Stay ConnectedSynopsis: Almost every weekday, our ALL-IN-ONE channel showcases discussions on Singapore youth perspectives and social issues, geopolitics through an Asian lens, health, climate change, personal finance and career.
Follow our shows on your favourite audio apps Apple Podcasts, Spotify or even ST’s app, which has a dedicated podcast player section.
Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis & The Straits Times, SPH Media.
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
---
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
---
#inyouropinion
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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.
---
#headstart
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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
---
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
---
#STAsianInsider
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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
---
Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
---
Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
--
#tup #tuptrf
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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
---
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
---
#inyouropinion
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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:
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.
---
#headstart
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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
---
Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
---
Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
--
#tup #tuptrf
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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
---
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
---
#STAsianInsider
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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
---
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
---
MENTAL WELL-BEING
COUNSELLING
ONLINE RESOURCES
#inyouropinion
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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.
---
#headstart
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
