[Post 529] Clash of the chip titans: China versus the rest of the world? Part 2

Summary

Not a shot was fired.

And there was no blood.

But the battle for supremacy in semiconductor manufacturing in East Asia has always been brutal.

East Asia Tonight takes a look at the clash of the region's semiconductor titans.

[Post 528] Does bike-sharing have a future in Singapore? | Commentary

Summary

With SG Bike's exit, only two bike-sharing operators remain in Singapore. Cycling is up against a world-class public transport system, says SUTD Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities' Samuel Chng. Read his commentary: 

[Post 527] Inside Bras Basah Complex: How We're Keeping Our Family Businesses Alive | An Unfinished Portrait

Summary

Bras Basah Complex – Singapore’s unofficial Book City. While the buildings and streets in the vicinity have evolved into a modern and bustling commercial district, Bras Basah Complex continues to hold on to its identity as a bastion of book culture. In more recent times demand for books is waning and the veneer of Book City, fading. Many of the complex’s tenants have called it quits. Three family-run businesses - a Chinese art supplies business, a design bookstore and a Chinese bookstore – are still hanging on. What will keep them going on?

[Post 526] Tips On How To Calculate & Reach Your Long-Term Saving Targets | Money Mind | Savings

Summary

Young adults in Singapore told Money Mind that they think they'll need $5,000 a month for retirement. What savings and investment strategy would you need to hit that retirement target? 

[Post 525] East Asia Competes For Talent, Semiconductor Dominance & Audience Attention | CNA Correspondent

Summary

A battle is underway in East Asia – but one devoid of physical confrontation, as nations vie for talent to address a shortage of labour, seek dominance in semiconductor production and compete for attention – and shrinking attention spans – in the entertainment world. CNA Correspondent examines a different type of war unfolding in the region.

[Post 524] How To Grow Your Income: Tips For My Younger Self | Money Mind | Personal Finance

Summary

Financial tips from the Asia-Pacific Managing Director of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). Why saving, is not the number one thing you should do with your money.

[Post 523] How To Hack Earning Airline Miles & Travel Business Class For Free: Bargain Hunters | On The Red Dot

Summary

One couple gets business class tickets for free. One executive gets free eats all the time. Another shopper regularly pays almost half price for her buys. Their secret? Earning redeemable points as they spend. From maximising credit card points to accumulating membership cards, coins and vouchers online, these bargain hunters will show you how to can travel, dine and shop for cheap or even for free.

Wenny Yee, a 28 year old nutritionist, is big on loyalty programmes. She earns points each time she orders food at her favourite joints. It saves her up to $80 dollars a month. Alison Lim often shares her best bargains and buys on an online community platform, Daiso and Lobang Lovers. She saves almost 40% from all her online purchases. How does she do it? Marilyn Chew and Low Jian Sheng travel up to seven months a year using the miles earned through credit card spendings to redeem some of their most lucrative travel expenses. 

[Post 522] Sharp Rise In Stock Prices: When To Worry, & How To Protect Your Portfolio | Money Mind | Investment

Summary

As global equity markets hit record highs, are we in a bubble - and how do you spot the signs?

[Post 521] Behind Bus Accidents In Malaysia: Should You Take An Express Bus? | Talking Point | Full Episode

Summary

Between 2022 and March 2024, there were at least 32 express bus accidents in Malaysia. Nine of these accidents involved passengers from Singapore. Just how safe are express buses in Malaysia? And what should you do if you find yourself caught in a bus accident across the causeway? Talking Point investigates. 

[Post 520] China’s Shrinking Population: Can Single Mothers By Choice Help Reverse Trend? | CNA Correspondent

Summary

In 2022, China’s population declined for the first time in six decades. China’s working-age population has also been shrinking since 2012, with the number of people aged 16 to 59 predicted to be 830 million in 2030, according to official estimates. This number is set to fall to 700 million by 2050. The economic consequences of the demographic shifts could be far-reaching.

But beyond a growing pension crisis and labour shortage, China’s changing demographic structure is also impacting its social fabric. From single mothers by choice to the ‘three-no’ generation, why are young Chinese choosing a different path from the generations before them? 

[Post 518] Life As An ICU Advanced Practice Nurse: Advising Doctors, Examining Patients Like A Boss

Summary

Not many people know this - as an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN), Faith Hwang has a Masters degree and the training to diagnose conditions, order therapies and extra investigations, and perform more complex procedures like a bedside heart ultrasound. They have, in essence, the accreditation to perform as medical officers.

She is the first APN at the medical ICU of Tan Tock Seng Hospital, and part of her job involves coming up with patient care plans that she discusses with doctors. 

[Post 517] What To Accomplish With Your Money By 40 (And How To Catch Up) | Money Mind | Finance

Summary

What are the key financial goals you should aim for before the age of 40 - and what can you do to catch up, if you're not quite on track?

[Post 516] What You Need To Know About SORA Before You Choose A Home Loan | Money Mind | Mortgage

Summary

Big changes are coming for home loans in Singapore. What do you need to know to save on your mortgage?

[Post 515] Buy Groceries With Others To Beat Inflation? How Group Buy Works: Bargain Hunters | On The Red Dot

Summary

Everything’s getting more expensive, but some have found a way to beat inflation. Banding together to buy in bulk gets better prices and helps defray delivery costs. This is the magic of group buy. From groceries and ready-to-eats to home fixtures, savings can be as much as 30% to thousands of dollars. Host Andrea Chong hunts down bargain hunters who rule the world of group buy.

Jazmine Ng regularly uses group buy to purchase groceries, snacks, and other household items, saving about 20-30% of her household expenses per month. Her group buy host, Kelly Sia, reveals her bargain hunting prowess. She manages two group buy groups while running her own home and managing her kids. But Candy Pan takes it to the next level. She manages several group buy groups that reach out to a network of 60,000 bargain hunters, tops it all. How does she do it and what is in it for her? 

[Post 514] Where's Bitcoin’s Price Headed After Halving In 2024? | Money Mind | Bitcoin

Summary

Bitcoin is halving for the 4th time. In previous cycles, there was a brief price correction following a halving event and then prices surged again. But there is something different this time. 

[Post 513] Ninja Van launches cold chain service to diversify from e-commerce

Summary

Logistics firm Ninja Van has launched a cold chain offering capable of delivering temperature-controlled goods like food and medicines. It's part of the company's effort to diversify beyond e-commerce as part of a new growth strategy. Ninja Van will use refrigerator trucks and outfit nearly one in five of its 1,000 vehicles with cooler boxes.

[Post 512] Teens With Chronic Conditions: Can We Still Realise Our Dreams? | On The Red Dot - Chronic - Part 4

Summary

Dominic dreams of becoming a Disney Imagineer, the designers of Disney theme parks. But he might have to work abroad to achieve this goal. Will his Haemophilia A condition pose challenges for him to afford the expensive treatment while pursuing his dream job?

Jue Ming found a passion for coding and aspires to join a company that creates technology for individuals with special needs. Meanwhile, the 15-year-old is learning to manage his Haemophilia B condition independently, so that he could lighten the burden on his parents.

At the same time, Venetia pursues her nursing career with renewed hope, having discovered a new exercise protocol that could assist her in managing her Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).

[Post 511] When Beating Rising Food Costs Means Cutting Portion Sizes | Money Mind | Indonesia

Summary

Eat less or work more? Hard choices, as food prices spike in Indonesia. 

[Post 510] How Maersk Is Navigating The Volatile Shipping Industry

Summary

Each year, about 90% of world trade is transported by ship. While commodities like oil and grain make up 40% of that cargo, large steel containers, filled with appliances, smartphones, and couches, make up the remainder. Maersk, the world's second largest container shipping company, transports about one in five of those containers. 

In addition to its fleet of over 670 vessels, the Danish-based carrier also runs one of the globe's largest port terminal businesses, with 64 terminals. Maersk logged record profits of $29.3 billion in 2022 due in part to pandemic-induced buying and higher freight rates. 

But the company is flagging "high uncertainty" for the year ahead as a shift in consumer spending habits has brought revenue in line with pre-pandemic levels. Today, like its rivals, Maersk faces a range of challenges including attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, a drought at the Panama Canal, and the threat of higher tariffs related to a potential Trump presidency.

The company also chartered the vessel that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge causing the structure to collapse and the Port of Baltimore to close.

CNBC explores how Maersk’s business has evolved and how it is navigating the many challenges the shipping industry faces today.

[Post 509] Why Tire Companies Love EVs

Summary

The tire business can be a brutal one - low growth, low margins and extreme competition. Tire makers are at the mercy of ups and downs of raw material prices. About half of customers are largely indifferent to the brand of tires they buy. Price is the main differentiator. But industry analysts say the rise of EVs provides tire makers with the biggest growth opportunity they have seen in decades. AlixPartners estimates that tires on EVs can cost 50 percent more and require replacement 20 percent more frequently. Watch the video above to learn more.

[Post 507] When should young couples have the money talk before buying a BTO? | Commentary

Summary

Build-to-Order (BTO) flats will soon become more affordable for some young couples, with the initial down payment being reduced to 2.5 per cent of the purchase price. How much should a young couple spend on their first home? And should parents help them out with the down payment? Finance blogger and licensed real estate advisor Dawn Cher weighs in.

[Post 506] Life in Changi Prison for the elderly or infirm | Behind Bars

Summary

A seated toilet instead of a squat pan, a plastic bed instead of a straw mat - here's a look at what life in Changi Prison is like for elderly inmates or those with mobility issues. Read the full story: https://cna.asia/43L39ZU

[Post 505] Rescuing Food To Help Feed Families During Ramadan | Money Mind | Malaysia

Summary

A Ramadan initiative in Malaysia helps to save on food bills – and save the earth at the same time. Now, it’s being extended across the country.

[Post 504] Bali's Love-Hate Relationship With Tourism On Indonesian Island Paradise | Insight | Full Episode

Summary

Last May, then-Bali Governor Wayan Koster mooted a cap on the number of tourists to the island. It follows a January proposal to ban activities on Bali’s sacred mountains, a ban that was put in place in June. But just four months later, the mountain ban was reversed, and talks of a visitor cap vanished. Instead, the island surpassed tourist targets for 2023. 

While some welcomed vacationers as Bali recovers from the pandemic, others are fed up with tourists behaving badly. What is behind the island paradise’s love-hate relationship with tourism, and what does it have to do with the island’s history? 

[Post 503] How I Make Money By Vintage Shopping With My Duit Raya | Money Mind | Gen Z

Summary

Meet the Gen Zs making the most of their duit Raya green packets. 

[Post 502] Advancing At Work: How A Personal Brand Helps | Money Mind | Career

Summary

What are the skills that young adults need, in order to stay competitive in the ever-changing world of work? Careers coach Chee Sze-Yen shares ways to stand out at work. Joining her at this special Money Mind adulting townhall are financial planner Christopher Tan and property expert David Baey. 

[Post 501] Deepfakes In India: Scammers Cloned My Nephew's Voice With AI | Cyber Scammed - Part 3/3

Summary

Every day, people in India are receiving face and voice calls from their loved ones.  Or so they think. Some of these calls are actually deepfakes. Cyber criminals are increasingly using Artificial Intelligence to create deepfakes in order to scam their victims.

From voice-cloning to face swaps, to deepfake nudes, deepfake scams are sweeping across India. We meet 3 victims who were targeted by criminals using deepfake technology and hear about the many more who were fooled. We also visit a village of scammers and hear why they do what they do. 

[Post 500] AirAsia Data Theft: How Your Personal Information Is Exploited | Cyber Scammed - Part 2/3

Summary

In 2022, hackers claimed to have committed a data breach against AirAsia and stolen records of all its employees as well as millions of passengers. This is not the only case of data theft in Malaysia, where such theft is becoming a growing underground economy. Both the private and government sectors are falling prey to cyber criminals harvesting data that is stored online.  

Sensitive information, including personal data, financial records and intellectual property are stolen as confidential networks are being breached. This has led to financial losses and reputational damage, affecting individuals, businesses, and even national security. What can be done to protect our data? 

[Post 499] Scammed In China: How Trojan Horses Launch Malware Attacks On Our Devices | Cyber Scammed - Part 1/3

Summary

In China, cyber attackers are taking advantage of the ubiquity of instant messaging platforms such as WeChat to launch trojan horses. The baits are disguised as all sorts of innocuous documents and links, such as free software, free games, or even celebrity gossip. Once the user clicks on the bait and the malware has been installed, the hacker can gain control of the device remotely. From there, they are free to perform a host of unauthorised actions – from observing one’s social interactions on various platforms for social engineering, to impersonating the victim or their bosses for monetary gain.  

[Post 498] Your First Property: What Not To Do In Singapore's Property Market | Money Mind | Property

Summary

Buying a home is the biggest financial decision most of us will have to make. So what are the dos and don'ts for first-timers in Singapore's property market? In this special edition of Money Mind, young adults share their pain points in the road to home ownership. Helping make sense of it all are financial planner Christopher Tan, property expert David Baey, and careers coach Chee Sze-Yen. 

[Post 497] Asia Builds Resilient Economies By Leveraging Technology For The Future | CNA Correspondent

Suummry

Asia is home to half the world’s population and also contributes to half of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Amidst these challenges, the region aims to build resilient economies by leveraging technology for the future. How will it effectively address an ageing population, healthcare hurdles, climate change and global uncertainties in the years to come?

[Post 496] Building Wealth: How To Construct A Core Portfolio | Money Mind | Wealth

Summary

Being an adult with your money is hard. So how can we make adulting easier by making better financial choices? In this special edition of Money Mind, young adults look for the answers to these questions and more. Helping make sense of it all are financial planner Christopher Tan, property expert David Baey, and careers coach Chee Sze-Yen.

[Post 495] Why Gen Z Loves Dupes: Can Cheaper Also Be Better? | Talking Point - Dupes Revealed (Part 1/2)

Summary

From fashion to household products and even travel…you name it and someone online will have a ‘dupe’ for it. ‘Dupe’ short for the word ‘duplicate’, is now part of online lexicon. How did ‘dupes’, a less expensive alternative to a more costly product, become part of popular culture? Why is finding a good ‘dupe’ a point of pride for Gen Zs? The Talking Point team finds out as they make their way to China, where anything, and everything, can be made for cheaper, and perhaps even better.