The Evening Runway with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

The metaverse is opening up a host of possibilities for users around the globe that stretch far beyond just gaming. Having come a long way from the early days of so-called virtual weddings, where most only appear in video games like The Sims or Maplestory, it is just a matter of time before we see a wedding in the metaverse!  And Singapore hosted its first such wedding on September 17 - when the CEO of music-focused media company Bandwagon Clarence Chan got hitched to his bride, public relations practitioner Joanne Tham. In the Spotlight on Prime Time, Bharati Jagdish speaks with the masterminds behind that first metaverse wedding in Singapore, George Wong, Head of Growth, Sandbox Singapore and Loretta Chen, Co-founder, Smobler Studios, and how they are taking virtual reality to the next level.  Produced and edited by Anthea Ng (nganthea@sph.com.sg) Highlights from the conversation: 01:56: A peek at what goes on behind a metaverse wedding  07:27: What exactly is the metaverse and how do you marry the physical world with the virtual world? 09:37: Is it cheaper to have an event in the metaverse? 14:06: There has been talk about abuse or violence in the metaverse, how can such problems be prevented? 

With more than half of surveyed organisations in the Asia Pacific scaling up their use of digital technologies, adaptability in cloud adoption is inescapable and essential. So how do companies cope with securing the immense flood amount of data? And how can businesses protect their most vital assets while keeping up this rat race of cloud transition? Prime Time's Bharati Jagdish speaks with Rafi Katanasho, APAC Chief Technology Officer, Dynatrace to find out. 

According to GlobalData’s deals database, financing deals worth some US$492.3 million were announced in Asia Pacific in August this year. This was a drop of nearly 40% over the previous month and close to a 45% ((44.6% drop)) when compared on a yearly basis.  But yet some VC investors seem to be actively funding projects and startups in the meantime. So how do they view the industry, and what are they eyeing for in the longer term?  On Market View, Prime Time's finance presenter Chua Tian Tian spoke with Elvin Zhang, Director, Venture Funds and Direct Investments of Financial Services and Energy at Sinarmas for more. They also looked into opportunities within the energy sector amid the current investing climate. 

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. As ransomware continues to be a growing cybersecurity threat to businesses, In the Spotlight on Prime Time, Bharati Jagdish speaks with Jacqueline Jayne, Security Awareness Advocate, KnowBe4 on how businesses can take preventive measures to mitigate the risks and also be prepared to deal with a ransomware incident, before it happens. Produced and edited by Anthea Ng (nganthea@sph.com.sg)

According to the latest data from jobs portal Indeed, there’s a growing demand for workers in hospitality and tourism. Other sectors that have seen a rise in hiring also include insurance, veterinary and real estate. With loosening pandemic restrictions and reopening of borders, what other opportunities can jobseekers look out for? And how challenging will it be for recruitment across industries and occupations? Prime Time’s Bharati Jagdish speaks with Callam Pickering, APAC Economist for Indeed to find out.

From Dec 26, bus and train fares will rise by 2.9 percent, meaning an increase of 4 to 5 cents for adults, depending on the distance travelled.  Meanwhile, fares for concession groups such as students and elderly will go up as well by a smaller amount of 1 cent. In The Straits Times’ The Big Story, Multimedia journalist Cheow Sue-Ann speaks withTransport Correspondent Kok Yufeng for more on these recent developments. 

Malaysia's richest state, Selangor, confirmed that it will not dissolve its state assembly and hold polls this year, a move that points to prolonged political intrigue lasting at least till the middle of next year. Will the other states follow suit? Plus why is Dr. Mahathir Mohamad still contesting at the age of 97? And are the young cohort of first-time voters going to game changers for Malaysia's 15th General Election?  Prime Time's Bharati Jagdish finds out more from Shannon Teoh,Malaysia Bureau Chief at the Straits Times,in this comprehensive conversation.  Produced and edited by Anthea Ng (nganthea@sph.com.sg)

The US markets are on our agenda with the US CPI data for September set to be released on Thursday.  Based on earlier forecasts by Bloomberg, the headline consumer price index is expected to moderate slightly from 8.3 per cent on-year in August to 8.1 per cent on-year in September. Meanwhile, the more closely watched core inflation is set to rise from 6.3 per cent to 6.5 per cent on-year for September. So would the decline in headline inflation alone offer any form of reassurance for the Fed to ease off the brakes in its upcoming policy meeting?  On Market View, Prime Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian spoke with Azeem Sheriff, Markets Analyst at CMC Markets APAC & Canada to find out what to expect on Thursday and the likely market reaction. 

Businesses are all pushing towards digitalisation, the insurance industry is no different. Are Singaporeans keen to purchase the more complex or complicated insurance policies via an app-model? And what should consumers look out for when buying insurance online? In the Spotlight on Prime Time, Bharati Jagdish speaks with Stephan Kaiser, Chief Executive Officer of KoverNow, for more insights. Produced and edited by Anthea Ng (nganthea@sph.com.sg)

Launched in 2020, Alibaba affiliate Alipay+ provides services and technology tools to global merchants and e-wallets to enable their users to make payments in overseas markets using their local e-wallets.  So far, Alipay+ is accepted by global merchants both online and in-store across over 55 countries and regions using partner e-wallets such as the namesake Alipay, Touch and Go, and Kakao Pay. And the company is actively growing its business as travel restrictions ease across Asia. For one, it worked with 4 Asian e-wallets including the Philippines’ GCash and Malaysia’s Touch’n Go expand into South Korea.  But what are Alipay+’s growth plans going forward and which markets are they eyeing next?   On Market View, Prime Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down with Jia Hang, Regional General Manager, Southeast Asia at Ant Group for more updates on this front - including an announcement on Alipay+’s partnership to bring more e-wallets to Japan, and how the company’s rolling out cross border digital marketing solutions for Burger King in Singapore.