna Pande and Dr Avinash Paliwal tell Asian Insider host Nirmal Ghosh.

    Dr Paliwal lectures in diplomacy and public policy at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, and has just published his book - India's Near East. Dr Pande is a research fellow at the Hudson Institute in Washington, DC and has written books on Indian foreign policy.

    Highlights (click/tap above): 

    3:50 India's big investment in building connectivity through Myanmar

    4:51 China's interests in Myanmar's civil and military domains concern India deeply

    13:00 All of India's neighbours are its first layer of security

    20:18 An asymmetric connectivity benefitting India, but not for Bangladesh

    21:49 Understanding India's regional geopolitics through domestic political lens 

    25:36 India's challenge is broadly with all of its neighbours 

    Follow Nirmal Ghosh on X: https://str.sg/JD7r

    Read Nirmal Ghosh's articles: https://str.sg/JbxG

    Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters

    Produced by: Nirmal Ghosh ([email protected]) and Fa’izah Sani

    Edited by: Fa’izah Sani

    Follow Asian Insider with Nirmal Ghosh every fourth Friday of the month here:

    Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

    Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

    Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

    Feedback to: [email protected]

    ---

    Follow more ST podcast channels:

    All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

    ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

    ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa

    ---

    Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

    The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

    Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

    #STAsianInsider

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    30 min
  • S1E34: Japan fights to save its beloved bookshops

    Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry wants to take action to get people to return to brick-and-mortar stores.

    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.

    The Japanese are sentimental about bookstores, viewing them as precious communal spaces that do more than just sell books.  

    And yet, fewer and fewer are going to these stores, in line with global trends.

    What is more surprising is how the Japanese government has decided to seize the problem by its horns, with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry setting up a taskforce to look into the matter, even as the bookshops themselves are striving to find fresh ways to appeal to customers. 

    In this episode, ST’s foreign editor Li Xueying chats with Japan Correspondent Walter Sim on why the Japanese government has decided to be so interventionist.

    Highlights (click/tap above):
    1:59 One in two Japanese read “less than one book” every six months

    3:26 Why the Japanese are sentimental about bookshops

    6:15 A “psychic” bookseller in Osaka

    10:06 Laments at shuttered shops but it’s too late

    12:15 Taking action

    17:12 Walter’s favourite bookshops in Japan

    Read Walter Sim’s article here: https://str.sg/AWsW

    Produced by: Li Xueying ([email protected]) and Fa’izah Sani

    Edited by: Fa’izah Sani

    Follow Letter From The Bureau Podcast every first Friday of the month here:

    Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

    Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

    Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

    SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

    Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

    Feedback to: [email protected]

    Read Li Xueying’s articles: https://str.sg/iqmR 

    Follow Li Xueying on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/ip4x

    Read Walter Sim's articles: https://str.sg/wHY2 

    Read ST's Letters From The Bureau: https://str.sg/3xRd

    Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters

    ---

    Discover more ST podcast channels:

    All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 

    The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u 

    In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt 

    COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE 

    Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 

    Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN 

    Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf 

    Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m 

    Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE 

    #PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad 

    Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX 

    ---

    ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts 

    ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa 

    ---

    Special edition series:

    True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T

    The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2 

    Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn 

    Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB 

    Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa 

    ---

    Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

    The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB 

    Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX 

    #STAsianInsider

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    20 min
  • S1E32: ‘Judo, botox and yoga’ – what’s Putin up to in Asia?

    Analysing this is our guest - Ambassador Peter Tesch, the veteran Australian diplomat and policy strategist.

    Synopsis: Join The Straits Times' senior columnist Ravi Velloor, as he distils his experience from four decades of covering the continent.

    In this episode, Ravi speaks with the eminent Australian diplomat Peter Tesch, a former ambassador to Russia and Germany for his country as well as policy strategist for the Australian defence ministry.

    They discuss the recent Putin visits to North Korea and Vietnam, the message he is sending to China and the region, as well as Russia’s overall approach to Asia, including India. Mr Tesch also comments on the Quad, the security dialogue that groups the US with Australia, Japan and India.

    Highlights (click/tap above):

    4:20 Russia the disruptor

    10:10 A subtle message to Xi

    16:00 For China, a convenient diversion

    21:20 Judo, botox, and yoga!

    26:00 Latest on Quad

    Produced by: Ravi Velloor ([email protected]) and Fa’izah Sani

    Edited by: Fa’izah Sani

    Follow Speaking Of Asia Podcast every second Friday of the month here:

    Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

    Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

    Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

    Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

    Feedback to: [email protected]

    Ravi Velloor's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP

    Ravi Velloor on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor

    Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters

    ---

    Discover more ST podcast channels:

    All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 

    The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u 

    In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt 

    COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE 

    Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 

    Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN 

    Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf 

    Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m 

    Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE 

    #PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad 

    Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX 

    ---

    ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts 

    ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa 

    ---

    Special edition series:

    True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T

    The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2 

    Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn 

    Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB 

    Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa 

    ---

    Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

    The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB 

    Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX 

    #STAsianInsider

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    31 min
  • S1E110: Looking back at 'pageantry' of Trump Presidency: A ringside view

    Our guest expert offers a striking insider look at what it was like to cover Donald Trump’s presidency, and lessons learnt from it.   

    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.

    Notwithstanding a conviction, and other cases against him, Donald Trump remains the frontrunner for the Republican nomination - and has a realistic chance of being elected President again in November 2024. A look back at his tumultuous four years in office (2017 through 2020) holds clues as to what to expect, if he returns to power. 

    Some world leaders - Vladimir Putin, Narendra Modi and Shinzo Abe for instance - quickly learnt that the then-President Trump enjoyed being feted, says Steven Herman, former Voice of America (VOA) White House Bureau Chief. He notes that Modi and Trump in particular, held unprecedented massive joint rallies, in the US and in India.

    Herman, now chief national correspondent for the state-funded but non-partisan VOA, looks back at Trump’s summitry around the world including with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore and Hanoi, and his combative relationship with the media, in his book - Behind The White House Curtain: A Senior Journalist’s Story Of Covering the President ― And Why It Matters.

    Speaking with host Nirmal Ghosh, Herman says that for most US Presidents, the priority is substance over style, but in the case of Trump, leaders took pains to roll out the red carpet knowing that his mood greatly depended on how he was greeted, and whether his ego was massaged. 

    Highlights (click/tap above): 

    2:33 On travelling the world with Donald Trump: How he very much enjoyed the pageantry

    5:14 Why Trump was essentially franchising his name, but "when you're President of The United States, there tends to be a higher level of scrutiny..."

    7:00 How the phrase “enemy of the people” that he used, really took a lot of journalists aback

    9:45 How the media reacted to this phenomenon

    13:07 Herman on the run-up now: "A lot of focus especially by the conservative media not on what Joe Biden is saying but how he’s saying it...they’ll chop up video to make it appear he is stumbling"

    14:15 Herman has deep experience working in Asia too: How the Voice Of America has been received or perceived by governments of the countries here

    Produced by: Nirmal Ghosh ([email protected]) and Fa’izah Sani

    Edited by: Fa’izah Sani

    Follow Asian Insider with Nirmal Ghosh every fourth Friday of the month here:

    Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

    Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

    Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

    Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

    Feedback to: [email protected]

    Follow Nirmal Ghosh on X: https://str.sg/JD7r

    Read Nirmal Ghosh's articles: https://str.sg/JbxG

    Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters

    ---

    Discover more ST podcast channels:

    All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 

    The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u 

    In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt 

    COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE 

    Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 

    Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN 

    Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf 

    Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m 

    Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE 

    #PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad 

    Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX 

    ---

    ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts 

    ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa

    ---

    Special edition series:

    True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T 

    The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2 

    Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn 

    Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB 

    Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa 

    ---

    Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

    The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB 

    Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX 

    #STAsianInsider

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    20 min
  • S1E31: Could China, India go to war again?

    Our expert guest on what to expect on the external front from Modi 3.0, India’s challenges, and options.

    Synopsis: Join The Straits Times' senior columnist Ravi Velloor, as he distils his experience from four decades of covering the continent.

    In this episode, Ravi speaks with the eminent foreign policy thinker C Raja Mohan, the noted scholar and close friend of India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

    They discuss Indian foreign policy in the wake of the recent elections that returned Prime Minister Narendra Modi to power for a third time.

    Mr Modi resumes office at a time of dire border tensions with China, ruffles in what was a swiftly developing relationship with the United States, and a growing compact between India’s traditional security partner Russia and China.

    Highlights (click/tap above):

    3:50 A time for fresh choices

    8:30 The Andhra factor in foreign policy

    13:30 Could history repeat on the China border?

    14:25 Soured ties with the West

    17:30 Ties with Russia, now a junior partner of China’s

    19:50 Soft-pedalling Quad

    21:45 Where’s India’s ‘Act East’ policy?

    Read more: https://str.sg/qSNa

    Produced by: Ravi Velloor ([email protected]) and Fa’izah Sani

    Edited by: Fa’izah Sani

    Follow Speaking Of Asia Podcast every second Friday of the month here:

    Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

    Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

    Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

    Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

    Feedback to: [email protected]

    Ravi Velloor's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP

    Ravi Velloor on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor

    Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters

    ---

    Discover more ST podcast channels:

    All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 

    The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u 

    In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt 

    COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE 

    Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 

    Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN 

    Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf 

    Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m 

    Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE 

    #PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad 

    Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX 

    ---

    ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts 

    ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa 

    ---

    Special edition series:

    True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T

    The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2 

    Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn 

    Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB 

    Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa 

    ---

    Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

    The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB 

    Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX 

    #STAsianInsider

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    25 min
  • S1E33: Hong Kong's vanity car plates a creative outlet as freedoms narrow

    The affordable luxury of personalised car licence plates are proving an enduring and endearing avenue for self-expression in a changing Hong Kong 

    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. 

    HEY YU, DREAMER, ADD OIL. The messages on Hong Kong's vanity car plates can draw nods of appreciation or chuckles for the city’s motorists. They can tell you a thing or two about their owners' status, sense of humour and beliefs. 

    Since the authorities made these special plates possible 20 years ago, Hong Kong has seen a proliferation of such plates on its roads. And along with it, communities have sprung up online devoted to sightings of this phenomenon. 

    In this episode, ST’s foreign editor Li Xueying chats with Hong Kong correspondent Magdalene Fung on the motivations behind this trend and what it reveals about Hong Kongers' deepest desires and obsessions. 

    Highlights (click/tap above):

    0:50 Why vanity plates aren’t just for vanity’s sake alone 

    3:20 What Hong Kong’s vanity plates reveal about the city and its people 

    9:55 How a car with a special plate came to be impounded in Hong Kong on the anniversary of China’s Tiananmen incident 

    12:33 The biggest changes in Hong Kong society in recent years 

    Read Magdalene Fung’s article here: https://str.sg/KKxa

    Produced by: Li Xueying ([email protected]) and Fa’izah Sani

    Edited by: Fa’izah Sani

    Follow Letter From The Bureau Podcast every first Friday of the month here:

    Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

    Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

    Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

    SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

    Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

    Feedback to: [email protected]

    Read Li Xueying’s articles: https://str.sg/iqmR 

    Follow Li Xueying on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/ip4x

    Read Magdalene Fung's articles: https://str.sg/dbo9  

    Read ST's Letters From The Bureau: https://str.sg/3xRd

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    19 min
  • S1E5: Are young people breaking up with dating apps?

    Swiping for love used to be the way for millennials to find a connection, but there seems to be growing dating app disillusionment among the young.

    Synopsis: The Straits Times’ Natasha Ann Zachariah explores contemporary societal choices and youth perspectives.

    Bernice Fong, Dhareeni Shanmugam and John Lim are three under-30s who have had different experiences with dating apps over the years.

    John, who runs a content agency, finds that with everyone having many options, he feels “like a piece of meat” - an experience the 28-year-old finds can be dehumanising.

    Meanwhile Bernice has sworn off dating apps. The 28-year-old brand and marketing manager felt jaded and tired from swiping through but not quite finding the match she wanted.

    Dhareeni, a 26-year-old account executive for a public relations agency, shares why she swiped right on her boyfriend, and why she was drawn to his “niche preference” for fish.

    Host Natasha wants to find out why there’s no love lost between young people and dating apps.

    Highlights (click/tap above):

    2:16 Are younger people ditching dating apps?

    7:52 Making dating intentions clear

    16:20 Getting dating app fatigue

    27:54 Have young adults lost the art of conversation?

    38:38 Is it more difficult for young people to date these days?

    Follow Natasha on her IG account and DM her your thoughts on this topic: https://str.sg/8Wav

    Host: Natasha Zachariah ([email protected])

    Edited by producers: Teo Tong Kai, Eden Soh and Zachary Lim

    Executive producers: Ernest Luis and Lynda Hong

    Filmed by: Joel Chng and Marc Justin De Souza, ST Video

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    Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX

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    Feedback to: [email protected]

    Read Natasha Zachariah's articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

    Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

    ---

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    ---

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    Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

    Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

    ---

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    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    43 min

About Asian Insider

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Synopsis: Every Friday, get our distinct take on global issues with an Asian perspective, with ST’s globally-based correspondents.

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