Asia Specific

Asia Pacific - unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region.

World Service,62 episodes

Episodes

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Marcos v Duterte: The family feud shaking the Philippines
Sara Duterte announces bid for the top job in a deepening family dynasty political battle
25 Feb 2026,18 mins
Inside Singapore’s war on vapes
Why Singapore is going all out on its campaign against vaping
21 Feb 2026,18 mins
Bonus: South Korea’s former leader convicted for insurrection
Will a life sentence for South Korea’s ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol end divisions?
19 Feb 2026,11 mins
Why don’t Chinese workers get more leave?
Chinese workers officially get nine days off for Lunar New Year – but there’s a catch
18 Feb 2026,17 mins
The pressure to be thin in Asia
Bodyweight influences in Asia - from fashion to K-pop to social media
14 Feb 2026,16 mins
What do Thailand’s election results mean?
Voters in Thailand stick with the conservatives in national elections
11 Feb 2026,19 mins
Bonus: Japan PM’s landslide election win
What will Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi do now she has a resounding mandate?
09 Feb 2026,12 mins
Malaysia's football scandal
Fifa has accused Malaysia of trying to fast-track foreign players into the national team
07 Feb 2026,20 mins
Bonus: What in the World
Why are people in China looking for parental love from strangers?
04 Feb 2026,9 mins
The daughter who could rule North Korea
Will North Korea’s next leader be Kim Jong Un’s daughter? It’s time to meet Kim Ju Ae
01 Feb 2026,20 mins
China's extraordinary purge of military leaders
China’s President Xi Jinping is overseeing an unprecedented purge of military generals
28 Jan 2026,19 mins
Why the Philippines’ most valuable export is its people
Will a day come when Filipinos won’t need to leave their families behind to find work?
24 Jan 2026,18 mins
Japan's snap election: Inside Takaichi’s political gamble
Why Japan’s new PM called a snap election and what her viral diplomacy reveals
21 Jan 2026,18 mins
Why South Korea keeps jailing its ex-presidents
The former President Yoon Suk Yeol faces up to ten years in prison
17 Jan 2026,20 mins
Can electric bikes save Vietnam's most polluted cities?
Vietnam pushes more than 70 million riders to switch their petrol motorbikes to e-bikes
14 Jan 2026,22 mins
Which Asian country has the world's best passport and why?
What does a strong passport say about how a country practices diplomacy?
10 Jan 2026,20 mins
How do journalists cover a disputed election in Myanmar?
Myanmar’s military is holding a stage-managed election, but will it change anything?
07 Jan 2026,21 mins
Inside South Korea's K-beauty obsession
Behind Korea's booming skincare trend, a society grapples with intense beauty standards
03 Jan 2026,20 mins
Why many in Taiwan dismiss China’s threat to blockade and invade their island
China claims its latest military drills show the goal of taking Taiwan is getting closer
31 Dec 2025,17 mins
The paradise island nation caught between the US, Taiwan and China
Why Palau’s Taiwan ties make it a key player in US-China rivalry
27 Dec 2025,18 mins
Food, flags and feuds: Why Asians fight over cuisine
Why Asian neighbours clash over food, identity and who gets to tell the story
24 Dec 2025,25 mins
Can Prabowo Subianto finally unleash Indonesia’s potential?
A year into his free food programme, are the Indonesian president's plans on track?
20 Dec 2025,20 mins
Jimmy Lai verdict: From Hong Kong activist to national security criminal
What the conviction of the ageing tycoon Jimmy Lai says about how Beijing rules Hong Kong
17 Dec 2025,26 mins
Bonus: Bondi shooting tests Australia’s social cohesion
Australia grapples with grief, gun laws and social cohesion after Bondi Beach shooting
15 Dec 2025,11 mins
Science and solutions to prevent a repeat of South East Asia’s huge floods
What made flooding in Indonesia and South East Asia so deadly and how to prevent a repeat
13 Dec 2025,21 mins
Special episode: Thailand-Cambodia peace shattered
President Trump seeks to intervene as Thailand and Cambodia conflict reignites
11 Dec 2025,14 mins
Trump: the man who made Asia reimagine the US
Has an American leader who cut aid and imposed tariffs shifted US ties with Asia forever?
10 Dec 2025,20 mins
Is banning children from social media smart or excessive?
Asia considers Australia-style under-16 social media ban - is it the right move?
06 Dec 2025,19 mins
China tries to control anger over the Hong Kong fire
Hong Kong mourns 150 killed in one of its worst fires in decades as anger grows
03 Dec 2025,14 mins
Asia’s soft power battle: Has the Korean Wave peaked?
How did South Korea become Asia's soft power juggernaut and can China or Japan catch up?
29 Nov 2025,17 mins