PODCAST · news
Asian Insider
by SPH Media
Synopsis: Every Friday, get our distinct take on global issues with an Asian perspective, with ST’s globally-based correspondents.Produced and edited by: Fa'izah SaniExecutive producer: Ernest LuisA podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media.
Episodes
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S2E86: Nine-year-olds on drugs: Has the world abandoned Myanmar?
An unending conflict and shrinking aid leave Myanmar’s refugees and displaced in increasingly dire circumstances. Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 45 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests. In this...
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S2E85: Leaving Taiwan after four years: What our correspondent learnt
Taiwan correspondent Yip Wai Yee reflects on her four-year journey in this special farewell episode. Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times catches up with its foreign correspondents about life and trends in the countries they're based in. After four years of reporting from...
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S2E84: Is Anwar Ibrahim’s coalition reaching breaking point before GE16?
With DAP committed to the unity government, can Anwar Ibrahim reform his coalition before the next general election? Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the hottest political and trending talking points, alternating between its Malaysia and China bureaus. For…
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S2E76: What can be done about the explosion of disinformation?
The menace is everywhere and you can hardly spot it, stop it or punish it. Synopsis: Every third Friday of the month, The Straits Times gets its US Bureau Chief to analyse the hottest political and trending talking points. Singapore recently ordered social media platforms to block access to 14...
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S2E75: Why Beijing now sets the agenda for US-China ties
Can Trump and Xi’s new ‘constructive’ framework bring stability to the US-China dynamic? Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 45 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests. In this episode, host Ravi Velloor...
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S2E72: What cues India can take from China to fix its foul air and water
India’s poor air is driving much needed investment away from the country. Synopsis: The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 45 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests. There was a time when China was thought to have the world’s most polluted cities....
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S2E71: The mystery of Chongqing grilled fish’s origin story - and why it matters
The stakes are high. A region’s association with a popular dish is increasingly big business, as the Chinese eat out more. Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times catches up with its foreign correspondents about life and trends in the countries they're based in. Disputes over...
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S2E70: 'Corporate mafia’: The scandal that Malaysia can no longer ignore
From drink-driving to MACC scandal, is Malaysia's justice system bending to public pressure or finally getting serious? Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the hottest political and trending talking points, alternating between its Malaysia and China bureaus. For...
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S2E69: Crisis creates openings: Why Asia will stand out after a post-Iran conflict
The Iran war is an unprecedented crisis but South-east Asia is better placed to handle it. Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 45 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests. The US-Israeli assault on Iran,...
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S2E68: India’s $70 billion spiritual market fuelled by bhajan clubbing
Discover how bhajan clubbing is transforming devotional music in India. Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times catches up with its foreign correspondents about life and trends in the countries they're based in. In this episode, host Li Xueying discusses with Debarshi…
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S2E67: Is there a silver lining for China as war rages in the Middle East?
With Washington distracted and opportunities in clean energy, Beijing might have the last laugh. Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times will now analyse the hottest political and trending talking points, alternating between its Malaysia and Greater China bureaus. For March,...
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S2E66: Iran’s war machine can only last a few more weeks: Expert
Depleting its own military resources and antagonising Arab neighbours may be a cost too high for the regime to bear. 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...
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S2E65: Why Grab-type firms are the way for SE Asia to thrive in AI era
How South-east Asia can navigate the age of AI and its impact on the economy and employment. Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 45 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests. Artificial Intelligence is...
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S2E64: Putrajaya 30 years on: The capital that never quite replaced Kuala Lumpur
Find out why it has become a paradox decades after its founding. Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times catches up with its foreign correspondents about life and trends in the countries they're based in. Putrajaya, founded in 1995, turned 30 in 2025. As Malaysia’s...
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S2E63: Malaysia’s education gamble: UEC option and lowering school age
From considering UEC path to starting school at six – is Malaysia's education overhaul built to last? Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the hottest political and trending talking points, alternating between its Malaysia and China bureaus. For our February...
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S2E62: Singaporean tech founders on building global companies in US
From a phone plan for cat parents to a keyless life: Two Singaporean founders share tips from their US start-up journeys 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...
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S2E61: Strategic calculations behind India's trade deals flurry
India's new trade pacts with the EU and US, and the big question: Will Delhi revisit its decision to abandon RCEP? Synopsis: The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 45 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests. A flurry of trade agreements announced by...
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S2E60: Hong Kong’s tolerance for shortcuts has turned deadly
Hong Kong prides itself on being a first world city. So how did such a thing like the Tai Po fire happen? Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times catches up with its foreign correspondents about life and trends in the countries they're based in. On Nov 26, 2025, a fire swept...
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S2E59: China's fossil fuel addiction exposes a strategic vulnerability
There is also a human cost to China's clean energy transition. Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times will now analyse the hottest political and trending talking points, alternating between its Malaysia and Greater China bureaus. For January, host and deputy foreign editor...
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S2E58: Trump’s Venezuela strike: The good, bad & the ugly
We dissect the abduction of a sitting president and predict what might come next. Synopsis: Every third Friday of the month, The Straits Times gets its US Bureau Chief to analyse the hottest political and trending talking points. Was it all about oil? Transnational crime cartels? Or China? In…
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S2E57: Asia's drone wars: Who's buying Predators and Reapers?
As Asia’s militaries show an increasing appetite to deploy drones – most recently during the Thai-Cambodian skirmishes and the brief India-Pakistan conflict in May, 2025, we speak to the chief executive of the company that makes lethal Unmanned Aerial Systems such as the Predator, Reaper and Sea...
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S2E56: The one design feature that makes Taiwan ‘ugly’
Metal window grilles were meant to keep households safe from burglars but they have been fingered as eyesores. Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times catches up with its foreign correspondents about life and trends in the countries they're based in. One of Taiwan’s names is...
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S2E55: From Zara Qairina to Harimau Malaya: A gripping 2025 for Malaysia
Malaysia’s 2025 was marked by a stormy PKR election, school violence, and a scandal rocking its football team. Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the hottest political and trending talking points, alternating between its Malaysia and China bureaus. For our...
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S2E54: Why the US dollar is so sticky
Find out why the world is likely to stay dollar-centric even as countries try to toggle away from the greenback. Synopsis: Every third Friday of the month, The Straits Times gets its US bureau chief to analyse the hottest political and trending talking points. Harvard historian Mary Bridges, the...
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S2E53: Inside the secret Albatross file on Singapore’s Separation from Malaysia
Our guest reveals pioneer leaders’ differing views on Singapore’s Aug 9, 1965 split from Malaysia. Synopsis: The Straits Times’ chief columnist Sumiko Tan speaks to Janadas Devan, senior adviser at the Ministry of Digital Development and Information, on how the The Albatross File: Inside…
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S2E52: US in decline; Trump's 'Donroe Doctrine' is worrying Asia
Our guest expert explains the Americas-focused doctrine, inspired by the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine’s hemispheric stance. Synopsis: The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 45 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests. In this wide-ranging…
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S2E51: Taiwan’s message to China: We are not alone
The island’s diplomatic space may be shrinking but it wants to engage the world on its own terms. Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times will now analyse the hottest political and trending talking points, alternating between its Malaysia and Greater China bureaus. For...
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S2E50: How to read Trump right and why he and Xi get along
Our expert guest explains why he predicts both men will seek good vibes in 2026. 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 hosts her…
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S2E49: Inside the mind of Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s first woman PM
Our guest expert looks at her political approach, as well as her personal side. Synopsis: The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 45 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests. In this wide-ranging conversation, Ravi speaks with Professor Tomohiko...
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S2E48: The two rules that Parisians broke in the hot summer of 2025
Spoiler: Politics, and the private lives of politicians. Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times catches up with its foreign correspondents about life and trends in the countries they're based in. For more than a century, it was quite accepted in France that Presidents and…
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S2E47: Trump meets Xi: Who'll win the China-US tussle; impact on Asia
A grand bargain will be hard to strike at the upcoming US-China presidential summit, says a top trade 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, former US trade...
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S2E46: Anwar’s Asean chair year: From geopolitics to fiscal finance, how did he fare?
Fresh off tabling Budget 2026, Malaysia is set to host world’s superpowers during the Asean Summit in KL starting Oct 26. For our October episode, ST’s Malaysia bureau chief Shannon Teoh and host Zurairi A.R. are joined by Tony Pua, an ex-member of Parliament from DAP, and previously a political...
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S2E45: Behind that 100-part bicycle: Asia’s shifting supply chains
How geopolitics is pushing manufacturers from China to South-east Asia and India. Synopsis: The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 40 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests. In this episode, Ravi hosts Mridula Iyer, Asia South Head of Services at...
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S2E44: Church and fortune-tellers: Why Filipinos find solace in both
Asia’s only Christian nation, the Philippines, is devoutly Catholic. Yet, why do so many turn to peddlers of potions and talismans as well? Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times catches up with its foreign correspondents about life and trends in the countries they're based...
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S2E43: Tanks and missiles: The implications of China's grand military parade
Beijing’s message was clear: We are a great power and a force for good. Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times will now analyse the hottest political and trending talking points, alternating between its Malaysia and China bureaus. For September, host and deputy foreign…
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S2E42: Xi-Modi sends powerful message to US and the world: Henry Huiyao Wang
Why it's significant that China and India declare they are not rivals but partners. Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 40 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests. In this episode, Ravi speaks with Dr...
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S2E41: Rich men and pretty women: Glimpses at a matchmaking event in China
Single Chinese want to find love, but remain straitjacketed by expectations of what their partners should look like. Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times catches up with its foreign correspondents about life and trends in the countries they're based in. Inequality is at…
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S2E40: Malaysia parties gear up for the PAS congress and the Sabah elections
The coming months will see several changes in the political landscape as parties make moves on various fronts. Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the hottest political and trending talking points, alternating between its Malaysia and China bureaus. In this...
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S2E39: Donald Trump: Nobel Prize laureate?
Why does President Donald Trump seem so intent on winning the Nobel Peace Prize? 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, President Donald Trump’s ambition to win the Nobel...
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S2E38: Asia and the world think Trump’s US "has lost its mind": John Bolton
Declaring war “against everybody” including China and hoping for the right result is very worrying. Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 40 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests. In this episode, Ravi...
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S2E37: Are South Koreans lonely?
Social isolation is especially acute in the capital city of Seoul—and it’s not just among the elderly. Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times catches up with its foreign correspondents about life and trends in the countries they're based in. In this episode, host and foreign...
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S2E36: China's leverage on the trade war with US
Ultimately, the outcome might depend on both sides’ threshold for pain. Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times will now analyse the hottest political and trending talking points, alternating between its Malaysia and China bureaus. For July, host and deputy foreign editor...
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S2E35: Dalai Lama at 90: A life of compassion and conflict
A conversation with Chicago-based Mayank Chhaya, the Dalai Lama’s biographer, on the highs and lows of His Holiness’ remarkable journey through life. Synopsis: The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 40 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests. In this...
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S2E34: Hong Kong’s wistful longing for its cityscape to remain unchanged
From the use of bamboo scaffolding for construction projects to a six-decade-old public housing estate, changes are afoot. Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times catches up with its foreign correspondents about life and trends in the countries they're based in. Hong Kong’s...
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S2E33: Plain sailing for PM Anwar on a global stage, but rough ride at home
On international platforms, he earns praise but faces rising scepticism domestically. Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the hottest political and trending talking points, alternating between its Malaysia and China bureaus. For our June episode, ST’s Malaysia...
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S2E32: 'Second China shock? You ain’t seen nothing yet' says top economist
A conversation with the eminent private sector economist and strategic affairs expert Manu Bhaskaran. Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 40 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests. South-east Asia is...
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S2E31: This Shandong city produces 80 per cent of China’s peony paintings
China’s unofficial national flower is getting Heze noticed, as its cities strive to develop unique calling cards Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times catches up with its foreign correspondents about life and trends in the countries they're based in. The Straits Times’...
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S2E30: Chongqing's car market boom amid trade war challenges
Industry players say they will hunker down and focus on Central Asia and Southeast Asia. Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times will now analyse the hottest political and trending talking points, alternating between its Malaysia and China bureaus. For May, host and deputy...
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S1E1: Landslide win: PAP gets 65.57% of votes in Singapore general election
Singapore's 2025 general election was held on May 3, and the ruling People's Action Party won 65.57 per cent of the national vote, a commanding swing up from its 61.24 per cent share in 2020. The ruling party won 87 seats out of the contested 97, securing a majority in Parliament. The opposition...
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S2E29: A view of the cemetery: Why house-hunting in Jakarta is a challenge
Indonesia’s capital, one of South-east Asia’s most crowded cities, contains 12 million people in a land area of 660 sq km. Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times catches up with its foreign correspondents about life and trends in the countries they're based in. Host and...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Synopsis: Every Friday, get our distinct take on global issues with an Asian perspective, with ST’s globally-based correspondents.Produced and edited by: Fa'izah SaniExecutive producer: Ernest LuisA podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media.
HOSTED BY
SPH Media
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Asian Insider have?
Asian Insider currently has 576 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Asian Insider about?
Synopsis: Every Friday, get our distinct take on global issues with an Asian perspective, with ST’s globally-based correspondents.Produced and edited by: Fa'izah SaniExecutive producer: Ernest LuisA podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media.
How often does Asian Insider release new episodes?
Asian Insider releases new episodes frequently with a large back catalog of 576 episodes. Check the episode list for recent publication dates.
Where can I listen to Asian Insider?
You can listen to Asian Insider on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Asian Insider?
Asian Insider is created and hosted by SPH Media.
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