While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, April 1, 2026
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US President Donald Trump said Tehran does not have to make a deal with Washington to end the conflict.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Trump says US could end war in Iran in two to three weeks
President Donald Trump said on March 31 that the US could end its military campaign against Iran within two to three weeks.
"We'll be leaving very soon," he told reporters in the White House's Oval Office, adding that the exit could take place "within two weeks, maybe two weeks, maybe three."
The declaration was Mr Trump's clearest to date that he intends to soon end a month-long war that has reordered the Middle East, disrupted global energy markets and changed the trajectory of the Republican's presidency.
Mr Trump added that Tehran does not have to make a deal with Washington to end the conflict.
Iran threatens to target US tech firms if more of its leaders are killed
PHOTO: REUTERS
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on March 31 that they would target leading US technology firms like Apple, Google and Meta if more Iranian leaders were killed in “targeted assassinations”.
“These companies, starting from 8pm Tehran time on Wednesday, April 1 (12.30am on April 2, Singapore time), should expect the destruction of their relevant units in exchange for every assassination in Iran,” the Guards said in a statement listing the names of 18 companies it alleged were complicit in the killing of officials.
“We advise the employees of these institutions to immediately leave their workplaces to preserve their lives,” it added.
China, Pakistan call for Iran peace talks, normal navigation in Strait of Hormuz
PHOTO: REUTERS
China and Pakistan on March 31 called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gulf and the wider Middle East, urging peace talks to start as soon as possible and the restoration of normal navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, as their foreign ministers met in Beijing.
Both countries have called for talks to end the US-Israeli war on Iran, now in the fifth week. Islamabad has previously said it is ready to facilitate peace talks between Washington and Tehran.
Pakistan, which shares a more than 900km border with Iran, has emerged as a key mediator, building on its courtship of US President Donald Trump and its reputation as a relatively neutral player with long-standing ties to Iran.
Foreign media group slams Israeli police attack on former AFP photographer
PHOTO: AFP
An international media association on March 31 condemned what it described as a “violent and unprovoked attack” on veteran photographer Menahem Kahana, a former AFP employee.
Mr Kahana was covering a demonstration against a death penalty Bill passed by Israel’s Parliament, the Knesset, the day before.
According to the Foreign Press Association, which represents hundreds of journalists in Israel and the Palestinian territories, Mr Kahana was “sprayed at a close distance by a water cannon” at the protest outside the Knesset.
OpenAI valued at $1 trillion after completing $157 billion funding round
PHOTO: REUTERS
OpenAI has completed a deal to raise US$122 billion (S$157 billion) from investors at an US$852 billion (S$1 trillion) valuation, marking the company’s largest funding round to date by far and bolstering its costly push for more chips, data centres and talent.
The bulk of the financing, which had been in the works for months, came from three large tech companies. Amazon.com agreed to invest US$50 billion in the round, while Nvidia and SoftBank Group each put in US$30 billion.
A large portion of Amazon’s investment – US$35 billion – is contingent on OpenAI going public or reaching the technological milestone of artificial general intelligence.
