While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, March 21, 2026
· The Straits TimesTrump rules out ceasefire in Iran war
US President Donald Trump rejected the idea of declaring a cessation of hostilities in Iran, while expressing confidence the Strait of Hormuz would reopen “itself” despite allies’ reluctance to offer assistance.
“I don’t want to do a ceasefire. You know, you don’t do a ceasefire when you’re literally obliterating the other side,” Mr Trump said on March 20 at the White House. “We’re not looking to do that.”
Mr Trump again lashed out at military allies, including North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members as well as China, for refusing to help unblock Hormuz, a waterway that carries roughly a fifth of global oil and natural gas flows.
“NATO could help us, but they so far haven’t had the courage to do so. And others could help us, but we don’t use it,” the president said of the strait. “At a certain point, it’ll open itself.”
Iraq declares force majeure on foreign-operated oilfields over Hormuz disruption
Iraq has declared force majeure on all oilfields developed by foreign oil companies after military operations in the region disrupted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, halting most of the country's crude exports, three energy officials with direct knowledge of the decision said.
Navigation through the Strait of Hormuz — a chokepoint for around 20 per cent of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies — has been severely affected by unprecedented military activity, the oil ministry said in a letter dated March 17 and seen by Reuters. Most Iraqi crude exports transit the Strait, and the disruptions have caused storage capacity to reach its limits, the letter said.
International oil prices settled at their highest level in nearly four years on March 20, as the three-week-old US-Israeli war with Iran escalated.
US and allies move to build missiles and drones closer to Asia’s flashpoints
A US-led defence manufacturing partnership agreed to launch a new missile motor production programme with Japan, push forward a drone cooperation effort across Asia and explore building a new ammunition production line in the Philippines, the Pentagon said on 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 March 18, 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.
Himalayan glaciers melting twice as fast, threatening billions
Himalayan glaciers that provide a vital source of fresh water for around two billion people are melting twice as quickly as in 2000, a report warned on March 21.
The Hindu Kush-Himalayan range, which stretches from Afghanistan to Myanmar, holds the largest reserves of ice and snow outside the Arctic and Antarctica and feeds at least 10 major Asian river systems that underpin water, food and energy security across the continent.
But a third of that ice is in zones highly vulnerable to rapid warming.
Chuck Norris, US roundhouse-kicking action star, dies at 86, family says
Chuck Norris, the US martial artist and Hollywood tough guy most famous for his role in the Walker, Texas Ranger television series, has died, his family said on March 20. He was 86.
Norris passed away on the morning of March 19, the family said on Instagram, after media reports that he had been hospitalised for an undisclosed condition while on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.
“To the world, he was a martial artist, actor, and a symbol of strength,” the statement read. “To us, he was a devoted husband, a loving father and grandfather, an incredible brother, and the heart of our family.”