Thinking Aloud

THINKING ALOUD

Why was EQDP necessary in the first place?

Market foundations must be strengthened, improving transparency, liquidity, governance and information flow to boost confidence

The question is not whether technology replaces human care, but whether it can stand in when human presence is absent.
THINKING ALOUD

Growing old alone with technology as the last quiet witness

For seniors who live alone, being ‘tracked’ is less about surveillance than being accounted for

Gold has been doing what it said it would on the tin, becoming an asset of refuge in a time of de-dollarisation fears and geopolitical tension.
THINKING ALOUD

Gold is a ‘Bad Feeling’ asset; Bitcoin is a ‘Good Feeling’ asset

Why the precious metal took off during troubled times while the cryptocurrency faceplanted in front of punters

BYD has been more successful than anyone else at capitalising on the clean-air incentives and tax breaks that have done so much to buoy EV sales, the writer notes.
THINKING ALOUD

Could BYD’s best days be behind it?

As EV incentives here wind down, insiders know the carmaker can’t stay on top forever

There is a difference between specific benefits that can be rescinded, and improvements that represent an evolution of mindsets – such as workers today placing a premium on work-life balance.
THINKING ALOUD

What some see as entitlement, others see as enlightenment

Rather than seeing issues in terms of privileges that are granted, it might be more practical to acknowledge mindset shifts

The Puerto La Cruz oil refinery of Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA. To the US, the decision to park the proceeds in Qatar is justified on the grounds of the Gulf state's neutral location.
THINKING ALOUD

Why US parks Venezuelan oil money in a Qatar bank account

The move ensures that Venezuela doesn’t wriggle out of the US dollar zone

A consortium that includes Oracle, Silver Lake and Emirati investment firm MGX will acquire a 50% stake in a TikTok US joint venture, while the platform’s Chinese parent company ByteDance keeps a 19.9% stake.
THINKING ALOUD

The US’ American-ish TikTok awaits

Even as platforms splinter further for users, corporations remain bound by geopolitical ties

A SkillsFuture poster at Yishun MRT station, encouraging individuals to take ownership of their own skills development to get themselves future-ready.
THINKING ALOUD

Could HR and talent professionals better help individuals tap SkillsFuture credits?

They are in the best position to identify the skills that employees should pick up, and which employers value

A more disciplined way to keep the JS-SEZ grounded is to adopt a simple principle: property should follow jobs, not lead them.
THINKING ALOUD

RTS boom, JS-SEZ buzz: Are homes racing ahead of jobs – again?

Are we planning housing primarily around Johor-based employment growth or around cross-border commuting demand?