The war in the Middle East may feel a world away, but its effects are showing up much closer to home-at the petrol pump, in your grocery bill, and in just about everything that has to be shipped, flown, or made from plastic. With the Strait of Hormuz effectively shut since late February and roughly a fifth of the world's oil supply caught in the crossfire, the ripple effects have reached Singapore.It's easy to tune out the headlines when your feed is a blur of doomscrolling, hot takes, and AI-generated nonsense. But while we keep scrolling, the rest of us are quietly footing the bill. Here's what that's actually costing you in 2026.1. Why did oil prices increase in 2026?About 20 per cent of the world's oil supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz, which lies in between Iran and the UAE. Since there is a blockade in the Strait as ceasefires have been breached, ships are either stuck or are turning away to avoid being attacked.Put simply, there's a global shortage in the supply of oil. And when things-like oil-are scarce, prices rise as the demand for the precious resource still holds.

What's the strangest reason you've ever considered calling an ambulance for? While we generally know that we should only dial 995 for life-threatening emergencies, these two Singaporeans dished the wackiest moments that ended in a call for the 995 emergency hotline.We dive into these calls and the grey area where 'misplaced panic' is actually a 'non-emergency'.

«Situational awareness: 1/10. Friendliness: 100/10.»That's what one netizen said about Sophie, a five-year-old girl who has gone viral for waving to paramedics at an inopportune moment.Her dad, Naem Rohman, shared a TikTok video of the duo travelling on a cargo bicycle in an undisclosed location on April 25. The girl can be seen saying «hello» and waving to three paramedics while they are moving a man in a stretcher to their ambulance.«I said hello to the doctors,» the child told her dad after one of the paramedics waved back at her.Netizens were tickled by the video, with one commenting: «Don't read the room, girl! Like, ever. Let the room adapt to you.»«At least she didn't say bye, that would've been more awkward,» another commented.One TikTok user also felt sympathy for the man who was in the midst of a health emergency.«How rude, the guy lying down can't wave back,» they joked.The endearing video has garnered over 704,000 views and 73,000 likes. 

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan will make a four-day working visit to the Middle East on Saturday (May 2).In a statement on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said the visit, from May 2 to 5, will include the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.MFA added that the visit will allow Dr Balakrishnan to meet his counterparts and other Gulf leaders to reaffirm Singapore's solidarity and longstanding relations with its Gulf partners.Dr Balakrishnan is also expected to express Singapore's appreciation for their assistance in ensuring the safety and well-being of Singaporeans in the region, including the facilitation of assisted departure operations in March 2026.

SINGAPORE - Adults caught having sexual communication with minors and meeting them in real life may face sexual grooming charges, which carry a sentence of caning and imprisonment.In a joint response to queries by The Straits Times over the Leomatch bot on Telegram, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) said they are aware that young people are using the bot, and of the risks of it being misused by malicious actors to sexually groom or exploit them.“We take this matter seriously, and the Government has several measures in place to deal with online grooming or exploitation,” said the authorities.Offenders above the age of 18 convicted of sexual grooming can be jailed for up to three years, fined, or both.For having sexual communication with a minor, an offender can be jailed for between two and three years and fined, depending on the age of the victim.Concerns were raised over the bot after three men were hauled to court for using it to prey on young victims.

MANILA - The Philippines and Singapore on Thursday (April 30) signed a carbon-trading deal that allows them to share emissions reductions, an agreement which Manila said is expected to lead to more investment into climate projects in the Philippines.Singapore's Environment Minister, Grace Fu, said in a statement the deal would deepen collaboration between the two countries, «channeling climate finance towards impactful projects in the Philippines and unlocking new opportunities in carbon markets for businesses and local communities.»The deal, signed during Asean's Climate Week, establishes a framework under the Paris Agreement for transferring verified emission reductions, or carbon credits, between Manila and Singapore.A joint committee will oversee the approval and implementation of projects, and tracking of emission reductions.Philippine Environment Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna said the deal would help Manila to attract investments in renewable energy, waste management, methane reduction, nature‑based solutions, and climate‑smart agriculture.

The next Toto cascade draw is set to be held on May 4 at 9.30pm, after the previous three straight draws yielded no winners.The prize pool has also snowballed to an estimated $10 million — from $1.2 million on April 23, to $2.9 million on April 27 and $5.7 million for the recent draw on April 30.April 30's winning numbers were 2, 6, 7, 31, 35 and 39, with 15 as the additional number.A ticket requires all six winning numbers to win the Group 1, or highest, prize.The pool can snowball four times without winners, making this May 4 draw the final one.If no one wins the Group 1 prize this time, it will be shared among the Group 2 winners.The previous cascade draw — the first of 2026 — was held on Jan 29, with six winning tickets sharing a total of $13.5 million.Three of the Group 1 winning tickets were purchased via the Singapore Pools account betting service, with one QuickPick System 7 Entry, one System 7 Entry and one Ordinary Entry.

Four people, aged between 27 and 53, were taken to hospital after an accident involving two cars near Old Airport Road Food Centre on Thursday (April 30) night.The accident happened at the junction of Old Airport Road and Cassia Link at about 10.25pm. Map showing where the accident happened on Thursday (April 30) night. GRAPHIC: Google Maps, Social media A video of the accident posted on TikTok by user Jerries shows two cars stopped across both lanes of Old Airport Road towards Dunman Road.Two fire engines, an ambulance and a Traffic Police motorcycle are seen in the video, with traffic along Old Airport Road diverted to Cassia Link. Rescuers and paramedics from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) are seen near the driver and front passenger doors of one vehicle.

A 37-year-old man will be charged in court on Saturday (May 2) for allegedly disrupting key services provided by several Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) at multiple locations across Singapore, the police said in a news release on Friday.Between April 27 and 29, the police were alerted by a bank to multiple cases of mischief.They reviewed the bank's closed circuit television (CCTV) footage and found that the man had placed a piece of tissue paper beneath an ATM card before inserting both into the card slot of the ATM.After withdrawing the card, the left-behind tissue purportedly disrupted the functioning of ATMs along Battery Road, Chinatown, Tanjong Katong, Woodlands, Toa Payoh, Marina Bay and Paya Lebar, resulting in rectification works having to be carried out.Officers from the Central Police Division identified and arrested the man on Thursday through follow-up investigations and with the aid of CCTV footage. If found guilty of committing mischief and thereby causing disruption to key services, he could be jailed for up to 10 years, fined, or both.

A man living in Bedok is heartbroken at not being able to claim the body of his partner and arrange her funeral as they were not legally married.On April 29, the police shared in a news release that they are looking for the next-of-kin of an unidentified woman in her 60s believed to be known as Tan Ah May. She died on April 15.Reporters from Shin Min Daily News visited her residence at Block 556 Bedok North Street 3 and discovered that she had lived with a man surnamed Lv for over 30 years.Neighbours told reporters that Lv and Tan referred to each other as husband and wife, and were a loving couple who never fought. However, as they were not married, Lv cannot claim the 68-year-old's body and arrange for her funeral.Lv, 67, broke down in tears thinking of his longtime partner's body being unclaimed.«She's still inside [the mortuary] and no one can claim her,» he said to reporters. «She was very sensitive to the cold and I hope we can help get her out quickly so she can leave this world with dignity.»Lv said that he and Tan had been chatting until 2am the day of her death and nothing had seemed amiss.

The Government will provide more support to Singaporeans in the likely scenario of the global energy crisis worsening, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Friday (May 1).«And if that happens, we will do more to help,» he told a 1,600-strong crowd of union leaders and tripartite partners at the May Day Rally at Downtown East on Labour Day.«Because in times like this, Singaporeans can count on one thing: Your Government will act. We will do so decisively, and we will stand with you, with every Singaporean, every step of the way,» he said.Delivering his keynote address as the event's guest-of-honour, PM Wong said Singapore had just weathered the «storm» of US tariffs, and another «more severe» storm is already bearing down.

Several diners at a coffee shop in Yishun were caught in the crossfire during a heated fight there on Tuesday (April 28).The incident happened at Block 848 Yishun Street 81, Shin Min Daily News reported.In a video uploaded to TikTok, an elderly man in a singlet is seen holding a plastic chair and a bowl, while a woman in a polka dot blouse also picks up a chair in retaliation.Another woman with a cane is seen backing away from the man.Several diners are seen talking to the pair in an attempt to diffuse the tension.The woman who held the cane told Shin Min in an interview that the man said something offensive while she was drinking coffee. The woman in the polka dot blouse then retorted something back to the man, thus igniting the dispute.She said the man raised a chair up, striking her as a result and she had to rely on her cane for defence. The woman said that she only discovered abrasions on her arm after reaching home, and called the police.

It was a simple gesture, but one which warmed everyone's hearts.This was how TikTok user @singaporeproperties described their encounter with service 145 bus captain Liu Yongbin on Monday (April 27) afternoon in a video posted by them on the platform.The 20-second video shows Liu standing at the bus' front doors, holding up an umbrella to shelter boarding commuters from the heavy rain at a bus stop near Tiong Bahru Plaza.Liu smiled and nodded his head at the passengers, patiently waiting for them to board the bus.The caption in the post called the gesture «a beautiful act of kindness», adding: «Everyone was smiling, hearts full of appreciation - you could feel the warmth in the air.»The way passengers smiled at him, and how he smiled back with pure joy, like he truly loves his job. It melted everyone's hearts.«In response to media queries, a SBS Transit spokesperson said Liu's actions exemplified the transport operator's culture of care and reliable service.»This also demonstrates our commitment to creating a pleasant journey for our passengers," the spokesperson added. 

A woman was badly injured and has to re-learn how to walk after being hit by a tipper truck that ran over both her legs on April 16. Cherri Wong had just sent her daughter to school when the accident occurred.In an Instagram post on Monday (April 27), the founder of footwear brand Sunday Staples shared photos of the accident and her recovery process.  Aside from having surgery on her right knee and ankle, Wong wrote that she was «missing our normalcy» and has to re-learn many basic functions including standing, sitting and walking.«But most importantly, I am alive. I have my husband and children. The girls have their mummy,» added Wong.  In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force said they were alerted at about 9.45am to an accident involving a tipper truck and a pedestrian at the junction of Bayshore Road and Upper East Coast Road. The 37-year-old female pedestrian was taken to Changi General Hospital. The 43-year-old male driver is assisting with investigations. 

A ride-hailing passenger claimed their driver watched pornographic materials while driving, adding that the car «kept swaying to the left and right».The passenger had apparently booked a vehicle from Grab and upon boarding, immediately noticed the driver fiddling with something beside his steering wheel.In a short video, the driver can be seen driving with one hand while glancing towards his right. «I start to hear soft moaning so I decided to peak over his shoulder and I saw he had a spare phone right under his main phone, near his right knee, and there was a Japanese porn video playing,» captioned the social media post.The passenger alleged that the driver was also «very distracted while driving».  In response to media queries, a Grab spokesperson said that the company is looking into the incident and has taken action against the driver in the meantime. “Safety is our priority. We are investigating the incident and have temporarily suspended the driver-partner’s account due to safety lapses," the spokesperson told one news outlet.[[nid:733268]]

A total of 62 programmes across 60 organisations will be supported by this year's President's Challenge, with a focus on uplifting aspirations and potential, to achieve sustained social impact.The programmes span a range of initiatives, including efforts in early intervention, persons with disabilities, and second chances.Together with the programmes supported last year, the total number of programmes supported by the President's Challenge will grow to 122.Now in the second year of the annual fundraiser's refreshed approach, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam said during a visit to Reach Community Services on Thursday (April 30) that social impact requires patience.«Social impact is something which cannot be achieved quickly. It requires patience, and that's an important shift in our whole approach. »We moved away from traditional runoff funding each year towards multi-year funding, more sustained funding, so that benefitting organisations themselves can also build up a more patient approach and achieve more lasting social impact," President Tharman added.

A 48-year-old man, believed to be Singaporean, was found dead in his Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong apartment on Thursday (April 30). The police said they were called to the scene shortly before noon and entered the unit to investigate, reported Hong Kong newspaper The Standard. The deceased reportedly held a Hong Kong identity card and had a history of health issues. A source said that the man had a prolonged absence from work and was found by his colleagues, who were concerned and went to his residence to check on him.They alerted the authorities after making the discovery.The man was pronounced dead at the scene and his cause of death will be determined after an autopsy. [[nid:734623]]esther.lam@asiaone.com