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.
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
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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
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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
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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
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
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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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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
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Follow more ST podcast channels:
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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
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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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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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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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Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
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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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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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