Top stories from The Straits Times on Monday, March 12

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kickstart your Monday, March 12.


Delays expected when testing of new MRT signalling system extends to normal hours: Khaw Boon Wan

Commuters on a crowded train travelling from Newton to Marina South Pier MRT station. PHOTO: ST FILE

There are plans to extend testing of the new signalling system on the NSEWL to revenue hours when passengers are on board.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping secures free rein to extend rule indefinitely

Chinese President Xi Jinping drops his ballot during a vote on constitutional amendments at the third plenary session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on March 11, 2018. PHOTO: REUTERS

The amendment to the Chinese Constitution to abolish term limits on the president garnered an overwhelming 99.79 per cent of the vote.

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Help for airlines at Changi when higher airport charges kick in

The increase in airport charges to help fund the development of the Changi East airport expansion project has been criticised by some airlines and industry groups.
The increase in airport charges to help fund the development of the Changi East airport expansion project has been criticised by some airlines and industry groups. ST FILE PHOTO

Authorities intend to roll out an aid package, which could take the form of discounts on aircraft parking and landing fees, on July 1.

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Commentary: Meeting Kim Jong Un will be Donald Trump's acid test

US President Donald Trump (left) agreed on March 8, 2018, to a historic first meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. PHOTO: AFP

Mr Trump has been consistently underestimated. Always a showman, meeting with Mr Kim will give him the sort of grand stage he thrives on.

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Did dinosaurs once roam Singapore?

Possible dinosaur footprints found in rocks on a shore habitat on the resort Island of Sentosa. PHOTO: GJH OLIVER

Possible dinosaur claw and footprints have been uncovered by an NTU geologist at a rocky shore habitat on Sentosa.

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Lift pits teeming with life - and lost items

Chevalier lift technician Vinod Balakrishnan was once directed to the wrong lift and wasted an hour. Lift technicians are the only ones qualified to enter the lift pit and have to deal with whatever dead or alive animal they find there.
Chevalier lift technician Vinod Balakrishnan was once directed to the wrong lift and wasted an hour. Lift technicians are the only ones qualified to enter the lift pit and have to deal with whatever dead or alive animal they find there.ST PHOTO: LEE JIA WEN

Cats, snakes, dead rats as well as car keys, cellphones and even a birthday card are some of the things technicians have found beneath lifts.

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Dual exposures: How spaces are transformed and shared in Singapore

With space commonly shared and used for different purposes in land-scarce Singapore, ST captures the transformations that can occur in a space within a single day.

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Police investigating after 3-year-old girl suffers 'horrific bruise' on ear while in pre-school

Photos posted on Facebook show the girl's ear had turned a deep purple colour, with some peeling skin. PHOTO: FACEBOOK/CLAUDIA KWAN

The Early Childhood Development Agency said it is aware of the case and has reached out to the girl's parent to provide any necessary assistance.

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Woman hit by e-scooter in Bedok, taken to hospital with head injuries

Ms Goh Lay Yong was hit by an e-scooter from the back on March 7, 2018. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Ms Goh Lay Yong had just stepped off the overhead bridge when an e-scooter hit her from behind. She lost consciousness and woke up in an ambulance.

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Gift of books by Singapore authors for schools to boost local literary arts

(From far left) Ramu And Rocky by Jensrani Thangavel; Go, Trishaw, Go by Francis Wong; and Sampan by Chua Hui Ying are on the list of Singlit book gifts to schools in Singapore.
(From left) Ramu And Rocky by Jensrani Thangavel; Go, Trishaw, Go by Francis Wong; and Sampan by Chua Hui Ying are on the list of Singlit book gifts to schools in Singapore.PHOTO: NATIONAL ARTS COUNCIL

The latest effort by the National Arts Council will be the first to gift schools nationwide home-grown books in all four official languages.

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