SINGAPORE/DUBAI - Soon after the first Iranian missile and drone attacks on Dubai last week, two Indian entrepreneurs based there tried to move more than $100,000 each from their local bank accounts to Singapore to hedge risk.Technological glitches in the aftermath of the Iranian attacks initially scuppered those plans, the entrepreneurs, who did not wish to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter, told Reuters.One of them said he managed to subsequently transfer the sum to his Singapore bank account via another Emirates-based bank.Scores of other wealthy Asians are making enquiries or taking similar steps to move their Dubai-parked assets to the regional financial hubs of Singapore and Hong Kong, industry advisers and lawyers said, as the US-Israel war on Iran clouds the Gulf's safe-haven aura and rattles investors.While the rich typically diversify their investments across regions and asset classes, they choose where to be based depending on tax, regulatory, privacy and operational considerations.

Investigations into a private ambulance are ongoing after footage showing it driving recklessly near Stadium Road went viral online.The incident occurred on March 3 at around 11am, according to footage uploaded to the SG Road Vigilante Facebook group which has since garnered over 150,000 views.In the video, a Goodwill Ambulance Services van is seen speeding and overtaking another van after turning into Kallang Airport Way.The ambulance subsequently speeds up and even drives over the chevron markings to overtake the camcar while filtering onto the road towards the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE).The ambulance can then be seen driving over the kerb and stopping, narrowly missing oncoming traffic.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said that they received a report and that an investigation is ongoing.AsiaOne has reached out to Goodwill Ambulance Services Group for more information.[[nid:730930]]dana.leong@asiaone.com 

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) will assist foreign visitors in Singapore affected by the Middle East airspace closure to travel to Oman. In a media statement on Friday (March 6), STB said the special flight will depart Changi Airport for Muscat in Oman at 5.30am on Sunday.The board urged affected such non-resident travellers — whose travel arrangements between Feb 28 to March 8 have been cancelled by an airline due to the closure of airspace in the Middle East — to express their interest by 9am on Saturday, via its website. Tickets for flight SQ8002, operated by Singapore's national carrier, Singapore Airlines, are priced at S$600 per seat.Children aged two and above are required to have their own seat and will be charged the same fare.STB sought travellers' understanding that seating will be assigned at random, although efforts will be made to group families together.

Budget 2026's Committee of Supply debates have ended with the passing of the largest annual budget in Singapore to date of over $207.9 billion.This is amid the backdrop of a changed world global uncertainty, Leader of the House Indranee Rajah said in Parliament on Friday (March 6).«The international order that underpinned stability and prosperity for over nearly eight decades is breaking down,» she said.«Geopolitical tensions have increased, the multilateral system that had served us well has weakened. More countries are resorting to unilateral action. The rule of law is under strain with the resurgence of a might is right approach.»Budget 2026 is therefore presented as an action plan for Singaporeans to navigate this changed world and secure their future, she added.In order to do so, Singaporeans must make use of the resources available.One key aspect discussed in Budget 2026 was artificial intelligence (AI).

A married couple were hauled to court on Friday (March 6) after they allegedly carried out a plan to avoid paying overseas customs tax on gold jewellery by claiming to be victims of snatch theft.The couple, Hewa Sahabanduge Waruna Kanishka, 30, and Jayasekara Gamlath Ralalage Yehelichathurika, 29, were charged with obstruction of justice with common intention.Hewa, who had lodged a police report over the fake theft, was handed another charge of providing false information to a public servant.In a media release, the police said Hewa had made a report on March 4, alleging that a stranger had stolen his black sling bag containing gold jewellery, a phone, and $400 in cash along Queen Street in Bugis.The «stolen» items were worth an estimated $21,668.«In view of the seriousness of the report, the police deployed significant resources to investigate the alleged offence and to search for the perpetrator,» it said.But officers discovered discrepancies in Hewa's account, and he allegedly admitted to having lodged a false report to evade overseas customs tax.

FairPrice Group will be handing over operations of its convenience retail operations at all Esso stations to Cold Storage over the next few months.Announced on Thursday (March 5) in a joint statement by Aster Mobility Solutions 1 and Cold Storage, the new partnership will introduce «new in-station experiences that enriches everyday living conveniences and evolving mobility needs».Aster, a subsidiary of Indonesia's Chandra Asri Group, bought over ExxonMobil's network of 60 Esso petrol stations in Singapore in October 2025. «Aster's partnership with Cold Storage reflects our shared commitment in Singapore – our people, our progress, and our everyday moments. Together, we are reimagining what the service station experience can be,» said Andre Khor, Deputy CEO of Aster.Cold Storage will roll out a refreshed convenience retail concept «designed to complement Esso's fuel and mobility services, offering a thoughtfully curated range of everyday essentials, fresh and ready-to-eat options tailored for customers on the move», according to the statement. 

The gross monthly household income ceiling for the Additional Subsidy for childcare and Kindergarten Fee Assistance Scheme, or KiFAS, will be raised to $15,000, from January 2027 said Minister of State for Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming on Friday (March 6).Speaking during the Committee of Supply debate in Parliament, Goh said that income thresholds for all subsidy tiers will also be increased to reflect household income changes, helping to further reduce fees for more families.«This will further improve affordability of pre-schools for more than 60,000 lower- and middle-income families with young children,» Goh said.He added, «For example, a median income household earning $12,500, with two children in Anchor Operator childcare, will see their total out-of-pocket fees for both children reduce by 35 per cent from $730 in 2026 to $470 in 2027.»Goh highlighted that, since the start of the year, full-day childcare fees have been capped at $610 for anchor operator pre-schools and $650 for partner operator pre-schools, representing a 15 per cent reduction since 2020.

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam made a working visit to Rome, Italy, from March 4 to 5, where he co-chaired a World Bank meeting, and had bilateral meetings with leaders from Italy and the Holy See.On Wednesday (March 4), President Tharman met Italian President Sergio Mattarella where the two leaders exchanged views on regional and global developments. They also welcomed the growing cooperation between Singapore and Italy in areas including culture, defence, economy and science.

Accounts manager Gillian Khor, a mother of three, was driving home during the evening peak period on Wednesday (March 4) when she encountered a traffic jam along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 near Lorong Chuan.Suspecting it was due to an accident, the 45-year-old got the «shock of her life» when she saw a familiar face lying on the road — her dad. Khor, whose husband and children were with her in the car, told AsiaOne she immediately parked her vehicle at the side of the road. She said: «I was on my way home facing a huge traffic jam. I did think it was an accident and feared it might be my dad as this road was really near my house. Got the shock of my life to see his bike and then him lying on the floor.» She then asked her husband to drive the car home while she accompanied her 66-year-old father, Khor Tong Peng, in the ambulance to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. The Grabfood rider had been on his way to pick up an order at New Tech Park when he was involved in a multi-vehicle collision along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 towards Boundary Road. 

A 50-year-old man will be charged in court on Friday (March 6) for allegedly disrupting the National Parks Board’s (NParks) crow population management operations.The police said on Thursday (March 5) that they were alerted three days ago about a man who had allegedly damaged crow traps at a grass patch near Block 51 Havelock Road on two separate occasions.  As a result, the trapped crows escaped.«Through investigations and with the aid of CCTV footage, the identity of the man was established and arrested on March 4,» added the police.He will be charged for two cases of mischief that disrupted a public agency's function.If convicted, he could be jailed for up to 10 years, fined, or both.In Singapore, house crows are deemed an invasive species that pose a threat to native biodiversity. The highly intelligent species is protective of its young and can attack upon sensing threats.The Municipal Services Office received about 15,000 reports on crow-related issues in 2025, triple that of 2020, when there were nearly 5,000 reports. These include complaints about noise, feeding and soiling.

A brood of four peregrine falcon chicks hatched in Singapore on Feb 20 and 22, marking the second recorded hatching of the species here.Their birth was announced by the National Parks Board (NParks) on Thursday (March 5). The four peregrine falcons being fed by a parent. PHOTO: NParks  Describing the species as «possibly Singapore's rarest breeding bird», NParks noted that this year's hatching was two more than last year.The chick's parents, now fondly referred to as Singapore's «resident pair of peregrine falcons», were first observed to be nesting at OCBC Centre in 2024, the first local record of the species breeding in Singapore.According to NParks, last year's research revealed a diverse range of prey species, including invasive birds such as feral pigeons.