Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

One of the side effects of pandemic lockdowns is severe social withdrawal. As countries slowly open up, some people struggled to re-emerge from a period of isolation. And as the world is transitioning from epidemic to endemic, such disorder seems to be more worrying for those affected. Prime Time’s Timothy Go and Bharati Jagdish speak with Prof Jan. Ondrus, Associate Professor of Information Systems and Associate Dean of Faculty, ESSEC Asia Pacific to find out more.

Masks will not be required in most indoor settings from Monday (Aug 29), as Singapore takes a significant step towards living with Covid-19. However, ministers and public health experts say that Singaporeans should wear a mask if they are feeling unwell or have been exposed to the virus. In The Straits Times’ The Big Story, Multimedia journalist Cheow Sue-Ann spoke with Dr Alex Cook is an Associate Professor at the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health to find out more about these developments.

Manchester United has gained attention from investors in the past week after billionaire Elon Musk’s joke about buying the club. Concurrently, British billionaire, Jim Ratcliff also showed interest in buying the Red Devils. Whoever owns the club is expected to invest in the restoration of the club's former glory. Is investment in the football industry starting to heat up? On Market View today, financial presenter Chua Tian Tian speaks to James Walton, Deloitte Southeast Asia Sports Business Group Leader to find out more.  Highlights: 01:24 : What is the revenue growth in European football in the past year? 03:13 : Which football clubs or league are the main contributor to the growth? 06:11 : How can leagues secure broadcasting rights in Asia to help boost revenue? 07:25 : What is the football investment landscape now? 11:30 : What is the outlook of European football in the upcoming season?

Manpower Minister Tan See Ling, on 29th July, mentioned that the higher wage demanded by workers is inevitable despite the economic slowdown in Singapore. Additionally, according to the Singapore Manpower Research and Statistic Department, the high job vacancies observed was resulted from the shortage of individuals who are equipped with the relevant tech skills and experience. Though the path to recovery seems optimistic, despite the recession, the grave issue of a tech talent crunch still remains due to the niche skills required.  On Career 360, Prime Time’s Timothy Go and Bharati Jagdish speak with Paul Endacott, CEO and Founder, GRIT Search to find out why they’re still in demand in spite of the tech winter.

Once thought to only exist in science fiction, air taxis will soon take flight in Singapore. In the Spotlight, Timothy Go and Bharati Jagdish look into the future as they speak with Hon Lung Chu, Head of APAC, Volocopterfor a quick update on the latest developments and progress on commercial air taxis in Singapore.

Businesses of all sizes shifting their workplace strategies towards flexible solutions as the Covid-19 pandemic changes the way the world works. Now, regional co-working companies the Hive, Common Ground and The Cluster have merged to form a new company – The Flexi Group – that wants to roll up other industry peers across Asia, and head for an initial public offering. In Powering Your Property, Prime Time’s Timothy Go and Bharati Jagdish speak with Chris Edwards, CEO, The Flexi Group to find out how they are tapping into the flexible office industry in the Asia Pacific region. 

Malaysia's ex-premier Najib Razak has failed in his final appeal against a graft conviction, which is set to see him serve jail time for misappropriating millions of 1MDB funds. In The Straits Times’ The Big Story, Multimedia Journalist Hairianto Dirman spoke with ST’s Malaysia Correspondent Ram Anand for more on these developments. 

On Market View on Prime Time, Timothy Go and Bharati Jagdish speak with Alvin Liew, Senior Economist, UOB on Singapore's July's inflation data, the severe weather in China, Europe and the US impacting businesses, causing food and energy prices to rise, plus whether Europe is slipping into a recession after weak PMI data in August. 

Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam has said that it will be irresponsible of the Government to not act following the most recent court challenge to Section 377A, which criminalises sex between men. Speaking to ST's Tham Yuen-C and Hairianto Diman for a special Monday (Aug 22) edition of The Big Story, Mr Shanmugam also elaborated on how the Government will uphold and safeguard the definition of marriage between a man and a woman. This comes after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced in his National Day Rally speech on Sunday that the section will be repealed, and the Constitution amended to protect the definition of marriage as one between a man and a woman.