While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Sept 6, 2025
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Smoke rising as Mushtaha Tower in Gaza City collapses, after being hit in an Israeli airstrike on Sept 5.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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Israel’s army levels high-rise in Gaza City
The Israeli military destroyed a high-rise in Gaza City on Sept 5, shortly after announcing it would target tall buildings identified as being used by Hamas ahead of its planned seizure of the Palestinian territory’s biggest city.
Despite mounting pressure at home and abroad to halt its nearly two-year offensive in Gaza, Israel has been calling up reservists, intensifying its bombardments and closing in on Gaza City.
In a statement on Sept 5, the military said it had “identified significant Hamas terrorist activity within a wide variety of infrastructure sites in Gaza City, and particularly in high-rise buildings”, adding it would target those sites “in the coming days”.
Less than an hour later, it said it had struck one such high-rise, accusing Hamas of using it “to advance and execute attacks against troops in the area”.
Tesla proposes $1 trillion package for Elon Musk
PHOTO: REUTERS
Tesla unveiled on Sept 5 a proposed compensation package for Mr Elon Musk that could top US$1 trillion (S$1.3 trillion) if the controversial chief executive delivers on his vision for stratospheric growth from new technologies.
The plan, which runs for 10 years and must be approved by shareholders, provides Mr Musk with up to 12 per cent of current total shares, according to a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
To reach the full award, Tesla must reach a market capitalisation of “at least US$8.5 trillion by 2035”, according to the filing.
US commandos killed N. Korean civilians in 2019: NYT
PHOTO: DOUG MILLS/NYTIMES
US Navy Seals shot and killed a number of North Korean civilians during a botched covert mission to plant a listening device in the nuclear-armed country during high-stakes diplomatic negotiations in 2019, the New York Times reported on Sept 5.
Citing unidentified sources, including current and former military officials with knowledge of the still-classified details, the newspaper said President Donald Trump approved the operation during his first administration, as he was involved in historic talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
“I don’t know anything about it. I’m hearing it now for the first time,” Mr Trump told reporters on Sept 5 when asked about the report.
Trump threatens EU with tariffs over Google ruling
PHOTO: HAIYUN JIANG/NYTIMES
US President Donald Trump lashed out at the European Union on Sept 5 for slapping Google with an “unfair” US$3.47 billion (S$4.4 billion) antitrust fine, threatening retaliatory tariffs if the bloc does not repeal the measure.
Mr Trump’s intervention came a day after he hosted tech titans for a gala dinner at the White House, including Google’s chief executive Sundar Pichai and co-founder Sergey Brin.
“Europe today ‘hit’ another great American company, Google, with a $3.5 Billion Dollar fine, effectively taking money that would otherwise go to American Investments and Jobs,” Mr Trump said on his Truth Social network.
Zelensky says Ukraine will respond to Russia’s attacks
PHOTO: REUTERS
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sept 5 that Ukraine would continue to respond to Russian attacks on its energy facilities, despite criticism from Slovakia and Hungary which have suffered Russian oil supply disruptions as a result.
Mr Zelensky spoke after holding his first high-level talks with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico - with whom he has clashed over Russian energy supplies in the past - in the Ukrainian city of Uzhhorod, near the border with Slovakia.
Slovakia, along with Hungary, has continued to buy Russian gas and oil even as other European Union countries cut ties after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
