Top stories from The Straits Times on Tuesday, Sept 3

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Tuesday, Sept 3.


Launch of CareShield Life in 2020: How the long-term disability insurance will impact you

People born in or before 1979 have the option to join CareShield Life a year later - from mid-2021. Those on ElderShield and still paying premiums will have the rest of their premiums adjusted to take the higher benefits into account. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

If you are a Singapore resident born from 1980 onwards, you will be automatically enrolled when you reach your 30th birthday.

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British PM Boris Johnson threatens election if MPs block no-deal Brexit

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivers a statement outside 10 Downing Street in central London on Sept 2, 2019. PHOTO: AFP

"We will not accept any attempt to go back on our promises," Mr Johnson said. "I don't want an election. You don't want an election. Let's get on with the people's agenda."

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Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam says she would quit if she could, fears her ability to resolve crisis now 'very limited'

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam told a group of businesspeople during a closed-door meeting that she now has "very limited" room to resolve the political crisis engulfing the city. PHOTO: AP

"If I have a choice," she said, speaking in English, "the first thing is to quit, having made a deep apology".

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Keeping children safe in public spaces after Jewel mirror incident: Public can help parents too

Besides parents and retailers, members of the public also play a role in keeping children safe in public, parenting experts said, while acknowledging that accidents can happen in the blink of an eye, despite vigilant attention. PHOTO: ST FILE

Besides parents and retailers, members of the public also play a role in keeping children safe in public, parenting experts said.

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China lodges tariff case at WTO against the US

China said it will firmly defend its legal rights in accordance with World Trade Organisation rules. PHOTO: AFP

China did not release details of its legal case but said the US tariffs affected US$300 billion (S$417 billion) of Chinese exports.

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Navigate void decks, get view from a building with 3D upgrade of OneMap by end-2020

The 3D version of OneMap will use models and renderings to project how buildings look like in a neighbourhood, and can be done even for buildings that are not yet built. PHOTO: SINGAPORE LAND AUTHORITY

This will allow home buyers, for example, to get a better idea of the view from a specific floor of an apartment building, or even conduct shadow analysis to see where shadows cast by the sun will fall on the side of a building.

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Parliament: Pupils exempted from mother tongue language will be treated fairly under new PSLE scoring system, says Indranee

The Education Ministry has said that in the new system, pupils exempted from taking a mother tongue language (MTL) will be assigned an MTL score between AL6 and AL8 so that they can have a PSLE score of four subjects for their Secondary 1 posting. PHOTO: ST FILE

Ms Indranee gave the House this assurance when explaining why a score will be assigned to them even though they did not take a mother tongue language.

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Hong Kong neighbourhoods echo with late-night cries for freedom

Mr Choco Chu, 23, shouts slogans from his rooftop in Sham Shui Po in Hong Kong on Aug 29, 2019. PHOTO: REUTERS

The shouting, heard across the territory, is often interactive - one person starts and a chorus of others soon respond.

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Iras tax collection up 4.4% to $52.4b in fiscal 2018/2019

Income taxes collected in the fiscal year 2018/2019 amounted to $29.4 billion, up 7.9 per cent from $27.2 billion collected in the fiscal 2017/2018 period. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

The increase was underpinned by Singapore's 3.1 per cent economic expansion in 2018.

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Tennis: Reigning US Open champion Naomi Osaka knocked out by 13th seed Belinda Bencic

Naomi Osaka of Japan reacts during her Women's Singles fourth round match against Belinda Bencic of Switzerland on day eight of the 2019 US Open. PHOTO: AFP

Osaka's defeat means Australia's Ash Barty, who lost in straight sets to China's Wang Qiang in the fourth round on Sunday, will regain the world number one spot from the Japanese.

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