SINGAPORE - Catch up with the hottest topics on The Straits Times' weekday talk show.

The Big Story, broadcast every weekday at 5.30pm on Facebook and YouTube, has reporters and senior editors discussing the top stories of the day, in the heart of the newsroom.

Helmed by multimedia correspondent Hairianto Diman, the episode airs live from ST's digital studio.

In Friday's (Jan 3) episode, climate change editor David Fogarty talks about the catastrophic bush fires in Australia which have razed many parts of the country, and how climate change may have contributed to this disaster.

Next, senior transport correspondent Christopher Tan shares more on the programme to upgrade Singapore's two oldest MRT lines, and how the improvements will benefit commuters.

Lastly, ST Food online editor Hedy Khoo talks about her new food series which will be launched this weekend.

In #WhatsTrending, multimedia journalist Renee Poh looks at the stories trending online.

In Friday's segment, she talks about border screening precautions after a pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan; Normal and Express stream students taking classes together; and a star and its orbiting planet with a Singapore connection.

Topics covered in previous episodes of The Big Story include the wakes for Lucky Plaza accident victims, Singtel-Grab bid for a digital bank licence, the activities to look out for in the 2020 countdown and the rise in piracy incidents in the Singapore Strait.