Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Tuesday, Feb 19.

Singapore Budget 2019: Something for everyone amid a challenging environment

Budget 2019 was not an easy one to deliver. Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat presented it in an environment that was not the most congenial to the Government. Handouts aside, other measures also stand out for their foresight and compassion.

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Invincible, first of Singapore’s biggest and most advanced submarines, launches in Germany 

Singapore’s acquisition of four new Type 218SG submarines, which offer more firepower and combat options, is a timely move as maritime security challenges evolve and countries beef up their submarine fleets, said Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen.

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Singapore Budget 2019: $6.1b Merdeka package, $1.1b Bicentennial Bonus among key measures announced

Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat delivered a generous Budget that will help Singaporeans with healthcare costs and other expenses, and provide support for businesses and workers.

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Singapore Budget 2019: Expansionary Budget, but what about demographic challenge?

While Budget 2019 does an admirable job in building enterprise capabilities and strengthening the pillars of Singapore’s now-quite-impressive social security system, there remains much unfinished business to be addressed in future budgets.

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Football: Fulham player Ben Davis defaults on national service commitments

The Phuket-born 18-year-old had signed professional terms with English Premier League club Fulham in July last year, the first Singaporean footballer to do so with a top-tier English club.

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Mahathir’s new friends leave old ones fuming

Tensions are rising in the Pakatan Harapan coalition as Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad continues to welcome opposition members to his camp while saying that he will not hesitate to abandon his current partners if “they are not loyal to the country”.

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China unveils timeline to further integrate HK, Macau under Greater Bay Area plan

The plan involves linking 11 cities in the Pearl River delta area within a two-hour radius of Hong Kong. It comprises Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Dongguan, Huizhou, Zhongshan, Foshan, Zhaoqing and Jiangmen.

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Attire check incident at Nanyang Girls’ High School sparks debate on school rule

The incident has raised questions over whether the rule that bans coloured undergarments should be relooked.

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Opposition politician Lim Tean avoids bankruptcy over $200k loan

A bankruptcy application brought against opposition politician Lim Tean by Shanghai businessman Huang Min over a US$150,000 ($203,000) loan was formally withdrawn in the High Court on Monday, after the submission of two cheques by Mr Lim last month to repay the debt.

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Culture Vulture: Darkness lurks in children’s literature

Revisiting the stories written by Roald Dahl and Enid Blyton, one finds cruelty, spite, racism and sexism in the tales.

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