The government has reconvened the Homefront Crisis Ministerial Committee and announced it will bring forward and enhance Budget 2026 subsidies ahead of schedule, targeting the most severely affected sectors. PM Wong said firms and households can expect stronger, earlier assistance. Details will be announced when Parliament resumes next Tuesday.

In his first prime-time address on the Iran war, Trump declared strategic objectives are "nearly complete" but vowed to bomb Iran "back to the stone age" if it does not comply, saying strikes will continue intensively for the next two to three weeks. Oil prices surged nearly 8% to US$109/barrel; gold fell ~5%; the Kospi dropped 5.6% and regional markets broadly fell. Iran vowed a "crushing" response and rejected the ultimatum.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have established a formalised toll system for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, starting at US$1 per barrel of cargo. Ships from countries deemed "friendly" are prioritised; those from hostile states face threats or potential attack. The system is described as increasingly structured and is being applied to commercial tankers.

Four astronauts blasted off on NASA's Artemis II mission on April 1 (Singapore time April 2), embarking on a 10-day trip around the Moon. It is humanity's first crewed lunar mission since Apollo 17 in 1972 and is expected to pave the way for a permanent return to the Moon.

Elon Musk's SpaceX has confidentially filed for a US IPO, positioning it to be the largest stock market listing in history given its private valuation. The filing sets the stage for a landmark public offering of the world's leading private space company.

Israel has announced its intent to occupy large swaths of southern Lebanon as part of its ongoing campaign against Hezbollah, with 600,000 people barred from entering the affected zones. The move opens a new front in an already destabilised region, raising concerns over further displacement and escalation.

Singapore has detected two new mpox cases caused by the Clade Ib variant — a more severe strain — with both male patients likely infected via sexual contact. The Communicable Disease Agency said the risk to the general public remains low, and contact tracing is underway.

Singapore has cleared pig blood products for sale again after banning them in 1999 during the Nipah virus outbreak. The Food Safety Science and Technology Division circular announced the change on April 1. Most food establishments welcomed the move, though some are watching to see if demand has survived the long gap.

A powerful 7.4-magnitude quake struck off Indonesia's Northern Molucca Sea on April 2, killing one person and damaging several buildings. A tsunami warning was briefly issued but later lifted. The epicentre was in the Molucca Sea between Sulawesi and the Maluku Islands.

Jenny Lim, 51, CFO of a local tech company, has been charged in Singapore — making her the fourth senior executive to face charges linked to the investigation into the smuggling of advanced Nvidia chips subject to US export controls.