Good morning! Morning Minutes is a round-up of stories that will break on Friday, July 15, and which we think you'd be interested in.
It appears on weekdays, available by 7am.
Mega childcare centre in Punggol to officially open
One of the five mega childcare centres built by anchor operators will officially open today (July 15) in Punggol.
E-Bridge Pre-School, run by EtonHouse International, is five times larger than the average childcare centre in a Housing Board block.
Anchor operators get government grants and priority in securing sites in HDB estates, but are tied to conditions such as not charging more than $720 a month for full-day childcare.
Trump to announce vice-presidential candidate
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump will announce his running mate today (July 15), with Indiana Governor Mike Pence and former House speaker Newt Gingrich appearing as the front runners.
In a tweet, Mr Trump said he will announce his decision at 11am in Manhattan (11pm Singapore time).
Sources familiar with campaign operations cautioned that while Mr Pence and Mr Gingrich are finalists, Mr Trump could always have a last-minute change of heart and choose someone else from his shortlist.
Govt officials and business leaders to attend Singapore-Japan Business Forum
Government officials and business leaders - including the heads of trade associations and chambers - from Singapore, Japan and other Asian economies are expected to attend the Singapore-Japan Business Forum today (July 15).
The forum is also a key business platform that is part of the 50th Anniversary of Singapore-Japan Diplomatic Relations, or SJ50, projects in Singapore.
Indonesian trade data for June to be released
Indonesian exports likely contracted by double-digits in June, a month that is expected to have produced a narrower trade surplus than in May.
Data to be released today (July 15) is expected to show a 12.40 per cent shrinkage in exports from a year earlier.
In May, shipments declined 9.75 per cent. Imports probably fell at an annual 10.10 per cent, worsening from a 4.12 per cent decline in May that was the smallest contraction since October 2014.
Southeast Asia's largest economy has seen its exports and imports contract for 20 months up to May as low commodity prices hurt everything from overseas shipments and government revenue to people's purchasing power.
China's Q2 GDP possibly dropped to seven-year low
China's growth may have slipped to a new seven-year low of 6.6 per cent in the second quarter, economists have forecast, despite government efforts to spur activity in the world's second-largest economy.
China is to release the gross domestic product figures for its second quarter today (July 15). As the world's biggest trader in goods, China is crucial to the global economy and its performance affects partners from Australia to Zambia.
Investors worldwide have been worried by its slowing growth. The slowdown comes as policymakers seek to retool the economy, embracing weaker growth as a trade-off for structural reforms to wean the country off cheap exports and massive government spending in favour of domestic consumption.
