We Did Not Steal Google’s Self-Driving Tech — Uber

Waymo – a company spun out of Google – filed a lawsuit in February claiming former employee Andrew Levandowski had stolen 14,000 documents relating to LiDAR, a core technology used to guide autonomous vehicles.

Mr Levandowski went on to co-found Otto, a self-driving truck company acquired by Uber for $660m last year.

Waymo requested a judge grant an injunction on the use of the disputed technology, which could take Uber’s self-driving fleet – currently being tested in a few locations in the US – off the roads.

At a hearing earlier this week, Uber sought to convince a judge that an injunction would be unfair.

“Waymo’s injunction motion is a misfire,” said Angela Padilla, a lawyer for Uber, in a statement on Friday.

“There is no evidence that any of the 14,000 files in question ever touched Uber’s servers, and Waymo’s assertion that our multi-lens LiDAR is the same as their single-lens LiDAR is clearly false.”

Part of Uber’s defence is also an admission that it lags behind its competitors in the autonomous race. It said while it has been developing its own LiDAR tech, it has so far needed to rely on third-party companies to provide the system for its cars.

“If Waymo genuinely thought that Uber was using its secrets, it would not have waited more than five months to seek an injunction,” Ms Padilla added.

“Waymo doesn’t meet the high bar for an injunction, which would stifle our independent innovation – probably Waymo’s goal in the first place.”

Waymo argued that blueprints, mistakenly sent to Waymo via email last December, showed Uber’s plans to use the stolen designs in future.

Waymo was spun out of Google earlier this year as the company seeks to commericalise its technology

The company dismissed Uber’s assertion that none of the files were on its servers by pointing out that the firm’s search had not been able to include the computer belonging to the man at the centre of the controversy, Mr Levandowski.

At a recent court hearing, held in private but leaked to the press, Mr Levandowski invoked his Fifth Amendment rights, a constitutional clause that allows US citizens to resist any request to share information that could put them at risk of self-incrimination.

The presiding judge advised that Uber should be firmer with Mr Levandowski in order to get access to the files – such as threatening to fire him if he did not co-operate.

“If you cannot find them in your files there is going to be a preliminary injunction,” Judge William Alsup warned Uber

“You’re not denying it, no one is denying he has the 14,000 files. You keep on your payroll someone who took 14,000 documents and is liable to use them.”

He added: “This is an extraordinary case. I have never seen a record this strong in 42 years. So you are up against it.”

Facebook Shut Down 30,000 Accounts For Spreading Fake News

Late last year, Facebook announced the plans to start watching over fake accounts and deal with them. Those account spreading fake News on their timeline.

Now, Facebook has just cracked down on 30,000 accounts found to be spreading fake news stories or spam in France ahead of the country’s presidential election.

Facebook’s security manager Shabnam Shaik says, ‘our priority, of course is to remove the accounts with the largest footprint, with a high amount of activity and a broad reach. The purge will not remove all accounts that are spreading fake news, but we know we have to keep getting better’.

The spread of fake news has raised concerns in France ahead of the country’s national elections.

North Korea Govt. Shuns Trump As They Prepares for 6th Nuclear Test

Kim Jong Un 

North Korea may soon conduct its sixth nuclear test in the face of the United States' decision to move a carrier group toward the region according to Fox News.

 

Satellite imagery shows activity at the Punggye-ri testing site, analysts from 38 North, a U.S. research institute that monitors North Korea, wrote on its website Wednesday.

 

Foreign journalists inside the country were told to prepare for a "big and important event" Thursday, Reuters reported.

 

North Korea's action is bound to infuriate the United States of America with strict sanctions expected.

Banks In Zimbabwe To Start Accepting Cattle, Goats As Collateral

Commercial banks in Zimbabwe will soon be compelled to accept livestock such as cattle, goats and sheep as collateral for cash loans to informal businesses under a new law presented to parliament Tuesday.

Under the Movable Property Security Interests Bill tabled for debate by Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa in the House of Assembly, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe will compile and administer a collateral-security register in which small-business operators and individuals can register their movable assets as security for credit.

Vehicles, television sets, refrigerators, computers and other household appliances will become acceptable as collateral once they are evaluated and registered in the central bank’s register, according to Chinamasa.
“As minister in charge of financial institutions, I feel there is need for a change of attitude by our banks to reflect of our economic realities,” he said. Banks are “stuck in the old ways of doing things and failing to respond to the needs of our highly informalized economy.”

The southern African nation has mainly used the U.S. dollar since economic mismanagement and runaway inflation rendered its own currency worthless eight years ago. A liquidity squeeze ensued as growth faltered and a strong dollar eroded the competitiveness of Zimbabwe’s exports. The cash crunch has become so severe that banks are now limiting customer withdrawals.

Zimbabwe’s economy is forecast to shrink 2.5 percent this year, after contracting an estimated 0.3 percent last year, according to the International Monetary Fund

Five Female Nigerian Turns S*x Slave By ISIS In Libya

Nigerians based Libya are facing problem after some female Nigerians were captured by the Islamic State fighter (ISIS) in Sirte, Libya and forcedly turned them into sex slaves for Months

The Nigerians, including  two children and 28 Eritreans  were recovered by Libyan forces last December and then made to face another spell of detention in a Misrata prison. They have now been released by the Libyan authorities.


Reuters said the group escaped from Sirte, a former Islamic State stronghold in central Libya, while forces from the nearby city of Misrata battled to oust the militants late last year.

Some of the women were on their way to Europe when Islamic State fighters kidnapped and held them as sex slaves.

After they escaped from Sirte, they were investigated for possible ties to the group and held for several months in a Misrata prison.

The Libyan attorney-general’s office announced that it had cleared the women of any wrongdoing in mid-February, but their release was delayed for several more weeks, with no explanation.

On Wednesday, they were received by staff from the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) and the Libyan Red Crescent, before being taken to a shelter for medical checks.

“I’m very happy, I can’t describe how I feel, but I am very happy, I can start a new life and see my family again,” one 14-year-old Eritrean girl told Reuters before leaving the prison with the rest of the group on a Red Crescent bus.

A UNHCR official said the entire group had scabies, but otherwise appeared to be in reasonable physical condition.

The agency expects to resettle the Eritreans as refugees.

“We will send them to a safe house where they can be treated if they need medical treatment, and receive assistance from us, and be protected,” said Samer Haddadin, head of the UNHCR’s Libya mission.
“At the same time we will be processing them for refugee status determination … and we are doing this to make sure we can find a resettlement country for those who meet the resettlement criteria.”

The Nigerians, five women and two children, will be able to apply for asylum or be offered repatriation.

Engineer Builds Robot And Marries It After Failing To Find A Wife (Photos)

Chinese engineer Zheng Jiajia felt so lonely after not having any luck finding a human wife that he decided to marry a robot he built.

The 31-year-old artificial intelligence expert, who designs and creates robots in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, wed his creation in front of his mother and friends in a traditional Chinese ceremony on Friday.

The AI bride, which Zheng named Yingying, was created at the end of 2016 and can only read Chinese characters and identify images and even say a few simple words, according to the South China Morning Post, citing a Qianjiang Evening News report.

Zheng used to work for Chinese multinational telecoms firm Huawei, but left in 2014 to join Hangzhou’s Dream Town, an internet venture base in 2016.

That’s when he began developing Yingying and the pair eventually tied the knot after Zheng’s family would not quit nagging him about finding a significant other to marry.

Zheng and Yingying “dated” for two months before he decided to pop the question, according to Shanghaiist.

He plans to upgrade his robotic wife in the future to give her the ability to walk, move and even do household chores.

Chinese engineer Zheng Jiajia felt so lonely after not having any luck finding a human wife that he decided to marry a robot he built.

The 31-year-old artificial intelligence expert, who designs and creates robots in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, wed his creation in front of his mother and friends in a traditional Chinese ceremony on Friday.

The AI bride, which Zheng named Yingying, was created at the end of 2016 and can only read Chinese characters and identify images and even say a few simple words, according to the South China Morning Post, citing a Qianjiang Evening News report.

Zheng used to work for Chinese multinational telecoms firm Huawei, but left in 2014 to join Hangzhou’s Dream Town, an internet venture base in 2016.

That’s when he began developing Yingying and the pair eventually tied the knot after Zheng’s family would not quit nagging him about finding a significant other to marry.

Zheng and Yingying “dated” for two months before he decided to pop the question, according toShanghaiist.

He plans to upgrade his robotic wife in the future to give her the ability to walk, move and even do household chores.

The marriage may seem odd, but experts have warned that robot-human relationships will not just be the stuff of science fiction.

Dr. David Levy, robot expert and author of “Love and Sex with Robots,” claimed humans and robots will marry in the next 35 years, and the sex between them will become more enjoyable than with other humans due to the advancement of AI.

“The first marriage will be before, not after 2050,” Levy said during the Love and Sex with Robots conference in London, according to Daily Mail.

He added:

“Sex and love with robots at a human level may appear to be a long way off, but the future has a way of laughing at you.”

Source: NextShark.com

Meet The Nigerian Who Won An Institution Presidential Election In U.S (Photo)

A Nigerian, Chimezie Ebiriekwe who is studying in the United State has just won his institution presidential election at the US. The Imo indigene who recently won the Associated Students presidential election (like Students Union Government SUG in Nigerian Universities) at San Diego State University -beat his opponents by a large margin as he received 3,454 votes while his opponent Ben Delbick got 1,189, Chloe Sension received 1,014 and Kaitlyn Hart received 94.

Wrestler John Cena Proposes To Girl Friend In WrestlingRing (Photo)

Wrestler John Cena on Sunday  proposed to long-time girlfriend, Nikki Bella, in the middle of the ring after the duo defeated The Miz and Maryse at Wrestlemania 33.

Cena got down on one knee and proposed with a diamond ring. He said he had been waiting so long to ask her to marry him.

Luckily for the 16-time World Champion, Nikki Bella said yes and gave a kiss, to the delight of the 60,000 fans watching in Orlando.

Cena and his bride-to-be are expected to now take some time off from WWE following the announcement.

Xenophobia: 5 Nigerians Attacked In South Africa Again

The Nigeria Union in South Africa, on Tuesday said five Nigerians had been attacked in Polokwane, Limpopo Province of that country in renewed xenophobic attacks.

Mr Collin Mgbo, Secretary of the Union in the Province, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on telephone from Polokwane that three of the five Nigerians attacked were in critical condition in the hospital.

“I received a call that a Nigerian was attacked at Ivy Park in Polokwane on March 15. I got to the scene and saw that the Nigerian was almost dead, his house was looted and burnt”, he said.

Mgbo said another Nigerian was also attacked in the same neighbourhood same day and that while he got to the scene, the mob left the wounded man and descended on him.

“They left the wounded Nigerian and faced me. They destroyed my car and I managed to escape and ran to a police station”, he said.

The secretary added that three Nigerians, including the owner of a mechanic’s garage, were attacked at Moledji, near Polokwane.

“Their shops and houses were looted, vandalised and destroyed. The local chapter of the union has reported these attacks to the South African police, Nigerian mission and national secretariat of our union. 

“Our national secretariat is on top of the situation. As we speak, three Nigerians in the hospital are in critical condition and I do not know if they will survive because of the severity of the attack”, he said.

Mgbo urged the Federal Government to persuade its South African counterpart to ensure the safety of Nigerians in their country.

When contacted on phone, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olusola Enikanolaye, said the ministry had not been briefed about the incident.

He, however, promised to get back to NAN after inquiry from the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa.

Source: NAN

US Bans Laptops, Tablets On Flights From Muslim Nations

The United States is banning electronic devices such as laptops and tablets from cabin luggage on certain flights originating from eight countries in the Middle East and North Africa, the Associated Press has reported.

The new rule, which is expected to be officially announced will take effect today.

It will apply to nonstop U.S.-bound flights from 10 international airports in the cities of Cairo in Egypt, Amman in Jordan, Kuwait City in Kuwait, Casablanca in Morocco, Doha in Qatar, Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Istanbul in Turkey, and Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

Passengers will be barred from putting laptops, tablets, digital cameras and other large electronics in their carry-on luggage. Only cell phones and approved medical devices would be excluded from the ban.

The ban will apply only to foreign carriers including the Royal Jordanian Airlines. No American carriers will be affected.

The reason for the ban was not immediately clear. The ban had been under consideration since the U.S. government learned of a threat several weeks ago, the Reuters reported, quoting a U.S. official.

And the ban comes as the Trump administration attempts to overturn court rulings against its latest travel bans affecting people from six muslim nations.

The Justice Department said it will appeal a Maryland federal judge’s ruling that blocked federal agencies from enforcing certain parts of President Donald Trump’s revised travel ban.

The federal judge in Maryland issued a nationwide preliminary injunction on one part of Trump’s revised ban — the section that imposes the 90-day pause on the issuance of visas to citizens of six Muslim-majority countries included in the executive order.

U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang ruled that the plaintiffs had standing and a likelihood of success on the merits of their claims, including claims that the executive order discriminated on the basis of religion.

The nationwide preliminary injunction will remain in place indefinitely until it is either lifted by the Maryland judge or overturned by a higher court.

Earlier a federal judge in Hawaii, U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson, made a more sweeping decision to freeze the president’s executive order, saying there was “significant and unrebutted evidence of religious animus driving the promulgation” of the revised order and its predecessor.

Watson’s ruling on Wednesday prevented core provisions of the executive order, affecting refugees and citizens of the six predominantly Muslim countries, from going into effect the next day.

Bill Gates Remains World Richest Man — Forbes

Microsoft co-founder, Bill gate

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has once again topped Forbes magazine list of the world’s richest billionaires, for the fourth straight year, with a fortune of  $86 billion.

Next is Berkshire Hathaway chief Warren Buffett, with an estimated wealth of $75.6billion, followed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, with a net worth of $72.8billion. Number four is Amancio Ortega – Inditex fashion group founder  $71.3billion, while number 5 is Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg with $56billion

Former world’s richest man Carlos Slim comes in six with $54.5billion, while Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison came it at number seven with $52.2billion in the bank.

Republican mega-donors Charles and David Koch are in eighth and ninth with $48.3billion, while Michael Bloomberg rounded the top 10 out with $47.5billion.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s wealth plummeted down the list to number 544 with an estimated net worth of $3.5billion with $1billion being slashed from his valuation in the same list last year.

See the top 20 below…

1.      Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder: $86billion

2.      Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway CEO: $75.6billion

3.      Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO: $72.8billion

4.      Amancio Ortega, Inditex fashion group founder: $71.3billion

5.      Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO: $56billion

6.      Carlos Slim, Mexican telecom mogul: $54.5billion

7.      Larry Ellison, Oracle co-founder: $52.2billion

8.      Charles Koch, Koch Industries CEO and chairman: $48.3billion

9.      David Koch, Koch Industries CEO and chairman: $48.3billion

10.  Michael Bloomberg, Bloomberg co-founder: $47.5billion

11.  Bernard Arnault, LVMH CEO: $41.5billion

12.  Larry Page, Google co-founder and Alphabet CEO: $40.7billion

13.  Sergey Brin, Google co-founder and Alphabet president: $39.8billion

14.  Liliane Bettencourt, L’Oréal heiress: $39.5billion

15.  S. Robson Walton, Wal-Mart heir: $34.1billion

16.  Jim Walton, Wal-Mart heir: $34billion

17.  Alice Walton, Wal-Mart heiress: $33.8billion

18.  Wang Jianlin, Dalian Wanda Commercial Property chairman: $31.3billion

19.  Li Ka-shing, Cheung Kong Holdings CEO: $31.2billion

20.  Sheldon Adelson,Las Vegas Sands Corporation CEO: $30.4billion

Ghana: Many Students Feared Dead, Several Injured After A Large Tree Fell On Them At A Popular Waterfall In Ghana (Photos)

Aleast 18 people, mainly high school students, have died after a large tree fell on them at a popular waterfall spot in Kintampo, Ghana, police say.

The students were swimming during a storm when the freak accident happened, local police chief Owusu Boampong said. 22 others were injured and are being treated at local hospitals. .

Rescue teams used chainsaws to cut through the fallen tree and free those trapped underneath. An eyewitness said most of those involved were students of the Wenchi Senior High School, but that there were also tourists.

Women Are Now Using Sex To Pay For Service Rendered In Russia

Women are now using sex to pay for plumbers, car mechanics and other labourers in Russia because of ‘falling income levels’ and the country’s economic struggles.

According to a report on DailyMail, residents are being offered the chance to exchange their services – including the installation of new furniture and dog-walking – for sex.

One Siberian news outlet reported:

‘Due to the economic crisis, sex is used to pay for traditional services. There even are special online communities for this purpose.’ One such community in Buryatia region, on the shore of Lake Baikal, claims that it is intended for ‘mutually beneficial encounters.

It states: ‘Here you can swap services for sex. And, as well, offer sex for a service. If you need a service or goods, but you can’t or don’t want to spend money on it, you can do something.’

One male advertiser offered to carry out home repairs in return for sex. He boasted:

‘You get both pleasure – and renovation.’

A female posted:

 ‘Looking for a man who can do the wiring in my flat. 2 rooms. Sex 2-3 times in return. Anonymous. Girl, 26.’

Nine men responded offering their services.

Elsewhere, a 23-year-old woman offered a date in exchange for new furniture.

‘Will meet with a guy in exchange for a new sofa. Girl, 23. If you want, ‘like’. Anonymous.’ Her posting had 21 ‘likes’.

In another case, Artur Konstantinov, from the regional capital Ulan-Ude, offered to deliver and stack ‘dry logs’ as firewood, to be paid according to the ‘conditions of the community’, namely with sex instead of money.

Last month, a man named Dmitry Trifonov advertised ‘all sorts of services – electrical wiring, putting together furniture, fixing home appliances, setting up PC, plumbing! Message me!’

Another, Alexey Drobysh, offered taxi rides in the city in exchange for sex. Others offered to help homeowners move house under the same terms.

Ghanaian President Akufo-Addo To Die In Six Months – Prophet Reveals

Afufo Addo

Prophet Kwabena Tawiah, the founder and Leader of the Church of Rabbi in Ghana has said President Akufo-Addo might die in six months if nothing is done to reverse the curse.

The self-proclaimed man of God indicated that some members of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have visited shrines to eliminate the president who has only spent two months in office.

The motive behind this evil plot, the controversial prophet said it was because some people in the NPP are still bitter about the victory of President Akufo-Addo, he told Adom News in an exclusive interview.

In November last year, he predicted that Nana Addo will win the 2016 presidential election and the prediction manifested.

Now the question is, could he be right this time? However, this comes after Zimbabwean prophet Mugadza made a similar prophecy, when he predicted October 17 for President Mugabe’s death, a statement which saw him spent more than a month in remand prison following his arrest.

Xenophobia: South African Legislators Agree To End Crisis

The lower arm of the South African Assembly on Tuesday promised to pursue legislation that would curb xenophobic attacks.

The South African lawmakers said this at a meeting with a delegation of the Nigerian House of Representatives in Cape Town.
They promised to consult with the Executive Arm to initiate such laws.

The House of Representatives delegation was led to the meeting by its Leader, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila.

“We are two largest economies in Africa with history of strong ties.
“On the issues raised by your parliament (attacks on Nigerians), we will meet our executive and gather verifiable facts and proceed to provide necessary legislation that will strengthen equality and justice in both countries so we can continue to have smooth trade”, South African deputy Speaker was quoted as saying this in a statement by Gbajabiamila’s aide.
Gbajabiamila said “We are here to confront the irritants in our relations and hopefully stop the bleeding of whatever wound or wounds that threaten the cordial relationship that exists between the two largest economies in Africa.

“Given our long joint history, it is regrettable that this is the first time that parliaments of both countries have engaged in such a manner. Even more regrettable is the circumstance that has made this meeting expedient.

“This latest mindless, viscous and curious attacks on our compatriots were extensively debated in both chambers (Nigerian Senate and House of Representatives) of the same parliament that celebrated President Jacob Zuma and applauded his empassioned speech when he highlighted the brotherliness and the selfless role Nigeria played in the history of South Africa.”

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Fury As Kenyan Politician, Ephraim Maina Flies Chopper To Commission Wooden Bridge

Source: The Star, Kenya News

Nyeri Senator Aspirant Ephraim Maina has been criticized for his Saturday's trip to Kieni to launch a wooden bridge on a helicopter.

The former Mathira MP landed at Kabaru ward, Kieni East to officially open the Sh100,000 Kinyua Wa Mweru-Gachini bridge.

Maina, who funded the temporary bridge, was hosted by area MCA Duncan Gituanja - the Nyeri county assembly majority leader.

But Kenyans on social media have questioned the logic of the billionaire politician's use of a helicopter for such a small event.

"Engineer wasted his chopper fuel to launch a wooden bridge? It's the 21st Century," Eustus Gitonga, a facebook user, said.

Blogger Robert Alai asked why Maina had to burn so much money to launch a wooden bridge.

Samson Maina said: "A whole engineer flying to a village to launch a wooden bridge and cutting a string – God deliver us."

But Priscilla Faru said: "Since he used his own money and not the county government's or the CDF, there is nothing wrong with his actions."

"Those criticizing [him] should show us what they have built for the community with the little money they have," she said.

A user identified as Maina wa Karatina urged those faulting Maina to work hard and buy their own choppers.

The aspirant said he generously funded the bridge to ease movement of people between Kinyua wa Mweru and Gachini.

"They have been using long routes to access the other side of the road. The bridge has saved pupils," the politician said.

"Agricultural products will no longer rot in the farm because buyers can not access the road," he said.

Gituanja said those criticizing the project are not locals, hence do not understand its importance.

Source: The Star, Kenya News