Over the weekend, the United States carried out its most direct intervention in Latin America in decades, capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a military operation that stunned the world.

President Donald Trump says Washington will now “run” Venezuela, as both Maduro and Flores face criminal charges in New York, including terrorism and drug-related offences.

But can a superpower legally seize a sitting head of state? Does international law allow this or has a dangerous new precedent just been set?

On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Juan Zahir Naranjo Cáceres, a Colombian-Australian scholar and lecturer at the University of the Sunshine Coast, to unpack the legality of the operation, the geopolitical shockwaves across Latin America, and what this moment means for the global balance of power. 

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What if retirement didn’t have to wait until your 60s? A growing number of Singaporeans are choosing to press pause on their careers earlier, taking purposeful breaks known as “mini-retirements”. It’s a shift that’s changing how people think about money, work and what a successful life really looks like.

On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Harpreet Bindra, CEO for HSBC Life Singapore, to find out more.

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Was 2025 the year markets finally found their footing… or just the calm before another storm?
US stocks wrapped up the year on a high, but as 2026 begins, geopolitics is back in the spotlight.
An unexpected US strike, rising tensions, and fresh uncertainty are already shaking investor confidence.
So what’s really driving Wall Street right now, and how should investors be positioning themselves for what comes next?

On Market View, Willie Keng speaks to Cedric Ho, Founder and Portfolio Manager, MAD Partnership, to find out more.

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On What’s Trending, Hongbin Jeong, Nadiah Koh and Alexandra Parada discuss three very different stories that are trending today, from romance and creativity, to thrill-seeking retail, to serious population policy. First, a filmmaker went viral after proposing to his girlfriend by editing himself into a wedding scene from Shrek, then re-entering the room in the same suit to propose in real life. Over in Tokyo, a pop-up store is turning shopping into a silent adrenaline sport, charging customers to “steal” whatever they can carry in one minute, as long as they make absolutely no sound. And finally, in a much more contentious move, China has begun taxing condoms and other contraceptives in a bid to boost its falling birth rate.

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They’re blamed, booed, and rarely praised, but what’s it really like to be a referee? Former Singapore Premier League official Andrea Verolino joins Sports Minutes to tackle VAR debates, referee reviews, and fan misconceptions head-on. From “referee kayu” chants to high-pressure nights at the National Stadium, this is an unfiltered look at football’s most scrutinised role.

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Singapore ended 2025 on a strong note. The economy grew by 4.8 per cent, beating earlier forecasts and clocking its fastest pace since 2021. Manufacturing surged, jobs stayed resilient, and exports were boosted by the AI boom.

But here’s the real question, what do these big numbers actually mean for Singaporeans?
Does stronger growth translate into better job prospects, higher pay, or a lower cost of living? And if growth is expected to slow in 2026, should we be preparing for tougher times ahead?

To help us make sense of it all, on The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Selena Ling, Chief Economist and Head of OCBC Group Research at OCBC.

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Tech stocks have carried the market for years, fuelled by AI hype, blockbuster earnings and sky-high expectations. But as 2025 draws to a close, investors are starting to ask some uncomfortable questions. Are tech stocks still the engine of growth, or are warning lights flashing beneath the surface?

On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Danish Lim, Senior Investment Analyst, Phillip Nova, to take a closer look at whether the rally has more room to run, the risks hiding behind those valuations, and where investors might want to look as we head into 2026.

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Singapore shares rose in the first trading session of 2026 today. 

The Straits Times Index was up 0.4% at 4,664.97 points at 12.31pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$418.45M seen in the broader market.

In terms of counters to watch, we have Nio, after the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker said it had new record-high monthly and quarterly deliveries.

Meanwhile, from how Singapore’s economy expanded 4.8 per cent year on year in 2025 to how Samsung Electronics said its customers have praised the differentiated competitiveness of its next-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, or HBM4, more economic and corporate headlines remained in focus. 

Also on deck, how US markets are expected to kickstart the year in the first trading session of 2026.

On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Benjamin Goh, Head of Research and Investor Education, SIAS.

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On What’s Trending with Hongbin Jeong and Alexandra Parada, it’s a mix of endings, unexpected wins, and changing trends, from the highly anticipated Stranger Things finale that divided fans with its emotional highs, lingering plot holes, and unanswered questions, to a heart-warming real-life story of a Singapore dad who picked up Monopoly just to teach his daughter, only to become the nation’s Monopoly champion years later. And as pop culture continues to shape real life, even baby names aren’t spared, with 2026 parents ditching traditional picks in favour of fantasy, anime, literary, ancient-civilisation and showgirl-inspired names, proving that whether it’s TV finales, board games or naming the next generation, people are more willing than ever to take bold, unconventional turns.

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A brand new year offers brand new possibilities - especially when it comes to sport, and particularly Singapore football. So what did the rollercoaster that was 2025 teach us? And what is on the wish list for 2026? Deepanraj Ganesan is back in the Sports Minutes hotseat alongside Zia-ul Raushan to tell us.

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