MORNING MINUTES: What will make headlines today, Aug 24, 2015

Shoppers in front of Paragon at Orchard Road. PHOTO: ST FILE

Good morning! Morning Minutes is a round-up of stories that will break on Aug 24 and which we think you'd be interested in.

It appears on weekdays, available by 7am.

Singapore consumer price index to be released

Singapore's consumer price index for July will be released on Monday (Aug 24). Economists expect a 0.5 per cent year on year drop in headline inflation due to lower Certificate of Entitlement premiums and petrol prices. However they forecast a 0.4 per cent rise in core inflation in July compared with the same month a year ago. This strips out the cost of accommodation and private transport and gives a better reflection of Singaporeans' average consumption patterns.

The Splash Awards 2015 finals and talent showcase

Splash Awards 2014's winning team from Republic Polytechnic (from left) Libern Lin Yue Bin, Fang Ling Qing and Lester Yap Jian Le, displaying their winning app, Apple Tree, which aims to get people to spend more face time with each other. They won a $30,000 grant last year to develop the app. PHOTO: ST FILE

The awards are one of the longest running student Infocomm Media competitions in Singapore, and aim to get young people to hone their skills and get passionate about infocomm media technology.
Organised by the Singapore Computer Society with the Education Ministry, this year's competition is themed Beyond 2015: Education and Work - Reimagined. It challenged young people to look beyond SG50, and think of how the future would impact the way they learn and work. - Zhaki Abdullah

Philippines and Malaysia to begin conducting live-fire and interoperability naval drills

A Filipino Navy pilot walking next to a Agusta Westland (AW) 109 helicopter. PHOTO: EPA

The Philippines and Malaysia will begin naval drills Monday (Aug 24) in seas that have become hunting grounds for the notorious Abu Sayyaf terrorist group, human traffickers and smugglers. In an advisory, Naval Forces Western Mindanao said live-fire and interoperability exercises will be held in waters around the Zamboanga Peninsula, and in seas separating Sulu province in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao and Malaysia's Sabah state. The drills - the 19th to be held since the two countries signed a defence cooperation agreement in 1994 - will end on Friday (Aug 28). -- RAUL DANCEL

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