The Afternoon Update with Lynlee Foo

The Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority, recently launched LawNet AI, an AI service designed to help lawyers in Singapore do research more efficiently. Similarly, AI tools are transforming conflict resolution, helping mediators by providing data-driven recommendations and possible solutions based on historical data and prediction models.  However, while AI is set to revolutionise law, how are issues of confidentiality and data privacy being addressed? Is the billable hour still relevant with AI-driven services? Ms Eliza Jiang, is the CEO and co-founder of Lawdify, a company that provides legal professionals AI-first Software as a Service solutions, focusing on high-profile and reputable dispute teams across major legal hubs such as Singapore, Hong Kong, London, and Toronto. Eliza who is a disputes lawyer, shares more insights.

Chinese stocks rallied for a ninth straight day in one of most remarkable turnarounds in history after the central bank unveiled its biggest stimulus since the Covid 19 pandemic. On Monday (Sep 30), China's CSI300 Index surged more than 8%, extending last week's 16% jump. Shanghai stocks shot up more than 7% while Shenzhen shares soared more than 10%, with combined turnover of 2.6 trillion yuan exceeding the bull run a decade ago. While investors are celebrating, economists say the jury is still out on China's economy.  On Market View, Gary Ng, Senior Economist at Natixis, weighs in on the country's bold stimulus measures and explains why Chinese markets may not be out of the woods so soon. 

Chinese tech stocks are hitting highs not seen in more than a year after China’s central bank announced measures to stimulate the world’s second-largest economy. The central bank on Friday lowered interest rates and injected liquidity into the banking system as Beijing assembled a last-ditch stimulus assault to pull economic growth back towards this year's roughly 5 per cent target. More fiscal measures are expected to be announced before China's week-long holidays starting on Oct. 1. The CSI 300 rallied nearly 15% this week and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index is set for its best week since 1998. Dan Chang, Investment Specialist and Trading Representative at PhillipCapital, tells us about the Chinese stimulus measures' impact on the Singapore market and what he is looking forward to in the days ahead.  

This week, an unexpected turn of events at the start of a much-anticipated criminal trial of Singapore's former transport minister S Iswaran. The landmark trial marks the first time in 50 years that a political office holder was put in the dock.  The 62 year-old pleaded guilty after prosecutors amended corruption charges against him to reduced counts of obtaining gifts and valuable items worth more than $400,000 in total. On Weekly Wrap, Eugene Tan, Associate Professor of Law at the Singapore Management University, sheds more light on the differences between the amended charges under Section 165 and the original ones under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and shares his views on the developments ahead of Iswaran's sentencing on October 3. 

Whenever there are major changes, be it to a business or one's life, having storage space can be an essential solution. The self-storage sector has been seeing a remarkable ascent in recent years with more players entering the market. As the demand for self-storage in Singapore grows more robust, bolstered by e-commerce growth, evolving work dynamics, and a growing emphasis on environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations, what are the current trends in the self-storage landscape? Jes Johansen, CEO from leading self-storage operator Storefriendly shares more insights about the sector, and explains why the company is in the right space by giving old buildings an 'elegant end-of-lease life' experience to provide storage solutions.

Certificate of entitlement (COE) premiums climbed across most categories at the latest round, with the Open category recording the biggest rise to hit $113,104, the highest levels since December 2023. At $98,524, the price of a Category A COE for smaller and less powerful cars and electric vehicles, hit a record high in 2024, and the sentiment on the street is that the upward trend will continue. Lee Nian Tjoe, The Straits Times' Senior Transport Correspondent shares his views.

Should you pursue a graduate business degree? This question is bound to come up at some point, especially if you are a business leader or a professional wanting to accelerate your career. Recently, INSEAD's Master in Management (MiM) programme made an impressive debut, ranking #3 globally in the 2024 Financial Times rankings. While such rankings can be a strategic tool to boost an institution’s brand and reputation, what should you look out for? Is the MiM suitable for you? What's the difference between an MBA and an MiM? Professor Mark Stabile, Dean of Degree Programmes and Dean of the Europe Campus at INSEAD, shares more about INSEAD's graduate business programmes as well as how business schools are staying ahead of their game to remain relevant.

According to a special report by consultancy, XDI - close to one in 10 assets belonging to Reits across Asia-Pacific will be at high risk from the effects of climate change and extreme weather by 2050.  The 2024 Singapore Governance and Transparency Index has also indicated that S-Reits commonly identified climate change as a material issue. To get a clearer picture when it comes to the impact of climate change on Reits Rachel Kelly spoke with Lee Wei Hock, Deputy Assurance Leader, Ernst & Young LLP.

Travelling is such a big pastime for many of us here in Singapore. While we all love to travel, most of us do not give much thought to buying insurance. If you often find yourself caught up with pre-travel logistics (accommodation, airport and hotel transfers, data access etc) and forget to buy travel insurance, there is now a solution. Income Insurance has recently launched FlexiTravel Plus, which is Singapore’s first and only travel insurance that enables travellers to get travel protection, as needed by the hour, to 19 Asian destinations even after you have boarded your flight. Annie Chua, Vice President and Head of Key Accounts Management at Income Insurance, shares insights on travel insurance trends and more.

The energy sector is changing rapidly and undergoing a disruptive transformation. As alternative fuels such as hydrogen, methanol, ammonia, and biofuel become more important in reducing global emissions, what role do fuel additives play? How are industry players supporting decarbonisation efforts? Bruce Royan, EVP of Energy Applications at global fuel additives firm Infineum, shares some insights.