Catch the latest news reports on The Big Story, The Straits Times' weekday online news programme.

Singapore's job market continued its recovery in the second quarter of this year but global headwinds, such as rising inflation, the Russian-Ukraine conflict and a resurgence of Covid-19 infections in major economies including China, may dampen labour demand.

Resident employment - Singaporeans and permanent residents - has surpassed pre-Covid-19 levels by around 4 per cent since December last year and will likely see subdued growth due to the improving unemployment situation, according to advance estimates released by the Ministry of Manpower .

In an exclusive interview with The Big Story, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng shares more on Singapore's employment trends.

In other headlines, Malaysia's lawmakers unanimously passed a landmark Bill to curb party-hopping ahead of the next general election, in a bid to stabilise the government.

Collectively known as the Anti-Hopping Law, the new constitutional rules are now expected to be passed by the Senate. They could be gazetted as early as September, putting them in force before Malaysia faces its next general election, which must be held by September next year.

Malaysia correspondent Ram Anand discusses the significance of the new Bill.