S1E108: Can cash, childcare leave and BTO priority get Singaporeans to have kids? | National Day Rally 2026

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 ([email protected]) 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: [email protected] --- 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.

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 ([email protected]) 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: [email protected] SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.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 #tuptr See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 ([email protected]) 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: [email protected] --- 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.

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 ([email protected]) 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: [email protected] --- 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 --- #greenpulse See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 ([email protected]) 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: [email protected] --- 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.