Stay ConnectedSynopsis: 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.
The Labubu craze exploded earlier in 2024 thanks to Blackpink's Lisa. What's keeping the love for Labubu going?
Synopsis: The Usual Place host Natasha Ann Zachariah hunts for new perspectives on issues that matter to young people.
Inspired by Scandinavian folklore, Labubu was created by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung as part of his Monsters character series in 2015.
How do you know when a toy is a big deal?
When people are brazenly committing crimes to get it. And when hundreds of people queue overnight to be the first to get their hands on it. When fans get into shoving matches and the police have to be called.
Bakers make cakes in its image, while enterprising sellers offer product customisations like braces, make-up and custom identity cards.
Perhaps the true hallmarks of a product’s popularity are a hot reseller market and the existence of fake versions.
In a nutshell, these events describe the months-long craze over Labubu – the fanged little elf that everyone around the world is going gaga over.
Even though Labubu has been around since 2015, her star skyrocketed earlier in 2024 with a little bit of help from a popular K-pop star Lisa of Blackpink fame.
Distilling it for the people who don't get the hype, Natasha finds out what the hype is all about and why collectors enjoy these art toys so much.
To give her the download on all things 'LBB', Jeremy Lee, 44, the business director for South-east Asia at Pop Mart International and Yumiko Kayahara, 35, a KISS92 FM DJ, join her on The Usual Place to explain the current craze.
Pop Mart is the international brand that owns the exclusive rights to the Labubu intellectual property (IP).
From being a “kidult” to how Pop Mart is keeping up with the demand, they chat with Natasha in this wide-ranging interview on why this plushie has people going ga-ga.
Highlights (click/tap above):
4:55 The celebrity endorsement effect
13:10 The reseller market and fakes on the market
20:15 Customisations and copyright of Labubu - will Pop Mart do something about it?
26:24 Who is a “kidult”?
36:21 Will Pop Mart have another toy that matches Labubu’s popularity?
6 things you did not know about Labubu: https://str.sg/dNhY
Host: Natasha Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)
Follow Natasha on her IG account and DM her your thoughts on this topic: https://str.sg/8Wav
Read Natasha's articles: https://str.sg/iSXm
Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN
Filmed by: Studio+65
Edited by ST Podcast producers: Eden Soh & Teo Tong Kai
Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong
Follow The Usual Place Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:
Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX
Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P
YouTube: https://str.sg/wEr7u
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Technology is advancing at such a pace as Chinese electric vehicle brand Xpeng is aiming to prove to the global market.
Synopsis: In this special episode, The Straits Times' Lee Nian Tjoe meets Mr He Xiaopeng, the chairman and chief executive of Chinese electric vehicle brand, Xpeng.
By 2025, Xpeng cars will bring the driver from door-to-door with barely any human intervention and in 2026, it plans to deliver its first flying vehicle.
Xpeng is using automated driving technology to make driving safer and more relaxing.
The target, Mr He says, is to make the cars behave like “good drivers” on the road, adapt to local conditions and behaviours.
Concurrently, the company is taking to the skies. Its first flying vehicle will reach customers in 2026.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:55 By 2025, Xpeng’s drivers will only need to step in to take control once or twice per 100km covered
3:45 Level 5 autonomous driving means that the vehicle can handle itself in all conditions, whether it is a typhoon or an earthquake
5:25 Automated driving technology does not mean drivers will lose their jobs
7:00 Flying cars?
8:46 How Xpeng picks its markets and goes about entering them
9:35 On why only a minority of car companies in China today will survive in the next five to 10 years
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
Host: Lee Nian Tjoe (niantjoel@sph.com.sg)
Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim and Teo Tong Kai
Executive producers: Ernest Luis and Lynda Hong
Follow COE Watch Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:
Channel: https://str.sg/iTtE
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/iqW2
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Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
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Should young people be talking about - and planning for - their deaths?
Synopsis: The Usual Place host Natasha Ann Zachariah hunts for new perspectives on issues that matter to young people.
In this episode of The Usual Place, three millennials under 35 get candid about mortality and what changed their perspectives on death.
Ho Hui Sze, 30, a counselling psychologist and host of Being With Grief podcast, G. Kethlyn Gayatiri, 32, a freelance educator, and Muhammad Alif, 28, a financial advisor and content creator, are no strangers to talking about death.
They feature on Let's Talk About Death - a five-episode docuseries by The Straits Times, which premiered on Oct 23, 2024.
From choosing a casket to protecting their passwords for their online accounts, each of them explores different aspects of end-of-life planning and dying well.
Kethlyn is filmed in Episode 2 with her mother, Irene Koh, while Alif appears with his wife Liyana (@financewithliyandlif), in Episode 4.
As for Hui Sze(@beingwith.grief), she chooses to memorialise her own bedroom in Episode 5.
Natasha wants to find out how discussing death can be liberating, the misconceptions that often come up when planning for death, and how thinking about dying has made them live life differently.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:36 What made these millennials change their perspective of death?
6:16 Hui Sze talks about the pain of death and the gifts of grief
17:19 What if I die first? Kethlyn recounts talking to her mother
23:12 Alif gets emotional when creating his will - his “last love letter”
31:25 A ‘Dabao Kit’ and and Death Cafes to talk about death
39:32 How has talking about death made them live life differently?
Watch ST's "Let's talk about death" video series here: https://str.sg/a4Ey
Follow Natasha on her IG account and DM her your thoughts on this topic: https://str.sg/8Wav
Host: Natasha Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)
Read Natasha's articles: https://str.sg/iSXm
Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN
Filmed by: Studio+65
Edited by ST Podcast producers: Eden Soh & Teo Tong Kai
Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong
Follow The Usual Place Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:
Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX
Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P
YouTube: https://str.sg/wEr7u
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
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Where is Singapore dementia research headed?
Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.
This episode is on a topic that affects millions worldwide: dementia. We will explore the differences between how dementia presents in Asian versus Caucasian populations, and what this means when it comes to early intervention and future treatments.
Professor Nagaendran Kandiah, director of the Dementia Research Centre (Singapore) at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine at Nanyang Technological University is our guest. He also talks to Joyce Teo about Lecanemab and Donanemab, two drugs that can slow down Alzheimer’s disease by treating the root cause. Donanemab, for instance, has been approved, but not recommended for the National Health Service in England.
Highlights (click/tap above)
1:05 Differences in the way dementia shows up in Asians and Caucasians
6:01 A blood test to pick up dementia
11:59 Lecanemab and Donanemab, two drugs that have been approved elsewhere for those with Alzheimer’s disease
18:50 What can you do to lower your risk of vascular dementia?
Check out ST's new series, No health without mental health: https://str.sg/mentalhealthmatters
Read Joyce Teo's stories: https://str.sg/JbxN
Host: Joyce Teo (joyceteo@sph.com.sg)
Produced and edited by: Amirul Karim
Executive producers: Ernest Luis and Lynda Hong
Follow Health Check Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWaN
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWRX
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaQ
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International carbon markets can help to channel funding to developing countries and help them take action to tackle climate change.
Synopsis: Every first and thirdTuesdayof the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change.
What is the difference between carbon avoidance, removal or reduction? This question is one of a few key ones holding up global consensus on the establishment of a global carbon credit programme under Article 6 the Paris Agreement. At the UN climate conference COP29, which will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from Nov 11 to 22, negotiators will be hammering out the details to enable this programme to be implemented. Article 6 of the Paris Agreement allows countries to cooperate with one another to achieve their climate targets, such as through carbon markets.
What are the differences between these three terms, and why are they so contentious? To find out more about the roadblocks hindering an agreement on carbon markets at COP29, hosts Audrey Tan and David Fogarty chat with Mr Anshari Rahman, director of policy and analytics and investment firm GenZero. Mr Anshari was a former climate negotiator on Article 6 with the Singapore Government.
Highlights of conversation (click/tap above):
2:08 What is Article 6 all about?
4:07 Why is Article 6 important for South-east Asia?
7:42 What are the main sticking points of negotiations on Article 6?
9:33 What are the issues surrounding the varying definitions of carbon avoidance, removal, or reduction?
13:58 What are the other benefits that Article 6 can deliver?
Follow Audrey Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/848W
Read her articles: https://str.sg/JLM2
Follow David Fogarty on X: https://str.sg/JLM6
Read his articles: https://str.sg/JLMu
Hosts: Audrey Tan (audreyt@sph.com.sg) & David Fogarty (dfogarty@sph.com.sg)
Produced and edited by: Eden Soh
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
Follow Green Pulse Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWaf
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWaY
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWag
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DBS’ sustainability chief reveals ways to get into sustainability and why sustainable finance matters.
Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, get a headstart in your personal finance and career with The Straits Times.
The warmer the weather, the more we feel the impact of human activities on climate change. But how do we make a difference? Should we find jobs that work on sustainability, particularly on the environment front? Or invest in more meaningful asset classes in the sustainability field?
In this episode, ST business correspondent Sue-Ann Tan examines why sustainability matters, how to get a job in the ESG field, and what we can do in our daily lives and with our investing to contribute to a more sustainable world.
Her guest, Helge Muenkel, also describes how his career started with a Masters in development economics, and the twists and turns he made before finally landing in his current position as DBS chief sustainability officer.
Highlights (click/tap above):
6:52 What skills do I need to work in sustainability?
10:20 What is sustainable finance?
12:47 Do my individual efforts make a difference?
15:07 How caring about climate change protects what we love
26:03 Three little things you can do to change the world
Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles: https://str.sg/mvSa
Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/A86X
Host: Sue-Ann Tan (suetan@sph.com.sg)
Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim
Executive producers: Ernest Luis, Lynda Hong & Joanna Seow
Follow Headstart On Record Podcast channel here:
Channel: https://str.sg/wB2m
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wuN3
Spotify: https://str.sg/wBr9
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
Get business/career tips in ST's Headstart newsletter: https://str.sg/headstart-nl
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Its warren of underground bunkers and tunnels, which sheltered the city’s residents during the heavy bombing of the Second Sino-Japanese war, are turned into lifestyle destinations today.
Synopsis: The Straits Times chats with ST’s global correspondents about life as it goes on, amid the screaming headlines and bubbling crises.
Chongqing bears a grim wartime history. As China’s wartime capital which Chiang Kai-shek’s Kuomintang government decamped to in 1937, it was heavily bombed during the Second Sino-Japanese war. Bunkers - some 16,000 - were built into the city’s hills and mountains, sheltering terrified residents as the bombs rained down.
Some eight decades on, the Chongqing government has given these underground shelters a new lease of life.
In this episode, ST’s foreign editor Li Xueying speaks to China correspondent Aw Cheng Wei about what it is like to be in those bunkers today, and why Chongqing is approaching its wartime past differently from other Chinese cities.
Highlights (click/tap above):
0:39 Bookshops, car washes and mahjong sessions
2:51 A real coming to terms with its history?
8:24 Making the most of one’s past
14:04 The Straits Times sets up shop in Chongqing
Read Aw Cheng Wei’s article here: https://str.sg/w2Esn
Read Li Xueying’s articles: https://str.sg/iqmR
Follow Li Xueying on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/ip4x
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
Host: Li Xueying (xueying@sph.com.sg)
Edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Lynda Hong
Follow Asian Insider on Fridays here:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
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Political upheaval in Japan as its snap elections see the ruling party lose its majority, reshaping its ties with the US and Asia.
Synopsis: Join The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor, as he distils his experience from four decades of covering the Asian continent.
In this episode, Ravi speaks with Tobias Harris, founder of political risk consultancy Japan Foresight on the fallout from the stunning electoral reverses suffered by Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba following his decision to hold snap polls.
They discuss what the results, which saw the long-governing Liberal Democratic Party and allied party Komeito lose their parliamentary majority, mean for Japan, its alliance with the US, and its ties with wider Asia.
Tobias and Ravi also discuss how the results could impact on fiscal policy, and whether the government would now be forced to go in for further fiscal expansion.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:36 Japan’s political ‘earthquake’
4:33 Anger, frustration in Japan
7:50 Domestic priorities to be a focus
8:33 Japan’s foreign policy
17:55 Fiscal discipline will be difficult
21:17 A modernised LDP
Host: Ravi Velloor (velloor@sph.com.sg)
Read Ravi's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP
Follow Ravi on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Lynda Hong
Follow Asian Insider Podcast on Fridays 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
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Unless one candidate wins swing states decisively, a quick settlement is unlikely in America’s cliffhanger election.
Synopsis: The Straits Times' global contributor Nirmal Ghosh shines a light on Asian perspectives of global and Asian issues with expert guests.
The United States’ presidential election, which polls show is currently in a statistical tie, is unlikely to be settled quickly unless one candidate decisively wins enough swing states - which remains a possibility.
Short of that however, both parties have armies of lawyers ready to file challenges to the result - with resolution potentially taking a long time, and concerns over instability in the interim.
While a Kamala Harris presidency would bring a degree of continuity to foreign policy - and possibly some push back against Israel’s conduct - a Donald Trump presidency would have echoes of his first term, in which he bristled against the traditional post World War II international order, bringing up issues even with American allies such as NATO. A second term would bring more transactionalism and disruption even as some countries would like to see him back in power. He has also claimed that he will end the Russia-Ukraine war in 24 hours.
From the eye of the gathering storm in an increasingly severely polarised America, senior journalist, author and veteran foreign correspondent Steven Herman, Chief National Correspondent of Voice of America, shares his views with Asian Insider host Nirmal Ghosh.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:17 The implications from the elections on foreign policies
5:05 Global perceptions of America and how some are eager to see Donald Trump return
6:33 Potential for political instability and the possibility of a long unresolved election
11:16 The public sentiment and political polarization of the elections
15:03 How Trump and Harris are looking at reaching out to younger audience through podcasts
Host: Nirmal Ghosh (nirmal@sph.com.sg)
Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
Follow Asian Insider on Fridays 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
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Navigating the US election scene - from Trump's rise to economic worries and the shifting tides of masculinity in politics.
Synopsis: The Straits Times’ assistant foreign editor Clement Tan catches up with US bureau chief Bhagyashree Garekar to share her insights into the US presidential elections on Nov 5, 2024.
Clement Tan speaks with Bhagyashree Garekar, ST’s US bureau chief, about her experiences covering the US elections. They discuss the changes in American society, the rise of Trump, and the impact of inflation concerns on voter sentiment.
In this episode, Bhagya shares memorable encounters from her travels across the US, highlighting the political landscape and the growing diversity in the population. The conversation also touches on the psychological aspects of masculinity in politics and the uncertainty surrounding the upcoming election results.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:51 Memorable encounters on the campaign trail
8:23 Changes in infrastructure and American society
12:33 The rise of Trump and white nationalism
16:41 Masculinity and political identity
18:57 Economic concerns and election predictions
Follow Clement Tan on X: https://str.sg/uErS
Read Clement Tan's articles: https://str.sg/Ep62
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
Host: Clement Tan (clemtan@sph.com.sg) & Bhagyashree Garekar (bhagya@sph.com.sg)
Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Lynda Hong
Follow Asian Insider on Fridays here:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
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