NewsLite

Singaporeans should brace for a period of "higher and more volatile energy costs" as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to severely strain global fuel supply chains.

In a statement on Tuesday (March 31), the Energy Market Authority (EMA) warned that while regulated tariffs for electricity and town gas in the second quarter of 2026 have only been partially impacted, subsequent quarters are likely to see sharper increases in price.

As a small city-state, Singapore heavily relies on energy imports, with approximately 95 per cent of electricity produced from imported natural gas.

This same fuel serves as the primary feedstock for town gas production, meaning any global price surge directly translates to higher utility bills for every consumer across the island.

ANKARA — A ballistic missile fired from Iran entered Turkish airspace on Monday (March 30) and was shot down by Nato defences, Ankara said, in the fourth such incident reported since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran.

There was no immediate comment from Tehran which has denied specifically targeting its neighbour Turkey during the conflict and has said it was not involved in the previous three missile launches, which were all downed by Nato defences.

Nato's spokesperson said the alliance intercepted an Iranian missile heading towards its member country Turkey, adding that it was "prepared for such threats and will always do what is necessary to defend all Allies".

Iran has fired missiles at countries across the Middle East since the start of the conflict, striking oil infrastructure and bases with US forces in the region.

SEOUL — South Korea proposed a supplementary government budget of US$17.3 billion (S$22 billion) on Tuesday (March 31) to support consumers and companies hit by the war in the Middle East.

A surge in oil prices sparked by the US-Israeli war on Iran has raised growth and inflation risks for Asia's fourth-largest economy, which is also the world's fourth-largest importer of oil, with 70 per cent of its purchases coming from the Middle East.

It is the second extra budget in less than a year under the administration of President Lee Jae-myung, who has pledged to pursue an expansionary fiscal policy to spur economic growth since taking office last June.

"Beyond economic data, difficulties and anxiety felt by our people and companies are deepening more than ever," said Budget Minister Park Hong-keun. "A pre-emptive response is more important than anything else."

A woman was reportedly charged $1,500 for using 222GB of local mobile data, but says there is no way she could have exceeded her plan's monthly data bundle by twice.

M1 customer Anna Huang (transliteration) told Shin Min Daily News that she pays $25.42 monthly for her phone plan, which includes 100 gigabytes (GB) of local data.

On Feb 16, the woman reportedly received a text message from M1 informing her about additional charges of $795.91.

When she called the customer service hotline, a representative confirmed the charges but purportedly declined to share details of the data usage as the bill had not been generated.

If you've missed the bakes from Le Matin, your Good Friday weekend is about to get even better.

The patisserie is back with a new concept Le Matin Petit, which primarily offers takeaways and some pet-friendly al fresco seating.

Come April 3, it will officially open at Viva Vista Shopping Mall in Buona Vista.

The brand first dropped a social media teaser on March 17, showing photos of a store undergoing renovation, along with the caption: "So looking forward to feed all you lovely folks once again!"

Local actress Sora Ma's young son Skye was injured recently after he was left alone at home by her helper.

In an Instagram post yesterday (March 30), the 42-year-old recounted the distressing situation which happened in her home in Kuala Lumpur.

She wrote: "I almost lost my child and, in that moment, he was completely alone."

Sora shared she had trusted her helper deeply as she was "amazing" with 19-month-old Skye.

With Singapore's total fertility rate dropping to a record low of 0.87 in 2025, there have been numerous discussions about parenthood in recent months.

But why are people delaying having children or deciding not to have them altogether?

Rizal (not his real name), 39, feels he is not ready for children despite having been married for nine years.

"I need more time to save money," he explained.

BEIJING — Chinese dissident artist Gao Zhen, famous for making provocative satirical sculptures of former leader Mao Zedong, was tried on Monday (March 30) over accusations of "defaming national heroes and martyrs", his wife and a rights group said.

Gao, 69, who was detained in 2024 during a visit from the US, faces a maximum three-year prison sentence, said his wife Zhao Yaliang and Shane Yi, a researcher at the Chinese Human Rights Defenders group which operates outside the country.

The closed-door, one-day trial took place at Sanhe City People's Court in Hebei province neighbouring the capital Beijing, and ended without a verdict, Zhao and Yi told Reuters, citing information from his lawyers.

Zhao said she was barred from entering the courtroom. Verdicts are often announced months later in such trials.

NEW DELHI — More than three million Indian officials are to spend a year counting every single person in the world's most populous nation, a mammoth task delayed in part by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The once-in-a-decade population survey, originally due in 2021, will start on April 1 with a short window for citizens who wish to register themselves online, the government said on Monday (March 30).

There will then be two phases of physical door-to-door surveys. The first will list houses and housing conditions, the second — inhabitants and their economic and social parameters, Census Commissioner Mritunjay Kumar Narayan told reporters.

With a population of more than 1.4 billion people, India overtook China in 2023, according to the United Nations Population Fund.

JERUSALEM — An industrial building and a fuel tanker at Israel's Oil Refineries in the northern city of Haifa was hit by debris from an intercepted missile, Israel's Fire and Rescue Service said on Monday (March 30).

It was not immediately clear whether the missile was fired from Iran or Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, who were both firing at the same time.

The fire service said a direct hit was identified on a gasoline storage tank within the factory grounds, causing thick smoke from the roof of a nearby structure.

"The incident has been fully contained. There are no casualties, no hazardous materials risks, and no danger to the public," said Eitan Rifa, a fire commander.