Singapore start-up Matwerkz Technologies has been crowned the grand winner of a leading deep tech competition in Singapore. The invention prevents batteries from overheating and becomes a protective barrier in the event of battery fires. It beat over 5,500 start-ups from more than 150 countries. The competition is organised by Enterprise Singapore during the Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH). Matwerkz' founder and CEO Leong Yew Wei and SWITCH director Cindy Ngiam spoke to CNA.

India and China have completed disengagement of troops along the disputed Himalayan border. Both struck a key patrolling agreement last week, putting both sides on a clear path to end a four-year military face-off. An Indian defence official said their forces have now been pulled from the last major friction points along the Line of Actual Control at Depsang and Demchok in eastern Ladakh. Here's a look at how tensions along the frontier started, and how it hurt ties between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

Also on East Asia Tonight (Oct 30), South Korea ready to deploy to Ukraine to monitor the North's movements; China slams EU for "unfair" tariffs on Chinese EVs; Japan high court rules in favour of same-sex marriage; and who's on China's shrinking rich list this year?

Jailed former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak will have to defend himself against more charges in another trial linked to the multi-billion-dollar scandal at state fund 1MDB. The Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled that the prosecution had successfully established a case against Najib on four charges of abuse of power and 21 charges of money laundering. Najib, 71, is currently serving a six-year jail term. Melissa Goh reports.

India has dismissed allegations from Canada linking Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah to plots targetting Sikh separatists on Canadian soil. New Delhi has apparently slammed the accusation as "very weak and flimsy". Canada has yet to release any evidence of the claim. An Indian government source said they were alerted by Canada about the allegations against Mr Shah in October last year. Those accusations have since led to the expulsion of diplomats in both countries. Ishan Garg reports from New Delhi.

Aid agency Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), a non-governmental organisation known as Doctors Without Borders in English, has had more than 80 reported security incidents in Sudan, where a civil war rages on, while eight of its staff members have been killed in Gaza, which has been devastated by Israel's military campaign. Speaking to CNA’s Asia Now on Thursday (Oct 30), the organisation’s secretary general Christopher Lockyear says the lack of safety for its teams reflects a diminishing respect for international humanitarian law. He adds that unless, globally, countries hold one another to account for adhering to that law, the world is at risk of seeing a further deterioration in the safety of aid workers. Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

Former Malaysian prime minister Najib's apology for the 1MDB scandal should not be interpreted as an admission of guilt, said his lawyer Shafee Abdullah on Wednesday (Oct 30). He also added that Najib did not apologise to get a better result in court. #malaysia #malaysianews Read more: https://cna.asia/40mIVWQ (Video: CNA/Salim Hanafiah)

Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak did not make his apology so that he could get a better result in court, said his lead counsel Shafee Abdullah, adding that the apology was not an admittance of guilt. Read more: https://cna.asia/40mIVWQ (Video: CNA/Salim Hanafiah) Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

United States Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has delivered a key campaign speech, which her aides have touted as her "closing argument" to voters. It comes a week ahead of the Nov 5 election and took place at the Ellipse near the White House, in Washington DC. Ms Harris urged voters to "turn the page" on the Donald Trump era, saying the former president, her Republican rival, is in it only for himself. She called on voters to reject him, highlighting his alleged ill intentions, should he win.

Former Malaysian PM Najib Razak was ordered on Wednesday (Oct 30) to enter his defence for all 25 charges in his 1MDB trial. CNA's Melissa Goh explains the High Court's decision. Full story: https://cna.asia/40mIVWQ Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

In her final major rally before the US Presidential Election, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris warned that her Republican opponent Donald Trump was "unstable" and seeking "unchecked power". The US Vice President also accused Trump of intending to use the military against American citizens "who simply disagree with him". More details: https://cna.asia/3Ytv4M1 Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak's 1MDB trial will proceed, after the High Court ruled on Wednesday (Oct 30) that the prosecution had presented enough evidence for the case. The 71-year-old will be called to enter his defence on 25 counts of abuse of power and money laundering. #malaysia #malaysianews #1mdb (Photo: CNA/Fadza Ishak, Video: CNA/Lancelot Theseira)

Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak's 1MDB trial will proceed, after the High Court ruled on Wednesday (Oct 30) that the prosecution had presented enough evidence for the case. The 71-year-old, who is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence - which was reduced to six years - will be called to enter his defence on 25 counts of abuse of power and money laundering. More details: https://cna.asia/40mIVWQ Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

Three Chinese astronauts blasted off to the Tiangong space station in the early hours of Wednesday (Oct 30). The Shenzhou-19 mission took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. The new team will carry out experiments with the goal of placing astronauts on the Moon by 2030 and eventually constructing a lunar base. More details: https://cna.asia/3YHVz1h Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

Got a sweet tooth? Well, that could cost you more this holiday season as cocoa prices skyrocket. CNA's Nabil Ahmed Rufai takes a look at what's squeezing cocoa supply from Ghana, one of the world's largest producing countries. Read more: https://cna.asia/3YIaYyH Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

Americans head to the polls on Nov 5 to choose between a twice-impeached and once-convicted former president in Donald Trump, or Kamala Harris, a relative unknown accused of flip-flopping, and thrown into the race when Joe Biden stepped down. Arnold Gay speaks to CNA’s US Bureau Chief Simon Marks, and correspondent Sally Patterson, on the key issues defining the election, and why it’s on knife-edge just days away from polling day.  See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

Singapore will allow a further 20,000 vehicles onto its roads, with more Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) to become available early next year. CNA speaks to Associate Professor Walter Theseira from SUSS' School of Business, and Dr Samuel Chng from SUTD's Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities. They share how these extra COEs might affect premium prices, how this works with the nation's policy of zero vehicle growth, dealing with congestion and how ERP 2.0 would eventually be able to help Singapore do away with the COE system.

Singapore's digital economy contributed 17.7 per cent to GDP last year, surpassing that of the finance and insurance sector and on par with the manufacturing sector, according to a report by the Infocomm Media Development Authority. But only 4.2 per cent of SMEs adopted AI, compared with 44 per cent uptake for larger firms. Chloe Teo and Nicolas Ng report.

A national initiative will help deep-tech start-ups refine business ideas, gauge market needs and meet the right investors. The year-long S$50 million programme will merge existing efforts at the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University. It will also be extended to other institutions. Launching the initiative, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat says the move will close the gap between research and the marketplace. CNA speaks to Emily Liew, Assistant Managing Director, Innovation at Enterprise Singapore, and Associate Professor Benjamin Tee, Vice-President of Ecosystem Building at NUS Enterprise. They weigh in on the current state of deep tech in Singapore, specific support that such firms will need and how the additional funding will grow Singapore's presence in this sector.

Singapore will allow up to 20,000 more vehicles to hit the roads over the next few years - around two per cent of the current total vehicle population. Additional Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) will be introduced progressively across all categories from next February. Authorities say this is as total vehicle mileage has fallen 6 per cent from 2019 to 2023, and public transport is getting more accessible. SUSS' Associate Professor Walter Theseira says the extra COEs give authorities the flexibility to even out supply fluctuations across the years. He adds that the coming ERP 2.0 may also allow the COE quota to be increased further. Charlotte Lim with more.