Briefly

NETHERLANDS

Tesla self-driving gets green light in a first

In a first for Europe, the Netherlands is poised to allow Tesla owners to use their car's self-driving feature, as long as they are in the vehicle and keeping a watchful eye over it. The country's RDW agency for road-worthiness certifications said on Friday,"Thanks to the type approval, the driver assistance system can now be used in the Netherlands, with possible future expansion to all member states of the European Union." The move aligns the Netherlands with what is allowed in the United States, where Tesla owners can already use the Full Self-Driving function in the cars with supervision.

UNITED STATES

Inflation rises in March as energy prices surge

US consumer prices rose sharply in March as the conflict in the Middle East drove up energy costs, according to data released on Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The consumer price index increased 0.9 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from the previous month, pushing annual inflation to 3.3 percent, well above the Fed's 2 percent target. The monthly gain was fueled by a 10.9 percent jump in energy prices. Gas prices posted a steep increase, rising more than 21 percent in March from a month earlier.

Agencies - Xinhua