Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

US and China, despite their differences, attempt to discuss climate issues as US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry visits Beijing. Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, is the only other non-Trump frontrunner in the upcoming 2024 US election. However, he is in trouble when it comes to fundraising for his campaign. We also discuss the Hollywood actor strikes and continued efforts to address the issue of student debt in US. We speak to Trisha Craig, Vice President (Engagement) and Senior Lecturer of Social Sciences (Sociology and Political Science), Yale-NUS College more about these headlines.

You’ve probably heard about incubators and accelerators that help startups scale up before they could stand on their own.  But what about a venture platform dubbed as a super incubator?  That’s what we’re going to talk about today. Founded in 2022, VentureBlick is a Singapore headquartered Super Incubator with a presence in countries such as Australia, China, South Korea, India, Germany and the US. It matches early-stage startups with medical investors such as clinicians and industry experts who can validate ideas, fund and support the firms without diluting startup control.  The aim is to provide a fully customisable one-stop solution to build, test and market innovations with the ultimate goal of successful exits or commercialisation.  But really how does this proposition differ from the ones provided by other venture platforms?  Meanwhile, VentureBlick recently secured a total of US$2.6 million for two startups amid the current macroeconomic environment. But what is in VentureBlick’s pipeline for the rest of this year? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down with Chris Lee, Founder and CEO, VentureBlick for more.

Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin and Tampines GRC MP Cheng Li Hui have resigned from both parliament and the PAP for having an affair, ..and continuing the relationship despite being counselled by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. This was revealed by Mr Lee at a press conference today - after the PMO had announced Mr Tan and Ms Cheng’s resignations earlier without elaborating on why they did so.   PM Lee said he spoke to both MPs in February and counselled them. Both agreed to stop their affair. Mr Tan had also offered to resign, which Mr Lee accepted. But Mr Lee said he held back on Mr Tan’s resignation to make sure his Kembangan-Chai Chee residents in Marine Parade GRC would be taken care of when he leaves. However, Mr Lee said he then came across information in July that “strongly suggested” that the relationship was still going on. That was when he decided that Mr Tan had to go.

CO PLAY aims to create a collaborative haven for artists and collectors in Singapore. They are focused on showcasing unique types of art while creating an old-school market-like experience where those in this sector can interact, allowing the local arts scene to grow. We speak to Cheong Zhao Yong, Director, CO PLAY more about this.

The inaugural Olympic E-sports Week held in Singapore last month is testament to the accelerated interest and growth of the E-sports community in Singapore and beyond. How do we continue to help to facilitate this growth, and through undertaking these efforts, what does the future of the E-sports scene look like? We speak to Ferdinand Gutierrez, CEO and Co-Founder, Ampverse more about this.

Khairul Amri, a stalwart of Singapore football,pays it forward by donating boots to young players in Zambia. Together with Farehan Hussein, former Team Manager of LionsXII - they co-organised a charity football tournament and clinic. The trip, which included cultural exchanges and community engagement, left a lasting impact on both organisers and participants, emphasising the power of football as a universal language. Both Khairul and Farehan join Elliott & Raushan to tell us more! READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/ex-lion-khairul-amri-pays-it-forward-by-partnering-former-team-manager-for-africa-charity-trip Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! edanker@sph.com.sg | raushan@sph.com.sg

Singapore stocks started the day on an optimistic note. That’s following news by the Ministry of Trade and Industry that gross domestic product was estimated to grow 0.7 per cent year on year in the second quarter of 2023.  In terms of companies to watch today, we have Hotels Properties Limited. That’s after its co-founder and managing director Ong Beng Seng has been asked by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) to provide information on his interactions with Transport Minister S Iswaran, who is currently on a leave of absence.  Meanwhile, from the latest Singapore GDP numbers to Tesla selling Chinese-made Model Y in South Korea and PepsiCo’s earnings estimates, more economic and corporate headlines continue to be in focus. On Market View, the Drive Time team unpacked the developments of the day.

Transport Minister S Iswaran is assisting the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) with an investigation into a case uncovered by the agency. These investigations invoke doubts about Singapore's incorruptibility. Moreover, Mr Iswaran's involvement would make the PAP need to reassess his role in the upcoming election as the MP of West Coast GRC. We speak to Eugene Tan, Associate Professor of Law, Singapore Management University more about this.

Today we’re going to bring you an inside look into the private education business. Founded in 1907, ESSEC Business school is a major French business school with a tightly knit community of some 62,000 graduates. With the region, ESSEC Business School Asia-Pacific, was established in Singapore in 2005 to offer academic and executive programmes with Asian insights and Western perspectives. It has since welcomed over 5,000 managers and students.  But how does the school differentiate itself from other publicly funded institutions? Who are its target customers and how does it position itself against other players in the education market?  Meanwhile, ESSEC Business School Asia Pacific recently launched its Academy of Luxury to cater to professionals eager to elevate their knowledge and hone skills in luxury management and break into the coveted luxury sector.  The programme was touted as the first of its kind in APAC and seeks to address the ongoing talent shortage in the luxury sector — but to what extent is this shortage driven by a lack in training opportunities? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Prof Reetika Gupta, Deputy Dean of ESSEC Business School, Asia-Pacific. 

Singapore shares opened stronger today following overnight gains in the global market. This comes as the easing of US inflation data stoked optimism of the Federal Reserve ending its interest rate hiking cycle soon. In early trade, the Straits Times Index (STI) was up 1 per cent to 3,207.5 points after 114.5 million securities changed hands in the broader market.  In terms of companies to watch, we have Seatrium, after the offshore and marine engineering player obtained a green trade finance facility with a banker’s guarantee from OCBC worth 720 million euros (S$1.1 billion) to fund its sustainability efforts.  Meanwhile, from China’s trade figures to the latest US earnings expectations, more international and corporate headlines continue to be in focus. On Market View, the Drive Time team unpacked these developments with David Chow, Director Azure Capital.