The Straits Times Podcasts

The Straits Times
  • 4.3 (10)
  • News Commentary
  • Updated Semiweekly

Synopsis: Almost every weekday, our ALL-IN-ONE channel showcases discussions on Singapore youth perspectives and social issues, geopolitics through an Asian lens, health, climate change, personal finance and career. Follow our shows on your favourite audio apps Apple Podcasts, Spotify or even ST's app, which has a dedicated podcast player section. Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis & The Straits Times, SPH Media.

  1. 23h ago

    Why it's hard saying no to your boss' Instagram follow request

    What are the repercussions of adding your boss and colleagues on social media? In this episode, Kai Wen and Sue-Ann discuss the nuances of adding your colleagues and supervisor on social media.  While there are benefits to sharing your personal life with them on these platforms, should we also be wary that they might use the information against us?  Highlights (click/tap above): 0:00 Introduction and personal experiences with bosses on socials 3:00 Power dynamics of social media 6:08 Online public vs private personas 8:56 Are there any pros to adding your boss on social media? 9:58 What do people use social media for? 15:32 Navigating social media boundaries with bosses and colleagues 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 (seekw@sph.com.sg) and Sue-Ann Tan (suetan@sph.com.sg) Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim 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: podcast@sph.com.sg Get business/career tips in ST's Headstart newsletter: https://str.sg/headstart-nl --- 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.

    Why it's hard saying no to your boss' Instagram follow request

  2. 4d ago

    Could UMNO and PAS reshape Malaysia's next election?

    There’s a potential Malay political realignment. Here’s what it means for regional stability and Malaysia’s governance. Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the hottest political and trending talking points in Malaysia. For our September episode, ST's Malaysia bureau chief Shannon Teoh and host Zurairi A.R. are joined by Dr Syaza Shukri, associate professor of political science at the International Islamic University Malaysia. Highlights (click/tap above): 03:50: Najib Razak’s conditional house arrest and what it means for unity government 10:00: Impact of Najib's house arrest on Pakatan Harapan's credibility 18:20: UMNO general assembly: Zahid Hamidi dares PM Anwar to face confidence vote 22:10: PAS' posture and leadership ambitions ahead of GE16 26:40: Regional perspectives: Should neighbours worry about a PAS-influenced government? 34:40: News nugget: JPJ's 'H' series vanity licence plates hit multi-million ringgit bids Read more: Crowdfunding $15m fine: Najib’s party wants supporters to chip in, but trolls give 1 sen as an insult: https://str.sg/ok2tS  Four years of uneasy alliance still cannot erase decades of UMNO’s distrust against PH allies: https://str.sg/v69u  Bids for Malaysia’s special ‘H’ licence plate series garner record $28.6m in five days: https://str.sg/wR2sA  “PAS’s Evolving International Engagement: From Islamism to Development Diplomacy?” by Syaza Shukri and Norshahril Saat https://str.sg/ogHNu  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. (zurairi@sph.com.sg)   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: podcast@sph.com.sg --- 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 --- #STAsianInsider See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Could UMNO and PAS reshape Malaysia's next election?

  3. 4d ago

    Something bigger will have to happen before people take AI safety seriously: AI safety researcher

    Will AI eventually be able to kill us, or are AI doomsayers being alarmist? Recently, employees at AI frontier companies like Anthropic and OpenAI have voiced serious concerns - and made doomsday predictions - about the technology getting out of control. What made people pay attention: Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon publicly quit the AI giant in September, writing on X that “the people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade”. His warning comes after the high-profile OpenAI-Hugging Face incident: OpenAI models broke out of an isolated testing sandbox and hacked into Hugging Face, an AI model repository. In this episode, Natasha speaks with Clement Neo, a research advisor at SASH, a non-profit organisation that looks at policy-relevant governance work. He also founded Neo Research, an independent AI safety evaluation lab, and was previously a research engineer with the Singapore AI Safety Institute under NTU Digital Trust Centre, which looks at AI models and figures out how to reduce the risks they pose. We talk about why AI models are being trained to be relentlessly “persistent”, if we should stop assigning human-like qualities to a software programme, and what’s the worst that could happen? Highlights (click/tap above): 1:36 How Clement got into AI safety research 6:34 AI feels helpful, so how is it dangerous? 10:14 How could AI kill us? 11:48 Why it’s difficult to rein in the AI agents 16:23 Why not limit the models’ capabilities to avoid risk? 22:12 Why the OpenAI-Hugging Face incident rattled the industry 25:36 What does ‘aligning’ the AI models mean? 29:40 Does projecting human intent onto AI make the issue worse? 33:57 Are we close to recursive self-improvement? 39:10 What would it take for an industry-wide AI slowdown? 45:28 Are AI companies being self-serving about the AI risks? Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg) Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG: https://str.sg/8KNT Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN Filmed by: Studio+65 Edited by: Eden Soh & Amirul Karim 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: podcast@sph.com.sg --- 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 -- #tup #tuptrf See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Something bigger will have to happen before people take AI safety seriously: AI safety researcher

  4. 5d ago

    Singapore writer Gwee Li Sui talks Culture Pass credits and what it’ll take to get people to read

    Why do Singaporean kids write about winter? Gwee Li Sui on AI, Singlish & why culture cannot be rushed.  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. A year after the launch of our Culture Pass credits, take-up rates sit at just 10 per cent. Meanwhile, Singapore’s new national reading movement, ReadSG, now aims to pay people to try building a consistent reading habit. What does this say about us as a people? Is it such a bad thing if we stop reading long-form fiction and just read social media? And why bother with SingLit when we are already so familiar with Singapore’s culture? In this episode, assistant opinion editor Lianne Chia speaks to poet, graphic artist, and literary critic Gwee Li Sui on why focusing too much on hitting KPIs in our quest for culture often backfires. They discuss how doomscrolling and short-form text change our capacity for empathy and nuance, and uncover the brutal economic reality of being a creative writer in Singapore. Highlights (click/tap above): 0:50 Singapore's pragmatic way in handling social problems 8:00 Why is SingLit a hard sell for readers compared to global titles? 8:57 Why do Singaporean students still write school essays about winter and autumn? 22:12 Is Singlish still considered "bad English" today?  27:06 What do we miss if we only read social media? 34:43 With AI summarising everything, is there still room to read for enjoyment? 38:02 Why paying people to read is like forcing kids to eat vegetables 44:50 Is being a creative writer in Singapore an economic dead end?  51:50 Why Gwee prefers to write for readers 50 years in the future 53:47 Is self-censorship among local writers a worry? Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH Host: Lianne Chia (liannechia@sph.com.sg)  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: podcast@sph.com.sg --- 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 --- #inyouropinion See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Singapore writer Gwee Li Sui talks Culture Pass credits and what it’ll take to get people to read

  5. Sep 21

    High anxiety, spiking cortisol: it's tough making friends as an adult, is it worth the trouble?

    Our friend circles shrink as we get older. How do we deal with it? In this episode, therapist Cao Zhikai shares how we can deal with losing friends as we enter adulthood, and what we can do to combat that feeling of loss. She also shares about the grief of friendship breakups, which don’t often get given enough attention in a society that prioritises romantic relationships.  Hosts Kai Wen and Sue-Ann discuss why it’s nerve-wrecking making friends as adults, yet having the payoff of a purposeful adult connection is worth it.  Highlights (click/tap above): 0:00 Introduction 0:32 Shrinking adult friend circles?  4:35 Why proximity matters  8:39 The grief of losing friends 16:26 Being intentional in keeping friendships alive 24:39 Do friends serve a purpose?  28:10 The fears of making new friends as adults 33:59 Meeting new people in a non-romantic way 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 (seekw@sph.com.sg) and Sue-Ann Tan (suetan@sph.com.sg) Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim 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: podcast@sph.com.sg Get business/career tips in ST's Headstart newsletter: https://str.sg/headstart-nl --- 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.

    High anxiety, spiking cortisol: it's tough making friends as an adult, is it worth the trouble?

  6. Sep 17

    Can BRICS challenge the US-led world order?

    Donald Trump need not be. BRICS is nowhere near creating an alternative to the US-led world order, says our expert. Synopsis: Every third Friday of the month, The Straits Times gets its US Bureau Chief to analyse the hottest political and trending talking points. In this episode, US Bureau Chief Bhagyashree Garekar chats with Sarang Shidore, the director of the Global South Program at the Quincy Institute in Washington DC. In a conversation taking stock of the grouping’s annual meeting in New Delhi on Sept 12-13, he calls BRICS an “interesting experiment” that is worth studying.  Like ASEAN, it operates on consensus but has no charter. BRICS has been on a membership drive and now covers nearly all the regions outside of the wealthy western world. BRICS comprises 11 members - Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and United Arab Emirates. It also has 'partner countries' including the likes of Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. US President Donald Trump has blasted the grouping, suspecting it of wanting to supplant the US dollar, the world’s leading currency. But de-dollarisation is not on the horizon, Shidore says. Instead, the body is asking for “modest, not revolutionary” reforms in the world order. Highlights (click/tap above): 1:40 Why should Asean care about BRICS? 6:50 What the New Delhi summit achieved 11:50 What does Trump see in BRICS? 19:30 ‘Competition within cooperation’: The China-India dance  27:10 US vs China: Destined to clash over AI in BRICS nations? 33:15 What are Beijing’s goals when it chairs BRICS in 2027? 37:45 Is BRICS ever going to create an alternative world order? 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 (bhagya@sph.com.sg)  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: podcast@sph.com.sg  --- 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  --- #STAsianInsider See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Can BRICS challenge the US-led world order?

  7. Sep 17

    True Fitness closure: Why most members will get $0 back

    If you’re a customer with a pre-paid package with a business and it closes, will you ever get your money back? True Fitness and True Yoga customers and employees were left in the lurch last week after the businesses shuttered. Many have unused memberships, packages and services, and members have reported losses of more than $609,000. And it’s not just gyms. Prepayment packages are common at nail salons, spas, interior design and renovation firms, and bridal studios. When these businesses close, what happens to consumers’ money, and are there ways consumers can be better protected? In this episode of The Usual Place, Natasha chats with: • Jeremy Ko, a fitness entrepreneur who has opened 25 fitness gyms and three climbing gyms, and had to close three of them, and • Debby Lim, a senior partner in Dentons Rodyk’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group. She was also affected by the recent closure of True Fitness, having been a member since June 2025. Highlights (click/tap above): 2:08 What’s happening with the fitness industry? 6:44 Red flags that customers could possibly look out for 10:17 Is this the end of the “mega-gym” concept? 14:11 Why are True Fitness and True Yoga under “provisional liquidation”? 18:25 Why Jeremy’s gyms don’t offer prepayment packages 21:15 The hard-selling vs just saying no 26:08 Law reform needed to “save us from ourselves”? 30:10 Why aren’t more businesses signing up for CaseTrust accreditation? 34:39 Is consumer protection anti-business? Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg) Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG: https://str.sg/8KNT Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN Filmed by: Studio+65 Edited by: Eden Soh & Hadyu Rahim 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: podcast@sph.com.sg --- 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 -- #tup #tuptrf See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    True Fitness closure: Why most members will get $0 back

  8. Sep 16

    $1b venture capitalist Hian Goh on how Singapore can grow a firm like Apple

    It takes a bold mindset to imagine innovations like Creative’s sound card and the iPhone, says a venture capitalist. 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. Following a recent parliamentary debate on growing Fortune Global 500 companies in Singapore, we ask if Singapore can ever grow a homegrown startup into a global tech giant like Apple or Nvidia? Or do our cultural attitudes toward risk and failure limit this potential? To explore whether Singapore has the ecosystem and vision to build game-changing products that are similar to Creative Technology's sound card or the Apple iPhone, Lynda Hong sits down with Hian Goh, founding partner of Openspace Capital. Managing a billion-dollar portfolio, and having served as the investment banker to Creative Technology's founder Sim Wong Hoo, Hian discusses the realities of the venture capital world. In this episode, they examine the role of the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX) in unlocking private capital, and the challenges of commercialising deep-tech R&D.  The discussion also touches on what it takes for Singapore to cultivate its own Silicon Valley, the necessity of tolerating setbacks, and the value of backing founders with an unreasonable mindset. Highlights (click/tap above):  1:08 What is actually missing in Singapore's private capital ecosystem?  6:06 Working with Sim Wong Hoo and hitting the structural ceiling  12:40 Love, Bonito and the challenges of scaling a brand out of Singapore  17:43 The "No U-Turn Syndrome" and why younger Singaporeans are breaking the mold  19:16 Silicon Valley's risk appetite vs. Singapore's fear of failure  21:27 The ChatGPT-4 lesson: Why celebrating uncertainty is the key to deep-tech innovation 28:34 Why the art of investing means backing the "crazy" founders  32:34 Overcoming investor trauma for a more vibrant SGX 35:52 Should national R&D focus only on creating unicorns? 44:54 Block 71 and trusting the ecosystem to build a uniquely Singaporean Silicon Valley Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH Host: Lynda Hong (lyndahong@sph.com.sg)  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: podcast@sph.com.sg --- 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 --- #inyouropinion See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    $1b venture capitalist Hian Goh on how Singapore can grow a firm like Apple
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Ratings & Reviews

4.3
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Synopsis: Almost every weekday, our ALL-IN-ONE channel showcases discussions on Singapore youth perspectives and social issues, geopolitics through an Asian lens, health, climate change, personal finance and career. Follow our shows on your favourite audio apps Apple Podcasts, Spotify or even ST's app, which has a dedicated podcast player section. Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis & The Straits Times, SPH Media.

Information

  • Creator
    The Straits Times
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    2K
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Straits Times
  • Show Website
    The Straits Times Podcasts

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