Let's Talk, Singapore

Asian Insider Ep 77: An insider's view of the magnitude of the Myanmar crisis

17:34 mins

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

Myanmar's military, also known as the Tatmadaw, overthrew Myanmar's elected government in a coup on Feb 1. It was met with widespread mass protests. Since then, the country's economy has crashed. Myanmar's currency - the kyat - has plunged badly driving up food and fuel prices.

In this episode, Nirmal Ghosh hosts Andrew Kirkwood, acting interim UN resident coordinator/humanitarian coordinator for Myanmar in Naypyidaw, on the current humanitarian situation inside Myanmar. 

They discuss the following points:

1. Why nearly half the population is now living below the poverty line, an estimate not seen in over 20 years (3:57)
2. Which regions need critical emergency assistance (5:07)
3. Why more humanitarian funding assistance can still be put to good use and what the international and donor community should know about the situation (8:11)
4. Has there been no real addressing of Myanmar's economic growth and underlying structural issues, even before this year's coup? (10:00)
5. In a largely agrarian economy, this translates to farmers squeezed by a doubling in transportation costs, thousands of female garment workers losing jobs, with construction at a standstill, and restaurants mostly closed (11:46)
6. Mr Kirkwood's instincts about the future direction of Myanmar, after having lived there for the past 20 years (15:09)

Produced by: Nirmal Ghosh ([email protected]) and Ernest Luis

Edited by: Fa'izah Sani and 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/Ju4h 

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

Asian Insider newsletter: https://www.straitstimes.com/tags/asian-insider

Asian Insider videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnK3VE4BKduMSOntUoS6ALNp21jMmgfBX

---

Discover more ST podcast series:

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

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

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

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

Life Weekend Picks Podcast: https://str.sg/JWa2

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

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

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

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

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

#STAsianInsider

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China Perspective Ep 16: China faces slow economic growth in the third quarter of 2021

7:30 mins

Synopsis: Every week, The Straits Times analyses the latest developments in China.

The Straits Times' China bureau chief Tan Dawn Wei chats with Money FM 89.3's Elliott Danker and Bharati Jagdish about the following points:

1. The impact of China's third-quarter GDP hitting a one-year low of 4.5% growth (1:09)
2. Shares of Chinese property developers climbed after China Central Bank calmed markets (3:10)
3. The objective behind China's test of a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile in August (4:51)

Produced by: The Breakfast Huddle, Money FM 89.3 & Fa'izah Sani

Edited by: Dan Koh

Subscribe to our Asian Insider Podcast channel to follow our various shows each week and rate us on your favourite audio apps:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/Ju4h 

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

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

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: [email protected]

Read Tan Dawn Wei's stories.

Asian Insider newsletter.

---

Discover more ST podcast series:

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

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

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

Life Weekend Picks Podcast: https://str.sg/JWa2

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

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

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

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

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Washington Report Ep 19: US labour force goes on strike and millions of workers quit their jobs 

12:12 mins

Synopsis: Every week, The Straits Times analyses the latest developments in the United States.

Steve Okun, senior advisor of McLarty Associates sits in for ST's Nirmal Ghosh who is on leave, to chat with Money FM 89.3's Elliott Danker and Bharati Jagdish about the following points:

1. Workers behind the scenes in Hollywood going on strike (1:51)
2. Production houses such as Netflix, Disney, Comcast, have gotten bigger profits during the pandemic (3:15)
3. The way ahead for the change in America's labour dynamic (5:12)
4. America's jobless benefits one of the reasons for high unemployment numbers (6:57)
5. 200 Boeing employees protest against vaccination mandate (8:41)

Produced by: The Breakfast Huddle, Money FM 89.3, Ernest Luis & Fa'izah Sani

Edited by: Dan Koh

Subscribe to our Asian Insider Podcast channel to follow our various shows each week and rate us on your favourite audio apps:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/Ju4h 

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

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

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: [email protected]

Read Nirmal Ghosh's stories.

Asian Insider newsletter.

---

Discover more ST podcast series:

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

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

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

Life Weekend Picks Podcast: https://str.sg/JWa2

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

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

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

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

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alvin Ong, Director and Portfolio Manager, Fixed Income, Manulife Investment Management shares why there are good value investing opportunities in the fixed income space, particularly in Singapore dollar denominated bonds. While many investors may be overly cautious in this risky and unprecedented environment and opting for lower-yield assets, such as property, to invest their money in or worse still, leave their money in fixed deposits. MIM believes that this need not be the case. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore headquartered decentralised protocol developers, Switcheo Labs, recent rebranding of its flagship Layer 2 DeFi protocol, “Switcheo TradeHub”, to ''Carbon'' uncouples the protocol from the larger Switcheo Labs brand, reflecting the company’s commitment to decentralising the protocol. Ivan Poon, CEO, Switcheo Labs shares the unique approach that Carbon is taking with its protocol and how they are revolutionising the industry for all decentralized finance (DeFi) users.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tan Dawn Wei, China Bureau Chief, The Straits Times gives an analysis of China’s third-quarter GDP numbers, why the Chinese government is finally coming forward to calm markets, China's testing of its hypersonic missile, and more. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With threats from cybercriminals and advanced persistent threat groups (APT) ever-evolving, Singapore’s TAU Express and the Netherlands' CFLW Cyber Strategies have teamed up for Project BIANCO, a partnership aimed at disrupting financial crimes with new technologies. Lam Kwok Yan, Co-Founder, TAU Express shares more about the project and how businesses can enhance their cyber security efforts in today's age. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.