Good morning! Morning Minutes is a round-up of stories that will break on Aug 27 and which we think you'd be interested in.

It appears on weekdays, available by 7am.

NHB to commemorate end of Japanese Occupation, WWII

The Japanese occupation of Singapore and World War II came to an end 70 years ago, after the Japanese waved the white flag. The National Heritage Board and its partners are holding a commemorative event on Thursday to mark this milestone in the country's history. The event will honour both those who fell in the war, and those who survived and helped build the Republic. - MELODY ZACCHEUS

Highest number of hotels to be recognised for green efforts

Twenty-eight hotels will be presented with the Singapore Green Hotel Award on Thursday - the highest number of winners since the award was first given out in 2009. The accolade recognises efforts by hotels in implementing good environmental practices that promote energy conservation and water efficiency, among other things. - AUDREY TAN

Lanxess to inaugurate $320 million synthetic rubber plant

Petrochemical giant Lanxess will hold the official inauguration of its Nd-BR plant on Jurong Island today. The €200 million (S$320 million) state-of-the-art plant - the second of two investments here by the German group - is slated to produce an estimated 140,000 tonnes of high-performance synthetic rubber per year to serve customers throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang is guest of honour at the inauguration. - JACQUELINE WOO

Migration crisis set to dominate meeting of western Balkan leaders

Europe's worst migration crisis since World War II is set to dominate a summit of leaders from the western Balkans today in Vienna that will also be attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country expects to take in a record 800,000 migrants this year. The western Balkans has now become one of the main routes into the European Union for people desperately leaving the Middle East, Asia and Africa.