Morning Minutes: What will make headlines, Nov 17, 2016

A robot of the Siasun Robot and Automation Corporation simulates the use of a medical instrument on a model of a human skeleton at the WRC 2016 World Robot Conference in Beijing, China on Oct 21, 2016. PHOTO: REUTERS

Good morning! Morning Minutes is a round-up of stories that will break on Thursday (Nov 17) and which we think you'd be interested in.

It appears on weekdays, available by 7am.

Game tech for medical simulations

How serious can gaming be? Serious enough to harness game technology to create, for instance, medical simulations for teaching in medical schools.

Temasek Polytechnic will be signing a memorandum of understanding with the Serious Games Association (Singapore) on Thursday (Nov 17) which will allow its students to work on such projects.

International wildlife conference

Britain's Prince William (centre) walks down a street as he tours the old quarters of Hanoi on Nov 16, 2016. He is in Vietnam to attend an international conference on wildlife trafficking. PHOTO: AFP

A two-day international wildlife conference is set to begin in Hanoi on Thursday (Nov 17).

The conference, to be attended by government representatives, experts, activists and dignitaries, will discuss ways to combat illegal wildlife trade.

Britain's Prince William will also attend the conference. Ahead of the meeting, Traffic, which campaigns to protect endangered animals, published a new report which estimates that an average of 110 tigers became victims of illegal trade each year since 2000.

Singapore exports data to be released

A container vessel berthed at a container terminal in Singapore. PHOTO: AFP

Singapore's exports data for October will be released on Thursday (Nov 17) and analysts are hoping for a rosier picture as the Christmas shopping season approaches.

Non-oil domestic exports declined less than expected in September, falling 4.8 per cent compared with the same month last year. This was a smaller contraction than economists' expectations of a 5.8 per cent slide and came after zero year-on-year growth in August.

Indonesia's central bank to announce interest rate

The logo of Indonesia's central bank Bank Indonesia on a window in the bank's lobby in Jakarta. PHOTO: REUTERS

Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election and the global market turmoil that followed it should ensure Indonesia's central bank holds its benchmark interest rate on Thursday (Nov 17), analysts say.

Bank Indonesia (BI) has hinted at more reductions even after cutting its main policy rate on Oct 20, the sixth trim this year. Last week, Governor Agus Martowardojo said BI was still biased towards more loosening, after 150 basis points of cuts to 4.75 per cent.

But analysts said recent market volatility would keep BI from cutting on Thursday. Indonesian financial markets, along with other emerging ones, were slammed by Trump's victory and BI had to act to defend the rupiah as investors sold stocks and bonds.

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