Terminally-ill cancer patient flown from Singapore to India to fulfil her last wish
Singapore: In a humanitarian gesture, the Indian mission in Singapore has facilitated the travel of a cancer patient to fulfill her last wish to unite with her mother in Tamil Nadu amid global travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Indian mission thanked Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Air India Express, and passengers who gave up seats to her and her family.
"Fulfilling the last wish of a person with few days left. Happy to unite a cancer patient with her mother in Trichy," the Indian mission tweeted along with a picture of the patient and her family.
The spread of coronavirus has halted international travel. India has launched the Vande Bharat Mission to bring back its citizens stranded in various nations.
Vistara will operate two repatriation flights -- one each on June 14 and June 15 -- on the Singapore-Delhi-Amritsar route under the Vande Bharat Mission to bring back stranded Indians, the airline said on Thursday.
Singapore on Thursday reported 422 new coronavirus cases, the majority of them foreign workers living in dormitories, taking the total number of infections in the city-state to 39,387.
Fulfilling the last wish of a person with few days left. Happy to unite a cancer patient with her mother in Trichy. Thanks to Singapore Foreign Minister HE @VivianBala , @MFAsg ,the Hospital, Air India Express & passengers who gave up seats to her & family. ?#VandeBharatMission pic.twitter.com/Na1Yta3zV4
— India in Singapore (@IndiainSingapor) June 11, 2020
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Middle East crisis: Oil prices cross $83 per barrel as Strait of Hormuz disruption hits supply
New Delhi: Global crude oil prices rose sharply on Thursday, crossing $83 per barrel, following Iran’s move to shut down the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Oil prices have increased by more than 2 per cent due to concerns over supply disruptions in the region, which is a key route for global energy shipments.
A sustained rise in crude prices could significantly affect India’s import bill. Government estimates indicate that an increase of $1 per barrel in crude oil prices for a full year could raise India’s import bill by around Rs 16,000 crore.
However, government sources said India remains in a relatively comfortable position in the short term. The country currently has crude oil reserves sufficient for about 25 days, along with an additional 25 days’ supply of petroleum products, including shipments already in transit to Indian ports.
India imports nearly 85 per cent of its crude oil requirements from the Middle East, with much of the supply traditionally passing through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes.
Officials said India has strengthened its energy security in recent years by diversifying its sources of crude oil imports. Supplies have increasingly been sourced from countries such as Russia, African nations and the United States, reducing dependence on Gulf routes.
As a result, a portion of India’s oil imports now bypasses the Strait of Hormuz.
India spent about $137 billion on crude oil imports in the financial year ending March 31, 2025. In the current financial year, from April 2025 to January 2026, the country spent approximately $100.4 billion to import 206.3 million tonnes of crude oil.
