NewsLite

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump and his top officials have offered shifting objectives and reasons for the US-Israeli war on Iran, which critics say shows a lack of planning for the conflict and its aftermath.

Stated objectives and expected timeline have varied, including toppling Iran's government, weakening Iran's military, security and nuclear capabilities and its regional influence, as well as supporting Israeli interests.

Here is how Trump described his war goals and timeline:

The Iranian people should "take over" governance of their country, Trump said in a video on social media as the US and Israel launched their attacks. "It will be yours to take," he added. "This will be probably your only chance for generations."

SAN FRANCISCO - A jury has found Elon Musk liable for defrauding investors by deliberately driving down Twitter's stock price in the tumultuous months leading up to his 2022 acquisition of the social media company for $44 billion (S$56 billion). But it absolved him of some fraud allegations, finding that he did not "scheme" to mislead investors.

The civil trial in San Francisco centred on a class-action lawsuit filed just before Musk took control of Twitter, which he later renamed X. Jurors were asked to decide if two tweets and comments Musk made on a podcast in May 2022 amounted to him intentionally defrauding Twitter shareholders, who sold their shares based on Musk's statements.

The nine-person jury returned the verdict after nearly four days of deliberation, nearly three weeks after the trial began on March 2. They said that while Musk was liable for misleading investors with two tweets - including one said the Twitter deal was "temporarily on hold," he did not do so with a statement he made on a podcast and that he did not intentionally "scheme" to defraud investors.

The jury awarded shareholders between about $3 and $8 per stock per day as damages, which the plaintiffs' lawyers said amounts to about $2.1 billion in stock and another $500 million in options. Musk's fortune is currently estimated at about $814 billion, much of it tied up in Tesla shares.

Chuck Norris, the roundhouse-kicking star of TV series Walker, Texas Ranger and action movie Expendables 2, died on Thursday (March 19), his family said on Instagram.

Below are some tributes and reactions.

"Texas has lost a legend," the Republican governor of Texas wrote on X. "All of Texas mourns the passing of Chuck Norris. He was not only a martial arts champion, action icon, and the one and only Walker, Texas Ranger. But he electrified generations of conservatives. Giving them a passion and voice to fight for the principles that make America the greatest nation on earth.

"He embodied the toughness, grit, and patriotism that makes Texas supreme."

WASHINGTON - A US-led defence manufacturing partnership agreed to launch a new missile motor production programme with Japan, push forward a drone co-operation effort across Asia and explore building a new ammunition production line in the Philippines, the Pentagon said on Friday (March 20).

The Partnership for Indo-Pacific Industrial Resilience, known as PIPIR, is a group of nations working together to build up their weapons and defence manufacturing capacity in the Asia-Pacific region. The United States set it up in May 2024 to reduce supply chain risks and help allies produce and maintain military equipment closer to where it might be needed.

The Pentagon published a joint statement following a virtual meeting on Wednesday, where the group welcomed two new members - Thailand and the United Kingdom - bringing its total membership to 16 countries spanning both the Indo-Pacific and Europe.

The group said it had agreed to set up a new programme to produce solid rocket motors - the propulsion systems used in many guided weapons - with Japan taking the lead. The move is seen as a way to boost production capacity outside the United States for a key weapons component.

If you've noticed a burnt smell in the air over the past few evenings and are wondering if it's the haze at work, here's why.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a Facebook post on Friday (March 20) evening that hotspots with smoke plumes were observed in Central Sumatra and Johor.

Noting the dry and warm conditions over Singapore and the surrounding region from this weekend until the end of next week, along with prevailing winds from the northeast, NEA said that there may be an increase in hotspot activity and a "continued risk of smoke haze".

Checks by AsiaOne on the agency's 1-hour PM2.5 reading at 11.30pm indicate that Singapore's air quality remains in the "normal" band.

SEOUL - A fire broke out around lunchtime at a car parts factory in the South Korean city of Daejeon on Friday (March 20), leaving 10 people dead, 25 seriously injured and 34 with minor injuries, the country's safety ministry said on Saturday.

Four other workers were still missing, and the government has activated a centralised disaster management system after President Lee Jae Myung ordered all available resources to be used to deal with the fire and save lives.

One of the dead was found on the second floor of the factory and nine others on the third floor, Yonhap reported, citing authorities.

The safety ministry said on Saturday in a statement the fire had been contained since 11.48pm (10.48pm Singapore time) on Friday.

HAVANA - Cuba on Friday (March 20) rejected any suggestion that its political system or the term of its president were subject to negotiation in talks with the United States, following reports that Washington sought to remove Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel from power.

"I can categorically confirm that ... the political system of Cuba is not up for negotiation, and of course neither the president nor the position of any official in Cuba is subject to negotiation with the United States," Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio told a press conference.

Cuba said a week ago that it had entered talks with the US government as an oil blockade imposed by US President Donald Trump pushes the Communist-run nation deeper into economic crisis, and as Trump has said he can do "anything I want" with Cuba, a sovereign neighbour.

Speaking later to a group of foreign activists bringing humanitarian aid to Cuba, Diaz-Canel said Cuba was preparing for a possible US "aggression".

WASHINGTON - The Trump administration on Friday (March 20) issued a 30-day sanctions waiver for the purchase of Iranian oil at sea to ease energy supply pressures since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.

This was the third time the US has temporarily waived sanctions in about two weeks. The US had previously eased sanctions on Russian oil and on Friday issued a general license allowing the sale of Iranian crude oil and petroleum products loaded on vessels as of March 20 to April 19, according to the license posted to the Treasury Department's website.

"By temporarily unlocking this existing supply for the world, the United States will quickly bring approximately 140 million barrels of oil to global markets, expanding the amount of worldwide energy and helping to relieve the temporary pressures on supply caused by Iran," Bessent said in a statement on X.

"In essence, we will be using the Iranian barrels against Tehran to keep the price down as we continue Operation Epic Fury," Bessent said.

SINGAPORE - Outside a flat in Beach Road, LED lights shimmer amid cascading greenery and vibrant orchids, adding a festive glow to an otherwise ordinary Housing Board block.

For Mr Ryan Qim, a 49-year-old chef, the display is more than decoration. It is his annual ritual to keep the spirit of Hari Raya alive.

This year's concept, Garden Raya, is inspired by his love of flowers and the elaborate floral displays at Gardens by the Bay.

His corridor is filled with lush arrangements, including orchids in rich hues, illuminated by warm lighting and a neon "Selamat Hari Raya" greeting. LED-lit Hari Raya motifs, including ketupat, crescent moons and stars, hang overhead.

SEOUL, South Korea - After a four-year break, K-pop supergroup BTS returns Saturday (March 21) with a massive, free comeback concert in Seoul, where thousands of police are locking down a central boulevard for the Netflix-exclusive spectacle expected to draw tens of thousands of fans.

The performance at Gwanghwamun Square launches a months-long global tour spanning dozens of shows across the United States, Europe and Asia.

All seven members of the band - RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook - recently completed South Korea's mandatory military service, and hope to reclaim their status as one of the world's biggest pop acts.

The hour-long concert comes a day after the group released its fifth album, "ARIRANG," which had already logged several million preorder sales since January.