South China Morning Post – Singapore announced steep increases in alcohol, gambling and tobacco taxes as it pledged billions of dollars in health care subsidies for its growing ranks of elderly citizens. Alcohol taxes will rise 25 per cent, while duties on tobacco will jump 10 per cent. Betting duties from the state-linked betting firm Singapore Pools will rise to 30 per cent from 25 per cent of gross bets from July. In his budget speech on Friday, Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam also unveiled a S$9 billion (HK$55 billion) package to provide life-long health care for the elderly. Under the…