Good morning! Morning Minutes is a round-up of stories that will break today and which we think you'd be interested in.
It appears on weekdays, available by 7am.
Helping youth understand parliamentary processes
The Singapore Model Parliament, a platform for youth to learn about Singapore's parliamentary processes, will kick off today with the first of several sessions. Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob will delivering the keynote address for the event, which also seeks to help youth understand how Parliament makes legislation and debates national issues. - TOH TING WEI
UN Security Council to make decision on Iran nuclear deal
The United Nations Security Council is on Monday expected to endorse a historic deal curtailing Iran's nuclear programme. The 10-year agreement struck in Vienna last week calls for a lifting of the sanctions that have crippled the Iranian economy in exchange for measures to ensure Iran does not build nuclear weapons. Diplomats have said the resolution should pass with little difficulty since the five veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - were among those countries which negotiated the accord. The new resolution would also replace the existing framework of seven sets of sanctions imposed since 2006 on Iran, enshrining a new set of restrictions.
Carter to meet disgruntled Middle East allies
United States Defence Secretary Ashton Carter, on a Middle East tour this week, will hold two-day talks with the Israeli leadership as part of a diplomatic charm offensive following the Iran deal from today. The trip - which also takes him to Saudi Arabia and Jordan - will see Dr Carter renewing US security commitments in the region amid concern from Jerusalem and Riyadh over the accord.
Dr Carter will on Tuesday meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has lambasted the landmark agreement as a "historic mistake."
The White House said on Friday that Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir had "welcomed" the recent nuclear deal with Iran in a meeting with US President Barack Obama. But diplomats from Sunni power Saudi have privately expressed grave misgivings the agreement may legitimise their Shi'ite rival Iran, which Riyadh accuses of fomenting unrest in Yemen and elsewhere in the Middle East.
Clues on how the economy is doing in Q2
People walk down an escalator that runs past electronic screens and ticker boards showing stock figures at the Singapore Exchange (SGX) headquarters on Jan 21, 2015 BLG
The season for local companies to report their second quarter corporate earnings gets under way this week. Market watchers will be watching some of the bigger companies for clues on how the Singapore economy is performing. This week's results include Keppel Reit, Keppel Corporation, CapitaLand Commercial Trust and telecommunications company M1.
