Top stories from The Straits Times on Wednesday, May 8

Updated

Published

May 08, 2019, 07:20 AM

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Wednesday, May 8.

Battle lines drawn as MPs on both sides spar over fake news Bill

Since its introduction last month, the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill has drawn criticism from some quarters for vesting ministers with the power to decide what are falsehoods that are against the public interest, with concerns raised by academics and activists, among others. The debate on the Bill in Parliament continues today. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

The Government still has its work cut out for it to allay remaining concerns.

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Wall Street slides as US-China trade fears rise; Dow down 1.79%

Trade-sensitive industrial and technology stocks marked the biggest percentage declines among the S&P 500's major sectors. All 11 sectors were in the red, with only utilities and energy falling less than 1 per cent. PHOTO: AFP

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq registered their third-biggest percentage drops.

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ComfortDelGro to trial dynamic fares from May 15

ComfortDelGro's new ComfortRide service will allow commuters to book rides from the company's fleet of 12,000 cabs as well as an undisclosed number of private-hire cars. PHOTO: ST FILE

Pilot testing will be limited to a small group of passengers initially, the company said.

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More garish CWO vests to make litterbugs more 'distinguishable'

The lurid yellow vests worn by littering offenders served with corrective work orders have been "revamped" to an eye-catching luminous pink and yellow combo. PHOTO: NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT AGENCY

The vests are now in an eye-catching luminous pink and yellow combo.

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Google highlights its privacy and security efforts at annual developer conference

Sundar Pichai, the chief executive of Google, speaks at the Google I/O conference. PHOTO: NYTIMES

Google has announced new privacy and security features for its products and services to address users' data privacy concerns during its annual I/O developer conference.

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Football: Liverpool stun Barcelona 4-0 in second leg to reach Champions League final with 4-3 aggregate win

Liverpool's Georginio Wijnaldum (centre) celebrates with teammates after scoring the 3-0 goal. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

Liverpool produced one of the greatest comebacks in Champions League history to beat Barcelona 4-0 on Tuesday (May 7), overturning a three-goal first-leg deficit and advancing to their second successive final with a 4-3 aggregate victory.

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Some commercial buildings finding it hard to sell en bloc

Strata-titled Queensway Shopping Centre, a 45-year-old freehold site known for its sporting goods, is a candidate for collective sale. A recent meeting to obtain consent for selling en bloc saw fierce opposition from shop owners, who collectively account for more than 20 per cent of the property's share value. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

The high vacancy rates for strata-titled commercial property are a major deterrent to developers.

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The Big Story: Protection against sexual misconduct in campus, CEOs who live in HDB flats

Some chief executives like Mr Joseph Gan choose to live in HDB flats, for several reasons such as convenience, wanting to use their money on other things, or sheer inertia. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

Journalists Jolene Ang and Benson Ang discuss the hottest stories of the day.

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Ex-bus driver jailed for negligent act, causing multiple injuries to boy, 12

Raman Sambasiwan pleaded guilty to causing grievous hurt to the boy by performing a negligent act at the Woodlands Checkpoint bus arrival concourse on Oct 27 last year. PHOTO: ST FILE

The driver did not ensure that the bus would remain completely stationary before leaving his seat. It moved forward and hit the boy, leaving him sandwiched between two buses.

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ST Podcast: Can schools and parents help boost the cognition and well-being of sleep-deprived Singaporean teenagers?

Health Check podcast hosts Ernest Luis (left) and Joyce Teo (right) host Prof Michael Chee (centre), the director of the Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience at the Duke-NUS Medical School, a prominent sleep expert who has been studying sleep-deprived Singaporean teenagers.

In this fortnightly podcast series on Tuesdays, The Straits Times guides you to healthier living, debunks the myths, and examines the impact of national policies with expert guests.

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