Your Way Home with Hongbin Jeong

Keir Starmer came to power promising to bring stability back to British politics. Less than two years later, he has stepped down as prime minister, setting off a leadership contest within the Labour Party and raising fresh questions about the country's future. His resignation comes at a challenging time for the UK, with economic pressures mounting, political divisions persisting and public expectations growing. What led to Starmer's departure? Who is best positioned to succeed him? And what could another change in leadership mean for Britain, both domestically and on the global stage? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Luca Farrow, Associate Research Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, to find out more.   

On What's Trending, Hongbin Jeong, Nadiah Koh and Nazirul Asrar dive into the curious rise of a US$500 flip phone that does less than most smartphones. The Callback 8020 comes without social media, email or even a web browser, all in the name of helping users break free from doomscrolling and digital distractions. Why would anyone pay hundreds of dollars for fewer features? Is a "digital detox" phone a brilliant solution to screen addiction, or an expensive step backwards?  From essential apps to surviving without a smartphone, the conversation reveals just how difficult it is to disconnect in a hyper-connected world.

Only 14% of Singaporean employees, specifically those under 35, feel engaged at work, according to the inaugural Singapore Workplace Report 2026 by the Singapore Institute of Directors (SID) and Gallup. This figure lags significantly behind the global average of 20% and the Southeast Asian regional average of 25%. So what is driving this consistent disengagement among Singapore’s younger workforce? And should organisations be concerned about the consequences this trend will have on Singapore's talent pipeline and future competitiveness in the region? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Sam Neo, Founder of Stories of Asia, to find out more.

Singlish is often seen as a defining part of Singapore's identity. From "lah" and "lor" to uniquely local phrases, it weaves its way through conversations across homes, schools, and workplaces. But is the Singlish we speak today the same as the one our grandparents grew up with? Linguists say the language has been evolving for decades, shaped by changing education policies, shifting language preferences, and the gradual decline of dialect use in Singapore. As older expressions disappear and new ones emerge, some features of traditional Singlish may already be fading away. So what exactly has changed? Are younger Singaporeans losing parts of a linguistic heritage, or is this simply the natural evolution of a living language? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Tan Ying Ying, Associate Professor of Linguistics and Multilingual Studies at the Nanyang Technological University, to find out more.    The Agenda: From Ah Gong to Gen Z, can you still speak your grandparents' Singlish?

On What's Trending, Hongbin Jeong, Nadiah Koh and Nazirul Asrar dives into a story of a man's disappointing $3 ice-cream experience.  Buying it at from a pop-up vendor at Fairprice Clarke Quay, he felt that the serving portion was not enough, seeeing that it was barely half the container. So the trio discusses whether the portion size was appropriate for the amount he paid for. On top of that, they shared their own experiences with shrinkflation and what they think of it.

Today we’re going to take you through a hotel brand that is directly linked to American personality, Paris Hilton. Yes, we’re indeed talking about global hospitality company Hilton, which boasts a portfolio of 27 world-class brands including Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Canopy by Hilton and Doubletree by Hilton. Fun fact, Paris Hilton’s great-grandfather, Conrad Hilton, or the founder of Hilton, entered into the hotel business in Cisco Texas back in 1919 when he was on the way to buy a bank but bought a local hotel called The Mobley instead.  The first hotel which formally bore the Hilton name though, was opened in Dallas Texas only a couple of years later in 1925. Fast forward to today, the hotel company comprises over 9,100 properties and over 1.3 million rooms in 143 countries and territories. It also welcomed over 4 billion guests across its century of history.  In April 2026, the firm reported Q1 adjusted EBITDA of US$901 million, up 13 per cent on the year. The firm also reported a 3.6 per cent growth in system-wide RevPAR or revenue per available room. But how far is this contributed by the Southeast Asia region? Looking ahead, the firm continues to face headwinds in the second half of the year amid trade volatility which could dampen global travel spend and weigh on US demand. The war in the Middle East could also result in reduced travel to the region. But to what extent will this make Asian or Southeast Asian markets more attractive for Hilton to double down on? On Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Alexandra Murray, Vice-President and Regional Head of South East Asia, Hilton.

The fighting may have stopped, but Singapore households could still feel the impact in their wallets. Despite a peace deal between the US and Iran that is expected to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the Energy Market Authority is warning that electricity tariffs could rise significantly from July. So why aren't consumers seeing relief yet? How much more could households end up paying for electricity? And if the peace holds, when can Singaporeans realistically expect lower energy prices to filter through to their utility bills? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Dr Chua Yeow Hwee, Assistant Professor in Economics at the Nanyang Technological University, and Honorary Secretary of the Economics Society of Singapore, to find out more.

Breast cancer is still often seen as something that affects older women—but that picture is changing. Younger women juggling careers, relationships, and major life decisions are now being diagnosed with breast cancer. According to a study by the Breast Cancer Foundation Singapore called, “A Study in Pink: Young Women & Breast Cancer’, many young women already know that breast health matters.  The gap now seems to be turning that knowledge into action — whether it’s going for regular checks, doing self-examinations, or simply knowing what signs to look out for. On The Agenda, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Jacob Soo, CEO, Breast Cancer Foundation Singapore to learn what is holding younger women back from going for breast health screenings, and how we can turn that awareness into taking preventive action.

On What's Trending, Hongbin Jeong, Nadiah Koh and Nazirul Asrar dive into South Korea's football whose training video has gone viral for how intense it was.  From resisted combat drills to altitude training and heat conditioning, the South Korean football players were definitely going all out in order to prepare themselves for the upcoming matches in the World Cup 2026. So the trio discusses whether they would be able to survive doing their workout routines and whether we have something that we have trained ridiculously hard for in the past.

Fast fashion has never been faster. And thanks to social media, new trends can emerge, go viral and disappear in a matter of days, encouraging consumers to constantly refresh their wardrobes. Yet amid the endless cycle of buying and scrolling, a growing number of Gen Zs are embracing a different approach. From thrifting and clothing swaps to upcycling and second-hand shopping, sustainable fashion is finding new life among young consumers. On The Agenda, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Lumin Hew, Founder of Fashion Parade to find out why more youths are advocating for sustainable fashion, and can sustainable fashion truly compete with the appeal of fast-changing trends.