Briefsfromshittu: June 2016

Thursday, June 30, 2016

Tesla Driver In First Fatal Autopilot Crash

The US government is investigating the first known fatal crash involving a car in self-drive mode.

Joshua Brown was killed when his Tesla Model S smashed into a turning tractor-trailer after its cameras failed to distinguish the vehicle's white side from a bright sky.

When firefighters arrived at the scene in Williston, Florida, the car - with its roof cleaved off completely - had come to rest in a yard hundreds of feet from the crash site.

Mr Brown, from Canton, Ohio, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Frank Baressi, the 62-year-old driver of the other vehicle involved in the crash, told AP the Tesla was travelling so quickly that "he went so fast through my trailer I didn't see him".

Mr Brown was a Navy SEAL for 11 years and founder of Nexu Innovations Inc, a tech company specialising in wireless internet networks and camera systems.

He was an enthusiastic promoter of Tesla cars and posted a video which he said showed his vehicle's Autopilot avoiding a crash when a truck served in front of him.

Tesla founder Elon Musk expressed "Our condolences for the tragic loss" in a tweet on Thursday.

In a statement, the company did not identify Mr Brown but said he was "a friend to Tesla and the broader EV (electric vehicle) community, a person who spent his life focused on innovation and the promise of technology and who believed strongly in Tesla's mission."

Tesla also stressed the shortcomings of self-drive technology, saying: "Autopilot is getting better all the time, but it is not perfect and still requires the driver to remain alert."

The company said this was the first known death in over 130 million miles of Autopilot operation.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Office of Defects, which is handling the investigation, said the opening of a preliminary evaluation should not be construed as a finding that the government believes the Model S is defective.

Elon Musk has been bullish about Autopilot, even as Tesla warns owners the feature is not for all conditions and not sophisticated enough for the driver stop paying attention to the road.

He has claimed the feature reduces the probability of having an accident by 50% and in January he said it is "probably better than a person right now".

Boris Johnson: I'm Not Running For Leadership

Boris Johnson has ruled himself out of the race to be the next Tory leader and prime minister saying, "that person cannot be me".

:: LIVE: Shocks In Tory Leadership Contest

Mr Johnson, who was the bookies' favourite to succeed David Cameron and was expected to throw his hat into the ring, made the shock announcement after fellow Brexiteer campaigner Michael Gove put himself forward as a leadership contender.

His decision to bat for the Leave campaign was seen by many as a political gamble which, if successful, would have seen him replace his former Eton chum as Prime Minister.

:: Gove's Bombshell: He'll Stand For Tory Leader

In a dramatic press conference just moments before the midday deadline for nominations passed on Thursday, Mr Johnson said that the next Tory leader would have to unite the party and country.

Citing his own credentials, Mr Johnson said he was immensely proud of what his team had achieved in the capital at City Hall.

He said the UK's Brexit vote was a chance for the country's next leader to "restore Britain's standing as an independent sovereign" and "our moment to stand tall in the world".

But then he added: "My friends, you have waited for the punchline of this speech.

"Having consulted colleagues and in view of the circumstances in Parliament, I have concluded that person cannot be me."

There were audible gasps from Tory MPs and journalists in the room as he made the revelation.

Moments later, Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee of senior Tory backbench MPs, confirmed Mr Gove, Home Secretary Theresa May, former defence secretary Liam Fox and MPs Stephen Crabb and Andrea Leadsom as the official leadership contenders.

The first sign of any tension between Mr Gove and Mr Johnson was exposed in an email from the Justice Secretary's wife, journalist Sarah Vine, who warned her husband about the risks of backing the former London mayor without "specific assurances" about his role in any Johnson-led Cabinet.

This was cemented when Mr Gove took a swipe at Mr Johnson when he declared his intention to stand in the contest, saying: "Boris cannot provide the leadership or build the team for the task ahead."

Sky's Political Editor Faisal Islam described the move as an "Et tu, Brute?" moment.

Justice Minister Dominic Raab who backed the joint ticket of a Mr Johnson bid supported by Mr Gove, said the ex-London mayor's "cavalier" attitude had scuppered the plan.

The party needed a "unity figure who can bring people together and ultimately put a team together", he told Sky News.

"Until the 11th hour Michael Gove was committed to doing that with Boris. It hasn't happened and some of the reassurances that we had had about turning a dream ticket into a dream team didn't materialise."

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said: "Boris follows the Bullingdon playbook: you break it and someone else has to fix it."

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt have both ruled themselves out of the race, with Mrs Morgan backing Mr Gove and Mr Hunt throwing his support behind Mrs May.

The first round of voting will take place on Tuesday, with the contender with the least votes eliminated at each round until two front runners emerge and a new party leader is chosen by 9 September.

Obama Tells EU Leaders To 'Catch Their Breath'

Barack Obama has warned European leaders to "catch their breath" and make plans for the UK's exit from the EU.

Speaking during a visit to Canada, the US President said he expected the global economy to stay steady in the short term after Brexit - but he warned there could be trouble later.

Mr Obama said the priority for Britain and Europe should be to work on a clear plan to reassure nervous populations and businesses that deal with the EU.

He said: "My main message to David Cameron, Angela Merkel and others is everybody should catch their breath, come up with a plan and a process that is orderly, that's transparent, that people understand.

:: Obama Says UK Special Relationship Will Endure

"Obviously leadership issues in Great Britain will need to be resolved for it to move as crisply and as effectively as it needs to."

Acknowledging the turbulent week for markets and currencies since the historic referendum, Mr Obama said preparations by central banks, finance ministers and the US treasury secretary had kept the financial system on an even keel.

But he added: "I think there are some genuine longer term concerns about global growth if in fact Brexit goes through and that freezes the possibilities of investment in Great Britain or in Europe as a whole.

:: Obama: UK-US Trade Deal Would Be Back Of Queue

"At a time when global growth rates were weak already, this doesn't help."

The President backed Mr Cameron's Remain campaign when he visited the UK in April.

He warned that Britain would be "in the back of the queue" for a new trade deal if it left the 28-member bloc.

But since the referendum result Mr Obama has moved to reassure Britons about the future.

He said: "While the UK's relationship with the EU will change, one thing that will not change is special relationship that exists between our two nations.

"That will endure. The EU will remain one of our indispensable partners."

Boris Johnson rules out bid to be next UK PM

Johnson and Gove led the Leave campaign that saw the UK leave the EU and forced PM David Cameron's resignation [EPA]

Former London mayor Boris Johnson has ruled himself out of the race to replace outgoing Prime Minister David Cameron, who resigned last Friday after the UK voted to leave the European Union.

Speaking in London on Thursday, Johnson, who campaigned to leave the EU and was seen as the hot favourite to replace Cameron, said he would support the next Conservative leadership but not stand himself.

Fellow 'Leave' campaigner Michael Gove was widely expected to back Johnson's campaign to become the next leader of the UK but in a surprise move today announced his own intention to run for the leadership of the ruling Conservative party.

"I wanted to help build a team behind Boris Johnson so that a politician who argued for leaving the European Union could lead us to a better future," he said in a statement shortly before the deadline for submitting nominations passed.

"But I have come, reluctantly, to the conclusion that Boris cannot provide the leadership or build the team for the task ahead."

Nominations closed at noon on Thursday and the new British prime minister is expected to be announced by September 2 after a ballot of party members.

Current Home Secretary Theresa May has also put herself forward to be the next prime minister.

In her statement, May, who campaigned to stay in the EU, said she was best placed to negotiate Britain's exit from the bloc.

"Brexit means Brexit. The campaign was fought, the vote was held, turnout was high, and the public gave their verdict.

"There must be no attempts to remain inside the EU, no attempts to rejoin it through the back door, and no second referendum."

"The country voted to leave the European Union, and it is the duty of the Government and of Parliament to make sure we do just that," she wrote.