Good morning. Morning Minutes is a round-up of stories that will break today and which we think you'd be interested in. It appears on weekdays, available by 7am.
Parliament resumes debate on Aljunied town council
More sparks are likely to fly in Parliament today as the debate continues over the accounting lapses of the Workers' Party (WP)-run Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council. Expected speakers include People's Action Party MPs Hri Kumar Nair, Teo Ho Pin and Liang Eng Hwa, as well as the WP's Pritam Singh, Png Eng Huat and Lee Li Lian. - FIONA CHAN
Nik Aziz's funeral to be held today
Parti Islam SeMalaysia spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat's funeral will be held at 10am, where an already battered opposition will pay their last respects to a key leader in guiding Pakatan Rakyat (PR) to record electoral gains. His passing means the coalition has lost two of its top figures, after opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was jailed Tuesday after being controversially convicted of sodomy. - SHANNON TEOH
$30 million research institute to be set up at NTU
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is setting up a new $30 million institute to advance research in the life sciences, with a focus on ramping up Singapore's efforts in finding cures for human diseases. NTU President, Professor Bertil Andersson, will officially announce the new institute today. It will be equipped with state-of-the-art scientific imaging instruments - able to magnify protein molecules up to 10 million times - which will accelerate the development of solutions to treat critical conditions such as cancer. - KASH CHEONG
Local bosses give insights on how to curb productivity issues
As Singapore's 10-year productivity push hits the halfway-mark, results have varied both across and within sectors. The Straits Times speaks to some SME bosses to find out the pitfalls and how they got around them. - CHIA YAN MIN
United Overseas Bank to announce its full year results
United Overseas Bank (UOB) will announce its fourth quarter and full year results this morning before the market opens. The bank is set to report a $776 million net profit for the quarter according to Nomura's estimate. In comparison, DBS Group Holdings and OCBC Bank reported net profit of $838 million and $791 million, respectively. UOB is likely to retain its trademark strong balance sheet and healthy margins. But the challenging credit environment is expected to have some impact on its loan book and credit quality. - WONG WEI HAN
Ah Boys To Men 3: Frogmen releases in cinemas today
Singapore's favourite fictional army boys are back on the silver screen in the third instalment of the popular national service movie series, Ah Boys To Men. The Ah Boys and their director Jack Neo will be meeting the press aboard RSS Endurance, which is docked at the Promenade at VivoCity today (Feb 13). The $2.5 million film about the Naval Diving Unit will see the return of the original Ah Boys such as Wang Weiliang, Tosh Zhang and Joshua Tan, and new recruit Wesley Wong, son of veteran Hong Kong stars Melvin Wong and Angie Chiu Nga Chi. - GWENDOLYN NG
Football: LionsXII to field new defensive lineup
With defensive stalwarts Baihakki Khaizan and Safuwan Baharudin no longer in the LionsXII team, it is 24-year-old Afiq Yunos' chance to establish himself as a reliable centre-back. Facing an away trip to Kelantan on Saturday, Afiq's defensive skills will be required as the LionsXII try to win in Kota Baru for the first time.
Basketball: The heat is on for LeBron
The final National Basketball Association game before the All-Star Weekend festivities sees LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers facing Derek Rose's Chicago Bulls. Can the Cavs maintain their superb recent form of 13 wins in 14 games? - CHIA HAN KEONG
