Self-driving Uber kills pedestrian
Uber has suspending testing of its self-driving cars after one of them hit and killed a pedestrian in the US state of Arizona, reported the BBC, Guardian and Wired. Police are still investigating, but have said the victim, Elaine Herzberg, aged 49, was walking outside of a crosswalk with a bicycle when she was struck at around 10pm on Sunday. A human monitor was in the car, but the vehicle was operating in autonomous mode. Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber’s CEO, tweeted: “Some incredibly sad news out of Arizona. We’re thinking of the victim’s family as we work with local law enforcement to understand what happened.”
Brexit already changing supply chains
One in seven EU companies with UK suppliers has moved some or all of their supply chain outside of Britain in advance of Brexit. That’s according to a survey by the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, the Financial Times and Reuters said. A third of British firms with EU suppliers said they were searching for alternative sources inside the UK. Cips also stated that a third of respondents have raised their prices due to the lower pound. The poll was conducted before the EU and UK conditionally agreed to a Brexit transition period on Monday. Separately, the US public service broadcaster PRI visited the Northern Irish city of Londonderry to examine the potential impact of a hard border with the Irish Republic.
Another virtual currency ad ban
Twitter will join Facebook and Google in banning adverts for initial coin offerings and cryptocurrency wallets, Recode and Sky News said. Also: Bloomberg has guide to the evolving national cryptocurrency regulations in 22 key jurisdictions around the world.
Inside German agency screening refugee claims
The Atlantic visited the Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (Federal Office for Migration and Refugees) in Nuremberg, Germany, to see how asylum seekers are interviewed in order to verify or reject their refugee claims. The agency has refined its techniques significantly since the outset of the refugee crisis.
“Sex and the City” actor standing for New York governor
The actor Cynthia Nixon, who played Miranda Hobbes on “Sex and the City”, formally announced that she is running for governor of New York state, reported Vulture. She challenges the incumbent, Andrew Cuomo, in the Democratic primary in September.