Breakfast with Ryan Huang, Emaad Akhtar and Audrey Siek

Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will be selecting a new leader by September 27. This comes after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s surprise announcement that he will be stepping down. The 67-year-old veteran who took office in October 2021 says he was bowing out of the race to pave the way for a new leader to form a united LDP to make a fresh start to regain public trust, badly hurt by the party’s extensive corruption scandal, causing his support ratings to dip below 20%. Within days of the prime minister’s declaration, local Japan media has speculated nearly a dozen possible candidates, with some already announcing their interest in leading a party desperate for public support. They include young lawmaker and former Economic Security Minister Takayuki Kobayashi, former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi; three of the party’s female veterans, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi and former Gender Equality Minister Seiko Noda; as well as past runner-ups, Digital Minister Taro Kono, and former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba who is an all-time favourite among the general public. On this episode of Morning Shot, Stephen Nagy (Neggy), Professor of Politics & International Studies at the International Christian University & Visiting Fellow at the Japan Institute for International Affairs analyses what the LDP needs in order to regain public confidence, as well as regional implications. Presented by: Emaad Akhtar Produced & Edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg) Photo credits: Government of Japan

If you’re a vanilla lover, you’re in for a treat! Meet Singapore’s first and very own vanilla cultivator and processor on Mind Your Business. They’re all about bringing top-quality, sustainable vanilla right to our doorstep. Whether it’s the rich flavours in your desserts or their cool community projects, they are changing the vanilla game in Singapore. Dive into their story and discover what makes them so special in this conversation with Charles Santoso, Founder, Mireia.  Presented by Audrey Siek This podcast is produced and edited by Anthea Ng (nganthea@sph.com.sg) She produces Mind Your Business, Biz-How-To and Breakfast Special segments on the Breakfast Show. Do contact her for topics: C-Suite, SME, Startups, Health-tech, Sustainability, Property, Intergenerational Family Business, Industry Outlook, Fintech and trending businesses in town.

From making you cry in movies to hyping you up during a workout: Music has so much power. It can change or make the whole feel of a movie, it has the ability to transport us to the past, and can allow us to recall fond memories. Audrey and Emaad listen to some of the different kinds of music and why the tunes we listen to can transform our activities, affect our mood and even improve our physical health. Presented by Audrey Siek, Ryan Huang & Emaad Akhtar Produced and Edited by Audrey Siek Music and photo credits: Pixabay & its talented community of contributors  Snippets of: Jaws Theme Song - John Williams 5th Symphony in C Minor - Ludwig Van Beethoven Shake It Off - Taylor Swift River Flows In You - Yiruma

Demand for accountancy and related services continues to grow, but since 2018, the university intake of local accountancy students has fallen by over 10 per cent. This has been attributed to factors such as lower starting salaries, as well as long and unpredictable working hours.  And that’s why a fast-track route track had earlier been introduced for accountancy degree students who are interested to become chartered accountants. In Singapore, those who want to become a chartered accountant must attain the Singapore Chartered Accountant Qualification (SCAQ).  But beyond official certification, non-accountants who are interested in topics like accounting standards, ethics, taxation and even sustainability do not have to take the SCAQ to learn about accounting. The Institute of Chartered Accountants’ (ISCA) subscription-based e-learning platform called Accountify provides bite-sized learning resources across a wide range of accounting related topics. On this episode of Advancing Accountancy, we feature: Melissa Wu, Head of Chartered Accountant Education and Learning at ISCA Kacie Yang, Associate Director at the ISCA Academy Presented by: Ryan Huang Produced & Edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg)

Todd Rabold, Investment Management Partner at the Callan Family Office shares his insights on the significance of Bank of America’s latest aggregate credit and debit card data showing a 1% dip in total credit card spending per household in the week ending Aug 10, biggest point of disagreement between the bulls and the bears, whether Lineage's recent IPO presents a window of opportunity for investors, as well as promising areas to watch in the coming days. Presented by: Emaad Akhtar Produced & Edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg) Photo credits: pixabay & its talented community of contributors

Which full-time employee doesn't look forward to some much deserved and needed paid time off? That being said, there is a growing chorus of voices that would like their holidays away from the office to be expanded beyond a standard annual entitlement to include other facets of life. Think break-up leave, pet or "pawternity" leave and even leave that encourages employees to give up bad habits. Emaad and Audrey discuss where these trends are being seen and why we could all benefit from having some of our personal needs covered in this fashion. Presented by Emaad Akhtar & Audrey Siek Produced and Edited by Emaad Akhtar Music and photo credits: Pixabay & its talented community of contributors

As the PSLE English examination evolves with significant changes to the Oral component in 2025, one entrepreneur and a mother of four offers expert insights on this new development. With her centre’s impressive growth since 2015 and her deep understanding of effective communication, she will discuss the impact of the revised Oral format, share practical strategies for students and parents, and reveal how her centre is adapting to these changes. Join us for a valuable conversation with Lily Chew, founder of Lil' but Mighty, on preparing for the future of English education. Presented by Emaad Akhtar This podcast is produced and edited by Anthea Ng (nganthea@sph.com.sg) She produces Mind Your Business, Biz-How-To and Breakfast Special segments on the Breakfast Show. Do contact her for topics: C-Suite, SME, Startups, Health-tech, Sustainability, Property, Intergenerational Family Business, Industry Outlook, Fintech and trending businesses in town.

If someone asked you to describe your dream home, what would you say? Some want a bigger space, while others say they want a private property, or they want to live closer to the town centre. ERA’s latest report, called "My Dream Home Survey", has revealed that a significant majority of Singaporeans are ready to invest heavily in their dream homes, Audrey speaks to Eugene Lim, Key Executive Officer, ERA. Presented and produced by Audrey Siek

Under the new SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme, lower- and middle-income workers who have lost their jobs would get up to S$6,000 over a period of up to six months. Four weeks of government-paid paternity leave will be made mandatory from April 2025. And additionally, a new Shared Parental Leave scheme will also be introduced, comprising 10 extra weeks of paid leave, shared between both parents. Those are among some of the key support measures announced at the National Day Rally and also issues that have been actively championed by the Singapore labour movement over the years. On this episode of Morning Shot, Patrick Tay, Assistant Secretary-General, NTUC and Member of Parliament, Pioneer SMC shares his insights from the perspective as a union leader, as well as what ground reactions have been like so far.  Presented by: Audrey Siek Produced & Edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg) Photo credits: Petir

Matt Taylor, Senior Director, FTI Consulting discusses what investors should expect from the Jackson Hole Summit and other central bank actions this week. Produced/Presented: Ryan Huang