While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Jan 5
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Israeli bombards Gaza on Jan 4, 2024, amid its ongoing war against Hamas militants.
PHOTO: AFP
Israeli defence minister outlines new phase in Gaza war
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Jan 4 outlined a new stage of Israel’s war in Gaza: a more targeted approach in the north and further pursuit of Hamas leaders in the south while Israel seeks to free remaining hostages held by Hamas.
Under international pressure to shift to less intense combat operations and in the face of economic challenges, Israel has been drawing down its forces in Gaza to allow thousands of reservists to return to their jobs.
Mr Gallant said in a statement that operations in the north would include raids, demolishing tunnels, air and ground strikes, and special forces operations.
In the south, where most of Gaza’s 2.3 million population now live in tents and other temporary shelters, the focus would be on wiping out Hamas leaders and rescuing some 130 Israeli hostages remaining of some 240 abducted on Oct 7.
Sixth-grade student killed in Iowa school shooting, sheriff says
A sixth-grade student was killed on Jan 4 morning and five other people wounded when a teenager opened fire at an Iowa school, law enforcement officials said.
The suspect was identified as a 17-year-old student at Perry High School, officials said at a news briefing.
He was found with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound by responding officers.
Trump received millions from foreign govts as president
REUTERS
Donald Trump’s businesses received at least US$7.8 million (S$10.3 million) from 20 foreign governments during his presidency, according to new documents released by House Democrats on Jan 4 that show how much he received from overseas transactions while he was in the White House, most of it from China.
The transactions, detailed in a report produced by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, offer concrete evidence that the former president engaged in the kind of conduct that House Republicans have laboured, so far unsuccessfully, to prove that President Joe Biden did.
Using documents produced through a court fight, the report describes how foreign governments and their controlled entities interacted with Trump businesses while he was president. They paid millions to the Trump International Hotel in Washington, Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, and Trump Tower and Trump World Tower, both in New York.
US felon who pounced on judge refuses to attend new hearing
The convicted criminal who threw himself over a bench at a judge as she was about to sentence him for attempted battery refused to appear in court on Jan 4.
Deobra Redden had been due to answer charges over his dramatic attack on Judge Mary Kay Holthus in a Las Vegas courtroom on Jan 3.
But the 30-year-old refused to comply and did not go to court, the Las Vegas Review Journal reported.
Ten Hag holds ‘positive’ talks with billionaire Ratcliffe
AFP
Erik ten Hag said he held “very positive” talks with Jim Ratcliffe when the under-fire Manchester United boss met the club’s new minority stakeholder this week.
Ratcliffe’s INEOS group will assume control of United’s football operations once the purchase of a 25 per cent share in the Old Trafford club is ratified.
The British billionaire has been in Manchester for a series of meetings with club staff, including Ten Hag, who has been heavily criticised during a troubled second season in charge.
