As Asia’s militaries show an increasing appetite to deploy drones – most recently during the Thai-Cambodian skirmishes and the brief India-Pakistan conflict in May, 2025, we speak to the chief executive of the company that makes lethal Unmanned Aerial Systems such as the Predator, Reaper and Sea Guardian.

Synopsis: The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 45 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Ravi speaks with Dr Vivek Lall, Chief Executive of General Atomics Global Corp, on trends in modern warfare, the rise of data-driven hi-tech weapons, weapons that ‘loiter’ in the air awaiting command from the ground and space as the next frontier of contestation.

They also focus on UASs – in warfare and potentially for civil use – and discuss whether unmanned drones have raised the risk of warfare by not putting pilots directly in harm’s way.

Highlights: Click/Tap Above

5:45 ‘Hey, there’s an UAV flying right alongside me’

7:00 Asian militaries buying Predators and eyeing EMALS: India, Japan, Taiwan, Asean..

12:20 Loitering munitions and ‘persistent surveillance’ – Can US go it alone in defence research?

17:00 Does unmanned raise risk of war?

18:00 Space is the next frontier

21:00 ‘There will always be pilots’

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 (velloor@sph.com.sg)

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg

---

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

---

#STAsianInsider

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finding a new job may be on your resolution list this year, but will it be the right move in 2026?

Much of the job market in 2025 was dominated by uncertainty and mixed signals.

Fresh university graduates shared – and documented on social media – their struggles landing interviews and jobs, despite sending out multiple resumes.

Retrenchments climbed in the third quarter of 2025 after dipping in the previous two quarters, while job vacancies continued to fall, according to the Ministry of Manpower’s third-quarter labour report. There were 69,200 job openings in September, down from 76,900 in June, the report said.

Meanwhile, the workforce was constantly cautioned about how artificial intelligence could reshape – and potentially displace – many roles.

Will it be more of the same in 2026, or will the market turn in favour of job seekers?

In this episode of The Usual Place, I want to find out how job seekers can navigate the market and what kind of upskilling we need to make career changes.

Joining me on the podcast are:

• Ms Serla Rusli, a LinkedIn career expert who advises job seekers on career matters based on hiring and job market trends, and

• Ms Joyce Bijl, business development director for Asia-Pacific and the Middle East at ManpowerGroup, a global company that deals with workforce solutions.

We’ll also discuss whether more employees will continue with “quiet quitting” or “job hugging”.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:50 Why companies are ‘cautious’ with hiring despite better GDP growth

6:36 Use existing network instead of mass applying for jobs

12:44 How to use LinkedIn to gauge the job market

18:04 How to future-proof your job against the AI disruption

35:03 Trending in 2026 - move over “quiet quitting,” here comes “quiet cracking”

Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/theusualplacepodcast

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Teo Tong Kai, Eden Soh and Chen Junyi

Executive producers: Danson Cheong, Elizabeth Khor & Ernest Luis

Editorial producer: Lynda Hong

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg

---

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 #tuptr

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

OCD is more than a quirk.

Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD is often misunderstood. Although the term OCD is often used casually, it is a potentially severe disorder that can drastically disrupt a person's life.

However, it is highly treatable. Yet, many people remain undiagnosed and untreated for years.

To learn more about OCD, ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo talks to two psychologists who specialise in the treatment of OCD for a two-part series on what the disorder is about and how a new treatment can help.

They are Dr Jackki Yim, Principal Clinical Psychologist & Deputy Head of Anxiety Service, Department of Mood & Anxiety at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and Ms Tammie Kwek, Senior Clinical Psychologist, Department of Mood & Anxiety, IMH.

Highlights (click/tap above):

3:37 Clearing misunderstandings about OCD

5:46 An example of OCD

11:19 How can parents respond to their children who have OCD?

Read Joyce Teo's stories: https://str.sg/JbxN

Host: Joyce Teo (joyceteo@sph.com.sg)

Produced and edited by: Amirul Karim

Executive producers: Ernest Luis and Lynda Hong

Follow Health Check Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWaN

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWRX

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaQ

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg

---

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

---

#healthcheck

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.