Morning Minutes: What will make headlines, Nov 4, 2016

Singapore Airlines will hold a briefing today (Nov 4) on its half year financial results. PHOTO: ST FILE

Good morning! Morning Minutes is a round-up of stories that will break on Friday (Nov 4) and which we think you'd be interested in.

It appears on weekdays, available by 7am.

SIA to hold briefing on financial results

Singapore Airlines is holding a briefing for journalists and analysts today (Nov 4) on its half year financial results. The airline yesterday said its earnings fell by almost 70 per cent to $64.9 million in the three months to Sept 30, from $213.6 million in the same quarter last year amid a sluggish global economy and aggressive competition that continues to put pressure on fares and yields. - KARAMJIT KAUR

Protest against Jakarta Governor

Indonesian policemen stand guard outside the Sukarno-Hatta airport in Tangerang, on the outskirts of Jakarta on Nov 3, 2016. PHOTO: AFP

Tens of thousands of Muslim hardliners are expected to attend a massive rally against Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama today (Nov 4) over alleged blasphemy.

Authorities are on edge over the possibility of violence erupting, with senior officials apprehending that some of the likely participants have links to terrorist outfits.

The police plans to deploy 18,000 officers around Jakarta, as soldiers guard key landmarks and government buildings with armoured vehicles, to prevent any untoward incident.

South Korean President's address to the nation

South Korean President Park Geun Hye makes a public apology over the leak of confidential documents at the presidential office in Seoul on Oct 25, 2016. PHOTO: EPA

Ms Park Geun Hye will deliver her second public address this morning (Nov 4), since a snowballing political scandal - which saw her close friend arrested for corruption and sparked calls for resignation - broke last month.

This comes after a Seoul court formally approved an arrest warrant for Ms Park's friend Choi Soon Sil, who is facing charges of fraud and abuse of power.

Interest-rate watchers on the alert

The US Federal Reserve building in Washington, DC. PHOTO: AFP

Economists and other interest-rate watchers will be keeping a close tab on US non-farm payroll data, scheduled to be released tonight (Nov 4). This is because inflation and the unemployment rate are key barometers used by the US Federal Reserve policy-setting committee in determining the next interest-rate hike. The unemployment rate for September stood at 5 per cent, close to a historically normal level for the United States.

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