While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, March 4, 2026
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Foreign workers watch smoke rising from the UAE's Fujairah industrial zone on March 3, following an explosion.
PHOTO: AFP
Middle East conflict widens as Israeli, US again hit Iran
Israeli and US forces pounded targets across Iran on March 3, prompting Iranian retaliatory strikes around the Gulf as the conflict spread to Lebanon, rattled global markets and sent oil prices sharply higher.
Four days into the war, US President Donald Trump told reporters that the US military had struck numerous Iranian naval and air targets, saying that “just about everything has been knocked out.”
Mr Trump also sought to justify the assault on Iran, saying he had ordered the campaign because he had “a feeling” Iran would attack after negotiations over its nuclear programme stalled.
In response to the fierce assault, Iranian drones struck the US embassy in Saudi Arabia after previously hitting the mission in Kuwait. Smoke was seen rising near the US consulate in Dubai on March 3.
Asian allies fear Iran war will sap defences against China
PHOTO: AFP
Japanese lawmakers reeling from attacks on Iran by the US and Israel gathered on March 2 at the ruling party’s offices in Tokyo to question bureaucrats about evacuation plans, energy stocks and the legal basis for US action.
But one query posed at the closed-door meeting, described to Reuters by a politician who attended, reflected a deeper fear haunting Asia’s corridors of power since Mr Trump’s weekend attacks unleashed chaos in the Middle East.
How would the region respond to a hole left in its defences if Washington diverted ships and missiles it now uses to deter China?
Preliminary approval for $44m settlement with Epstein accusers
PHOTO: REUTERS
A US judge on March 3 granted preliminary approval to an agreement for Jeffrey Epstein’s estate to pay as much as $35 million (S$44.7 million) to resolve a class action lawsuit that accused two of the disgraced financier’s advisers of aiding and abetting his sex trafficking of young women and teenage girls.
Boies Schiller Flexner, a law firm representing Epstein victims, had announced the settlement on Feb 19. On March 3, Manhattan-based US District Judge Arun Subramanian said the agreement appeared fair.
The judge scheduled a hearing for Sept 16 to consider granting final approval.
UK halts Grenfell demolition after handprints found
PHOTO: REUTERS
Britain’s government said on March 3 it has paused the demolition of parts of Grenfell Tower after bereaved families warned they would take legal action if walls bearing handprints were not preserved.
A fire tore through the 24-storey social housing block in one of London’s wealthiest areas in June 2017, killing 72 people.
Demolition began in September 2025.
Bottom side Wolves stun lacklustre Liverpool
PHOTO: REUTERS
Mohamed Salah ended his 10-game Premier League goal drought but Liverpool slipped to a 2-1 loss to bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux on March 3 in a blow to their Champions League qualification hopes.
Liverpool have 48 points from 29 games and are fifth in the table, while Wolves’ recent improvement has seen them move to 16 points from 30 matches.
Victory for Chelsea at Aston Villa on March 4 will see champions Liverpool drop to sixth in the table following a ninth defeat of the campaign. They have not lost 10 league games in a season for a decade.
