Talking points

Our editors will be looking ahead today to these developing stories ...

19 suspects face verdict on triad charges

Nineteen alleged members of Sun Yee On, one of Hong Kong's most notorious crime gangs, will hear their verdict in Kowloon City Court on charges of claiming to be, and acting as, members of a triad society. The suspects were arrested after paying tribute at a religious ceremony to honour the 'Baron of Tsim Sha Tsui', Lee Tai-lung (left), in 2010, and include Lee's widow. Police carried out the arrests on the basis of intelligence provided by an undercover officer. Lee was chopped to death by members of the rival Wo Shing Wo in August 2009 outside the Shangri-La in Tsim Sha Tsui East. The three killers were jailed for life in February last year, but the mastermind behind the ambush is still at large.

India to report victory over polio

India is preparing to celebrate a full year without any reported cases of polio. Tomorrow's milestone is a major victory in a global eradication effort that appeared to be stalled just a few years ago. If no previously undisclosed cases of the crippling disease are discovered across the country, India will no longer be considered a country where polio is endemic. That leaves just Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria on the list. The achievement gives a major boost to health advocates and donors who had begun to lose hope of defeating the stubborn disease the world had promised to eradicate by 2000.

Distant prospects for 2016 winter games

The National Winter Games end in Jilin today and winter sports spectators may find that locations for future games will no longer be dominated by the northeastern provinces. The General Administration of Sport said it would encourage other parts of the country to host winter sports events. The 2016 event will be hosted jointly in the northwest, in Xinjiang's Urumqi, Fukang, Shihezi and Altay .

Jobs on line as Japanese PM reshuffles cabinet

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda reshuffles his four-month-old cabinet, according to a senior ruling-party lawmaker, amid expectations that he will sack two ministers. The reshuffle is widely seen as a face-saving way to get rid of ministers whose presence could hamper his legislative programme because of opposition objections. Local media have widely reported Noda plans to fire Defence Minister Yasuo Ichikawa and Consumer Affairs Minister Kenji Yamaoka, both of whom were censured by the opposition-controlled upper house of parliament.

Outlook sombre for biggest US bank

JPMorgan Chase starts the earnings season for financial companies with its fourth-quarter and full-year results. Analysts expect it to report an 18 per cent fall in earnings per share. Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley report next week.

Dress rehearsals for Spring Festival Gala

State television's annual Spring Festival Gala programme has its first dress rehearsal. US investment expert Warren Buffett (left) is expected to sing and play guitar in the online version, according to state media. For three decades, the gala has attracted hundreds of millions of mainland viewers every year but it has recently faced competition from productions by provincial networks.