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.
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
---
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.
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
—
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
#themotherload
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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
---
Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast
---
Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
---
#inyouropinion
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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:
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.
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
---
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.
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
—
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
—
Helplines:
MENTAL WELL-BEING
—
#themotherload
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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
---
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.
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
---
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.
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
---
Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
---
Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
---
#STAsianInsider
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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
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.
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
