The Straits Times Podcasts The Straits Times

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 (nirmal@sph.com.sg) 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: podcast@sph.com.sg
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/list

This car-sharing service managed to convince the government to allow them to match private car owners to hirers.
Synopsis: The Straits Times offers expert insights if you are in the market for a new vehicle or are tracking transportation trends.
Car-sharing causes traffic congestion because the cars are more heavily used; the cars tend to be abused by the hirers; and in the event of an accident, the insurance excess to pay will be stratospheric - beliefs that Mr Dirk-Jan Ter Horst disagrees with. 
The Dutch co-founder of peer-to-peer car sharing platform Drive lah, which has been matching private car owners to hirers since 2019, speaks with host Lee Nian Tjoe to make sense of it all. 
Highlights (click/tap above):
4:02 Using data to convince the Land Transport Authority that peer-to-peer car-sharing works.
13:20 The secret ingredient to running a “two-sided marketplace”.
22:59 Driving a rental car into Malaysia
25:50 Why a resident in Marine Parade hires a car in Jurong. 
35:01 Being a good host 
43:14 The goal is to make cars accessible to the public. 
Produced by: Lee Nian Tjoe (niantjoel@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis and Teo Tong Kai
Edited by: Teo Tong Kai
Follow COE Watch Podcast here:
Channel: https://str.sg/iTtE
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/iqW2
Spotify: https://str.sg/iqgB
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
Read Lee Nian Tjoe's articles: https://str.sg/wt8G
Follow Lee Nian Tjoe on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/iqkJ
Read more COE articles: https://str.sg/iGKC
---
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
#coewatch
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Home-grown singer and songwriter Shazza is the 12th guest in this music channel.
Synopsis (headphones recommended): Each month, The Straits Times invites music acts to its podcast studio.
In the 12th episode of Music Lab, ST's music correspondent Eddino Abdul Hadi hosts Singaporean singer and songwriter Shazza.
The past year has been quite eventful for the 22-year-old - her music caught the attention of several high profile personalities, including Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Chris Martin, the frontman of popular British band Coldplay.
A video that she did with Canadian pop duo Crash Adams went viral worldwide, earning her new fans from as far as Brazil.
As one of the artists fronting Spotify’s Equal campaign, her face was featured on a billboard at Times Square in New York City.
In July 2023, she put out her debut album Chapter One, a release that includes Right Person, Wrong Time, a song that has clocked over two million streams in Spotify alone.
The hijab-wearing singer, whose real name is Shareefa Aminah, speaks about how people assume she makes Malay music because of how she looks, as well as her drive towards inclusivity in the pop music world.
She also sings for our Music Lab Podcast, a live rendition of her latest single Rain In Manhattan, a duet with fellow home-grown singer-songwriter Umar Sirhan.
Highlights (click/tap above):
0:58 On having to turn down an invitation to Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s swearing-in ceremony
3:25 How singing in the viral Crash Adams video made her famous worldwide
5:28 Chris Martin calling out her name at one of Coldplay’s Singapore concerts
9:45 On being featured on New York’s Times Square billboard
11:24 Being a hijab-wearing singer making English pop music
13:26 Realising her calling for music at a young age
16:00 On choosing the unconventional path of music as a career
20:39 How juggling school and a music career can get overwhelming
27:58 On plans to nurture new artistes in the future
Watch the special live performance and video podcast version of this episode on the Straits Times’ Podcast YouTube channel: https://str.sg/b5za
Listen to Shazza’s live performance of Rain In Manhattan with Umar Sirhan here: https://str.sg/B3cx
Discover home-grown artiste Shazza at: 
YouTube: https://str.sg/JS8i9
Spotify: https://str.sg/wKh4d
Instagram: https://str.sg/uoqd
Produced by: Eddino Abdul Hadi (dinohadi@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, Eden Soh, Hadyu Rahim & Amirul Karim
Recorded by: ST Podcast Team
Edited by: Amirul Karim
Follow Music Lab Podcast here every month:
Channel: https://str.sg/w9TX
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/w9TB
Spotify: https://str.sg/w9T6
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
Read Eddino Hadi's articles: https://str.sg/wFVa
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
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
#musiclab
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hear home-grown singer-songwriters Shazza's and Umar Sirhan's intimate live studio take of their latest single, Rain In Manhattan.
Synopsis (headphones recommended): This Music Lab playlist features the full live performance of music acts invited by The Straits Times to its podcast studio.
Watch the special live performance and video podcast version of this episode on the Straits Times’ Podcast YouTube channel: https://str.sg/b5za
Listen to Shazza talk about her musical journey in the full audio-only podcast here: https://str.sg/LstG
Discover home-grown artiste Shazza at:
YouTube: https://str.sg/JS8i9
Spotify: https://str.sg/wKh4d
Instagram: https://str.sg/uoqd
Discover home-grown artiste Umar Sirhan at:
Spotify: https://str.sg/mWfw
Instagram: https://str.sg/kJwC
Produced by: Eddino Abdul Hadi (dinohadi@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, Eden Soh, Hadyu Rahim & Amirul Karim
Recorded by: ST Podcast Team
Mixed by: Hadyu Rahim
Follow Music Lab Podcast here every month:
Channel: https://str.sg/w9TX
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/w9TB
Spotify: https://str.sg/w9T6
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
Read Eddino Hadi's articles: https://str.sg/wFVa
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
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
#musiclab
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How is the government's $1.3 billion budget working for SMEs so far? We invite them on the show.
Synopsis: Every first Monday of the month, listen to the Work Talk podcast to help you work smarter, think deeper and get ahead in your work life.
It is June, the mid-point of 2024. Join Krist Boo and her co-host Timothy Goh on Work Talk to hear how Singapore's Budget 2024 measures are affecting small and medium enterprises (SMEs). 
Joining them are Mr Ang Yuit, president of the Association of SMEs, and Dr Ramesh Rajentheran of AI healthcare start-up MiyaHealth. 
SMEs are broadly struggling this year due to trade tensions, disruption from artificial intelligence, and manpower challenges. Start-ups face a chilly 'funding winter'. 
Which part of the 2024 Budget package of support measures are useful to businesses in meeting the challenges? What more do our entrepreneurs wish for? And if the government has started thinking of Budget 2025, what do our SME guests hope to see included? 
In a year marked by various disruptions, what is the hard question for businesses?
This episode of WorkTalk is brought to you by the Ministry of Finance: https://www.mof.gov.sg/singaporebudget
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:40 Why it's a challenging 2024 for SMEs so far
3:39 "Funding nuclear winter" for start-ups; coming at a bad time in region
6:28 On the idea of the Overseas Markets Immersion Programme
7:15 SkillsFuture could align workforce training with industry needs
13:32 Why corporate venture capital incentivised by the government could help support start-ups
19:50 Change is certain, firms with no long-term viability should face realityMore on Budget 2024: http://www.singaporebudget.gov.sg/  
Produced by: Krist Boo (kristb@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis and Amirul Karim
Edited by: Amirul Karim
Follow ST's Your Money & Career Podcast channel here:
Channel: https://str.sg/wB2m
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wuN3
Spotify: https://str.sg/wBr9
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
Read Krist Boo's articles: https://str.sg/wB2P
Follow Krist Boo on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/shcB
Get business/career tips in ST's HeadSTart newsletter: https://str.sg/headstart-nl
---
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
---
#moneycareer
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While the future Long Island will guard against sea level rise, the trade-offs to marine life and the East Coast’s character must be addressed, stakeholders told host Shabana Begum. 
Synopsis (headphones recommended): By end-century, Singapore’s mean sea level is expected to rise by up to 1.15m. Now a top attraction in the area, East Coast Park would be a place to avoid if nothing is done. 
Frequent floods are likely to put the beach underwater in the future, as climate change continues to exacerbate rising sea levels. And if exceptionally high tides or storm surges were to hit, seawater levels could rise up to 5m, breaking through the coast. The entire park, East Coast Parkway, vehicles and void decks at housing estates like Marine Parade in the vicinity could be submerged in water. 
To prevent this reality, there are plans to have a defence offshore. That is Long Island, twice the size of Marina Bay reclaimed off the east coast, with a reservoir in between.
But such a mega project raises many uncertainties and questions. How would reclamation for Long Island change the East Coast landscape? What are the implications for nature and marine life nearby? What do young people - who will live to see the project taking shape - have to say? 
As the June 14 oil spill has shown, human activity - if not managed properly - can threaten coastal and marine habitats, including the biodiversity-rich Southern Islands. 
In this second episode of Green Trails, our team heads to East Coast Park and a lesser known habitat near Marina Barrage - important to threatened species and likely to be threatened by reclamation - to find answers. 
At the heart of East Coast Park, ST journalist Shabana Begum meets with representatives from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and National Water Agency PUB - Mr Lee Wai Kin and Mr Thoo Jung Chee. Both agencies are spearheading the Long Island project.
At the little-known Marina East Drive habitat, Shabana uncovers the wildlife there when she takes a walk with Mr Lester Tan, who chairs Nature Society (Singapore)’s Marine Conservation Group.
In the evening, Shabana returns to East Coast Park to speak with Mr Maximus Tan, 22 and Mr Crispus Tan, 27. These youths - who will live to see Long Island taking shape in the next few decades - voice their aspirations for Long Island. 
Read our previous article about Long Island: https://str.sg/ixC7
Find out more about the mega project here: https://str.sg/6zoP
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:43 What will happen to East Coast if nothing is done to protect the shoreline? 
4:00 How will Long Island defend Singapore from rising sea levels?
11:07 How will the authorities minimise the impact of reclamation on marine life? 
16:13 What are the lesser-known biodiversity havens of the East Coast?
22:04 Lester on whether marine life along East Coast will eventually return post-reclamation
26:22 Reactions from Crispus and Maximus on East Coast's changing landscape
32:53 Crispus and Maximus on life on Long Island, their hopes and ideas
Host: Shabana Begum (nshab@sph.com.sg)
Trail producers: Lynda Hong, Hadyu Rahim, Teo Tong Kai, Eden Soh
Edited by: Hadyu Rahim
Executive Producers: Ernest Luis (ernest@sph.com.sg) & Audrey Tan (audreyt@sph.com.sg)
Follow Green Pulse Podcast here every 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWaf
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWaY
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWag
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
Follow Shabana on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/FEid
Read her articles: https://str.sg/5EGd
---
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