Your Way Home with Hongbin Jeong

Would you be okay with AI using your face to create content without you? A major Chinese streaming platform is facing backlash over its new AI actor initiative, raising big questions about consent, creativity, and the future of human performance. Plus, how far would you go to find out your favourite artist’s album release date? Drake has hidden his next drop inside a 200-ton block of ice and fans are literally trying to break it open. On What’s Trending, Hongbin Jeong and Alexandra Parada unpack AI actors and wild album marketing.

Private credit investing is entering a new phase as artificial intelligence reshapes industry dynamics and challenges traditional assumptions around risk and return. While equity investors focus on identifying AI-driven growth opportunities, credit investors must take a more defensive lens by prioritising cash-flow durability, resilience, and downside protection over upside potential. On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Michel Lowy, CEO and Global Portfolio Manager at SC Lowy, on how AI is reshaping credit risk, underwriting standards, and portfolio construction in private markets.

Singapore shares slid today, tracking movements seen in the region.  The Straits Times Index fell 1.08% to 4,948.92 points at 11.42am Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$965.25M seen in the broader market. In terms of counters to watch, we have Keppel, after the company today reported slightly lower year-on-year net profit for the first quarter ended March, as lower real estate contributions offset higher earnings from its infrastructure and connectivity segments. Elsewhere, from how the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq closed at new record highs overnight, helped by a strong start to earnings season, to how Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that the electric vehicle maker plans to use Intel’s next-generation 14A manufacturing process to make chips at its Terafab project, more corporate headlines remained in focus. Also on deck, how Japan’s Nikkei share average crossed the 60,000 level for the first time today. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian dived into the details with David Chow, Director, Azure Capital.

The United States has once again pressed pause on the conflict. Just as the ceasefire with Iran was approaching its expiry, US President Donald Trump moved to extend it indefinitely at the last minute. But with no confirmed agreement from Tehran and continued US military pressure, uncertainty remains over whether this signals a genuine shift toward de-escalation, or a temporary holding pattern in an ongoing confrontation. So is this extension a meaningful turning point in US-Iran relations? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Associate Professor Jessica Genauer, Academic Director of the Public Policy Institute at the University of New South Wales, to find out more.

Singapore’s private housing market is hitting new highs, but the buyers driving this surge might surprise you.  Demand remains resilient, fuelled in part by a growing group known as DINKs—dual-income couples with no kids—who have both the financial flexibility and appetite to upgrade. According to a recent survey by PropertyGuru, many of these higher-income households are planning to enter the market within the next 12 to 18 months. So what does this mean for the future of Singapore’s property market? Are DINKs becoming the new backbone of demand? And if so, how sustainable is this trend? On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Nicholas Mak, Chief Research Officer, mogul.sg, to find out more.

What if you got paid to look for love… and paid to stay home when it rains? On What’s Trending, Hongbin Jeong and Nadiah Koh dive into Japan’s Kochi Prefecture, where local authorities are stepping in to tackle a shrinking population in an unexpected way by subsidizing dating apps.  Over in China, a snack company in Hunan province has gone viral for something just as unusual, 'rainy day leave'. Through a company lottery, employees won perks ranging from umbrellas and appliances to commuting subsidies… and even seven days of fully paid leave that can be used whenever it rains.   

Singapore shares dipped today as most Asian markets struggled for direction. The Straits Times Index fell 0.34% to 4,997.69 points at 2.57pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$1.29B seen in the broader market. In terms of counters to watch for today, we have DFI Retail Group. The group’s underlying profit from continuing operations, which excludes the impact of several divestments and closures, rose 49 per cent year on year in Q1 2026, supported by lower financing costs. Elsewhere, from how markets reacted to comments by US President Donald Trump that he would indefinitely extend the Iran ceasefire, to how SpaceX said that it has an agreement giving it the right to acquire artificial intelligence startup Cursor for US$60 billion later this year, more corporate and international headlines remained in focus.  Also on deck, what to know about US Fed chair nominee Kevin Warsh’s confirmation hearing. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Jeremy Tan, CEO, Tiger Fund Management.

Rising energy costs linked to the Iran conflict are no longer just a distant headline, they’re hitting businesses in Singapore where it hurts most: the bottom line.  A new poll by the Singapore National Employers Federation reveals the scale of the strain: 96% of employers report higher operating costs, with nearly one in five facing increases of more than 25%. So, is this just a temporary squeeze or the start of a deeper, long-term shift in Singapore’s business landscape? And as costs climb, how are companies balancing competitiveness with the need to protect jobs and workforce stability? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Hao Shuo, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore National Employers Federation, to unpack what this means for businesses and workers moving forward.

Would you take on a dangerous job for big money? One woman in China is doing exactly that, managing over 60,000 venomous snakes and earning six figures a year. Plus, over at Coachella, it’s not just festival-goers losing things. From a possible $8 million ring dropped on stage to Madonna’s missing vintage outfits, things are getting a little chaotic. On What’s Trending, Hongbin Jeong and Alexandra Parada discuss high-risk jobs and high-value items that mysteriously disappear.

Singapore is stepping up its ambitions to become a global hub for precious metals trading, with efforts to enhance market infrastructure, improve price discovery, and attract central bank gold reserves. At the same time, investor behaviour is shifting with stronger participation in Asia, diverging global flows, and continued demand despite volatility. On The Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Judy Goh, Managing Director for APAC at Integral, to unpack the outlook for Singapore’s precious metals market, how investor strategies are evolving, and where the key opportunities and risks are.