BT Lens On

Headline news for December 22, 2025: Washington hardens its immigration stance, Australia rewrites gun laws after a mass shooting, Southeast Asia scrambles to halt border fighting, China holds rates steady, and Singapore moves to shore up retirement savings.

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

Written by: Howie Lim / Claressa Monteiro ([email protected]) 

Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro

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

Produced with AI text-to-speech capabilities

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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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Headline news for December 19, 2025: TikTok’s US buyer found, Syria–Kurdish talks race to an end-year deadline, Australia prepares a nationwide vigil after the Bondi shooting, Bangladesh erupts in protest, and Japan’s inflation steadies ahead of a pivotal BOJ decision.

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

Written by: Howie Lim / Claressa Monteiro ([email protected]) 

Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro

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

Produced with AI text-to-speech capabilities

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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

BT Lens On: bt.sg/btlenson

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Headline news for December 18, 2025: Ukraine pushes Europe to unlock frozen Russian assets as Washington advances a major defence Bill; Taiwan secures a record U.S. arms package while ASEAN scrambles to calm Thai-Cambodian tensions, and Singapore extends essential-goods support.

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

Written by: Howie Lim / Claressa Monteiro ([email protected]) 

Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro

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

Produced with AI text-to-speech capabilities

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Follow Lens On Daily and rate us on:

Channel: bt.sg/btlenson

Amazon: bt.sg/lensam

Apple Podcasts: bt.sg/lensap

Spotify: bt.sg/lenssp

YouTube Music: bt.sg/lensyt

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

BT Lens On: bt.sg/btlenson

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Headline news for December 17, 2025: England’s doctors strike amid winter strain, Trump’s approval dips, and Warner Bros faces a pivotal takeover decision, while Asia sees carrier manoeuvres, a major Malaysian reshuffle, and stronger export readings from Japan and Singapore.

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

Written by: Howie Lim / Claressa Monteiro ([email protected]) 

Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro

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

Produced with AI text-to-speech capabilities

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Follow Lens On Daily and rate us on:

Channel: bt.sg/btlenson

Amazon: bt.sg/lensam

Apple Podcasts: bt.sg/lensap

Spotify: bt.sg/lenssp

YouTube Music: bt.sg/lensyt

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

BT Lens On: bt.sg/btlenson

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Headline news for December 16, 2025: Ford slashes its EV ambitions, Brussels retreats on its 2035 combustion-car ban, and border clashes escalate in Southeast Asia, as Japan edges toward a rare rate hike and Singapore inks major deals with China.

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

Written by: Howie Lim / Claressa Monteiro ([email protected]) 

Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro

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

Produced with AI text-to-speech capabilities

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Follow Lens On Daily and rate us on:

Channel: bt.sg/btlenson

Amazon: bt.sg/lensam

Apple Podcasts: bt.sg/lensap

Spotify: bt.sg/lenssp

YouTube Music: bt.sg/lensyt

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

BT Lens On: bt.sg/btlenson

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Headline news for December 15, 2025: Australia mourns deadly antisemitic shooting, Ukraine signals a major concession in peace talks, Thailand’s border conflict escalates, and Japan’s business sentiment climbs as Singapore employers brace for cautious pay rises in 2026.

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

Written by: Howie Lim / Claressa Monteiro ([email protected]) 

Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro

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

Amazon: bt.sg/lensam

Apple Podcasts: bt.sg/lensap

Spotify: bt.sg/lenssp

YouTube Music: bt.sg/lensyt

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

BT Lens On: bt.sg/btlenson

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Headline news for December 12, 2025: Political upheavals in Europe, sanctions pressure in Venezuela and early polls for Thailand, while Asian markets steady after the Fed’s cut and Singapore buyers chase smaller landed homes.

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

Written by: Howie Lim / Claressa Monteiro ([email protected]) 

Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro

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

Amazon: bt.sg/lensam

Apple Podcasts: bt.sg/lensap

Spotify: bt.sg/lenssp

YouTube Music: bt.sg/lensyt

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

BT Lens On: bt.sg/btlenson

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Headline news for December 11, 2025: The Fed cuts rates again but signals restraint, US bombers fly with Japan, Mexico slaps tariffs on Asian imports, fighting flares on Thailand’s border, and Singapore trains with China in urban counter-terror drills.

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

Written by: Howie Lim / Claressa Monteiro ([email protected]) 

Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro

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

Amazon: bt.sg/lensam

Apple Podcasts: bt.sg/lensap

Spotify: bt.sg/lenssp

YouTube Music: bt.sg/lensyt

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

BT Lens On: bt.sg/btlenson

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dubai is engineering its future with uncommon precision. In this episode of Lens on Singapore, Claressa Monteiro speaks with Dr Marwan Al Zarouni, CEO of Artificial Intelligence at the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, and Mohammad Alblooshi, CEO of DIFC Innovation Hub, to unpack how AI, governance and digital assets are being built into Dubai’s economic architecture. 

From the D33 agenda to tokenised finance, this conversation explores what Singapore can learn from a city that treats innovation as a national engine.

Highlights of the conversation: 

01:38 Dubai’s AI blueprint and the AED 100 billion ambition

02:43 Governing AI: Ethics, trust and cybersecurity at scale

05:07 DIFC’s design advantage: How a financial centre became an innovation hub

07:13 Talent density: Why global founders are choosing Dubai

09:25 Blockchain, VARA and the future of tokenised finance

13:49 Singapore–Dubai synergies and what both economies can learn

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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 Dr Marwan Al Zarouni, CEO of Artificial Intelligence at the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, and Mohammad Alblooshi, CEO of DIFC Innovation Hub

Post-production: Claressa Monteiro and Emily Liu

Coordinating producer: Emily Liu

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

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Follow Lens On and rate us on:

Channel: bt.sg/btlenson

Amazon: bt.sg/lensam

Apple Podcasts: bt.sg/lensap

Spotify: bt.sg/lenssp

YouTube Music: bt.sg/lensyt

Website: bt.sg/lenson

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 Money Hacks at: bt.sg/btmoneyhacks

BT Correspondents at: bt.sg/btcobt

BT Market Focus at: bt.sg/btmktfocus

BT Podcasts at: bt.sg/podcasts

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Headline news for December 9, 2025: Japan and China trade barbs as Ukraine revises its peace pitch, Thailand and Cambodia clash anew, media giants battle for Warner Bros, while Singapore hikes postal rates and cracks down on deceptive online retail tactics.

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

Written by: Howie Lim / Claressa Monteiro ([email protected]) 

Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro

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

Amazon: bt.sg/lensam

Apple Podcasts: bt.sg/lensap

Spotify: bt.sg/lenssp

YouTube Music: bt.sg/lensyt

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

BT Lens On: bt.sg/btlenson

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.