Let's Talk, Singapore

When it comes to the Fed, the debate is not about whether policymakers will cut rates in September, but is about how much they will cut. Homin Lee, Senior Macro Strategist, Lombard Odier, shares his views on how the rate cut would affect Asian markets, and how investors should position themselves in the region. Presented and produced by Yeap Junrong

Ever heard of "plogging?" It's a low-intensity but ecologically important activity that involves picking up litter while jogging or walking. It's a trend that first started in Sweden in 2016 and has also gained traction in Singapore. This is just one form of eco-friendly exercise that has been shown to mitigate the impact that one's physical activity, including nature-based exercise, has on the planet. Emaad and Audrey expand more on Breakfast Bites! Presented by Emaad Akhtar & Audrey Siek Produced and Edited by Emaad Akhtar Music and photo credits: Pixabay & its talented community of contributors

Over the last decade, Nanyang Technological University’s portfolio spin-off companies have a combined valuation of over $800 million and it is targeted to grow 10 per cent annually. It filed 953 Intellectual Properties or IPs from 2021 to 2023, a 70 per cent increase compared to the three preceding years. In the same period, NTU had 23 new spin-offs from the IPs and incubated 65 start-ups and teams from its community. But how are these startups navigating the uncertain economic and geopolitical landscape?  On this episode of Morning Shot, we feature: Kelvin Kok, CEO & Co-Founder of Kookree, a software technology that can instantly generate realistic text-to-video scenes. Mohammed Adnan Azam, Technology Development Officer of the Dementia Research Centre at NTU's Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, also the developer of ReCOGnAIze - a clinically designed game aimed at the early detection of brain diseases. Presented by: Emaad Akhtar Produced & Edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg) Photo credits: Kookre

As Singapore introduced its fourth round of property cooling measures since December 2021, the HDB resale market faces new dynamics. Key changes include a reduction in the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio for HDB loans and increased CPF Housing Grants for first-time buyers. With fewer flats reaching their Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) this year, how will these measures impact buyer behaviour, market stability, and overall affordability? An industry expert, Nicholas Mak, Chief Research Officer, mogul.sg weighs in on the potential effects and future trends. Presented by  Audrey Siek This podcast is produced and edited by Anthea Ng (nganthea@sph.com.sg) She produces Mind Your Business, Biz-How-To and Breakfast Special segments on the Breakfast Show. Do contact her for topics: C-Suite, SME, Startups, Health-tech, Sustainability, Property, Intergenerational Family Business, Industry Outlook, Fintech and trending businesses in town.

All the talk among investors in recent times has revolved around rate cuts and how much the Federal Reserve will slash by come September.  In the meantime, the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium is nearly upon us and traders are bracing to hear from Fed Chair Jerome Powell in the hopes that his comments may help extend the recent market rally. So what can we expect on these fronts? Yeap Junrong spoke to Vasu Menon, Managing Director for Investment Strategy, OCBC Bank, who also analysed the first night of the Democratic National Convention, to find out. Presented by Yeap Junrong Edited by Emaad Akhtar

Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will be selecting a new leader by September 27. This comes after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s surprise announcement that he will be stepping down. The 67-year-old veteran who took office in October 2021 says he was bowing out of the race to pave the way for a new leader to form a united LDP to make a fresh start to regain public trust, badly hurt by the party’s extensive corruption scandal, causing his support ratings to dip below 20%. Within days of the prime minister’s declaration, local Japan media has speculated nearly a dozen possible candidates, with some already announcing their interest in leading a party desperate for public support. They include young lawmaker and former Economic Security Minister Takayuki Kobayashi, former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi; three of the party’s female veterans, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi and former Gender Equality Minister Seiko Noda; as well as past runner-ups, Digital Minister Taro Kono, and former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba who is an all-time favourite among the general public. On this episode of Morning Shot, Stephen Nagy (Neggy), Professor of Politics & International Studies at the International Christian University & Visiting Fellow at the Japan Institute for International Affairs analyses what the LDP needs in order to regain public confidence, as well as regional implications. Presented by: Emaad Akhtar Produced & Edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg)

If you’re a vanilla lover, you’re in for a treat! Meet Singapore’s first and very own vanilla cultivator and processor on Mind Your Business. They’re all about bringing top-quality, sustainable vanilla right to our doorstep. Whether it’s the rich flavours in your desserts or their cool community projects, they are changing the vanilla game in Singapore. Dive into their story and discover what makes them so special in this conversation with Charles Santoso, Founder, Mireia.  Presented by Audrey Siek This podcast is produced and edited by Anthea Ng (nganthea@sph.com.sg) She produces Mind Your Business, Biz-How-To and Breakfast Special segments on the Breakfast Show. Do contact her for topics: C-Suite, SME, Startups, Health-tech, Sustainability, Property, Intergenerational Family Business, Industry Outlook, Fintech and trending businesses in town.

From making you cry in movies to hyping you up during a workout: Music has so much power. It can change or make the whole feel of a movie, it has the ability to transport us to the past, and can allow us to recall fond memories. Audrey and Emaad listen to some of the different kinds of music and why the tunes we listen to can transform our activities, affect our mood and even improve our physical health. Presented by Audrey Siek, Ryan Huang & Emaad Akhtar Produced and Edited by Audrey Siek Music and photo credits: Pixabay & its talented community of contributors  Snippets of: Jaws Theme Song - John Williams 5th Symphony in C Minor - Ludwig Van Beethoven Shake It Off - Taylor Swift River Flows In You - Yiruma

Demand for accountancy and related services continues to grow, but since 2018, the university intake of local accountancy students has fallen by over 10 per cent. This has been attributed to factors such as lower starting salaries, as well as long and unpredictable working hours.  And that’s why a fast-track route track had earlier been introduced for accountancy degree students who are interested to become chartered accountants. In Singapore, those who want to become a chartered accountant must attain the Singapore Chartered Accountant Qualification (SCAQ).  But beyond official certification, non-accountants who are interested in topics like accounting standards, ethics, taxation and even sustainability do not have to take the SCAQ to learn about accounting. The Institute of Chartered Accountants’ (ISCA) subscription-based e-learning platform called Accountify provides bite-sized learning resources across a wide range of accounting related topics. On this episode of Advancing Accountancy, we feature: Melissa Wu, Head of Chartered Accountant Education and Learning at ISCA Kacie Yang, Associate Director at the ISCA Academy Presented by: Ryan Huang Produced & Edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg)

Todd Rabold, Investment Management Partner at the Callan Family Office shares his insights on the significance of Bank of America’s latest aggregate credit and debit card data showing a 1% dip in total credit card spending per household in the week ending Aug 10, biggest point of disagreement between the bulls and the bears, whether Lineage's recent IPO presents a window of opportunity for investors, as well as promising areas to watch in the coming days. Presented by: Emaad Akhtar Produced & Edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg) Photo credits: pixabay & its talented community of contributors