Breakfast with Ryan Huang, Emaad Akhtar and Audrey Siek

In today's Breakfast Brief, we look at what to expect from the FOMC, ECB, and BoE in their policy decisions later in the week, as well as the 413-page rebuttal by Adani Group to Hindenberg short seller's report accusing it of being the "biggest con in corporate history".

From Top Republican Kevin McCarthy set to meet with President Joe Biden to discuss avoiding a US debt default to former US President Donald Trump opening his 2024 run, with visits to two early-voting states.  Dane Chamorro, Partner, Global Risk and Intelligence, Control Risks shares his analysis on those headlines and more. 

As the world emerges from the shadows of Covid-19, aspiring entrepreneurs are cautiously weighing the risks of launching their own ventures. An incubator space called Ghostwriter is giving Singapore’s F&B operators a chance to dip their toes into venue ownership. That’s a new concept from the team behind restaurant and bar Sago House. Jay Gray, CEO & Founder, Sago House shares more.

Yeap Junrong, Market Strategist, IG, discusses the mixed data around the US economy as consumers appear to cut back, which is also reflected in the earnings reports from Visa, Mastercard and Intel. 

In today's Breakfast Brief, we look at geopolitical risks emerging as China mulls an export ban to maintain its substantial dominance in solar manufacturing, as well as Canada committing four tanks to Ukraine, joining the US and Germany in stepping up.

Singapore’s manufacturing output shrank in December for a third straight month and the nation will continue to invest in building up local tech talent despite the recent lay-offs at tech giants.  Song Seng Wun, Economist, CIMB Private Banking shares his views on those headlines and more. 

Singapore has come a long way since its historic “world-first” regulatory approval of serum-free cultivated meat for sale in the city-state. But what sort of tests are needed to ensure novel food like this is safe to eat? Dr Benjamin Smith, Director, Future Ready Food Safety Hub (FRESH) shares the science behind.

A deep dive into the sensitive geopolitics at the Afghan-Pakistan border. Synopsis: Each fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times' US bureau chief Nirmal Ghosh presents an Asian perspective of the biggest global talking points with expert guests. After 20 years of war, in August 2021, the United States became the most recent superpower to be seen off by Afghanistan. After the US withdrew, the Taliban, whom the United States had kicked out in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks, swiftly seized power again. But since then, the Taliban has challenged the status of the Afghan-Pakistan border and given haven to the anti-Pakistan insurgent group, Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, TTP, which has killed thousands of Pakistanis and wants to establish a Taliban-style Sharia state in Pakistan.  In this episode, to explain the complicated knot in that volatile region, Nirmal Ghosh hosts Javid Ahmad, a non-resident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council South Asia Center, and former ambassador of Afghanistan to the United Arab Emirates; and Bill Roggio, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracy and editor of the foundation's Long War Journal.  Highlights (click/tap above):  2:35 The Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is a classic case of reverse insurgency 4:50 Many believe the Pakistani military is in a pre-war stage with the TTP 5:30 Pakistani state, elites seek “strategic depth” within Afghanistan, against India – and continue to support the Afghan Taliban 7:20 The risk from Al Qaeda to the region and the US is very great; the Taliban is not abandoning Al Qaeda 13:10 The Taliban, or Afghans in general, have nothing in common with China 16:10 The wheel of jihad keeps on turning – and could turn into a major problem for the Pakistani state 21:17 Washington should diversify its approach toward the Taliban  Produced by: Nirmal Ghosh (nirmal@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, Hadyu Rahim and Fa’izah Sani Edited by: Hadyu Rahim and Fa’izah Sani Follow Asian Insider with Nirmal Ghosh every fourth Friday of the month: Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7 Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8 Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wQsB Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/ Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Follow Nirmal Ghosh on Twitter: https://str.sg/JD7r Read Nirmal Ghosh's stories: https://str.sg/JbxG Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters Asian Insider videos: https://str.sg/wdcC --- Discover ST's special edition podcasts: The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: https://str.sg/wuZ2 Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wuZB Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wuJa Invisible Asia: https://str.sg/wuZn --- Discover more ST podcast series: Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX #PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE Bookmark This!: https://str.sg/JWas Lunch With Sumiko: https://str.sg/J6hQ Discover BT Podcasts: https://bt.sg/pcPL Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts! #STAsianInsider

A new global report by Rubrik Zero Labs revealed that over 90 per cent of IT and security leaders in Singapore reported significant emotional impact following cybercrimes.  Steve Stone, Head of Rubrik Zero Labs, Rubrik shares how this can affect the investigation and recovery process when a cyber attack happens. 

With revenge travel is taking over following the lifting of Covid curbs worldwide, Yusri Abu Bakar, First Officer, Emirates shares an insider look at what the life of a pilot is like, from recruitment to actually flying the skies.