Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat has assured that the continuity and competitiveness of Singapore's transport industry will not be affected by a bill passed in Parliament. The Transport Sector (Critical Firms) Bill will put in additional controls on critical land, air and sea transport firms, so that they can continue providing essential services at all times. Some MPs were concerned about who would take over the provision of transport services, if a key entity were to cease operations. The initial list of entities will be designated by the end of this year. Sabrina Ng reports.

Singapore is waging a war against the drug trade, with Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam leading the charge. He took aim at critics of the country's use of the death penalty on drug traffickers, laying out how the country is vulnerable to a flood of contraband to the region. Mr Shanmugam also highlighted several countries around the world that have been hit hard by drug abuse. Some family members and loved ones, along with ex-abusers, were at the gallery in Parliament when Mr Shanmugam delivered his ministerial statement.

Some MPs had prepared a cake on Wednesday (May 8) to mark Mr Lee Hsien Loong’s final parliament sitting as Singapore’s Prime Minister, according to Leader of the House Indranee Rajah. 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

Australia's Ambassador to the United States Kevin Rudd says misconceptions and misunderstandings can be hard to avoid when it comes to East-West relations. He stresses the importance of having a “more refined and calibrated view on both sides of this divide”. The former Australian prime minister speaks to CNA on the sidelines of the Milken Institute’s Global Conference in Los Angeles on navigating the delicate balance of international ties, and cultural nuances between the East and the West. 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

Chinese President Xi Jinping will head to Hungary as part of his three-nation Europe trip. At a time when the European Union is warning against becoming too dependent on China, Budapest is doubling down on its economic ties with Beijing. Multi-billion-dollar investments from Chinese companies are set to make Hungary an important global player in the electric vehicle industry. But there are concerns about the environmental impact of these projects and the nation’s deepening ties with China. Pablo Gutierrez reports.

Singapore's Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam cited local and regional surveys as proof of strong and growing support for using the death penalty on drug traffickers. He was delivering a ministerial statement in parliament on Wednesday (May 8) regarding Singapore’s approach to drug control. Read more: https://cna.asia/3UQYLpF 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

There has been a small group of people who attempt to mislead the public with misinformation on drug traffickers and the death penalty in recent times, said Minister K Shanmugam. He added that such activists portray drug traffickers as victims of unfortunate circumstances, but leave out the harms they caused. The Law and Home Affairs Minister was delivering a ministerial statement in parliament on Wednesday (May 8) on Singapore’s approach to drug control.

Your co-worker is not pulling their weight and despite interventions, your manager is waiting for a resignation letter instead of firing them. What should you do?  Have a burning work-related question to ask a career counsellor? Send it to us at cnapodcasts@mediacorp.com.sg. (mailto:cnapodcasts@mediacorp.com.sg)   See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

Israel said on Monday (May 6) that a three-phase truce deal approved by Hamas was unacceptable, ahead of Israeli forces seizing the main border crossing in Rafah on Tuesday. Given that the United States has said that negotiations on a Gaza ceasefire should be able to close the gaps between Israel and Hamas, US President Joe Biden administration's next move will be crucial, political scientist Ian Lustick told CNA's Asia First. The Professor Emeritus from the University of Pennsylvania also said both Israel and Hamas want to move to a ceasefire “in a way that allows them to tell the story of it that will benefit their leadership”. 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

What would you do if you saw someone being abusive to service staff? Tell us in the comments section below, and catch the discussion on CNA938's Asia First on Friday (May 10) from 7am to 10am.

 Essential medicines cost at least three times more than international prices in the Philippines. Nurses are overworked and underpaid. The sick have resorted to camping on hospital sidewalks as they wait to be seen. Teresa Tang sits down with CNA’s Buena Bernal to talk about the state of the healthcare system in the Philippines and why it’s falling short. See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

More than 5,400 Singapore Polytechnic students graduated today as the institution marks 70 years in education. It's the 64th graduation ceremony since the school opened its doors in 1954. Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Kiat handed out diplomas to graduates and medals to nine students for outstanding performance. He underscored the growing value of a polytechnic education, as the pace of innovation speeds up and reshapes jobs and workplaces.

Budget carrier Scoot's newest airplane took off on its maiden commercial flight from Changi to Krabi today. The Embraer E190-E2 has two seats a side, meaning that it can carry only 112 passengers. However, that makes it smaller and lighter and, therefore, capable of landing on runways other aircraft cannot reach. In the coming weeks, it will fly to Koh Samui and Cebu. Scoot has ordered nine E190 E2s, with deliveries expected until the end of next year. Nicolas Ng reports.

Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has pledged to bring relations with Malaysia to greater heights, when he takes over as Prime Minister next week. Mr Wong hosted breakfast for Malaysian King Sultan Ibrahim, who is in Singapore for his first overseas state visit since he ascended the throne. In the afternoon, Sultan Ibrahim visited the Singapore Parliament, which is in session. Later in the day, Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat took Sultan Ibrahim and Queen Raja Zarith Sofiah for an MRT ride on the Thomson-East Coast Line.

Singapore has passed a bill that seeks to give local authorities oversight over critical computer systems that are at risk of cyberattacks, even if they are located overseas. Mr Ken Soh, chair of SGTech's Cyber Security Chapter, shared more about Critical Information Infrastructure (CII), the role of the Cyber Security Agency, and what Singapore must do to keep itself safe from cyberattacks.

Amazon Web Services will invest S$12 billion to expand its cloud computing infrastructure in Singapore. The spending over the next four years will double the company's investment in Singapore. This move will support growing demand for cloud services and speed up the adoption of artificial intelligence. The government will be releasing a digital enterprise blueprint later this month. It aims to help more SMEs adopt AI, scale up and improve cyber resilience.