Morning Minutes: What will make headlines, Jan 5, 2017

Park Han Chul (centre), president of the Constitutional Court of Korea, and eight judges preside over a hearing on the impeachment of President Park Geun Hye at the Constitutional Court in Seoul on Jan 3, 2017. PHOTO: EPA

Good morning! Morning Minutes is a round-up of stories that will break on Thursday (Jan 5) and which we think you'd be interested in.

It appears on weekdays, available by 7am.

Impeachment trial for South Korean President Park continues

Four former or current aides of South Korea's President Park Geun Hye will testify today (Jan 5) in her impeachment trial.

The court formally opened the trial on Tuesday despite the absence of Ms Park, who was impeached by the National Assembly in a vote on Dec 9 over a corruption scandal.

If Ms Park declines to appear for a second time, the court can proceed without her.

COE results out today

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Some countries releasing PMI data

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A number of countries from China to the United States will release private gauges of their services purchasing manufacturers' index (PMI) today (Jan 5). Economic indicators by Markit, ISM and Nikkei will be out for the world's two largest economies as well as for Japan, Hong Kong and Britain. On the PMI scale, 50 separates expansion from contraction.

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