SINGAPORE - Gold retailers in Singapore are boosting inventories to cater to higher demand for the precious metal amid the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.Bullion dealers, jewellers and pawnshops told The Straits Times that buying of the precious metal has surged in recent times amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and expectations of interest rate cuts.Items like gold bars, coins and jewellery are among the items being snapped up by local buyers in recent weeks, with some also eyeing silver, they said. Also in the mix are people who want to cash in or trade their older gold items.Besides middle-aged customers, some have also observed a younger crowd wading into the gold-buying trend.Mr David Mitchell, founder and managing director of bullion dealer Indigo Precious Metals, said his store has seen demand rise over 100 per cent so far in 2026, compared with the same period in 2025. The company runs a retail outlet in Bukit Pasoh Road.“We have seen more buyers than sellers over the past year, but we also are beginning to see more sellers entering the market, which is typical after strong price moves,” he said.

A man was left shocked after returning to his Bukit Batok home to find his plants in disarray, with pots toppled and soil scattered across the corridor.Speaking to AsiaOne on Wednesday (March 18), the man, who wished to be known only as Luo, said the incident happened when he had gone out on Saturday (March 14). «It was around 2pm when I got home that I noticed my plants had toppled. At first, I thought it was the wind, but I soon realised the plants had been ripped out of their pots, with soil scattered all over the corridor,» said the 42-year-old retail investor.Luo added that he also noticed deep scratches and dents on his front door, which he believes were caused by objects such as rocks or tiles being thrown at it. He has since filed a police report and estimates that repairing the door and buying new plants will cost around $1,500.Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police confirmed that a report was lodged and investigations are ongoing. 

SINGAPORE – Lawyer Arfat Selvam, the widow of retired judge G.P. Selvam, has sued her grandson for breach of confidence and defamation in a dispute related to her late husband’s will. Mrs Selvam, a former president of the Law Society of Singapore, and her two daughters are the executors and trustees of Mr Selvam’s will.Some details of the dispute emerged in written grounds of decision issued on March 16 by Senior Judge Tan Siong Thye.Justice Tan was giving written reasons to explain why he upheld certain orders that Mrs Selvam and her daughters had sought while the case is going through the court process.The orders include an injunction to restrain Mrs Selvam’s grandson, Mr Sharad Selvam Ramachandra, from disclosing confidential material, and a search order for confidential material.The judge had in 2025 granted the orders to safeguard the confidential material and to prevent Mr Ramachandra from destroying relevant evidence of how he obtained the material. In his bid to set aside the orders, Mr Ramachandra argued for an “iniquity exception”, where evidence of unlawful actions are not protected by the law of confidence.

The Chinese leadership is preparing the country for a new era of technological and strategic competition Read Full Article at RT.com

A US foreign aid agency failed to monitor $26 billion sent to the Ukrainian government, an auditor has told US lawmakers Read Full Article at RT.com

Congo’s electoral officials have declared President Denis Sassou Nguesso the winner of Sunday’s election with 94.82% of the vote Read Full Article at RT.com

There has been no discussion of this nature between India and Iran, the Indian Foreign Ministry has said Read Full Article at RT.com

A Ukrainian drone strike hit residential buildings in the southern Russian city of Krasnodar, leaving one person dead   Read Full Article at RT.com

La semaine dernière s'est achevé l'atelier régional « Femmes et Champs d'Avenir dans le Bassin du Congo », placé sous le Haut Parrainage de Madame la Première Dame de la République gabonaise, et co-organisé par l'OIF et la Fondation Ma Bannière. Une clôture marquée par la reconnaissance du travail accompli et des parcours engagés. "Félicitations aux 10 lauréates de cette première édition, qui repartent avec leurs distinctions, mais surtout avec des compétences renforcées, un réseau (...) - SOCIETE / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON

Dans le cadre de la célébration de la Journée internationale des droits de la femme commémorée chaque 8 mars, l'Association des femmes cheminots du Gabon (AFCG) a organisé, le 13 mars 2026, une rencontre d'échanges au sein de la SETRAG. Cette initiative, tenue en différé, visait à rassembler les femmes cheminots autour d'une activité de réflexion et de formation consacrée au nouveau Code de la famille en République gabonaise. À travers cette rencontre, l'association souhaitait (...) - SOCIETE / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON

Libreville, le lundi 09 mars 2026, le Ministre du Tourisme Durable et de l'Artisanat, Pr Marcelle Ibinga épse Itsitsa a effectué une visite d'inspection sur le site de l'Hôtel Atlantique actuellement en construction. Cette descente s'inscrit dans la volonté du Gouvernement de suivre de près les projets d'infrastructures touristiques destinés à renforcer l'offre hôtelière nationale. Lors de cette visite, le Ministre a pu apprécier l'état d'avancement des travaux de cet établissement (...) - INFRASTRUCTURES / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON

The Save America Act’s effects are unpredictable but changes in voting patterns could make more stringent requirements a problem for Republicans.

The win capped a mixed night for AIPAC and crypto, which spent heavily in Illinois’ primary elections.

John Cornyn casts himself as one of the president’s biggest supporters in the Senate, and Ken Paxton is running ads in the Florida region that includes Mar-a-Lago.

[New Times] Assia Ufitese from Kicukiro District was only 17 when she became pregnant in 2023, forcing her to drop out of secondary school and putting her dreams of higher education on hold. Her story reflects a growing challenge in Rwanda, where teenage pregnancy has risen from 5% in 2020 to 8% in 2025.

If you're leaving it until the last minute to open a cash Isa, you may need to act before March 26 - a full ten days before the deadline.

To all those mourning the demise of the Duchess of Sussex 's Netflix series With Love, Meghan - fear not!

It takes money to make money, they say. We are giving five contestants £500 each and asking them to turn it into £10,000 - as quickly as they can.

The cat is out of the bag. Rachel Reeves has finally stripped bare this Government's shallow pretence that it somehow respects Brexit, or that it honours the democratic will of the British people.

[RFI] A Brussels court is to decide Tuesday whether a 93-year-old former Belgian diplomat should stand trial over the 1961 killing of Congolese independence icon Patrice Lumumba.

[RFI] A Brussels court has ordered a 93-year-old former Belgian diplomat to stand trial over the 1961 killing of Congolese independence icon Patrice Lumumba.

The Lok Sabha MP said that neither side was benefiting from the ongoing hostilities, while other nations were bearing the cost through disruptions in global oil, gas and supply chains. The Congress leader said that both American and Iranian objectives had largely been met, making the continuation of the conflict detrimental to global interests.

Assam MP Pradyut Bordoloi has switched from Congress to BJP, a day after leaving his former party. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma welcomed him, suggesting Bordoloi will contest assembly elections. Bordoloi cited internal party issues and feeling insulted. This move precedes the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, with the BJP seeking a third term.

Since their heartbreaking fall out with son Brooklyn last year, there is nothing that Sir David and Victoria Beckham want more than to be in the same room as their oldest offspring.

A diet rich in berries, leafy greens and healthy fats may slow the progression of brain changes linked to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease, new research has suggested.

Muslims in the UK are far 'more hostile' towards the United States and Israel while they are 'much warmer' towards China and Russia, the survey found.

Netflix is said to be 'done' with Harry and Meghan, according to a brutal takedown of the couple in Hollywood's entertainment bible Variety.

The period tracking app Clue found the average woman spends around £41 a month on everything from pads and tampons to pain relief, clothing, and cleaning. Over a lifetime, this adds up to £20,359.

Some 1,070 Return Right machines will be deployed when the beverage container return scheme (BCRS) commences on April 1, with most Singaporeans having no difficulty finding one. More than 90 per cent of Housing and Development Board (HDB) households will have a Right Return machine within a five-minute walk from home. This initial deployment of machines will cover more than 430 supermarkets and retail outlets, over 610 town council-managed areas in HDB heartlands, and 17 high footfall hawker centres across Singapore. In the coming months, a further 160 locations - such as institutes of higher learning and 36 industrial areas with high football - will also have such machines. The deployment will eventually be extended to large migrant worker dormitories and all recreation centres. 

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) on Tuesday (March 17) issued prohibition orders against two former bankers who were convicted for their involvement in the $3 billion money laundering case in 2023.Former Citibank relationship manager Wang Qiming, 27, was given a 16-year prohibition order, while Liu Kai, 37, who was previously a relationship manager at Julius Baer, was given a prohibition order of seven years.Under the prohibition orders, Wang and Liu are not allowed to carry out any MAS-regulated or authorised activity of business.They are also barred from becoming, or increasing their interested as a substantial shareholder, of any financial institution that is a corporation.On Oct 23, 2025, Wang was convicted of four charges for forgery, money laundering and obstructing the course of justice. He was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment. Six other charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.A day later, Liu was convicted of one charge of using a forged tax document to defraud Bank Julius Baer. He was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment.

Pump prices in Singapore rose for a third consecutive day this week as Shell again started a new round of price adjustments on Wednesday (March 18).In a price board update published at 1pm, Shell announced that it has raised its posted price for diesel by 7 cents — two days after it raised its posted prices for 95- and 98-octane, V-Power as well as diesel — also by 7 cents each. But Shell has held prices steady for its 95- and 98-octane petrol, and the premium V-Power in this latest round of price adjustments.Sinopec and SPC on Tuesday raised their respective pump prices, following price adjustments by a trio of fuel companies — Shell, Esso and Caltex — on Monday.

The singer, 62, was married to the Dutch ship plumbing engineer for eight years, with him going on to become her manager during their relationship.

Luke Billings (pictured) set off the fire alarm at the food giant's facility in Tutbury, Staffordshire, in October 2023, triggering a full evacuation and halting work on the factory floor.