The Election Commission has announced the commencement of the silence period for Assam legislative assembly elections from 5:00 PM today, prohibiting all forms of campaigning, including public meetings and social media dissemination. This 48-hour period before polling on April 9 aims to ensure a free and fair electoral process, with strict compliance mandated for all stakeholders.

The Supreme Court ruled that banks are not required to provide personal oral hearings before classifying accounts as fraudulent. However, banks must furnish customers with a forensic audit report prior to such classification. This decision acknowledges the infeasibility of individual hearings given the significant rise in bank fraud cases.

Nearly 91 lakh names were removed from West Bengal's electoral rolls after a special revision exercise. The Election Commission's data shows significant deletions, impacting the voter base. While some deletions were finalized, others remain under adjudication. Electoral rolls for the first phase of assembly elections have now been frozen.

Prices to fuel and energy are likely to remain high even after hostilities in the Middle East cease, Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam said on Tuesday (April 7). This is due to the extent of the damage to oil facilities which will take time to repair, he said, adding that the Ministry of Trade and Industry is monitoring the situation closely. More than half of Singapore's crude oil imports come from the Middle East, while nine per cent of natural gas would have been imported from Qatar this year prior to the crisis.«Even if the Strait of Hormuz fully reopens tomorrow, global oil and gas export capacity will not return to pre-conflict levels so quickly.»In the longer-term, we are concerned about broader disruptions to global supply chains affecting goods critical to Singapore's economy and essential services." Shanmugam, who is chair of the Homefront Crisis Ministerial Committee, was speaking in Parliament during a ministerial statement.The committee was convened by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to coordinate Singapore's response to energy disruptions caused by the Middle East conflict. 

A 36-year-old man who allegedly struck a four-year-old boy twice at a bus stop in Woodlands on March 6 was charged in court on Tuesday (April 7).Muhammad Firdhaus Mokhtar was charged with voluntarily causing hurt and using criminal force with enhanced penalties for offences against persons below 14 years of age.He was also charged with intentionally causing harassment. These offences were purportedly committed at a bus stop near Block 875 Woodlands Street 82.According to court documents seen by AsiaOne, Firdhaus allegedly struck the 4-year-old boy twice — once on the right side of the face and once on the left.He is also said to have grabbed the boy's right arm and swung it back, causing the latter to step back.Firdhaus is also accused of threatening to break the boy's fingers.The boy cannot be named due to a gag order on his identity.

Singapore's overall inflation for 2026 is expected to rise above the earlier projection of between 1 to 2 per cent because of the ongoing Middle East conflict.Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong — who is also Trade and Industry Minister — told Parliament so on Tuesday (April 7) in his ministerial statement discussing the impact of the conflict on Singapore.«The Middle East situation has driven up global energy and commodity prices, which will drive up global inflation. Consequently, we now expect Singapore's overall inflation for 2026 to be higher than earlier projected,» he said.Separately, Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam and Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow are also delivering separate statements on the impact. This comes as 32 MPs have submitted 62 questions on the war's impact, including rising energy prices in the Republic, and the Government's response.

Singapore residents can play their part in dealing with the current energy crisis by using fans and taking public transport, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said on Tuesday (April 7).Delivering his ministerial statement about the impact of the Middle East conflict on Singapore in Parliament, he said that the effect of the conflict could persist for «some time».The Government is continuing to strengthen international trade partnerships, and will also provide support to households and businesses, shared DPM Gan, who is also Minister for Trade and Industry.«All of us — Government, businesses and households — will need to do our part,» he stated.DPM Gan said households should endeavour to conserve electricity and use climate vouchers to purchase more energy-efficient appliances.«Households can...adopt simple measures such as using fans instead of air-conditioning, and taking public transport instead of driving,» he suggested.'Inevitable' rise in fuel and electricity costsMeanwhile, businesses can conserve energy through schemes such as the Energy Efficiency Grant, and investing in more efficient equipment.

The gang who tried to steal Joanna Lumley's car from outside her £2.5m London home were Eastern European - and targeted at least three more vehicles in the same street.

WESTERN BUREAU: For 32 years, Shernette Crichton walked the corridors of Half Moon not as a spectator of its legacy, but as a student of it; quietly studying, steadily rising, and preparing for a moment she always believed would come. On April 2, that moment arrived. In a move that signals both continuity and change in Jamaica’s tourism sector, Crichton was appointed managing director of the 72-year-old institution, becoming the first Jamaican and the first woman to hold the post. Her elevation came against the backdrop of renewal.

The University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) paid Strategic Alignment Limited US$92,000 (J$14.5 million) to create a strategic transformation plan, but rejected the draft without explaining why the board did not approve it. At the same time another consulting firm, William Pragmatic Limited, which received nearly US$93,000, representing 50 per cent of the cost to produce an operation and turnaround plan for the UHWI, only delivered a draft document nearly two years after collecting the down payment.

A former attorney has lost his bid to pursue a conflict-of-interest complaint against a member of the disciplinary panel that ruled over 20 years ago that he should be struck off the list of lawyers authorised to practise in Jamaica. Disbarred attorney Therol Voche filed an application in the Court of Appeal requesting permission and more time to challenge a decision made last year by a disciplinary committee of the General Legal Council (GLC) not to pursue his complaint against Charles E. Piper, KC. The GLC is the body that regulates the legal profession in Jamaica.

WESTERN BUREAU: The Government of Jamaica has pushed back against claims that St Kitts and Nevis is the first Caribbean nation to recognise Rastafarianism in law, insisting that Jamaica has long acknowledged the faith within its constitutional and parliamentary framework. Speaking with The Gleaner on the sidelines of the 63rd anniversary of the 1963 Coral Gardens Incident last Friday, Culture Minister Olivia Grange said that Jamaica’s legal system has historically recognised Rastafari as a legitimate religion.

What should have been one of the happiest moments of Shandale Ballentine’s life ended in heartbreak on Good Friday. Instead of leaving the Cornwall Regional Hospital cradling the baby boy she had spent months preparing for, the 33-year-old first-time mother said she returned home “empty-handed”, struggling to make sense of how her long-awaited delivery ended in tragedy. Ballentine said she lost her son, Ramontay Rakai Ranger, during labour at the Montego Bay, St James-based hospital during what she described as the “worst” ordeal of her life.

Howard Stern and his wife Beth are being sued by their former employee who claims the couple fostered a hostile work environment.

The People’s National Party (PNP) says it has referred the membership of a former Member of Parliament charged with incest to its internal disciplinary processes for “immediate action”. In a statement issued late Monday, the party said it acted “without delay” after learning of the charges.

According to Axios, the move may be linked to Hegseth’s role in overseeing US military operations in Iran

«The second attack was to be carried out [simultaneously] with the assault on Crocus City Hall. It was to involve two people, while three others would take part in the Crocus attack,» the source said

A fire broke out at a building at Buona Vista on Monday (April 6) evening. Images of the fire shared to Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu showed thick smoke billowing from the building. In other photos, workers were seen waiting in the lobby for the fire to subside. Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to a fire at 30 Science Park Road at about 6.35pm.According to the above-mentioned location, the building houses the Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies, which is a technical agency under the Ministry of Defence. SCDF added the fire involved a cooling tower at the rooftop of the affected building. The blaze was extinguished by building workers using a hosereel and dry powder fire extinguishers before SCDF arrived. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation. [[nid:719347]]xingying.koh@asiaone.com

Just before Parliament sits to discuss the impact of the Middle East situation on Singapore, Caltex on Tuesday (April 7) raised diesel prices — mirroring adjustments made by Esso, Shell, Sinopec and SPC on Monday.In a price board update at 9am, Caltex announced that it has raised its posted price for diesel by 25 cents, to $4.68. As with the four other major companies, Caltex also kept its prices for petrol unchanged. Meanwhile, the global Brent benchmark went up past US$110 at the time of this article's publication as Iran rejected a ceasefire plan put together by Pakistan.

President Donald Trump has sparked disbelief and mockery after an extraordinary White House briefing on Monday that critics claimed was more reminiscent of an SNL skit.

President Donald Trump revealed astonishing new details on Monday about the successful rescue mission to find the downed American airman who was left wounded in Iran for 48 hours.

The Artemis II crew reemerged from behind the Moon, concluding the historic six-hour flyby. They are now headline back to Earth, with splashdown expected on Friday.

Donald Trump has vowed to pursue the 'sick' leaker who revealed that the US was searching for a second missing airman after a fighter jet was downed over Iran .

Former Migos member Offset was reportedly shot while in Florida on Monday.

CEO of Russia’s Roscosmos State Space Corporation Dmitry Bakanov noted that the details of the meeting are currently being worked out

At the party’s 14th congress in January, he was re-elected general secretary of the Central Committee for a term from 2026 to 2031