Your Way Home with Hongbin Jeong

While educational resources are more accessible than ever, many students continue to face obstacles that have little to do with academic ability. From financial hardship and unequal opportunities to a lack of guidance beyond school, these challenges can have a lasting impact on their learning. It raises an important question: are we doing enough to support students beyond the classroom? On The Agenda, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Ashsufi Hussin, Founder of Brightguides Programme to find out if the existing support networks are still enough to ensure that students can keep up with their education, and what more can be done to ensure every young person has the opportunity to succeed.

Australia made headlines when it became the first country in the world to ban social media accounts for children under 16. Now, just six months after the law took effect, new research suggests more than 85 per cent of under-16s are still using social media, prompting the government to consider even tougher enforcement. Is the ban failing to achieve its intended goal, or is it simply too early to judge a policy designed to deliver long-term change? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Tama Leaver, Professor of Internet Studies at Curtin University and Chief Investigator in the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child to find out more.

On What's Trending, Hongbin Jeong and Nazirul Asrar dive into the announcement of Jack Neo's casting call for Ah Boys To Firemen. In a social media post, Jack Neo opens up the floor to everyone to audition for a role in his upcoming Ah Boys To Firemen movie. One only needs to upload a video acting out a scene from the given list and its a free-for-all. As such, the duo discusses the audition reels that have been made since the announcement was made and whether they would try to land a role in the movie themselves. 

A rare red alert has been issued over the risk of severe haze in Southeast Asia, with experts warning that the region could face one of its hottest and driest periods on record in the months ahead. The concern is that a strengthening El Niño, possibly coupled with another climate phenomenon known as the Indian Ocean Dipole, could create the conditions for widespread fires and transboundary haze, drawing comparisons to some of the region's worst haze episodes in recent memory. At the same time, economic pressures, rising biofuel demand and questions over fire prevention efforts are adding to the risk. To help us understand what lies ahead and how concerned Singaporeans should be, Steve Yim, Director at Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Health (CCEH), Professor at the Asian School of the Environment and Professor at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, joins Hongbin Jeong on The Big Story.

A love for music can start with a song playing at home, a parent strumming a guitar, or simply watching someone do what they love. But when a child discovers that same passion, does it naturally become part of who they are too? On The Agenda, Hongbin Jeong is joined by a father-daughter duo who share more than just family ties - they share a love for music. From busking on the streets to creating songs together in the studio, their journey shows how a passion can be passed down, nurtured, and transformed across generations. So what role do parents really play in shaping a child's interests? And how can they encourage a passion without steering it? Meet songwriter Eric Ng and his daughter Lyla Ng.

Imagine being handed a giant sack and told: "Fill it with as many durians as you can for RM100." That's exactly what's happening in Malaysia, where a bumper harvest has triggered a full-blown "durian tsunami", sending prices crashing to some of the lowest levels in years. On What’s Trending, Hongbin Jeong and Nadiah Koh dive into the viral videos of shoppers hauling away overflowing sacks of durians, unpack why durian prices have collapsed across Malaysia, and ask whether Singaporeans will see similar bargains. Plus, they look at a Tampines stall that's giving away up to 1,000kg of free durians every day.

Good news for motorists! Petrol prices are finally heading down. But is relief at the pump really a sign that the worst of the cost pressures is over? Motorists are paying less today as global oil prices fall sharply on easing geopolitical tensions. So is this the beginning of real relief for households, or just a brief pause before the next wave of price pressures? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Terence Fan, Assistant Professor Strategic Management & Entrepreneurship, Singapore Management University, to find out more.

Hiking is becoming an increasingly popular way for seniors to stay active, social, and connected to nature. From neighbourhood parks to more challenging nature trails, many older adults are embracing the outdoors as part of a healthier lifestyle. But while hiking offers a range of health benefits, experts say there are risks that shouldn't be overlooked. In particular, the descent may pose a greater challenge than the climb itself, placing significant stress on the knees, ankles, and muscles responsible for balance and stability. So, should seniors be encouraged to hit the trails? And are there circumstances where hiking may do more harm than good?  On The Agenda, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Dr Zackary Chua, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon from ACME Orthopaedics to find out why seniors are encouraged to hit the trails, and the circumstances where hiking may do more harm than good.

A Punggol resident has gone viral after sharing a surprisingly wholesome encounter with his upstairs neighbours during their renovation works. The young couple personally knocked on his door to apologise for the noise, handing over a handwritten note and a S$10 FairPrice voucher as a small gesture of goodwill. But is a $10 voucher really enough to ease the pain of renovation noise… or is neighbourly goodwill worth more than that? Hongbin Jeong discusses this on What’s Trending.

From a young age, many of us are taught that love follows a certain timeline — meet someone, get married, start a family. But life doesn't always unfold according to plan. So, is there really a "right" age to find love? And are we putting too much pressure on ourselves to hit relationship milestones by a certain deadline? On The Agenda, Hongbin Jeong explores the idea of love later in life and whether it's ever truly too late to find a partner with Daryl Dee Chan, Principal Consultant & Founder, Bless Inc. Asia and Domennic Chan, Pullman Ambassador at Pullman Hill Street. They share their unconventional journey to marriage after meeting on a dating app and tying the knot when Dee was 50.