Breakfast with Ryan Huang, Emaad Akhtar and Audrey Siek

Business travellers in Asia Pacific have been itching to resume their globetrotting ways, with over nine in 10 (95 percent) noting their intention to resume travel in the next 12 months. While the reopening of borders for business travelling is a huge step for the global economy, it also raises the question, is business travel still necessary? Wiley Zhang, Head of Video Collaboration, Asia Pacific and Japan, Logitech shares how video conferencing has helped bridge the gap when travel could not take place and if video conferencing will ever take over business travel. 

Despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Economic Development Board (EDB) has still met its medium- to long-term targets last year by securing S$11.8 billion worth of investments for Singapore. This is a 37 percent drop from EDB’s 2020 investment commitment. Jillian Lim, Executive Vice President, Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) shares how EDB manages to keep the investment commitments goals on track amid the continuing uncertainty and how our strong fundamentals and reputation as a trusted, stable and neutral location allowed us to capture quality investments in 2021?

In this morning's The Breakfast Brief, we discuss why Fed Chair Jerome Powell thinks there’s a lot of room to raise interest rates down the road, how markets are reacting to Powell's comments signaling that the central bank is ready to raise interest rates at its next meeting in March, what Apple's earnings preview looks like, and more.

We’re back in the earnings season and if there’s one stock we can’t afford to miss.. It's Elon Musk’s EV giant! Despite stronger-than-expected Q4 results, Tesla's shares plunged more than 5% after the automaker warned supply chain issues could persist throughout 2022. Jeremy Chia, Analyst, Compounder Fund shares some of the highlights coming out of Tesla's earnings call and if they will continue to dominate in this increasingly competitive EV space. 

Synopsis: The Straits Times analyses South-east Asia's top news developments in this weekly podcast. The Straits Times' regional correspondent Leslie Lopez chats with Money FM's Elliot Danker and Bharati Jagdish. Highlights (click/tap above): 00:49 Singapore and Indonesia ties took a major step after the conclusion of agreements on 3 long standing bilateral issues 07:13 Malaysia government announces that they will not bring back movement control order 08:57 Thailand and Saudi Arabia finally hold first high-level talks after three decades Produced by: Leslie Lopez (ljlopez@sph.com.sg), The Breakfast Huddle, Money FM 89.3, Hadyu Rahim Edited by: Dan Koh Subscribe to our Asian Insider Podcast channel to follow our various shows each week and rate us on your favourite audio apps: Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7 Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8 Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wQsB  Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Read Leslie Lopez's stories: https://str.sg/3xRX Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters --- Discover more ST podcast series: Green Pulse Podcast: https://str.sg/JWaf Health Check Podcast: https://str.sg/JWaN ST Sports Talk Podcast: https://str.sg/JWRE #PopVultures Podcast: https://str.sg/JWad Bookmark This! Podcast: https://str.sg/JWas Lunch With Sumiko Podcast: https://str.sg/J6hQ Discover BT Podcasts:  http://bt.sg/podcasts Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!

Abhilash Narayan, Senior Investment Strategist, Standard Chartered Private Bank, discusses the latest round of market jitters against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions in Ukraine, potentially more hawkish signals from the FOMC, and the outlook for more speculative assets like cryptocurrencies.

Recently blockchain platforms like OpenSea, and NFTs like Bored Ape Yacht Club are hot topics. With the amount of publicity surrounding these industries, it is no wonder the majority of startups are saturated within these sectors. Sophie Jokelson, Chief Marketing Officer and Co-Founder, Cove shares some pros and cons of setting up in a mature market, and how mature markets can potentially provide more stability as compared to newer markets. 

According to Australian Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) data, in the two years to July 2020, Singaporean investors bought up $19.3 billion worth of Australian property. To put that in perspective, Singaporeans spent $6.1 billion more over that period than China, despite its economy being around 44 times smaller. Darien Bradshaw, Executive Director, One Global Australia shares an overview of the Australian residential property market and certain issues Singaporeans should consider when buying properties in Australia.

In this morning's The Breakfast Brief, we discuss MAS's tightening of its monetary policy settings amid a further upward shift in Singapore's inflation outlook, the effects of a stronger Singapore Dollar on property markets, the release of the new 'Fight Club' ending in China, and more. 

This week, Singapore and Indonesia ties took a major step after the conclusion of agreements on 3 long standing bilateral issues. Meanwhile, Thailand and Saudi Arabia finally held their first high-level talks yesterday after 3 decades! To give us an analysis of these and more, Leslie Lopez, Regional Correspondent, Straits Times joins us on the show.