While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Jan 30
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The attack on Jan 28 was the first deadly strike against US forces since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in October.
PHOTO: AFP
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Austin vows “all necessary actions” after US troop deaths
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin vowed on Jan 29 that the United States would take “all necessary actions” to defend its troops after a drone attack by Iran-backed militants that killed three US troops and wounded dozens more.
The attack on Jan 28 was the first deadly strike against US forces since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in October, and marks a major escalation in tensions that have engulfed the Middle East.
“Let me start with my outrage and sorrow (for) the deaths of three brave US troops in Jordan and for the other troops who were wounded,” Austin said at the Pentagon.
Ex-IRS contractor sentenced to 5 years for leaking Trump tax records
REUTERS
A former US Internal Revenue Service contractor was sentenced on Jan 29 to five years in prison for leaking the tax records of former President Donald Trump and thousands of other wealthy Americans to media organisations, with a judge calling his actions a threat to democracy.
Charles Littlejohn, 38, pleaded guilty in October to a charge of disclosing income tax return information without authorisation.
US District Judge Ana Reyes, who handed down the sentence in federal court in Washington, linked Littlejohn’s actions to broader attacks on elected officials in the United States.
Hamas says it wants ‘complete and comprehensive ceasefire’ in Gaza
AFP
A senior Hamas official said on Jan 29 that the Palestinian militant group wanted a “complete and comprehensive ceasefire” in Gaza, after mediator Qatar said a framework for a temporary truce was being proposed.
“We are talking first of all about a complete and comprehensive ceasefire, and not a temporary truce,” Taher al-Nunu told AFP, adding that once the fighting stopped “the rest of the details can be discussed” including a hostage release.
Qatar, along with Egypt and the United States, has led mediation efforts since war broke out on October 7 between Israel and Hamas, triggered by the Palestinian militant group’s deadly attacks on southern Israel.
Nadal’s 2007 French Open winning racket sells for $158k at auction
Rafael Nadal’s championship point winning racket from his 2007 French Open final victory over Roger Federer was sold for more than US$118,000 (S$158,270) at an auction on Jan 29, ranking among the highest-priced such memorabilia.
Nadal beat Federer 6-3 4-6 6-3 6-4 in the 2007 final in Paris to win his third Grand Slam title before the Spaniard moved on to secure a further 19 - 14 of them at Roland Garros - becoming one of the sport’s greatest players.
The racket, which Nadal also used in previous matches of the tournament, including his semi-final victory against Novak Djokovic, sold for US$118,206 at an online auction, Prestige Memorabilia’s The Tennis Auction, that closed on Monday at 0255 GMT.
Amazon, Roomba-parent iRobot abandon $1.88 billion merger deal
Getty Images via AFP
Amazon and robot vacuum maker iRobot said Jan 29 they would end their plans to merge in the face of opposition from EU and US antitrust regulators.
iRobot announced a significant restructuring plan to reduce costs and said it would cut about 31 per cent of its workforce, or 350 jobs. The company also said founder Colin Angle has stepped down as its CEO of the Roomba robot vacuum manufacturer.
Angle said given the current challenges, he and the board “mutually decided that iRobot will be better served by a new leader with turnaround experience.” Amazon said its proposed US$1.4 billion acquisition of iRobot had no path to regulatory approval in the European Union.
