Breakfast with Ryan Huang, Emaad Akhtar and Audrey Siek

Do you remember heading to Changi Airport just for Popeyes? While there are a few outlets now in Singapore, it looks like we will be seeing more of Popeyes in the coming years!  F&B operator Fei Siong Group has recently snagged an exclusive franchise deal to take over the operations of the fried-chicken chain in Singapore. Jedrick Tan, Senior Vice President, Group Strategy & Business Development, Fei Siong Group shares the company's plans for Popeyes. 

It looks like the call for businesses to be more socially conscious grows in today’s context are becoming more than ever. So how can a business integrate social impact strategically into their business model to become a key value differentiator for consumers and investors alike? Kevin Quah, Co-Founder & CEO, Tictag shares more on how businesses can do so. 

Bus and train fares in Singapore will increase by up to 5 cents from December 26 due to rising energy prices. To help some families, a total of 600,000 public transport vouchers worth $30 each will be available for lower- to lower-middle-income households from December 28. But how much can these vouchers help?  Walter Theseira, Associate Professor, Economics & Head, Master of Management (Urban Transportation) Programme, Singapore University of Social Sciences shares more. 

Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, join The Straits Times' associate editor Ravi Velloor, as he distills his experience from four decades of covering the continent. In this episode, he hosts Mr Drew Thompson, a former top official in the Pentagon who helped handle military to military relations with China and Taiwan. Mr Thompson, now Senior Visiting Fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, discusses the state of cross-Straits relations, American posture on Taiwan and his assessment of Chinese President Xi Jinping's likely approach on Taiwan after the 20th Party Congress. Highlights (click/tap above): 1:40 Cross-Straits tensions not new, but use of force is not off the table 9:10 Why the US has not changed policy, but has changed its approach 15:18 On Nancy Pelosi's visit: 'China chose to over-react' 21:15 Why Taiwan could succeed in a conflict 28:05 Could tensions ease after Xi Jinping gets his third term? Produced by: Ravi Velloor (velloor@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis and Teo Tong Kai Edited by: Teo Tong Kai Follow Speaking Of Asia Podcast every second Friday of the month on our Asian Insider Podcast channel here: Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7 Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8 Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wQsB Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Ravi Velloor's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP Ravi Velloor on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters --- Discover ST's special edition podcasts: Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wuJa The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: https://str.sg/wuZ2 Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wuZB 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 #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 ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Discover BT Podcasts: https://bt.sg/pcPL Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts! #STAsianInsider

In today's Breakfast Brief, we discuss what PepsiCo's solid quarterly earnings might mean for the rest of the earnings season, as well as a new perfume called "Burnt Hair" that Tesla CEO Elon Musk is selling for $100.

Sani Hamid, Director of Wealth Management, Financial Alliance analyses the latest FOMC minutes and if much has changed since the meeting three weeks ago, as investors brace for September's Consumer Price Index data - which threatens to sink market sentiment if it is again hotter than expected.

The MICE industry is on its way to recovery from the impact of Covid-19. And just recently, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has inked three MoUs to reinforce Singapore’s position as a Global-Asia Node for Meetings, Incentive, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) and businesses across growth and priority sectors. Poh Chi Chuan, Executive Director of Exhibitions & Conferences, Singapore Tourism Board shares more details on the MoUs. 

Singapore has recently unveiled a new special work visa in a bid to lure more workers from across the world. The visa, dubbed the Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass (ONE Pass) is a personalised pass that aims to attract worldwide talent across all sectors to Singapore. Puay Lim Yeo, Managing Director, Glints shares more details on ONE and how it will impact Singapore's job market. 

From leaders of the G7 nations pledging to help Ukraine “for as long as it takes”, to why the Bank of England is struggling to address the UK’s market concerns.  Antonio Fatas, Professor of Economics, INSEAD shares his analysis and more. 

In today's Breakfast Brief we break down the IMF's latest cut back of its global growth forecast for 2023 to 2.7% from 2.9%, and New Zealand's proposal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by taxing farmers for methane output from their livestock.