California jury finds Tesla Autopilot did not fail in crash case
A California state court jury on Friday handed Tesla Inc a sweeping win, finding that the car maker’s Autopilot feature did not fail to perform safely in what appears to be the first trial related to a crash involving the partially automated driving software.
The verdict could be an important victory for Tesla as it tests and rolls out its Autopilot and more advanced “Full Self-Driving (FSD)“ system, which Chief Executive Elon Musk has touted as crucial to his company’s future, but which has drawn regulatory and legal scrutiny.
Justine Hsu, a resident of Los Angeles, sued the electric-vehicle maker in 2020, saying her Tesla Model S swerved into a curb while it was on Autopilot and then an airbag was deployed “so violently it fractured Plaintiff’s jaw, knocked out teeth, and caused nerve damage to her face.”
Pope Francis, Ronaldo lose Twitter verified blue status, others keep it
Twitter on Thursday began removing legacy blue checkmarks from user profiles, with famous people including Pope Francis, Microsoft Corp co-founder Bill Gates and Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo losing their verified status.
Under Elon Musk’s ownership, Twitter has changed how it hands out the coveted blue checkmarks, previously given to noted individuals, journalists, executives, politicians and establishments after verifying their identities. They served as a mark of authenticity.
Musk said in November that Twitter will begin charging US$8 (S$10.68) per month for the badge in an effort to launch more revenue streams beyond advertising. The company later offered checkmarks in other colors - gold for businesses and a gray for government and multilateral organisations and officials.
Paris court gives man life term for 1980 synagogue bombing
A Paris court on Friday sentenced Lebanese-Canadian citizen Hassan Diab to life in prison in absentia for the 1980 bombing of a synagogue in which four people died.
The court followed prosecutors’ request for the maximum possible punishment against Diab, now 69 and a university professor in Canada.
Prosecutors had said in their summing-up that there was “no possible doubt” that Diab, the only suspect, was behind the attack.
World No.1 Djokovic beaten in Banja Luka quarter-finals
World number one Novak Djokovic slumped to a 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) defeat by Dusan Lajovic in the Banja Luka quarter-finals on Friday, raising further concerns over his form ahead of next month’s French Open.
Djokovic had dropped just four games against the 70th-ranked Lajovic across two previous meetings but was punished for failing to convert three set points in the second-set tie-break.
Lajovic saved 15 of 16 break points overall and won the final five points of the match to condemn Djokovic to another premature exit following his loss in the last 16 of the Monte Carlo Masters.
Rust charges against Alec Baldwin formally dismissed
New Mexico special prosecutors dropped charges against actor Alec Baldwin in the shooting death of “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on Friday, marking what legal experts said was a logical conclusion to a flawed prosecution.
The move followed new evidence about the gun Baldwin was holding when it fired the bullet that killed Hutchins during the movie’s filming, a person close to state prosecutors said.
The information further undermined the prosecution’s case after a series of legal fumbles, pushing them to dismiss charges ahead of a May 3 hearing where a judge was to decide whether there was sufficient evidence to try Baldwin and “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.
