BEIJING: Chinese tech giant Baidu rolled out its paid driverless taxi service on Sunday, making it the first company to commercialize autonomous driving operations in China.
Unlike previous Baidu autonomous driving demonstrations in Beijing, this was the first time there was no safety driver sitting behind the wheel. Instead, a safety member was seated in the front passenger seat to deal with any emergencies.
Up to 10 Apollo “robotaxis” are now operating simultaneously in an area of about 3 square kilometers (1.2 square miles), picking up and dropping off passengers at eight stops in Shougang Park in western Beijing. Each ride costs 30 yuan ($4.60), and is open to passengers ages 18 to 60.
ISTANBUL, Turkey: More than 200 people were arrested in Istanbul on Saturday as Turkish police cracked down on protesters who defied a coronavirus lockdown to take part in a traditional May Day labor march.
Riot police and plainclothes officers scuffled with union leaders and other marchers in Taksim Square. The city governor’s office said they had “gathered illegally” and had ignored calls to disperse. Protesters were also arrested in Ankara and the western city of Izmir.
Journalists recorded the crackdown despite an Interior Ministry order on Friday banning the filming of security forces while they are on duty. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government said the ban was aimed at protecting officers’ privacy, and the circulation of images online led to “popular misjudgments about the security department.”
Scientists say India government ignored warnings amid coronavirus surge The warning about the new variant in early March was issued by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genetics Consortium, or INSACOG
Updated 02 May 2021
May 02, 2021 01:24
NEW DELHI: A forum of scientific advisers set up by the government warned Indian officials in early March of a new and more contagious variant of the coronavirus taking hold in the country, five scientists who are part of the forum told Reuters.
Despite the warning, four of the scientists said the federal government did not seek to impose major restrictions to stop the spread of the virus. Millions of largely unmasked people attended religious festivals and political rallies that were held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and opposition politicians.
The Saudi British Bank (SABB) recorded a net profit after Zakat and income tax of SR970 million ($259 million) for the three months ending March 31. This is a decrease of SR1 million or 0.1 percent compared to SR971 million for the same period in 2020.
The operating income was SR2.01 billion for the three months ending March 31, a decrease of SR361 million or 15 percent, compared to SR2.37 billion for the same period in 2020.
The loans and advances stood at SR156.7 billion on March 31, an increase of SR1.5 billion or 1 percent from SR155.2 billion on March 31, 2020.
The customers’ deposits amounted to SR183.7 billion for the first quarter of 2021, a decrease of SR4.6 billion or 2.4 percent compared with SR188.3 billion for the same period last year.
DUBAI: Dubai’s high-end real estate property sales almost doubled in March to 84 units sold – worth around 1.7 billion dirhams ($462.8 million) – compared to the previous month. Regulatory changes in the UAE, as well as an aggressive vaccination drive have attracted rich home buyers – mainly from Europe – to purchase properties in Dubai and take advantage of the city’s