Iran strikes Tel Aviv with cluster warheads in retaliation for killing of security chief

Israel has said that Iran has repeatedly used cluster warheads, which disperse into multiple smaller explosives mid-air and spread over a wide area, making them difficult to intercept. 

READ: https://asia1.news/4sSgf38

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🚙 COE prices 2026: All categories increase again; Cat A up by 3.28% in second March bidding exercise

COE prices rose across the board for the second bidding of March 2026, with the biggest rise in Category D.

READ: https://asia1.news/4bxFMrm

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🏘 Over 90% of HDB homes to be within 5-minute walk of a beverage container return machine from April

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. 

READ: https://asia1.news/3Nd5mtA

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😱 MAS issues prohibition orders against 2 ex-bankers involved in $3b money laundering case

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.

READ: https://asia1.news/4uyrxLk

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😮 Singapore-Japan relationship provides firm foundations for navigating changed world: PM Wong

The Singapore-Japan relationship has evolved significantly over the past 60 years and serves as a strong foundation for navigating an uncertain global landscape, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. 

READ: https://asia1.news/4uBRJVA

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More than 1,000 litterbugs caught in Malaysia since Jan 1 under stricter law

Malaysian government agency Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Malaysia Corporation (SWCorp) did not specify how many of the 1,054 offenders are Singaporeans.

READ: https://asia1.news/4sVhdM3

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🫩 'Disheartening': Bukit Batok resident files police report after home garden gets destroyed

"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.

READ: https://asia1.news/4bxym7g

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😓 Man arrested after climbing into pygmy hippo Moo Deng's enclosure at Thai zoo

Security footage widely shared online shows a man wearing a black beanie, sunglasses, a green tank top, and brown shorts approaching Moo Deng and her mother Jona while holding a tablet, apparently recording or taking photos.

READ: https://asia1.news/4sg2Lhr

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😮 Gold-buying trend takes hold in Singapore

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.

READ: https://asia1.news/4uyd6ac

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🥰 Chinese university tells students to 'fall in love' during spring break

A Chinese university is urging students to "enjoy the flowers, fall in love" during their mid-term break, an unusual directive in a nation obsessed with getting good grades, as authorities seek new ways to spur marriages and domestic consumption.

READ: https://asia1.news/4dsQjq8

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🇹🇭 Thai court accepts petition challenging legality of election ballots

The Election Commission has been given 15 days to provide clarification, the court said in a statement. 

READ: https://asia1.news/4cUkoPo

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😮 Iran's nuclear doctrine not likely to change, foreign minister says

Iran's stance against the development of nuclear weapons will not significantly change, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Al Jazeera in remarks relayed by Iranian media on Wednesday (March 18), cautioning that the new supreme leader is yet to publicly express his view on the matter.

READ: https://asia1.news/4sh88wZ

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Israel military says its tank fire hit UN Lebanon base, regrets incident

Israel's military on Wednesday (March 18) acknowledged that its tank fire hit a UN position in southern Lebanon on March 6, wounding Ghanaian peacekeepers, an incident that underscores the growing risks as Israeli operations expand.

READ: https://asia1.news/47s004D

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💔 Agency asserts Heeseung won't return to Enhypen amid protests for him to rejoin K-pop group

"Heeseung will not be returning to Enhypen," the Hybe subsidiary told The Korea Herald. "He has a clear artistic direction he wants to pursue, and we decided to respect that."

READ: https://asia1.news/4bejrA7

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😍 Sweet Home's Jung Jin-young visits Singapore

You can always count on the pros to make a random spot in Singapore look aesthetic. 🤩⁠

READ: https://asia1.news/4cO1PfD

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☀️ Good morning! Here are some stories you might have missed yesterday:

🇯🇵 Japan's leader faces high-wire act in Washington over Trump's Iran demands https://asia1.news/47UPuCT

🇨🇳 China ignores Trump’s Hormuz request as the Iran war deepens and his Beijing trip slips https://asia1.news/3NNqB5j

😮 Sean Penn missed Academy Awards because he was with Ukrainian president Zelenskiy https://asia1.news/4rAgKNZ

📱 'Momentary congestion' resolved, says Singtel as hundreds of customers report issues with services on March 18

A Singtel spokesperson said there was no network outage and that the issue — due to network congestion — has been resolved.

READ: https://asia1.news/3PfyLUE

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🤓 Johor remains Singaporeans' preferred destination for Hari Raya shopping despite stronger ringgit: Survey

The ringgit has been steadily strengthening over the past year, with the current exchange rate hovering around RM3.06 against S$1 on Wednesday (March 18) — a five-year high, compared to lows of RM3.56 in 2024.

READ: https://asia1.news/3Ps9ZQZ

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😱 3 people suffer high blood pressure, insomnia after consuming banned health products

The four products — Ubat Angin Tulang, Tianma Duzhong Shujing Wan, IM SO am and IM TOX pm — were found to contain potent ingredients such as steroids, and a banned substance — sibutramine. 

They were intended to reduce knee pain or slimming.

READ: https://asia1.news/4bBKiFd

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🤝 Singapore, Japan upgrade ties to strategic partnership

The upgraded bilateral ties will focus on: promoting free trade and economic co-operation; digitalisation and technology; security and defence; green transition and energy co-operation; and partnership and exchanges.

READ: https://asia1.news/3PiflhI

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1 dead, 1 taken to hospital after fire breaks out at Choa Chu Kang HDB flat; 70 residents evacuated

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said in a Facebook post that firefighters found the deceased in the unit. The victim was pronounced dead on the spot by a paramedic.

READ: https://asia1.news/4sjPGE9

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