Breakfast with Ryan Huang, Emaad Akhtar and Audrey Siek

Former President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony criminal charges during a court hearing in New York. In a speech in Florida after his arraignment, Trump says his only crime is defending America and that his lawyers claim there is no case against him. Kevin Madden, Senior Partner at the Penta Group gives his analysis on how strong the case is against the 2024 White House contender. Highlights: 00:56 - Now that we know what charges Trump is up against, could you give us a sense of what the potential consequences might be? 01:49 - Trump has hired top criminal defense lawyer Todd Blanche to head his legal team as he gears up to fight those criminal charges - all of which he has pleaded not guilty to. Which charges in particular should we expect his lawyers to be challenging, and how strong a case do they have?  03:28 - Trump’s lawyers have so far insisted that the allegations are politically motivated. In your opinion, how likely is Mr Trump going to get a fair trial given that he's up against a judge that has crossed paths with him in 2022? 05:00 - Kevin, you're known to be a veteran of presidential campaigns. So, what kind of impact will this have on Trump’s 2024 Presidential run? 05:58 - Publicity yes, but could it actually further boost his popularity? 07:09 - Looking at it from a legal standpoint, there is nothing in US law that prevents a candidate who is found guilty of a crime from campaigning for, and serving as, president - even from prison. We’re still in the early days, but how likely is that scenario going to play out?  08:11 - Conservatives believe that Trump is being held to a different standard of justice while liberals view this as an issue of holding law-breakers - even those in the highest positions of power - accountable. In your opinion, will this deepen already sharp divides within the American political system?  [Find Us on Podcast Platforms] Awedio | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | OmnyStudio [Contact Us] Presenter: Lynlee Foo Producer: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg)

The US Dollar Index (DXY) dropped to the fresh low since February late Tuesday, as softer US data joins downbeat fundamentals to weigh on the DXY.  Is the dominance of the US dollar in global trade also facing a significant challenge with emerging global economies, such as China and India, stepping forward to trade in their own currencies? As the world's second largest economy, China has been steadily increasing the use of its currency in international transactions, with many countries, including the members of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) bloc, now settling trade deals in yuan. Bloomberg reported that China’s yuan has replaced the US dollar as the most traded currency in Russia, a year after the invasion of Ukraine led to a slew of Western sanctions against Moscow. So, is the dollar dominance dissipating as China and Russia tilt towards a new currency bloc? Willie Keng finds out from Phan Vee Leung, CIO, Trackrecord in this latest episode of the Bigger Picture.

If you’ve ever dreaded listening to on-hold music as you wait for your customer service agent, you’re not alone.  According to a study by the Qualtrics XM Institute, Singaporeans find themselves spending more time waiting on customer service teams, with almost half of the respondents leaving with unresolved problems.  Bruce Temkin, Head of Qualtrics XM Instituteshares his insights on the matter andexplains why empathy could be the missing factor in the business equation.

Is being an entrepreneur a result of nurture or nature? And what does it take to be successful? In this special podcast series brought to you by Citi Commercial Bank in celebration of  International Women’s Day we will speak to inspiring professionals who embody the spirit of entrepreneurship and champion the power of women in the working world. In this episode, Host, Rachel Kelly speaks to Shayna Teh, founder of Food Market Hub. Shayna is a female entrepreneur who stems from a family of entrepreneurs. but that doesn’t mean her journey has been smooth sailing. 

OPEC+ made a surprising production cut to support “oil-market stability” – with adjustments taking effect in May and through the year. This is on top of previously announced cuts of 2 million barrels a day. How will oil prices move?  And with the odds of recession rising, will the Fed further hike rates in the coming months?  Willie Keng analyses all that with Abhilash Narayan, Senior Investment Strategist, Standard Chartered Private Bank.

Every year we hear about them. University rankings have formed the crux of any one student’s decision-making process. However, a number of prominent Universities have spoken out against such rankings, which cannot measure the multifaceted goals of higher education. So, do university rankings still matter for students in Singapore? Jason Tan, Associate Professor, Policy, Curriculum and Leadership at The National Institute of Education shares his expertise on whether we should really pay much attention to these rankings.

21 months - that’s how long it took for the UK to negotiate terms before striking the deal to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.  British High Commissioner to Singapore, Kara Owen shares about that journey and the UK’s economic pivot to Asia. [Find Us on Podcast Platforms] Awedio | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | OmnyStudio [Contact Us] Presenter: Lynlee Foo Producer: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg)

As Geneco celebrates its fifth anniversary, the leading electricity retailer is doubling down on its commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility. It is partnering with the National Park Board’s registered charity and IPC to support the Singapore Botanic Gardens Seed Bank, by contributing to their efforts to conserve the seeds of threatened plant species in Southeast Asia due to climate change and habitat loss.  LynLee Foo finds out more about their collaboration and plans ahead with Lim Han Kwang, Chief Executive Officer of Geneco and Dr Jana Leong-Skornickova,Principal Researcher, Singapore Botanic Gardens, National Parks Board. This podcast is produced and edited by Anthea Ng (nganthea@sph.com.sg)

China concluded its first in-person Boao Forum since the COVID-19 outbreak last week. Coming on the back of that, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong who met China’s top leadership is calling for new ground rules so that global trade can continue without decoupling, in an increasingly divided world. So, how can countries achieve that fine balance?  Dr Tan Khee Giap, Chairman of the Singapore National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation shares his perspective.

U.S. markets posted strong gains last Friday on the back of lower-than-expected inflation readings for February. How will this translate to movements in Asia when markets open today for a fresh week of trading?  Willie Keng finds out more from Matt Taylor, Senior Director, FTI Consulting, plus what else to look ahead this week.