diff --git a/services/search/providers.py b/services/search/providers.py
index ea6bfc602..60daa4844 100644
--- a/services/search/providers.py
+++ b/services/search/providers.py
@@ -215,6 +215,10 @@ def searxng_search_api(query: str, count: Optional[int] = None, categories: str
         and (
             any(h in q_lc for h in _NEWS_HINTS)
             or bool(_NEWS_EVENT_HINT_RE.search(query))
+            or (
+                bool(re.search(r'\bdevelopments\b', query, re.I))
+                and bool(re.search(r'\b(?:latest|recent|today|this\s+(?:week|month)|past\s+(?:week|month))\b', query, re.I))
+            )
         )
     )
     if is_news and categories == "general":
diff --git a/tests/test_service_search_provider_guards.py b/tests/test_service_search_provider_guards.py
index 524572a87..ca7973499 100644
--- a/tests/test_service_search_provider_guards.py
+++ b/tests/test_service_search_provider_guards.py
@@ -11,6 +11,33 @@ from services.search import core
 from services.search import providers
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('query,category', [
+    ('AI developments this week', 'news'),
+    ('recent developments in battery manufacturing', 'news'),
+    ('latest developments in quantum computing', 'news'),
+    ('web development tutorial this week', 'general'),
+    ('current Firefox privacy documentation', 'general'),
+    ('historical developments in mathematics', 'general'),
+    ('latest Python version developments', 'general'),
+])
+def test_temporal_developments_select_news_not_reference_search(monkeypatch, query, category):
+    seen = []
+    class Response:
+        def raise_for_status(self): pass
+        def json(self):
+            return {'results': [{'title': 'Result', 'url': 'https://example.org/report'}]}
+    def get(*args, **kwargs):
+        seen.append(kwargs['params'])
+        return Response()
+    monkeypatch.setattr(providers, '_get_search_instance', lambda: 'http://searx.test')
+    monkeypatch.setattr(providers, '_get_search_settings', lambda: {})
+    monkeypatch.setattr(providers, '_get_provider_key', lambda name: '')
+    monkeypatch.setattr(providers.httpx, 'get', get)
+    providers.searxng_search_api(query, time_filter='week')
+    assert seen[0]['categories'] == category
+    assert seen[0]['time_range'] == 'week'
+
+
 def test_dead_credentialed_fallback_is_skipped_for_same_instance_engine(monkeypatch):
     monkeypatch.setattr(core, "_get_search_settings", lambda: {"search_fallback_chain": ["google_pse"]})
     monkeypatch.setattr(providers, "_get_search_settings", lambda: {})