Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

Palestinian health authorities say Israeli air strikes in Gaza have killed at least 200 people, many of the dead children. Attacks hit dozens of targets earlier today, ending a weeks-long stand-off over extending the ceasefire that halted fighting in January. The Israeli military says it is carrying out "extensive strikes" in the Gaza Strip, targeting what it called "terror targets" belonging to Hamas. This is the largest wave of airstrikes in Gaza since the ceasefire began on 19 January. Talks to extend the Gaza ceasefire have failed to reach an agreement. How will this conflict continue to unfold in the coming days? Will we be able to achieve another ceasefire deal anytime soon?  On The Big Story, Dr. Jessica Genauer, Senior Lecturer in International Relations, Program Director: Politics, Policy and International Relations , Course Coordinator: Master of Public Policy, College of Business, Government and Law, Flinders University to find out more.  Presented by: Hongbin Jeong Produced and Edited by: Nadiah Koh (nadkoh@sph.com.sg) and Hongbin Jeong  Want to get featured on our show? Drop me an email today!

Singapore shares rose today to track regional gains.   The Straits Times Index was up 0.97% at 3,896.87 points at about 2pm (2.03pm), with a value turnover of S$759.89M in the broader market. In terms of companies to watch, we have Sembcorp Industries, after the company responded to a Bloomberg report, which said Sembcorp could be considering going private or selling assets as part of its strategic review of its business. Elsewhere, from a surge in Chinese tech firms today, to what to look out for at Nvidia’s annual developers conference held in San Jose – more international and corporate headlines remain in focus. Also on deck – US retail sales rising less than expected in February and what that means for Wall Street investors. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Audrey Ho, Investment Counselor, Citigold Private Client, Citibank Singapore.

Bitcoin had hit a record high of $109,071 in January, but it has since lost most of the gains racked up since the American election. That's as concerns about US tariff policy, the health of the world's largest economy and a tech selloff sap risk appetite. Only weeks after hitting the six-figure all-time high, the cryptocurrency is now trading at around US$80,000, down nearly a quarter from its January peak. So are we in a bear market? What’s next for the crypto market? On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Valentin Fournier, Digital Asset Analyst at BRN, to find out more.

FingerDance is a pioneering deep-tech start-up dedicated to bridging communication gaps between the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community and the hearing world through AI-driven sign language solutions. At the core of its innovation is a proprietary Sign Language Large Language Model (LLM), which enables seamless, real-time translation between spoken and sign language. One of its flagship products, SiLViA, the Sign Language Virtual Assistant, enhances accessibility by providing sign language translations for essential information in public spaces, starting with its pilot deployment at Chinatown MRT station in collaboration with SBS Transit.  On The Right Business, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Gong He, Co-Founder, FingerDance, to find out more.   Presented by: Hongbin Jeong Produced and Edited by: Alexandra Parada (alexparada@sph.com.sg) and Nadiah Koh Want to get featured on our show? Drop me an email today!

Forrest Li has officially thrown his hat into the ring in the contest for Singapore football’s top post - as the Football Association of Singapore confirmed that the election to decide the leaders of Singapore football will be held on 28 April 2025. So what next on the timeline to the extraordinary congress? And who could be in the running alongside Li? Deepanraj Ganesan weighs in on this - as well as the National Team's upcoming games, and the Singapore Cup fixtures gone by. READ MORE:  https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/billionaire-forrest-li-confirms-bid-to-become-singapore-football-chief https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/football-association-of-singapore-elections-to-be-held-on-april-28 Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg

Punggol is new, vibrant, and also poised to be the battleground of a fierce political contest in this year’s General Election.  For years, Punggol has held the title of the nation’s youngest town, with more than half of its over 120,000 voters estimated to be between the ages of 21 and 45. As a result, the newly formed Punggol GRC was formed by dividing the previous Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, pulling in estates from Punggol, combining with Punggol West SMC. With neighboring Sengkang GRC falling to the Workers' Party in the last election and the WP maintaining an active presence in parts of Punggol over the past year, a face-off with the ruling People’s Action Party seems almost certain. How will this contest unfold? Will there be a fierce rivalry between PAP-WP in Singapore’s youngest GRC in GE2025? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Dr Mustafa Izzuddin,Senior International Affairs Analyst with Solaris Strategies Singapore to find out more.  Presented by: Hongbin Jeong Produced and Edited by: Nadiah Koh (nadkoh@sph.com.sg) and Hongbin Jeong  Want to get featured on our show? Drop me an email today!

Singapore shares inched higher earlier today after data showed the country’s non-oil domestic exports reversed January’s contraction to grow 7.6% in February.  The Straits Times Index moved 0.57% higher to 3,857.83 points at about 2.22pm, with a value turnover of S$732.91M in the broader market. In terms of companies to watch, we have Keppel, after the company said today that its wholly owned Kepland Investama is in a dispute over ownership rights for land plots in Jakarta.  Elsewhere, from China’s “special action plan” to boost consumption and how global CEOs are reportedly set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping next week, more international headlines remain in focus. Also on deck –  how the US retail operator of Forever 21 has filed for bankruptcy for the second time.   On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with David Kuo, Co-founder, The Smart Investor.

The backbone of the US economy is flashing stagflation warnings. That’s as uncertainty spikes on tariffs and layoffs. In fact, while we see a sticky, slow-burn ‘Trump-Re-flation’, we could see an upcoming ‘Trump Stagflation’. So how should investors prepare for a stagflation? Should investors readjust their portfolios? What asset classes may strive during this economic landscape? On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Laurent Lequeu, Independent Financial consultant and Writer of The Macro Butler Newsletter, to find out more.

Newcastle end their 70-year wait for silverware - clinching the English League Cup at the expense of Liverpool, beating them 2-1 at Wembley. And on Sports Minutes, we check in with two jubilant Geordies - Sazali Abdul Aziz & Terrence Ong - and lifelong Liverpool fan - Deborah Rowe - to find out what it means for both camps. Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg

Home renovations are often seen as an exciting journey, but for many homeowners in Singapore, it can quickly turn into a source of stress and frustration. HomeMatch, co- founded by Mervin Foo has a solution that’s changing the renovation game. Their groundbreaking platform aims to make the renovation process smarter, safer, and more transparent for homeowners across Singapore. How exactly is HomeMatch providing a safer, and more efficient path to turning dream homes into reality? On The Right Business, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Mervin Foo, Co-Founder, HomeMatch to find out.   Presented by: Hongbin Jeong Produced and Edited by: Nadiah Koh (nadkoh@sph.com.sg) and Hongbin Jeong  Want to get featured on our show? Drop me an email today!