Avsnitt
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Synopsis: Join us for a five-part series on working motherhood from July 3-31 with episodes out every Friday.
For many mothers, every day is a balancing act: work emails, school messages, and trying to be fully present with their children while an endless mental checklist runs in the background.
In this episode, we unpack the feeling of never being enough at work or at home, the invisible mental load of being the “default parent”, and why some things in life are rubber balls that bounce back when they are dropped.
We also talk about burnout, sharing the load with your partner, and how becoming a mother reshapes what ambition and success looks like.
Host Vanessa Chelvan is joined by Jacinth Liew, parenting coach and founder of Our Little Play Nest.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:40 “It seems like I have it all, but I don’t”
7:25 Guilt is the only constant
10:45 What gets sacrificed when the juggle gets too much?
12:50 Juggling rubber balls and glass balls
14:55 Should working mums feel they have to do everything?
16:30 Being the “default parent”
18:25 The art of delegation and equal partnerships
25:42 Dads can take career detours too
31:25 Reframing personal ambitions as a working mum
33:35 Their ‘worth it’ moments: Jacinth and Vanessa share
Host: Vanessa Chelvan ([email protected])
Read Vanessa's articles: https://str.sg/gr5Z
Follow Vanessa on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/jHdJ
Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai
Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Elizabeth Law
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Follow The Mother Load limited series every Friday (July 3-31):
Channel: https://str.sg/oMofY
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/8Kbv
Spotify: https://str.sg/DELD
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
The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast
---
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#themotherload
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Can the Lions unleash the roar in World Cup 2034?
Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.
With the World Cup frenzy gripping nations, the performances of Asian powerhouses and small-population underdogs have sparked a familiar question: What will it take for Singapore to get there?
For the first time in a long time, the conversation around Singapore football feels less about what we lack, and more about what we might yet achieve. Following a historic qualification for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup Finals, the Lions have given a football-crazed nation a renewed sense of optimism. But is this a genuine turning point, or are expectations running ahead of reality?
In this episode, deputy opinion editor Mubin Saadat sits down with Lions’ head coach Gavin Lee. They kick off by extracting lessons from the global stage, analysing how countries with tiny populations are making World Cup history, and what that means for Singapore’s Goal 2034 ambitions.
They also discuss Gavin’s rapid career rise, balancing brand-new fatherhood with national expectations, and his immediate priorities for the upcoming ASEAN Championship. Finally, Gavin dismantles the ultimate Singaporean dilemma, proving exactly why our youth do not have to choose between academic success and a career in professional sports.
Highlights (click/tap above):
00:19 World Cup 2026: What Singapore can learn from South Korea & Brazil vs Japan
10:38 Coach Gavin Lee on fatherhood & national team duties
17:44 Should parents let their children pick football as a career in Singapore?
19:45 With DSA, is football still a social leveller in Singapore?
26:18 Gavin’s immediate priorities for Asean Championship on 24 Jul 2026
30:44 The goal for Singapore to qualify for 2034 World Cup
32:07 At 35, has Gavin reached the peak of his coaching career?
33:58 Do local football coaches need overseas exposure?
Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH
Host: Mubin Saadat ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Eden Soh & Natasha Liew
Executive producers: Danson Cheong and 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
Feedback to: [email protected]
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All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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Does buy low, sell high work in today’s volatile market?
Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, get a head start in your personal finance, career and life with The Straits Times.
Everybody wants to be a Warren Buffett - to buy when the market dips and sell when it soars again.
But is this a good investment strategy for everyone?
In this episode, ST business correspondent Sue-Ann Tan looks at whether to go all in when the market dips.
Her guests are Arpit Agal from Syfe and Chua Inn Chong from PhillipCapital.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:20 Why did the market dip in June?
2:49 To be or not to be Warren Buffett?
4:33 Can you actually time the market?
13:55 ETFs vs stocks
16:00 Are market swings bigger now than before?
18:00 The gurus’ investing strategies
21:25 SpaceX and hype investing
Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles: https://str.sg/mvSa
Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/A86X
Host: Sue-Ann Tan ([email protected])
Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim
Executive producers: Elizabeth Law and 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: [email protected]
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
The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast
---
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.
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#headstart
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Trump-Modi friendship was strong, but now US-India ties are strained. What caused the severe turbulence?
Synopsis: The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 45 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests.
In this episode, senior columnist Ravi speaks with Prof Sumit Ganguly, Senior Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and Director of the Huntington Program on improving US-India relations.
They discuss the severe turbulence in bilateral ties including the massive tariffs the Trump administration placed on India, India’s refusal to give Trump credit for intervening to stop the India-Pakistan conflict in May, 2025, and the removal of ‘Indo’ from the USIndoPacific Command, now reverted to its old name US Pacific Command – which Indians have taken as a deliberate slight from Washington.
They also examine the question: Is India playing a waiting game to see Trump off, and can the US really do without Indian backing if it is to maintain influence in the Indian Ocean.
Highlights (click/tap above)
1:04 Why USIndoPacom was changed to USPacom
3:46 ‘Body blows’ to US-India bilateral relationship
7:20 Trump-Modi personal chemistry is gone
8:47 Present situation is an “aberration”
10:48 The Pakistan factor
14:18 End of India’s muscular foreign policy
17:16 Opportunity for China to improve India ties
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
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
Feedback to: [email protected]
---
Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
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The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
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How women navigate careers, caregiving and the expectations that come with both.
Synopsis: Join us for a five-part series on working motherhood from July 3-31 with episodes out every Friday.
We begin with a question many quietly ask themselves: Why does motherhood feel so overwhelming even when everyone says it's supposed to be joyful?
What happens when mum is depleted, running on empty, and yet still tries to keep going?
From the hormonal and neurological changes of matrescence to the relentless mental load of caregiving, we examine why motherhood can feel so all consuming – and why so many struggle in silence.
Host Vanessa Chelvan is joined by clinical psychologist Elysia Tan from Annabelle Psychology, who is navigating life with her nine-month-old daughter, and parent coach Joline Lim, co-director of Chapter Zero, who is raising two neurodivergent children.
Highlights (click/tap above):
5:50 Breastfeeding: Not so ‘natural’?
9:26 Mental health professionals struggle too
10:35 Vanessa on her struggles as a new mum to twins
16:35 No shame in seeking therapy
18:50 Returning to work as a new mum never gets easier
24:42 Dysregulation and the hand model of a brain
28:25 Parenting excavates your entire childhood
31:45 Reparenting and becoming the parents we wish we had
40:38 ‘Baby steps’ – tips on letting go
42:27 Millennial parents spend more time caregiving than boomer parents
45:35 When does hard become “too hard”? Recognising when mums need help
51:34 One actionable tip for mums
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Read more:
First Stop For Mental Health: https://mindline.sg/fsmh
It All Starts Hear: https://www.iash.sg/
Annabelle Psychology: https://www.annabellepsychology.com/
Chapter Zero: https://www.chapterzero.org/
Host: Vanessa Chelvan ([email protected])
Read Vanessa's articles: https://str.sg/gr5Z
Follow Vanessa on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/jHdJ
Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai
Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Elizabeth Law
—
Follow The Mother Load limited series every Friday (July 3-31):
Channel: https://str.sg/oMofY
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/8Kbv
Spotify: https://str.sg/DELD
Feedback to: [email protected]
—
Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast
---
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
—
Helplines:
MENTAL WELL-BEING
National Mindline: 1771 (24 hours) / 6669-1771 (via WhatsApp) Samaritans of Singapore: 1-767 (24 hours) / 9151-1767 (24 hours CareText via WhatsApp) Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019 Silver Ribbon Singapore: 6386-1928 Chat, Centre of Excellence for Youth Mental Health: 6493-6500/1 Women’s Helpline (Aware): 1800-777-5555 (weekdays, 10am to 6pm) The Seniors Helpline: 1800-555-5555 (weekdays, 9am to 5pm) Tinkle Friend (for primary school-age children): 1800-2744-788—
#themotherload
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Seniors are increasingly feeling lonely. Learn why preventing elderly loneliness starts in your 20s.
Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.
The shift from open kampungs to closed-door HDB flats has left many Singaporean seniors socially isolated—often feeling invisible even while living with their own families. This chronic loneliness takes a severe toll on psychological well-being, acting as a major risk factor for cognitive decline and conditions like dementia.
How can our seniors age with dignity, connection, and purpose?
In this episode, assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong speaks with Karen Wee, executive director of Lions Befrienders. The social service agency leverages both high-touch human interventions and innovative technology, like Gen AI, to rebuild the kampung spirit in its transformative, relationship-centred approach to eldercare.
Crucially, Karen emphasises that preparing for a healthy old age cannot wait until retirement; it must begin decades earlier through the social habits and personal passions we develop in our 20s and 30s. This requires a societal shift away from purely economic achievements, toward teaching the younger generation how to form deep human relationships that will give them purpose long after they leave the workforce.
Highlights (click/tap above):
13:00 Scams are one reason why seniors refuse to open their doors
18:14 Why social loneliness develops from a young age
21:48 How seniors are benefiting from talking to Gen AI
42:04 Why pursuit of personal passions improves ageing
45:58 How social isolation progresses and worsens over time
Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH
Follow Lynda Hong on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/Gm2v
Host: Lynda Hong ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim
Executive producers: Danson Cheong and 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
Feedback to: [email protected]
---
Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast
---
Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
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#inyouropinion
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Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh fobbed off talk that he would face a challenge to his position at the party’s proceedings on June 28.
The results from the party’s internal meetings showed that most party members are still very much behind him.
What does this mean for the WP, and has the party turned the page on the saga involving Raeesah Khan?
In this episode, I chat with Tham Yuen-C, senior political correspondent at The Straits Times who has covered WP for about a decade, and Dr Teo Kay Key, a senior research fellow at IPS Social Lab at the Institute of Policy Studies, who studies public opinion, and political and social attitudes.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:54 Is Pritam Singh invincible?
5:50 Who are the unhappy cadres?
8:27 What the “supermajority” vote says
10:46 Cult of personality around Pritam Singh?
16:10 Party stability comes first
20:15 “Pretty much business as usual.”
23:57 End of Raeesah-gate?
Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah ([email protected])
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 & Natasha Liew
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]
---
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
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Johor votes in July – but the real contest is whether Malaysia's unity government survives the campaign trail.
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 bureau chief Shannon Teoh and host Zurairi A.R. are joined by Dr Francis Hutchinson, coordinator of the Malaysia Studies Programme at ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.
Highlights (click/tap above):
5:20 Johor votes on July 11 – what does BN actually need to achieve in its own fortress state, beyond just winning?
13:50 What single result in Johor would most change the national political conversation heading into GE16?
21:20 Governing together versus fighting an election together – what would a real PH-BN electoral pact for GE16 actually need to look like?
29:40 BN wants 115 seats; PH won 82 in GE15 – is there any serious, practical negotiation happening for a pact?
32:00 Why did Anwar raise the prospect of a snap election publicly – genuine frustration, or a negotiating tactic?
35:10 Can we book our year-end holidays yet, or is GE16 actually happening in 2026?
39:00 Malaysia bans social media for under-16s – but where do these kids actually go now?
Read more:
Johor vote may shape Negeri Sembilan race as staggered polls raise questions: https://str.sg/4mkFp
Negeri Sembilan crisis signals end is nigh for Anwar’s unity government: https://str.sg/fsUA
Where do we go now? Malaysia's under-16 social media ban leaves teens detached and displaced: https://str.sg/tVuZG
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
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]
---
Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
---
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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The Chinese film Dear You, shot almost entirely in Teochew, is not only a box office hit - it has ignited intense debate among Chinese Singaporeans.
From film-makers to politicians, many people have weighed in on the authorities’ decision to limit screenings of the Teochew version, and instead have a wider general release for the Mandarin-dubbed version.
The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) said that this move supports the bilingual policy which aims to promote Mandarin as the main language among Chinese Singaporeans.
But the strict policing of dialects, when other foreign language films have been allowed to be screened, has the local audience asking: is it time to relook how we treat dialects?
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:08 Why strong reaction to limited Teochew screenings?
6:22 Is it a film that touches only Teochews?
9:27 What's lost in dubbed movies?
13:11 Is the outrage fair?
15:27 Time to relook policy on dialects in film?
20:40 Has the Speak Mandarin Campaign been too successful?
23:48 Can Chinese dialects and Mandarin coexist?
29:08 “We’re not comparing like for like.”
31:34 Are dialects less valuable than Mandarin?
35:45 Who’s learning dialects now?
38:17 Beyond the uproar, what happens next?
Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah ([email protected])
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 & Natasha Liew
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]
---
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
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#tup #tuptrf
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Targeting one-child couples for a second child is lower-hanging fruit than pushing for a third under the Large Families Scheme, says a researcher.
Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.
Stopping at one or two children is such a norm in Singapore that a 'large family' now means having three or more children.
This definition comes after the government launched the large families scheme in 2025, in a bid to encourage Singaporeans to expand their households.
In its first year alone, the scheme has already stepped in to help about 5,000 Singaporean children. Each of them received up to $16,000 in additional grants to ease the financial load of multi-child parenting.
But can money alone shift a couple’s mindsets to having more children?
Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies Kalpana Vignehsa joins assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong to discuss the modern realities, anxieties, and choices of raising children in Singapore.
Highlights (click/tap above):
7:27 Why focus on one-child family instead of two-child families under Large Families Scheme
25:48 BTO Co-Living: Building a Child-Raising Community with 12 Families
28:16 $300,000? $500,000? The value of child-raising to society
36:04 Why a family with 3 kids is usually on a single income
50:14 Youth prioritising education, NS and BTO, leaving no room for marriage, let alone babies
Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH
Follow Lynda Hong on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/Gm2v
Host: Lynda Hong ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai
Executive producers: Danson Cheong and 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
Feedback to: [email protected]
---
Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast
---
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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#inyouropinion
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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 online posts that target the Indian community, such as by suggesting that Singapore was being overrun by Indians.
Investigations showed that the content most likely originated from a platform based in China and was subsequently carried on other platforms and websites, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement on June 6.
In this episode, US Bureau Chief Bhagyashree Garekar chats with a US-based expert who has studied disinformation, defined as organised and systematic efforts to manipulate people and to transmit false narratives.
Darrell West of the Brookings Institution has carried out extensive research on how technologies such as generative AI can be used to create serious threats to personal safety, race relations and governance.
He is a senior fellow at the Center for Technology Innovation within the Governance Studies programme.
He is the co-author of Lies That Kill: A Citizen’s Guide to Disinformation. It explains how falsehoods spread and what citizens, institutions, and policymakers can do to resist them.
His bottom line? Only you can protect yourself from disinformation.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:03 Disinformation is more than misinformation
4:12 Where is all the disinformation coming from?
5:08 How Iran beat the US in information war
8:10 Does the US use disinformation as well?
10:12 Who’s at the top of the disinfo game?
13:30 Do disinfo producers ever pay a price?
19:04 Disinformation will get worse ahead of US elections
20:41 Only you can protect you
24:32 Are Gen Z better at detecting fakes?
More articles on:
Singapore blocks online posts targeting Indian community; content likely from China-based platform: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/spore-blocks-online-posts-targeting-indian-community-content-likely-from-china-based-platform
Behind the anti-Indian posts: How social media pages mix divisive narratives with clickbait: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/behind-the-anti-indian-posts-how-social-media-pages-mix-divisive-narratives-with-clickbait
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
Feedback to: [email protected]
---
Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast
---
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
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Independent content creators in China are making online posts disparaging Singapore, its politicians and minorities.
The latter, in particular, has made the authorities here concerned enough to block access to 14 online posts earlier in June, which targeted the Indian community and contained inflammatory narratives about Singapore’s cultural diversity.If the content isn’t state-sanctioned, what’s driving Chinese content creators to make such posts, and why did it find an audience here?
In this episode, I chat with:
Benjamin Ang, the head of the Centre of Excellence for National Security, Future Issues and Technology at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. He researches cybersecurity, digital security and disinformation, and
Straits Times senior columnist Tan Dawn Wei, who writes about China and its relations with the rest of the world. She was in Beijing for seven years from 2018 as ST’s China bureau chief, covering all aspects of the country, from its domestic politics to its economy.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:58 Difference between state-directed vs organic disinformation
3:56 Clicks for “outrageous” content
9:05 All about the clicks
10:23 "We just happen to be a hot topic.”
13:06 Why did the content focus on race?
18:05 Does the racist content reflect how some Singaporeans think?
21:21 How polarisation can happen
26:10 Why doesn’t the Chinese government take down such content?
Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah ([email protected])
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 & Natasha Liew
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
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Singapore's new Online Safety Commission (OSC) rolls out to combat cyberbullying, deepfakes, and online harms. But will this law protect victims, or will trolls simply hide in darker corners?
Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.
Imagine discovering that your face and voice have been hijacked, manipulated into a deepfake, and broadcast across the internet. It is a chilling violation of privacy, and it proves a terrifying point: no one is immune to online harms.As digital abuse, cyberbullying, and image-based violence become increasingly normalised, the rules of engagement are also shifting. Enter the Online Safety Commission (OSC) that Singapore is officially rolling out in June 2026.
This new regulatory watchdog is designed to force tech giants to take down harmful content and give victims some respite from the harassment and bullying. But will this new law actually have the teeth to protect us? Or will trolls quickly invent new ways to circumvent it?
In this episode of In Your Opinion, assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong sits down with legal expert and founder of SG Her Empowerment (SHE) Stefanie Yuen Thio. Yuen Thio shares her personal ordeal as a deepfake victim and uncovers the severe realities of digital abuse facing youths in Singapore today – including the alarming normalisation of teenagers selling intimate photos for $50.
Highlights (click/tap above):
3:14 Her personal experience surviving a deepfake attack
7:43 How "trusted flaggers" like SHE get harmful content taken down faster than standard reporting
9:57 What the new Online Safety Commission (OSC) actually means for victims of cyberbullying
24:36 The disturbing reality of youths commodifying their bodies and selling intimate photos for $50
27:22 Beyond the law: The urgent need for age assurance technology and bystander intervention
Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH
Follow Lynda Hong on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/Gm2v
Host: Lynda Hong ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai
Executive producers: Danson Cheong and Lynda Hong
Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:
Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt
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Are Singaporeans too rigid to be funny? How to take ourselves less seriously to overcome stress.
Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, get a head start in your personal finance, career and life with The Straits Times.
In this episode, theatrical clown and actor Shanice Stanislaus shares with host See Kai Wen about how thinking and acting like a clown can help navigate high-pressure environments.
The “Clown Mentality” includes having the audacity to dream and try, never afraid of failing and finding ways to add whimsy into your life. We all have a little clown in our pockets.
Shanice also speaks about her journey as one of the only few professional clowns in Singapore, her award-winning clown shows, and how she helps Singaporeans find their “funny” in her workshops.
Highlights (click/tap above):
0:00 What is clowning?
02:58 Are Singaporeans too uptight to be funny?
07:11 Why we need to learn how to fail
10:51 Comedy is truth and pain wrapped nicely
15:33 Using humour to break the ice in work situations
21:55 How to find your inner clown and humour
25:47 Adopting a “Clown Mentality”
27:51 Shanice’s experience performing as a clown overseas
Follow See Kai Wen on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/qfwqQ
Host: See Kai Wen ([email protected])
Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim
Executive producers: Elizabeth Law and 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: [email protected]
Get business/career tips in ST's Headstart newsletter: https://str.sg/headstart-nl
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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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Can Trump and Xi’s new ‘constructive’ framework bring stability to the US-China dynamic?
Synopsis: 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 speaks with Wang Xiangwei, the eminent Hongkong-based China scholar and former editor-in-chief of South China Morning Post.
Wang, who is soon heading to the Harvard Kennedy School of Government as a Senior Visiting Fellow, offers a Chinese perspective on the changing dynamics of the US-China relationship, with Beijing now treated as a near-peer by Washington, and increasingly able to set the agenda.
US President Donald Trump, he says, is the most China-friendly person in his Cabinet and the days when even Chinese garlic was treated as a national security risk are long over.
In an odd way, China does not wish to see the US retrench from Asia entirely.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:26 How things have changed in US-China ties
5:20 ‘G-2’ is in place now, and China a peer equal
8:55 Goodbye, Indo-Pacific
13:20 Up ahead, long period of stability
16:17 For the first time, China sets the agenda
20:36 Boards of trade, investment
26:22 Surprise, Surprise…China wants US to stay in 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
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
Feedback to: [email protected]
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The scheme was meant to build closer ties between parents and schools. Has it achieved its intended purpose, or outlived its usefulness?
Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.
Would you volunteer your time and effort to get your child into a primary school of your choice? For many parents, it’s a no-brainer - even if it involves a huge commitment.
Parent volunteering was introduced as part of the P1 registration system as a way to encourage parents to be more involved in their child’s education and build closer ties between parents and the school. Schools also benefitted from the extra help in their programmes and events.
In 1998, it was announced that parent volunteers would have to complete at least 40 hours of service to the school to register their child in an earlier phase of P1 registration.
But the scheme’s immense popularity among parents has caused it to become increasingly competitive. Some parents ballot to have a chance to volunteer. Others prepare detailed curriculums or send CVs to schools. Some schools no longer accept parent volunteers.
It’s raised questions: Given that volunteering requires time, effort and skills, does the scheme really only benefit parents who have resources?
And isn’t volunteering meant to be something done out of a genuine desire to do good, rather than expecting something in return?
How did the parent volunteer scheme turn into an arms race? Has it outlived its usefulness? Is it time to scrap the scheme entirely?
In this episode of In Your Opinion, Assistant Opinion Editor Lianne Chia speaks with Associate Professor Jason Tan from the National Institute of Education to understand the original intentions of the scheme, what happened along the way - and why choosing a child’s primary school has become such a high-stakes, high anxiety exercise.
Highlights (click/tap above):
4:20 Has the parent volunteer scheme achieved its initial purpose?
5:59 Does the scheme turn volunteering into a transaction?
9:33 How did the P1 volunteering scheme become an arms race?
16:22 Can we really blame parents?
23:59 Is there a way we can return the scheme to its original intention?
27:32 Should we scrap the volunteering scheme - or double down on it?
Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH
Host: Lianne Chia ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim
Executive producers: Danson Cheong & Lynda Hong
Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:
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Your guide to a kinder end-of-life journey in the ICU.
Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.
Tan Tock Seng Hospital and National University Hospital recently launched a new initiative called A Kinder ICU that is supported by a 3.93 million grant from the Lien Foundation. The aim is to integrate palliative care into standard ICU treatment.
In this episode, Joyce Teo finds out more about the initiative and the nature of palliative care from her two guests. They discuss how palliative care has evolved and how it provides essential support to patients who are critically ill and their families.
The conversation also explores the importance of reflecting on the desired quality of life as one approaches the end of their journey.
The two guests are Assistant Professor Neo Han Yee, a senior consultant and head of the palliative medicine department at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, and Ms Charmaine Sim, an advanced practice nurse at the medical intensive care unit at the National University Hospital.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:26 Palliative care 10-20 years ago vs now
5:28 Feeling conflicted seeing a family member in the ICU
9:27 There is an art to palliative care
10:23 Life presents you with unexpected crises
14:10 Medical staff will also feel distressed if they are imposing pain on patients
21:12 Helping the family of a man who fell critically ill just before he was about to return home
23:40 Is it fair to keep trying to save his life?
25:03 The doctor is legally authorised to withdraw life support when life-sustaining efforts are futile, but there’s a need to help the family hold that grief
29:30 Filial piety is a virtue but it can also create a sense of guilt
34:26 What is the minimum quality of life you want to live by?
35:43 You cannot assume that you will pass away in your sleep…
Read Joyce Teo's stories: https://str.sg/JbxN
Host: Joyce Teo ([email protected])
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
Feedback to: [email protected]
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The 2026 World Cup in North America is just around the corner but is it in danger of being too bloated?
The June 11-July 19 tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada will feature a record 48 teams from six confederations, with 12 groups of four teams each.
A new round of 32 will make its debut and the tournament will feature a record 104 matches in total, 40 games more than the 2022 edition in Qatar.
Four countries that will be making their debut in North America are Curacao – the smallest nation ever to qualify for a World Cup – fellow minnows Cape Verde, and Asian newcomers Jordan and Uzbekistan.
In comparison over World Cup history, the first tournament in Uruguay in 1930 had just 13 teams – three groups of three and one group of four nations. One winner from each group advanced to the semi-finals and the tournament comprised only 18 matches. There were no qualifiers then as it was an invitational tournament.
In this episode, The Straits Times collaborates with Money FM 89.3’s Sports Minutes to invite nine fans in Singapore - who hail from participating World Cup nations - and together with columnist and pundit Neil Humphreys, they look ahead to what is in store at the June 11 to July 19 tournament.
Representing their home countries but based in Singapore, are the following fans featured:
Mexico: Mauricio Espinoza, chef/owner of Papi's Tacos in SG
Argentina: Lucas Bilbao, co-founder, Minga Creative Company
France: Stephane Missier, chief strategy officer, BBH Singapore
Brazil: Matheus De Moura Sena, senior tax manager, Deloitte
Spain: Sahil Naresh Primalani, founder, Aula De Lenguas
England: Faraaz Marghoob, group strategy director, BBH Singapore
Morocco: Karim Bencherifa, football coach
Japan: Shuya Yamashita, BG Tampines Rovers footballer
Germany: Lennart Thy, Lion City Sailors footballer
Try out The Straits Times World Cup results simulator: https://www.straitstimes.com/multimedia/graphics/2025/12/worldcup-2026-simulator/index.html
Highlights (click/tap above):
0:55 Humphreys: Quality over quantity? Was it only about the money, not simply inclusivity & diversity?
2:43 Mexico, masks and the love of the game
5:12 Can Argentina make it two in a row?
7:00 A classic modern rivalry between France and Argentina
8:40 Mayonnaise: How mixing special ingredients needs to be done right too, in the case of France with many superstars
10:00 A comeback for Brazil, Spanish flair, or is football finally "coming home"?
14:06 The Morocco dream, history for Japan? Will Germany switch it?
19:09 Can World Cup 2026 overcome all the issues surrounding it?
22:10 World Cup 2026 favourites? Dark horses?
36:35 Is Cristiano Ronaldo too old? Who else should win the World Cup?
Host: Deepanraj Ganesan ([email protected]) & Zia-ul Raushan ([email protected])
Filmed by: Studio+65
Edited by: Jonathan Roberts, deputy head, Audience Lab (video)
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Being uber-responsible, people-pleasing and a perfectionist are traits that first-born girls in Asia purportedly have.
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.A book in Taiwan on the so-called “eldest daughter syndrome” is now a bestseller translated into other languages.
It looks at how many first-born women in the East Asian society struggle with perfectionism, people-pleasing, burnout, anxiety and other mental health struggles. This often arises from the profound psychological and physical pressures that they face at home.
What is even more insidious is when these traits carry over from the private space to their workplace.
Taiwan correspondent Yip Wai Yee, herself a first-born girl, speaks to foreign editor Li Xueying, another first-born girl, on her personal experience, as well as the question: where is all of this coming from?
Highlights (click/tap above):1:58 What is the eldest daughter syndrome
4:43 Myth vs social expectations
6:29 Eldest daughter syndrome entrenched in Taiwan society
10:17 How it plays into workplace burnout and boundaries
13:55 Managing guilt and saying no as an eldest daughter
Read Yip Wai Yee’s article here: https://str.sg/jbsK
Read Li Xueying’s articles: https://str.sg/iqmR
Follow Li Xueying on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/ip4x
Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz
Host: Li Xueying ([email protected])
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
Feedback to: [email protected]
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A recent Straits Times survey of 1,000 unmarried people explained why the dating scene is so bleak: it’s hard to meet new people, dating can be expensive and there are unrealistic expectations of love and relationships.
In this episode, Natasha chats with:
• Liu Zhiqun, co-founder of Kopi Date, a dating platform that curates one-on-one coffee dates, and
• Dr Kenneth Tan, an assistant professor of psychology at Singapore Management University, who studies relationships from end-to-end - that is from singlehood to why relationships end.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:53 Has dating become harder?
5:29 21 years old, no dating experience
10:10 The ‘perfect partner’ problem
11:33 Has social media warped our idea of romance
14:21 Dating 101: teaching rejection in schools?
18:29 Why people don’t bring their best self on dates
21:46 “Why do I have to work for love as well?”
27:15 Is school the best place to look for love?
31:20 Fear of being alone leads to settling
32:34 Red flags, icks: are they just excuses?
36:25 Old-school gender rules in a modern dating world
41:52 Can the Government fix our love lives?
Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah ([email protected])
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 & Natasha Liew
Executive producer: Danson Cheong
Producers: Natasha Ann Zachariah and Elizabeth Law
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]
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- Visa fler
