The Straits Times Podcasts

Should you secretly record your workplace meetings, even if it’s legally allowed?

A recent case, where a PR firm director was fired after secretly recording an internal meeting, has brought into focus the issue of how employees can document such meetings without putting their jobs at risk.

Also, should employment contracts now spell out the rules on recording conversations?

The director brought a wrongful dismissal claim to the Employment Claims Tribunal (ECT) - and it was thrown out.

In this episode of The Usual Place, Natasha asks Angel Kilian, the founder & CEO of Career inFocus, and corporate lawyer Jennifer Chih from Nair, Jen and Tan whether keeping receipts of all workplace conversations is the way to go. We also look at what a “contemporaneous record” is, and when you should write one.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:25 Do employees need creative ways to protect themselves?

5:59 How to make a “contemporaneous record”

11:36 Should contracts spell out recording rules?

15:28 Employer vs employee: an unequal balance of power?

17:44 Is keeping receipts a smart habit or a career risk?

21:41 Treated unfairly? What to do instead of recording

26:53 Can you come back after trust is broken?

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

Follow Natasha on her IG account and DM her your thoughts on this topic: https://str.sg/8KNT

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

Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG:   / theusualplacepodcast 

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

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Eden Soh & Yang Jiesan Cruz

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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YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast

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The Republican Party’s crushing defeat could reshape American politics, but Asia should not expect US politics to return to what it was before President Donald Trump, says the Blackbox Research CEO David Black. 

In this conversation with The Straits Times' senior columnist Bhavan Jaipragas - recorded on Nov 4, hours after polls closed - Black explains why he sees Trump's defeat as an extraordinary act of political self-sabotage. 

With Democrats projected to take control of both chambers of Congress, what comes next for President Donald Trump? Will he moderate his approach, or become even more combative?

Black also discusses what this means for Asia, and how Beijing might read the election results.

Highlights (click/tap above): 

3:48 Republican midterm loss is the worst result since 1974 

7:21 Why voters turned up in large numbers 

9:32 Why Trump might ditch MAGA

11:47 Are Republicans distancing themselves from Trump? 

13:03 Trump’s scapegoat: Pete Hegseth 

14:40 Potential Democrat front-runners for the US presidency

20:22 Democrats “can’t do much about” tariffs 

23:47 Impact of midterm results on the Iran war and US foreign policy 

26:03 Would Asian diplomats and leaders change their approach towards the US? 

28:05 China’s response to the US midterm election results

Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH

Host: Bhavan Jaipragas (bhavan@sph.com.sg) 

Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai, Eden Soh, Hadyu Rahim and Yang Jiesan Cruz

Executive producers: Danson Cheong & Lynda Hong

Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:

Channel:https://str.sg/w7Qt

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Spotify:https://str.sg/w7sV

YouTube: https://str.sg/GjMT

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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IPS research fellow Melvin Tay discusses the changing nature of religion in Singapore.

More Singapore residents report having no religious affiliation, rising from one in five in 2020 to one in four in 2025, according to the Department of Statistics’ latest General Household Survey 2025. 

But a separate report by US-based think tank Pew Research found that almost nine in 10 Singapore adults surveyed still believe in God or unseen beings, higher than other South-east Asian countries such as Cambodia and Thailand. 

Is this growth in non-affiliation a cause for concern for Singapore, one of the most religiously diverse countries in the world? And what does religion do for us today?

In this episode, host Zachary Lim speaks with Dr Melvin Tay, a research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, to examine the changing religious landscape in Singapore. They also discuss whether religious institutions are losing relevance, and the implications of alternative spiritual practices gaining traction among young people.

Highlights (click/tap above): 

1:40 Changes in perception of religion over time

5:59  Shift away from institutionalised religion

10:41 Changing modality of engaging with faith

16:05 Singapore’s fast pace of life on religious affiliation

18:37 Young residents on needing tangible benefits from religious experiences 

20:32 The global push towards secularisation 

26:28 Is Singapore’s religious diversity in jeopardy?

29:46 Emergence of alternative divination and spiritual avenues in Singapore

37:42 Morality, healing, and community beyond institutionalised religions

47:00 Is increasing non-affiliation to religion a cause for concern? 

Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH

Host: Zachary Lim (zachlim@sph.com.sg) 

Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai

Editorial producer: Elizabeth Law

Executive producers: Danson Cheong, 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

YouTube: https://str.sg/GjMT

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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The scheme could help to improve Singapore’s low domestic recycling rates.

Blue recycling bins filled with non-recyclable trash have become a common sight around Singapore. This contamination has resulted in poor domestic recycling rates in the country, as food and liquid waste thrown into the commingled bins taints the other recyclables. 

In 2025, the Republic logged its highest amount of waste disposed of, at about 3.36 million tonnes, up from about 3.33 million tonnes in 2024. This is in tandem with economic and population growth, according to the National Environment Agency (NEA).

To overcome this challenge, the National Environment Agency on Oct 1 fully implemented its Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS) to ensure that plastic bottles and cans are segregated for recycling. But this initiative has also been plagued with complaints. 

In this episode, host Audrey Tan chats with Ang Qing and Shabana Begum, environment correspondents at ST, on whether these criticisms are warranted, and whether Singapore should continue pushing ahead with the scheme. 

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:31 Observations on the ground

6:00 Why we need this 10-cent incentive at this stage?

7:55 Why Singapore needs this scheme now

9:11 Why the blue bin scheme is not sustainable given poorer habits in Singapore

11:05 Why BCRS is worth persevering with

13:00 Observations of current and various recycling operations in Singapore

13:56 Not ideal conditions: Seeing discarded syringes among recyclables

15:35 Shabana on the more automated processes at a BCRS recycling facility

17:25 Qing on the need for the public to sort better upstream

18:25 Behind-the-scenes additional costs that SME retailers face

23:25 Is 10 cents enough of an incentive for the public?

25:35 Should more drinks such as glass bottles be worked into BCRS scheme?

26:15 Dumpster diving? Side hustles using the BCRS scheme?

Read more:

Shabana Begum’s articles: https://str.sg/5EGd

Ang Qing’s articles: https://str.sg/i5gT

Follow Audrey Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/848W

Read her articles: https://str.sg/JLM2

Host: Audrey Tan (audreyt@sph.com.sg)

Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Executive producer: Ernest Luis 

Follow Green Pulse Podcast every Tuesday as we discuss how environmental issues intersect with business, politics and society:

Channel:https://str.sg/JWaf

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

Spotify:https://str.sg/JWag

YouTube: https://str.sg/fapS

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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ETFs, REITs, SSBs, T-bills - what do they all mean?

In this episode, SGX director of capital market development Emelia Tan breaks down different investment assets and compares which ones are suitable for you. 

Hosts Kai Wen and Sue-Ann discuss why ETFs are so popular now, how to diversify your investment portfolio, and whether the SGX or US stock market gives higher returns. 

Highlights (click/tap above):

0:00 Introduction and discussion of ETFs

7:41 Types of ETFs on the SGX 

9:03 Are there drawbacks to buying ETFs

12:03 STI or S&P 500

16:27 Exploring SSBs and T-bills

26:24 REITs and the dividend play

35:50 How to build an investment portfolio

Follow See Kai Wen on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/qfwqQ

Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn:https://str.sg/A86X

Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles:https://str.sg/mvSa

Hosts: See Kai Wen (seekw@sph.com.sg) and Sue-Ann Tan (suetan@sph.com.sg)

Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim

Executive producer: Danson Cheong

Follow the Headstart On Record Podcast here:

Channel:https://str.sg/wB2m

Apple Podcasts:https://str.sg/wuN3

Spotify:https://str.sg/wBr9

YouTube: https://str.sg/3psqrx

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

Get business/career tips in ST's Headstart newsletter:https://str.sg/headstart-nl

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

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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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How to better connect with a child offline and online. 

Synopsis: Join us for a five-part limited-edition podcast series this November by The Straits Times where we discuss the challenges of raising kids in a world that's always plugged in.

For many children and teens, there is little distinction between the online and offline world. 

Many parents worry that screens are getting in the way of their relationship with their children. 

But instead of pulling our children away from their digital worlds, should parents step into them, and journey with our children?

In this episode, Host Elisha Tushara is joined by Natalie Pang, a professor at the National University of Singapore. 

Having done research on digital well-being and online harms, and as the mother of a teenage boy, she recommends gaming with your children.

Highlights (click/tap above):

0:00 Intro 

4:05 Why the online world is important to our children

7:42 Being offline and being left out

8:30 Bringing online rules into the offline world

10:50 What I learned about my child by gaming together: Natalie Pang

14:21 Screen use: Measuring by purpose, instead of time

17:55 What happens when parents are glued to their screens themselves?

21:22 It’s natural for children to get upset when screentime is over

26:02 Why do some parents find it hard to set screentime boundaries?

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Read more ST Screen Timeout articles: https://str.sg/screentimeout 

Host: Elisha Tushara (elisha@sph.com.sg)

Read Elisha’s articles: https://str.sg/5VVJ

Follow Elisha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/94WA

Produced and edited by: Studio+65 and Fa’izah Sani

Executive producers: Ernest Luis, Amelia Teng

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Follow Screens Down, Look Up limited series every Monday (Nov 2 - 30):

Channel: https://str.sg/bKan 

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/57aK 

Spotify: https://str.sg/agZP 

YouTube: https://str.sg/yxuv 

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Or has US economist Stephen Roach changed his mind about Hong Kong’s survival and identity? 

Synopsis: Every month, The Straits Times gets its US Bureau Chief to analyse the hottest political and geopolitical talking points.

In this episode, US Bureau Chief Bhagyashree Garekar chats with Dr Stephen Roach, a prominent economist with expertise on Asia. 

He spent three decades at global investment bank Morgan Stanley, serving as the firm's chief economist and later as chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia. He is currently a Senior Fellow at Yale Law School's Paul Tsai China Center.

In this wide-ranging conversation, he says the “unfriendly takeover” by mainland Chinese has changed the character of Hong Kong dramatically. This has left the market-based city - once idolised by iconic American economist Milton Friedman - in tatters, he adds.

While that might drive his critics crazy, the idea that his remarks are rooted in any bias against Hong Kong is “absolutely ludicrous,” he insists.

Roach also has a word of caution for China’s President Xi Jinping, who made a state visit to Washington for a summit with US President Donald Trump in September 2026.

The concept currently favoured by both the US and China to define their relationship - constructive, strategic stability - is also a bit of a mirage, he says. “There's nothing strategic about it, the best I think the Chinese can hope for would be stability,” he adds.

Roach is not among those anticipating a turning of the page with the Nov 3 midterm elections, even if the Democrats seize a majority in the Congress.

Roach also takes an axe to Trump’s frequent assertions of America being the “hottest economy”. “He calls it an “exaggeration” that also reflects the poor state of growth elsewhere in the world.

But a Great Depression-scale collapse is not in the cards, according to him. “I don't think we're gonna have a replay of the 1930s-styled bank-driven collapse,” he says.

Highlights (click/tap above):

00:50 "Hong Kong is over?": Stephen Roach clarifies the controversial headline in a Financial Times column in 2024

6:40 What’s not going right between the US and China?

7:40 Why Trump’s “shallow thinking” on AI hurts

10:28 His warning to China about a deal with Trump

14:00 Will a strong Democratic show in the Nov 3 midterm elections constrain Trump?

18:10 Is Trump’s claim of a "golden age” for America true?

24:20 As the 100th anniversary of the Great Depression nears, could there be a repeat?

30:00 Will US dollar primacy be seriously challenged?

33:00 When he sees China coming out of the slowdown

38:20 Lastly, on India: Will its economy continue to over-promise and under-deliver?

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 (bhagya@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 

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR 

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg 

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Would you eat 2kg of durian in one go to sell a batch of the fruit? How about yapping for eight hours straight to hit your sales numbers?

Live-streaming is booming, and for some, it looks like an easy gig with easy money. But seasoned live-sellers say the market is saturated and only the top sellers get high commissions.

In this episode of The Usual Place, Natasha chats with social media personality Xiaxue (@xiaxue) and fellow live-streamer Yin Peiying (@officially.poopa) about the reality of selling on platforms like TikTok or Shopee.

We talk about banned words, “violations” that can hurt your viewership numbers, and why not every live-seller makes it big.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:45 Most extreme thing Peiying has done on a livestream

3:49 Why did live streaming get so big?

7:14 Why merchants give huge discounts

11:15 Can you sell anything in a live stream?

13:55 No idea if I’m a good live streamer: Xiaxue

26:04 $20k-$30k commission possible, but outlier

34:33 Why live streamers are treated differently from influencers

41:18 Does live streaming encourage drama?

45:26 Uneven rules on who gets flagged: Xiaxue

48:50 The words that you can’t say on a stream

51:10 Is the “limited stock” warning always true?

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

Follow Natasha on her IG account and DM her your thoughts on this topic: https://str.sg/8KNT

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

Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG:   / theusualplacepodcast 

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

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Eden Soh & Yang Jiesan Cruz

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

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

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After 16 years at McDonald's, Chagee APAC CMO shares how Chinese companies operate differently in the global arena

Synopsis: Conversations and interviews that give you something to think about. Each Wednesday, In Your Opinion speaks to thinkers, leaders, and the people shaping our lives and the issues of the day.

What does it take to turn a Chinese tea chain into a global brand? And what can China's new generation of consumer companies learn from the likes of McDonald's and Starbucks?

Eugene Lee has seen both sides of the divide. After 16 years at McDonald's, where he rose to become international chief marketing officer, he joined Shanghai-headquartered Chagee as its Asia-Pacific chief marketing officer in 2025.

In this conversation with The Straits Times’ senior columnist Tan Dawn Wei, Lee describes the culture shock of moving from an 86-year-old American multinational to a fast-moving young Chinese company, where ideas can become reality within days. He explains how Chagee uses automation, standardisation and lessons borrowed from competitors to expand rapidly, and why building emotional connections with consumers matters as much as selling a good product.

He also addresses Chagee’s falling market valuation, slowing sales and the risk of becoming another passing fad in the food and beverage industry. Beyond tea, the conversation explores China's remarkable transformation from the world's factory into a creator of increasingly ambitious - and desirable - global brands.

Highlights (click/tap above): 

2:40 A culture shock from McDonald’s to Chagee

5:12 The Chinese lack of fear of failure

15:01 Becoming “the Starbucks of tea”

18:26 The secret behind scaling a business quickly

23:14 How Chagee localises for different markets

28:19 Is Chagee expanding faster than consumer demand can keep up?

31:15 Taking lessons from other successful Chinese F&B brands 

34:05 Will Chagee be yet another F&B fad?

39:57 The influx of Chinese retail brands to Singapore and the anxiety it brings 

42:50 How China is building global brands

Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH

Host: Tan Dawn Wei (dawntan@sph.com.sg)

Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai

Executive producers: Danson Cheong & 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

YouTube: https://str.sg/GjMT

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Can Singapore balance economic survival & climate action as ASEAN chair in 2027? 

As Singapore prepares to take over the ASEAN chairmanship in 2027, the region faces a delicate balancing act between economic uncertainties and climate action.

According to recent regional survey data from the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, many in Southeast Asia are prioritising economic survival, inflation, and recession fears over climate action. But with pressing issues like transboundary haze, coal phase-outs, and rising energy costs, how can Singapore use its leadership to align economic resilience with green initiatives?

In this episode, Green Pulse host Audrey Tan sits down with veteran diplomat and climate researcher Sharon Seah. They explore the real power and limits of the ASEAN chair, how the long-awaited ASEAN Power Grid could unlock regional energy security, and why framing climate solutions around economic survival, such as carbon credits and peatland restoration, is the key to uniting the region.

Highlights of conversation (click/tap above):

1:03 The power and limits of the ASEAN chair

2:55 When cutting emissions becomes crossing a red line

4:05 How can Singapore as ASEAN chair balance economy and climate change issues

6:21 Singapore as a technocratic chair v consensus builder

8:13 Can ASEAN cooperate on haze issues?  

12:17 Unlocking carbon credits through peatland conservation

15:59 Economy and climate change - can ASEAN 2027 balance both?

17:36 ASEAN power grid, microgrid and financing hurdles

22:43 Plans to adapt to climate change

26:02 Impacts of Iran war and Trump at ASEAN in Nov 2026 

31:40 Could ASEAN negotiate as a unified voice at COP?

33:10 Why everyday citizens should care about ASEAN Summits

Follow Audrey Tan on LinkedIn:https://str.sg/848W

Read her articles:https://str.sg/JLM2

Host: Audrey Tan (audreyt@sph.com.sg)

Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Executive producer: Lynda Hong

Follow Green Pulse Podcast every Tuesday as we discuss how environmental issues intersect with business, politics and society:

Channel:https://str.sg/JWaf

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

Spotify:https://str.sg/JWag

YouTube: https://str.sg/fapS

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

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Labubus, blind boxes, bubble tea. Why do we keep buying things we don’t need?

In this episode, Kai Wen and Sue-Ann discuss why people buy trendy but “useless” things as a way to treat themselves.

Is there a limit to how much a person can spend before it becomes indulgent? Find out about the “little treat” economy, and why people sometimes shift their spending towards small luxuries when bigger purchases start feeling out of reach.

Highlights (click/tap above):

0:00 Introduction to treating yourself and small joys

4:37 "Little treats" vs major life milestones 

9:30 Doom spending, instant gratification, and the "little treat” economy

15:10 Balancing present enjoyment with long-term financial security

19:12 Underconsumption core vs collecting and hoarding

23:20 Practical budgeting strategies

Follow See Kai Wen on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/qfwqQ

Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn:https://str.sg/A86X

Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles:https://str.sg/mvSa

Hosts: See Kai Wen (seekw@sph.com.sg) and Sue-Ann Tan (suetan@sph.com.sg)

Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim and Yang Jiesan Cruz

Executive producer: Elizabeth Law

Follow the Headstart On Record Podcast here:

Channel:https://str.sg/wB2m

Apple Podcasts:https://str.sg/wuN3

Spotify:https://str.sg/wBr9

YouTube: https://str.sg/3psqrx

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

Get business/career tips in ST's Headstart newsletter:https://str.sg/headstart-nl

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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

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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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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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East Malaysia’s assertiveness and fiscal demands are growing. This is reshaping its federal relationship with Putrajaya.

Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the hottest political and trending talking points in Malaysia.

For our October episode, ST's Malaysia bureau chief Shannon Teoh and host Zurairi A.R. are joined by Dr Arnold Puyok, deputy director at the Institute of Borneo Studies at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak and visiting fellow at the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute.

Highlights (click/tap above):

03:50: Budget 2027 allocations for Sabah and Sarawak and whether funds bridge development gaps

08:20: Changing expectations in Sarawak: Moving from federal funding amounts to financial autonomy and decision-making

13:25: Political calculus of Budget 2027: Securing the Borneo vote bloc ahead of general elections

21:30: Sarawak's regional assertiveness, and the question of effective autonomy amid secession call

30:30: Federal establishment and Putrajaya's uneasy dynamic with East Malaysian resource push

34:10: Personalistic politics in Borneo: Why individual leadership matters more than party brands

38:50: News nugget: Syed Saddiq and Bella Astillah's viral future-focused betrothal gifts

Read more:

In the final lap, Malaysia’s PM Anwar returns to base with reformist budget: https://str.sg/EpEu 

From colonial-era crests to its own airline, a founding partner redraws its place in Malaysia: https://str.sg/dDuM 

Malaysian politician Syed Saddiq and singer-actress Bella Astillah tie the knot: https://str.sg/AUTN

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. (zurairi@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 

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR 

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Amid fears that the war on Iran could worsen after the US mid-term polls, a question: Is Tehran overplaying its hand?

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

In this episode he speaks with Prof. Vali Nasr, the globally renowned expert on Iran and Middle East about where the War on Iran is currently, and what lies ahead. 

Ravi and Vali also discuss US failure to protect its Gulf allies, the Houthi attacks that have pushed Saudi Arabia to the back foot, how Israel is rearranging the region, and chances of the war turning into a global conflict.

Highlights (click/tap above)

08:00 A bigger war after US mid-terms?

13:00 What if Trump nukes Iran?

22:00 Tehran’s lessons from North Korea

25:00 Houthis, and a Saudi ‘Vietnam’

35:00 Time to think of a post-US Middle East

41:00 Gulf rivalries will sharpen

45:00 Israel’s rearranging the region

50:00 Hard lessons for East 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 (velloor@sph.com.sg)

Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani & Amirul Karim

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 

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR 

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Singapore’s Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA) has been criticised for being toothless, but is that criticism fair?

And if the anti-haze law is not working, can Singapore take Indonesia to the International Court of Justice?

As Singapore finds ways to tackle its worst haze crisis in over a decade, Scott Tan, a partner in the International Arbitration practice of Rajah & Tann, says diplomacy - not litigation - would be a more durable solution to this perennial problem.

In this episode, he joins Audrey Tan, assistant news editor at The Straits Times and host of ST’s environment podcast, Green Pulse, to talk about why Singapore’s anti-haze law has been criticised, and whether that’s warranted.

We also chat about other possible ways to penalise haze-causing companies and how consumers can put pressure on such firms.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:57 What’s unique about the THPA?

7:24 Is the THPA ‘toothless’?

12:48 The “Asean way” of handling the haze

15:52 Getting banks to stop financing polluters

18:50 Can Singapore take Indonesia to the International Court of Justice?

23:25 The Government’s response: now vs 2015

29:03 Does the soft diplomatic approach work?

31:46 Addressing the root cause: peatlands and cash crops

33:39 Will climate change make the haze worse?

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

Follow Natasha on her IG account and DM her your thoughts on this topic: https://str.sg/8KNT

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

Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG:   / theusualplacepodcast 

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

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Eden Soh & Yang Jiesan Cruz

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

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

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A behavioural scientist unpacks the dark psychology of why smart people fall for the Nanning pyramid scheme

Synopsis: Conversations and interviews that give you something to think about. Each Wednesday, In Your Opinion speaks to thinkers, leaders, and the people shaping our lives and the issues of the day.

We often hear this saying: “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Yet, 52 Singaporeans were recently arrested in China over the notorious Nanning pyramid scheme. So why do highly educated, financially literate people continue to fall for frauds that seem so obvious from the outside?

In this episode of In Your Opinion, Lynda Hong sits down with Dr Serene Koh, director of the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) in Singapore, to deconstruct the dark psychology behind massive investment scams. 

Moving past the surface-level blame of describing victims as greedy and gullible, Dr Koh explains how sophisticated syndicates architect fake realities, weaponise our closest family networks, and use our own intelligence against us. 

Highlights (click/tap above): 

00:52 Why behavioural science is the key to understanding scam victims 

1:55 How the Nanning Ponzi scheme differs from other scams 

4:15 How pig-butchering scams work  

7:57 Why scammers target the human desire for family security rather than pure greed 

13:11 Why shame and cognitive dissonance keep victims silent

15:42 Using inoculation programmes and survivor stories to build public resistance against scam syndicates 

18:31 The sunk cost fallacy and social ties that prevent victims from walking away 

22:12 How trust and personal relationships override logical due diligence 

25:42 Why higher financial literacy and education can increase scam vulnerability

31:29 The social cost of fraud, eroded trust, and why people have stopped picking up phone calls anymore

Read ST’s Opinion section:https://str.sg/w7sH

Host: Lynda Hong (lyndahong@sph.com.sg) 

Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai

Executive producers: Danson Cheong & 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

YouTube: https://str.sg/GjMT

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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They offer more safety features and generate less nuclear waste, says a nuclear expert.

Singapore announced in May 2026 that it will be embarking on the first phase of a review by the UN atomic watchdog, to help Singapore determine if it has what it takes to deploy nuclear energy. 

Host Audrey Tan discusses what this process entails for Singapore with Low Xin Wei, the chief executive of the Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute (SNRSI), a research organisation. He was previously the assistant chief executive at Singapore’s energy regulator, the Energy Market Authority. 

Low describes the review process as being similar to a marriage counselling course, which participants undergo to learn more about what marriage entails. 

Just like how the final decision on whether to get married will be determined by the couple, countries will have the final say in whether to go ahead with deploying nuclear energy. 

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:20 How has Singapore’s stance on nuclear energy changed over the years? 

6:45 What are the three reasons behind this change?

12:21 How has public perception of nuclear shifted? 

15:20 How nuclear energy can boost energy security 

20:25 Embarking on Phase 1 of the integrated nuclear infrastructure review: What it entails for Singapore? 

26:45 What will it take to demonstrate that nuclear plants are safer than what people perceive? 

36:45 Where could a nuclear power plant in Singapore potentially be sited? 

Read more: 

S’pore to undergo review by UN atomic watchdog in 2027: https://str.sg/M6Du

Follow Audrey Tan on LinkedIn:https://str.sg/848W

Read her articles:https://str.sg/JLM2

Host: Audrey Tan (audreyt@sph.com.sg)

Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Executive producer: Ernest Luis 

Follow Green Pulse Podcast every Tuesday as we discuss how environmental issues intersect with business, politics and society:

Channel:https://str.sg/JWaf

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

Spotify:https://str.sg/JWag

YouTube: https://str.sg/fapS

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Good grades, good jobs, applying for a BTO, getting married. Isn’t that every Singaporean’s dream?

In this episode, Julian Low, co-founder of theatre practice Wushiren, talks about his experience defying the “Singaporean Dream” by dropping out of medical school. He then went on to pursue his dream of starting an independent theatre collective. 

Hosts Kai Wen and Sue-Ann discuss if a fixed definition of success is still relevant in these times and why it’s important to have the courage to stray from “the script” and explore what truly makes you curious in life.

Highlights (click/tap above):

0:00 Intro

0:54 Is there a "Singaporean Dream"?

2:48 Why Julian dropped out of medical school

6:34 People stick to safe choices even when it makes them suffer

10:54 “Challenge” is the new C in the 5Cs list

15:55 Is fatigue our body’s way of sending a message?

20:02 Financial realities vs your dreams 

29:04 Redefining the Singaporean Dream

Follow See Kai Wen on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/qfwqQ

Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn:https://str.sg/A86X

Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles:https://str.sg/mvSa

Hosts: See Kai Wen (seekw@sph.com.sg) and Sue-Ann Tan (suetan@sph.com.sg)

Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim and Yang Jiesan Cruz

Executive producer: Elizabeth Law

Follow the Headstart On Record Podcast here:

Channel:https://str.sg/wB2m

Apple Podcasts:https://str.sg/wuN3

Spotify:https://str.sg/wBr9

YouTube: https://str.sg/3psqrx

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

Get business/career tips in ST's Headstart newsletter:https://str.sg/headstart-nl

---

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Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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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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In an increasingly digital world, why are young Indonesians drawn to activities that bring them offline and together?

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.

In this episode, host Li Xueying speaks with Indonesia correspondent Karina Tehusijarana about the growing popularity of shared, analogue and hands-on trends, such as a resurgence in cinema attendance to jump rope groups and custom mechanical keyboards.

As people seek ways to connect beyond their screens, these different pursuits point to a renewed interest in community and the tangible pleasures of an offline life.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:20 Post-Covid-19 cinema boom

6:30 Exploring traditional communal practices like arisan

10:40 The analogue lifestyle: A resurgence

16:50 Mechanical keyboards and diverse communities

19:50 Emerging analogue trends such as knitting and vinyl records

Read Karina Tehusijarana’s articles here: https://str.sg/dEAyW 

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 (xueying@sph.com.sg)

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 

YouTube:https://str.sg/rF3qR 

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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In the first two months after the Online Safety Commission (OSC) started operations, the agency handled more than 500 reports of online harms. Doxing and online harassment made up the bulk of eligible reports.

The OSC is a new avenue - it launched on June 29 - that helps victims by compelling platforms and group administrators to remove harmful content quickly.

Can the OSC make the internet a safe space for users in Singapore?

Singapore’s Commissioner of Online Safety Francis Ng drops in on The Usual Place to talk about how the OSC has the power to tackle online harms, and why removing harmful content can give victims relief.

Also, if Ng could personally ban one harmful online behaviour, what would it be?

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:30 What does the Online Safety Commission do?

4:30 500+ cases, some of the material “very, very disturbing”

7:02 The AI sextortion case that stayed with Ng

9:54 Is there too much onus on social media platforms?

13:40 Is it always clear-cut that harm has been caused?

21:43 The “eat slipper rice” case: when context matters

23:52 Can you report content that’s already disappeared?

31:47 Why is “justice” important for victims?

35:01 The one online habit we would each ban

If you are a victim of intimate image abuse, image-based child abuse, doxing, online harassment and online stalking, you can make a report directly on OSC’s website at www.osc.gov.sg.

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

Follow Natasha on her IG account and DM her your thoughts on this topic: https://str.sg/8KNT

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

Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG:   / theusualplacepodcast 

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

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Eden Soh & Yang Jiesan Cruz

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

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

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IPS' Mathew Mathews unpacks why a high salary can't protect you like a wealth buffer can.

Synopsis: Conversations and interviews that give you something to think about. Each Wednesday, In Your Opinion speaks to thinkers, leaders, and the people shaping our lives and the issues of the day.

The average wealth held by the top 20% of households stands at $5.3 million. That is 18 times more than the bottom 20%, whose average wealth sits at $293,000, according to an occasional paper titled Income Growth, Inequality, and Social Mobility Trends in Singapore published by the Ministry of Finance (MOF) in February 2026.

While government policies and wage initiatives have successfully lowered income inequality, MOF's 2026 occasional paper reveals that Singapore’s wealth Gini coefficient now stands at 0.55.

In this episode of In Your Opinion, host Lynda Hong sits down with Mathew Mathews, principal research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, National University of Singapore (NUS), to unpack the critical difference between earning and owning.

They explore why real income growth alone cannot bridge the mobility gap if lower-income families lack the disposable cash needed to invest in property or compounding assets. Mathews explains how accumulated wealth acts as a vital psychological and practical buffer against economic shocks, particularly for lower-income households.

The conversation dives into the future of the Singaporean social fabric, tackling the threat of AI-driven job disruptions, the dangers of retail investing without financial literacy, and the potential for a universal basic capital model. Finally, they discuss whether slowing relative mobility means the traditional status symbols — like car ownership — are irrelevant, or simply being revisioned by a new generation.

Highlights (click/tap above): 

00:48 Why did MOF focus on wealth inequality recently 

2:16 Income vs wealth: When what you own matters more 

3:52 Can two families with the same income but varying wealth withstand economic shocks? 

5:05 How wealth protects children’s opportunities for the future

5:35 Impact of AI on widening income inequality 

8:49 Why salary growth doesn't equal social mobility 

12:00 How to generate wealth apart from property and CPF 

15:12 The hidden risks of retail investing for the lower-income 

25:05 Does moving up the economic ladder mean more comforts in life?

29:20 The threat to Singapore's social cohesion

Read ST’s Opinion section:https://str.sg/w7sH

Host: Lynda Hong (lyndahong@sph.com.sg) 

Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai

Executive producers: Danson Cheong & 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

YouTube: https://str.sg/GjMT

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Singapore is also testing out solutions to tackle heat without air-conditioning.

After three years of clear skies, the haze is back in Singapore. One contributor to the pollution is the El Nino weather phenomenon, which causes drier, hotter weather in South-east Asia. 

This causes fires typical of Indonesia’s agroforestry landscape to burn harder and longer. 

So how is Singapore responding to the double whammy of haze and hotter weather? 

Green Pulse host Audrey Tan talks to correspondents Shabana Begum and Ang Qing on what they have observed while reporting on these conditions. 

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:13 The impacts of El Nino in South-east Asia

7:39 How people in Singapore are responding to the heat and haze

13:50 Are people in Singapore heat-tolerant or heat-avoidant?

15:53 Solutions to help people adapt to heat without air-conditioning

20:24 What are the global impacts of El Nino?

Read Qing’s and Shabana’s related articles:

Solar-powered air-con, freeze-tech and ‘fan-jakketos’ among innovative cooling gadgets on the market: https://str.sg/b6WC

Emergency visits for respiratory cases up even with small spikes in PM2.5 levels: S’pore study: https://str.sg/mVPv

Follow Audrey Tan on LinkedIn:https://str.sg/848W

Read her articles:https://str.sg/JLM2

Host: Audrey Tan (audreyt@sph.com.sg)

Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Executive producer: Ernest Luis 

Follow Green Pulse Podcast every Tuesday as we discuss how environmental issues intersect with business, politics and society:

Channel:https://str.sg/JWaf

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

Spotify:https://str.sg/JWag

YouTube: https://str.sg/fapS

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Wired earphones and film cameras: Is retro tech back, or another performative trend?

In this episode, we look at how retro analogue items such as wired earphones, film cameras, and Walkmans are making a comeback. Is this here to stay or is it just another performative trend?

Join hosts Kai Wen and Sue-Ann as they chat with Gen Z business owner and CD collector Cody Tong about the psychology behind the analogue revival and the benefits of unplugging.

Highlights (click/tap above):

0:00 Introduction 

2:32 Why physical formats are making a comeback

5:52 Tech trends, aesthetics, and nostalgia

8:33 Intention and benefits of going analogue

17:13 Digital detox and practical tips to unplug

Follow See Kai Wen on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/qfwqQ

Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn:https://str.sg/A86X

Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles:https://str.sg/mvSa

Hosts: See Kai Wen (seekw@sph.com.sg) and Sue-Ann Tan (suetan@sph.com.sg)

Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim

Executive producer: Elizabeth Law

Follow the Headstart On Record Podcast here:

Channel:https://str.sg/wB2m

Apple Podcasts:https://str.sg/wuN3

Spotify:https://str.sg/wBr9

YouTube: https://str.sg/3psqrx

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

Get business/career tips in ST's Headstart newsletter:https://str.sg/headstart-nl

---

Follow more ST podcast channels:

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Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

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Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

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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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Trump's stroking of Xi and talk of a G-2 with China is vexing Asian middle powers Japan and India.

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

In this episode, Ravi hosts two experts on geopolitics – Prof Tomohiko Taniguchi, former foreign policy adviser to the Shinzo Abe Cabinet in Japan, and Dr Sanjaya Baru, geoeconomist and media adviser to the late Indian PM Manmohan Singh.

They both explain what their respective countries make of the spectacular welcome President Donald Trump gave President Xi Jinping in the Sept 23-25 summit that took place in Washington DC.

They also discuss the evolving nature of Japan's and India’s bilateral relationships with the US, including talk of ‘derisking’ from Washington.

Highlights (click/tap above)

1:30 Was the carpet ‘red’ enough?

5:30 Key takeaways from the summit

9:30 Is Xi bending Trump’s ear on Asia?

14:00 ‘De-risking’ from the US is on

18:40 Free and open Indo-Pacific, Quad

22:30 Middle East conundrum

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 & Amirul Karim

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 

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR 

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Will COE prices for cars fall if there is just one COE category for cars, with a tiered surcharge or rebate depending on the vehicle’s open market value?

These are some changes that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) proposed on Oct 8, as part of a review of the COE system.

This comes as the gap between Category A and B premiums has narrowed, making the distinction between mass-market and higher-end cars less clear.

In this episode of The Usual Place, Natasha speaks to ST’s senior transport correspondent Lee Nian Tjoe and NUS associate professor Timothy Wong, who researches transportation and urban economics.

How will the proposed changes affect the market? Will car dealers game the system?

And if you’re in the market for a new car, should you buy now or wait until proposed changes kick in? Watch or listen to the podcast to find out.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:20 What is LTA is proposing and why?

5:21 Will COE prices come down?

7:13 How would a rebate and surcharge system work?

12:07 Can dealers game the system to get into lower OMV tiers?

17:03 More ‘feebate’ bands could ensure greater fairness

25:24 Will LTA ever tackle high COE prices?

29:24 Should private hire cars get a surcharge?

35:31 Is owning a car now a luxury?

If you would like to give feedback on LTA’s proposal, go to: https://go.gov.sg/coe-pcd-feedback

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

Follow Natasha on her IG account and DM her your thoughts on this topic: https://str.sg/8KNT

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

Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG:   / theusualplacepodcast 

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

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Eden Soh & Yang Jiesan Cruz

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

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

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Classic ADHD stereotypes, like physical hyperactivity, can cause many to be overlooked and turn to maladaptive coping.

Synopsis: Conversations and interviews that give you something to think about. Each Wednesday, In Your Opinion speaks to thinkers, leaders, and the people shaping our lives and the issues of the day.

Despite the boom in online conversation about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in recent years, the neurodevelopmental condition is still largely misunderstood due to its name. Experts say those with ADHD don’t lack attention, as much as they lack the ability to regulate it. 

With October being ADHD awareness month, features correspondent Grace Yeoh speaks with Dr Ong Mian Li, a clinical psychologist and the founder of private practice Lightfull Psychology, in this episode of In Your Opinion. Both were diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood. 

Together, they explore the invisible challenges of ADHD, particularly when one is seen to be “high-functioning” — the ability to manage the condition on their own while delivering results like neurotypicals. They argue that when society still expects classic behavioural signs, such as physical hyperactivity, many who need support may go underdiagnosed, developing potentially maladaptive coping mechanisms. 

The conversation also highlights practical ways to seek and offer support, ultimately reframing diagnosis as a step toward better understanding of neurodivergence.

Highlights (click/tap above): 

0:46 Reframing ADHD as an attention regulation issue instead of a deficit

3:41 Reflecting on childhood signs after a diagnosis later on in life

7:03 Difference in symptoms between boys and girls 

11:11 Transitions can be challenging for those with ADHD  

17:24 The problem with the “high-functioning” label 

23:53 When scepticism affects support given

28:14 Common coping mechanisms among those who may be overlooked

40:02 When an ADHD diagnosis shouldn’t be disclosed at the workplace

45:13 Practical ways to support someone with ADHD 

49:30 Seeking an assessment as the start of self-acceptance

Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH

Host: Grace Yeoh (graceyeoh@sph.com.sg) 

Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai

Executive producers: Danson Cheong & 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

YouTube: https://str.sg/GjMT

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Conservationists must make their pro-nature arguments to the mainstream, says ST’s Bhavan Jaipagras. 

Synopsis: Every Tuesday, we discuss how environmental issues intersect with business, politics and society.

Recent announcements about new developments coming at the expense of nature areas in Singapore have reignited the perennial ‘conserve versus develop’ debate. 

Such discussions were first sparked when housing plans for the Gillman and Maju estates, on which secondary forests have grown, were revealed in July. In August, plans for a new western island – built by reclaiming several of Singapore’s southern islands – generated further discussion on the issue.

Host Audrey Tan discusses with ST’s senior columnist Bhavan Jaipragas how the national debate on this can be more constructive. 

Our Green Pulse podcast has returned from a hiatus and every Tuesday from October onwards, host Audrey Tan will highlight how environmental issues intersect with business, politics and society. Each episode also comes with a video version - with more show links below.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:59 Initial reactions to the responses to the Gillman and Maju developments 

8:54 Who are the players involved in Singapore’s ‘develop or conserve’ discussions? 

11:56 Who should arguments made by both sides be pitched at? 

17:38 Possible to bring in the intangible benefits of nature in public discussions? 

21:54 How to improve consultation process between government and conservationists

Read more:

Read more from Bhavan Jaipragas: https://str.sg/b49w

Follow Audrey Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/848W

Read her articles: https://str.sg/JLM2

Host: Audrey Tan (audreyt@sph.com.sg)

Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Executive producer: Ernest Luis 

Follow Green Pulse Podcast every Tuesday as we discuss how environmental issues intersect with business, politics and society:

Channel:https://str.sg/JWaf

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

Spotify:https://str.sg/JWag

YouTube: https://str.sg/fapS

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Invest but keep enough liquidity to help you sleep at night.

In this episode, we look into the concept of liquidity. Everyone tells us to invest, but how much is enough and how much should we leave behind for a rainy day? What about saving for BTO and other commitments? 

Hosts Kai Wen and Sue-Ann speak to guest Bryan Low, Managing Director and Head of International Wealth Management for Singapore at KGI about what liquidity really means, types of investments and how liquid they are, and if you should just keep all your money in savings accounts for fear of that rainy day.

Highlights (click/tap above):

0:00 Intro

1:08 How much cash do we really need

5:00 Liquidity vs cash 

9:30 Investments that are less liquid 

12:50 Risk profile differs according to age

15:15 But what if I need to pay for my BTO?

22:55 The intersection between your life and wealth

28:00 How much to keep in the bank

Follow See Kai Wen on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/qfwqQ

Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn:https://str.sg/A86X

Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles:https://str.sg/mvSa

Hosts: See Kai Wen (seekw@sph.com.sg) and Sue-Ann Tan (suetan@sph.com.sg)

Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim

Executive producer: Elizabeth Law

Follow the Headstart On Record Podcast here:

Channel:https://str.sg/wB2m

Apple Podcasts:https://str.sg/wuN3

Spotify:https://str.sg/wBr9

YouTube: https://str.sg/3psqrx

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

Get business/career tips in ST's Headstart newsletter:https://str.sg/headstart-nl

---

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Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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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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Parents have long complained that the education system in Singapore is too stressful for children.

To address their concerns, the Ministry of Education has made policy changes over the years, including scrapping PSLE T-scores and removing weighted assessments and examinations at certain levels.

But have these measures worked?

A recent survey by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) showed that parents are more stressed than 10 years ago, and they are spending more on tuition and enrichment classes.

The Straits Times also reported that some property agents now explicitly market themselves as Primary 1 strategists or consultants, and advise their clients to plan ahead so their children can get into the school of their choice.

If the system has been easing up, what’s driving parents to continue taking part in the education “arms race”? And are the tuition and property industries capitalising on their anxiety?

In this episode, Natasha chats with:

• Jacqueline Ho, assistant professor of sociology at the Singapore Management University, who researches the Singaporean education system, and

• Prab Nathan, a property agent and former school teacher, and a father of two. His eldest daughter will be in Primary One next year.

Highlights (click/tap above):

3:46 Are property agents feeding parents’ anxiety?

9:18 Is it smart to move for a school?

11:45 School status should not be a priority: Prab

25:42 Why parents get FOMO over extra tuition

28:30 Are parents who send their kids for tuition really kiasu?

34:00 Is being a “relaxed parent” a luxury?

43:39 What’s wrong with having a shadow education system?

49:50 Parents strategise to cope with inequality

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

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Trump and Xi are nudging the bilateral relationship from confrontation to stability, says Chan Heng Chee.

Synopsis: Every month, The Straits Times gets its US Bureau Chief to analyse the hottest political and geopolitical talking points.

In this episode, US Bureau Chief Bhagyashree Garekar chats with Singapore's Ambassador At-Large Chan Heng Chee about Chinese President Xi Jinping’s first state visit to the United States in more than a decade.

The pomp-filled visit included a rare sight; President Donald Trump and his wife Melania waited at the tarmac to greet President Xi and Madame Peng Liyuan as they landed in Washington DC.

Critics have dismissed the September 23-25 summit as heavy on symbolism and lacking in substance. 

Chan, who served as Singapore's envoy to the US for 16 years, says building a rapport counts as a worthy outcome. “When you have a relationship, you can make a deal, solve problems,” she said. 

“The Chinese will miss Trump when he's gone,” she added, noting that the charismatic American leader, serving his last term in office, had taken risks in reaching out to a rival.

The stabilisation, which is still fragile, will benefit the region, she said. “We want to see the two great powers getting on because we do not want to be third-party collateral,” she said while spelling out the stakes for South-east Asia.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:50 What's noteworthy about the September summit?

8:00  How far can a good rapport take them?

11:20 What could two more meetings this year produce?

15:40 Why Pax Silica and Pax Waico will not be watertight

17.30: What can South-east Asia take away from the summit?

25:30 If Democrats win midterms, will Trump be constrained?

30:10 When everyone has a view on geopolitics, does diplomacy get harder?

35:50 Are Trump and Xi explaining themselves well?

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 (bhagya@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 

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR 

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg 

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What are the repercussions of adding your boss and colleagues on social media?

In this episode, Kai Wen and Sue-Ann discuss the nuances of adding your colleagues and supervisor on social media. 

While there are benefits to sharing your personal life with them on these platforms, should we also be wary that they might use the information against us? 

Highlights (click/tap above):

0:00 Introduction and personal experiences with bosses on socials

3:00 Power dynamics of social media

6:08 Online public vs private personas

8:56 Are there any pros to adding your boss on social media?

9:58 What do people use social media for?

15:32 Navigating social media boundaries with bosses and colleagues

Follow See Kai Wen on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/qfwqQ

Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn:https://str.sg/A86X

Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles:https://str.sg/mvSa

Hosts: See Kai Wen (seekw@sph.com.sg) and Sue-Ann Tan (suetan@sph.com.sg)

Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim

Executive producer: Elizabeth Law

Follow the Headstart On Record Podcast here:

Channel:https://str.sg/wB2m

Apple Podcasts:https://str.sg/wuN3

Spotify:https://str.sg/wBr9

YouTube: https://str.sg/3psqrx

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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

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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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There’s a potential Malay political realignment. Here’s what it means for regional stability and Malaysia’s governance.

Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the hottest political and trending talking points in Malaysia.

For our September episode, ST's Malaysia bureau chief Shannon Teoh and host Zurairi A.R. are joined by Dr Syaza Shukri, associate professor of political science at the International Islamic University Malaysia.

Highlights (click/tap above):

03:50: Najib Razak’s conditional house arrest and what it means for unity government

10:00: Impact of Najib's house arrest on Pakatan Harapan's credibility

18:20: UMNO general assembly: Zahid Hamidi dares PM Anwar to face confidence vote

22:10: PAS' posture and leadership ambitions ahead of GE16

26:40: Regional perspectives: Should neighbours worry about a PAS-influenced government?

34:40: News nugget: JPJ's 'H' series vanity licence plates hit multi-million ringgit bids

Read more:

Crowdfunding $15m fine: Najib’s party wants supporters to chip in, but trolls give 1 sen as an insult: https://str.sg/ok2tS 

Four years of uneasy alliance still cannot erase decades of UMNO’s distrust against PH allies: https://str.sg/v69u 

Bids for Malaysia’s special ‘H’ licence plate series garner record $28.6m in five days: https://str.sg/wR2sA 

“PAS’s Evolving International Engagement: From Islamism to Development Diplomacy?” by Syaza Shukri and Norshahril Saat https://str.sg/ogHNu 

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. (zurairi@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 

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR 

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Will AI eventually be able to kill us, or are AI doomsayers being alarmist?

Recently, employees at AI frontier companies like Anthropic and OpenAI have voiced serious concerns - and made doomsday predictions - about the technology getting out of control.

What made people pay attention: Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon publicly quit the AI giant in September, writing on X that “the people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade”.

His warning comes after the high-profile OpenAI-Hugging Face incident: OpenAI models broke out of an isolated testing sandbox and hacked into Hugging Face, an AI model repository.

In this episode, Natasha speaks with Clement Neo, a research advisor at SASH, a non-profit organisation that looks at policy-relevant governance work.

He also founded Neo Research, an independent AI safety evaluation lab, and was previously a research engineer with the Singapore AI Safety Institute under NTU Digital Trust Centre, which looks at AI models and figures out how to reduce the risks they pose.

We talk about why AI models are being trained to be relentlessly “persistent”, if we should stop assigning human-like qualities to a software programme, and what’s the worst that could happen?

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:36 How Clement got into AI safety research

6:34 AI feels helpful, so how is it dangerous?

10:14 How could AI kill us?

11:48 Why it’s difficult to rein in the AI agents

16:23 Why not limit the models’ capabilities to avoid risk?

22:12 Why the OpenAI-Hugging Face incident rattled the industry

25:36 What does ‘aligning’ the AI models mean?

29:40 Does projecting human intent onto AI make the issue worse?

33:57 Are we close to recursive self-improvement?

39:10 What would it take for an industry-wide AI slowdown?

45:28 Are AI companies being self-serving about the AI risks?

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

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 & Amirul Karim

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

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All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

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Why do Singaporean kids write about winter? Gwee Li Sui on AI, Singlish & why culture cannot be rushed. 

Synopsis: Conversations and interviews that give you something to think about. Each Wednesday, In Your Opinion speaks to thinkers, leaders, and the people shaping our lives and the issues of the day.

A year after the launch of our Culture Pass credits, take-up rates sit at just 10 per cent. Meanwhile, Singapore’s new national reading movement, ReadSG, now aims to pay people to try building a consistent reading habit.

What does this say about us as a people? Is it such a bad thing if we stop reading long-form fiction and just read social media? And why bother with SingLit when we are already so familiar with Singapore’s culture?

In this episode, assistant opinion editor Lianne Chia speaks to poet, graphic artist, and literary critic Gwee Li Sui on why focusing too much on hitting KPIs in our quest for culture often backfires. They discuss how doomscrolling and short-form text change our capacity for empathy and nuance, and uncover the brutal economic reality of being a creative writer in Singapore.

Highlights (click/tap above):

0:50 Singapore's pragmatic way in handling social problems

8:00 Why is SingLit a hard sell for readers compared to global titles?

8:57 Why do Singaporean students still write school essays about winter and autumn?

22:12 Is Singlish still considered "bad English" today? 

27:06 What do we miss if we only read social media?

34:43 With AI summarising everything, is there still room to read for enjoyment?

38:02 Why paying people to read is like forcing kids to eat vegetables

44:50 Is being a creative writer in Singapore an economic dead end? 

51:50 Why Gwee prefers to write for readers 50 years in the future

53:47 Is self-censorship among local writers a worry?

Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH

Host: Lianne Chia (liannechia@sph.com.sg) 

Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai

Executive producers: Danson Cheong & 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

YouTube: https://str.sg/GjMT

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Our friend circles shrink as we get older. How do we deal with it?

In this episode, therapist Cao Zhikai shares how we can deal with losing friends as we enter adulthood, and what we can do to combat that feeling of loss. She also shares about the grief of friendship breakups, which don’t often get given enough attention in a society that prioritises romantic relationships. 

Hosts Kai Wen and Sue-Ann discuss why it’s nerve-wrecking making friends as adults, yet having the payoff of a purposeful adult connection is worth it. 

Highlights (click/tap above):

0:00 Introduction

0:32 Shrinking adult friend circles? 

4:35 Why proximity matters 

8:39 The grief of losing friends

16:26 Being intentional in keeping friendships alive

24:39 Do friends serve a purpose? 

28:10 The fears of making new friends as adults

33:59 Meeting new people in a non-romantic way

Follow See Kai Wen on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/qfwqQ

Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn:https://str.sg/A86X

Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles:https://str.sg/mvSa

Hosts: See Kai Wen (seekw@sph.com.sg) and Sue-Ann Tan (suetan@sph.com.sg)

Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim

Executive producer: Elizabeth Law

Follow the Headstart On Record Podcast here:

Channel:https://str.sg/wB2m

Apple Podcasts:https://str.sg/wuN3

Spotify:https://str.sg/wBr9

YouTube: https://str.sg/3psqrx

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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

---

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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Donald Trump need not be. BRICS is nowhere near creating an alternative to the US-led world order, says our expert.

Synopsis: Every third Friday of the month, The Straits Times gets its US Bureau Chief to analyse the hottest political and trending talking points.

In this episode, US Bureau Chief Bhagyashree Garekar chats with Sarang Shidore, the director of the Global South Program at the Quincy Institute in Washington DC.

In a conversation taking stock of the grouping’s annual meeting in New Delhi on Sept 12-13, he calls BRICS an “interesting experiment” that is worth studying. 

Like ASEAN, it operates on consensus but has no charter. BRICS has been on a membership drive and now covers nearly all the regions outside of the wealthy western world.

BRICS comprises 11 members - Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and United Arab Emirates. It also has 'partner countries' including the likes of Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

US President Donald Trump has blasted the grouping, suspecting it of wanting to supplant the US dollar, the world’s leading currency. But de-dollarisation is not on the horizon, Shidore says.

Instead, the body is asking for “modest, not revolutionary” reforms in the world order.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:40 Why should Asean care about BRICS?

6:50 What the New Delhi summit achieved

11:50 What does Trump see in BRICS?

19:30 ‘Competition within cooperation’: The China-India dance 

27:10 US vs China: Destined to clash over AI in BRICS nations?

33:15 What are Beijing’s goals when it chairs BRICS in 2027?

37:45 Is BRICS ever going to create an alternative world order?

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 (bhagya@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 

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR 

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg 

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If you’re a customer with a pre-paid package with a business and it closes, will you ever get your money back?

True Fitness and True Yoga customers and employees were left in the lurch last week after the businesses shuttered. Many have unused memberships, packages and services, and members have reported losses of more than $609,000.

And it’s not just gyms. Prepayment packages are common at nail salons, spas, interior design and renovation firms, and bridal studios.

When these businesses close, what happens to consumers’ money, and are there ways consumers can be better protected?

In this episode of The Usual Place, Natasha chats with:

• Jeremy Ko, a fitness entrepreneur who has opened 25 fitness gyms and three climbing gyms, and had to close three of them, and

• Debby Lim, a senior partner in Dentons Rodyk’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group. She was also affected by the recent closure of True Fitness, having been a member since June 2025.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:08 What’s happening with the fitness industry?

6:44 Red flags that customers could possibly look out for

10:17 Is this the end of the “mega-gym” concept?

14:11 Why are True Fitness and True Yoga under “provisional liquidation”?

18:25 Why Jeremy’s gyms don’t offer prepayment packages

21:15 The hard-selling vs just saying no

26:08 Law reform needed to “save us from ourselves”?

30:10 Why aren’t more businesses signing up for CaseTrust accreditation?

34:39 Is consumer protection anti-business?

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

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 & Hadyu Rahim

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

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It takes a bold mindset to imagine innovations like Creative’s sound card and the iPhone, says a venture capitalist.

Synopsis: Conversations and interviews that give you something to think about. Each Wednesday, In Your Opinion speaks to thinkers, leaders, and the people shaping our lives and the issues of the day.

Following a recent parliamentary debate on growing Fortune Global 500 companies in Singapore, we ask if Singapore can ever grow a homegrown startup into a global tech giant like Apple or Nvidia? Or do our cultural attitudes toward risk and failure limit this potential?

To explore whether Singapore has the ecosystem and vision to build game-changing products that are similar to Creative Technology's sound card or the Apple iPhone, Lynda Hong sits down with Hian Goh, founding partner of Openspace Capital.

Managing a billion-dollar portfolio, and having served as the investment banker to Creative Technology's founder Sim Wong Hoo, Hian discusses the realities of the venture capital world.

In this episode, they examine the role of the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX) in unlocking private capital, and the challenges of commercialising deep-tech R&D. 

The discussion also touches on what it takes for Singapore to cultivate its own Silicon Valley, the necessity of tolerating setbacks, and the value of backing founders with an unreasonable mindset.

Highlights (click/tap above): 

1:08 What is actually missing in Singapore's private capital ecosystem? 

6:06 Working with Sim Wong Hoo and hitting the structural ceiling 

12:40 Love, Bonito and the challenges of scaling a brand out of Singapore 

17:43 The "No U-Turn Syndrome" and why younger Singaporeans are breaking the mold 

19:16 Silicon Valley's risk appetite vs. Singapore's fear of failure 

21:27 The ChatGPT-4 lesson: Why celebrating uncertainty is the key to deep-tech innovation

28:34 Why the art of investing means backing the "crazy" founders 

32:34 Overcoming investor trauma for a more vibrant SGX

35:52 Should national R&D focus only on creating unicorns?

44:54 Block 71 and trusting the ecosystem to build a uniquely Singaporean Silicon Valley

Read ST’s Opinion section:https://str.sg/w7sH

Host: Lynda Hong (lyndahong@sph.com.sg) 

Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai

Executive producers: Danson Cheong & 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

YouTube: https://str.sg/GjMT

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Is travelling with friends worth the risk when all hell breaks loose?

From disagreements over budget to one person wanting to “travelmax” while another wants to wake up at noon, a trip can become a horror story. 

In this episode, Kai Wen and Sue-Ann discuss whether you should travel with friends and the red flags that can spell disaster instead of a fun holiday.

Highlights (click/tap above):

0:00: Intro

2:10 Compromising on travel choices

4:50 Walking red flags on holiday

8:11 Relaxing vs travelmaxxing  

12:00 Breakups on holiday 

14:05 Picking travel companions

15:57 Pre-trip disclosures

Follow See Kai Wen on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/qfwqQ

Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn:https://str.sg/A86X

Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles:https://str.sg/mvSa

Hosts: See Kai Wen (seekw@sph.com.sg) and Sue-Ann Tan (suetan@sph.com.sg)

Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim

Executive producer: Elizabeth Law

Follow the Headstart On Record Podcast here:

Channel:https://str.sg/wB2m

Apple Podcasts:https://str.sg/wuN3

Spotify:https://str.sg/wBr9

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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

Watch Headstart On Record Podcast on YouTube: https://str.sg/3psqrx

---

Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

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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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Will the increase in ministerial salaries cost the People’s Action Party (PAP) votes at the next General Election?

On Sept 8, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced that political office-holders will get a one-off pay increase of up to 9 per cent.

This will take effect from Oct 15 - an entry-level grade MR4 minister getting the full adjustment will see his annual pay rise from $1.1 million to $1.2 million.

The changes to salaries come after the Government accepted the recommendations of a committee convened to review political salaries. One of its recommendations is that the MR4 benchmark will also be updated from $1.1 million to $1.8 million.

Existing ministers’ salaries will continue to be adjusted based on performance, and PM Wong expects most MR4 ministers to earn about $1.35 million – the lower end of the new salary range – by the end of this term of government.

In this episode of The Usual Place, Natasha speaks with Straits Times’ senior columnist Bhavan Jaipragas, and Rebecca Grace Tan, a senior lecturer in Political Science at the National University of Singapore.

We discuss whether there is the “right” formula to calculating ministers’ salaries, and whether alternative performance reviews of ministers’ and MPs work is now necessary to account to the public for the pay raises.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:24 How did PM Wong fare in explaining the salary increases?

5:38 Was the debate “subdued” as compared to 2012?

8:44 Have S’poreans come to accept the million-dollar salaries?

13:45 Why didn’t the Workers’ Party oppose more strongly?

18:00 Growing divide between political elites and the rest of us?

21:09 Is the top 1,000 earners benchmark still fair?

26:20 Money, motive and minimising opportunity costs

32:15 How can we assess ministers’ performance?

41:44 Has public office become unattractive?

47:22 Is S’pore just another corporation?

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

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, Hadyu Rahim & Teo Tong Kai

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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An unending conflict and shrinking aid leave Myanmar’s refugees and displaced in increasingly dire circumstances.

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

In this episode, he speaks with the British psychotherapist and aid worker Edward Blakeney on the travails of Myanmar’s 1.6 million exiles and 4 million internally displaced people.

What emerges is a story of food shortages, medical issues including mental trauma, and lack of educational opportunities among an exile diaspora that now stretches from Thailand to Bangladesh, Malaysia, India and Sri Lanka.

Highlights (click/tap above)

2:30 Brutal war and a worsening refugee situation

5:20 A 9-year-old drug addict

8:40 Wasting, malnourished children

14:10 Ukraine distraction, journalists under the gun

24:00 Has Blakeney seen a shrink himself, given what he has seen and experienced?

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 

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR 

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Get more updates:http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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As Singapore ages, the number of family caregivers is rising, making caregiver respite a key focus. 

Synopsis: Conversations and interviews that give you something to think about. Each Wednesday, In Your Opinion speaks to thinkers, leaders, and the people shaping our lives and the issues of the day.

The rising number of dementia patients is just the tip of the iceberg. An ageing population, chronic illnesses that leave loved ones bedridden, and more awareness of mental health conditions have cast a spotlight on the importance of caregiver respite.

On this episode of In Your Opinion, we look at the mental health struggles faced by caregivers who sacrifice much of themselves in caring for loved ones.

Joining assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong is Tim Oei, CEO of Mindfull Community. Drawing on decades of leadership at major social service agencies like AWWA and the National Kidney Foundation, he talks about caring for the carers, and why some see going to work as a form of respite. 

Oei touches on systemic gaps that could disadvantage asset-rich, cash-poor caregivers, and why quitting your job to be a full-time carer can very quickly lead to burnout. 

They also explore the marathon that is caregiving, and how friends, colleagues and neighbours can take small steps to help.

Highlights (click/tap above): 

3:23 When burnt-out caregivers face health issues

5:34 Caregivers only seek help when crisis hits

9:22 Why having a job can backfire when applying for grants 

11:40 ‘Work is respite’: How some carers see their jobs

14:25 Will the $10m OrangeAid grant help with caregiver burnout?

21:45 Why sending a caregiver on a ‘staycation’ backfired

23:13 How to scale tailored support for caregivers?

26:20 The dementia tsunami: Scaling support for 2030

27:41 Co-location of services to help care recipients and caregivers

34:45 Hitting the wall: When caregivers reach the tragic breaking point

Read ST’s Opinion section:https://str.sg/w7sH

Follow Lynda Hong on LinkedIn:https://str.sg/Gm2v

Host: Lynda Hong (lyndahong@sph.com.sg) 

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

YouTube: https://str.sg/GjMT

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

---

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All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 

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MENTAL WELL-BEING

COUNSELLING

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The US market is exciting, but it can also be dangerous for young investors.

The US market has been on a tear, but it is also littered with pitfalls for unsuspecting new investors. 

Should we stock pick or just buy the S&P 500? And what about new IPOs like Space X?

In this episode, ST business correspondent Sue-Ann Tan looks at how to explore the US market without getting burnt. 

Her guests are Sheryl Choong, Head of Client Advisory Singapore at Endowus and Afdhal Rahman, OCBC executive director of wealth advisory.

Highlights (click/tap above):

3:12 Should I just invest in the S&P 500? 

7:13 What percentage of my portfolio should be in the US? 

10:30 S&P 500 vs Nasdaq vs Dow Jones  

12:00 How to start investing in the US 

15:45 Getting into popular new US IPOs  

18:30 Lump sum investing vs regular investing 

23:20 Dealing with exchange rates 

Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles:https://str.sg/mvSa

Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn:https://str.sg/A86X

Hosts: Sue-Ann Tan (suetan@sph.com.sg)

Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim and Natasha Liew

Executive producer: Elizabeth Law

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

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

Watch Headstart On Record Podcast on YouTube: https://str.sg/3psqrx

---

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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Discover the science of aging and learn about the latest geroscience research aimed at shifting the focus from mere lifespan to healthspan.

Synopsis: Once a month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.

In the latest Health Check podcast, we examine the burgeoning science of healthspan—the period of life spent in good health, free from chronic disease—shifting the focus beyond mere lifespan. Part of The Straits Times' “The New Age” series, this episode explores ageing not as an inevitable decline, but as a complex biological network.

Host Joyce Teo sits down with Dr Brian Kennedy, director of the Center for Healthy Longevity at the National University Health System, about cutting-edge research in geroscience and the shift from reactive sick care to proactive healthcare.

Brian is a distinguished professor of biochemistry and physiology at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore. 

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:33 Exploring ageing clocks, geroscience, and longevity

7:57 Our bodies maintain an internal homeostasis for health. When does this equilibrium break down? 

9:08 Brian Kennedy's transition from lab models to human trials in Singapore and Singapore's global standing

13:36 Study showed that the Japanese are healthier in Japan than in another country that they have moved to

15:27 Will a low carb, high protein diet help me age better? 

18:15 You got to do medicine before you do longevity medicine

23:23 Is there evidence that hyperbaric oxygen chambers work?

24:19 How do you choose the right ageing supplements?

30:31 We need to empower people to make more of their own health decisions

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

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

Produced and edited by: Natasha Liew

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

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The Usual Place Podcast YouTube:https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast

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Taiwan correspondent Yip Wai Yee reflects on her four-year journey in this special farewell episode.

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.

After four years of reporting from the frontlines, Taiwan correspondent Yip Wai Yee is hanging up her media pass to embark on a new chapter.

In this special farewell episode, host Li Xueying sits down with Wai Yee for one final, reflective look back at the island she called home for the past four years.

They discuss the stark paradox of high-tech industries coexisting with deep-rooted tradition, and the everyday resilience of people living with geopolitical uncertainty.

Wai Yee shares the stories that defined her tenure in Taiwan, and what she will miss most.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:08 Why it’s time to say goodbye: Wai Yee’s next chapter

3:56 Taiwan’s high-tech prowess meets deep-rooted tradition

6:16 How locals cope with geopolitical pressure

10:50 Taiwan’s mangoes becoming hot property in Europe

16:29 Navigating cross-strait families and shifting identities

20:17 What Wai Yee will miss most about Taiwan

Read Yip Wai Yee’s articles here: https://str.sg/wFZk 

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 (xueying@sph.com.sg)

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 

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR 

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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All-in-one ST Podcasts channel:https://str.sg/wvz7

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If you own a private condominium unit and are looking to downgrade, or a family considering buying a BTO flat, the two recent housing policy changes would have brought some relief.

In July, the 15-month wait-out period for private residential property owners who want to buy a non-subsidised HDB resale flat was lifted.

In his National Day Rally speech, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced that the income ceiling for BTO flats and new executive condominiums will be raised, and more ballot chances for first-timers with children.

How will these moves affect housing prices, and will there be more million-dollar flats as demand goes up? Also, with more people qualifying for a BTO, will it be harder to get a flat?

Chief researcher and strategist at Realion (Orange Tee & ETC) Group Christine Sun, and chief research officer at Mogul.sg Nicholas Mak, share their views on what moves we could possibly see in the property market.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:55 Three groups who will benefit

6:40 Will BTO application rates surge?

9:00 Why million-dollar flats still sell

12:55 Did the income ceiling for ECs need to be raised?

17:14 Should the Govt claw back EC subsidies?

25:48 Will BTOs get more expensive?

30:35 Why Nicholas doesn’t see the singles eligibility age dropping

37:36 Will there be an oversupply in ‘ulu’ areas?

41:32 Why so many 2-room flats?

44:53 No 3-room flats is ‘a bit too extreme’: Nicholas

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

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

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

---

Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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Denise Phua raised an autistic son and spent decades championing greater inclusion. 

Synopsis: Conversations and interviews that give you something to think about. Each Wednesday, In Your Opinion speaks to thinkers, leaders, and the people shaping our lives and the issues of the day.

The Straits Times Deputy Opinion Editor Mubin Saadat sits with Member of Parliament and President of Autism Resource Centre Denise Phua to discuss her personal journey raising a son with autism and the lessons it has taught her about inclusion. 

The podcast explores the “post-18 cliff” faced by many adults with autism and their families, and what needs to change in learning, employment and living arrangements. 

Denise also discusses the anxieties caregivers face about their children’s futures, especially when parents are no longer around. The conversation examines whether Singapore’s disability policies are keeping pace with the needs of people across their entire lives – and what a truly inclusive society should look like.

Highlights (click/tap above):

0:55 Motherhood and personal advocacy journey

5:55 Evolving support systems and challenges

15:55 Bridging gaps in learning, working and living

22:55 Creating inclusive employment opportunities

29:35 What would you say to employers to embrace inclusivity?

37:25 Will AI take over jobs meant for people with special needs?

40:35 Personalised support and living models

47:10 On straddling between advocacy and her role as MP

51:05 Grappling with life without parents for people with autism

Read more: 

Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH

Follow Mubin Saadat on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/brVx

Host: Mubin Saadat (mubin@sph.com.sg)

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

YouTube: https://str.sg/GjMT

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

---

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Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts 

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With DAP committed to the unity government, can Anwar Ibrahim reform his coalition before the next general election?

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 August episode, ST's Malaysia bureau chief Shannon Teoh and host Zurairi A.R. are joined by Dr Ong Kian Ming, a former deputy minister and adjunct professor at Taylor’s University. 

Highlights (click/tap above):

5:20 DAP members vote to stay in government: Is it the right choice?

8:40 Is the DAP grassroots divided over call to stay in government?

17:40 What is the ideal situation for DAP? Is it time to return to the opposition? 

19:50 Should Anwar Ibrahim step back to allow Pakatan Harapan to rebuild for 16th general election?

24:40 Anwar’s strategy: Tactical survival or a genuine long-term plan?

31:00 Are Anwar’s advisers listening? Here’s what we have to say to them

37:10 Side note: Formula 1 is back in Sepang, but what sporting events do we want Malaysia to host?

Read more:

Malaysia’s DAP votes to stay in government, easing pressure on PM Anwar after state polls setbacks: https://str.sg/3Tr5u

Malaysia keeps voting for change. Is Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan running out of time to deliver?: https://str.sg/mUbA

F1 race in Malaysia: Country eyes a rise in tourists, increased business for small traders: https://str.sg/xboz 

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. (zurairi@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 

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An NUS scientist reversed his own biological age after stress-testing his diet, sleep and exercise in a longevity study 

Synopsis: Conversations and interviews that give you something to think about. Each Wednesday, In Your Opinion speaks to thinkers, leaders, and the people shaping our lives and the issues of the day.

Strict bedtimes, daily exercise and cutbacks to fat and sugar intake are usually gleaned from big data as standard advice for better health. But what if you could effectively tailor these rules for your own body? 

To find out more about how an individual’s biological baseline shifts over time, Dean Ho, director of the Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM) at NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS Medicine),  embarked on a two-year study on himself to develop a technology that analyses the data from wearables. 

Known as DELTA, this study had helped reverse the 47-year-old's biological age by 15 years, after undergoing a series of lifestyle interventions, including varying fasting durations, exercise routines and nutrition adjustments. Throughout the process, this biological response was monitored in real-time to track a biological baseline shaped by age, stress, sleep, food, exercise and illness. 

His intense regimen included around 20 hours of fasting each day, multiple 48-hour fasts, 90 minutes of strength or cardiovascular training every morning, and a structured diet centred on leafy greens, seeds, olive oil, lean protein, and other Mediterranean-style foods. His beverages were limited to water, electrolytes, and black coffee or tea without milk and sugar.

In this episode of In Your Opinion, Lynda Hong, assistant podcast editor from The Straits Times, sits down with Ho, who is also provost’s chair professor at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. They delve into why he embarked on this study with just himself as the study sample, and how he can still eat everything from chicken rice, and pizza to five chendols in 2.5 days when he went on a trip to Penang with his son. 

Highlights (click/tap above): 

7:48 Technology aspect to DELTA study in analysing vitals and biological age

10:00 How DELTA differs from Project Blueprint

12:52 Have your pizza and eat it too - understanding 'your delta' to optimise your biology

15:24 Ho’s interaction with Bryan Johnson 

15:52 Ho on Bryan Johnson: ‘His dedication to sleep is inspiring’ 

17:46 Did Ho take any testosterone replacements, HGH, supplements? 

20:30 Why a sample size of one is enough for the DELTA study

27:08 The function of a ‘digital twin’ in tailoring strategies to improve health

30:05 ‘Human behavior is more powerful than the most powerful medicines on the planet’

39:00 Taking small steps to drinking Kopi ‘O’ Kosong and sleeping more

43:00 Beyond the wrinkles and cutting sugar to the real reason why Ho pursues longevity

52:10 The Pursuit of Longevity vs. Quality of Life

Read ST’s Opinion section:https://str.sg/w7sH

Follow Lynda Hong on LinkedIn:https://str.sg/Gm2v

Host: Lynda Hong (lyndahong@sph.com.sg) 

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

YouTube: https://str.sg/GjMT

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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If you’ve been thinking about having kids, last night’s National Day Rally might have given you something to rally about.

Parents - and those who are considering having children - were the focus of PM Wong’s address on August 23.

In a nutshell, parents will get more help: more childcare leave and financial support, along with lower pre-school fees and more ballot chances when buying their first BTO flat.

But will this move the needle on our Total Fertility Rate, which now stands at 0.87?

Natasha asks Senior Parliamentary Secretary Goh Hanyan from the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth why the Government shifted its stance to consider every child equally.

Dr Reuben Ng, associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and a father of four, shared his thoughts on when the Government needs to roll out more measures for this reset to count.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:17 Were the parenthood measures good enough?

6:56 Why tackle the cost concerns first?

12:15 Should mothers get medals for having more kids?

17:24 Why not taking leave is sometimes seen as a “badge of honour”

20:41 Hanyan’s experience juggling political office and being a mother-of-three

25:14 What about colleagues who cover parents on leave?

28:20 Are singles getting the short end of the stick?

33:41 Politically risky to invest so much public funds into parenting?

38:21 How fast does the Government need to roll out the measures?

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

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What kind of involvement do Singaporeans want in policymaking?

The Maju Forest-Gillman Barracks issue has seen Singaporeans making their voices heard, offering counter-proposals, and demanding more transparency from the Government.

This isn’t the first time Singaporeans have made their views known - remember issues including the Dear You bilingual policy debate, the SimplyGo roll out, and the scrapped NTUC Income-Allianz deal.

Are we in a new era of civic participation, and does the way the Government engages Singaporeans need to change? Also, would too much consultation hamper policymaking?

In this episode of The Usual Place, I speak with:

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:17 Reactions to S’poreans speaking up about Maju Forest

6:33 Has the Government responded well?

9:38 Citizens must trust that their voices matter: Jonathan

11:00 S’poreans want to “see how the sausage is being made”: George

13:54 Should policies satisfy every stakeholder?

16:18 Presenting trade-offs without being defensive

18:54 No more “Trust me bro!”

24:09 How does the Government choose whom to listen to?

28:18 Is active citizenry fuelled by social media?

31:43 Do name-calling, political labels hurt engagement?

34:34 Can S’poreans disagree agreeably?

36:19 Is another iteration of Our Singapore Conversation needed?

39:46 Why you shouldn’t scream to be heard

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

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The former senior minister unveils the robust Cabinet debates over three defining institutions published in a new book.

Synopsis: Conversations and interviews that give you something to think about. Each Wednesday, In Your Opinion speaks to thinkers, leaders, and the people shaping our lives and the issues of the day.

Governing Singapore today is a tough task, made more difficult by frequent comparisons with the immediate post-independence decades - a period dominated by the towering figure of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. 

Yet was Lee more open to persuasion than we realise? Was governing Singapore far more complex, nuanced and more akin to a team sport? What enabled the Singapore Cabinet to have vociferous debates on policy including the Elected Presidency, the Group Representation Constituency and the Non-Constituency Member of Parliament?

And after recent developments and the power of hindsight, would one of their chief architects say they’re due for a refresh?

These are the subjects of the book Creating Three Unique Singapore Laws: An Inside Story by S. Jayakumar, launched on Aug 12.

In an exclusive hour-long podcast with The Straits Times opinion editor Lin Suling, he opens up on Cabinet deliberations and sheds light on a milieu in Singapore’s history after the 1981 Anson by-election, which sparked the creation of three powerful institutions that have become indelible parts of Singapore’s political system. 

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:44 Are recent resignations of minority Members of Parliament a setback for the GRC system? Is the GRC system due for a review?

12:58 Has public understanding on the limits of the Elected Presidency improved?

21:21 Was the NCMP scheme created to secure the ruling People’s Action Party’s dominance in Parliament?

29:26 Do PAP backbenchers pull their punches in Parliament? What was it like being J B Jeyaretnam’s “sparring partner”?

31:36 Was Lee Kuan Yew actually more open to persuasion than Singaporeans realise?

33:10 What allowed Lee’s Cabinet to have such vociferous debates? Does S Jayakumar worry about political correctness dampening discussions? What does it take to recruit capable Cabinet Ministers?

40:45 Why did a proposal on constitutional design go through DEFCO - the defence council overseeing national security?

44:00 Are any of Singapore's constitutional institutions due for a refresh? 

46:59 How did S Jayakumar balance heavy ministerial portfolios with constituency duties in Bedok and family life?

Creating Three Unique Singapore Laws: An Inside Story is published by Straits Times Press and available for $38.90 (excluding GST) at major bookstores and online at https://www.stbooks.sg/

Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH

Follow Lin Suling on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/hiLQ

Host: Lin Suling (linsuling@sph.com.sg)

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

YouTube: https://str.sg/GjMT

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Would you reveal your salary to your colleagues? What to do if you are underpaid?

In this episode, ST’s own manpower correspondent Sharon Salim talks about navigating conversations around salary transparency and how being too transparent can affect workplace dynamics.

Hosts Kai Wen and Sue-Ann discuss transparency being crucial to benchmarking against peers in the same industry, and whether firms discourage employees from salary transparency to maintain an advantage in salary negotiations.

Highlights (click/tap above):

0:00: Intro

3:55 Utilising salary guides & public sector disparity

7:58 The impact on workplace dynamics

11:52 Downsides of transparency

15:34 Job interviews to check “market rate”

19:59 Is sharing your salary against rules

23:29 Negotiating a pay raise

27:42 Track your monthly career milestones

Follow See Kai Wen on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/qfwqQ

Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn:https://str.sg/A86X

Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles:https://str.sg/mvSa

Hosts: See Kai Wen (seekw@sph.com.sg) and Sue-Ann Tan (suetan@sph.com.sg)

Produced & edited by: Eden Soh, Fa’izah Sani and Amirul Karim

Executive producer: Elizabeth Law

Follow the Headstart On Record Podcast here:

Channel:https://str.sg/wB2m

Apple Podcasts:https://str.sg/wuN3

Spotify:https://str.sg/wBr9

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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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What more should we know now about this country that is central to the global economy and is playing an ever greater role in geopolitics?

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

In this first-ever joint episode of Asian Insider and Radio Davos, he is joined by the World Economic Forum’s Robin Pomeroy as they speak with Qian Liu, whose Wusawa Advisory helps companies understand China. 

It was recorded in late June at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2026 in Dalian, China.

Ravi and Robin discuss with Qian about how a Chinese economy built on innovation and scale is impacting the world, the mainland’s internal worry lines such as high youth unemployment and lagging consumption, and why female power could drive China’s next growth phase.

Highlights (click/tap above)

4:00 Exports, joblessness, property in a slowing economy

9:00 China’s property market prospects

11:10 ‘Ageing concubine’ Europe ‘cooking up’ negativity

15:00 EVs, cognac and bubble tea

19:40 You don’t need to get fat on Chinese ice-cream

23:10 ‘Involution’ and its imperatives

25:00 Shrugging off Hormuz

27:00 China’s watching US destroy itself

33:00 Female power in China

More at wef.ch/amnc26 and across social media using the hashtag #AMNC26

Produced and edited by Radio Davos:

Editing - Seamus Hart, Louie Carroll

Studio production: Gareth Nolan

---

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)

Follow Asian Insider Podcast on Fridays here:

Channel:https://str.sg/JWa7 

Apple Podcasts:https://str.sg/JWa8 

Spotify:https://str.sg/JWaX

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Discover more Radio Davos podcasts:

From 'US innovates, China imitates' to 'Opportunity 2.0' - lessons from Summer Davos: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/strategic-intelligence-amnc26-debrief-china-innovation/

The Hormuz shock, AI and China: the state of global energy, with Jason Bordoff: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/amnc26-energy-china-hormuz-oil-gas-renewables-bordoff/

AMNC26: What just happened at the Summer Davos?: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/amnc26-what-just-happened-summer-davos/

All podcasts: wef.ch/podcasts:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts

Radio Davos: https://pod.link/1504682164

Meet the Leader: https://pod.link/1534915560

Agenda Dialogues: https://pod.link/1574956552

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Would you read regularly if you were paid to do so?

The National Library Board (NLB) is hoping that people will develop a consistent reading habit by giving readers virtual coins that can eventually be exchanged for cash. They need to spend at least 15 minutes on the activity each day.

But why does the library have to incentivise us to read for fun? What do we lose when we no longer read, especially if we’re choosing to doomscroll instead?

In this episode of The Usual Place, I speak with:

Associate Professor Loh Chin Ee from the National Institute of Education, who researches people’s reading habits, and

Chris Koh, the programme director of the National Reading Movement

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:47 How was ReadSG conceptualised

3:41 Why do we have to be paid to read?

7:41 Is reading for 15 mins actually realistic?

10:45 Does reading daily create a habit?

19:16 Why we should stop calling kids “non-readers”

21:10 Will book clubs get people reading?

27:39 What do we lose when we don’t read?

32:19 S’pore’s most borrowed library book?

33:34 Book recommendations from Chris, Chin Ee and Natasha

Books recommended in this episode:

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb

The Complete Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Bang My Car by Ann Ang

Ministry of Moral Panic by Amanda Lee Koe

Taiwan Travelogue by Yang Shuang-zi

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

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: Teo Tong Kai & Hadyu Rahim

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Migrant workers - we discuss the unpaid wage saga and their role in our economy.

Synopsis: Conversations and interviews that give you something to think about. Each Wednesday, In Your Opinion speaks to thinkers, leaders, and the people shaping our lives and the issues of the day.

The Straits Times columnist Tan Dawn Wei sits down with Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash to discuss his transition to the Cabinet and how his background in healthcare for vulnerable groups shapes his approach to labour policy.

The conversation tackles a major wage crisis where over 400 migrant workers went unpaid, sparking a debate on whether Singapore’s system is adequate in picking up early warning signs. 

The Minister of State also outlines a future with fewer but better paid migrant workers and better living conditions, concluding with a call for stronger social integration and mutual empathy between Singaporeans and migrant workers.

Highlights (click/tap above): 

1:38 Transitioning to the manpower portfolio: Dinesh Vasu Dash discusses how his previous role in integrated healthcare shaped his focus on safeguarding low-wage and vulnerable workers.

10:06 The unpaid wage crisis: An update on the tripartite intervention that recovered salaries for the workers left stranded.

17:37 Why ground-level officers didn't pick up the unpaid wage case earlier.

26:43 NGO recommendations and their feasibility.

28:45 Regulating recruitment debt: Examining the high upfront fees workers pay in source countries.

35:13 Foreign worker levies: Has it achieved its objective?

39:04 What will Singapore’s manpower landscape look like in 20 years?

45:26 Social integration as a two-way street.

Read ST’s Opinion section:https://str.sg/w7sH

Host: Tan Dawn Wei (dawntan@sph.com.sg)

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

YouTube: https://str.sg/GjMT

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Japan's ageing crisis has turned prisons into an unlikely safety net for lonely seniors.

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.

Japan's prisons are increasingly housing a growing number of elderly inmates, many of whom are repeat offenders convicted of minor crimes. Why would anyone choose prison over freedom?

In this episode, host Li Xueying speaks with Japan correspondent Walter Sim as he takes the audience inside Tochigi Prison, Japan's largest women's correctional facility, where an unexpected trend is raising difficult questions about the country's rapidly ageing society.

Some elderly women are repeatedly committing minor offences, but the reasons behind their actions may not be what you expect. Their stories reveal deeper challenges facing Japan, from loneliness and shrinking family support networks to rising care costs and an ageing population.

What happens when prison becomes part of a country's social safety net?

Highlights (click/tap above):

0:42 Japan's demographic challenges and prison population trends

2:23 Social dynamics within Tochigi’s prison

4:18 The paradox of prisons feeling like nursing homes

8:12 Broken social safety nets and the rise of "kodokushi"

10:31 The structural gaps in healthcare and caregivers

12:43 Japan's policy reforms towards rehabilitation

15:10 Implications of declining crime rates and prison closures

Read Walter Sim’s article here:https://str.sg/kfTG 

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 (xueying@sph.com.sg)

Edited by: Natasha Liew

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 

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR 

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Millennials are the generation that changed the conversation around mental health. They normalised mental health talk, encouraged self-care and made going to therapy less taboo.

So what caused the 50 per cent jump in suicide deaths among adults in their 30s in 2024?

Recently released data from the annual report on registration of births and deaths by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority showed there were 441 suicide deaths in Singapore in 2024.

Suicide among adults aged between 30 and 39 increased from 66 cases in 2023 to 99 in 2024.

In this episode, Natasha speaks with Dr Jared Ng, a psychiatrist and medical director at Connections MindHealth, and Anthea Ong, co-lead for a white paper for national suicide prevention strategy Project Hayat, about what’s affecting this group.

We also talk about why men are still reluctant to seek help, and whether AI chatbots are valid sources of mental health support.

Watch the previous TUP episode on how to help someone having suicidal thoughts: https://str.sg/3KHRV

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:28 Why did millennial suicide deaths spike by 50 per cent in a year?

6:14 “I failed at something.” vs “I’m a failure.”

11:08 The challenges of living in a pressure-cooker society

13:23 The “treatment gap” problem

16:48 Do you feel safe in your workplace?

20:38 Why staff don’t trust Employee Assistance Programmes

25:13 The gender paradox about suicide

29:53 Why do men stay suicidal

34:32 Where AI chatbots can help, and where they don’t

39:57 Struggling isn’t the same as being suicidal

41:30 Not all helpline callers are in distress

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

Mindfull Community HQ (for caregivers, families and persons in recovery): 6460-4400 (weekdays, 9am to 5pm)

Counselling:

Touchline (Counselling): 1800-377-2252

Touch Care Line (for caregivers): 6804-6555

Counselling and Care Centre: 6536-6366

We Care Community Services: 3165-8017

Shan You Counselling Centre: 6741-9293

Clarity Singapore: 6757-7990

Care Corner Counselling Centre: 6353-1180

Online resources:

mindline.sg/fsmh

eC2.sg

chat.mentalhealth.sg

carey.carecorner.org.sg (for those aged 13 to 25)

limitless.sg/talk (for those aged 12 to 25)

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

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

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Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Retrenchment payouts, mental health claims & the Workplace Fairness Act: How S’pore’s new law rewrites the rules.

Synopsis: Conversations and interviews that give you something to think about. Each Wednesday, In Your Opinion speaks to thinkers, leaders, and the people shaping our lives and the issues of the day.

With the landmark Workplace Fairness Act (WFA) set to take full effect in late 2027, the rules of the corporate game are about to change. But will the new laws actually protect the everyday worker, or just create new legal loopholes?

In this episode of In Your Opinion, ST assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong sits down with veteran employment lawyer Jonathan Yuen, Partner at Rajah & Tann. 

They peel back the curtain on the dark side of HR tactics, from weaponised Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) to the 24-hour ultimatum room. Plus, an insider look at the new $250,000 Employment Claims Tribunals (ECT) limit, and why the upcoming legal changes might force unrepresented employees into a David and Goliath battle against corporate HR. 

Highlights (click/tap above): 

8:46 Myth busted: The '1 month per year' severance rule

20:41 Should Singapore introduce a mandatory cooling-off period for severance offers?

25:30 What is the most practical change from the Workplace Fairness Act?

32:44 Genuine struggles vs weaponising mental health against employers

39:06 The $250,000 claim limit and the ban on lawyers under the new law

Read ST’s Opinion section:https://str.sg/w7sH

Follow Lynda Hong on LinkedIn:https://str.sg/Gm2v

Host: Lynda Hong (lyndahong@sph.com.sg) 

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

YouTube: https://str.sg/GjMT

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Talking to friends about money can be sensitive, here’s how to navigate it. 

Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, get a head start in your personal finance, career and life with The Straits Times.

Friendships may be priceless, but money talk often crops up among friends - who owes who money, choosing dinner locations, trying to budget for travel together. 

But how can we talk openly about money without breaking friendships?

In this episode, ST business correspondent Sue-Ann Tan and See Kai Wen talk about how to navigate this issue. 

Their guest is Vivienne Ong from MoneyOwl. 

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:49 How will it affect the friend group if everyone knows each other’s pay? 

7:43 People pleasing vs guarding your own finances 

10:56 Money talk when travelling with friends 

18:00 Can owing money break a friendship 

23:29 Taking emotions out of the equation  

24:50 Expensive weddings and hongbao 

29:26 How to approach the money convo

Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles:https://str.sg/mvSa

Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn:https://str.sg/A86X

Follow See Kai Wen on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/qfwqQ

Hosts: Sue-Ann Tan (suetan@sph.com.sg) and See Kai Wen (seekw@sph.com.sg)

Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim and Natasha Liew

Executive producers: Elizabeth Law

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

Get business/career tips in ST's Headstart newsletter:https://str.sg/headstart-nl

---

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All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Watch Headstart On Record Podcast on YouTube: https://str.sg/3psqrx

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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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Will the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link sound the death knell for smaller, home-grown businesses when it opens in a few months?

A new study, which was released on July 16, highlighted how Singaporeans are slated to spend $1.05 billion more across the Causeway in 2027. But visitors from the other side aren’t expected to send as much business our way. JB visitors are projected to spend about $756 million more.

The Singapore Business Federation (SBF), the Restaurant Association of Singapore and the Singapore Retailers Association jointly commissioned the study to look at how the RTS Link could reshape consumer spending, tourism flows and business competitiveness in Singapore’s retail and food and beverage sectors.

Can local retail and F&B businesses, which are already struggling with rent and manpower costs, cope with the added pressure?

In this episode, I speak with:

• Musa Fazal, the chief policy and operating officer at the SBF, and

• Ang Yuit, president of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, who moved to JB 18 months ago.

We discuss whether expanding the eligibility and amount of the CDC Vouchers Scheme is just a Band-Aid, and if the Government will step in to control rents.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:35 Are SG businesses excited about the RTS Link?

6:28 How will S’pore’s consumer spending change?

10:34 Is it too late for retail, F&B?

17:24 You can’t risk making a mistake here: Yuit

19:42 CDC vouchers: A band-aid but still useful

23:15 Topline statistics might not give us the actual picture

27:05 Can we move events to the heartlands?

28:41 Why hasn’t the west built its own Katong?

32:43 Why we need spaces for businesses to try - and fail cheaply

39:53 Why S’pore needs a “nighttime mayor”

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Mums discuss the trade-offs and rewards of both choices, and why there is no “right” way to be a mother.

Synopsis: Join us for a five-part series on working motherhood from July 3-31 with episodes out every Friday.

This final episode explores one of the biggest questions mothers face: Stay home with my children, or continue working? 

From the emotional cost of missing moments with their children to the financial realities of stepping away from paid employment, working mums often find themselves weighing impossible trade-offs, even though there is no “right” way to raise a family. 

Host Vanessa Chelvan speaks with Kristen Kiong, a speech therapist and mother of three who left the workforce to care for her children full-time; and Yong Qiao Qing, a marketing manager and mother of two who returned to work after being a stay-at-home mum.

They discuss the misconceptions surrounding stay-at-home mothers, the hidden value of unpaid caregiving, and why becoming a mother can make women stronger and more productive at work.

Highlights (click/tap above):

8:13 My job comes at the expense of my kids - and vice versa 

10:05 Dealing with guilt and the common misconceptions 

12:40 From earning your own money to asking your husband 

16:30 The value of stay-at-home mums is not monetary   

20:40 Dealing with overstimulation as a mum 

25:40 We are the first generation of mothers to apologise to our kids   

27:22 Stay-at-home mums sometimes feel ‘collectively lonely’ 

30:50 The motherhood penalty 

34:06 On why mothers are extraproductive workers 

36:30 Advice for those considering the switch 

Host: Vanessa Chelvan (vpchelvan@sph.com.sg)

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 

YouTube: https://str.sg/HnaV

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg 

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Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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From running marathons to being personalised chefs, robots are redefining life in the future.

Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times will now analyse the hottest political and trending talking points, alternating between its Malaysia and Greater China bureaus.

For July, host and deputy foreign editor Albert Wai teams up with ST’s senior China correspondents Yew Lun Tian and Daryl Loo. Their focus is on China’s AI and robots and what they mean for jobs, IPOs and the US-China rivalry. 

On the ground, Lun Tian notes that AI has become “everything, everywhere, all at once.” Everyday innovations now range from driverless robotaxis and near-unmanned factories to AI-generated microdramas.

Such tech advancements have translated into a can-do spirit for China. 

The government has framed China’s open-source AI models as a driver of equitable global development—offering Beijing a chance to demonstrate leadership and responsible AI governance. However, skeptics argue against expanding China’s influence in setting global standards.

Domestically, it has also sparked a massive capital surge in the form of IPOs. And talent is in such short supply that Chinese companies now have to look overseas.  

While the overall picture is a positive one, there is an underbelly in the form of social inequalities, need for regulation as well as ethical issues.

There are also implications for US-China ties. AI has become yet another topic that shows how difficult it is for both sides to come together. Yet, dialogue is urgently needed for both Beijing and Washington to identify low-hanging fruits and establish basic guardrails.

What do the podcasters hope to see in future? Albert and Daryl wish for a robot that can analyse, wash and fold their laundry, while Lun Tian would like a “master shifu” to answer her burning questions. 

Highlights (click/tap above): 

7:43 AI is “everything, everywhere all at once”

10:13 President Xi lays out China’s vision

13:48 Scramble for public listings

17:25 Preparing students to thrive

22:36 Is AI missing out on women’s talent?

24:54 AI competition could be the new nuclear arms race

31:36 More harm than good?

Read more: https://str.sg/4pqfj

Register for Asian Insider newsletter:https://str.sg/stnewsletters 

Host: Albert Wai (albertw@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

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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It has been quite a week in Singapore politics, with adjustments to the Cabinet line-up and the surprise resignation of Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim.

In this episode, Natasha takes a deep dive into the implications of blooding younger politicians such as Jasmin Lau into the Cabinet and junior ministerial roles now, and if the PAP’s high moral standards will cost them future talent.

Singapore Management University law professor Eugene Tan and independent political observer Dr Felix Tan weigh in on the diversity of the new Cabinet and why politics is not priesthood.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:26 Was the new Cabinet line-up surprising?

5:45 Newbie politician Jasmin Lau’s fast rise

9:00 Is the 5G leadership team taking shape?

13:05 Does politics need politicians with private-sector experience?

16:38 Know how to communicate ideas, says Felix

19:16 Is Ng Chee Meng out of the “political wilderness”?

23:39 What’s the public “obsession” over Ng Chee Meng?

28:25 Who will eventually succeed Shanmugam at MHA?

32:30 Does having different generations in the Cabinet matter?

35:26 Should the Government reveal more about Faishal Ibrahim’s exit?

39:37 Why do conduct breaches keep happening despite the code?

45:47 “Politics is not priesthood.”: Eugene

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Two women share their journeys through IVF, miscarriage and the long road to motherhood  

Synopsis: Join us for a five-part series on working motherhood from July 3-31 with episodes out every Friday.

This episode explores the difficult journey some women take to become mothers. 

Around one in six couples in Singapore experience infertility, yet many endure the physical and emotional toll of fertility treatment in silence while juggling work, medical appointments and the uncertainty of what comes next.

Host Vanessa Chelvan speaks with Divya Menon, director of Fertility Support SG, who is still navigating her own in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) journey after multiple treatment cycles and a recent miscarriage, and Elisha Tushara, a Straits Times journalist whose daughter was conceived after years of fertility treatment and losses. 

They discuss the grief of failed cycles and miscarriages, the burden of balancing treatment with work, the financial cost of trying to conceive, and why workplaces - and society - need to better support those navigating infertility.

Highlights (click/tap above):

5:05 Emotional, mental and physical toll of fertility treatment  

8:31 Dealing with the grief of loss 

10:58 ‘I’m going to give it everything I have, even if the money goes’

12:54 Why many choose to go through fertility treatment in silence

15:23 The misconception that infertility is a woman’s problem

18:53 The two-week wait

22:51 77% of women see trade-off between IVF and career 

28:29 Does miscarriage equate failure? 

35:45 The costs of fertility treatment

39:19 The Government should do more to help couples 

41:04 Creating a supportive workplace 

Resources: 

Fertility Support SG: https://fertilitysupport.sg/

Fertility Support SG’s Workplace Guide: https://fertilitysupport.sg/infertility-in-the-workplace/

Host: Vanessa Chelvan (vpchelvan@sph.com.sg)

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 

YouTube: https://str.sg/HnaV

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg 

—

Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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While strict laws enforce behaviour, building a gracious society requires mutual trust rather than constant rules.

Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.

Singapore seems to be introducing more laws to police everyday behaviour - from tray returns to using mobile phones while driving. But can legislation really make people more gracious, or does it simply expose a deeper trust deficit in society? And when should citizens confront bad behaviour themselves instead of reporting it to the authorities?

Opinion Editor Lin Suling speaks with sociologist Dr Tan Ern Ser, Adjunct Principal Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, about whether Singapore is becoming a nation that relies too heavily on rules, complaints and punishment — and what it would take to build a genuinely high-trust, "We First" society.

Highlights (click/tap above): 

3:35 Why does seemingly ordinary, considerate behaviour disappear once people get behind the wheel?

5:40 Does criminalising phone use while driving mean public education has failed?

12:25 Have we outsourced everyday conflict resolution to the state instead of correcting bad behaviour ourselves?

13:55 Is Singapore's complaint culture undermining trust and creating online vigilantism?

16:46 When is reporting someone the right thing to do? When should it be the last resort?

19:52 Thirty years after the Singapore Kindness Movement, have we become kinder or simply better at enforcing rules?

21:28 How can Singapore encourage people to speak up against antisocial behaviour without leaving them to stand alone?

23:11 Can Singapore realistically become a 'We First' society? What would a genuinely high-trust society look like?

Read ST’s Opinion section:https://str.sg/w7sH

Follow Lin Suling on LinkedIn:https://str.sg/hiLQ

Host: Lin Suling (linsuling@sph.com.sg) 

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

---

Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts 

Watch The Mother Load on YouTube: https://str.sg/HnaV

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Job hopping: Career suicide or a way to learn what works for you?

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, Annabel Lim, Business & Reputation Director at communications firm We. Communications shares how she built her career by cycling through 7 full-time jobs.

She talks about how each change gave her a different perspective or skill that cumulated in her current role, and why “job-hopping” isn't necessarily a red flag in CVs. 

Hosts Kai Wen and Sue-Ann, who have worked in two jobs and one job respectively, also discussed how long a person should hold their job before making a switch and how to tell when a role no longer works for you.

Highlights (click/tap above):

0:00 Job hopping: Is it a bad thing?

6:56 Is there a minimum time one has to stay at a job?

9:45 Rage quitting

13:28 Is company loyalty worth anything?

20:40 Push factors at work

29:52 The urge to quit: just a phase or deeper problem?

34:31 Advice for those thinking of changing careers

Follow See Kai Wen on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/qfwqQ

Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles:https://str.sg/mvSa

Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn:https://str.sg/A86X

Hosts: See Kai Wen (seekw@sph.com.sg) and Sue-Ann Tan (suetan@sph.com.sg)

Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim and Natasha Liew

Executive producers: Elizabeth Law

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

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

Watch Headstart On Record Podcast on YouTube: https://str.sg/3psqrx

---

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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The gap between Beijing's stated growth rates and actual economic performance is widening considerably, says expert

Synopsis: Every third Friday of the month, The Straits Times gets its US Bureau Chief to analyse the hottest political and trending talking points.

In this episode, US Bureau Chief Bhagyashree Garekar chats with Dr Logan Wright, an expert on the Chinese economy. He is based in Washington, DC, after living and working in Beijing and Hong Kong for over two decades. 

Wright is a partner at Rhodium Group, a US research and advisory group. He leads the firm’s China markets research work. He is also a senior associate of the trustee chair in Chinese Business and Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). 

His book Broken China: How the Economic Miracle Shattered and What it Means for the World hits the stores in September 2026.

In this episode, he points out that most analysts treat the Chinese economy differently from other economies. “They tend to look at the Chinese system and say this is a different political system, it produces outputs that are long-term plans. Therefore, we filter incoming data in terms of how China is doing based on its long-term plans and its declared goals. From a financial system perspective, it looks entirely different,” he says.

He also sketches out what strikes him as the most troubling aspect of the Chinese economy today. 

Highlights (click/tap above): 

1:20 Analysis of China's actual growth vs. official reports

2:50 Is that a minority opinion?

5:00 The most troubling aspects of the Chinese economy

9:10 Evaluating the quality of Chinese economic data

13:00 AI's impact on returns in the Chinese economy

17:00 When will the property sector rebound?

22:00 Will policy efforts to boost domestic consumption succeed?

25:00 Will China’s low birth rates, high death rates have a large impact on growth?

27:00 The worsening problem of excess industrial capacity

29:10 Reasons South-east Asia must pay attention to China

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 (bhagya@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

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

---

Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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Should young job seekers start their careers with contract roles?

With stiff competition for full-time roles, a tight job market and employers being more selective about new permanent hires, perhaps contract roles shouldn’t be off the table.

In Singapore, such roles have become more common over the past few years. What can young people do to build their careers? Also, is contract work truly the ‘lesser cousin’ of permanent work?

In this episode, I speak with:

• Francois Lancon, the regional president of Asia Pacific and Middle East for ManpowerGroup, a global expert on labour market and employment trends,

• Tyrina Toh, a contract content creator for businesses, who left a full time position to work only contract and freelance jobs

•Seth Ng, a fresh university graduate who is currently looking for a job.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:34 Should the GovTech retrenchments be a cause for concern?

3:43 Why the surge in contract roles?

6:42 Tyrina’s first contract role at 16

10:26 Is contract work financially feasible?

12:01 Contract work a “launchpad” to full-time role: Seth

15:56 Do contract roles make you look like a job hopper?

19:10 Taking charge of your professional growth

23:26 Is contract work exploitative?

29:01 What happens when a contract role gets cut unexpectedly?

33:12 Should you do many internships to land a permanent role?

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

---

Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

---

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Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

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Mothers today have more advice than ever before. But when does helpful information become overwhelming, and what can we do about it? 

Synopsis: Join us for a five-part series on working motherhood from July 3-31 with episodes out every Friday.

Social media has become a lifeline for many mothers - offering advice, reassurance and community at the tap of a screen. But what happens when the endless parenting tips and constant comparison start to undermine our confidence instead?

In this episode, host Vanessa Chelvan sits down with Huda Rasid, founder of The Mum Collective, and Minister of State Rahayu Mahzam to talk candidly about the pressures of raising children in the digital age.

From information overload to screen time guilt and the pressures of competitive parenting, they unpack why so many mothers feel like they're constantly falling short - even when they're doing their best.

The conversation also explores practical ways to build a healthier relationship with social media, trust your own instincts again and find real support beyond the screen - reminding parents that no algorithm knows their child better than they do.

Highlights (click/tap above):

5:20 Do social media algorithms reflect our anxieties back at us? 

9:54 Too many choices have eroded mums' confidence in their own instincts 

13:00 Getting caught in the comparison trap 

18:04 Rahayu on mum guilt and parenting her son

23:45 Screen time struggles and why parents may feel judged

27:50 Keeping it real on social media and examining your own triggers around screentime

33:08 Intensive mothering: Can we be less competitive?

37:42 The tuition dilemma

41:42 Using social media as a tool, not a trap

45:10 Finding a mum community IRL

47:50 No algorithm knows your child better than you do

Host: Vanessa Chelvan (vpchelvan@sph.com.sg)

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 

YouTube: https://str.sg/HnaV

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg 

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While more car lanes induce congestion, reclaiming road space for micro-mobility would make for a highly efficient transport.

Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.

New rules for Personal Mobility Aids (PMAs) kicked in on June 1, slashing speeds to 6 km/h and requiring medical certificates to crack down on able-bodied riders.

But as pedestrians, e-bikes, and gig workers continue to squeeze onto narrow pavements, are we fighting over the wrong patch of concrete as Singapore embarks on a car-lite journey?

In this episode of In Your Opinion, assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong sits down with associate professor Yap Fook Fah from Transport Research Centre@NTU. They discuss why it is unsafe for micro-mobility devices to travel on Singapore’s roads, and his argument for allocating more space to transport modes that take up less room but have the capacity to ferry more people.

Yap also discusses why regulations alone won't fix our active mobility woes, the illusion of induced demand for cars, and how aggressively reclaiming car lanes might be the ultimate, sweat-free solution to Singapore’s last-mile commute and congested feeder buses.

Highlights (click/tap above): 

6:27 The mobility gap: why able-bodied commuters are using PMAs 

14:07 Cars take up more space but ferry fewer people

16:30 Why fewer cars would not slow the economy 

17:57 How allocating more space for cars would induce traffic congestion 

26:22 How integrating micro-mobility transport could save hundreds of millions of dollars in commute time

29:42 The weather isn’t hot for the first and last mile commute

34:19 Shifting the mindsets to view roads as public space instead of car space

Read ST’s Opinion section:https://str.sg/w7sH

Follow Lynda Hong on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/Gm2v

Host: Lynda Hong (lyndahong@sph.com.sg) 

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Discover why standard clinical checks might miss critical heart risks, and the vital role of fat loss over weight loss.

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

For millions of people worldwide living with hypertension, keeping blood pressure numbers in the normal zone is the ultimate goal. But what if that peace of mind is an illusion? Recent findings from the REMODEL study at the National Heart Centre Singapore suggests that the true danger to your heart might be completely invisible to standard clinical checks. 

The study, published as a letter in the journal MedCom in February 2026, found that nearly 30 per cent of health complications related to high blood pressure occur in patients whose blood pressure appears perfectly normal on paper.

In this episode, Joyce Teo speaks to the study’s senior author, Associate Professor Calvin Chin, to find out about the importance of fat loss over mere weight loss and why a normal blood pressure reading may not always tell you the full story. He is a senior consultant in cardiology from the National Heart Centre Singapore and the deputy director of the National Heart Research Institute Singapore.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:43 Your blood pressure reading does not tell you the full story

4:11 High-risk individuals have a higher amount of visceral fat

7:30 Know your waist-hip ratio

12:08 How hard should you exercise? 

13:46 Is it safe to exercise at maximum intensity all the time?

16:32 He discovered the importance of core strength the hard way

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

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From modern hanboks to Jeju's legendary sea women, discover how South Korea's oldest traditions are finding new life.

Synopsis: The Straits Times catches up with its foreign correspondents about life and trends in the countries they're based in.

In this episode, host Li Xueying interviews South Korea correspondent Wendy Teo to explore the modern revival of South Korea's cultural traditions, from the reimagined hanbok to Jeju's legendary haenyeo.

They also discuss why the hanbok is making a comeback in South Korea, from everyday office wear to global pop culture, driven by K-pop, changing attitudes towards traditional dress and efforts to preserve cultural heritage.

Then travel to Jeju to meet the haenyeo, the island's legendary female free-divers, and find out why this centuries-old, physically demanding way of life is drawing a new generation seeking a slower, more meaningful life.

Highlights (click/tap above):

0:50 Modern hanbok redefining tradition

5:00 The BTS effect on national dress

6:00 The power of hanbok diplomacy

12:55 The siren call of Jeju Island

16:15 Diving into the unknown

18:20 Can these traditions survive?

Read Wendy Teo’s article here: https://str.sg/LBkd  

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 (xueying@sph.com.sg)

Edited by: Natasha Liew

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

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Are Singapore’s lawyers doing ok?

The Legal Profession Sustainability Study, which was released on June 23, suggests that lawyers were leaving the profession because of toxic bosses, inflexible court timelines, punishing deadlines and the constant need to be available 24/7.

These are just some of the grievances aired in the study, which had 31 in-depth interviews with former judges, legal academics and lawyers from diverse types of firms. There was also a survey done with 855 practising and former lawyers.

What is the cost of becoming a lawyer in Singapore, and is it worth it any more? If these issues have been raised for more than 30 years, will this study change anything?

In this episode, I speak with:

• Zhang Yu Fu, a junior lawyer at Dentons Rodyk, who was called to the bar in April 2026 and took part in the study, and

• Wong Yi, the General Counsel for construction company Lum Chang Holdings, and previously worked for one of Singapore’s Big Four law firms. He was also the chairman of the Young Lawyers Committee for The Law Society of Singapore from 2014 to 2019.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:23 A decades-old problem that hasn’t changed

4:50 “What’s so wrong with being a strawberry?”: Yu Fu

10:28 Trained through “sheer obedience”

15:08 How young lawyers navigate bad bosses

17:06 Any incentive for senior lawyers to change?

21:13 Generational gap between older and younger lawyers

28:34 Judge wants lawyers to drink from a straw

32:55 “Role models” for working through childbirth

34:44 No real consequences for workplace bullying

37:18 Why lawyers leaving the profession matters

40:40 “Why can’t we do better?”: Yu Fu

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

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We explore the cost of carrying it all - and how to lighten the load.

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 (vpchelvan@sph.com.sg)

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 

YouTube: https://str.sg/HnaV

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg 

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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 (mubin@sph.com.sg)

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

---

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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 (suetan@sph.com.sg)

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

Get business/career tips in ST's Headstart newsletter:https://str.sg/headstart-nl

---

Follow more ST podcast channels:

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Get more updates:http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Watch Headstart On Record Podcast on YouTube: https://str.sg/3psqrx

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Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

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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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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 (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

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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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 

---

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 (vpchelvan@sph.com.sg)

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 

YouTube: https://str.sg/HnaV

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg 

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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

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The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB 

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Helplines:

MENTAL WELL-BEING

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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 (lyndahong@sph.com.sg) 

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: podcast@sph.com.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 

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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 (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

---

Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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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 BN actually needs to achieve in its own fortress state

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: Serious, practical negotiations 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. (zurairi@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 

Website:http://str.sg/stpodcasts  

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg 

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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 (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

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

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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 (lyndahong@sph.com.sg) 

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

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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 (bhagya@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

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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 (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

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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 (lyndahong@sph.com.sg) 

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

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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 (seekw@sph.com.sg)

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

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: Every second Friday of the month, 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 (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

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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 (liannechia@sph.com.sg)

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:

Channel:https://str.sg/w7Qt

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

Spotify:https://str.sg/w7sV

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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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 (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

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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 (gdeepan@sph.com.sg) & Zia-ul Raushan (raushan@sph.com.sg)

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Jonathan Roberts, deputy head, Audience Lab (video)

Follow more ST podcast channels:

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Get more updates:http://str.sg/stpodcasts

The Usual Place Podcast YouTube:https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast 

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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 (xueying@sph.com.sg)

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: podcast@sph.com.sg 

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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 (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

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In an age where information is readily available and where we're fed an unending stream of content, have we lost our sense of wonder?

Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.

We live in a time where technology has made information more readily available than ever. Curiosity has been the main driver of human discovery since the beginning of time but when faced with a barrage of information, have we stopped wanting to know more? 

In this episode of In Your Opinion, senior columnist Rohit Brijnath speaks with celebrated physicist, educator and rock star Brian Cox. Currently on a world tour with his live show, Emergence, he takes us on a journey across the cosmos, civilisation and human curiosity all while attempting to answer the question: how do we find wonder?

Emergence will be in Singapore on June 10. 

Highlights (click/tap above):  

4:46 Should people be more curious? 

8:51 Keeping a sense of wonder through life

10:36 Are there aliens out there? 

15:38 There are things I don't actually know

19:55 Kepler, Galileo and Einstein around a table

29:13 Two weeks in space is ideal

32:46 Why world leaders should go to space

36:11 Are there mysteries that should remain? 

38:29 What to look for in the night sky

41:31 Can you see planets in Singapore?

42:06 Is an uncurious person a failure?

47:21 Brian Cox's top musical highlight

55:06 The AI revolution and social change

Books Brian Cox recommended:

Read Rohit’s columns:https://str.sg/wFu2

Host: Rohit Brijnath (rohitb@sph.com.sg) 

Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim and Teo Tong Kai

Executive producers: Elizabeth Law and Danson Cheong 

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel:https://str.sg/wvz7

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The Usual Place Podcast YouTube:https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast 

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Tech still holds long-term promise but choose companies carefully based on their fundamentals.

Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, get a head start in your personal finance, career and life with The Straits Times.

Talk of an AI bubble has been brewing for some time, with many asking when it will burst. 

But young investors still want to get in on the tech wave and buy into a sector that has great growth potential.

In this episode, ST business correspondent Sue-Ann Tan looks at which tech stocks show promise in a mature AI era.

Her guests are DBS Bank head of equity and fixed income Subhra Chatterjee and StashAway head of investment advisory Mark Yeo.

Highlights (click/tap above):

3:00 Tech is still an integral investment theme  

6:00 What is the AI bubble

12:00 Should you still buy the MAG7

17:00 How to fit tech into your portfolio

21:00 SGX or Nasdaq or some other market entirely

31:00 What is dollar-cost averaging?

34:00 Different ways to diversify your portfolio

Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles:https://str.sg/mvSa

Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn:https://str.sg/A86X

Host: Sue-Ann Tan (suetan@sph.com.sg)

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

Get business/career tips in ST's Headstart newsletter:https://str.sg/headstart-nl

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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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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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Do fathers in Singapore get a bad reputation for being hands-off?

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah, who chairs the new Marriage and Parenthood Reset Workgroup, drew some flak for speaking about career “detours” as something that should be normalised for mothers - with little mention of a fathers’ role in the parenting journey.

Why do we frame the parenting experience as mainly a woman’s role?

In this episode of the podcast, I put that question to two fathers: new stay-at-home dad Jeggan Rajendram and Kevin Goh, the Group Head of engagement and programmes at the Centre for Fathering.

We discuss who dads benchmark themselves to and whether mothers are preventing fathers from being more hands on.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:05 Are fathers missing from the parenting conversation?

3:30 “Regret minimisation”: Jeggan’s decision to be a stay-at-home dad

7:10 “People still look at me like I was crazy.”

11:27 Mums get a ‘head start’ on parenting

15:08 What’s holding fathers back from being more hands-on?

17:20 Mums, please involve dads, and let go

21:20 Whose standard is the right one?

24:05 The loss of identity as a stay-at-home parent

30:30 Being the stay-at-home parent doesn’t have to be forever

33:27 Encouraging dads to be more active parents

37:11 When dad’s your personal hairstylist

40:08 Will we have more babies if dads and mums are equals?

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

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 & Hadyu Rahim

Executive producer: Danson Cheong

Producers: Natasha Ann Zachariah and Elizabeth Law

Assistant producer: Stacey Ngiam

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

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As AI supercharges cyber threats, how can the "missing 99%" of small and medium enterprises protect themselves?

Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.

Cybersecurity is undergoing a fundamental shift. For a long time, it was treated as a dark art – a deeply technical problem left to IT teams and discussed in jargon few others understood. But as the threat landscape has evolved, major breaches are forcing the conversation into the boardroom, turning cyber risk into a critical matter of corporate governance and liability.

While multinational corporations can afford elite digital defences, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) – the 99 per cent of our economy – are often left exposed. Increasingly, SMEs are targeted not just for their own data, but as backdoors into the larger corporate and national networks they serve. If our current security playbook only works for the biggest players, how do we protect the rest?

In this episode, ST’s Deputy Opinion Editor Bhavan Jaipragas speaks with Gaurav Keerthi, co-founder and CEO of cybersecurity firm StrongKeep, and former Deputy Commissioner of the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore.

Highlights (click/tap above): 

1:55 Why does cybersecurity switch people off?

5:06 Are boards stepping up to AI threats?

7:25 Why are SMEs still exposed to threats?

10:05 The "Ikea model" for affordable cybersecurity

15:45 Can state-linked cyber threats be solved?

25:12 Cyber risks and opportunities of agentic AI

28:27 Critical actions for boards, SMEs, and users.

31:41 Balancing online security and everyday usability

Read ST’s Opinion section:https://str.sg/w7sH

Host: Bhavan Jaipragas (bhavan@sph.com.sg) 

Produced and edited by: Amirul Karim

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: podcast@sph.com.sg

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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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Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

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Twists and turns can be expected for the rest of this year.

Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times will now analyse the hottest political and trending talking points, alternating between its Malaysia and Greater China bureaus.

For May, host and deputy foreign editor Albert Wai teams up again with senior China correspondent Yew Lun Tian. Their focus is on the Xi-Trump summit held in Beijing from May 13-14, 2026. 

Heading into the event, expectations were modest as US President Donald Trump appeared to be distracted by war in the Middle East. At first glance, the deliverables might have seemed slightly underwhelming. 

But the bottom line is both men got a bit of what they needed. Mr Trump got purchases for Boeing jets, agricultural products and possibly energy, while Chinese President Xi Jinping articulated a “new positioning” of bilateral relations.

There are also implications for cross-strait ties, with Beijing framing the Taiwan issue as something to be treated with utmost caution while Washington signalled that it might be rethinking the latest tranche of arms sales to the island.

With many geopolitical issues on the agenda, the tariff war appeared to have taken a back seat. Nonetheless, the announcement on the boards on trade and investment has opened up additional and much-needed room for dialogue.

There are at least three more bouts of engagement between Mr Trump and Mr Xi for the rest of this year, and plenty of opportunities for both sides to bargain and make deals.

Highlights (click/tap above): 

2:34 The world can breathe a sigh of relief

5:14 What is “constructive strategic stability”?

9:09 Temple of Heaven, Imperial Garden: Visit steeped in symbolism

10:43 A captivated Chinese public

13:11 Taiwan should be worried

19:20 Trade tensions take a back seat

21:16 China hugs the US and Russia

Read more: https://str.sg/pyWN 

Register for Asian Insider newsletter:https://str.sg/stnewsletters 

Host: Albert Wai (albertw@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 

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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/4Vwsa 

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Will a new bystander campaign by the police get more people to speak up for victims for molest and voyeurism?

In this episode of The Usual Place, I chat with Ms Lim Shoon Yin, the executive director of Singapore women’s rights group Aware, about what holds bystanders back and what they can do.

Also on the podcast is Dr Julia Lam, a forensic psychologist, who assesses people who have committed offences like sexual crimes. She studies impulse control disorder and behavioural addiction, among other areas.

She explains why perpetrators cross the line and act on urges, despite knowing it’s a crime.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:51 Are more people reporting sexual assault?

4:20 Why do bystanders freeze?

6:01 Could you become a molester or voyeur?

9:15 Why perpetrators choose to cross the line

10:36 Why take the risk of getting caught in public?

13:42 How bystanders can safely intervene, if unsure

17:33 Perpetrators not deterred by warning announcements, posters

20:22 Do conservative societal attitudes contribute to such behaviour?

26:02 What victims need when they report harassment

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

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, Hadyu Rahim & Amirul Karim

Executive producer: Danson Cheong

Producers: Natasha Ann Zachariah and Elizabeth Law

Assistant producer: Stacey Ngiam

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

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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

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Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

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Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

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