While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Nov 21
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British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was quoted as saying the government should "just let people die" during the pandemic.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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UK PM Sunak reportedly said ‘just let people die’, Covid-19 inquiry hears
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was quoted as saying the government should “just let people die” during the Covid-19 pandemic rather than impose a second national lockdown, the inquiry into how Britain handled the crisis heard on Monday.
Patrick Vallance, who was the government’s chief scientific adviser during Covid-19, made a note in his diary on Oct 25, 2020, about a meeting involving then Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Sunak, who was finance minister.
The diary entry shown to the inquiry recorded how Dominic Cummings, Johnson’s most senior adviser during the pandemic, had relayed to Vallance what he said he had heard at the meeting.
Biden says he believes Gaza hostage release deal near
REUTERS
US President Joe Biden said on Monday he believes a deal is near to secure the release of some of the hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza, telling reporters “I believe so” when asked at the White House about a possible agreement.
Reuters reported last week that Qatari mediators had been seeking a deal between Israel and Hamas to exchange 50 hostages in return for a three-day ceasefire that would help boost emergency aid shipments to Gaza civilians, citing an official briefed on the talks.
About 240 hostages were taken during Hamas’s deadly cross-border rampage into Israel on Oct 7, which prompted Israel to invade the tiny Palestinian territory to wipe out the Islamist militant group.
Hundreds of OpenAI staff threaten mass exodus to join ex-CEO
REUTERS
Hundreds of staff at OpenAI threatened to quit the leading artificial intelligence company on Monday and join Microsoft.
They would follow OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman, who said he was starting an AI subsidiary at Microsoft following his shock sacking from the company whose ChatGPT chatbot has led the rapid rise of artificial intelligence technology.
In a letter, some of OpenAI’s most senior staff members threatened to leave the company if the board did not get replaced.
Indonesia strongly condemns Israeli attacks that killed 12 in its hospital in Gaza
REUTERS
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has “strongly condemned” Israeli tank attacks on Indonesian Hospital in Gaza on Nov 20 in which 12 civilians were killed.
“The attack is an obvious breach of international humanitarian law,” Ms Retno said from Beijing. “All countries, especially those with close ties with Israel, must use all their influence and capabilities to urge Israel to end its atrocities.”
She said the ministry had lost contact with three Indonesian volunteers working at the Indonesian hospital after the attack.
Jordan Spieth replaces Rory McIlroy on PGA Tour board
REUTERS
Jordan Spieth will serve the remainder of Rory McIlroy’s term as a player director the PGA Tour’s policy board.
Commissioner Jay Monahan announced the change to tour members on Monday.
The term runs through the end of 2024. Spieth’s selection was voted on by the five other player directors: Tiger Woods, Patrick Cantlay, Charley Hoffman, Peter Malnati and Webb Simpson.
