Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

Over the past year, the spotlight has been firmly on students and their use of AI, questions around academic integrity, strict guidelines, and even penalties for those who don’t disclose it. But now, the conversation is shifting. Several universities here in Singapore, including Nanyang Technological University, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore Institute of Technology, and National University of Singapore, are beginning to incorporate AI tools into the grading process itself. So that raises a big question: if students are being closely monitored for their use of AI, is it fair for educators to lean on the same technology when marking their work? Is this a step towards greater efficiency… or does it risk changing the very nature of assessment and feedback? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Ben Leong, Associate Professor of Computer Science at NUS and Director of the AI Centre for Educational Technologies, to find out more. 

It’s not just global investors driving the surge in gold, but buyers right here in Singapore. From bullion dealers to pawnshops, demand for gold bars, coins, and even jewellery has spiked sharply in recent months, fuelled by rising tensions in the Middle East, volatile markets, and growing expectations of interest rate cuts. At the same time, prices have been anything but stable, swinging between record highs and sharp pullbacks. So what’s really going on, and is this a smart time to be buying gold? On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to David Mitchell, Managing Director, Indigo Precious Metals, to find out more.

On What’s Trending, Hongbin Jeong and Zia-ul Raushan talk about world leaders with unexpected talents including Thailand’s King and Queen, who made headlines for flying their own plane on a state visit. Plus, a Singaporean family learns a costly lesson at the airport after a toy gun in their child’s carry-on led to a missed flight and S$3,000 in new tickets.

Singapore shares dipped today as investors continued to mull the Federal Reserve’s move to hold interest rates overnight. The Straits Times Index was down 0.44% at 4,980.01 points at 12.06pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$1.38B seen in the broader market. In terms of counters to watch, we have Manulife US Real Estate Investment Trust, after its distributable income for the second half ended Dec 31 fell 31.1 per cent year on year to US$10.6 million.  Elsewhere, from how Apple posted a 23 per cent surge in China smartphone sales in the first nine weeks of 2026, to how Micron Technology warned that it will need to spend heavily on production to meet burgeoning demand, more corporate headlines are in focus today.  Plus – what investors should make of the Federal Reserve and the Bank of Japan’s moves to hold interest rates this week. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian dived into the details with David Chow, Director, Azure Capital.

Iran has confirmed that its top security chief, Ali Larijani, was killed in an Israeli airstrike, alongside his son and senior aides, a major setback for Tehran’s leadership since the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier in the conflict. In response to his death, Iran has launched missile strikes on Israel, while targets in Lebanon have also been hit, raising concerns of a broader regional escalation. What does Larijani’s assassination mean for the balance of power in Iran? Could it undermine diplomatic efforts in the region?  On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Dr James Dorsey, Adjunct Senior Fellow at Nanyang Technological University's S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, to unpack the latest developments.

Oil prices are surging, the US dollar is holding firm, and Asian currencies are under pressure. Could the Korean won and Indian rupee slide further? And why might the Chinese yuan and Singapore dollar weather the storm better? On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Christopher Wong, FX strategist, OCBC, to find out more.

On What’s Trending, Hongbin Jeong and Nadiah Koh dive into chaos, both robotic and edible. First, a humanoid robot in Macau goes rogue, terrifying a 70-year-old woman and forcing cops to step in. How did a 4-foot-tall bot designed for education end up getting arrested? And, what does this say about our increasingly unpredictable relationship with technology? Then, we turn to a very different kind of frenzy: the Dubai chocolate craze has evolved into a full-blown cake obsession in Taiwan, with fans sprinting, queuing for hours, and even reselling slices at triple the price. Is the Dubai chocolate hype getting out of hand?

Singapore shares moved higher today as investors looked ahead to the latest Federal Reserve rate decision due overnight. The Straits Times Index was up 1.18% at 4,993.97 points at 2.06pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$1.18B seen in the broader market. In terms of counters to watch for today, we have Singtel, after a second disruption of mobile services in recent days hit some of the telco’s users yesterday. Elsewhere, from how Malaysia’s ringgit rose to the strongest versus the Singapore dollar in five years as higher energy prices supported the net energy exporter, to how Nvidia has reportedly won Beijing’s approval to sell its second-most powerful AI chips to China, more international and corporate headlines remained in focus. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Jeremy Tan, CEO, Tiger Fund Management.

As the largest aeronautics and space company in Europe, Airbus provides products, services and solutions for the commercial aircraft, helicopter, defence and space sectors.  They range from the commercial aircraft and helicopters that connect people from around the world to military aircraft and satellites that aim to protect citizens and countries. Its 12,000-plus Airbus aircrafts in service collectively serve over 48,000 routes globally, closing the distance between people every day.    In February 2026, the firm reported net orders of 889 commercial aircrafts after cancellations in 2025, higher than the 826 seen in 2024, while the order backlog amounted to a year-end record of 8,754 commercial aircrafts at the end of 2025. But how much of this is contributed by Asia Pacific, and how does the company assess the speed at which it is delivering to customers in the region amid shortages in Pratt & Whitney engines? Also – how does it assess competition from up and coming players in the region, say China’s state-owned planemaker Comac? Meanwhile, Airbus has said that Asia Pacific will need almost 20,000 new aircrafts as it is set to remain as the world’s fastest-growing air travel market.  But what are the key trends supporting the numbers, and how is Airbus working to capture and realise demand from the region? In this “On the Go” Special episode of Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian headed down to the Airbus Campus at Seletar Aerospace Park, where she posed the questions to Anand Stanley, President, Airbus Asia-Pacific.

A growing divide has emerged among Western allies after President Donald Trump urged partners to send warships to escort vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. Countries including Germany, Spain and Italy have declined, citing legal limitations, the lack of consultation before the strikes on Iran, and the absence of a mandate from organisations such as NATO, the EU or the United Nations. On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Dr Leon Goldsmith, Honorary Senior Lecturer in Middle East Politics at the University of Otago, to examine why some US allies are reluctant to get involved, what this reveals about tensions within Western alliances, and what it could mean for efforts to secure one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints.