TIME has launched a series of virtual conversations to spotlight solutions for urgent global problems and encourage people during these troubling times.

SINGAPORE - Media Outreach - 17 June 2020 - Naomi Osaka, Ban Ki-moon, and Kai-Fu Lee will speak in TIME 100 Talks, a new ongoing series of virtual conversations and experiences that convene members of the TIME 100 community of the world's most influential people. South Korean performers Monsta X will also make a special appearance. Their session revolves around the topic of the importance of global cooperation, and how we can build back better after COVID-19 and will be held on 17 June 2020 at 5:00PM - 6:00PM HKT/SGP (5:00AM - 6:00AM ET), with an encore presentation at 1:00AM HKT/SGP (1:00 PM ET).

The TIME 100 Talks series will showcase a variety of themes and different formats -- this time featuring Naomi Osaka, Japanese professional tennis player formerly ranked No.1 by the Women's Tennis Association; Ban Ki-moon, South Korean politician and diplomat who served as the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 2007 to December 2016; and Kai-Fu Lee, Taiwanese-born computer scientist, businessman, and writer who developed the world's first speaker-independent, continuous speech recognition system. Moderators will be TIME's editor in chief and CEO Edward Felsenthal, TIME senior editor Sean Gregory, and TIME East Asia correspondent Charlie Campbell.

"Finding Hope" amidst the global pandemic is a topic close to the hearts and livelihoods of the vast population spanning the largest continent in the world -- and TIME 100 Talks has brought key influential persons of different Asian backgrounds together in this essential dialogue to find hope and rebuild a better world. 

Targeting an Asia-Pacific audience that has advanced in its situation of dealing with COVID-19, the agenda is to be more business-focused with the economy opening up. Kai-Fu Lee will take the audience in depth on AI issues, whereas Ban Ki-moon will speak regarding the importance of global collaboration efforts. The theme of rebuilding a better and stronger world will be the anchor point of conversation in this instalment. 

TIME 100 Talks launched their first edition on April 23^rd to address challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is the first virtual event series from TIME and builds on the success of the 2019 TIME 100 summit, TIME 100 Health summit, and TIME 100 Next. These live, weekly discussions aim to encourage cross disciplinary action toward a better world by discussing and sharing world views of global leaders and experts from across fields--including health, science, politics and entertainment--helping spotlight solutions to urgent global problems. 

TIME's goal for TIME 100 Talks is to create an event for interesting personalities to discuss issues with current and future consumers; taking initiative to revive their events space and connect to a larger audience with their brand ready to venture into new markets.