At least four three-room resale Housing Board flats were sold for between $900,000 and $935,000 in the first 11 months of 2025. What’s driving these eye-watering prices for smaller units, and how does this affect buyers who see three-room units as an accessible way to own a first home? 

Synopsis: Join Natasha Ann Zachariah at The Usual Place every Thursday as she unpacks the latest current affairs with guests.

In this episode of The Usual Place, host Natasha Ann Zachariah speaks with Mr Nicholas Mak, chief research officer at property portal Mogul.sg, and Mr Patrick Chee, property agent and founder of real estate portal Homeseller SG.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:49 Million-dollar 3-room HDB flat to happen “in the next ‘bull run”: Patrick Chee

6:13 Who buys pricey 3-room HDB flats? 

8:34 Majority of 3-room HDB flat are still transacted in the range of $500,000

15:14 Property prices outlook

21:36 Previous property bubbles 

30:32 Does sentiment play a role in flat prices

Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/theusualplacepodcast

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Teo Tong Kai, Eden Soh and Chen Junyi

Executive producers: Danson Cheong, Elizabeth Khor & Ernest Luis

Editorial producer: Lynda Hong

Follow The Usual Place Podcast and get notified for new episode drops every Thursday:

Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm

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Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P

YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast

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A psychiatrist's guide to your child's emotional well-being.

Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.

Many parents spend time teaching their kids essential skills like reading or spelling but they often forget to teach them a key skill that will determine their success, their relationships, and their overall happiness. That is emotional regulation. 

In this episode, ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo talks to Dr Ong Say How, a child and adolescent psychiatrist. He’s the chairperson of creative services and youth committee at SAMH and a senior consultant psychiatrist at the Institute of Mental Health. 

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:49 What exactly is emotional regulation? 

6:40 Signs that a child might be struggling emotionally 

11:14 It’s ok to tell your children that you’re concerned about them

15:00 Screen time limits can help with a child’s ability to handle boredom and regulate mood

20:51 Parents must be role models

22:24 What parents can do to repair the damage after losing their cool? 

24:13 You don’t have to shield your child from negative feelings 

Read Joyce Teo's stories: https://str.sg/JbxN

Host: Joyce Teo ([email protected])

Produced and edited by: Amirul Karim

Executive producers: Ernest Luis and Lynda Hong

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We’re not Scrooges, we just want a less wasteful Christmas.

Synopsis: Every first and third Tuesday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change.

Christmas is just around the corner, and many are diving into frantic gift shopping and feast planning. But as Green Pulse hosts Audrey Tan and David Fogarty ask in this episode, do these traditions really spark joy – or do they just add clutter, waste and unnecessary spending? Tune in for practical tips on a clutter-free, eco-friendly Christmas, from smarter gift-giving to reducing food and packaging waste. Do you agree with their takes, or are they just being Christmas grinches?

Highlights of conversation (click/tap above):

2:00 How to give sustainable gifts that people actually want 

6:30 Regifting – faux pas or a sustainability win?

8:17 Is Christmas gift wrapping environmentally friendly? 

15:11 The lowdown on reducing food waste at Christmas feasts 

18:10 The debate over real vs fake Christmas trees 

Follow Audrey Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/848W

Read her articles: https://str.sg/JLM2

Follow David Fogarty on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/jcvy

Read his articles: https://str.sg/JLMu

Hosts: Audrey Tan ([email protected]) & David Fogarty ([email protected])

Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong

Follow Green Pulse Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWaf

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWaY

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Gold prices have soared in 2025 but here are things to consider before buying your first gold bar.

Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, get a headstart in your personal finance and career with The Straits Times.

Gold has never looked shinier, especially as a safe haven in a volatile world. 

It reached highs when things were the most volatile, with Trump’s tariffs and then the federal government shutdown. 

But should you buy gold, how do you go about it and what are the considerations to be taken first? 

In this episode, ST business correspondent Sue-Ann Tan looks at how to make good use of the current gold rally. 

Her guests are OCBC Managing Director of Investment Strategy Vasu Menon and ST business journalist Timothy Goh. 

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:34 Why have gold prices been soaring? 

6:50 What does gold as a “safe haven” mean?

10:02 Is this the right time to buy gold?

16:00 When do gold prices come down?

19:56 Physical gold versus paper gold

24:13 Tips for first-time gold investors 

Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles: https://str.sg/mvSa

Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/A86X

Host: Sue-Ann Tan ([email protected])

Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim

Executive producers: Ernest Luis, Lynda Hong & 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: [email protected]

Get business/career tips in ST's Headstart newsletter: https://str.sg/headstart-nl

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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 island’s diplomatic space may be shrinking but it wants to engage the world on its own terms.

Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times will now analyse the hottest political and trending talking points, alternating between its Malaysia and Greater China bureaus.

For November, host and deputy foreign editor Albert Wai connects with Taiwan correspondent Yip Wai Yee.

They discuss Taiwan’s foreign policy preoccupations and the implications of the Beijing-Tokyo spat over remarks made by Japanese leader Sanae Takaichi on cross-strait tensions.

Up against an increasingly dominant China, Taiwan is adopting what it calls “integrated diplomacy” as it seeks to buttress relations with like-minded partners. 

At the same time, the normalisation of so-called grey-zone tactics by the mainland against the island carries risks for Taiwan’s societal resilience and its ability to respond in the event of an actual attack.

All eyes are on the next round of talks between American President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in the first half of 2026, as this could have far-reaching implications on Taiwan’s role on the global stage.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:49 Taipei’s “integrated diplomacy”

4:12 China-Japan spat over Taiwan

7:46 Shift in approach for cross-strait ties

10:35 What’s at stake when Trump and Xi meet in 2026

13:51 Leverage in tariff talks with the US

15:22 Grey-zone tactics

19:27 Breakthrough at European parliament

21:31 China Taipei or Chinese Taipei?

Read more: https://str.sg/s4A7 

Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters 

Host: Albert Wai ([email protected]) 

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 

Feedback to: [email protected] 

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg 

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How far would you go to get your child enrolled at a primary school of your choice?

One woman repeatedly lied about her home address to get her daughter a spot at the primary school the mother wanted in 2023.

But the school discovered the truth, and she was handed a one-week jail sentence in November for subverting the admissions process.

While her sentence has raised eyebrows, she’s not the only one to have attempted this, with other parents over the years having been fined between $4,000 and $5,000 over similar attempts.

In a 2007 case, a parent was jailed after lying about his residential address in order to get his daughter into a certain school in Bukit Timah.

Data from the Ministry of Education showed that between 2020 and 2024, there were about nine such cases each year.

In this episode of The Usual Place, I speak with three guests about why some parents think they need to game the system to get their child a good education.

They are:

• Pooja Bhandari, founder of non-profit EveryChild.SG, which looks to raise awareness about the need for education reforms and the well-being of children in Singapore,

• Esther Foong-Tan, a family life education specialist, who helps families work on their interpersonal relationships by equipping parents with up-to-date resources and training, and

• Assistant Professor of Sociology Jacqueline Ho, who teaches at Singapore Management University. Her research is focused primarily on the Singaporean education system.

In this pre-recorded episode, we discuss: Is this just ‘kiasu’ culture taken to extremes? And what’s driving parents to go to such lengths for a place at a “good” primary school?

Highlights (click/tap above):

3:16 Emotional impact on the child whose parent was jailed for lying about their address

4:54 Unfairness in the P1 registration system 

11:26 How inequality in society builds anxiety in parents

23:32 Bullying in an elite school 

35:54 How the lack of information about school culture has spurred anxiety among parents 

38:20 Could an automatic allocation to primary schools create a fairer admission system? 

Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/theusualplacepodcast

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Teo Tong Kai, Eden Soh and Chen Junyi

Executive producers: Danson Cheong, Elizabeth Khor & Ernest Luis

Editorial producer: Lynda Hong

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

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Our expert guest explains why he predicts both men will seek good vibes in 2026.

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 hosts her special guest - Harvard Professor Graham Allison - who tells her how he manages to read Trump right, by taking him seriously, looking at his patterns amid all his statements, and noticing the trend lines.

Prof Allison is the Douglas Dillon Professor of Government at Harvard University where he has taught for five decades. He is a leading analyst of national security with special interests in nuclear weapons, Russia, China, and decision-making.  

He has also written books, including Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides’s Trap?, published in 2017. He also had another book out earlier in 2013 - Lee Kuan Yew: The Grand Master’s Insights on China, the United States and the World -  which has been a bestseller in the US and abroad. 

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:31 How well do Trump & Xi vibe? Getting a sense of their agendas for 2026

7:34 What do Trump and Xi want from each other?

9:31 Will Trump get hawkish on China ahead of 2026 election?

13:52 Why is Trump muted on China-Japan spat over Taiwan?

18:50 Why Trump is different from any other US president

21:48 How today’s China looks at today’s America

24:43 Will China be the world’s sole superpower?

Read Bhagyashree Garekar’s articles: https://str.sg/whNo 

Follow Bhagyashree Garekar on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/gD6E 

Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz 

Host: Bhagyashree Garekar ([email protected]) 

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

Feedback to: [email protected]

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg

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It has been about six months since Jasmin Lau and Goh Hanyan stepped into politics after careers in the civil and public service.

Synopsis: Join Natasha Ann Zachariah at The Usual Place every Thursday as she unpacks the latest current affairs with guests.

Now they are both political office holders across several ministries, taking on new responsibilities and getting used to being in the public eye.

They are also the co-chairs of the Committee on Technology and Innovation – one of five committees that are part of the Economic Strategy Review.

In a nutshell, the review looks at how Singapore can stay economically relevant and competitive amid geopolitical tensions and tech disruptions.

They will be dropping by The Usual Place podcast to chat about what the past couple of months have been like and the biggest adjustments they have had to make.

We’ll also discuss the committee’s plans on how to accelerate artificial intelligence transformation across the economy and encourage enterprises to adopt AI, as well as feedback they have garnered from speaking with business owners.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:43 Reallocating time spent after landing political office positions 

4:29 The most challenging portfolio 

6:48 Switching between national and municipal issues 

12:09 “Never a dull day, even for the family” - how their children are adjusting 

20:58 Last-mover advantage in adapting AI - feedback from CEO closed door session 

26:36 Don’t panic, the AI wave is not coming tomorrow for your jobs: Jasmin 

35:29 How AI cannot replace the human touch 

38:11 AI companions are scary

Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/theusualplacepodcast

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Teo Tong Kai, Eden Soh and Chen Junyi

Executive producers: Danson Cheong, Elizabeth Khor & Ernest Luis

Editorial producer: Lynda Hong

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

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

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The popular Parking.SG app was supposed to help parking wardens issue summons. What happened?

Synopsis: Every 3rd Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times examines not just vehicle prices but wider transport issues and trends connected to public and private transport.

The Parking.SG app handles a million sessions a month, with under half of them being ended early and the motorist getting a refund. Half of them are Apple users, and the rest use Android smartphones. To think that it all began as a project to help the parking warden. 

In this episode, host and senior transport correspondent Lee Nian Tjoe speaks with Ms Amelia Fong, the product manager for Parking.sg and a policy officer at Open Government Products (OGP), a division of the Government Technology Agency of Singapore.

Highlights (click/tap above): 

2:21 The technology behind the original Parking.SG app 

4:00 User statistics 

8:00 Considerations to make the app senior-friendly

11:56 Annual hackathon for new technology solutions

19:00 Keeping the app working 24/7

20:57 Becoming a product manager at OGP

Learn more about Parking.SG: https://www.parking.sg/

Read Lee Nian Tjoe's articles: https://str.sg/wt8G

Follow Lee Nian Tjoe on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/iqkJ

Read more COE articles: https://str.sg/iGKC

Host: Lee Nian Tjoe ([email protected])

Produced & edited by: Teo Tong Kai

Executive producers: Ernest Luis and Lynda Hong

Follow Wheel Insights Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:

Channel: https://str.sg/iTtE

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/iqW2

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Why climate conferences are the only forum that can unite the world in fighting climate change.

Synopsis: Every first and third Tuesday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change.

Annual UN climate conferences, or COPs, have become giant gatherings that bring together governments, business, scientists, civil society and much more, showing the world wants to fight climate change, showcase solutions and rewire the global economy. 

But can COP30 and future climate summits really make a difference to heatwaves, floods, green jobs and climate finance – or are they just full of hot air?

Join Green Pulse hosts Audrey Tan and David Fogarty as they unpack why climate COPs matter to everyday lives, jobs and politics in South-east Asia and beyond. 

Highlights of conversation (click/tap above):

1:59 Why are climate COPs so important?

3:40 More money needed for adaptation investments and tools to measure progress

7:46 How to scale climate cash up to US$1.3 trillion a year – that level of funding could transform communities in SE Asia

10:39 COPs: A showcase for solutions to cut emissions and boost adaptation

18:33 Boosting green jobs as nations focus on cutting emissions

22:49 The Paris Agreement targets: Driving regional partnerships to boost green investments and strengthen climate politics

26:31: A tale of the hare and the tortoise….

Follow Audrey Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/848W

Read her articles: https://str.sg/JLM2

Follow David Fogarty on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/jcvy

Read his articles: https://str.sg/JLMu

Hosts: Audrey Tan ([email protected]) & David Fogarty ([email protected])

Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong

Follow Green Pulse Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWaf

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWaY

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWag

Feedback to: [email protected]

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg

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