TODAY’s brief, Monday, Aug 31
WP to introduce last batch of candidates
WP to introduce last batch of candidates
The Workers’ Party is set to introduce its last batch of candidates today, having introduced 16 candidates – excluding the nine incumbent MPs – in a series of press conferences last week. It plans to contest seats 28 in all for the coming polls, in Aljunied GRC, East Coast GRC, Marine Parade GRC, Jalan Besar GRC, Nee Soon GRC, Hougang SMC, Punggol East SMC, Fengshan SMC, Sengkang West SMC and MacPherson SMC.
Last day for Sabah Quake donations
Today is the last day for donations to the Sabah Earthquake Fund established by the Ministry of Education in the wake of the June 5 earthquake that claimed the lives of 10 from Singapore, including seven students from Tanjong Katong Primary School. The fund was set up help the families of those who died in the quake, with a larger proportion of the sum collected to be given to the families of the victims who leave behind dependents. Last month, the deadline for donations was extended and more avenues for giving funds were added.
Obama to meet Arctic nations foreign ministers
United States President Barack Obama will address a meeting of foreign ministers from Arctic nations at a conference in the state of Alaska today. With the US scheduled to take over leadership of the eight-nation Arctic Council later this year, it is hoped that Mr Obama’s trip would help to spur a global deal to fight climate change at a United Nations meeting in Paris at the end of the year.
UN conference on global warming in Bonn
Negotiators from more than 190 countries will gather in Bonn today for a United Nations conference on global warming ahead of an expected climate deal this December in Paris. Negotiations are expected to touch on contentious issues such as the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that are to be curbed; which countries should do more to combat climate change; and financial aid packages from rich economies to assist poor countries in adopting technology to curb their own emissions.
Japan Foreign Minister visits Russia
All eyes are on Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida’s two-day visit to Russia from today, ahead of a planned visit to Japan by Russian President Vladimir Putin later this year. Mr Kishida’s visit comes after Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev recently visited a Russian-controlled, Japanese-claimed island off Hokkaido at the center of a long-standing territorial dispute between Tokyo and Moscow on Aug 22. The 70-year-old territorial dispute is expected to be high on the agenda for Mr Kishida’s visit.
Weather forecast
The weather is expected to be fair with temperatures ranging between 26°C and 33°C.