In sharp shift, Biden tells Netanyahu US policy toward Gaza depends on Israeli action
The United States issued its strongest public rebuke toward Israel on April 4 since the start of its war with Hamas, warning that American policy on Gaza will be determined by whether Israel takes steps to address the safety of Palestinian civilians and aid workers.
US President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Israel must take immediate action to reduce civilian harm and suffering, the White House said after the two leaders spoke by phone.
Biden also told Netanyahu, in a call lasting less then 30 minutes, that an immediate ceasefire in the region was essential and called on Israel “to conclude a deal without delay” with Hamas to bring Israeli hostages home, nearly six months after the Palestinian militant group’s Oct 7 attack.
The White House statement reflected a sharp change in Biden’s tone and, for what appears to be the first time, a set of strings attached to continued US support.
A jittery quiet descends on quake-hit Hualien as search continues for missing 600
One day after Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in 25 years triggered landslides and toppled buildings, the eastern city of Hualien near the epicentre was unusually quiet for a long weekend.
Known for being the base for travellers to visit Hualien county’s picturesque Taroko National Park, the city is a popular travel destination with tourists, hikers and cyclists.
But on the first day of the four-day holiday on April 4 – which is both Children’s Day and the Qing Ming Festival, when families gather to honour the departed – many of the city’s streets downtown were empty.
Thieves steal $40.4 million cash in Los Angeles heist
Los Angeles police and the FBI are investigating a daring heist of nearly US$30 million (S$40.4 million) in cash after burglars apparently broke through the roof of a money storage facility and cracked a safe.
David Cuellar of the Los Angeles Police Department said the robbery – one of the largest cash thefts in the city’s history – took place on Easter Sunday in the northern suburb of Sylmar.
The Los Angeles Times, citing source familiar with the investigation, said burglars busted through a roof to access the building’s vault, somehow evading a sophisticated alarm system.
Disney to start cracking down on password-sharing from June
Walt Disney’s streaming service will start cracking down on password-sharing from June, CEO Bob Iger said on Thursday, as the entertainment conglomerate looks to boost subscriber growth and make the business profitable.
Iger also signalled a need for consolidation in the streaming industry and said Disney was “eventually” looking at double-digit margins for the business, in a wide-ranging interview with CNBC.
Streaming rival Netflix’s password-sharing crackdown had helped it add nearly 22 million subscribers in the second half of 2023 and shatter Wall Street expectations.
Vingegaard breaks collarbone in major crash at Tour of the Basque Country
Denmark’s Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard broke a collarbone and several ribs in a massive crash during stage four in the Tour of the Basque Country on Thursday, which also involved race leader Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel.
The crash happened at high speed on the descent from the Olaeta climb with 35.9-km remaining when one rider went down causing a chain reaction, and Vingegaard was still on the ground receiving medical treatment several minutes later.
“The stage has been neutralised. Jonas is on his way to the hospital,” Vingegaard’s Team Visma-Lease a Bike said on social media platform X. Only the original breakaway of six riders were allowed to contest the stage win.
