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Driverless Taxis Could Launch in London by September; UK Prime Minister Visits China Amidst International Tensions
London could see driverless taxis as early as September, according to Waymo, the US driverless car firm. This development coincides with a period of international activity, including a visit to China by UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and ongoing concerns about European defense and internet access in Iran.
Waymo, owned by Google-parent Alphabet, hopes to operate a robotaxi service in London, pending regulatory changes. While the UK government anticipates amending regulations in the second half of 2026 to fully enable driverless taxis, a pilot service is slated to launch in April. Local Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood stated, "We're supporting Waymo and other operators through our passenger pilots, and pro-innovation regulations to make self-driving cars a reality on British roads."
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer arrived in China for a three-day visit, the first by a British prime minister in eight years. Starmer aims to strengthen trading and cultural ties between the two nations. He is scheduled to meet with President Xi Jinping on Thursday. "The trip will bring benefits to the UK and it was important to maintain a 'strategic and consistent relationship' with the world's second largest economy," Starmer said. However, the Prime Minister has faced criticism at home regarding China's human rights record and potential national security risks to the UK.
In other news, Europe's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, urged the EU to urgently improve its defense capabilities and make NATO "more European." Kallas warned that the US has shaken the transatlantic relationship and that Europe can no longer rely on outsourcing its defense. "No great power had ever 'outsourced its survival and survived'," Kallas stated at a defense conference.
Finally, after nearly three weeks of a severe internet shutdown in Iran, some citizens are regaining online access, although access appears to be tightly controlled. The internet was cut off on January 8th, reportedly to curb the flow of information about government crackdowns on protesters. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed the shutdown was a response to "terrorist operations." While some access has been restored, independent analysis suggests much of the country remains cut off from the outside world.
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