Good morning! Morning Minutes is a round-up of stories that will break on Thursday, Aug 11, and which we think you'd be interested in.

It appears on weekdays, available by 7am.

NTU's 1st medical batch leaves its mark

To commemorate its first batch of medical undergraduates admitted in August 2013, Nanyang Technological University is unveiling a 25m-long art installation on Thursday (Aug 11), made in part by the students themselves.

The students, who are contributing individual ceramic pieces which signify how they see the role of medicine, studied pottery under Dr Suriani Suratman and Ms Hiroko Mita, two proteges of master potter Iskandar Jalil.

Singapore to release Q2 economic data

Data on Singapore's second-quarter economic performance will be released on Thursday (Aug 11).

Advance estimates released last month showed the economy expanded a modest 2.2 per cent in the April to June quarter.

Manufacturing was the biggest drag on growth in the quarter.

The sector has been hit hard by the challenging global environment and tepid demand.

Economists say slowing growth in the service sector is also a key concern.

New security proposals in Germany

Germany's interior minister will propose a raft of new security measures on Thursday (Aug 11), including speedier deportations and waiving doctor-patient confidentiality, after a spate of terrorist attacks last month.

The minister, Mr Thomas de Maiziere, is also planning to make being a "threat to public security" grounds for deporting migrants, the Bild daily reported.

Philippine central bank likely to keep interest rate steady

The Philippine central bank is likely to keep its benchmark interest rate steady on Thursday (Aug 11), optimistic that domestic growth will remain one of the fastest in the region and inflation will stay under control.

Economists predict that the bank will leave the main overnight borrowing rate at 3.0 per cent. Inflation has stayed below the bottom end of the central bank's 2-4 per cent target since 2015.