Your Way Home with Hongbin Jeong

Speaking exclusively to Sports Minutes, Australian International and former Sunderland defender Bailey Wright tells us why he swapped Sunderland for Singapore, his aims & ambitions with the Lion City Sailors and playing at the 2022 Qatar World Cup.  Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! edanker@sph.com.sg | raushan@sph.com.sg

Singapore shares opened stronger after global markets closed mixed on Friday. In early trade, the Straits Times Index (STI) rose 0.1 per cent to 3,141.17 points after 75.2 million securities changed hands in the broader market.  In terms of companies to watch for today, we have Dasin Retail Trust. Its trustee-manager reported today a net loss of S$221.5 million for the second half ended December 2022, widening from the net loss of S$51.8 million seen in the same period a year prior to that. Meanwhile, from China ending its long-running crackdown on the technology sector to the US non-farm payroll numbers, more international headlines continue to be in focus.  On Market View, the Drive Time team unpacked these developments with David Kuo, Co-founder, The Smart Investor.

Should treatment for rebound COVID-19 patients be different from those who contracted it for the first time? How does Oral Antiviral drug Paxlovid work? Lastly, should we be afraid of a return of the COVID-19 endemic? We answer these questions with Dr Lee Tau Hong, Infectious Disease Specialist, Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre.

OtterHalf is a tech-focused global marketing agency, involved in helping multiple startups who may not have the necessary resources to grow. It comes up with multiple marketing strategies by keeping up with trends and using modern platforms such as Tiktok to promote the brands that they work with. We speak to Cassandra Ong, Founder of OtterHalf more about this.

Today we’re going to give you a snippet into a South Korean startup that could rival Nvidia in the race to provide high-end AI-chips.  But not without some context about the AI chip prediction landscape. Currently, Nvidia dominates the AI computing market with analysts predicting a market share of between 80 and 95%. It provides graphics processors known as GPUs for users to run AI applications due to its computing power.  Now here’s the thing – GPUs were initially made for 3D gaming and are not optimised for specific AI functions. So that means it can be costly and less efficient to train and run AI models using Nvidia’s GPU.  This also opens up an opportunity for industry players to manufacture chips that cater to the boom in AI, and perhaps for a specific use case. Take for example, a chip made specifically for the use of AI in the finance industry.  And that’s exactly what our guest for today, Rebellions Inc is relying on to get a slice of the AI-pie.  But what opportunities lie ahead of the firm? Also, what are some expansion plans for the firm, which is backed by KT and Singapore’s Temasek Pavilion Capital? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down with Kyeong-Jae Lee, Business Development Lead, Rebellions Incorporated for more.

There’s a 33% increase in the average daily use of networking platforms over the last 3 years by baby boomers. This just shows that social media has had such an influence on people's lives, even across generations. However, Gen Z still remains the one to watch as they will have the greatest impact on the evolution of social media in the coming years. We speak to Jo Ling Sun, Senior Trends Analyst, GWI more about this.

The LEGO Group has collaborated with many brands around the world to attract different demographics with different interests. It's most recent one is the LEGO BTS Dynamite experience pop-up in Orchard Road. New innovations and ideas is not only something LEGO promotes in their consumers, but is also vital for workers to help grow their brand. We speak to Rohan Mathur, Marketing Director of SEA, The LEGO Group more about this.

Malaysia will be holding its elections in six states on August 12. The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) and Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) have decided not to contest the upcoming polls. Lastly, how will the outcome of the election affect the Malaysian public's view of PM Anwar? We speak to Dr. Oh Ei Sun, Senior Fellow, Singapore Institute of International Affairs more about this.

Singapore shares started trading in negative territory today mirroring the slump in global markets. In early trade, the Straits Times Index (STI) was down 0.2 per cent at 3,144.26 points as 27.4 million securities changed hands across the broader market. In terms of companies to watch today, we have Sabana Reit – more issues surrounding its relationship with investor Quarz Capital and the Reit’s upcoming EGM.  Elsewhere from Bytedance launching a new music streaming service in Brazil and Indonesia to Samsung reporting a likely 96% plunge in second quarter operating profits, we’ve got more corporate headlines for you. Not to mention – Twitter threatening to sue Meta over Threads. On Market View, the Drive Time team unpacked the developments with Benjamin Goh, Head of Research and Investor Education, SIAS.

The Saudi Pro League is taking world football by storm with its raft of high-profile recruitments and ambitious plans to challenge the established order. But will this be a long-term project or will it fizzle out much like the Chinese Super League? And what about the accusations of sports washing? Well the Saudi Pro League's new Chief Operating Officer, Carlo Nohra is in the hot seat on Sports Minutes to tell us more! Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! edanker@sph.com.sg | raushan@sph.com.sg