The Straits Times Podcasts

The scheme could help to improve Singapore’s low domestic recycling rates.

Blue recycling bins filled with non-recyclable trash have become a common sight around Singapore. This contamination has resulted in poor domestic recycling rates in the country, as food and liquid waste thrown into the commingled bins taints the other recyclables. 

To overcome this challenge, the National Environment Agency on Oct 1 fully implemented its Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS) to ensure that plastic bottles and cans are segregated for recycling. But this initiative has also been plagued with complaints. 

In this episode, host Audrey Tan chats with Ang Qing and Shabana Begum, environment correspondents at ST, on whether these criticisms are warranted, and whether Singapore should continue pushing ahead with the scheme. 

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:31 The BCRS scheme in a nutshell; observations on the ground

6:00 Why we need this 10-cent incentive at this stage?

7:55 Why Singapore needs this scheme now

9:11 Why the blue bin scheme is not sustainable given poorer habits in Singapore

11:05 Is 10 cents enough of an incentive to Singaporeans? Why BCRS is worth persevering with

13:00 Observations of current and various recycling operations in Singapore

13:56 Not ideal conditions: Seeing discarded syringes among recyclables

15:35 “Completely different”: Shabana’s experience at a BCRS sorting facility

17:25 “When the public sorts things properly upstream, it makes things easier down the line”: Qing

18:25 Challenges, little-known behind-the-scenes additional costs SME retailers face

23:25 Is 10 cents enough of an incentive for the public in general?

25:35 Should more drinks be worked into the BCRS scheme? Such as glass bottles

26:15 Media reports about side hustles using the BCRS scheme: Controversial?

29:55 2026 stats show Singapore disposed a record amount of trash

Read more:

Shabana Begum’s articles: https://str.sg/5EGd

Ang Qing’s articles: https://str.sg/i5gT

Follow Audrey Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/848W

Read her articles: https://str.sg/JLM2

Host: Audrey Tan ([email protected])

Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Executive producer: Ernest Luis 

Follow Green Pulse Podcast every Tuesday as we discuss how environmental issues intersect with business, politics and society:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWaf

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

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWag

YouTube: https://str.sg/fapS

Feedback to: [email protected]

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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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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

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ETFs, REITs, SSBs, T-bills - what do they all mean?

In this episode, SGX director of capital market development Emelia Tan breaks down different investment assets and compares which ones are suitable for you. 

Hosts Kai Wen and Sue-Ann discuss why ETFs are so popular now, how to diversify your investment portfolio, and whether the SGX or US stock market gives higher returns. 

Highlights (click/tap above):

0:00 Introduction and discussion of ETFs

7:41 Types of ETFs on the SGX 

9:03 Are there drawbacks to buying ETFs

12:03 STI or S&P 500

16:27 Exploring SSBs and T-bills

26:24 REITs and the dividend play

35:50 How to build an investment portfolio

Follow See Kai Wen on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/qfwqQ

Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/A86X

Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles: https://str.sg/mvSa

Hosts: See Kai Wen ([email protected]) and Sue-Ann Tan ([email protected])

Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim

Executive producer: Danson Cheong

Follow the Headstart On Record Podcast here:

Channel: https://str.sg/wB2m

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wuN3

Spotify: https://str.sg/wBr9

YouTube: https://str.sg/3psqrx

Feedback to: [email protected]

Get business/career tips in ST's Headstart newsletter: https://str.sg/headstart-nl

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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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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

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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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How to better connect with a child offline and online. 

Synopsis: Join us for a five-part limited-edition podcast series this November by The Straits Times where we discuss the challenges of raising kids in a world that's always plugged in.

For many children and teens, there is little distinction between the online and offline world. 

Many parents worry that screens are getting in the way of their relationship with their children. 

But instead of pulling our children away from their digital worlds, should parents step into them, and journey with our children?

In this episode, Host Elisha Tushara is joined by Natalie Pang, a professor at the National University of Singapore. 

Having done research on digital well-being and online harms, and as the mother of a teenage boy, she recommends gaming with your children.

Highlights (click/tap above):

0:00 Intro 

4:05 Why the online world is important to our children

7:42 Being offline and being left out

8:30 Bringing online rules into the offline world

10:50 What I learned about my child by gaming together: Natalie Pang

14:21 Screen use: Measuring by purpose, instead of time

17:55 What happens when parents are glued to their screens themselves?

21:22 It’s natural for children to get upset when screentime is over

26:02 Why do some parents find it hard to set screentime boundaries?

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Read more ST Screen Timeout articles: https://str.sg/screentimeout 

Host: Elisha Tushara ([email protected])

Read Elisha’s articles: https://str.sg/5VVJ

Follow Elisha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/94WA

Produced and edited by: Studio+65 and Fa’izah Sani

Executive producers: Ernest Luis, Amelia Teng

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Follow Screens Down, Look Up limited series every Monday (Nov 2 - 30):

Channel: https://str.sg/bKan 

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/57aK 

Spotify: https://str.sg/agZP 

YouTube: https://str.sg/yxuv 

Feedback to: [email protected]

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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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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

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Or has US economist Stephen Roach changed his mind about Hong Kong’s survival and identity? 

Synopsis: Every month, The Straits Times gets its US Bureau Chief to analyse the hottest political and geopolitical talking points.

In this episode, US Bureau Chief Bhagyashree Garekar chats with Dr Stephen Roach, a prominent economist with expertise on Asia. 

He spent three decades at global investment bank Morgan Stanley, serving as the firm's chief economist and later as chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia. He is currently a Senior Fellow at Yale Law School's Paul Tsai China Center.

In this wide-ranging conversation, he says the “unfriendly takeover” by mainland Chinese has changed the character of Hong Kong dramatically. This has left the market-based city - once idolised by iconic American economist Milton Friedman - in tatters, he adds.

While that might drive his critics crazy, the idea that his remarks are rooted in any bias against Hong Kong is “absolutely ludicrous,” he insists.

Roach also has a word of caution for China’s President Xi Jinping, who made a state visit to Washington for a summit with US President Donald Trump in September 2026.

The concept currently favoured by both the US and China to define their relationship - constructive, strategic stability - is also a bit of a mirage, he says. “There's nothing strategic about it, the best I think the Chinese can hope for would be stability,” he adds.

Roach is not among those anticipating a turning of the page with the Nov 3 midterm elections, even if the Democrats seize a majority in the Congress.

Roach also takes an axe to Trump’s frequent assertions of America being the “hottest economy”. “He calls it an “exaggeration” that also reflects the poor state of growth elsewhere in the world.

But a Great Depression-scale collapse is not in the cards, according to him. “I don't think we're gonna have a replay of the 1930s-styled bank-driven collapse,” he says.

Highlights (click/tap above):

00:50 "Hong Kong is over?": Stephen Roach clarifies the controversial headline in a Financial Times column in 2024

6:40 What’s not going right between the US and China?

7:40 Why Trump’s “shallow thinking” on AI hurts

10:28 His warning to China about a deal with Trump

14:00 Will a strong Democratic show in the Nov 3 midterm elections constrain Trump?

18:10 Is Trump’s claim of a "golden age” for America true?

24:20 As the 100th anniversary of the Great Depression nears, could there be a repeat?

30:00 Will US dollar primacy be seriously challenged?

33:00 When he sees China coming out of the slowdown

38:20 Lastly, on India: Will its economy continue to over-promise and under-deliver?

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 

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR 

Feedback to: [email protected] 

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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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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 

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Would you eat 2kg of durian in one go to sell a batch of the fruit? How about yapping for eight hours straight to hit your sales numbers?

Live-streaming is booming, and for some, it looks like an easy gig with easy money. But seasoned live-sellers say the market is saturated and only the top sellers get high commissions.

In this episode of The Usual Place, Natasha chats with social media personality Xiaxue (@xiaxue) and fellow live-streamer Yin Peiying (@officially.poopa) about the reality of selling on platforms like TikTok or Shopee.

We talk about banned words, “violations” that can hurt your viewership numbers, and why not every live-seller makes it big.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:45 Most extreme thing Peiying has done on a livestream

3:49 Why did live streaming get so big?

7:14 Why merchants give huge discounts

11:15 Can you sell anything in a live stream?

13:55 No idea if I’m a good live streamer: Xiaxue

26:04 $20k-$30k commission possible, but outlier

34:33 Why live streamers are treated differently from influencers

41:18 Does live streaming encourage drama?

45:26 Uneven rules on who gets flagged: Xiaxue

48:50 The words that you can’t say on a stream

51:10 Is the “limited stock” warning always true?

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah ([email protected])

Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

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

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

Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG:   / theusualplacepodcast 

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

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Eden Soh & Yang Jiesan Cruz

Executive producer: Danson Cheong

Producers: Natasha Ann Zachariah, Elizabeth Law & Zachary Lim

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]

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

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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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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

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After 16 years at McDonald's, Chagee APAC CMO shares how Chinese companies operate differently in the global arena

Synopsis: Conversations and interviews that give you something to think about. Each Wednesday, In Your Opinion speaks to thinkers, leaders, and the people shaping our lives and the issues of the day.

What does it take to turn a Chinese tea chain into a global brand? And what can China's new generation of consumer companies learn from the likes of McDonald's and Starbucks?

Eugene Lee has seen both sides of the divide. After 16 years at McDonald's, where he rose to become international chief marketing officer, he joined Shanghai-headquartered Chagee as its Asia-Pacific chief marketing officer in 2025.

In this conversation with The Straits Times’ senior columnist Tan Dawn Wei, Lee describes the culture shock of moving from an 86-year-old American multinational to a fast-moving young Chinese company, where ideas can become reality within days. He explains how Chagee uses automation, standardisation and lessons borrowed from competitors to expand rapidly, and why building emotional connections with consumers matters as much as selling a good product.

He also addresses Chagee’s falling market valuation, slowing sales and the risk of becoming another passing fad in the food and beverage industry. Beyond tea, the conversation explores China's remarkable transformation from the world's factory into a creator of increasingly ambitious - and desirable - global brands.

Highlights (click/tap above): 

2:40 A culture shock from McDonald’s to Chagee

5:12 The Chinese lack of fear of failure

15:01 Becoming “the Starbucks of tea”

18:26 The secret behind scaling a business quickly

23:14 How Chagee localises for different markets

28:19 Is Chagee expanding faster than consumer demand can keep up?

31:15 Taking lessons from other successful Chinese F&B brands 

34:05 Will Chagee be yet another F&B fad?

39:57 The influx of Chinese retail brands to Singapore and the anxiety it brings 

42:50 How China is building global brands

Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH

Host: Tan Dawn Wei ([email protected])

Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai

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

YouTube: https://str.sg/GjMT

Feedback to: [email protected]

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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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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

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Can Singapore balance economic survival & climate action as ASEAN chair in 2027? 

As Singapore prepares to take over the ASEAN chairmanship in 2027, the region faces a delicate balancing act between economic uncertainties and climate action.

According to recent regional survey data from the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, many in Southeast Asia are prioritising economic survival, inflation, and recession fears over climate action. But with pressing issues like transboundary haze, coal phase-outs, and rising energy costs, how can Singapore use its leadership to align economic resilience with green initiatives?

In this episode, Green Pulse host Audrey Tan sits down with veteran diplomat and climate researcher Sharon Seah. They explore the real power and limits of the ASEAN chair, how the long-awaited ASEAN Power Grid could unlock regional energy security, and why framing climate solutions around economic survival, such as carbon credits and peatland restoration, is the key to uniting the region.

Highlights of conversation (click/tap above):

01:03  The power and limits of the ASEAN chair

02:55  When cutting emissions becomes crossing a red line

04:05  How can Singapore as ASEAN chair balance economy and climate change issues

06:21  Singapore as a technocratic chair vs consensus builder

08:13  Can ASEAN cooperate on haze issues?  

12:17  Unlocking carbon credits through peatland conservation

15:59 Economy and climate change - can ASEAN 2027 balance both?

17:36  ASEAN Power Grid, microgrid and financing hurdles

22:43  Plans to adapt to climate change

26:02  Impacts of Iran war and Trump at ASEAN in Nov 2026 

31:40  Could ASEAN negotiate as a unified voice at COP?

33:10  Why everyday citizens should care about ASEAN Summits

Follow Audrey Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/848W

Read her articles: https://str.sg/JLM2

Host: Audrey Tan ([email protected])

Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Executive producer: Lynda Hong

Follow Green Pulse Podcast every Tuesday as we discuss how environmental issues intersect with business, politics and society:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWaf

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

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWag

YouTube: https://str.sg/fapS

Feedback to: [email protected]

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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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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

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Labubus, blind boxes, bubble tea. Why do we keep buying things we don’t need?

In this episode, Kai Wen and Sue-Ann discuss why people buy trendy but “useless” things as a way to treat themselves.

Is there a limit to how much a person can spend before it becomes indulgent? Find out about the “little treat” economy, and why people sometimes shift their spending towards small luxuries when bigger purchases start feeling out of reach.

Highlights (click/tap above):

0:00 Introduction to treating yourself and small joys

4:37 "Little treats" vs major life milestones 

9:30 Doom spending, instant gratification, and the "little treat” economy

15:10 Balancing present enjoyment with long-term financial security

19:12 Underconsumption core vs collecting and hoarding

23:20 Practical budgeting strategies

Follow See Kai Wen on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/qfwqQ

Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/A86X

Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles: https://str.sg/mvSa

Hosts: See Kai Wen ([email protected]) and Sue-Ann Tan ([email protected])

Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim and Yang Jiesan Cruz

Executive producer: Elizabeth Law

Follow the Headstart On Record Podcast here:

Channel: https://str.sg/wB2m

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wuN3

Spotify: https://str.sg/wBr9

YouTube: https://str.sg/3psqrx

Feedback to: [email protected]

Get business/career tips in ST's Headstart newsletter: https://str.sg/headstart-nl

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

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

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

---

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

---

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.

---

#headstart

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

East Malaysia’s assertiveness and fiscal demands are growing. This is reshaping its federal relationship with Putrajaya.

Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the hottest political and trending talking points in Malaysia.

For our October episode, ST's Malaysia bureau chief Shannon Teoh and host Zurairi A.R. are joined by Dr Arnold Puyok, deputy director at the Institute of Borneo Studies at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak and visiting fellow at the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute.

Highlights (click/tap above):

03:50: Budget 2027 allocations for Sabah and Sarawak and whether funds bridge development gaps

08:20: Changing expectations in Sarawak: Moving from federal funding amounts to financial autonomy and decision-making

13:25: Political calculus of Budget 2027: Securing the Borneo vote bloc ahead of general elections

21:30: Sarawak's regional assertiveness, and the question of effective autonomy amid secession call

30:30: Federal establishment and Putrajaya's uneasy dynamic with East Malaysian resource push

34:10: Personalistic politics in Borneo: Why individual leadership matters more than party brands

38:50: News nugget: Syed Saddiq and Bella Astillah's viral future-focused betrothal gifts

Read more:

In the final lap, Malaysia’s PM Anwar returns to base with reformist budget: https://str.sg/EpEu 

From colonial-era crests to its own airline, a founding partner redraws its place in Malaysia: https://str.sg/dDuM 

Malaysian politician Syed Saddiq and singer-actress Bella Astillah tie the knot: https://str.sg/AUTN

Read Zurairi A.R.’s articles: https://str.sg/DCfr 

Read Shannon Teoh's articles: https://str.sg/wzyK 

Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz 

Host: Zurairi A.R. ([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 

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR 

Feedback to: [email protected]

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

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Amid fears that the war on Iran could worsen after the US mid-term polls, a question: Is Tehran overplaying its hand?

Synopsis: The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 45 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests.

In this episode he speaks with Prof. Vali Nasr, the globally renowned expert on Iran and Middle East about where the War on Iran is currently, and what lies ahead. 

Ravi and Vali also discuss US failure to protect its Gulf allies, the Houthi attacks that have pushed Saudi Arabia to the back foot, how Israel is rearranging the region, and chances of the war turning into a global conflict.

Highlights (click/tap above)

08:00 A bigger war after US mid-terms?

13:00 What if Trump nukes Iran?

22:00 Tehran’s lessons from North Korea

25:00 Houthis, and a Saudi ‘Vietnam’

35:00 Time to think of a post-US Middle East

41:00 Gulf rivalries will sharpen

45:00 Israel’s rearranging the region

50:00 Hard lessons for East 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 & Amirul Karim

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 

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR 

Feedback to: [email protected]

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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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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

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#STAsianInsider

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