While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, April 18
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Demonstrators take part in a protest during French President Emmanuel Macron's televised address to the nation.
PHOTO: AFP
France’s Macron promises government action plan in next 100 days
French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday gave himself 100 days to heal the country after weeks of protests and anger at his unpopular plans to raise the retirement age, asking his government to open talks with unions on a wide range of issues.
In a televised speech two days after signing into law plans to increase the retirement age by two years to 64, Macron said he wanted his prime minister to propose measures on working conditions, law and order and education and health issues.
“On July 14, we must be able to take stock,” Macron said, referring to Bastille Day, France’s national day, often a milestone in French politics.
EU lawmakers call for summit to control ‘very powerful’ AI
REUTERS
EU lawmakers urged world leaders on Monday to hold a summit to find ways to control the development of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) systems such as ChatGPT, saying they were developing faster than expected.
The 12 MEPs, all working on EU legislation on the technology, called on US President Joe Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to convene the meeting, and said AI firms should be more responsible.
The statement came weeks after Twitter owner Elon Musk and more than 1,000 technology figures demanded a six-month pause in the development of systems more powerful than Microsoft-backed OpenAI’s latest iteration of ChatGPT, which can mimic humans and create text and images based on prompts.
White House calls for immediate Sudan ceasefire
via REUTERS
The White House on Monday called for an immediate ceasefire to fighting in Sudan between the army and a paramilitary force and said US officials are in touch with the military leaders there.
“We deplore the escalating violence out of Khartoum and elsewhere in Sudan. We call for an immediate ceasefire without conditions between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), said a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council.
The spokesperson said US officials have been in direct contact with army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan as well as RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti.
US arrests two for setting up Chinese ‘secret police station’ in New York
REUTERS
US law enforcement officials on Monday arrested two New York residents for allegedly operating a Chinese “secret police station” in Manhattan’s Chinatown, part of a crackdown on Beijing’s alleged targeting of US-based dissidents.
Lu Jianwang, 61, and Chen Jinping, 59, face charges of conspiring to act as agents of China’s government without informing US authorities and obstruction of justice. They were released on bond following an initial appearance in Brooklyn federal court.
The Department of Justice has been ramping up probes into what it calls “transnational repression” by US adversaries such as China and Iran to intimidate political opponents living in the United States.
Football: Liverpool hit Leeds for six after controversial Gakpo opener
AFP
Liverpool crushed Leeds 6-1 as Cody Gakpo’s controversial opener provided the spark for the Reds’ first win in five Premier League games on Monday.
Jurgen Klopp’s side took the lead at Elland Road when Gakpo’s goal was allowed to stand despite the ball striking Trent Alexander-Arnold’s arm in the build-up.
It was reported the VAR official did not check the incident because it happened too far back in the move, but Leeds were furious at the perceived injustice.
