Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong becomes Singapore’s fourth prime minister on May 15, 2024, when he succeeds current PM Lee Hsien Loong.  Synopsis: The Straits Times’ Natasha Ann Zachariah explores contemporary societal choices and youth perspectives and digs deeper into issues of the day. The upcoming leadership transition - when Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong becomes Singapore’s fourth prime minister on May 15 - has ignited discussions about where Singapore goes from here.In particular, what issues are youths most concerned about before they go to the ballot box in the next General Election? In this episode of The Usual Place, Natasha hosts three guests: Joel Lim, 31, host of Political Prude: The Podcast Gautham Vijayan Kumaran, 26, a final-year student at the National University of Singapore Carissa Cheow, 28, the chief strategy officer for a tech firm and a career counsellor From expectations of DPM Wong when he takes over as prime minister, to their thoughts of how the impending general election will play out, these three guests candidly share their views and shed some insight on what youths might want to see from their future political leaders. Highlights (Click/tap above): 4:18 Qualities youth are looking for in Singapore's next PM 12:19 What youth are looking for when the next election comes around 19:31 Is there a dichotomy between traditional bread-and-butter concerns and wider, all-encompassing issues such as climate change and civil liberties? 21:58: Are younger voters harder to convince? 31:51: How will scandals of politicians in 2023 factor into the next election? 34:28: Will social media be the dominant platform among voters at the next GE? Host: Natasha Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg) Edited by producers: Teo Tong Kai and Eden Soh Executive producers: Ernest Luis and Lynda Hong Filmed by: Joel Chng and Marc Justin De Souza, ST Video Follow The Usual Place Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops: Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm  Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX  Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P  ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Read Natasha Zachariah's articles: https://str.sg/iSXm Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN --- Discover more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE 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 Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE #PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX --- ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa --- Special edition series: True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): 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 --- 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 #tuptrSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Asia is on the cusp of a summer of life-threatening dengue fever.  Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times' global contributor Nirmal Ghosh shines a light on Asian perspectives of global and Asian issues with expert guests. Dengue fever case numbers have gone up across the global tropics. This includes Singapore, a model in many respects for health surveillance and epidemic control, and mosquito control. In the first quarter of 2024, Singapore recorded more than double the number of cases than in the same period in 2023.  Meanwhile across the world, Latin America and the Caribbean have been warned to prepare for their worst dengue season ever.  The long war against dengue must contend with many factors including climate, weather, and human behaviour. Even without an outbreak or epidemic, dengue may circulate silently among populations.  No single solution is perfect. Dengue vaccines have been developed, but there are four strains of the virus, and the vaccines have different degrees of efficacy.  The key to effective dengue control is health surveillance and a good laboratory system - and in Singapore’s case especially, collaboration with neighbouring countries. Vaccinating populations could help complement other dengue and mosquito control measures. Globally, we discuss how countries must build urban infrastructure to be less mosquito-friendly.  Nirmal Ghosh hosts his guests who are also global dengue gurus: Dr. Duane Gubler, Emeritus Professor and founding director of the Emerging Infectious Diseases Signature Research Programme at Duke-NUS Medical School Dr. Ooi Eng Eong is a Professor in the Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases at Duke-NUS Medical School Highlights (click/tap above):  2:31 Dengue vaccine - the solution for Singapore?  8:06 Important lessons from Sars and Covid-19 16:03 Why a single vaccination cannot prevent dengue entirely  17:52 Contrarian view: Global warming is not the main cause of dengue fever  20:00 Better living standards can help control mosquito-borne diseases 23:19 Should new cities consider mosquito-related issues in building plans? Produced by: Nirmal Ghosh (nirmal@sph.com.sg) and 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 Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Follow Nirmal Ghosh on X: https://str.sg/JD7r Read Nirmal Ghosh's articles: https://str.sg/JbxG Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters --- Discover more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7  The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u  In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt  COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE  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  Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE  #PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad  Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX  --- ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts  ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa  --- Special edition series: True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): 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  --- 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  #STAsianInsiderSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tan Tam Mei reflects on her time as Thailand correspondent, and looks ahead to how the country could navigate geopolitical and domestic politics. Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times chats with ST’s correspondents in the Asia-Pacific, the US and Europe, about life as it goes on, amid the screaming headlines and bubbling crises. A man sings. It is part of Thailand’s folk music tradition from its north-east region of Isan. But he is warbling in Laotian - a reminder of Thailand’s location in the heart of the Mekong region, and its shared culture, language and borders with its neighbours. The pull and push dynamic that Thailand engages with its neighbours is one challenge. Another is how it is grappling with its turbulent domestic politics and shifting attitudes about traditional institutions and beliefs including the monarchy. In this episode, ST’s foreign editor Li Xueying chats with ST’s former Thailand correspondent Tan Tam Mei about her two and a half years based in Bangkok, bookended by Covid-19 protests, and the return of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra after 15 years in exile. Highlights (click/tap above): 0:43 The rise of Thailand’s “rural people” music 6:00 Selling soft power 10:28 The pull and push of Mekong countries 12:41 Thaksin returns, but to a different electorate 13:11 Thailand looks peaceful, but an uneasy dynamic is at play 16:34 A ‘tattoo’, a souvenir of ThailandRead Tam Mei’s articles here: https://str.sg/oZRkj and https://str.sg/uNXj  Produced by: Li Xueying (xueying@sph.com.sg) and Fa’izah Sani Edited by: Fa’izah Sani Follow Letter From The Bureau Podcast every first Friday of the month here: Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7 Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8 Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/ Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Read Li Xueying’s articles: https://str.sg/iqmR  Follow Li Xueying on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/ip4x Read Tan Tam Mei's articles: https://str.sg/ifku  Read ST's Letters From The Bureau: https://str.sg/3xRd Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters --- Discover more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7  The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u  In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt  COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE  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  Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE  #PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad  Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX  --- ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts  ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa  --- Special edition series: True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): 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  --- 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  #STAsianInsiderSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our guests discuss if parenthood is an expectation or choice. Synopsis: The Straits Times’ Natasha Ann Zachariah explores contemporary societal choices and youth perspectives and digs deeper into issues of the day. In Singapore, where preliminary estimates indicate its Total Fertility Rate hit a record low of 0.97 in 2023, some are opting to remain child-free. In the first episode of our new podcast series, The Usual Place’s host Natasha Ann Zachariah brings together two guests who hold opposing views on being parents. Joan Chong, 35, never wants kids. She never yearned for them before she got married, and flat out told her partner when they started dating, that she did not want to be a parent. Meanwhile, Dainial Lim is a passionate voice in favour of embracing the joys of parenthood. To him, having children is a natural path in life after getting married, and it would have been a relationship dealbreaker for him if his wife was not for it. They sit down with Natasha to dissect their personal choices in a candid and unfiltered conversation. What unfolds is a discussion about their choices and dissecting the misconceptions that come with it. Highlights (click/tap above): 3:56 Is it still taboo to say you want to be childfree 6:48 Do women still bear the burden of raising children? 9:44 Joan’s realities of being childfree 14:31 The scary part about having children 17:16 How kids changed Dainial’s life 23:05 Does Joan feel left out for not receiving government incentives? 25:17 Are Singaporean parents entitled? 31:25 If anyone’s on the fence about having children, what would Joan and Dainial tell them? DM Natasha your thoughts on this topic at her IG: https://str.sg/8Wav Watch the video version of this episode: https://str.sg/nZDz Produced by: Natasha Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, Lynda Hong and Studio+65 Edited by: Teo Tong Kai & Eden Soh Follow The Usual Place Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops: Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm  Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX  Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P  ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Read Natasha Zachariah's articles: https://str.sg/iSXm Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN --- Discover more ST podcast channels: The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE 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 Hard Tackle: 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 (6 eps): 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 --- 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 #tuptrSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the Philippines is raising its game to cope with an increasingly aggressive China in the South China Sea. Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times' global contributor Nirmal Ghosh shines a light on Asian perspectives of global and Asian issues with expert guests. Increasingly dangerous encounters between Chinese and Philippine Coast Guard vessels in the South China Sea - claimed almost in its entirety by China but also in part by several other countries including the Philippines - have deepened worries over accidental escalation, not least because the Philippines and the United States have a mutual defence treaty.  The administration of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has taken a more robust stand on China relative to his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte, and the Philippines has sharply upped its defence budget and is enhancing its defence cooperation and military interoperability with the United States.   However, neither the Philippines nor the United States have the appetite for conflict with Manila's giant neighbour - China.  To shine a light on the Philippines’ strategy, host Nirmal Ghosh has two guests in this episode: 1. Former rear admiral with the Philippine Navy Rommel Ong - now professor of praxis at the Ateneo School of Government in the Philippines 2. Dr. Colin Koh, senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore Highlights (click/tap above):  1:43 Why did the Philippines allocate more budget for defence and maritime security in 2024? 3:48 Dr Koh on the Philippines facing uncertainties; Why Prof Ong does not expect a significant increase in US troops in the Philippines 7:58 Dr Koh and Prof Ong on China using "grey zone" tactics like water cannons and aggressive blocking manoeuvres in the South China Sea 8:27 Could tensions escalate to armed conflict in the South China Sea? 14:52 "War" of a different kind between the Philippines and China since April 2023 Produced by: Nirmal Ghosh (nirmal@sph.com.sg) and 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 Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Follow Nirmal Ghosh on X: https://str.sg/JD7r Read Nirmal Ghosh's articles: https://str.sg/JbxG Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters --- Discover more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7  The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u  In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt  COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE  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  Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE  #PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad  Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX  --- ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts  ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa  --- Special edition series: True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): 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  --- 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  #STAsianInsiderSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A conversation with the noted anthropologist and Andamans expert Vishvajit Pandya on the need to balance heritage, developmental and strategic interests as the Andaman and Nicobar islands become a geopolitical hotspot. Synopsis:  Join The Straits Times' associate editor and senior Asia columnist Ravi Velloor, as he distils his experience from four decades of covering the continent. In this episode, Ravi speaks with Prof Visvajit Pandya, an anthropologist who has researched tribes in the Andaman and Nicobar islands for four decades.  They discuss the fate of the Shompen in Great Nicobar, a tribe of fewer than 600 people whose lives are likely to be upended by plans to build tourism resorts and a transhipment port as well as a naval base on the island. Dr Pandya, who has worked with the Shompen, makes a strong case for including their point of view in developmental plans for their island. Highlights (click/tap above): 2:12 India’s plans for the Great Nicobar 5:35 ‘Shy Shompens’ under threat 9:20 Strategic significance of the Andaman and Nicobar 13:15 Limited “carrying capacity” of the islands 16:30 Last of the ‘hostiles’ are Sentinelese 18:45 Port is like a ‘bad sewage system’ 22:45 A right to make choices Produced by: Ravi Velloor (velloor@sph.com.sg) and Fa’izah Sani Edited by: Fa’izah Sani Follow Speaking Of Asia Podcast every second Friday of the month here: Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7 Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8 Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Ravi Velloor's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP Ravi Velloor on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters --- Discover more ST podcast channels: The Usual Place: https://str.sg/5nfm 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 (6 eps): https://str.sg/i4Y3  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.

Discover the mysterious world of Taiwan's popular 'Kuai Kuai' corn chips and how they are believed to bestow magical powers on appliances. Learn about the superstitions and folk traditions surrounding these chips in the technologically advanced society of Taiwan. Delve into the amusing incident where the wrong use of 'Kuai Kuai' chips allegedly crashed Taiwan's tax filing system in 2017.

Hear why most Manipuris - of different ethnic groups - just want an end to militarisation and violence. Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times' global contributor Nirmal Ghosh shines a light on Asian perspectives of global and Asian issues with expert guests. Manipur, in north-east India, is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious state of 3.1 million people. In May 2023, violence exploded between the ethnic Meitei and Kuki people, leaving many dead. Ongoing ethnic violence has claimed many more than 200 lives and left tens of thousands displaced.  Next door in Myanmar, the military regime has at best, tenuous control over its own borders given drug and other kinds of trafficking across the Myanmar-Manipur border.  Most Manipuris - of different ethnic groups - just want an end to militarisation and violence, says Manipur native Binalaskshmi Nepram. The writer, democracy activist, Sean McBride Peace Prize recipient and founder of several local organisations working for disarmament and peace in Manipur and across the north-east, speaks with host Nirmal Ghosh. They shine an insider’s light, on the complexities and the traumas of the troubled border state in a volatile region.  Highlights (click/tap above):  1:33 Eruption of violence in Manipur the result of decades of neglect and discrimination, a criminal political nexus and violent extremism 4:58 War-within-a-war phenomenon: Manipur had about three to four armed groups in the 70s but that has grown to 60 today 8:09 Why the struggle in the north-east of India is also about identities 14:18 What is the future for children growing up in Manipur?  16:45 India wants to build a fence along the border with Myanmar to curb trans-border crime and trafficking Produced by: Nirmal Ghosh (nirmal@sph.com.sg) and 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 Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Follow Nirmal Ghosh on X: https://str.sg/JD7r Read Nirmal Ghosh's articles: https://str.sg/JbxG Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters --- 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 (6 eps): https://str.sg/i4Y3  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.

Former South Korean foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha also ponders the challenges posed by Kim Jong Un’s moves on missiles and Moscow, and Seoul’s ties with Japan.  Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, join The Straits Times' associate editor and senior Asia columnist Ravi Velloor, as he distils his experience from four decades of covering the continent. In this episode, Ravi speaks with Dr Kang Kyung-Wha, the incoming President and CEO of Asia Society. In 2017, she was the first woman to be appointed foreign minister of South Korea, holding the post until early 2021. They discuss how she handled the Trump administration as foreign minister, the South’s position on nuclear deterrence vis a vis a provocative Pyongyang, and her plans for Asia Society. Highlights (click/tap above): 4:38: The US is “certainly overextended”; will US interest in Asia survive a Trump return? 10:11 US-China tensions “will probably increase” 15:30 On North Korea: “War preparation is not the right interpretation” 22:36 Analysing the Kim Jong Un-Putin relationship; does South Korea intend to go nuclear? 30:30 On her experience on multilateral diplomacy 34:54 Will Asia Society open a China office? Produced by: Ravi Velloor (velloor@sph.com.sg) and Fa’izah Sani Edited by: Fa’izah Sani Follow Speaking Of Asia Podcast every second Friday of the month here: Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7 Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8 Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Ravi Velloor's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP Ravi Velloor on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor 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: True Crimes of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i4Y3  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.

We transport you to Keran, which sits on the Line of Control - a ceasefire line dividing Kashmir into territories administered by India and Pakistan. Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times chats with ST’s correspondents in the Asia-Pacific, the US and Europe, about life as it goes on, amid the screaming headlines and bubbling crises.  At a time when people-to-people links are practically non-existent between India and Pakistan, Keran is a rare place where greetings, waves and even smiles could be exchanged. A river, less than 100 metres wide, divides both sides.  Keran, a tiny village of around 1,500, is nestled in a valley within the part of Kashmir that is administered by India. It is here that tourism has boomed in recent years. Visitors come - to stay in houses pockmarked by mortar fragments and to peep into the Pakistan-administered side of the land. In this episode, ST’s foreign editor Li Xueying chats with ST’s India correspondent Debarshi Dasgupta, who also shares his personal history - of family members being torn asunder after the 1947 partition of South Asia. Highlights (click/tap above): 1:14 Why India is moving to promote border tourism 3:15 A beacon of hope but one single major terrorist attack in Kashmir can set this story back by many, many years 7:31 A deep and haunting sense of loss when families are torn apart after South Asia was carved up in 1947 13:25 Difficult questions remain: what are the steps that India and Pakistan are taking to heal this long festering bilateral wound?  16:30 Other frontier towns to visit in India  Produced by: Li Xueying (xueying@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis and Fa’izah Sani Edited by: Fa’izah Sani Follow Letter From The Bureau Podcast every first Friday of the month here: Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7 Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8 Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/ Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Read Li Xueying’s articles: https://str.sg/iqmR  Follow Li Xueying on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/ip4x Read Debarshi Dasgupta's articles: https://str.sg/wtmh Read ST's Letters From The Bureau: https://str.sg/3xRd 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: True Crimes of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i4Y3  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.