Headline news for August 7, 2026: OCBC's Q2 profit surges 22 per cent to S$2.22  billion, declaring a $0.47 interim dividend. UOB's profit rises 10 per cent. The US imposes a 15 per cent tariff on polysilicon targeting Chinese semiconductor and solar supply chains. Houthis wound eleven civilians in southern Saudi Arabia as further attacks are warned imminent. 

Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times. 

Written by: Claressa Monteiro ([email protected])

Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro or Nicole Teo

Produced by: BT Podcasts, The Business Times, SPH Media

Produced with AI text-to-speech capabilities

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Headline news for August 6, 2026: Iran and Oman agree the geographical coordinates of a proposed Hormuz shipping route but the waterway stays closed as long as the US naval blockade holds and a fee dispute remains unresolved. DBS declares eighty-one cents in dividends per share as net profit grows nine per cent on record wealth management income. 

Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times. 

Written by: Claressa Monteiro ([email protected])

Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro or Nicole Teo

Produced by: BT Podcasts, The Business Times, SPH Media

Produced with AI text-to-speech capabilities

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Do note: This podcast is meant to provide general information only. SPH Media accepts no liability for loss arising from any reliance on the podcast or use of third party’s products and services. Please consult professional advisors for independent advice. 

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Singapore's retrenchments have risen to their highest level since 2020, with degree holders and mid-career professionals among the hardest hit. In this episode of Lens on Singapore, Claressa Monteiro sits down with Desmond Tan, Deputy Secretary-General of NTUC and Senior Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, to discuss the factors driving job losses, how AI is reshaping the workforce, and the support available to help workers navigate career transitions and prepare for the future.

Highlights of the conversation: 

01:49 Benefits of joining a union

04:16 Launch of the "AI Ready SG" movement

08:37 Support measures for displaced workers

10:51 AI as a game-changer for older workers

16:32 Representation for non-unionised companies

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Now, we want to hear from you! Send us your questions, thoughts, story ideas, and feedback to [email protected]. We’ll look into it for future episodes.

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Written and presented by: Claressa Monteiro ([email protected])

With Desmond Tan, Deputy Secretary-General of NTUC and Senior Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office

Executive producer: Claressa Monteiro

Producer: Nicole Teo

Coordinating producer: Chai Pei Chieh

Video production: Studio +65

A podcast by BT Podcasts, The Business Times, SPH Media

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Do note: This podcast is meant to provide general information only. SPH Media accepts no liability for loss arising from any reliance on the podcast or use of third party’s products and services. Please consult professional advisors for independent advice. 

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Headline news for August 5, 2026: Iran wants full control of inbound shipping through the Strait of Hormuz under a framework being negotiated with Oman and its position is unlikely to change. Oil falls more than five per cent and Wall Street closes at record highs as hopes grow for a diplomatic resolution to the Iran war. 

Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times. 

Written by: Claressa Monteiro ([email protected])

Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro or Nicole Teo

Produced by: BT Podcasts, The Business Times, SPH Media

Produced with AI text-to-speech capabilities

---

Follow Lens On Daily and rate us on:

Channel: bt.sg/btlenson

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Do note: This podcast is meant to provide general information only. SPH Media accepts no liability for loss arising from any reliance on the podcast or use of third party’s products and services. Please consult professional advisors for independent advice. 

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Headline news for August 4, 2026: President Donald Trump said the US is engaged in talks with Iran, while Tehran has flatly denied that any negotiations are underway or scheduled. Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's detained former leader, met with an International Committee of the Red Cross representative yesterday. Singapore's manufacturing sector expanded at a slightly faster pace in July, buoyed by the ongoing AI-driven upcycle.

Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times. 

Written by: Nicole Teo ([email protected])

Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro or Nicole Teo

Produced by: BT Podcasts, The Business Times, SPH Media

Produced with AI text-to-speech capabilities

---

Follow Lens On Daily and rate us on:

Channel: bt.sg/btlenson

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Do note: This podcast is meant to provide general information only. SPH Media accepts no liability for loss arising from any reliance on the podcast or use of third party’s products and services. Please consult professional advisors for independent advice. 

Discover more BT podcast series:

BT Mark To Market at: bt.sg/btmark2mkt 

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PropertyBT at: bt.sg/btmktfocus

BT Money Hacks at: bt.sg/btmoneyhacks

BT Market Focus at: bt.sg/btmktfocus

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Headline news for August 3, 2026: The US and Japan conduct their first coordinated yen intervention since 1998 with Tokyo estimated to have spent US$53.7 billion to halt the yen's slide. US-Iran talks resume today but reports of a cruise missile strike on a US oil tanker in the Strait cast fresh doubt on prospects. 

Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times. 

Written by: Claressa Monteiro ([email protected])

Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro or Nicole Teo

Produced by: BT Podcasts, The Business Times, SPH Media

Produced with AI text-to-speech capabilities

---

Follow Lens On Daily and rate us on:

Channel: bt.sg/btlenson

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Feedback to: [email protected]

Do note: This podcast is meant to provide general information only. SPH Media accepts no liability for loss arising from any reliance on the podcast or use of third party’s products and services. Please consult professional advisors for independent advice. 

Discover more BT podcast series:

BT Mark To Market at: bt.sg/btmark2mkt 

WealthBT at: bt.sg/btpropertybt

PropertyBT at: bt.sg/btmktfocus

BT Money Hacks at: bt.sg/btmoneyhacks

BT Market Focus at: bt.sg/btmktfocus

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Headline news for July 31, 2026: UEFA and all fifty-five European member nations vote unanimously to boycott the World Cup unless FIFA abandons its plan to sell private stakes in its tournaments. Microsoft surges fifteen per cent: its biggest single-day gain in eighteen years, adding US$450 billion dollars in market value. The Bank of Japan holds rates at one per cent and upgrades its GDP forecast. 

Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times. 

Written by: Claressa Monteiro ([email protected])

Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro or Nicole Teo

Produced by: BT Podcasts, The Business Times, SPH Media

Produced with AI text-to-speech capabilities

---

Follow Lens On Daily and rate us on:

Channel: bt.sg/btlenson

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Feedback to: [email protected]

Do note: This podcast is meant to provide general information only. SPH Media accepts no liability for loss arising from any reliance on the podcast or use of third party’s products and services. Please consult professional advisors for independent advice. 

Discover more BT podcast series:

BT Mark To Market at: bt.sg/btmark2mkt 

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BT Money Hacks at: bt.sg/btmoneyhacks

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Headline news for July 30, 2026: U.S. Central Command announces fresh strikes on Iran, following a drone strike on an Egypt tanker, and Iran’s attack on a U.S. military base in Jordan.

Japan’s rescue teams race against time in their search for survivors after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday. Taiwan’s United Microelectronics Corp announces expansion of cleanroom capacity in its Singapore facility, while constructing a new fabrication plant at its flagship site in the city of Tainan. Singapore rolls out a S$900 million relief package to cushion businesses and households from rising costs caused by the Middle East conflict.

Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times. 

Written by: Nicole Teo ([email protected])

Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro or Nicole Teo

Produced by: BT Podcasts, The Business Times, SPH Media

Produced with AI text-to-speech capabilities

---

Follow Lens On Daily and rate us on:

Channel: bt.sg/btlenson

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Feedback to: [email protected]

Do note: This podcast is meant to provide general information only. SPH Media accepts no liability for loss arising from any reliance on the podcast or use of third party’s products and services. Please consult professional advisors for independent advice. 

Discover more BT podcast series:

BT Mark To Market at: bt.sg/btmark2mkt 

WealthBT at: bt.sg/btpropertybt

PropertyBT at: bt.sg/btmktfocus

BT Money Hacks at: bt.sg/btmoneyhacks

BT Market Focus at: bt.sg/btmktfocus

BT Podcasts at: bt.sg/podcasts

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Headline news for July 29, 2026:  A magnitude 7.1 earthquake strikes Kumamoto in southwestern Japan with at least thirteen confirmed dead, an Aeon Mall partially collapses and three hundred thousand people are ordered to evacuate. US and Saudi forces conduct joint strikes in Iraq against Iran-aligned militant groups. Malaysia's surprise Formula One return triggers a one-hundred-and-six per cent surge in Kuala Lumpur flight bookings. 

Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times. 

Written by: Claressa Monteiro ([email protected])

Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro or Nicole Teo

Produced by: BT Podcasts, The Business Times, SPH Media

Produced with AI text-to-speech capabilities

---

Follow Lens On Daily and rate us on:

Channel: bt.sg/btlenson

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Website: bt.sg/lenson

Feedback to: [email protected]

Do note: This podcast is meant to provide general information only. SPH Media accepts no liability for loss arising from any reliance on the podcast or use of third party’s products and services. Please consult professional advisors for independent advice. 

Discover more BT podcast series:

BT Mark To Market at: bt.sg/btmark2mkt 

WealthBT at: bt.sg/btpropertybt

PropertyBT at: bt.sg/btmktfocus

BT Money Hacks at: bt.sg/btmoneyhacks

BT Market Focus at: bt.sg/btmktfocus

BT Podcasts at: bt.sg/podcasts

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Headline news for July 28, 2026:  US-Iran diplomatic contacts resume but Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iraq report fresh drone attacks overnight. China confirms for the first time that the US has committed to cap replacement tariffs on Chinese goods at twenty per cent. 

Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times. 

Written by: Claressa Monteiro ([email protected])

Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro or Nicole Teo

Produced by: BT Podcasts, The Business Times, SPH Media

Produced with AI text-to-speech capabilities

---

Follow Lens On Daily and rate us on:

Channel: bt.sg/btlenson

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Feedback to: [email protected]

Do note: This podcast is meant to provide general information only. SPH Media accepts no liability for loss arising from any reliance on the podcast or use of third party’s products and services. Please consult professional advisors for independent advice. 

Discover more BT podcast series:

BT Mark To Market at: bt.sg/btmark2mkt 

WealthBT at: bt.sg/btpropertybt

PropertyBT at: bt.sg/btmktfocus

BT Money Hacks at: bt.sg/btmoneyhacks

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.