Top stories from The Straits Times on Tuesday, Feb 27

Published
Feb 27, 2018, 7:40 am SGT

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kickstart your Tuesday, Feb 27.

GST hike will be among key issues in Budget debate


GST will be a leading topic when Parliament starts its nine-day Budget debate. PHOTO: ST FILE

The planned increase in the goods and services tax will be a leading topic on Tuesday when Parliament starts its nine-day debate on Budget 2018.

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Video: Fire breaks at warehouse in Ubi Avenue; workers evacuated


SCDF officers attending to a fire at a warehouse unit along Ubi Ave 4.ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

A fire broke out at a warehouse unit in Ubi Avenue 4 on Tuesday morning.

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South Korea's President Moon Jae In says US should lower threshold for North Korea talks


South Korean President Moon Jae In (right) meets with Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, on Feb 26, 2018.PHOTO: EPA-EFE

South Korean President Moon Jae In said on Monday the United States should lower the threshold for talks with North Korea, while Pyongyang should in return show willingness towards denuclearisation.

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Video: 'Hell on earth': Eastern Ghouta the latest flashpoint in Syria's civil war

A boy being treated following a suspected gas attack on al-Shifunieh village. More than 18 people were affected and one child was killed. Nine-year-old Hala is among the civilians caught in the crossfire after a Syrian government air strike on the to
Residents fleeing a Syrian government bombardment in the rebel-held town of Hamouria in eastern Ghouta. World leaders have expressed outrage at the plight of civilians in eastern Ghouta – which UN chief Antonio Guterres called “hell on earth” – but Moscow and Damascus say they target only militants. PHOTO: AFP

There is nowhere to hide, say residents of a besieged enclave of satellite towns and farms just outside Damascus.

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Tampines double deaths: Married man killed former lover before committing suicide


Police officers preparing to enter the 10th-floor unit in Block 520A, Tampines Central 8, where telemarketer Serinn Tan Bee Leng was found dead. PHOTO: ST FILE

A married father-of-three killed his former girlfriend in her Tampines home before jumping to his death from the 10th-floor flat on May 29, 2017, said the State Coroner.

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3 Singaporean women part of global expedition to Antarctica to study climate change


(From left) Ms Jessica Cheam, Ms Inch Chua and Ms Anthea Ong will set off from Argentina on Feb 27, 2018, on an expedition to advocate climate change. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

On Tuesday, they will set off from Argentina as part of a 100-strong team from around the world to raise awareness about climate change in the icy South Pole.

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Male Wolbachia-carrying mozzies to be released in Tampines West and Nee Soon East


When male Wolbachia-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes mate with uninfected females, the resulting eggs will not hatch. PHOTO: ST FILE

There will be an added buzz in Tampines West and Nee Soon East come April with the release of male Wolbachia-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes into the estates.

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Instagram spam accounts raise worry of cyber bullying


Teenagers and Instagram users in their 20s told ST that about 80 per cent of their friends own spam accounts. PHOTO: BLOOMBERG

Miss Kirstin Yip's main Instagram account, with 826 followers, is full of happy photos of friends, beautiful places and tantalising food.

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Video: Bollywood superstar Sridevi drowned in hotel bathtub: Dubai police


Initial reports had cited a heart attack as the cause of Bollywood superstar Sridevi Kapoor's death at a hotel in Dubai, where she had been attending a nephew’s wedding. PHOTO: REUTERS

India mourned Bollywood superstar Sridevi Kapoor after her death in Dubai aged just 54, as police in the emirate said she drowned in her hotel bathtub.

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Apple is said to plan giant high-end iPhone, lower-priced model


A woman sets up her facial recognition as she looks at her Apple iPhone X at an Apple store in New York. PHOTO: REUTERS

Apple is preparing to release a trio of new smartphones later this year: the largest iPhone ever, an upgraded handset the same size as the current iPhone X and a less expensive model with some of the flagship phone's key features.

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