One of the two victims killed in Texas at the weekend in the crash of a&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;car believed to have operated without a driver was William Varner, a doctor, his employer said on Tuesday.

Police in Harris County, Texas, said a&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;Model S smashed into a tree on Saturday at high speed after failing to negotiate a bend and burst into flames, killing one occupant found in the front passenger seat and the owner in the back seat.

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Witnesses told the police that the accident happened shortly after the victims left a house, saying they would test automated driving capability.

"Dr Varner was a tremendous human being who personally impacted many...,"&nbsp;The Woodlands Medical Center said in a statement. "He will be dearly missed by so many.”

Varner, a 58-year-old anesthesiologist, graduated from the University of Texas Medical Branch At Galveston in 1988.&nbsp;The other victim, who was born in 1951, was not identified as of Tuesday.

Tesla&nbsp;Chief Executive Elon Musk tweeted on Monday that preliminary data downloaded by&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;indicate the vehicle was not operating on Autopilot, and was not part of the automaker's "Full Self-Driving" (FSD) system.

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Tesla with Autopilot engaged now approaching 10 times lower chance of accident than average vehicle <a href="https://t.co/6lGy52wVhC">https://t.co/6lGy52wVhC</a>
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Tesla's Autopilot and FSD, as well as the growing number of similar semi-autonomous driving functions in cars made by other automakers, present a challenge to officials responsible for motor vehicle and highway safety.

US&nbsp;federal road safety authority, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), has yet to issue specific regulations or performance standards for semi-autonomous systems such as Autopilot, or fully autonomous vehicles (AVs).

There are no NHTSA rules requiring carmakers to ensure systems are used as intended or to stop drivers misusing them. The only significant federal limitation is that vehicles have steering wheels and human controls required under federal rules.

With no performance or technical standards, systems such as Autopilot inhabit a regulatory grey area.

The Texas crash follows a string of crashes involving&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;cars being driven on Autopilot, its partially automated driving system which performs a range of functions such as helping drivers stay in lanes and steer on highways.

Tesla&nbsp;has also rolled out what it describes as a "beta" version of its FSD system to about 2,000 customers since October, effectively allowing them to test how well it works on public roads.

Harris County police are now seeking a search warrant for the&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;data and said witnesses told them the victims intended to test the car's automated driving.

No requirements

Adding to the regulatory confusion is that traditionally NHTSA regulates vehicle safety while departments of motor vehicles (DMVs) in individual states oversee drivers.

When it comes to semi-autonomous functions, it may not be apparent whether the onboard computer or the driver are controlling the car, or if the supervision is shared, says the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

California has introduced AV regulations but they only apply to cars equipped with technology that can perform the dynamic driving task without the active physical control or monitoring of a human operator, the state's DMV said.

It said&nbsp;Tesla's full self-driving system does not yet meet those standards and is considered a type of Advance Driver Assistance System that it does not regulate.

That leaves&nbsp;Tesla's Autopilot and its FSD system operating in regulatory limbo in California as the automaker rolls out new versions of the systems for its customers to test.

NHTSA, the federal body responsible for vehicle safety, said this week it has opened 28 investigations into crashes of&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;vehicles, 24 of which remain active, and at least four, including the fatal Texas accident, occurred since March.&nbsp;

NHTSA has repeatedly argued that its broad authority to demand automakers recall any vehicle that poses an unreasonable safety risk is sufficient to address driver assistance systems.

So far, NHTSA has not taken any enforcement action against&nbsp;Tesla's advanced driving systems.

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said NHTSA is "actively engaged with&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;and local law enforcement" on the Texas crash.

The NTSB, a US&nbsp;government agency charged with investigating road accidents, has criticised NHTSA's hands-off approach to regulating cars with self-driving features and AVs.

"NHTSA refuses to take action for vehicles termed as having partial, or lower level, automation, and continues to wait for higher levels of automation before requiring that AV systems meet minimum national standards," NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt wrote in a February&nbsp;1 letter to NHTSA.

"Because NHTSA has put in place no requirements, manufacturers can operate and test vehicles virtually anywhere, even if the location exceeds the AV control systems limitations," the letter said.

Reviewing regulations

NHTSA told Reuters that with a new administration in place, it was reviewing regulations around AVs and welcomed the NTSB's input as it advanced policies on automated driving systems.

It said the most advanced vehicle technologies on sale required a fully attentive human driver at all times.

"Abusing these technologies is, at a minimum, distracted driving. Every State in the nation holds the driver responsible for the safe operation of the vehicle," NHTSA told Reuters.

NTSB also says NHTSA does not have any method to verify whether carmakers have adopted system safeguards. For example, there are no federal regulations requiring drivers to touch the steering wheel within a specific time frame.

"NHTSA is drafting rules on autonomous vehicles, but it has been slow to regulate semi-autonomous vehicles," said Bryant Walker Smith, a law professor at the University of South Carolina. "There is a growing awareness that they deserve more scrutiny priority and regulatory action."

New York has a law requiring drivers to keep at least one hand on the wheel at all times but no other states have legislation that could prevent the use of semi-autonomous cars.

When it comes to AVs, 35 states have enacted legislation or state governors have signed executive orders covering AVs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Such rules allow companies such as Alphabet's Google and General Motors, among others, to test their Waymo and Cruise vehicles on public roads.

But regulations differ by state.

AV regulations in Texas state that vehicles must comply with NHTSA processes, though there are no such federal regulations. The Texas Department of Public Safety, the regulator charged with overseeing AVs, did not respond to a request for comment.

Arizona's transport department requires companies to submit regular filings to verify, among other things, that vehicles can operate safely if the autonomous technology fails.

While most automakers offer vehicles with various forms of assisted driving, there are no fully autonomous vehicles for sale to customers in the United States.

Red flags

Concerns about the safety of autonomous driving technology, however, have been mounting in recent years and&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;has warned about its limitations.

In February 2020,&nbsp;Tesla's director of autonomous driving technology, Andrej Karpathy, identified a challenge for its Autopilot system: how to recognize when a parked police car's emergency flashing lights are turned on.

"This is an example of a new task we would like to know about," Karpathy said at a conference during a talk about&nbsp;Tesla's effort to deliver FSD technology.

In just over a year since then,&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;vehicles crashed into police cars parked on roads on four separate occasions and since 2016 at least three&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;vehicles operating on Autopilot have been in fatal crashes.

At least three of the cars were on Autopilot, police said. In one of the cases, a doctor was watching a movie on a phone when his vehicle rammed into a police trooper in North Carolina.

Accidents and investigations have not slowed Musk's drive to promote&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;cars as capable of driving themselves.

In a recent Tweet, Musk said&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;is "almost ready with FSD Beta V9.0. Step change improvement is massive, especially for weird corner cases &amp; bad weather. Pure vision, no radar."

Tesla&nbsp;also says it has used 1 million cars on the road to collect image data and improve Autopilot, using machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Tesla's Karpathy said he has ridden in his&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;for 20 minutes to get coffee in Palo Alto with no intervention.

"It is not a perfect system but it is getting there," he said in a "Robot Brains" podcast in March. "I definitely keep my hands on the wheel."

(With input from agencies)

One of the two victims killed in Texas at the weekend in the crash of a Tesla car believed to have operated without a driver was William Varner, a doctor, his employer said on Tuesday.

One of the two victims killed in Texas at the weekend in the crash of a Tesla car believed to have operated without a driver was William Varner, a doctor, his employer said on Tuesday. Police in Harris County, Texas, said a Tesla Model S smashed into a tree on Saturday at high speed after failing to negotiate a bend and burst into flames, killing one occupant found in the front passenger seat and the owner in the back seat. Witnesses told the police that the accident happened shortly after the victims left a house, saying they would test automated driving capability. "Dr Varner was a tremendous human being who personally impacted many...," The Woodlands Medical Center said in a statement. "He will be dearly missed by so many.” Varner, a 58-year-old anesthesiologist, graduated from the University of Texas Medical Branch At Galveston in 1988. The other victim, who was born in 1951, was not identified as of Tuesday. Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk tweeted on Monday that preliminary data downloaded by Tesla indicate the vehicle was not operating on Autopilot, and was not part of the automaker's "Full Self-Driving" (FSD) system. Tesla with Autopilot engaged now approaching 10 times lower chance of accident than average vehicle https://t.co/6lGy52wVhC — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 17, 2021 × Tesla's Autopilot and FSD, as well as the growing number of similar semi-autonomous driving functions in cars made by other automakers, present a challenge to officials responsible for motor vehicle and highway safety. US federal road safety authority, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), has yet to issue specific regulations or performance standards for semi-autonomous systems such as Autopilot, or fully autonomous vehicles (AVs). There are no NHTSA rules requiring carmakers to ensure systems are used as intended or to stop drivers misusing them. The only significant federal limitation is that vehicles have steering wheels and human controls required under federal rules. With no performance or technical standards, systems such as Autopilot inhabit a regulatory grey area. The Texas crash follows a string of crashes involving Tesla cars being driven on Autopilot, its partially automated driving system which performs a range of functions such as helping drivers stay in lanes and steer on highways. Tesla has also rolled out what it describes as a "beta" version of its FSD system to about 2,000 customers since October, effectively allowing them to test how well it works on public roads. Harris County police are now seeking a search warrant for the Tesla data and said witnesses told them the victims intended to test the car's automated driving. No requirements Adding to the regulatory confusion is that traditionally NHTSA regulates vehicle safety while departments of motor vehicles (DMVs) in individual states oversee drivers. When it comes to semi-autonomous functions, it may not be apparent whether the onboard computer or the driver are controlling the car, or if the supervision is shared, says the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). California has introduced AV regulations but they only apply to cars equipped with technology that can perform the dynamic driving task without the active physical control or monitoring of a human operator, the state's DMV said. It said Tesla's full self-driving system does not yet meet those standards and is considered a type of Advance Driver Assistance System that it does not regulate. That leaves Tesla's Autopilot and its FSD system operating in regulatory limbo in California as the automaker rolls out new versions of the systems for its customers to test. NHTSA, the federal body responsible for vehicle safety, said this week it has opened 28 investigations into crashes of Tesla vehicles, 24 of which remain active, and at least four, including the fatal Texas accident, occurred since March. NHTSA has repeatedly argued that its broad authority to demand automakers recall any vehicle that poses an unreasonable safety risk is sufficient to address driver assistance systems. So far, NHTSA has not taken any enforcement action against Tesla's advanced driving systems. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said NHTSA is "actively engaged with Tesla and local law enforcement" on the Texas crash. The NTSB, a US government agency charged with investigating road accidents, has criticised NHTSA's hands-off approach to regulating cars with self-driving features and AVs. "NHTSA refuses to take action for vehicles termed as having partial, or lower level, automation, and continues to wait for higher levels of automation before requiring that AV systems meet minimum national standards," NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt wrote in a February 1 letter to NHTSA. "Because NHTSA has put in place no requirements, manufacturers can operate and test vehicles virtually anywhere, even if the location exceeds the AV control systems limitations," the letter said. Reviewing regulations NHTSA told Reuters that with a new administration in place, it was reviewing regulations around AVs and welcomed the NTSB's input as it advanced policies on automated driving systems. It said the most advanced vehicle technologies on sale required a fully attentive human driver at all times. "Abusing these technologies is, at a minimum, distracted driving. Every State in the nation holds the driver responsible for the safe operation of the vehicle," NHTSA told Reuters. NTSB also says NHTSA does not have any method to verify whether carmakers have adopted system safeguards. For example, there are no federal regulations requiring drivers to touch the steering wheel within a specific time frame. "NHTSA is drafting rules on autonomous vehicles, but it has been slow to regulate semi-autonomous vehicles," said Bryant Walker Smith, a law professor at the University of South Carolina. "There is a growing awareness that they deserve more scrutiny priority and regulatory action." New York has a law requiring drivers to keep at least one hand on the wheel at all times but no other states have legislation that could prevent the use of semi-autonomous cars. When it comes to AVs, 35 states have enacted legislation or state governors have signed executive orders covering AVs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Such rules allow companies such as Alphabet's Google and General Motors, among others, to test their Waymo and Cruise vehicles on public roads. But regulations differ by state. AV regulations in Texas state that vehicles must comply with NHTSA processes, though there are no such federal regulations. The Texas Department of Public Safety, the regulator charged with overseeing AVs, did not respond to a request for comment. Arizona's transport department requires companies to submit regular filings to verify, among other things, that vehicles can operate safely if the autonomous technology fails. While most automakers offer vehicles with various forms of assisted driving, there are no fully autonomous vehicles for sale to customers in the United States. Red flags Concerns about the safety of autonomous driving technology, however, have been mounting in recent years and Tesla has warned about its limitations. In February 2020, Tesla's director of autonomous driving technology, Andrej Karpathy, identified a challenge for its Autopilot system: how to recognize when a parked police car's emergency flashing lights are turned on. "This is an example of a new task we would like to know about," Karpathy said at a conference during a talk about Tesla's effort to deliver FSD technology. In just over a year since then, Tesla vehicles crashed into police cars parked on roads on four separate occasions and since 2016 at least three Tesla vehicles operating on Autopilot have been in fatal crashes. At least three of the cars were on Autopilot, police said. In one of the cases, a doctor was watching a movie on a phone when his vehicle rammed into a police trooper in North Carolina. Accidents and investigations have not slowed Musk's drive to promote Tesla cars as capable of driving themselves. In a recent Tweet, Musk said Tesla is "almost ready with FSD Beta V9.0. Step change improvement is massive, especially for weird corner cases & bad weather. Pure vision, no radar." Tesla also says it has used 1 million cars on the road to collect image data and improve Autopilot, using machine learning and artificial intelligence. Tesla's Karpathy said he has ridden in his Tesla for 20 minutes to get coffee in Palo Alto with no intervention. "It is not a perfect system but it is getting there," he said in a "Robot Brains" podcast in March. "I definitely keep my hands on the wheel." (With input from agencies)

Doctor among victims of lethal Tesla car crash in Texas

Facebook on Monday said it is adding podcasts and "live audio rooms" in a push to get people talking and take on the fast-growing audio-based app Clubhouse.

Facebook's incursion into the audio market comes as the sudden explosion of interest in Clubhouse, an audio app where billionaires and celebrities including Tesla CEO Elon Musk have popped in to chat, could be waning.

Downloads of the Clubhouse app, which is only available on Apple's iOS devices, suffered an estimated 70 per cent&nbsp;decline in March from February when it hit a high.

Facebook has seen a steady rise in users opting for voice, from audio calls at the social network to leaving spoken messages using WhatsApp of Messenger.

Zuckerberg said the world's largest social media network planned in the coming months to launch features including short-form audio clips called "Soundbites" and ways to create sound effects or improve audio quality.&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;said in a blog post&nbsp;it would begin to test live audio rooms, which would launch by the summer.

Zuckerberg said&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;was looking to "treat audio as a first-class medium in the way that we would photos or video" in an interview on Discord with Casey Newton, editor of newsletter Platformer.

The rapid growth of the year-old app Clubhouse has demonstrated the potential of audio chat services.&nbsp;

The app, which is not yet available on Android, faces competition from multiple companies working on Clubhouse clones.

Twitter Inc is testing its live audio feature Spaces, along with new features from Discord, Microsoft-owned LinkedIn, Slack and Spotify Technology.

Reddit also unveiled a preview of its "Reddit Talks" product to moderators on Monday.

Analytics firm Sensor Tower estimated Clubhouse had a 72 per cent&nbsp;decline in growth from about 9.6 million February installs to about 2.4 million in March.

Facebook, which has long been criticized for its handling of problematic content across its products, will face the challenges of moderating live and recorded audio content.

Facebook&nbsp;said its live audio rooms would be available on its Messenger product and in its main app. It said it would test the rooms with public figures as well as in Groups - a product the company has vigorously promoted as providing places for people with common interests but which have also been used to spread misinformation and organize extremist activity.

As part of the announcements, Zuckerberg also said&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;is working with Spotify on "Project Boombox" to share and listen to music on its platform.

Facebook&nbsp;said users would be able to send donations, or tips, to creators in live audio rooms through "Stars". After launch, it will offer other types of monetization like single-purchase access or subscription for rooms. It also announced an audio creator fund for Soundbites.

The company is working to attract more creators who are accustomed to receiving tips and other direct payments from fans.

More than 170 million people are connected to Facebook pages centered on podcasts, and some 35 million users are members of podcast fan groups, but listening to one required leaving the social network.

Facebook also planned to begin testing Live Audio Rooms, expected the feature to be available to all users by the middle of this year.

To make its audio offerings sustainable for the long term, Facebook is building in ways for people creating content to make money.

(With input from agencies)

Facebook on Monday said it is adding podcasts and "live audio rooms" in a push to get people talking and take on the fast-growing audio-based app Clubhouse. Facebook's incursion into the audio market comes as the sudden explosion of interest in Clubhouse, an audio app where billionaires and celebrities including Tesla CEO Elon Musk have popped in to chat, could be waning.

Facebook on Monday said it is adding podcasts and "live audio rooms" in a push to get people talking and take on the fast-growing audio-based app Clubhouse. Facebook's incursion into the audio market comes as the sudden explosion of interest in Clubhouse, an audio app where billionaires and celebrities including Tesla CEO Elon Musk have popped in to chat, could be waning. Downloads of the Clubhouse app, which is only available on Apple's iOS devices, suffered an estimated 70 per cent decline in March from February when it hit a high. Facebook has seen a steady rise in users opting for voice, from audio calls at the social network to leaving spoken messages using WhatsApp of Messenger. Zuckerberg said the world's largest social media network planned in the coming months to launch features including short-form audio clips called "Soundbites" and ways to create sound effects or improve audio quality. Facebook said in a blog post it would begin to test live audio rooms, which would launch by the summer. Zuckerberg said Facebook was looking to "treat audio as a first-class medium in the way that we would photos or video" in an interview on Discord with Casey Newton, editor of newsletter Platformer. The rapid growth of the year-old app Clubhouse has demonstrated the potential of audio chat services. The app, which is not yet available on Android, faces competition from multiple companies working on Clubhouse clones. Twitter Inc is testing its live audio feature Spaces, along with new features from Discord, Microsoft-owned LinkedIn, Slack and Spotify Technology. Reddit also unveiled a preview of its "Reddit Talks" product to moderators on Monday. Analytics firm Sensor Tower estimated Clubhouse had a 72 per cent decline in growth from about 9.6 million February installs to about 2.4 million in March. Facebook, which has long been criticized for its handling of problematic content across its products, will face the challenges of moderating live and recorded audio content. Facebook said its live audio rooms would be available on its Messenger product and in its main app. It said it would test the rooms with public figures as well as in Groups - a product the company has vigorously promoted as providing places for people with common interests but which have also been used to spread misinformation and organize extremist activity. As part of the announcements, Zuckerberg also said Facebook is working with Spotify on "Project Boombox" to share and listen to music on its platform. Facebook said users would be able to send donations, or tips, to creators in live audio rooms through "Stars". After launch, it will offer other types of monetization like single-purchase access or subscription for rooms. It also announced an audio creator fund for Soundbites. The company is working to attract more creators who are accustomed to receiving tips and other direct payments from fans. More than 170 million people are connected to Facebook pages centered on podcasts, and some 35 million users are members of podcast fan groups, but listening to one required leaving the social network. Facebook also planned to begin testing Live Audio Rooms, expected the feature to be available to all users by the middle of this year. To make its audio offerings sustainable for the long term, Facebook is building in ways for people creating content to make money. (With input from agencies)

Facebook takes on Clubhouse, unveils big audio push, adds podcasts

Two US transportation regulators said Monday they will investigate a fatal car crash involving a&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;that apparently had no one behind the wheel.

The vehicle was speeding when it hit a tree late Saturday night in Spring, Texas, near Houston. It caught fire, destroying the car entirely and killing two men, police said.

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Mark Herman, Harris County Constable Precinct 4, said evidence including witness statements clearly indicated there was nobody in the driver's seat of the Model S when it crashed into a tree, killing two people, on Saturday night.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it "immediately launched a Special Crash Investigation team to investigate the crash."

"We are actively engaged with local law enforcement and&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;to learn more about the details of the crash and will take appropriate steps when we have more information," the agency said.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/two-dead-as-tesla-car-believed-to-be-driverless-crashes-in-texas-378510">Two dead as Tesla car believed to be driverless crashes in Texas</a>

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said on Twitter it had dispatched two investigators to the scene, who "will focus on the vehicle's operation and the post-crash fire. NTSB investigators will arrive in the area later this afternoon."

As of Sunday, local investigators had not determined whether the driver's side airbag deployed, or if the vehicle's driver assistance system was deployed at the time of the accident.

The circumstances of the accident have provoked numerous reactions on social media, re-launching the debate on&nbsp;Tesla's existing semi-autonomous capabilities, such as the "Autopilot" software that allows the car to park on its own or navigate on the highway.

People can also buy a more expensive version called "FSD," for "full self-driving," even though the driver is not supposed to let go of the steering wheel.

The crash is the 28th Telsa accident to be investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which regulates vehicle safety.

It is also being probed by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which removed&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;as a party to an earlier investigation into a fatal crash in 2018 after the company made public details of the probe without authorisation.

In Saturday's accident, the 2019&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;Model S was traveling at high-speed near Houston when it failed to negotiate a curve and went off the road, crashing into a tree and bursting into flames, Herman said.

Authorities found the bodies of two men in the car, one in the front passenger seat and the owner of the car in the backseat.

"We have witness statements from people that said they left to test drive the vehicle without a driver and to show the friend how it can drive itself," Herman said.

Tesla's Autopilot is a driver assistance system that handles some driving tasks and allows drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel at times, but&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;says its features "require active driver supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous."

Tesla boss Musk rejected the idea that the vehicle's semi-automated driving software was to blame: "Data logs recovered so far show Autopilot was not enabled &amp; this car did not purchase FSD," in a reference to Full Self-Driving,&nbsp;Tesla's separate beta semi-automated driver assistance system that still requires driver supervision.

Musk added that "standard Autopilot would require lane lines to turn on, which this street did not have," referring to road markers that need to be captured by a vehicle's cameras to enable autopilot.

Tesla&nbsp;has access to operational and diagnostic data delivered to its servers at "regular intervals" from the car, which has been impounded by police. It is unclear whether investigators will be able to retrieve data directly from the event data recorder in the severely burned vehicle.

Tesla&nbsp;warns that driver assistance systems Autopilot and Full Self-Driving Capability do not make the vehicles autonomous, and that active supervision is still required.

Musk, however, regularly praises advances made by his company in self-driving technology.

Just hours before the crash, Musk had tweeted: "Tesla&nbsp;with Autopilot engaged now approaching 10 times lower chance of accident than average vehicle."

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Tesla with Autopilot engaged now approaching 10 times lower chance of accident than average vehicle <a href="https://t.co/6lGy52wVhC">https://t.co/6lGy52wVhC</a>
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1383548841438236674?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Tesla's Autopilot system, which was operating in at least three&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;vehicles involved in fatal US&nbsp;crashes since 2016, has come under increasing scrutiny.

(With inputs from agencies)

Two US transportation regulators said Monday they will investigate a fatal car crash involving a Tesla that apparently had no one behind the wheel. The vehicle was speeding when it hit a tree late Saturday night in Spring, Texas, near Houston.

Two US transportation regulators said Monday they will investigate a fatal car crash involving a Tesla that apparently had no one behind the wheel. The vehicle was speeding when it hit a tree late Saturday night in Spring, Texas, near Houston. It caught fire, destroying the car entirely and killing two men, police said. Mark Herman, Harris County Constable Precinct 4, said evidence including witness statements clearly indicated there was nobody in the driver's seat of the Model S when it crashed into a tree, killing two people, on Saturday night. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it "immediately launched a Special Crash Investigation team to investigate the crash." "We are actively engaged with local law enforcement and Tesla to learn more about the details of the crash and will take appropriate steps when we have more information," the agency said. Also read| Two dead as Tesla car believed to be driverless crashes in Texas The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said on Twitter it had dispatched two investigators to the scene, who "will focus on the vehicle's operation and the post-crash fire. NTSB investigators will arrive in the area later this afternoon." As of Sunday, local investigators had not determined whether the driver's side airbag deployed, or if the vehicle's driver assistance system was deployed at the time of the accident. The circumstances of the accident have provoked numerous reactions on social media, re-launching the debate on Tesla's existing semi-autonomous capabilities, such as the "Autopilot" software that allows the car to park on its own or navigate on the highway. People can also buy a more expensive version called "FSD," for "full self-driving," even though the driver is not supposed to let go of the steering wheel. The crash is the 28th Telsa accident to be investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which regulates vehicle safety. It is also being probed by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which removed Tesla as a party to an earlier investigation into a fatal crash in 2018 after the company made public details of the probe without authorisation. In Saturday's accident, the 2019 Tesla Model S was traveling at high-speed near Houston when it failed to negotiate a curve and went off the road, crashing into a tree and bursting into flames, Herman said. Authorities found the bodies of two men in the car, one in the front passenger seat and the owner of the car in the backseat. "We have witness statements from people that said they left to test drive the vehicle without a driver and to show the friend how it can drive itself," Herman said. Tesla's Autopilot is a driver assistance system that handles some driving tasks and allows drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel at times, but Tesla says its features "require active driver supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous." Tesla boss Musk rejected the idea that the vehicle's semi-automated driving software was to blame: "Data logs recovered so far show Autopilot was not enabled & this car did not purchase FSD," in a reference to Full Self-Driving, Tesla's separate beta semi-automated driver assistance system that still requires driver supervision. Musk added that "standard Autopilot would require lane lines to turn on, which this street did not have," referring to road markers that need to be captured by a vehicle's cameras to enable autopilot. Tesla has access to operational and diagnostic data delivered to its servers at "regular intervals" from the car, which has been impounded by police. It is unclear whether investigators will be able to retrieve data directly from the event data recorder in the severely burned vehicle. Tesla warns that driver assistance systems Autopilot and Full Self-Driving Capability do not make the vehicles autonomous, and that active supervision is still required. Musk, however, regularly praises advances made by his company in self-driving technology. Just hours before the crash, Musk had tweeted: "Tesla with Autopilot engaged now approaching 10 times lower chance of accident than average vehicle." Tesla with Autopilot engaged now approaching 10 times lower chance of accident than average vehicle https://t.co/6lGy52wVhC — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 17, 2021 × Tesla's Autopilot system, which was operating in at least three Tesla vehicles involved in fatal US crashes since 2016, has come under increasing scrutiny. (With inputs from agencies)

US regulators probe possibly driverless Tesla crash as Musk denies Autopilot use

Two men died after a&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;vehicle, which was believed to be operating without anyone in the driver's seat, crashed into a tree on Saturday night north of Houston, authorities said.

The vehicle was driving at high-speed late Saturday north of Houston when it slammed into a tree and burst into flames, the Wall Street Journal reported, quoting Harris County constable Mark Herman.

"Our preliminary investigation is determining,&nbsp;but it's not complete yet&nbsp;that there was no one at the wheel of that vehicle," he said. "We're almost 99.9 per cent sure."

When police arrived, one of the two victims was sitting in the front passenger seat and the other in the rear seat.&nbsp;

Herman said police had not yet determined whether the driver-side airbag had deployed and whether the car's driver assistance system was engaged at the time of the crash.

On its website,&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;warns that the driver assistance systems it offers do not make their vehicles fully autonomous and that active driver supervision is still necessary.

But videos regularly show moving Teslas with drivers asleep or without their hands on the wheel for extended periods of time.

The accident comes amid growing scrutiny over&nbsp;Tesla's semi-automated driving system following recent accidents and as it is preparing to launch its updated "full self-driving" software to more customers.

The US&nbsp;auto safety agency said in March it has opened 27 investigations into crashes of&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;vehicles; at least three of the crashes occurred recently.

Tesla&nbsp;CEO Elon Musk said in January that he expects huge profits from its full self-driving software, saying he is "highly confident the car will be able to drive itself with reliability in excess of human this year."

Self-driving technology must overcome safety and regulatory hurdles to achieve commercial success.

(With input from agencies)

Two men died after a Tesla vehicle, which was believed to be operating without anyone in the driver's seat, crashed into a tree on Saturday night north of Houston, authorities said.

Two men died after a Tesla vehicle, which was believed to be operating without anyone in the driver's seat, crashed into a tree on Saturday night north of Houston, authorities said. The vehicle was driving at high-speed late Saturday north of Houston when it slammed into a tree and burst into flames, the Wall Street Journal reported, quoting Harris County constable Mark Herman. "Our preliminary investigation is determining, but it's not complete yet that there was no one at the wheel of that vehicle," he said. "We're almost 99.9 per cent sure." When police arrived, one of the two victims was sitting in the front passenger seat and the other in the rear seat. Herman said police had not yet determined whether the driver-side airbag had deployed and whether the car's driver assistance system was engaged at the time of the crash. On its website, Tesla warns that the driver assistance systems it offers do not make their vehicles fully autonomous and that active driver supervision is still necessary. But videos regularly show moving Teslas with drivers asleep or without their hands on the wheel for extended periods of time. The accident comes amid growing scrutiny over Tesla's semi-automated driving system following recent accidents and as it is preparing to launch its updated "full self-driving" software to more customers. The US auto safety agency said in March it has opened 27 investigations into crashes of Tesla vehicles; at least three of the crashes occurred recently. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in January that he expects huge profits from its full self-driving software, saying he is "highly confident the car will be able to drive itself with reliability in excess of human this year." Self-driving technology must overcome safety and regulatory hurdles to achieve commercial success. (With input from agencies)

Two dead as Tesla car believed to be driverless crashes in Texas

US space agency NASA is set to launch SpaceX Crew Dragon second flight to the International Space Station on April 22. 
 
The Crew-2 with four astronauts on board will lift off at 6:11 a.m. EDT on April 22, from Launch Complex 39A at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 
 
The Crew-2 flight will carry NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, who will serve as the mission's spacecraft commander and pilot, respectively along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Akihikoa Hoshidea and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomasa-Pesquet, who will serve as mission specialists to the space station, the space agency said in a statement. 
 
The mission is the second of the six certified, crew missions NASA, and SpaceX will fly as a part of the agency's Commercial Crew Programme. Crew-1 successfully docked into the ISS in November, last year. 
 
The Crew-2 astronauts will remain aboard the space station for approximately six months as expedition crew members, along with three crewmates who will launch via a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. 
 
The increase of the full space station crew complement to seven members, over the previous six,&nbsp;&nbsp;will allow NASA to effectively double the amount of science that can be conducted in space, NASA said.

Kathy Lueders, head of NASA’s human exploration office, said it was “moving” to be on the verge of flying three SpaceX crew flights in 11 months.

“Looking back, it’s really, really amazing what both the SpaceX and NASA teams have accomplished,” she said.

SpaceX said it must resolve one issue before conducting a test firing at the launch pad this weekend. It appears the company has been loading more liquid oxygen into its first-stage boosters than anticipated, and engineers want to make “extra certain” that poses no safety risks, said Bill Gerstenmaier, a new SpaceX vice president who used to work for NASA.

For nearly a decade, the only route to the space station for astronauts was on Russian rockets. NASA turned to private companies for taxi service after the space shuttles retired in 2011. SpaceX has been shipping cargo to the space station since 2012, using the same kind of rocket and similar capsules, and recycling those parts as well.

(With input from agencies)

US space agency NASA is set to launch SpaceX Crew Dragon second flight to the International Space Station on April 22. The Crew-2 with four astronauts on board will lift off at 6:11 a.

US space agency NASA is set to launch SpaceX Crew Dragon second flight to the International Space Station on April 22. The Crew-2 with four astronauts on board will lift off at 6:11 a.m. EDT on April 22, from Launch Complex 39A at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Crew-2 flight will carry NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, who will serve as the mission's spacecraft commander and pilot, respectively along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Akihikoa Hoshidea and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomasa-Pesquet, who will serve as mission specialists to the space station, the space agency said in a statement. The mission is the second of the six certified, crew missions NASA, and SpaceX will fly as a part of the agency's Commercial Crew Programme. Crew-1 successfully docked into the ISS in November, last year. The Crew-2 astronauts will remain aboard the space station for approximately six months as expedition crew members, along with three crewmates who will launch via a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. The increase of the full space station crew complement to seven members, over the previous six, will allow NASA to effectively double the amount of science that can be conducted in space, NASA said. Kathy Lueders, head of NASA’s human exploration office, said it was “moving” to be on the verge of flying three SpaceX crew flights in 11 months. “Looking back, it’s really, really amazing what both the SpaceX and NASA teams have accomplished,” she said. SpaceX said it must resolve one issue before conducting a test firing at the launch pad this weekend. It appears the company has been loading more liquid oxygen into its first-stage boosters than anticipated, and engineers want to make “extra certain” that poses no safety risks, said Bill Gerstenmaier, a new SpaceX vice president who used to work for NASA. For nearly a decade, the only route to the space station for astronauts was on Russian rockets. NASA turned to private companies for taxi service after the space shuttles retired in 2011. SpaceX has been shipping cargo to the space station since 2012, using the same kind of rocket and similar capsules, and recycling those parts as well. (With input from agencies)

NASA SpaceX Crew-2 set for launch on April 22

Taiwan's Pegatron has chosen a site in El Paso, Texas, to build a plant that will provide components for&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;Inc, Taiwanese newspaper the Commercial Times reported on Wednesday.

The company said that details of its overseas plant investments, including timing, location, and investment amounts, were still in the planning stages.

It comes after&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;faces scrutiny in China where the military in March banned&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;cars from entering its complexes, citing security concerns over cameras in its vehicle.&nbsp;

China is a key battleground for electric vehicles. In 2020&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;sold 30 per cent&nbsp;of its global total in the country.

Pegatron said in November that it would set up a factory in the United States to be closer to its clients there.

Pegatron is best known as a key supplier for Apple Inc, but it has said it sees electric vehicles as a major source of growth in coming years.

Shares of&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;climbed 3 per cent&nbsp;on Monday after Canaccord Genuity raised its rating on the electric car maker to "buy" and compared its brand to Apple.

Canaccord Genuity analyst Jed Dorsheimer upgraded&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;to "buy" from "hold" and increased his price target to $1,071, the second-highest among 37 analysts tracked by Refinitiv.

(With input from agencies)

Taiwan's Pegatron has chosen a site in El Paso, Texas, to build a plant that will provide components for Tesla Inc, Taiwanese newspaper the Commercial Times reported on Wednesday.

Taiwan's Pegatron has chosen a site in El Paso, Texas, to build a plant that will provide components for Tesla Inc, Taiwanese newspaper the Commercial Times reported on Wednesday. The company said that details of its overseas plant investments, including timing, location, and investment amounts, were still in the planning stages. It comes after Tesla faces scrutiny in China where the military in March banned Tesla cars from entering its complexes, citing security concerns over cameras in its vehicle. China is a key battleground for electric vehicles. In 2020 Tesla sold 30 per cent of its global total in the country. Pegatron said in November that it would set up a factory in the United States to be closer to its clients there. Pegatron is best known as a key supplier for Apple Inc, but it has said it sees electric vehicles as a major source of growth in coming years. Shares of Tesla climbed 3 per cent on Monday after Canaccord Genuity raised its rating on the electric car maker to "buy" and compared its brand to Apple. Canaccord Genuity analyst Jed Dorsheimer upgraded Tesla to "buy" from "hold" and increased his price target to $1,071, the second-highest among 37 analysts tracked by Refinitiv. (With input from agencies)

Taiwan's Pegatron to build components for Tesla

Lunar exploration company iSpace will transport a United Arab Emirates rover to the moon in 2022, the Japanese company said on Wednesday, as the&nbsp;UAE&nbsp;pushes for rapid expansion in the space exploration business to diversify its economy.

The&nbsp;UAE&nbsp;is using its space programme to develop its scientific and technological capabilities and reduce its reliance on oil.

The Gulf state's, and the Arab world's, first interplanetary probe entered Mars' orbit in February. It is now sending data about the Martian atmosphere and climate.

The Rashid lunar rover will be designed entirely by Emiratis. The&nbsp;UAE&nbsp;had originally intended to send it into space by 2024.

Japanese company iSpace, founded in 2010, aims to provide commercial transportation to the moon with a wider mission to ultimately incorporate the moon into the earth's economy.

The 2022 launch will be iSpace's first mission of this kind and will use a Falcon 9 rocket from Elon Musk's SpaceX, to be launched from Florida.

Dubai's Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC) will build the Rashid lunar rover. It will remain on the moon after data collection is completed, said Emirates Lunar Mission manager Hamad al-Marzooqi.

The SpaceX rocket will deliver an iSpace lander to the moon's orbit. The lander will propel itself to the moon's surface and the&nbsp;UAE&nbsp;rover will then emerge from the lander and drive off to explore, said iSpace Founder and CEO Takeshi Hakamada.

The lander will also be carrying a solid-state battery designed by Japanese company NGK Spark Plug&nbsp;to be tested in the lunar environment.

The lunar mission is part of the Gulf state's broader vision for a Mars settlement by 2117.

Under the agreement, iSpace said it would also provide the Emirates Lunar Mission with wired communication and power during the cruise phase and wireless communication on the moon.

The&nbsp;UAE&nbsp;launched a National Space Programme in 2017 to develop local expertise. Its population of 9.4 million, most of whom are foreign workers, lacks the scientific and industrial base of the major countries which have space programmes.

Hazza al-Mansouri became the first Emirati in space in 2019 when he flew to the International Space Station. This week the&nbsp;UAE&nbsp;selected the first Arab woman to train as an astronaut.

(With input from agencies)

Lunar exploration company iSpace will transport a United Arab Emirates rover to the moon in 2022, the Japanese company said on Wednesday, as the UAE pushes for rapid expansion in the space exploration business to diversify its economy.

Lunar exploration company iSpace will transport a United Arab Emirates rover to the moon in 2022, the Japanese company said on Wednesday, as the UAE pushes for rapid expansion in the space exploration business to diversify its economy. The UAE is using its space programme to develop its scientific and technological capabilities and reduce its reliance on oil. The Gulf state's, and the Arab world's, first interplanetary probe entered Mars' orbit in February. It is now sending data about the Martian atmosphere and climate. The Rashid lunar rover will be designed entirely by Emiratis. The UAE had originally intended to send it into space by 2024. Japanese company iSpace, founded in 2010, aims to provide commercial transportation to the moon with a wider mission to ultimately incorporate the moon into the earth's economy. The 2022 launch will be iSpace's first mission of this kind and will use a Falcon 9 rocket from Elon Musk's SpaceX, to be launched from Florida. Dubai's Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC) will build the Rashid lunar rover. It will remain on the moon after data collection is completed, said Emirates Lunar Mission manager Hamad al-Marzooqi. The SpaceX rocket will deliver an iSpace lander to the moon's orbit. The lander will propel itself to the moon's surface and the UAE rover will then emerge from the lander and drive off to explore, said iSpace Founder and CEO Takeshi Hakamada. The lander will also be carrying a solid-state battery designed by Japanese company NGK Spark Plug to be tested in the lunar environment. The lunar mission is part of the Gulf state's broader vision for a Mars settlement by 2117. Under the agreement, iSpace said it would also provide the Emirates Lunar Mission with wired communication and power during the cruise phase and wireless communication on the moon. The UAE launched a National Space Programme in 2017 to develop local expertise. Its population of 9.4 million, most of whom are foreign workers, lacks the scientific and industrial base of the major countries which have space programmes. Hazza al-Mansouri became the first Emirati in space in 2019 when he flew to the International Space Station. This week the UAE selected the first Arab woman to train as an astronaut. (With input from agencies)

Japanese firm iSpace to send UAE's lunar rover in 2022

Bitcoin hit a record high above $62,000 on Tuesday as the cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase prepares to launch shares on Wall Street.&nbsp;

Bitcoin reached $62,377, a huge gain of 114 per cent since the start of the year.&nbsp;

After crashing in 2018, the value of bitcoin rebounded and it has set records since late last year -- rocketing from around $12,000 in October to more than $60,000 a month ago.&nbsp;

The arrival on Wednesday of cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase on the Nasdaq is one of Wall Street's most anticipated events of the year even though some question whether the cryptocurrency market is sustainable.&nbsp;

Estimates of Coinbase's value vary depending on how it is calculated, but its capitalisation is expected to range from $70 to $100 billion.&nbsp;

That would make it the largest initial public offer (IPO) for a US company since Facebook in 2012.&nbsp;

Founded in 2012, the platform allows users to buy and sell about 50 cryptocurrencies.&nbsp;

The cryptocurrency market has grown exponentially in 2021 and is now worth a staggering $2.0 trillion as it increasingly attracts interest from big names on Wall Street.&nbsp;

While anybody can 'mine' for new bitcoins, to do so requires giant data centres, which has led to platforms, such as Coinbase providing a way of trading in cryptocurrencies.&nbsp;

Banks and payment services, such as Paypal, allow transactions in certain digital currencies.&nbsp;

Despite 12-year-old bitcoin's volatility and limitations as a means of payment, it is seen as a store of value to rival and perhaps one day surpass gold as a haven investment in the face of high inflation for example.&nbsp;

Electric car giant Tesla has invested $1.5 billion in bitcoin and in March began accepting the currency as payment.&nbsp;

Tesla's multi-billionaire chief executive Elon Musk has also used social media to espouse the merits of cryptocurrencies, helping to lift interest and prices.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Bitcoin hit a record high above $62,000 on Tuesday as the cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase prepares to launch shares on Wall Street. Bitcoin reached $62,377, a huge gain of 114 per cent since the start of the year.

Bitcoin hit a record high above $62,000 on Tuesday as the cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase prepares to launch shares on Wall Street. Bitcoin reached $62,377, a huge gain of 114 per cent since the start of the year. After crashing in 2018, the value of bitcoin rebounded and it has set records since late last year -- rocketing from around $12,000 in October to more than $60,000 a month ago. The arrival on Wednesday of cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase on the Nasdaq is one of Wall Street's most anticipated events of the year even though some question whether the cryptocurrency market is sustainable. Estimates of Coinbase's value vary depending on how it is calculated, but its capitalisation is expected to range from $70 to $100 billion. That would make it the largest initial public offer (IPO) for a US company since Facebook in 2012. Founded in 2012, the platform allows users to buy and sell about 50 cryptocurrencies. The cryptocurrency market has grown exponentially in 2021 and is now worth a staggering $2.0 trillion as it increasingly attracts interest from big names on Wall Street. While anybody can 'mine' for new bitcoins, to do so requires giant data centres, which has led to platforms, such as Coinbase providing a way of trading in cryptocurrencies. Banks and payment services, such as Paypal, allow transactions in certain digital currencies. Despite 12-year-old bitcoin's volatility and limitations as a means of payment, it is seen as a store of value to rival and perhaps one day surpass gold as a haven investment in the face of high inflation for example. Electric car giant Tesla has invested $1.5 billion in bitcoin and in March began accepting the currency as payment. Tesla's multi-billionaire chief executive Elon Musk has also used social media to espouse the merits of cryptocurrencies, helping to lift interest and prices. (With inputs from agencies)

Bitcoin hits record high above $62,000 

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has taken a swipe at Bill Gates by tweeting an anti-vaccination meme. Musk posted an edited cartoon, originally created by conservative artist Ben Garrison, depicting an illustrated version of the Microsoft co-founder. Musk deleted the tweet about two hours later, after it had been shared more than 5,000 times.

Elon Musk posts Bill Gates edited anti-vaccination cartoon

Billionaire entrepreneur&nbsp;Elon&nbsp;Musk's neuroscience startup Neuralink released footage on Friday&nbsp;that it says shows a macaque monkey playing video games using a brain-computer interface implant.

The three-minute video released by the San Francisco-based company shows a male monkey called Pager with Neuralink chips implanted on each side of its brain, using a joystick to follow a cursor on a screen.

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Monkey MindPong <a href="https://t.co/7zstTZ1X1w">https://t.co/7zstTZ1X1w</a> <a href="https://t.co/GYrYNsJ68u">pic.twitter.com/GYrYNsJ68u</a>
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The voice-over explains that Neuralink records from more than 2000 electrodes implanted in the regions of the monkey's motor cortex that coordinate hand and arm movements.

"Using these data, we calibrate the decoder by mathematically modelling the relationship between patterns of neural activity and the different joystick movements they produce. After only a few minutes of calibration, we can use the output from the decoder to move the cursor instead of the joystick," the voice-over says.

The monkey still moves the joystick out of habit, but the scientists have unplugged it; Pager is controlling the cursor entirely with decoded neural activity.

The video goes on to show Pager playing 'Mind Pong'; controlling his paddle simply by thinking about moving his hand up or down.

The voice-over adds: "He's focussed and he's playing entirely of his own volition. It's not magic. The reason Neuralink works is because it's recording and decoding electrical signals from the brain."

Co-founded by&nbsp;Musk&nbsp;in 2016, Neuralink aims to implant wireless brain-computer interfaces that include thousands of electrodes in the most complex human organ to help cure neurological conditions like Alzheimer's, dementia and spinal cord injuries and ultimately fuse humankind with artificial intelligence.

In August 2020,&nbsp;Musk&nbsp;unveiled a pig with a Neuralink chip installed, at the time describing it as "a Fitbit in your skull".

Musk&nbsp;has a history of bringing together diverse experts to drastically accelerate the development of innovations previously limited to academic labs, including rocket, hyperloop and electrical vehicle technologies through companies such as Tesla Inc and SpaceX.

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's neuroscience startup Neuralink released footage on Friday that it says shows a macaque monkey playing video games using a brain-computer interface implant.

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's neuroscience startup Neuralink released footage on Friday that it says shows a macaque monkey playing video games using a brain-computer interface implant. The three-minute video released by the San Francisco-based company shows a male monkey called Pager with Neuralink chips implanted on each side of its brain, using a joystick to follow a cursor on a screen. Monkey MindPong https://t.co/7zstTZ1X1w pic.twitter.com/GYrYNsJ68u — Neuralink (@neuralink) April 8, 2021 × The voice-over explains that Neuralink records from more than 2000 electrodes implanted in the regions of the monkey's motor cortex that coordinate hand and arm movements. "Using these data, we calibrate the decoder by mathematically modelling the relationship between patterns of neural activity and the different joystick movements they produce. After only a few minutes of calibration, we can use the output from the decoder to move the cursor instead of the joystick," the voice-over says. The monkey still moves the joystick out of habit, but the scientists have unplugged it; Pager is controlling the cursor entirely with decoded neural activity. The video goes on to show Pager playing 'Mind Pong'; controlling his paddle simply by thinking about moving his hand up or down. The voice-over adds: "He's focussed and he's playing entirely of his own volition. It's not magic. The reason Neuralink works is because it's recording and decoding electrical signals from the brain." Co-founded by Musk in 2016, Neuralink aims to implant wireless brain-computer interfaces that include thousands of electrodes in the most complex human organ to help cure neurological conditions like Alzheimer's, dementia and spinal cord injuries and ultimately fuse humankind with artificial intelligence. In August 2020, Musk unveiled a pig with a Neuralink chip installed, at the time describing it as "a Fitbit in your skull". Musk has a history of bringing together diverse experts to drastically accelerate the development of innovations previously limited to academic labs, including rocket, hyperloop and electrical vehicle technologies through companies such as Tesla Inc and SpaceX.

Elon Musk's neuroscience startup Neuralink shows monkey playing video games via brain chip

Cameras in&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;cars are not activated outside of North America, the US&nbsp;automaker said on its Chinese social media page on Wednesday, seeking to assuage security concerns in the world's biggest car market.

The Chinese military had&nbsp;banned Tesla Inc's cars from military complexes and housing compounds because of concerns about sensitive data being collected by cameras built into the vehicles.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-military-bans-tesla-cars-in-its-complexes-over-security-concerns-371727">Chinese military bans Tesla cars in its complexes over security concerns</a>

The move followed&nbsp;a security review by the Chinese government as per which officials believe that the sensors in Tesla's cars could record visual images of surrounding locations and obtain data on how and when the cars being used as well as personal information of the drivers and their contact lists synced to the phone.

"Even in the United States, car owners can freely choose whether to turn on its (the camera system's) use.&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;is equipped with a network security system with world-leading security levels to ensure user privacy protection," the electric carmaker wrote on Weibo, China's Twitter-like social media site.

At a virtual forum in Beijing in March, held not long after reports of the ban surfaced,&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;founder Elon Musk emphasised the company's business motivations for protecting user privacy.

"There's a very strong incentive for us to be very confidential with any information," Musk said.

"If&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;used cars to spy in China or anywhere, we will get shut down."

Tesla, like several other automobile manufacturers, uses internal cameras to provide assistance in parking and self-parking functions.

China is a key battleground for electric vehicles. In 2020&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;sold 30 per cent&nbsp;of its global total in the country.

Chinese regulators have summoned representatives of US electric car giant&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;after reported technical problems with their vehicles, notably concerning their safety, officials in Beijing said Monday.&nbsp;

"Consumers have cited multiple problems, related to unusual accelerations, batteries catching fire, as well as with the remote update system," the State Administration for Market Regulation said in a statement.&nbsp;

"They were asked to strictly conform to Chinese laws and regulations" in order to "guarantee public security" and the "rights and legitimate interests of consumers", the regulator said.

Cameras in Tesla cars are not activated outside of North America, the US automaker said on its Chinese social media page on Wednesday, seeking to assuage security concerns in the world's biggest car market.

Cameras in Tesla cars are not activated outside of North America, the US automaker said on its Chinese social media page on Wednesday, seeking to assuage security concerns in the world's biggest car market. The Chinese military had banned Tesla Inc's cars from military complexes and housing compounds because of concerns about sensitive data being collected by cameras built into the vehicles. Also read| Chinese military bans Tesla cars in its complexes over security concerns The move followed a security review by the Chinese government as per which officials believe that the sensors in Tesla's cars could record visual images of surrounding locations and obtain data on how and when the cars being used as well as personal information of the drivers and their contact lists synced to the phone. "Even in the United States, car owners can freely choose whether to turn on its (the camera system's) use. Tesla is equipped with a network security system with world-leading security levels to ensure user privacy protection," the electric carmaker wrote on Weibo, China's Twitter-like social media site. At a virtual forum in Beijing in March, held not long after reports of the ban surfaced, Tesla founder Elon Musk emphasised the company's business motivations for protecting user privacy. "There's a very strong incentive for us to be very confidential with any information," Musk said. "If Tesla used cars to spy in China or anywhere, we will get shut down." Tesla, like several other automobile manufacturers, uses internal cameras to provide assistance in parking and self-parking functions. China is a key battleground for electric vehicles. In 2020 Tesla sold 30 per cent of its global total in the country. Chinese regulators have summoned representatives of US electric car giant Tesla after reported technical problems with their vehicles, notably concerning their safety, officials in Beijing said Monday. "Consumers have cited multiple problems, related to unusual accelerations, batteries catching fire, as well as with the remote update system," the State Administration for Market Regulation said in a statement. "They were asked to strictly conform to Chinese laws and regulations" in order to "guarantee public security" and the "rights and legitimate interests of consumers", the regulator said.

China snooping row: Musk's Tesla says its car cameras are not activated outside North America

Forbes' annual world's billionaires list includes a record-breaking 2,755 billionaires, with Amazon.com Inc founder Jeff Bezos topping it for the fourth consecutive year, the media company said on Tuesday.

The ranks of the ultra-wealthy are expanding after a year in which the coronavirus pandemic upended world economies and threatened the livelihoods of people across the globe.

This year's billionaires are worth a combined $13.1 trillion, up from $8 trillion last year, Forbes said.

"The very, very rich got very, very richer," said Forbes' Chief Content Officer Randall Lane in an interview.

Tesla Chief Executive Elon&nbsp;Musk&nbsp;jumped into the second spot on the list, up from 31st last year.

Bernard Arnault, chief executive of luxury goods firm LVMH, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg round out the top five of the world's richest billionaires.

Investor and business tycoon Warren Buffett fell out of the top five for the first time in over two decades, as tech executives dominate the Forbes rankings.

This year's list has 493 newcomers, including Whitney Wolfe Herd, chief executive of dating app Bumble, which went public this year.

Forbes' annual world's billionaires list includes a record-breaking 2,755 billionaires, with Amazon.com Inc founder Jeff Bezos topping it for the fourth consecutive year, the media company said on Tuesday.

Forbes' annual world's billionaires list includes a record-breaking 2,755 billionaires, with Amazon.com Inc founder Jeff Bezos topping it for the fourth consecutive year, the media company said on Tuesday. The ranks of the ultra-wealthy are expanding after a year in which the coronavirus pandemic upended world economies and threatened the livelihoods of people across the globe. This year's billionaires are worth a combined $13.1 trillion, up from $8 trillion last year, Forbes said. "The very, very rich got very, very richer," said Forbes' Chief Content Officer Randall Lane in an interview. Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk jumped into the second spot on the list, up from 31st last year. Bernard Arnault, chief executive of luxury goods firm LVMH, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg round out the top five of the world's richest billionaires. Investor and business tycoon Warren Buffett fell out of the top five for the first time in over two decades, as tech executives dominate the Forbes rankings. This year's list has 493 newcomers, including Whitney Wolfe Herd, chief executive of dating app Bumble, which went public this year.

Forbes' annual world's billionaires: Bezos, Musk top record-setting list

Elon Musk's SpaceX on Wednesday named&nbsp;two citizen astronauts, including a&nbsp;college science professor and an aerospace data analyst&nbsp;for its first all-civilian spaceflight&nbsp;in history.

The two latest citizen astronauts were introduced at a news briefing livestreamed from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida by SpaceX human spaceflight chief Benji Reed and billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, who conceived the mission in part as a charity drive.

Isaacman, founder and CEO of e-commerce firm Shift4 Payments, is forking over an unspecified but presumably exorbitant sum to fellow billionaire and SpaceX owner Elon Musk to fly himself and three others into orbit aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/bone-cancer-survivor-hayley-arceneaux-to-join-billionaire-jared-isaacman-on-spacex-all-civilian-trip-365462">Bone cancer survivor Hayley Arceneaux to join billionaire Jared Isaacman on SpaceX 'all-civilian' trip</a>

The flight, scheduled for no earlier than September&nbsp;15, is expected to last three to four days from launch to splashdown.

"When this mission is complete, people are going to look at it and say this was the first time that everyday people could go to space," Isaacman, 38, told reporters.

Dubbed Inspiration4, the mission is designed primarily to raise awareness and support for one of Isaacman's favorite causes, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, a leading pediatric cancer center. He has pledged $100 million personally to the institute.

Assuming the role of mission "commander," Isaacman in February designated St. Jude physician's assistant Haley Arceneaux, 29, a bone cancer survivor and onetime patient at the Tennessee-based hospital, as his first crewmate.

Announced on Tuesday, Chris Sembroski, 41, a Seattle-area aerospace industry employee and US&nbsp;Air Force veteran, was selected through a sweepstakes that drew 72,000 applicants and has raised $113 million in St. Jude donations.

Sian Proctor, 51, a geoscience professor at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, Arizona, and entrepreneur who was once a NASA astronaut candidate, was chosen separately through an online business contest run by Shift4 Payments.

All four will undergo extensive training modeled after the curriculum NASA astronauts use to prepare for SpaceX missions.

The Inspiration4 mission may mark a new era in spaceflight, but it is not the only all-civilian crewed rocket launch in the works.

British billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic enterprise is developing a spaceplane to carry paying customers on suborbital excursions.

SpaceX plans a separate launch, possibly next year, of a retired NASA astronaut, a former Israeli fighter pilot and two other people in conjunction with Houston-based private spaceflight company Axiom Space.

Musk also intends to fly Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa around the moon in 2023. Fees charged for those flights will help finance the development of Musk's new, heavy-lift Starship rocket for missions to the moon and Mars.

Inspiration4 is about more than a billionaire's joyride through space, organizers say, promising the crew will conduct a number of as-yet undetermined science experiments during its brief voyage.

Elon Musk's SpaceX on Wednesday named two citizen astronauts, including a college science professor and an aerospace data analyst for its first all-civilian spaceflight in history.

Elon Musk's SpaceX on Wednesday named two citizen astronauts, including a college science professor and an aerospace data analyst for its first all-civilian spaceflight in history. The two latest citizen astronauts were introduced at a news briefing livestreamed from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida by SpaceX human spaceflight chief Benji Reed and billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, who conceived the mission in part as a charity drive. Isaacman, founder and CEO of e-commerce firm Shift4 Payments, is forking over an unspecified but presumably exorbitant sum to fellow billionaire and SpaceX owner Elon Musk to fly himself and three others into orbit aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. Also read| Bone cancer survivor Hayley Arceneaux to join billionaire Jared Isaacman on SpaceX 'all-civilian' trip The flight, scheduled for no earlier than September 15, is expected to last three to four days from launch to splashdown. "When this mission is complete, people are going to look at it and say this was the first time that everyday people could go to space," Isaacman, 38, told reporters. Dubbed Inspiration4, the mission is designed primarily to raise awareness and support for one of Isaacman's favorite causes, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, a leading pediatric cancer center. He has pledged $100 million personally to the institute. Assuming the role of mission "commander," Isaacman in February designated St. Jude physician's assistant Haley Arceneaux, 29, a bone cancer survivor and onetime patient at the Tennessee-based hospital, as his first crewmate. Announced on Tuesday, Chris Sembroski, 41, a Seattle-area aerospace industry employee and US Air Force veteran, was selected through a sweepstakes that drew 72,000 applicants and has raised $113 million in St. Jude donations. Sian Proctor, 51, a geoscience professor at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, Arizona, and entrepreneur who was once a NASA astronaut candidate, was chosen separately through an online business contest run by Shift4 Payments. All four will undergo extensive training modeled after the curriculum NASA astronauts use to prepare for SpaceX missions. The Inspiration4 mission may mark a new era in spaceflight, but it is not the only all-civilian crewed rocket launch in the works. British billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic enterprise is developing a spaceplane to carry paying customers on suborbital excursions. SpaceX plans a separate launch, possibly next year, of a retired NASA astronaut, a former Israeli fighter pilot and two other people in conjunction with Houston-based private spaceflight company Axiom Space. Musk also intends to fly Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa around the moon in 2023. Fees charged for those flights will help finance the development of Musk's new, heavy-lift Starship rocket for missions to the moon and Mars. Inspiration4 is about more than a billionaire's joyride through space, organizers say, promising the crew will conduct a number of as-yet undetermined science experiments during its brief voyage.

SpaceX names two citizen astronauts for first all-civilian spaceflight

On Tuesday morning, for the fourth time, SpaceX attempted a high-altitude test of its next-generation rocket, and for the fourth time, it exploded.

Through a series of test flights since December, SpaceX has successfully launched prototypes of Starship, intended to take people to Mars one day, and after reaching an altitude of several miles, demonstrated a controlled belly flop back toward to the ground. But each time, the rocket encountered trouble during or after landing, resulting in spectacular explosions.

This time, something went wrong earlier, as the engines reignited at the start of the landing procedure. Video from SpaceX then froze, at 5 minutes, 49 seconds after liftoff.

Coverage by NASASpaceflight, a website for space enthusiasts, showed shards of metal raining down around the launch site including debris that hit one of the cameras.

“Looks like we’ve had another exciting test,” said John Insprucker, a SpaceX engineer narrating the company’s webcast.

The launch was shrouded in early morning fog with little visible except from cameras on Starship.

Elon Musk, founder and CEO of SpaceX, said on Twitter there appeared to be a problem with one of the engines during the ascent and it did not quite work properly when it reignited for landing.

The previous test, on March 3, accomplished a feat that none of the earlier flights had managed: The spacecraft landed back at the launch site but leaning at the landing pad.

Moments after SpaceX’s commentators declared that test a success and concluded its live webcast, a camera maintained by NASASpaceflight captured the rocket exploding on the ground.

Musk’s company has become successful in the launch business, and it is now one of the world’s most valuable privately held companies. Its Falcon 9 rockets have become a dominant workhorse for sending satellites to orbit. It routinely transports cargo to the International Space Station and lifted NASA astronauts there twice in 2020, with more trips planned this year.

With the latest failure, Starship is a long way from being ready for a trip to orbit. But SpaceX already has its eyes on future tests that will lift subsequent Starship prototypes to much greater altitudes. Earlier this month, Musk shared a picture of a prototype of the large booster stage that will be needed for a trip to space. It is more than 200 feet tall.

On Tuesday morning, for the fourth time, SpaceX attempted a high-altitude test of its next-generation rocket, and for the fourth time, it exploded. Through a series of test flights since December, SpaceX has successfully launched prototypes of Starship, intended to take people to Mars one day, and after reaching an altitude of several miles, demonstrated a controlled belly flop back toward to the ground.

On Tuesday morning, for the fourth time, SpaceX attempted a high-altitude test of its next-generation rocket, and for the fourth time, it exploded. Through a series of test flights since December, SpaceX has successfully launched prototypes of Starship, intended to take people to Mars one day, and after reaching an altitude of several miles, demonstrated a controlled belly flop back toward to the ground. But each time, the rocket encountered trouble during or after landing, resulting in spectacular explosions. This time, something went wrong earlier, as the engines reignited at the start of the landing procedure. Video from SpaceX then froze, at 5 minutes, 49 seconds after liftoff. Coverage by NASASpaceflight, a website for space enthusiasts, showed shards of metal raining down around the launch site including debris that hit one of the cameras. “Looks like we’ve had another exciting test,” said John Insprucker, a SpaceX engineer narrating the company’s webcast. The launch was shrouded in early morning fog with little visible except from cameras on Starship. Elon Musk, founder and CEO of SpaceX, said on Twitter there appeared to be a problem with one of the engines during the ascent and it did not quite work properly when it reignited for landing. The previous test, on March 3, accomplished a feat that none of the earlier flights had managed: The spacecraft landed back at the launch site but leaning at the landing pad. Moments after SpaceX’s commentators declared that test a success and concluded its live webcast, a camera maintained by NASASpaceflight captured the rocket exploding on the ground. Musk’s company has become successful in the launch business, and it is now one of the world’s most valuable privately held companies. Its Falcon 9 rockets have become a dominant workhorse for sending satellites to orbit. It routinely transports cargo to the International Space Station and lifted NASA astronauts there twice in 2020, with more trips planned this year. With the latest failure, Starship is a long way from being ready for a trip to orbit. But SpaceX already has its eyes on future tests that will lift subsequent Starship prototypes to much greater altitudes. Earlier this month, Musk shared a picture of a prototype of the large booster stage that will be needed for a trip to space. It is more than 200 feet tall.

The SpaceX test rocket for Mars goes up again, and explodes again

The US&nbsp;auto safety agency said on Monday that it will collect information about an accident in which a Tesla vehicle crashed into a tractor-trailer in New Jersey.

The Tesla driver, a 44-year-old, said he had his cruise control on “when he momentarily lost focus on the roadway” and drove his car under the trailer on Monday morning, according to a statement from the South Brunswick Township Police Department.

“The impact was so severe it shredded the roof off the passenger’s side of the vehicle.”

The Tesla was destroyed in the crash, but the driver received minor injuries.

NHTSA is aware of the Tesla crash on March 29 in New Jersey. We have contacted Tesla and local law enforcement regarding this crash and will act accordingly when we have more information,” a representative of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement to Reuters.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comments.

The NHTSA said earlier this month that it had opened 27 investigations into crashes of Tesla vehicles, 23 of which remain active, and at least three of the crashes occurred in recent weeks.

&nbsp;

The US auto safety agency said on Monday that it will collect information about an accident in which a Tesla vehicle crashed into a tractor-trailer in New Jersey.

The US auto safety agency said on Monday that it will collect information about an accident in which a Tesla vehicle crashed into a tractor-trailer in New Jersey. The Tesla driver, a 44-year-old, said he had his cruise control on “when he momentarily lost focus on the roadway” and drove his car under the trailer on Monday morning, according to a statement from the South Brunswick Township Police Department. “The impact was so severe it shredded the roof off the passenger’s side of the vehicle.” The Tesla was destroyed in the crash, but the driver received minor injuries. NHTSA is aware of the Tesla crash on March 29 in New Jersey. We have contacted Tesla and local law enforcement regarding this crash and will act accordingly when we have more information,” a representative of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement to Reuters. Tesla did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comments. The NHTSA said earlier this month that it had opened 27 investigations into crashes of Tesla vehicles, 23 of which remain active, and at least three of the crashes occurred in recent weeks.

US safety agency says it will gather information on Tesla-truck crash in New Jersey

SpaceX is preparing for a possible launch of its prototype interplanetary Starship rocket from the company's facility in south Texas on Monday afternoon.

The company is hoping to finally perform a successful test flight after the last three attempts ended in spectacular explosions.&nbsp;

"I have ordered the closure of Boca Chica Beach and Hwy 4 for the purpose of protecting public health and safety during SpaceX space flight activities on March 29," Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr said in a statement.

SpaceX founder Elon Musk also tweeted on Sunday about the "Possible Starship flight tomorrow afternoon."

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Possible Starship flight tomorrow afternoon
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1376235871989551105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The window for launch is 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm Central Time (1700 to 2200 GMT), and if it goes ahead, SpaceX will provide a webcast.&nbsp;

An earlier scheduled launch was scrubbed Friday, likely because of poor weather.

SN11 is the eleventh prototype of Starship, which SpaceX hopes will one day be able to fly to the Moon, Mars and beyond.

It will be the fourth to conduct a test flight, ascending to an altitude of 10 kilometers (six miles) before returning to the ground for a soft vertical landing.

SN8 and SN9, which launched in December and February respectively, crash-landed and exploded, while SN10 successfully landed then blew up a few minutes later during its test on March 3.&nbsp;

Despite the previous failures, analysts say SpaceX is gathering valuable data that will help it to accelerate its development timeline.

Eventually, SpaceX plans to combine the Starship spaceship with a Super Heavy rocket, creating a fully reusable system.

This final version will stand 120 meters tall (394 feet) and will be able to carry 100 metric tonnes into Earth orbit -- the most powerful launch vehicle ever developed.

SpaceX is preparing for a possible launch of its prototype interplanetary Starship rocket from the company's facility in south Texas on Monday afternoon. The company is hoping to finally perform a successful test flight after the last three attempts ended in spectacular explosions.

SpaceX is preparing for a possible launch of its prototype interplanetary Starship rocket from the company's facility in south Texas on Monday afternoon. The company is hoping to finally perform a successful test flight after the last three attempts ended in spectacular explosions. "I have ordered the closure of Boca Chica Beach and Hwy 4 for the purpose of protecting public health and safety during SpaceX space flight activities on March 29," Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr said in a statement. SpaceX founder Elon Musk also tweeted on Sunday about the "Possible Starship flight tomorrow afternoon." Possible Starship flight tomorrow afternoon — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 28, 2021 × The window for launch is 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm Central Time (1700 to 2200 GMT), and if it goes ahead, SpaceX will provide a webcast. An earlier scheduled launch was scrubbed Friday, likely because of poor weather. SN11 is the eleventh prototype of Starship, which SpaceX hopes will one day be able to fly to the Moon, Mars and beyond. It will be the fourth to conduct a test flight, ascending to an altitude of 10 kilometers (six miles) before returning to the ground for a soft vertical landing. SN8 and SN9, which launched in December and February respectively, crash-landed and exploded, while SN10 successfully landed then blew up a few minutes later during its test on March 3. Despite the previous failures, analysts say SpaceX is gathering valuable data that will help it to accelerate its development timeline. Eventually, SpaceX plans to combine the Starship spaceship with a Super Heavy rocket, creating a fully reusable system. This final version will stand 120 meters tall (394 feet) and will be able to carry 100 metric tonnes into Earth orbit -- the most powerful launch vehicle ever developed.

SpaceX preparing for launch of interplanetary Starship rocket

The US&nbsp;National Labor Relations Board has asked Tesla CEO Elon Musk to delete his&nbsp;2018 tweet threatening employees&nbsp;would lose their stock options if they formed a union was illegal.

The NLRB backed a ruling from a US&nbsp;labour judge in 2019 that the electric-car maker had committed a series of violations of the National Labor Relations Act in 2017 and 2018.

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Nothing stopping Tesla team at our car plant from voting union. Could do so tmrw if they wanted. But why pay union dues &amp; give up stock options for nothing? Our safety record is 2X better than when plant was UAW &amp; everybody already gets healthcare.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/998454539941367808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The board ordered Tesla to direct&nbsp;Musk&nbsp;to delete the tweet and to post a notice addressing the unlawful tweet at all of its facilities nationwide and include language that says "WE WILL take appropriate steps to ensure&nbsp;Musk&nbsp;complies with our directive."

The United Auto Workers (UAW)in 2018 filed a complaint with the NLRB over the&nbsp;Musk&nbsp;tweet that it said was illegally threatening to take away benefits from workers who join the union.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/elon-musk-says-tesla-customers-can-buy-its-electric-vehicles-with-bitcoin-372845" hreflang="en">Elon Musk says Tesla customers can buy its electric vehicles with bitcoin</a>

At that time, the UAW was seeking to represent workers at Tesla's facility in Fremont, who are not unionised.

“This is a great victory for workers who have the courage to stand up and organize in a system that is currently stacked heavily in favour of employers like Tesla who have no qualms about violating the law,” UAW Vice President Cindy Estrada said in a statement.

The NLRB also directed Tesla to offer one former employee reinstatement as well as to rescind 2017 rules that prohibited distributing union literature in its parking lot on non-work time and rules that barred distributing union stickers, leaflets, and pamphlets without first obtaining permission.

Tesla in 2018 defended&nbsp;Musk's comment, saying it simply recognized that other automakers whose workers are represented by the UAW do not provide stock options.

In a separate tweet,&nbsp;Musk&nbsp;had accused the UAW of driving General Motors and Chrysler to bankruptcy and losing "200,000+ jobs for people they were supposed to protect."

&nbsp;

The US National Labor Relations Board has asked Tesla CEO Elon Musk to delete his 2018 tweet threatening employees would lose their stock options if they formed a union was illegal.

The US National Labor Relations Board has asked Tesla CEO Elon Musk to delete his 2018 tweet threatening employees would lose their stock options if they formed a union was illegal. The NLRB backed a ruling from a US labour judge in 2019 that the electric-car maker had committed a series of violations of the National Labor Relations Act in 2017 and 2018. Nothing stopping Tesla team at our car plant from voting union. Could do so tmrw if they wanted. But why pay union dues & give up stock options for nothing? Our safety record is 2X better than when plant was UAW & everybody already gets healthcare. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 21, 2018 × The board ordered Tesla to direct Musk to delete the tweet and to post a notice addressing the unlawful tweet at all of its facilities nationwide and include language that says "WE WILL take appropriate steps to ensure Musk complies with our directive." The United Auto Workers (UAW)in 2018 filed a complaint with the NLRB over the Musk tweet that it said was illegally threatening to take away benefits from workers who join the union. Also read| Elon Musk says Tesla customers can buy its electric vehicles with bitcoin At that time, the UAW was seeking to represent workers at Tesla's facility in Fremont, who are not unionised. “This is a great victory for workers who have the courage to stand up and organize in a system that is currently stacked heavily in favour of employers like Tesla who have no qualms about violating the law,” UAW Vice President Cindy Estrada said in a statement. The NLRB also directed Tesla to offer one former employee reinstatement as well as to rescind 2017 rules that prohibited distributing union literature in its parking lot on non-work time and rules that barred distributing union stickers, leaflets, and pamphlets without first obtaining permission. Tesla in 2018 defended Musk's comment, saying it simply recognized that other automakers whose workers are represented by the UAW do not provide stock options. In a separate tweet, Musk had accused the UAW of driving General Motors and Chrysler to bankruptcy and losing "200,000+ jobs for people they were supposed to protect."

US labour board asks Tesla CEO Musk to delete anti-union tweet

A Soyuz rocket blasted off from the Vostochny cosmodrome in Russia's Far East on Thursday carrying 36 UK telecommunications and internet satellites, the Roscosmos space agency said.

The launch, carried out by Arianespace from the Vostochny cosmodrome, brought the number of in-orbit satellites to 146, part of a fleet designed to deliver high-speed, low-latency global connectivity, the satellite operator said.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/russian-soyuz-spacecraft-launches-38-satellites-for-18-countries-372299" hreflang="en">Russian Soyuz spacecraft launches 38 satellites for 18 countries</a>

OneWeb, a London-headquartered company, is working to complete the construction of a constellation of low earth orbit satellites providing enhanced broadband and other services to countries around the world.

The company is competing in the race to provide fast internet for the world's remote areas via satellites along with tech billionaire Elon Musk and fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos of Amazon.

OneWeb said this was the second in a five-launch programme that will enable its connectivity to reach all regions north of 50 degrees latitude by the middle of 2021.

Also see|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/russias-soyuz-spacecraft-takes-quickest-crew-trip-to-international-space-station-334731">Russia's Soyuz spacecraft takes quickest crew trip to International Space Station</a>

"These services will cover the United Kingdom, Alaska, Northern Europe, Greenland, Iceland, the Arctic Seas and Canada, and will be switched on before the end of the year," it said.

"OneWeb then intends to make global services available in 2022," it added.

OneWeb resumed flights in December after emerging from bankruptcy protection with $1 billion in equity investment from a consortium of the British government and India's Bharti Enterprises, its new owners.

Founded in 2014 by entrepreneur Greg Wyler, OneWeb planned to launch some 650 satellites into low earth orbit to provide universal internet but struggled to raise funds.

Images released by Roscosmos showed the Soyuz rocket taking off against clear blue skies Thursday morning at 0247 GMT.&nbsp;

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Сегодняшний пуск стал пятым в рамках пусковой кампании <a href="https://twitter.com/OneWeb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OneWeb</a> 🚀 
 
Средства выведения Роскосмоса — ракета-носитель «Союз-2.1б» и разгонный блок «Фрегат» — отработали в штатном режиме! 
 
Давайте еще раз вспомним сегодняшнее утро на космодроме <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D0%92%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%87%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Восточный</a> <a href="https://t.co/UGgQU92F1m">pic.twitter.com/UGgQU92F1m</a>
— РОСКОСМОС (@roscosmos) <a href="https://twitter.com/roscosmos/status/1374990285680353285?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Roscosmos said in a statement that the launch and separation "took place normally".

"We can confirm our sixth separation is complete. Over half our satellites have now been released!" OneWeb wrote on Twitter.&nbsp;

OneWeb's first six satellites were launched by a Russian-made Soyuz rocket from the space centre in Kourou in French Guiana in February 2019.

The company launched 68 more from the Baikanour launch site in Kazakhstan last year and another 36 from the Vostochny cosmodrome in December.&nbsp;

The Vostochny launch site is one of Russia's most important space projects, designed to reduce reliance on the Baikonur space centre Moscow currently rents from Kazakhstan.

Its construction has for years been tainted by multiple controversies including corruption, and the project has been consistently behind schedule.&nbsp;

A Soyuz rocket blasted off from the Vostochny cosmodrome in Russia's Far East on Thursday carrying 36 UK telecommunications and internet satellites, the Roscosmos space agency said.

A Soyuz rocket blasted off from the Vostochny cosmodrome in Russia's Far East on Thursday carrying 36 UK telecommunications and internet satellites, the Roscosmos space agency said. The launch, carried out by Arianespace from the Vostochny cosmodrome, brought the number of in-orbit satellites to 146, part of a fleet designed to deliver high-speed, low-latency global connectivity, the satellite operator said. Also read| Russian Soyuz spacecraft launches 38 satellites for 18 countries OneWeb, a London-headquartered company, is working to complete the construction of a constellation of low earth orbit satellites providing enhanced broadband and other services to countries around the world. The company is competing in the race to provide fast internet for the world's remote areas via satellites along with tech billionaire Elon Musk and fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos of Amazon. OneWeb said this was the second in a five-launch programme that will enable its connectivity to reach all regions north of 50 degrees latitude by the middle of 2021. Also see| Russia's Soyuz spacecraft takes quickest crew trip to International Space Station "These services will cover the United Kingdom, Alaska, Northern Europe, Greenland, Iceland, the Arctic Seas and Canada, and will be switched on before the end of the year," it said. "OneWeb then intends to make global services available in 2022," it added. OneWeb resumed flights in December after emerging from bankruptcy protection with $1 billion in equity investment from a consortium of the British government and India's Bharti Enterprises, its new owners. Founded in 2014 by entrepreneur Greg Wyler, OneWeb planned to launch some 650 satellites into low earth orbit to provide universal internet but struggled to raise funds. Images released by Roscosmos showed the Soyuz rocket taking off against clear blue skies Thursday morning at 0247 GMT. Сегодняшний пуск стал пятым в рамках пусковой кампании @OneWeb 🚀 Средства выведения Роскосмоса — ракета-носитель «Союз-2.1б» и разгонный блок «Фрегат» — отработали в штатном режиме! Давайте еще раз вспомним сегодняшнее утро на космодроме #Восточный pic.twitter.com/UGgQU92F1m — РОСКОСМОС (@roscosmos) March 25, 2021 × Roscosmos said in a statement that the launch and separation "took place normally". "We can confirm our sixth separation is complete. Over half our satellites have now been released!" OneWeb wrote on Twitter. OneWeb's first six satellites were launched by a Russian-made Soyuz rocket from the space centre in Kourou in French Guiana in February 2019. The company launched 68 more from the Baikanour launch site in Kazakhstan last year and another 36 from the Vostochny cosmodrome in December. The Vostochny launch site is one of Russia's most important space projects, designed to reduce reliance on the Baikonur space centre Moscow currently rents from Kazakhstan. Its construction has for years been tainted by multiple controversies including corruption, and the project has been consistently behind schedule.

Russia's Soyuz spacecraft blasts off to extend internet orbit

Elon Musk said on Wednesday that&nbsp;Tesla Inc customers can now buy its electric vehicles with bitcoin,&nbsp;marking a significant step forward for the cryptocurrency's use in commerce.

"You can now buy a Tesla with bitcoin," Musk said on Twitter, adding that the option would be available outside the United States later this year.

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You can now buy a Tesla with Bitcoin
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1374617643446063105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The electric-car maker said last month it bought $1.5 billion worth of bitcoin and would soon accept it as a form of payment for cars, in a large stride toward mainstream acceptance that sent bitcoin soaring to a record high of nearly $62,000.

Bitcoin, the world's biggest digital currency, rose more than 4 per cent&nbsp;after Musk's tweet and was last trading at $56,429.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tesla-ceo-elon-musk-calls-himself-bitcoin-supporter-prices-soar-360630">Tesla CEO Elon Musk calls himself Bitcoin 'supporter'; prices soar</a>

Musk said bitcoin paid to Tesla would not be converted into traditional currency, but he gave few other details on how the bitcoin payments would be processed. The company was using "internal and&nbsp;open source software", he said.

Most mainstream companies such as AT&amp;T Inc and Microsoft Corp that allow customers to pay with bitcoin typically use specialist payment processors that convert the cryptocurrency into, say, dollars and send the sum to the company.

Like other cryptocurrencies, bitcoin is still little used for commerce in major economies, hampered by its volatility and relatively costly and slow processing times.

Musk, who regularly posts comments on Twitter about cryptocurrencies, last month criticised conventional cash, saying when it "has negative real interest, only a fool wouldn't look elsewhere".

He had said that the difference with cash made it "adventurous enough" for the S&amp;P 500 company to hold the cryptocurrency.

Following Tesla's investment in bitcoin, companies including Mastercard Inc and Bank of New York Mellon Corp have embraced the emerging asset, sparking predictions that bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies will become a regular part of investment portfolios.

Uber Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi said the ride-hailing company discussed and "quickly dismissed" the idea of investing in bitcoin. However, he said Uber could potentially accept the cryptocurrency as payment.

General Motors Co said it would evaluate whether bitcoin could be accepted as payment for its vehicles.

Tesla recently added "Technoking of Tesla" to Musk's list of official titles.

Elon Musk said on Wednesday that Tesla Inc customers can now buy its electric vehicles with bitcoin, marking a significant step forward for the cryptocurrency's use in commerce.

Elon Musk said on Wednesday that Tesla Inc customers can now buy its electric vehicles with bitcoin, marking a significant step forward for the cryptocurrency's use in commerce. "You can now buy a Tesla with bitcoin," Musk said on Twitter, adding that the option would be available outside the United States later this year. You can now buy a Tesla with Bitcoin — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 24, 2021 × The electric-car maker said last month it bought $1.5 billion worth of bitcoin and would soon accept it as a form of payment for cars, in a large stride toward mainstream acceptance that sent bitcoin soaring to a record high of nearly $62,000. Bitcoin, the world's biggest digital currency, rose more than 4 per cent after Musk's tweet and was last trading at $56,429. Also read| Tesla CEO Elon Musk calls himself Bitcoin 'supporter'; prices soar Musk said bitcoin paid to Tesla would not be converted into traditional currency, but he gave few other details on how the bitcoin payments would be processed. The company was using "internal and open source software", he said. Most mainstream companies such as AT&T Inc and Microsoft Corp that allow customers to pay with bitcoin typically use specialist payment processors that convert the cryptocurrency into, say, dollars and send the sum to the company. Like other cryptocurrencies, bitcoin is still little used for commerce in major economies, hampered by its volatility and relatively costly and slow processing times. Musk, who regularly posts comments on Twitter about cryptocurrencies, last month criticised conventional cash, saying when it "has negative real interest, only a fool wouldn't look elsewhere". He had said that the difference with cash made it "adventurous enough" for the S&P 500 company to hold the cryptocurrency. Following Tesla's investment in bitcoin, companies including Mastercard Inc and Bank of New York Mellon Corp have embraced the emerging asset, sparking predictions that bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies will become a regular part of investment portfolios. Uber Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi said the ride-hailing company discussed and "quickly dismissed" the idea of investing in bitcoin. However, he said Uber could potentially accept the cryptocurrency as payment. General Motors Co said it would evaluate whether bitcoin could be accepted as payment for its vehicles. Tesla recently added "Technoking of Tesla" to Musk's list of official titles.

Elon Musk says Tesla customers can buy its electric vehicles with bitcoin

Elon Musk’s son has been in the news ever since he came into this world. It all started with his name as Elon Musk and partner Claire Grimes named him X Æ A-Xii or X Æ A-X12.&nbsp;

Now, the cute toddler is impressing one and all with his musical skills. The 10-month-old was recently seen playing an electronic keyboard and netizens couldn’t stop gushing over him.&nbsp;

It was mama Claire Grimes’ birthday and the little one took it upon himself to wish mother by creating music on the synthesizer.&nbsp;

Grimes then shared the video of him playing online and titled it: “lil X made a loop on my keyboard? Prob an accident but tbh he played a super fire set just now.”

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As unique as his name, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>'s son X Æ A-Xii or X Æ A-X12 left a smile on everyone who watched the clip as he happily lets his fingers glide over the instrument and make awesome music out of it.&nbsp;

Check out some reactions here:

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THE CUTEST BABY I’VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE 🥺🌌🔮🌸✨🍭🤩 <a href="https://t.co/srrpdKThSg">pic.twitter.com/srrpdKThSg</a>
— quanganhnguyen (@quanganhgrande) <a href="https://twitter.com/quanganhgrande/status/1372427169788358661?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Has got the X factor?
— M~ (@tinggress) <a href="https://twitter.com/tinggress/status/1372327438479323137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2021</a></blockquote>
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His name is X Æ A12 Iwas expecting him to be building robots by now
— Weep‼️ (@Bryanswrld9) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bryanswrld9/status/1372329078401929216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2021</a></blockquote>
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😂 I thought this was a joke until I saw the video- of course he did! Happy birthday C! 🧚🏻‍♀️🧚🏻‍♀️🧚🏻‍♀️🦋🦋🦋
— Elle ∞ (@goldenergylove) <a href="https://twitter.com/goldenergylove/status/1372347475227463682?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Elon Musk’s son has been in the news ever since he came into this world. It all started with his name as Elon Musk and partner Claire Grimes named him X Æ A-Xii or X Æ A-X12.

Elon Musk’s son has been in the news ever since he came into this world. It all started with his name as Elon Musk and partner Claire Grimes named him X Æ A-Xii or X Æ A-X12. Now, the cute toddler is impressing one and all with his musical skills. The 10-month-old was recently seen playing an electronic keyboard and netizens couldn’t stop gushing over him. It was mama Claire Grimes’ birthday and the little one took it upon himself to wish mother by creating music on the synthesizer. Grimes then shared the video of him playing online and titled it: “lil X made a loop on my keyboard? Prob an accident but tbh he played a super fire set just now.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by ☘︎𝔊𝔯𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰࿎ (@grimes) × As unique as his name, Elon Musk's son X Æ A-Xii or X Æ A-X12 left a smile on everyone who watched the clip as he happily lets his fingers glide over the instrument and make awesome music out of it. Check out some reactions here: THE CUTEST BABY I’VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE 🥺🌌🔮🌸✨🍭🤩 pic.twitter.com/srrpdKThSg — quanganhnguyen (@quanganhgrande) March 18, 2021 × Has got the X factor? — M~ (@tinggress) March 17, 2021 × His name is X Æ A12 Iwas expecting him to be building robots by now — Weep‼️ (@Bryanswrld9) March 17, 2021 × 😂 I thought this was a joke until I saw the video- of course he did! Happy birthday C! 🧚🏻‍♀️🧚🏻‍♀️🧚🏻‍♀️🦋🦋🦋 — Elle ∞ (@goldenergylove) March 18, 2021 ×

Netizens can't get over Elon Musk's toddler playing music on mom's birthday

India plans to offer fresh incentives to companies making electric vehicles (EVs) as part of a broad auto sector scheme it expects to attract $14 billion of investment over five years, according to industry sources and a document seen by Reuters.

The country's efforts to promote EVs to reduce its oil dependence and cut pollution has been under discussion since mid-2020 to provide a more focused approach, industry sources close to the matter told Reuters. The plans envisage $8 billion of incentives for carmakers and suppliers over a five-year period to drive large investment in the sector.

Final details of the scheme are expected within a month, but companies will be able to apply for incentives from April 1, the sources said.

Companies will receive 4-7 per cent&nbsp;government cashbacks on the eligible sale and export value of vehicles and components, but for EVs and their components there is an additional 2 per cent&nbsp;as a "growth incentive" to promote electric mobility, according to the draft policy document seen by Reuters.

Elon Musk's Tesla Inc is already gearing up to enter India while rivals including Ford, Volkswagen and India's Tata Motors and Mahindra &amp; Mahindra also have plans to invest billions of dollars in EVs to meet stricter global emissions regulations.

Automotive component manufacturers in India must be ready to pivot their product offerings to cater for the shift towards EVs, the document said.

Made in India

The automotive incentive scheme is part of India's broader $27 billion programme to attract manufacturers from the likes of China and Vietnam to capture a bigger share of the global supply chain and exports.

But for new companies entering India, as well as existing automakers, challenges abound.

Steep interest rates and power tariffs, as well as poor infrastructure and high logistics costs, make it costlier for companies to operate in India compared with rivals such as Thailand or Vietnam.

"The (new) scheme proposes financial incentives to help overcome these disabilities and make India more competitive," the draft policy document said, referring to inefficiencies that it said can lead to 5-8 per cent higher costs for manufacturers in India.

The government expects the scheme to bring an additional investment of $14 billion, create 5.8 million new jobs and rake in more than $4 billion in total tax revenue over five years.

To benefit from the scheme automakers must meet conditions including minimum global revenue of $1.4 billion. For auto parts makers it is $69 million. The companies must grow by at least 8% each year to qualify for the incentives, which are also linked to the distance between the factory and point of sale.

The document added that existing programmes focus on a large number of companies that lack scale and "are constrained in their ability to invest and undertake the risk required for rapid growth".

"A change in strategy is needed to focus on promoting firms that have the scale, competitive ability and management capabilities to be automotive champions," it said.

India plans to offer fresh incentives to companies making electric vehicles (EVs) as part of a broad auto sector scheme it expects to attract $14 billion of investment over five years, according to industry sources and a document seen by Reuters.

India plans to offer fresh incentives to companies making electric vehicles (EVs) as part of a broad auto sector scheme it expects to attract $14 billion of investment over five years, according to industry sources and a document seen by Reuters. The country's efforts to promote EVs to reduce its oil dependence and cut pollution has been under discussion since mid-2020 to provide a more focused approach, industry sources close to the matter told Reuters. The plans envisage $8 billion of incentives for carmakers and suppliers over a five-year period to drive large investment in the sector. Final details of the scheme are expected within a month, but companies will be able to apply for incentives from April 1, the sources said. Companies will receive 4-7 per cent government cashbacks on the eligible sale and export value of vehicles and components, but for EVs and their components there is an additional 2 per cent as a "growth incentive" to promote electric mobility, according to the draft policy document seen by Reuters. Elon Musk's Tesla Inc is already gearing up to enter India while rivals including Ford, Volkswagen and India's Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra also have plans to invest billions of dollars in EVs to meet stricter global emissions regulations. Automotive component manufacturers in India must be ready to pivot their product offerings to cater for the shift towards EVs, the document said. Made in India The automotive incentive scheme is part of India's broader $27 billion programme to attract manufacturers from the likes of China and Vietnam to capture a bigger share of the global supply chain and exports. But for new companies entering India, as well as existing automakers, challenges abound. Steep interest rates and power tariffs, as well as poor infrastructure and high logistics costs, make it costlier for companies to operate in India compared with rivals such as Thailand or Vietnam. "The (new) scheme proposes financial incentives to help overcome these disabilities and make India more competitive," the draft policy document said, referring to inefficiencies that it said can lead to 5-8 per cent higher costs for manufacturers in India. The government expects the scheme to bring an additional investment of $14 billion, create 5.8 million new jobs and rake in more than $4 billion in total tax revenue over five years. To benefit from the scheme automakers must meet conditions including minimum global revenue of $1.4 billion. For auto parts makers it is $69 million. The companies must grow by at least 8% each year to qualify for the incentives, which are also linked to the distance between the factory and point of sale. The document added that existing programmes focus on a large number of companies that lack scale and "are constrained in their ability to invest and undertake the risk required for rapid growth". "A change in strategy is needed to focus on promoting firms that have the scale, competitive ability and management capabilities to be automotive champions," it said.

India to launch supercharged push for global electric vehicle players

Tesla Inc chief executive Elon Musk said on Saturday his company would be shut down if its cars were used to spy, his first comments on news that China`s military has banned Teslas from its facilities.

"There`s a very strong incentive for us to be very confidential with any information," Musk told a prominent Chinese forum during a virtual discussion, asserting that Tesla would be shut down if its vehicles spied in China or anywhere else.

Sources told Reuters on Friday that the Chinese military has banned Tesla cars from entering its complexes, citing security concerns over cameras installed on the vehicles.

Those restrictions surfaced as the top Chinese and U.S. diplomats were holding a contentious meeting in Alaska, the first such in-person interaction since U.S. President Joe Biden took office in January.

Musk urged greater mutual trust between the world`s two biggest economies, in his remarks to the China Development Forum, a high-level business gathering is hosted by a foundation under the State Council.

He was holding an discussion panel with Xue Qikun, a Chinese scientist specialising in quantum physics who is now head of Southern University of Science and Technology.

In China, the world`s biggest car market and a key battleground for electric vehicles, Tesla sold 147,445 vehicles last year. However, it is facing more competition this year from domestic rivals from Nio Inc to Geely.

Tesla Inc chief executive Elon Musk said on Saturday his company would be shut down if its cars were used to spy, his first comments on news that China`s military has banned Teslas from its facilities.

Tesla Inc chief executive Elon Musk said on Saturday his company would be shut down if its cars were used to spy, his first comments on news that China`s military has banned Teslas from its facilities. "There`s a very strong incentive for us to be very confidential with any information," Musk told a prominent Chinese forum during a virtual discussion, asserting that Tesla would be shut down if its vehicles spied in China or anywhere else. Sources told Reuters on Friday that the Chinese military has banned Tesla cars from entering its complexes, citing security concerns over cameras installed on the vehicles. Those restrictions surfaced as the top Chinese and U.S. diplomats were holding a contentious meeting in Alaska, the first such in-person interaction since U.S. President Joe Biden took office in January. Musk urged greater mutual trust between the world`s two biggest economies, in his remarks to the China Development Forum, a high-level business gathering is hosted by a foundation under the State Council. He was holding an discussion panel with Xue Qikun, a Chinese scientist specialising in quantum physics who is now head of Southern University of Science and Technology. In China, the world`s biggest car market and a key battleground for electric vehicles, Tesla sold 147,445 vehicles last year. However, it is facing more competition this year from domestic rivals from Nio Inc to Geely.

Musk says Tesla would be shut down if its cars spied in China, elsewhere

Tesla Inc chief executive Elon Musk said on Saturday it would be good for the United States and China to have more trust in each other. 
 
Musk was holding a&nbsp;discussion panel with Xue Qikun, a Chinese scientist specialising in quantum physics who is now head of Southern University of Scientist and Technology. They were participating in the China Development Forum, a high-level business gathering is hosted by a foundation under the State Council.

(more details awaited)

Tesla Inc chief executive Elon Musk said on Saturday it would be good for the United States and China to have more trust in each other. Musk was holding a discussion panel with Xue Qikun, a Chinese scientist specialising in quantum physics who is now head of Southern University of Scientist and Technology.

Tesla Inc chief executive Elon Musk said on Saturday it would be good for the United States and China to have more trust in each other. Musk was holding a discussion panel with Xue Qikun, a Chinese scientist specialising in quantum physics who is now head of Southern University of Scientist and Technology. They were participating in the China Development Forum, a high-level business gathering is hosted by a foundation under the State Council. (more details awaited)

Would be good for US, China to increase mutual trust: Elon Musk

The Chinese military has banned Tesla Inc's cars from military complexes and housing compounds because of concerns about sensitive data being collected by cameras built into the vehicles.

The move follows a security review by the Chinese government as per which officials believe that the sensors in Tesla's cars could record visual images of surrounding locations and obtain data on how and when the cars being used as well as personal information of the drivers and their contact lists synced to the phone.

Tesla, like several other automobile manufacturers, uses internal cameras to provide assistance in parking and self-parking functions.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/elon-musks-tesla-facing-another-roadblock-in-form-of-security-malfunction-362736">Elon Musk's Tesla facing another roadblock in form of security malfunction</a>

Earlier, US&nbsp;electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc said Wednesday a hacking incident reported on Tuesday was restricted to a supplier’s production site in Henan province, China, and its Shanghai car factory and showrooms were not affected.

Tesla China said the hacking incident only involved one of its suppliers’ production sites in China’s Henan province and neither its Shanghai car factory nor showrooms were affected.

It also said data from the supplier’s factory was stored locally and there was no security risk mentioned in the hacking incident. It has stopped the cameras in the supplier’s factory from working or linking to the internet.

Chinese regulators have summoned representatives of US electric car giant&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;after reported technical problems with their vehicles, notably concerning their safety, officials in Beijing said Monday.&nbsp;

The news comes several months after two recalls of the company's vehicles in China, the world's largest car market.&nbsp;

"Consumers have cited multiple problems, related to unusual accelerations, batteries catching fire, as well as with the remote update system," the State Administration for Market Regulation said in a statement.&nbsp;

"They were asked to strictly conform to Chinese laws and regulations" in order to "guarantee public security" and the "rights and legitimate interests of consumers", the regulator said.

In 2019, Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla had said that the internal cameras in the company's cars was&nbsp;“for when we start competing with Uber/Lyft and people allow their car to earn money for them as part of the Tesla shared autonomy fleet.”

“In case someone messes up your car, you can check the video,'' he had added.

&nbsp;

The Chinese military has banned Tesla Inc's cars from military complexes and housing compounds because of concerns about sensitive data being collected by cameras built into the vehicles.

The Chinese military has banned Tesla Inc's cars from military complexes and housing compounds because of concerns about sensitive data being collected by cameras built into the vehicles. The move follows a security review by the Chinese government as per which officials believe that the sensors in Tesla's cars could record visual images of surrounding locations and obtain data on how and when the cars being used as well as personal information of the drivers and their contact lists synced to the phone. Tesla, like several other automobile manufacturers, uses internal cameras to provide assistance in parking and self-parking functions. Also read| Elon Musk's Tesla facing another roadblock in form of security malfunction Earlier, US electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc said Wednesday a hacking incident reported on Tuesday was restricted to a supplier’s production site in Henan province, China, and its Shanghai car factory and showrooms were not affected. Tesla China said the hacking incident only involved one of its suppliers’ production sites in China’s Henan province and neither its Shanghai car factory nor showrooms were affected. It also said data from the supplier’s factory was stored locally and there was no security risk mentioned in the hacking incident. It has stopped the cameras in the supplier’s factory from working or linking to the internet. Chinese regulators have summoned representatives of US electric car giant Tesla after reported technical problems with their vehicles, notably concerning their safety, officials in Beijing said Monday. The news comes several months after two recalls of the company's vehicles in China, the world's largest car market. "Consumers have cited multiple problems, related to unusual accelerations, batteries catching fire, as well as with the remote update system," the State Administration for Market Regulation said in a statement. "They were asked to strictly conform to Chinese laws and regulations" in order to "guarantee public security" and the "rights and legitimate interests of consumers", the regulator said. In 2019, Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla had said that the internal cameras in the company's cars was “for when we start competing with Uber/Lyft and people allow their car to earn money for them as part of the Tesla shared autonomy fleet.” “In case someone messes up your car, you can check the video,'' he had added.

Chinese military bans Tesla cars in its complexes over security concerns

The US auto safety agency disclosed it has opened 25 investigations into crashes of Tesla vehicles, 23 of which remain active, and at least three of the crashes occurred in recent weeks.

World Business Watch: US safety agency reviewing 23 Tesla crashes

The encrypted messaging app Signal, recommended by Tesla's Elon Musk, appeared to have been blocked in China on Tuesday, closing off one of the last US social media platforms still freely available in the country.

Users of the free app, which has surged in popularity globally after rising privacy concerns, were unable to access it without a virtual private network (VPN).

China has deployed a vast and sophisticated system to scrub the internet of dissent and prevent citizens from accessing international social networking platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, in what is known as the "Great Firewall".

Also read|&nbsp; <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/party-over-chinese-users-of-clubhouse-app-say-experiencing-internet-access-disruptions-362362">'Party over': Chinese users of Clubhouse app say experiencing internet access disruptions</a>

Signal's website has been banned since at least March 15, according to the GreatFire.org website which tracks online censorship in China, although the app remains available on China's App Store.

The app was already unavailable on third-party Android stores in China, where Google services are largely blocked.

On several occasions, the app had previously stopped working in China without VPN with no reason given, only for usage to resume.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/elon-musk-asks-people-to-use-signal-app-instead-of-whatsapp-and-facebook-over-privacy-issues-355704">Elon Musk asks people to use Signal app instead of WhatsApp and Facebook over privacy issues</a>

Signal&nbsp;saw a surge in downloads worldwide after January 6 when WhatsApp updated its privacy terms, reserving the right to share user data, including location and phone number, with its parent Facebook Inc and units such as Instagram and Messenger.

Signal&nbsp;had been downloaded close to 510,000 times on iOS in China, and has been downloaded 100 million times worldwide on the App Store and Google Play combined, according to data company Sensor Tower.

The WhatsApp policy update, later delayed,&nbsp;concerned how merchants using WhatsApp to chat with customers can share data with Facebook, which could use the information for targeted ads, according to the social network.

Signal has stopped working without a VPN occasionally before, although service resumed afterwards.

Co-founder of GreatFire.org Martin Johnson said&nbsp;that its data showed that the app was briefly unavailable in the App Store in&nbsp;2019.

Last month China closed down the Clubhouse app in China, an audio platform which boomed briefly in the country for uncensored discussion of taboo topics.

Tencent's all-in-one mobile app WeChat is China's dominant messaging app, with its payment functions and other services, boasts more than a billion users globally.

The encrypted messaging app Signal, recommended by Tesla's Elon Musk, appeared to have been blocked in China on Tuesday, closing off one of the last US social media platforms still freely available in the country.

The encrypted messaging app Signal, recommended by Tesla's Elon Musk, appeared to have been blocked in China on Tuesday, closing off one of the last US social media platforms still freely available in the country. Users of the free app, which has surged in popularity globally after rising privacy concerns, were unable to access it without a virtual private network (VPN). China has deployed a vast and sophisticated system to scrub the internet of dissent and prevent citizens from accessing international social networking platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, in what is known as the "Great Firewall". Also read| 'Party over': Chinese users of Clubhouse app say experiencing internet access disruptions Signal's website has been banned since at least March 15, according to the GreatFire.org website which tracks online censorship in China, although the app remains available on China's App Store. The app was already unavailable on third-party Android stores in China, where Google services are largely blocked. On several occasions, the app had previously stopped working in China without VPN with no reason given, only for usage to resume. Also read: Elon Musk asks people to use Signal app instead of WhatsApp and Facebook over privacy issues Signal saw a surge in downloads worldwide after January 6 when WhatsApp updated its privacy terms, reserving the right to share user data, including location and phone number, with its parent Facebook Inc and units such as Instagram and Messenger. Signal had been downloaded close to 510,000 times on iOS in China, and has been downloaded 100 million times worldwide on the App Store and Google Play combined, according to data company Sensor Tower. The WhatsApp policy update, later delayed, concerned how merchants using WhatsApp to chat with customers can share data with Facebook, which could use the information for targeted ads, according to the social network. Signal has stopped working without a VPN occasionally before, although service resumed afterwards. Co-founder of GreatFire.org Martin Johnson said that its data showed that the app was briefly unavailable in the App Store in 2019. Last month China closed down the Clubhouse app in China, an audio platform which boomed briefly in the country for uncensored discussion of taboo topics. Tencent's all-in-one mobile app WeChat is China's dominant messaging app, with its payment functions and other services, boasts more than a billion users globally.

Encrypted messaging app Signal no longer working in China

Electric carmaker Tesla added "Technoking&nbsp;of Tesla" to billionaire Chief Executive Elon Musk's list of official titles on Monday in a formal regulatory filing

The company also added the title&nbsp;"Master of Coin" for&nbsp;finance chief Zachary Kirkhorn it said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The electric-car maker did not elaborate on the reasons for the cryptic new titles in a pair of statements that also said President of Automotive Jerome Guillen had moved to the role of President for Tesla Heavy Trucking, effective March 11.

However, "Elon and Zach will also maintain their respective positions as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer," the filing stated.

Last month, Tesla revealed it had purchased $1.5 billion of bitcoin and would soon accept it as a form of payment for cars, sending the price of the world's most popular cryptocurrency soaring.

Musk's recent promotion of dogecoin on Twitter has also lifted the price of that cryptocurrency.

Bitcoin hit new highs of near $62,000 over the weekend but retreated around 5% early in the European day on Monday.

Norm-shattering entrepreneur Musk, who has more than 41 million followers on Twitter and a fortune now estimated at more than $180 billion, has had frequent conflicts with regulators at the SEC and is not shy about tweaking them on social media.

In 2018, the SEC charged Musk with fraud, slapped him with a $20 million fine and demanded he step down as Tesla chairman after he tweeted out a plan to take the company private.

Electric carmaker Tesla added "Technoking of Tesla" to billionaire Chief Executive Elon Musk's list of official titles on Monday in a formal regulatory filing The company also added the title "Master of Coin" for finance chief Zachary Kirkhorn it said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Electric carmaker Tesla added "Technoking of Tesla" to billionaire Chief Executive Elon Musk's list of official titles on Monday in a formal regulatory filing The company also added the title "Master of Coin" for finance chief Zachary Kirkhorn it said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The electric-car maker did not elaborate on the reasons for the cryptic new titles in a pair of statements that also said President of Automotive Jerome Guillen had moved to the role of President for Tesla Heavy Trucking, effective March 11. However, "Elon and Zach will also maintain their respective positions as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer," the filing stated. Last month, Tesla revealed it had purchased $1.5 billion of bitcoin and would soon accept it as a form of payment for cars, sending the price of the world's most popular cryptocurrency soaring. Musk's recent promotion of dogecoin on Twitter has also lifted the price of that cryptocurrency. Bitcoin hit new highs of near $62,000 over the weekend but retreated around 5% early in the European day on Monday. Norm-shattering entrepreneur Musk, who has more than 41 million followers on Twitter and a fortune now estimated at more than $180 billion, has had frequent conflicts with regulators at the SEC and is not shy about tweaking them on social media. In 2018, the SEC charged Musk with fraud, slapped him with a $20 million fine and demanded he step down as Tesla chairman after he tweeted out a plan to take the company private.

Electric carmaker Tesla crowns Elon Musk 'Technoking' in cryptic regulatory filing

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has launched 60 Starlink internet satellites into orbit in the early hours of Sunday.&nbsp;

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>-owned space company was also able to successfully land the Starlink internet satellites at sea, making it another record-setting mission.

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Liftoff! <a href="https://t.co/V3vn9PolF0">pic.twitter.com/V3vn9PolF0</a>
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1371039052795813889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Falcon 9 rocket has now become the first fleet in SpaceX to successfully launch and land nine times, especially for this first-stage booster.

The 60 satellites launched today translate into the fact that SpaceX has sent a total of 180 internet satellites now in the past two weeks.

Sunday's launch took place from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. One of the interesting parts was when nearly nine minutes after the liftoff, Falcon 9 rocket's reusable first stage landed on the SpaceX's droneship in the Atlantic named 'Of Course I Love You'.

"Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, completing the ninth flight of that booster," SpaceX tweeted.

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Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, completing the ninth flight of that booster
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1371041948321030144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
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SpaceX confirmed the deployment of the 60 Starlink satellites almost an hour after the first stage had landed.

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Deployment of 60 Starlink satellites confirmed <a href="https://t.co/AMLK4R9dMn">pic.twitter.com/AMLK4R9dMn</a>
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1371055836802387971?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
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SpaceX owner, Elon Musk, also took to Twitter to hail the successful, record-making launch of Falcon 9 in his usual humorous way saying, "Fly my pretties, fly".

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Fly my pretties, fly …
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1371096094210416641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has launched 60 Starlink internet satellites into orbit in the early hours of Sunday. The Elon Musk-owned space company was also able to successfully land the Starlink internet satellites at sea, making it another record-setting mission.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has launched 60 Starlink internet satellites into orbit in the early hours of Sunday. The Elon Musk-owned space company was also able to successfully land the Starlink internet satellites at sea, making it another record-setting mission. Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/V3vn9PolF0 — SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 14, 2021 × Falcon 9 rocket has now become the first fleet in SpaceX to successfully launch and land nine times, especially for this first-stage booster. The 60 satellites launched today translate into the fact that SpaceX has sent a total of 180 internet satellites now in the past two weeks. Sunday's launch took place from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. One of the interesting parts was when nearly nine minutes after the liftoff, Falcon 9 rocket's reusable first stage landed on the SpaceX's droneship in the Atlantic named 'Of Course I Love You'. "Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, completing the ninth flight of that booster," SpaceX tweeted. Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, completing the ninth flight of that booster — SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 14, 2021 × SpaceX confirmed the deployment of the 60 Starlink satellites almost an hour after the first stage had landed. Deployment of 60 Starlink satellites confirmed pic.twitter.com/AMLK4R9dMn — SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 14, 2021 × SpaceX owner, Elon Musk, also took to Twitter to hail the successful, record-making launch of Falcon 9 in his usual humorous way saying, "Fly my pretties, fly". Fly my pretties, fly … — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 14, 2021 ×

'Fly my pretties': Elon Musk tweets after SpaceX launches Falcon 9 for ninth time

Tesla Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk has been sued by a shareholder who accused him of violating his 2018 settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over his Twitter use.

According to a complaint unsealed late Thursday in Delaware Chancery Court, which also names the electric car company’s board as defendants, Musk’s “erratic” tweets and the failure of Tesla directors to ensure he complied with the SEC settlement have exposed shareholders to billions of dollars of losses.

The complaint highlighted several Musk posts on social media platform Twitter, including his assessment last May 1 that Tesla’s stock price was “too high,” prompting a more than $13 billion tumble in Tesla’s market value.

Chase Gharrity, the plaintiff, said Musk’s actions and the directors’ inaction have caused “substantial financial harm,” and that they should pay damages to Palo Alto, California-based Tesla for breaching their fiduciary duties.

The lawsuit was filed even though Tesla’s share price has soared nearly fivefold since Musk’s “too high” tweet, giving Tesla a valuation well above $600 billion, and the SEC has not publicly accused Musk of recent violations.

“It could pressure the SEC into taking some sort of recourse,” said Charles Elson, a University of Delaware professor and corporate governance specialist.

Tesla did not immediately respond on Friday to requests for comment. Gharrity’s lawyers, Musk’s lawyers in the SEC case, and the SEC did not immediately respond to similar requests.

The SEC settlement followed Musk’s August 2018 tweet that he had “funding secured” to possibly take Tesla private in a $72 billion transaction. In reality, Musk was not close.

Musk and Tesla each paid $20 million in civil fines, and Tesla lawyers agreed to vet some of Musk’s tweets in advance.

The settlement was later amended to clarify when pre-approvals were required, prompted by a unvetted tweet by Musk about Tesla’s vehicle production forecast.

Last April, a San Francisco federal judge said Tesla and Musk must face a lawsuit claiming Musk’s going-private tweet defrauded shareholders. That case remains pending.

The case is Gharrity v Musk et al, Delaware Chancery Court, No. 2021-0199.

Tesla Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk has been sued by a shareholder who accused him of violating his 2018 settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over his Twitter use.

Tesla Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk has been sued by a shareholder who accused him of violating his 2018 settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over his Twitter use. According to a complaint unsealed late Thursday in Delaware Chancery Court, which also names the electric car company’s board as defendants, Musk’s “erratic” tweets and the failure of Tesla directors to ensure he complied with the SEC settlement have exposed shareholders to billions of dollars of losses. The complaint highlighted several Musk posts on social media platform Twitter, including his assessment last May 1 that Tesla’s stock price was “too high,” prompting a more than $13 billion tumble in Tesla’s market value. Chase Gharrity, the plaintiff, said Musk’s actions and the directors’ inaction have caused “substantial financial harm,” and that they should pay damages to Palo Alto, California-based Tesla for breaching their fiduciary duties. The lawsuit was filed even though Tesla’s share price has soared nearly fivefold since Musk’s “too high” tweet, giving Tesla a valuation well above $600 billion, and the SEC has not publicly accused Musk of recent violations. “It could pressure the SEC into taking some sort of recourse,” said Charles Elson, a University of Delaware professor and corporate governance specialist. Tesla did not immediately respond on Friday to requests for comment. Gharrity’s lawyers, Musk’s lawyers in the SEC case, and the SEC did not immediately respond to similar requests. The SEC settlement followed Musk’s August 2018 tweet that he had “funding secured” to possibly take Tesla private in a $72 billion transaction. In reality, Musk was not close. Musk and Tesla each paid $20 million in civil fines, and Tesla lawyers agreed to vet some of Musk’s tweets in advance. The settlement was later amended to clarify when pre-approvals were required, prompted by a unvetted tweet by Musk about Tesla’s vehicle production forecast. Last April, a San Francisco federal judge said Tesla and Musk must face a lawsuit claiming Musk’s going-private tweet defrauded shareholders. That case remains pending. The case is Gharrity v Musk et al, Delaware Chancery Court, No. 2021-0199.

Tesla investor sues Musk, claims tweets violate SEC settlement

A fire broke out at Tesla's plant in Fermont, California on Thursday afternoon around 4:30 pm.

The fire out in an area of the plant which is under construction but remained contained to a vehicle manufacturing stamping machine.

As soon as the news broke out, two fire engines were rushed to the spot who worked in coordination with the Tesla Fire Response team.

"Fremont firefighters coordinated the firefighting effort with the Tesla Fire Response Team," the Fremont fire department said in a Facebook post. "The fire is under control. Two Fremont Fire engines and one truck remain at the scene monitoring the fire."

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Fremont firefighters responded to a working fire at the Tesla Factory (45500 Fremont Blvd) at 4:27 PM.      Located in...
Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FremontFireDepartment/">Fremont Fire Department</a> on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/FremontFireDepartment/posts/5572415062770370">Thursday, 11 March 2021</a></blockquote>
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For now, the cause of the fire has been identified as molten aluminium and hydraulic fluid, with the fluid being the main source of the fire.

The firefighters were able to contain the fire to a large extent, and one fire truck was still present at the scene "monitoring the fire".

Fremont plant is one of the main US assembly plants for the company, which is owned by SpaceX owner, Elon Musk. Tesla is also constructing another similar plant in Austin, Texas.

This plant had shut down for a bit a few days ago, too, with the reason stated as parts shortage by the owner, Elon Musk.

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Fremont shut down for two days (parts shortages) &amp; restarted yesterday
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1365053102794153987?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2021</a></blockquote>
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No Tesla or Fremont personnel was hurt in this fire.

A fire broke out at Tesla's plant in Fermont, California on Thursday afternoon around 4:30 pm. The fire out in an area of the plant which is under construction but remained contained to a vehicle manufacturing stamping machine.

A fire broke out at Tesla's plant in Fermont, California on Thursday afternoon around 4:30 pm. The fire out in an area of the plant which is under construction but remained contained to a vehicle manufacturing stamping machine. As soon as the news broke out, two fire engines were rushed to the spot who worked in coordination with the Tesla Fire Response team. "Fremont firefighters coordinated the firefighting effort with the Tesla Fire Response Team," the Fremont fire department said in a Facebook post. "The fire is under control. Two Fremont Fire engines and one truck remain at the scene monitoring the fire." Fremont firefighters responded to a working fire at the Tesla Factory (45500 Fremont Blvd) at 4:27 PM.      Located in... Posted by Fremont Fire Department on Thursday, 11 March 2021 × For now, the cause of the fire has been identified as molten aluminium and hydraulic fluid, with the fluid being the main source of the fire. The firefighters were able to contain the fire to a large extent, and one fire truck was still present at the scene "monitoring the fire". Fremont plant is one of the main US assembly plants for the company, which is owned by SpaceX owner, Elon Musk. Tesla is also constructing another similar plant in Austin, Texas. This plant had shut down for a bit a few days ago, too, with the reason stated as parts shortage by the owner, Elon Musk. Fremont shut down for two days (parts shortages) & restarted yesterday — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 25, 2021 × No Tesla or Fremont personnel was hurt in this fire.

Elon Musk-owned Tesla factory in Fremont catches fire

Indonesia has offered Papuan island to Elon Musk as a potential launch site for his SpaceX project. But the residents are not happy as they think it would devastate their island’s ecosystem and drive people from their homes.

They have told the billionaire Tesla chief his company is not welcome on their land. &nbsp;

Musk was offered use of part of the small island of Biak in Papua by Indonesian president Joko Widodo in December, 2020.&nbsp;

President Joko Widodo had touted Indonesia’s nickel reserves on a number of occasions, telling Reuters in November, 2020 that “it’s very important because we have a great plan to make Indonesia the biggest producer of lithium batteries and we have the biggest nickel (reserves).”

Indonesia is keen to develop a full supply chain for nickel at home, especially for extracting battery chemicals, making batteries and eventually building EVs.

According to multiple reports, a spaceport was being developed in consultation with the Papuan government and local communities.

But Papuans on Biak, a part of Papua province, are fiercely opposed, arguing a space launchpad will drive deforestation, increase Indonesian military presence, and threaten their future on the island.

Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, also reportedly aims to develop a large rocket launch site on Biak island by 2024.

Musk plans to launch 12,000 satellites by 2026 to provide cheap high-speed internet through internet service Starlink. A SpaceX test rocket exploded on the landing pad this month after landing, the third successive failure.

Formerly the Netherlands New Guinea, Papua was invaded, and then annexed by Jakarta in 1963. Indonesia formalised its control over the province in 1969.

(with inputs)

Indonesia has offered Papuan island to Elon Musk as a potential launch site for his SpaceX project. But the residents are not happy as they think it would devastate their island’s ecosystem and drive people from their homes.

Indonesia has offered Papuan island to Elon Musk as a potential launch site for his SpaceX project. But the residents are not happy as they think it would devastate their island’s ecosystem and drive people from their homes. They have told the billionaire Tesla chief his company is not welcome on their land. Musk was offered use of part of the small island of Biak in Papua by Indonesian president Joko Widodo in December, 2020. President Joko Widodo had touted Indonesia’s nickel reserves on a number of occasions, telling Reuters in November, 2020 that “it’s very important because we have a great plan to make Indonesia the biggest producer of lithium batteries and we have the biggest nickel (reserves).” Indonesia is keen to develop a full supply chain for nickel at home, especially for extracting battery chemicals, making batteries and eventually building EVs. According to multiple reports, a spaceport was being developed in consultation with the Papuan government and local communities. But Papuans on Biak, a part of Papua province, are fiercely opposed, arguing a space launchpad will drive deforestation, increase Indonesian military presence, and threaten their future on the island. Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, also reportedly aims to develop a large rocket launch site on Biak island by 2024. Musk plans to launch 12,000 satellites by 2026 to provide cheap high-speed internet through internet service Starlink. A SpaceX test rocket exploded on the landing pad this month after landing, the third successive failure. Formerly the Netherlands New Guinea, Papua was invaded, and then annexed by Jakarta in 1963. Indonesia formalised its control over the province in 1969. (with inputs)

Indonesia offers Elon Musk Papuan island for SpaceX launchpad. But residents are not happy

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