The Straits Times Podcasts

Could “return to office” save workplace toxicity? Synopsis: Every first Monday of the month, the Work Talk podcast helps you work smarter, think deeper and get ahead in your work life. “There are elements of working hybrid that can easily lead to situations that become toxic. And that is one of the things that we want to recognise, so we can recognise when those are happening and cut them off,” says associate professor Mark Mortensen, of organisational behaviour at Insead university. If you are reading this on the way to the office, or at your workplace, you may be one of those who wonder why you have been summoned back to the office. About 79 per cent of Singapore workers are showing up on mandated days, more than the global average of 75 per cent, says a report by workplace strategy and design firm Unispace. In this episode, ST's senior correspondent Krist Boo hosts Prof Mortensen, who cautions that long-term hybrid work could lead to workplace toxicity. Joining the podcast too, is Ms Yoshi Kakimoto, head of talent acquisition at Informa, and Mr Mark Ng, the social content lead at employment portal JobStreet.  They round up hybrid work from the perspectives of business, HR and Gen Z, and also  question if the downsides of seeing too much of one’s colleagues might justify working from home. Highlights (click/tap above): 5:29 Do companies offering hybrid work have an edge in hiring?  8:25 Why doesn’t anyone talk about the downsides of Return To Office? 12:07 How could bosses resolve the discord over the number of remote days?  14:21 Is an equilibrium in sight? 16:39 How do young people find mentorship in a hybrid world?      Produced by: Krist Boo (kristb@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, Teo Tong Kai and Hadyu Rahim Edited by: Teo Tong Kai Follow ST's Your Money & Career Podcast channel here: Channel: https://str.sg/wB2m Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wuN3 Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/ioWR  Spotify: https://str.sg/wBr9 SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/ Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Read Krist Boo's Work Talk columns: https://str.sg/wB2P Get business/career tips in ST's HeadSTart newsletter: https://str.sg/headstart-nl --- Discover more ST podcast channels: In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE #PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts -- Special edition series: True Crimes Of Asia (new): https://str.sg/i44T The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2 Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa --- Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts! #moneycareerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This nascent industry holds much promise but needs to manage the giddy ambitions of some investors and governments.  Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. Everyone is talking about green hydrogen as the fuel of the future. It’s regarded as a key way the global economy can transition away from polluting fossil fuels to create a cleaner and greener future.  Huge projects have been announced worth many billions of dollars. And more and more governments say they see the promise of using renewable energy to create hydrogen that can power factories, generate electricity and even fuel ships and planes.  But is this all just more hype or is there real promise in rapidly scaling up green hydrogen production? To find out the challenges ahead, ST's climate editor David Fogarty hosts Mr Alex Tancock, chief executive officer and co-founder of InterContinental Energy, a developer of large-scale hydrogen projects in some of the sunniest places on Earth.  Highlights (click/tap above): 1:34 What is green hydrogen? Why is it attracting so much interest from investors and governments? 4:21 Main uses for green hydrogen 16:40 More than 1,000 green hydrogen projects have been announced recently, yet very few have reached financial close: What's holding the industry back? 20:27 Mr Alex Tancock: "The challenge we have is to scale-up and scale-up very quickly. And I see that as more of an opportunity." 21:46 Costs of green hydrogen Produced by: David Fogarty (dfogarty@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, Hadyu Rahim & Paxton Pang Edited by: Fa'izah Sani & Hadyu Rahim Follow Green Pulse Podcast here and rate us: Channel: https://str.sg/JWaf Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWaY Spotify: https://str.sg/JWag Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/J6EV  Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Follow David Fogarty on Twitter: https://str.sg/JLM6 Read his articles: https://str.sg/JLMu --- Discover more ST podcast channels: COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE #PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts --- Special edition series: True Crimes Of Asia (new): https://str.sg/i44T The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2 Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa --- Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts! #greenpulseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Voters looked past the issues plaguing the ruling People's Action Party in recent months. Synopsis: The Straits Times looks at Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s landslide victory in the 2023 Presidential Election on Sept 1 despite his political background and affiliation to the ruling People’s Action Party till recently. Mr Tharman secured 70.4 per cent of the ballot. Former GIC investment chief Ng Kok Song received 15.72 per cent of the vote, while Mr Tan Kin Lian, the former chief executive of NTUC Income, received 13.88 per cent. It showed voters focused on Mr Tharman's credentials and who they thought would best represent Singapore on the world stage, as raised in this discussion between ST's multimedia correspondent Hairianto Diman and deputy news editor Grace Ho. With President Halimah Yacob’s six-year term ending on Sept 13, Mr Tharman will be sworn in as president at the Istana on Sept 14. Read Grace Ho's commentary: https://str.sg/iS97  Produced by: ST Video Edited by: Paxton Pang Follow ST Podcasts: Channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukK Spotify: https://str.sg/wukH Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukr SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/ Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg --- Discover more ST podcast channels: In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE #PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts --- Special edition series: True Crimes Of Asia (new): https://str.sg/i44T The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2 Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa --- Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join us along the Laos-China Railway, as we unveil the changes it has brought to people and places. Synopsis: In a special series called Tales from the Belt and Road, The Straits Times' Indochina bureau chief Tan Hui Yee takes you to places in the region where China’s infrastructure drive is creating the most impact. For this episode, she travels to Luang Prabang town in Laos, where the new Laos-China Railway is bringing cross-border passengers and Chinese investors. Highlights (click/tap above): (Headphones recommended) 1:36 Luang Prabang’s rainy seasons are not so quiet anymore. 4:10 Chinese tourists arrive in Luang Prabang from Kunming. 5:52 Chinese tourists take part in the daily alms-giving ritual with great gusto. 8:06 Sales are good at the morning market. 9:28 Chinese investor opens hotel in Luang Prabang  11:18 Hearing Mandarin in places you least expect it Produced by: Tan Hui Yee (tanhy@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis and Eden Soh Voiceovers: Ernest Luis, Teo Tong Kai, Jean Iau, Joyce Teo, Lee Su Shyan, Nurulnadiah Mohamed Noh Edited by: Eden Soh Follow our Asian Insider Podcast channel and rate us: Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7 Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8 Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wQsB Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/ Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Read Tan Hui Yee's stories: https://str.sg/wDqT Follow Hui Yee on Twitter: https://str.sg/wDqq Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters --- Discover more ST podcast channels: COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE #PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts --- Special edition series: The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2 Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa --- Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts! #STAsianInsiderSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our guests on how youth in Singapore, aged 18 to 35, can be quite diverse in opinions. Synopsis: Every second and fourth Monday of the month, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests. In this episode, we look at how social media and podcasts have helped presidential candidates win hearts and minds before Singaporeans go to the polls on Sept 1, 2023, this coming Friday.  ST's Jean Iau and Natasha Ann Zachariah - who cover Singapore politics - host two youths in the studio to discuss how well each candidate has used social media and why it matters to young people. Their first guest is Mr Joel Lim, 30, managing director of Zyrup Media and host of Political Prude: The Podcast, a show catered towards young adults. He has hosted all three presidential candidates on his show recently. Their second guest is Mr Maximilian Oh, a 23-year-old third-year undergraduate from the National University of Singapore pursuing a degree in political science and philosophy. He is a keen follower of politics and current affairs. Highlights (click/tap above): 3:50 Joel Lim recounts personal highlights of each candidate after he hosted them on his podcast 8:55 What is an assumption about the 'youth vote' that may not be true? Maximilian Oh on why it's not a "cohesive" voting block 11:20 Some of their peers tell them they're even considering who would make a "good presidential couple" visually in portraits 12:30 Do the personal lives of the candidates matter to young voters? 18:20 Why the WhatsApp strategy of Mr Ng Kok Song and Mr Tan Kin Lian "speaks" to older generations, in the same way youths engage with the candidates on Instagram or TikTok 26:00 On how youth view non-partisanship, discerning what each candidate means by their own independence Discover Joel Lim's Political Prude: The Podcast: https://str.sg/iSBT Produced by: Jean Iau (jeaniau@sph.com.sg), Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, Hadyu Rahim & Paxton Pang Edited by: Hadyu Rahim Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here twice a month and rate us: Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wztc SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/ Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Read ST's Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH Read Jean Iau's articles: https://str.sg/iSXW Read Natasha Ann Zachariah’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm --- Discover more ST podcast channels: COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE #PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts --- Special edition series: True Crimes Of Asia (new): https://str.sg/i44T The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2 Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa --- Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts! #inyouropinion #asianinsiderSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Progression, resilience, and inclusion are key areas of concern at public Forward SG sessions on jobs and upskilling. Synopsis: Every second and fourth Monday of the month, The Straits Times takes a hard look at social issues of the day with guests. The Forward Singapore exercise began in June 2022, and since then, over 14,000 Singaporeans from all walks of life have participated in about 140 engagement sessions on a wide range of topics. This is the first of four podcast discussions till mid-October, and part of the ongoing conversation to refresh our social compact for the next lap of Singapore's journey. ST's podcast editor Ernest Luis hosts three guests in this episode: Mr Kenny Tan, Deputy Secretary for Workforce at the Ministry of Manpower Mr Ivan Lua was once an airforce officer and has made a successful career transition at the age of 36, to his current role as Information and Cyber Security Risk Specialist at Standard Chartered Bank, Singapore after taking part in the Technology in Finance Immersion Programme (TFIP) offered by Workforce Singapore and the Institute of Banking and Finance Mr Keith Ng, the CEO of Performance Rotors, a company that was started in 2016 to build drones and develop robotics solutions for data acquisition in GPS denied and confined space environments.  This podcast is brought to you by the Ministry of Communications and Information, in support of Forward Singapore: https://str.sg/wFbY Highlights (click/tap above): 4:23 Mr Lua on how he decided and prepared to change careers, from the airforce to the banking industry now 5:34 Single career path in life no longer the norm: Deputy Secretary Kenny Tan on why even new jobs created by new technologies today might be replaced - "career agility" the key 8:33 Mr Lua on his reservations, confidence, and his career transition experience 14:50 Why Singaporeans should start taking charge of their "career health", as DS Tan explains the importance of Singaporean evolving their own mindsets 21:54 Mr Ng on his personal experience of hiring a mature worker in 2021 through Workforce Singapore's Career Conversion Programme for Internationalisation Professionals  28:00 Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) employ over 70 per cent of Singapore's workforce; why SMEs should step forward first too, learn to transform jobs and look at national subsidies for training programmes More on: Forward Singapore website: https://str.sg/wFbY WSG's Career Conversion Programme: https://str.sg/iSpM SkillsFuture Advice: https://str.sg/iSp8 Produced by: Ernest Luis (ernest@sph.com.sg), Hadyu Rahim & Paxton Pang Edited by: Hadyu Rahim Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here twice a month and rate us: Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wztc SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/ Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Read ST's Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH --- Discover more ST podcast channels: In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE #PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts --- Special edition series: True Crimes Of Asia (new): https://str.sg/i44T The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2 Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa --- Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts! #inyouropinionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It can be traced back to his daughter's lifelong fixation with the Hong Kong movie star. Synopsis: Can I Tell You Something Crazy is a new scripted series under the #PopVultures banner, which examines with fresh eyes, events that shook Asian media and entertainment. In March 2007, Hong Kong movie star Andy Lau attended a joyous event organised by Andy World Club, his official fan club. There, he played games, chatted with fans and took photos - including one with Yang Lijuan, a Chinese fan who had travelled from her hometown of Gansu province in China to meet her lifelong idol. Everything seemed fine. But just a day later, Yang Lijuan's father - a retired schoolteacher named Yang Qinji - threw himself into the sea and left behind a 3,000-word suicide note addressed to Lau. In it he wrote: “Andy Lau, your heart is black, you have no conscience. You are worse than a dog.”  What had world-famous film star Lau done to incur such wrath from a humble schoolteacher in China?  In this episode of Can I Tell You Something Crazy, #PopVultures host Jan Lee revisits the most infamous "fan" in China - Yang Lijuan. Her father burnt through his savings, sold their family's house and eventually took his own life, all to support his daughter's lifelong, unhealthy fixation with Lau. This is not just a story of one of the most extreme and tragic examples of what celebrity obsession can lead to, it is also a cautionary tale - about the incredible power the media wields and the incredible damage it can inflict. Produced by: Jan Lee (janlee@sph.com.sg), Paxton Pang and Eden Soh Edited by: Paxton Pang Follow #PopVultures Podcast episodes here every month:  Channel: https://str.sg/JWad Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWaA Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaP  Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/Ju47  SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/ Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Follow Jan Lee on Instagram: https://str.sg/Jbxc Read Jan Lee's articles: https://str.sg/Jbxp --- Discover more ST podcast channels: COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE #PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts --- Special edition series: True Crimes Of Asia (new): https://str.sg/i44T The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2 Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa --- Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts! #PVSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rohingya remain the world’s largest number of stateless people, with over one million driven out of Myanmar living in camps in Bangladesh. Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times' US bureau chief Nirmal Ghosh presents an Asian perspective of the biggest global talking points with expert guests. Life for the over one million Rohingya in refugee camps in Bangladesh continues to become increasingly intolerable, with food rations down to 27 US cents a day, and little or no hope for a return to their homeland in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. This is where they have, over the years, been driven out from, in successive waves of pogroms, which refer to an organised massacre of a particular ethnic group. In Rakhine state, life gets no better either. Earlier in August, at least 27 Rohingya drowned when their boat sank offshore earlier this month as they tried to make the perilous journey to Malaysia across treacherous open seas. In his 100th episode, host Nirmal Ghosh chats with his guests - Mr Johannes van der Klaauw - the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' representative in Bangladesh, and Mr Richard Horsey, senior advisor on Myanmar at the International Crisis Group. Highlights (click/tap above): 1:40 Mr Van der Klaauw describes the ground situation in the Rohingya camps and what the international community needs to understand 8:35 Mr Horsey on hope and an extremely difficult policy challenge for the Rohingya, if Myanmar's Rakhine state is not even fixed in the first place itself 15:25 Status of moves to repatriate refugees back to Rakhine, or resettlement in a "third" country 20:40 Dangerous gambles by the Rohingya to reach other countries Produced by: Nirmal Ghosh (nirmal@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, Fa’izah Sani Edited by: Fa’izah Sani Follow Asian Insider with Nirmal Ghosh every fourth Friday of the month here: Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7 Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8 Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wQsB Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Follow Nirmal Ghosh on Twitter: https://str.sg/JD7r Read Nirmal Ghosh's articles: https://str.sg/JbxG Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters --- Discover more ST podcast channels: COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE #PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts --- Special edition series: The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2 Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa --- Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts! #STAsianInsiderSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our guests have regularly attended Forward SG engagement sessions to air their views. Synopsis: Every second and fourth Monday of the month, The Straits Times takes a hard look at social issues of the day with guests. At the National Day Rally recently on Aug 20, 2023, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced an overhaul of the current housing estate classification system. The current mature and non-mature system will end by the second half of 2024, and from then on, new Build-To-Order (BTO) flats will be split into three categories - Standard, Plus and Prime - under a new framework with tiered buying-and-selling restrictions. In this episode, ST's podcast editor Ernest Luis finds out the sentiments of two unattached singles. Mr Mohamad Arshad is a 26-year-old sales development executive and Mr Cho Ming Xiu, 36, runs a non-profit mental health organisation for youths and young adults, called Campus PSY.  Highlights (click/tap above): 3:45 Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong emphasises affordability, good social mix. fairness, as the ideals underlining the reasons for the change; Arshad's and Cho's views 7:12 PM said more Singaporeans are choosing to be single; new system more flexible for singles such as Cho at the age of 36 9:45 Entire flat rental restrictions for future Plus flat owners: Too strict or good to deter those who simply want to profit? 13:30 On the new 30-month wait-out period for private property owners who wish to buy a resale Prime or Plus flat Produced by: Ernest Luis (ernest@sph.com.sg), Hadyu Rahim & Paxton Pang Edited by: Hadyu Rahim Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here twice a month and rate us: Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wztc SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/ Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Read ST's Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH --- Discover more ST podcast channels: In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE #PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts --- Special edition series: True Crimes Of Asia (new): https://str.sg/i44T The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2 Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa --- Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts! #inyouropinionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should fans welcome it or be concerned? And why? Synopsis: Every fourth Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times dives into a sports topic and tackles the hard questions with its guests on Hard Tackle. A new dawn for football in the Gulf kingdom kicked off in August 2023, as the league took its first bold steps towards becoming a force to be reckoned with in world football. Football is currently in the limelight with the Saudi Pro League having invested over €600 million (S$886.7 million) to lure a host of top players and coaches from European clubs.  What is the end goal? Sport business group leader for Deloitte Asia-Pacific - James Walton - and ST Sports columnist John Brewin, join ST sports reporter Deepanraj Ganesan to discuss the pursuit of sports dominance by Saudi Arabia and if the rest of the sporting world should be concerned. Highlights (click/tap above): 3:20 The differences between what China did with its Chinese Super League and the Saudi attempt 9:00 Why are Saudi Arabia so invested in sport? What is their goal? 15:10 Should fans be concerned by Saudi Arabia’s investment in football and sport? 22:20 John Brewin on why the influx of money into the English Premier League was more accepted compared to the latest trend in the Middle East 28:40 The future of Saudi Arabia’s plans in sports Read more: https://str.sg/iSkj Produced by: Deepanraj Ganesan (gdeepan@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, Paxton Pang & Eden Soh Edited by: Eden Soh Follow ST Sports Talk & Hard Tackle Podcasts every second and fourth Wednesdays of the month: Channel: https://str.sg/JWRE Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWRa Spotify: https://str.sg/JW6N Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/JX88 SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/ Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Follow Deepanraj Ganesan on X: https://str.sg/wtra Read his articles: https://str.sg/ip4G --- Discover more ST podcast channels: COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE #PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts --- Special edition series: True Crimes Of Asia (new): https://str.sg/i44T The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2 Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa --- Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts! #sportstalk #asianinsiderSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.