SINGAPORE - Catch up on 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.

The show is helmed by multimedia correspondent Hairianto Diman and assistant video editor Olivia Quay, and airs live from ST's digital studio.

According to data from the Department of Statistics on Wednesday (Aug 5), Singapore retail sales in June fell but at a slower pace than before.

Takings at the till slid 27.8 per cent compared with the same period last year, after sinking a record 52 per cent in May and 40.3 per cent in April.

We speak to co-founder and chief executive of retail group NorBreeze Group, Mr Anders Peter Juel Sauerberg on whether these figures bode well for the retail sector moving forward, and the outlook for the coming months.

Australia's Victoria state reported a record 725 new Covid-19 cases and 15 deaths in the past 24 hours, marking its deadliest day since the outbreak.

Australia correspondent Jonathan Pearlman tells us more.

Topics covered in previous episodes of The Big Story include the first of five 1MDB-related trials involving former Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak and mental battle as 'Covid fatigue' hits home.