New North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Mark Rutte assumes the top post on Tuesday (Oct 1) with an extensive list of crises in need of attention. The 57-year-old is an experienced hand on the world stage, having led the Netherlands for 14 years as its longest-serving prime minister. His political survival skills will now be put to the test, as he marshals the military alliance’s response to Russia’s war in Ukraine and easing tensions across the Middle East and Asia Pacific. William Denselow reports. 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

A fire tore through a school bus carrying 44 students and teachers on a school trip in Thailand on Tuesday (Oct 1), with up to 25 feared dead. 16 students and three teachers were taken to hospital for treatment, according to Thailand's transport minister.

Love, Bonito co-founder Rachel Lim tells Andrea Heng how her family’s early financial struggles shaped her financial values and why advises budding entrepreneurs not to quit their day jobs. 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

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Singapore's main source of economic growth is from companies raising productivity. That's as growing the size of its workforce is limited, with the low birth rate and controlled flow of immigration. He urged firms to transform themselves by upgrading the workforce, creating new opportunities and developing new markets. SM Lee was speaking at an appreciation dinner held for him, hosted by the Singapore Business Federation. He added that Singapore will be doing quite well if growth can be sustained at around 2% to 3% annually.

Up to 1.1 million Singaporeans are expected to benefit from higher healthcare subsidies from tomorrow (1 Oct). Announcing the changes, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said community hospital services will now also enjoy the same subsidy rates -- between 50% and 80% -- as those at acute hospitals. That's a jump from its previous baseline of 30%. Subsidies to palliative care will also be boosted. Singaporeans can now expect at least half of the costs covered. No action is required by the patients as the higher subsidy rates will automatically apply.

Dr Daniel Ting from the Singapore National Eye Centre discusses his research on cutting-edge work with AI to help those at risk of going blind, while Dr Jonathan Goke from the Genome Institute of Singapore at A*STAR shared more about his work on components of RNA, a nucleic acid present in all living cell. Both of them are among the four winners of this year's Young Scientist Award.

Report any scams or suspicious messages quickly. That is what the developers behind ScamShield hope Singapore residents will do. This will enable authorities to act faster to shut down scams. Upgrades were recently made to the anti-scam app, including a new feature that allows users to upload screenshots of suspicious messages. CNA's Sabrina Ng spoke to Ms Carina Lim, senior product designer at Open Government Products.

A month after Malaysia began exporting fresh durians to China on 24 August, the move is shaping up to be a significant shift from its traditional focus on frozen products. Local durian farmers are banking on this substantial opportunity to offer more premium varieties, alongside the highly sought-after Musang King, or Mao Shan Wang. Malaysia's export value of frozen durians to China in 2018 was at US$36.3 million, and in 2023, the figure saw a seven-fold increase to US$260 million. CNA's Afifah Ariffin reports.

Also on East Asia Tonight (Sep 30), Taiwan braces for Typhoon Krathon; China marks 75th national day; and how fresh Malaysia durian is making its way to China.

JTC's industrial estate at Woodlands North Coast, is tipped to get even larger, as plans are underway to review development of the area and cater to changing industry needs. This includes an integrated underground network that can help to move people and goods more efficiently within the district. The industrial estate is also expected to serve as a key node, connecting firms to the upcoming Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone. Over 65% of the business park is occupied by firms like those from the semiconductor and electronics sectors. Richa Mathew reports.

Enrolled nurses now have a new pathway towards being registered nurses. The Institute of Technical Education is offering a new work-study diploma programme for them. The new diploma will be equivalent to those offered by polytechnics. Only enrolled nurses who are currently in-service are eligible for the three-year programme, which combines classroom lessons with on-the-job training. Registered nurses must at least have a diploma in nursing and can perform certain procedures that enrolled nurses cannot.

Train service on the East-West Line will fully resume from tomorrow (1 Oct). Repair works on the damaged stretch between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations have been completed. A series of tests have been conducted, including endurance runs, with trains packed with sandbags to simulate a packed train. Westbound trains travelling on the repaired sections of the tracks will move at a slower speed until Thursday for safety reasons. Commuters have been advised to plan for an additional five minutes of travel time.

Nepal is grappling with extensive damage after torrential rains swept across the country, causing widespread flooding and landslides. Recovery efforts are underway as the death toll hits 200, with almost 30 people still missing. Many of the deaths occurred in the capital of Kathmandu, where authorities suspect at least four buses have been buried by a landslide in one of the key highways, temporarily isolating the city. Reports said this is one of the worst flooding disasters Kathmandu has experienced in over two decades. The army and the police have rescued nearly 4,000 people.

Former leaders of the now-disbanded terror group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) said its recent dissolution could be a model for deradicalisation efforts in Southeast Asia. Two former leaders of the group, who were instrumental in its dissolution earlier this year, spoke to the media in Central Jakarta last week. CNA's Saifulbahri Ismail reports. 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

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will step down from his role on Tuesday (Oct 1), after a decade at the helm of the defence alliance. His legacy is seen as primarily defined by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which transformed the 32-member bloc. Former Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte will take over as the organisation's next chief. CNA’s Alex Cadier reports from Brussels. read more: https://cna.asia/4dtOTrY 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

The European Union and China are working to cool simmering trade tensions. The two sides have agreed to continue negotiations to settle the dispute over proposed higher tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, with EU member states expected to vote in the coming days. The bloc has also called for consultations before the World Trade Organization after China launched its own anti-subsidy probe over European dairy exports. CNA’s William Denselow reports from Brussels. 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

Israel has managed to destroy multiple Hezbollah weapons sites, disrupt its communication networks, and assassinate its veteran leader Hassan Nasrallah, whose location was a closely guarded secret for years. Nader Hashemi, associate professor of Middle East and Islamic politics at Georgetown University, discusses on CNA’s Asia First how Israeli intelligence was able to infiltrate the Lebanese militant group and if the conflict in the region looks set to expand further. 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

How did a train fault cause an MRT service disruption that's been ongoing since Wednesday (Sep 25)? CNA's Poh Kok Ing explains.

Newsrooms around the world are grappling with news fatigue due to a "torrent of information". Increasingly, people are turning away from news reports. David Walmsley, editor-in-chief at The Globe and Mail and the founder of World News Day, tells CNA about the challenges facing the media industry, and the vital role that journalists play worldwide. 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