Morning Minutes: What will make headlines, Sept 29, 2016

Former China tour guide Yang Yin is expected to be sentenced today (Sept 29) for falsification of receipts and immigration offences. PHOTO: ST FILE

Good morning! Morning Minutes is a round-up of stories that will break on Thursday, Sept 29, and which we think you'd be interested in.

It appears on weekdays, available by 7am.

Ex-tour guide Yang Yin faces up to 3 years' jail for falsification of receipts, immigration offences

Former tour guide Yang Yin, who had pleaded guilty to 120 charges relating mostly to the falsification of receipts, is expected to be sentenced today (Sept 29). The prosecution is seeking a deterrent sentence of two-and-a-half to three years' jail for Yang.

The 42-year-old had also pleaded guilty to two criminal breach of trust charges over allegedly misappropriating $1.1 million from Madam Chung Khin Chun, 89. The prosecution has asked for 10 to 12 years' jail and the sentencing hearing is expected to take place on Friday (Sept 30).

Assessment of the human rights situation of the elderly

UN human rights expert Rosa Kornfeld-Matte will assess the human rights situation of the elderly during her first official visit to Singapore. ST PHOTO: JAMIE KOH

United Nations human rights expert Rosa Kornfeld-Matte is conducting her first official visit to Singapore to assess the human rights situation of the elderly here. In particular, she said that she is keen to gather examples of how Singapore has used technology to help care for the silver-haired, which can be shared with other countries.

She is the first independent expert tasked by the UN Human Rights Council with monitoring, reporting and advising on the promotion and protection of the rights of elderly people around the world.

India to review Pakistan's Most Favoured Nation status

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to review Pakistan's Most Favoured Nation status amid rising tensions between the two countries. PHOTO: AFP

India will hold a meeting today (Sept 29) to review the Most Favoured Nation status it has accorded to Pakistan amid rising tensions following a deadly assault on an Indian army base in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir that New Delhi blames on militants from Pakistan. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will review the status, which was accorded to Pakistan in 1996, at a meeting to be attended by officials from the External Affairs Ministry and the Commerce Ministry. Tensions have also been heightened after Mr Modi cancelled an appearance at a regional meeting of South Asian leaders due to take place in Pakistan in November and Pakistan warned India against revoking a water treaty.

SMRT shareholders' meeting to decide Temasek offer

SMRT will hold a shareholders' meeting today to decide on Temasek's buyout offer and the sale of train assets to the government. PHOTO: REUTERS

SMRT is holding a shareholders' meeting today (Sept 29) to decide on the buyout offer by Temasek Holdings and the sale of train assets to the Government. The offer is structured as a scheme of arrangement, and Temasek needs more than 50 per cent of shareholders present in person or by proxy to vote "yes". The vote on the buyout offer will start immediately after shareholders vote on the sale of SMRT's train assets as part of the New Rail Financing Framework.

Euro area to release business climate figures

Euro area will today (Sept 29) release its Business Climate Indicator - which measures the current situation of businesses in the region and their future prospects. The indicator had fallen to 0.02 in August of 2016 from a downwardly revised 0.38 in July. It was the lowest figure since October of 2013 as managers' assessments of past production, overall orders and exports orders deteriorated markedly. A rise in the indicator in September will point to an upswing in activity and an improvement in the business climate.

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