The new Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) information centre at Woodlands was packed with Singapore drivers in the afternoon of Aug 19, but many left disappointed. A manager said the office is strictly for enquiries and drivers are unable to install or collect their RFID tag there.

In a wide-ranging National Day Rally speech -- his first ever since taking office -- Prime Minister Lawrence Wong laid out what he calls a "major reset" in policies and attitudes. Associate Professor Terence Ho from NUS' Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy gave his take on Mr Wong's speech.

Drivers who showed up at Singapore's new information centre on Malaysia's Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) have been left disappointed. Many were turned away without having their queries addressed. The centre at Woodlands Industrial Park was set up to help them ahead of the 1 Oct deadline, when foreign vehicles entering Malaysia from Singapore by land have to be fitted with radio frequency identification tags. Claudia Lim reports.

Property analysts have welcomed Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's long-term vision for the city centre as spelt out in his National Day Rally speech. They said plans for the Marina Bay and Kallang Basin area -- which include setting aside space for HDB flats -- will help build more inclusive communities and redefine lifestyles for Singaporeans. Nadirah Zaidi reports.

One in 10 primary school students will get access to programmes for higher-ability learners from 2027, up from roughly one in 14 now. They will all do so while staying in their own schools, as the Education Ministry refreshes the Gifted Education Programme, which currently streams one in 100 students into specific schools. Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said keeping children in their original schools will let them maintain the friendships they have already made. Meanwhile, MOE also intends to make school sport facilities more open to the public. Infrastructure upgrades across 350 schools are an ongoing project over the next 10 to 15 years.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the current round of Gaza ceasefire talks may be the "last opportunity" to secure a truce and the release of hostages. He has urged both Israel and Hamas not to derail the negotiations. Mr Blinken is on his ninth trip to the Middle East since the Gaza war began last October. Months of on-off talks between US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators have failed to produce a deal. Israel and Hamas have both traded blame for delaying the agreement. Sarah Coates reports from Tel Aviv.

The Democratic National Convention is set to start in a few hours. US Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will be formally nominated as the party's candidates for the November presidential election. Dozens of prominent Democrats will also take the stage in Chicago, including President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, Bill and Hillary Clinton, as well as Barack and Michelle Obama. Security has been ramped up, as demonstrations have been planned outside the venue. Some 40,000 protesters are expected, with the majority opposing Washington's support for Israel's war in Gaza. Simon Marks reports.

Cancer is increasingly claiming the lives of younger and younger people. Globally, from 1990 to 2019, early-onset cancers -- defined as those in people under 50 -- increased by about 79%, according to a recent study. An estimated 20 million cases of cancer were diagnosed worldwide in 2022, up from 18 million in 2020. Earlier this year, the World Health Organization predicted that number would rise to 35 million by 2050. Kate Fisher reports on the dramatic rise in cases and the scientific breakthroughs for what was once considered a disease of the old.

Outgoing Indonesian President Joko Widodo has made several new appointments to his cabinet. They include members of President-elect Prabowo Subianto's party. The Presidential Palace said the appointments are necessary to support a smooth transition as Mr Widodo prepares to hand over the presidency to Mr Prabowo in October. Chandni Vatvani reports.

Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's lèse majesté case has been adjourned to next July next year. His lawyers said they expect the ruling to be handed down next year. Hearings will resume after the appearance of witnesses in several sessions leading up to July. The royal defamation case stems from an interview of Mr Thaksin in 2015 by a South Korean newspaper. His lawyer said one of the witnesses is a Thai-speaking interpreter. Mr Thaksin's camp is blaming an incomplete Thai translation, with one problematic English word. Saksith Saiyasombut reports.

Beijing and Manila are trading barbs over the South China Sea once again. China's coast guard said a Philippine ship ignored its repeated warnings and "deliberately collided" with its vessels near the disputed Sabina Shoal. The Philippines said one of the Chinese vessels rammed into the BRP Cape Engaño, leaving a hole on the deck nearly 15cm wide, before hitting another vessel twice. The Sabina Shoal forms part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. It is located within the exclusive economic zone set by Manila and claimed by Beijing. Buena Bernal and Tan Si Hui report.

Thailand's economic growth strengthened in the second quarter due to higher consumption, tourism and exports, but whether the momentum can be sustained in the next months would depend on how quickly the new government can tackle issues such as high household debt and borrowing costs. Kasem Prunratanamala, head of Thailand research at integrated financial services provider CGS International, shares with CNA's Asia Now the challenges the country's new Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra will face. 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

Having already opened two popular Le Bon Funk restaurants, chef-owner Keirin Buck expands from natural wines and tasty plates into the cocktail space, with a top-range Hi-Fi sound system and “nostalgic” interiors inspired by the North American house he grew up in. Read more about Bar Bon Funk: https://cna.asia/46QdOEq

Gaza has recorded its first case of polio in 25 years in an unvaccinated 10-month-old. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for pauses in the war to vaccinate children in the enclave. Barbara Slavin, a distinguished fellow at think tank Stimson Center’s Middle East & North Africa programme, tells CNA’s Asia First that humanitarian aid is more urgent than ever, but ceasefire deals keep getting thwarted. 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

Not sleeping well? Loss of appetite? Feeling anxious thinking about work? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you could be facing burnout. Gerald Tan and Tiffany Ang talk through what job burnout looks like and how to address it. 0:00 Intro 4:45 What is burnout? 9:15 Factors behind burnout 12:09 Negotiations over workload 14:32 Combating burnout 20:27 AMA: Proving you're not a job-hopper 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

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong delivered his first National Day Rally speech on Sunday (Aug 18) at the Institute of Technical Education Headquarters in Ang Mo Kio. Here are all the highlights from #NDR2024. Read more: https://cna.asia/3SUuAwt More National Day Rally 2024 videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbnMTcZEga8T0hrTR655DJhtlEP32A2jW 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

Singapore is doing more to strengthen its sporting culture, with more young citizens taking sports more seriously and excelling at the highest levels. To unlock their full potential, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong says plans are underway to refresh and upgrade the country's sports facilities. That includes moving the Singapore Sports School from Woodlands to be part of the Kallang Alive sports precinct. Alif Amsyar reports.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong says his Government is committed to providing multiple pathways in education and is serious about backing them with resources. During the National Day Rally, he announced changes that will affect every primary school, as well as the more niche offerings dedicated to the diverse abilities of Singaporeans. Alxis Thng reports.

A key focus area Prime Minister Lawrence Wong covered in his maiden National Day Rally was housing. Assuring Singaporeans both young and old of an array of affordable flat options, PM Wong announced a top-up to a grant that allows lower-income couples to secure their first homes. He also announced moves to help unmarried children live with or near their elderly parents. Nasyrah Rohim with more.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra has officially been appointed as Thailand’s new prime minister. She's the country's youngest-ever premier and the second woman to hold the top job. Her rise follows a tumultuous week marked by the dismissal of her predecessor Srettha Thavisin and her father, ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra’s recent royal pardon. Saksith Saiyasombut reports.