Asian Insider

A deep dive into the sensitive geopolitics at the Afghan-Pakistan border.

Synopsis: Each fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times' US bureau chief Nirmal Ghosh presents an Asian perspective of the biggest global talking points with expert guests.

After 20 years of war, in August 2021, the United States became the most recent superpower to be seen off by Afghanistan. After the US withdrew, the Taliban, whom the United States had kicked out in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks, swiftly seized power again.

But since then, the Taliban has challenged the status of the Afghan-Pakistan border and given haven to the anti-Pakistan insurgent group, Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, TTP, which has killed thousands of Pakistanis and wants to establish a Taliban-style Sharia state in Pakistan. 

In this episode, to explain the complicated knot in that volatile region, Nirmal Ghosh hosts Javid Ahmad, a non-resident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council South Asia Center, and former ambassador of Afghanistan to the United Arab Emirates; and Bill Roggio, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracy and editor of the foundation's Long War Journal. 

Highlights (click/tap above): 

2:35 The Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is a classic case of reverse insurgency

4:50 Many believe the Pakistani military is in a pre-war stage with the TTP

5:30 Pakistani state, elites seek “strategic depth” within Afghanistan, against India – and continue to support the Afghan Taliban

7:20 The risk from Al Qaeda to the region and the US is very great; the Taliban is not abandoning Al Qaeda

13:10 The Taliban, or Afghans in general, have nothing in common with China

16:10 The wheel of jihad keeps on turning – and could turn into a major problem for the Pakistani state

21:17 Washington should diversify its approach toward the Taliban 

Produced by: Nirmal Ghosh ([email protected]), Ernest Luis, Hadyu Rahim and Fa’izah Sani

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim and Fa’izah Sani

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

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Asian Insider videos: https://str.sg/wdcC

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Discover ST's special edition podcasts:

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: https://str.sg/wuZ2

Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wuJa

Invisible Asia: https://str.sg/wuZn

---

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Synopsis: Every third Friday of the month, The Straits Times examines various facets of the US-China rivalry and its implications for Asia.

Join Charissa Yong and Danson Cheong - ST’s US and China correspondents respectively based in Washington DC and Beijing - as they take a look at China’s messy reopening and its global implications. 

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:38 The world reacts to China’s reopening

4:10 China’s lack of transparency

6:42 How China has responded

7:33 What the Americans say about China’s abrupt reopening

Produced by: Charissa Yong ([email protected]), Danson Cheong ([email protected]) and Fa’izah Sani

Edited by: Fa’izah Sani

Follow our Asian Insider Podcast channel every week here and rate us:

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Read Charissa Yong's stories: https://str.sg/3xRa

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Follow Danson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dansoncj

Read ST's Power Play articles: https://str.sg/3xRE

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

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Discover ST's special edition podcasts:

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: https://str.sg/wuZ2

Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wuJa

Invisible Asia: https://str.sg/wuZn

---

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Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, join The Straits Times' associate editor Ravi Velloor, as he distills his experience from four decades of covering the continent.

In this first episode of 2023, he chats with Serge Besanger, a director of Paris-based Centre for Diplomatic and Strategic Studies, on how the war in Europe is shaping and the potential for it to spread to Asia, thanks to the strategic compact between Russia and China.

Besanger, who divides his time between Paris and Singapore, says Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to widen the war and that risks bringing Asia into the conflict. 

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:30 How Besanger's organisation sends life-saving blood 'pouches' into Ukraine

8:50 French to supply ‘hot pursuit’ tanks to Ukraine

12:05 Fusing of Asian, European theatres

15:03 Which Asian nations are aiding Russia?

17:25 Europe’s view of China slides; how Russian-Ukraine war could last another three years

Produced by: Ravi Velloor ([email protected]), Ernest Luis, Hadyu Rahim and Fa’izah Sani

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim and Fa’izah Sani

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

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

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

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

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Discover ST's special edition podcasts:

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: https://str.sg/wuZ2

Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wuJa

Invisible Asia: https://str.sg/wuZn

---

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Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times' foreign editor Bhagyashree Garekar chats with ST’s correspondents in the Asia-Pacific, the US and Europe.

They talk about life as it goes on, amid the screaming headlines and bubbling crises.

Many Taiwanese of all ages have a fascination with Western astrology, and the signs (pun intended) are everywhere.

Every morning, on television news channels, it is not uncommon to see horoscope forecasts running along the bottom of the screen, next to major headlines and the day’s weather forecast. On dating apps, people often list their horoscope signs alongside basic information such as name, age, occupation and hobbies.

How seriously do the Taiwanese take advice from astrologers? In this episode, she chats with ST's new Taiwan correspondent Yip Wai Yee.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:15 How Taiwanese bring up horoscopes in daily conversations; how seriously do they take advice from astrologers?

5:45 In a society that has to deal with China's aggressive geopolitics, how is astrology a way for people to “deal with uncertainty”?

8:00 Why Western astrology is so popular with Taiwanese?

9:24 More about Ms Jesse Tang, the modern-day YouTube star of Western horoscopes in the Chinese language, was named one of Asia’s Most Influential (Taiwan) personalities by Tatler Asia magazine in 2021 and 2022

Read Yip Wai Yee’s article: https://str.sg/wFkv

Produced by: Bhagyashree Garekar ([email protected]), Ernest Luis, Hadyu Rahim and Fa’izah Sani

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim and Fa’izah Sani

Follow Letter From The Bureau Podcast every first Friday of the month on our Asian Insider Podcast channel here:

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Read Bhagyashree Garekar’s articles: https://str.sg/whNo

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

---

Discover ST's special edition podcasts:

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: https://str.sg/wuZ2

Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wuJa

Invisible Asia: https://str.sg/wuZn

---

Discover more ST podcast series:

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

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

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

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

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

ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE

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Synopsis: Every third Friday of the month, The Straits Times examines various facets of the US-China rivalry and its implications for Asia.

Join Charissa Yong and Danson Cheong - ST’s US and China correspondents respectively based in Washington DC and Beijing - as they look back on the year and chat about how the US-China relationship will continue to develop in 2023. 

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:00 The seismic ramifications of Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan visit in 2022

2:43 American tech sanctions on China

6:04 China’s return to the world stage

7:35 Biden’s foreign policy in 2023  

Produced by: Charissa Yong ([email protected]), Danson Cheong ([email protected]), Hadyu Rahim and Fa’izah Sani

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim and Fa’izah Sani

Follow Power Play Podcast every third Friday of the month on our Asian Insider Podcast channel here:

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Read Charissa Yong's stories: https://str.sg/3xRa

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Follow Danson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dansoncj

Read ST's Power Play articles: https://str.sg/3xRE

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

---

Discover ST's special edition podcasts:

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: https://str.sg/wuZ2

Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wuJa

Invisible Asia: https://str.sg/wuZn

---

Discover more ST podcast series:

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

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

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

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

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

ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE

Bookmark This!: https://str.sg/JWas

Lunch With Sumiko: https://str.sg/J6hQ

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Synopsis: Each fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times' US bureau chief Nirmal Ghosh presents an Asian perspective of the biggest global talking points with expert guests.

On Dec 9 Indian and Chinese troops got into a skirmish on the border of India’s northeastern Arunachal Pradesh state with China - the eastern sector of the long and in many places disputed Himalayan border. As previously in 2020, this skirmish did not involve firearms, but no less brutal hand-to-hand combat with weapons like wooden clubs embedded with nails. In this new clash there were reported injuries, but no deaths.

In this episode on the volatile Himalayan border, Nirmal Ghosh hosts Dr Manoj Joshi, a Distinguished Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in New Delhi and author of a new book Understanding the India-China Border: The Enduring Threat of War in High Himalaya; and Dr Aparna Pande, a scholar of Indian and South Asian foreign policy, and Director of the Initiative on the Future of India and South Asia, at the Hudson Institute in Washington DC.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:08 This time, very clearly, the Chinese came up with a plan. They had an extraordinarily large number in their patrol. This was not just a patrol. But given their 2020 experience, the Indians were ready.

4:10 The significance of Tawang is not just strategic, but that the Tawang Monastery is there – one of the most sacred places for Tibetan Buddhists.

5:44 The obsession with Tawang actually begins only in the mid-1980s. The Chinese said if you want to settle the (disputes border), you must give us Tawang – and India has bluntly said that means you don’t want a settlement.

 6:45 The Indian Army is on Yangtse, and the Chinese are trying to push them out.

 7:45 The Chinese have fobbed off Indian attempts to negotiate a settlement on the border. Overlapping claims are convenient, keeping India off balance.

 10:00 A 1996 agreement between India and China prohibits using weapons in the 2-kilometre zone along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). But how long will that last? It’s a matter of time before a breakdown.

 12:35 Chinese actions on the border have driven India and the United States to become more closely aligned.

 13:00 Broad consensus in India on China, and strong defences in the Himalayas. India dropped the ball in 2020 but learned its lesson.

 14:05 The Chinese have been rapidly beefing up infrastructure in Yangtse; there is a buildup – on both sides.

15:30 At the end of the day the border issue has to be decided at the highest levels in both countries, otherwise, it will escalate.

Produced by: Nirmal Ghosh ([email protected]), Ernest Luis, Hadyu Rahim and Fa’izah Sani

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim and Fa’izah Sani

Subscribe to the Asian Insider Podcast channel and rate us on your favourite audio apps:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

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Asian Insider videos: https://str.sg/wdcC

---

Discover ST's special edition podcasts:

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: https://str.sg/wuZ2

Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wuJa

Invisible Asia: https://str.sg/wuZn

---

Discover more ST podcast series:

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

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

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

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

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

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

ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE

Bookmark This!: https://str.sg/JWas

Lunch With Sumiko: https://str.sg/J6hQ

Discover BT Podcasts: https://bt.sg/pcPL

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Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times' foreign editor Bhagyashree Garekar chats with ST’s correspondents in the Asia-Pacific, the US and Europe.

They talk about life as it goes on, amid the screaming headlines and bubbling crises.

Weeks after 159 people died in a crowd crush in Seoul’s clubbing district on Halloween, South Korea is preparing for year-end festivities.

In this episode, she chats with ST's South Korea correspondent Chang May Choon.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:13 Seoul will be different this time, after the Itaewon tragedy

4:35 Ppali, ppali (fast) & skinship: understanding Korean crowd culture

9:55 Is behaviour changing in the ‘subway from hell’?

17:05 Has the Itaewon tragedy yielded some lessons?

Read Chang May Choon’s article here: https://str.sg/wC5Q

Produced by: Bhagyashree Garekar ([email protected]), Ernest Luis, Hadyu Rahim and Fa’izah Sani

Edited by: Fa’izah Sani and Eden Soh

Follow Letter From The Bureau Podcast every first Friday of the month on our Asian Insider Podcast channel here:

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Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: [email protected]

Read Bhagyashree Garekar’s articles: https://str.sg/whNo

Read Chang May Choon’s articles: https://str.sg/wCJU

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

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

---

Discover ST's special edition podcasts:

Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wuJa

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: https://str.sg/wuZ2

Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wuZB

Invisible Asia: https://str.sg/wuZn

---

Discover more ST podcast series:

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

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

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

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

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

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

ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE

Bookmark This!: https://str.sg/JWas

Lunch With Sumiko: https://str.sg/J6hQ

Discover BT Podcasts: https://bt.sg/pcPL

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Synopsis: Every month, The Straits Times Kuala Lumpur bureau analyses the latest issues making the headlines in Malaysia.

This ST video livestream was hosted by Cheow Sue-Ann on Nov 24.

Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Anwar Ibrahim has ended a 24-year wait to lead Malaysia at 5pm (Nov 24), after he was sworn in as Prime Minister.

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

Produced by: ST Video

Edited by: ST Video and Eden Soh

Follow Across The Causeway Podcast here:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

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

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

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

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: [email protected]

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

---

Discover ST's special edition podcasts:

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: https://str.sg/wuZ2

Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wuJa

Invisible Asia: https://str.sg/wuZn

---

Discover more ST podcast series:

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

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

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE

Bookmark This!: https://str.sg/JWas

Lunch With Sumiko: https://str.sg/J6hQ

Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Discover BT Podcasts: https://bt.sg/pcPL

Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!

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Synopsis: Every month, The Straits Times Kuala Lumpur bureau analyses the latest issues making the headlines in Malaysia.

What will Malaysia's political landscape look like, after the dust settles from its 15th General Election? What do the election results say about Malaysia's voters and how they pick their leaders?

Is race-based voting entrenched? And what is the future for Pakatan Harapan's Anwar Ibrahim?

ST's Malaysia bureau chief Shannon Teoh and Francis Hutchinson, Senior Fellow and coordinator of the Malaysia Studies Programme at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, share their thoughts with host Lynlee Foo.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:15 The 4 scenarios for forming a possible a government

5:15 The possible return of Muhyiddin Yassin as Prime Minister? Will Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) demand senior portfolios after it bagged most seats?

10:40 Explaining the 'green tsunami' of vote results, how Perikatan Nasional (PN) scored by wooing Malay voters away from Barisan Nasional (BN)

20:15 What the future holds for Umno president Zahid Hamidi

31:35 Breaking down demographics and the Anwar Ibrahim factor from Pakatan Harapan's vote results

Malaysia GE15 Full Results: https://str.sg/GE2022results

Follow ST's Malaysia GE microsite: https://www.straitstimes.com/malaysia-elections

Produced by: ST Video

Edited by: ST Video and Eden Soh

Follow Across The Causeway Podcast regularly here:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

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

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wQsB 

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

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: [email protected]

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

---

Discover ST's special edition podcasts:

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: https://str.sg/wuZ2

Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wuJa

Invisible Asia: https://str.sg/wuZn

---

Discover more ST podcast series:

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

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

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE

Bookmark This!: https://str.sg/JWas

Lunch With Sumiko: https://str.sg/J6hQ

Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Discover BT Podcasts: https://bt.sg/pcPL

Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!

#STAsianInsider

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Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times' US bureau chief Nirmal Ghosh presents Asian views of the United States.

It has been a busy month in Asia for diplomacy, with the highlight a much-anticipated, over three-hour meeting in Bali, Indonesia on the occasion of the G20 between President Xi Jinping of China and President Joe Biden of the United States.

In this episode on regional summitry, Nirmal Ghosh hosts Curtis Chin, chair of the Milken Institute’s operations in Asia and a former US Ambassador to the Asian Development Bank; and Murray Hiebert, senior associate at the Centre for Security and International Studies (CSIS) and also head of research at Bower Group Asia. 

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:50 Not about breakthroughs or new agreements, but about these two leaders getting together and talking

2:53 Fundamental positions did not change in Bali, and that was not a surprise

3:29 Why some in China are saying self-reliance is good for them, if they are not able to depend on the US

5:24 Little space between Republicans and Democrats in attitude and tone, on China 

7:00 US Congress could pass the Taiwan Policy Act, which will again irritate Beijing

12:00 One legacy of the G20, coupled with its chairmanship of Asean in 2023, will be to spotlight Indonesia - an important country that does not get due recognition globally

Produced by: Nirmal Ghosh ([email protected]), Ernest Luis, Hadyu Rahim and Fa’izah Sani

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim 

Subscribe to the Asian Insider Podcast channel and rate us on your favourite audio apps:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

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

Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wQsB 

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

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

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: [email protected]

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

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

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

Asian Insider videos: https://str.sg/wdcC

---

Discover ST's special edition podcasts:

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: https://str.sg/wuZ2

Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wuJa

Invisible Asia: https://str.sg/wuZn

---

Discover more ST podcast series:

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

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

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

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

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

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

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