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Driverless taxis set to launch in UK as soon as September

Waymo is set to launch a pilot program for its autonomous taxi service in London, with operations slated to commence in April.

Waymo, a US-based autonomous vehicle company, aims to introduce a robotaxi service in London by September of this year, marking a significant milestone in the firm's expansion plans.

BBC technology editor Zoe Kleinman stands in front of a white car, wearing a red jacket over a black top and black trousers
BBC technology editor Zoe Kleinman took a look at Waymo's driverless taxis

The UK government has announced plans to revise regulations in the second half of 2026, paving the way for the operation of driverless taxis in the city, although a specific timeline has not been disclosed.

A pilot program is set to launch in April, with Local Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood expressing support for Waymo and other operators, highlighting the government's commitment to facilitating the development of self-driving cars through innovative regulations and passenger pilots.

On Wednesday, Waymo showcased its fleet of vehicles at London's Transport Museum, demonstrating its commitment to bringing autonomous technology to the UK.

Currently, Waymo's vehicles are being operated with a safety driver on board, who is responsible for mapping the city's streets and gathering data.

However, once the service is launched for paying customers, the vehicles will operate without a human driver, relying on their autonomous systems to navigate the roads.

According to Minister Greenwood, who attended the Waymo event, driverless vehicles have the potential to significantly improve road safety in urban areas.

Greenwood noted that automated vehicles offer several advantages over human drivers, including the absence of fatigue, distraction, and the ability to drive under the influence, which can significantly reduce the risk of accidents.

Nevertheless, she emphasized that autonomous vehicles must meet stringent safety standards, including protection against cyber threats and hacking, before they can be permitted to operate on UK roads.

The UK government estimates that the autonomous vehicle industry could contribute £42bn to the economy by 2035 and create approximately 40,000 new jobs, highlighting the significant potential benefits of this emerging technology.

A Waymo car seen on a London road, driven by a driver
Waymo cars are already on London's roads, with safety drivers, carrying out mapping. They are not yet available to hire.

Once regulatory approvals are in place, passengers will be able to hail Waymo's robotaxis using a mobile app, providing a convenient and innovative transportation option.

Initially, the service will not include airport drop-offs, although this may be added in the future as the service expands.

Waymo's vehicles are equipped with four advanced sensor systems, including lidar, vision, radar, and microphone, which enable them to gather data from their surroundings and navigate safely.

These sensors provide a 360-degree view of the environment, allowing the vehicles to detect and respond to obstacles up to three football fields away, even in adverse weather conditions.

A powerful onboard computer processes the data from the sensors in real-time, enabling the vehicle to make rapid decisions and react to changing circumstances.

Waymo has indicated that its pricing will be competitive and premium, with rates adjusting according to demand, although the exact pricing structure has not been disclosed.

Rival companies, including Uber and Lyft, are also preparing to launch their own robotaxi services in the UK, pending regulatory approvals.

A white Jaguar car
Waymo has partnered with Jaguar for its robotaxis

Waymo has partnered with Jaguar to provide its autonomous vehicles, while Uber and Lyft have opted to collaborate with the Chinese technology firm Baidu.

Waymo claims to have accumulated 173 million miles of autonomous driving experience, primarily in the US, with a fleet of 1,000 robotaxis in San Francisco and 700 in Los Angeles.

There have been reports of occasional malfunctions, resulting in passengers being temporarily trapped inside the vehicles, highlighting the need for ongoing testing and refinement of autonomous systems.

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Serie A to air on BBC with live coverage of Scottish matches

A new multi-game rights deal has enabled the BBC to broadcast live coverage of matches featuring several Scotland internationals, including Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour, Lewis Ferguson, Che Adams, Lennon Miller, Kieron Bowie, and Josh Doig, starting this Sunday.

A number of Scottish players, including Che Adams, Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour, Lennon Miller, and Lewis Ferguson, are currently competing in Italy's top division, Serie A.

The upcoming Serie A match between Torino and Bologna will be a notable fixture, featuring several Scottish players.

The match is scheduled to take place on Sunday, 15 February, with a kick-off time of 17:00 GMT, at a venue that will be announced.

Fans can catch the live coverage of the match on BBC Alba, starting from 16:50.

A growing list of Scottish players, including Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour, Lewis Ferguson, Che Adams, Lennon Miller, Josh Doig, and Kieron Bowie, are making a name for themselves in Serie A.

With a record number of Scots playing in Italy's top flight, the BBC is now providing live coverage of their matches, allowing fans to follow their favorite players.

As part of a new package, the BBC will broadcast eight live Serie A matches, showcasing the talents of Scottish players as they prepare for the upcoming World Cup.

The first match to be broadcast on BBC Alba will be the encounter between Torino, featuring striker Che Adams, and Bologna, featuring midfielder Lewis Ferguson, on Sunday, with a 17:00 GMT kick-off.

Bologna will be looking to bounce back from five consecutive domestic defeats, despite recent impressive results in the Europa League and against Celtic.

During their recent run, Bologna drew 2-2 with Celtic and secured a 3-0 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa League.

Torino, on the other hand, has only managed one win in their last five outings but will be seeking to build on their recent 2-2 draw against Fiorentina.

Scotland's Nations League campaign is set to begin in Slovenia.

Clarke has confirmed that Barnes will not be making a switch to Scotland.

Scotland is scheduled to face Switzerland in the Nations League.

Future BBC Alba broadcasts will feature matches involving Napoli's Scottish duo, Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour, who is nearing a return from injury, as well as Lennon Miller's Udinese, Josh Doig's Sassuolo, and Kieron Bowie's Hellas Verona.

The number of Scottish players in Serie A has reached a record high, with the likes of Liam Henderson, who has played for several Italian clubs, now competing in Serie B.

Further details of the Serie A matches to be broadcast on BBC Alba will be announced in the coming weeks.

Margaret Cameron, director of content at BBC Alba, expressed her excitement about the opportunity for Scottish fans to watch their favorite players in action, free-to-air, ahead of the World Cup.

Presenter Alex O'Henley is looking forward to hosting the coverage of what he describes as a "golden era" for Scottish players in Italy.

With the World Cup approaching, O'Henley believes it's an exciting time for Scottish fans to follow the fortunes of their players in Italy.

Kieron Bowie made his debut for Verona against Pisa.

Che Adams, who was born in Leicester, has established himself as a key player for Scotland, earning 45 caps and scoring 11 goals since switching allegiances in 2021.

This season, Adams has scored six goals in 26 appearances for Torino, who currently sit 13th in the Serie A table.

Kieron Bowie, who began his career with Raith Rovers, has risen to prominence with Hibernian, scoring nine goals in 30 appearances before joining Hellas Verona in January.

Bowie made his debut for Verona in a 0-0 draw against Pisa, earning his first start for the club.

Josh Doig, who started his career with Hibernian, has become a regular player in Serie A, first with Verona and now with Sassuolo, earning one cap for Scotland.

Doig has made 24 appearances, including 20 starts, for Sassuolo this season.

Lewis Ferguson, who began his career with Hamilton Academical, has become a key player for Bologna, earning 21 caps for Scotland and leading his team to a Coppa Italia final win over AC Milan.

Ferguson has made 29 appearances, including 21 starts, for Bologna this season, helping the team to eighth place in the table.

Billy Gilmour, who started his career with Rangers, has played for several clubs, including Chelsea and Norwich City, before joining Napoli in 2024, where he won his first league title.

Gilmour has been limited to 12 appearances, including six starts, this season due to injury, but is nearing a return to action.

Scott McTominay, who came through Manchester United's youth ranks, has become a key player for Napoli, earning 67 caps for Scotland and scoring 14 goals, including a notable overhead kick against Denmark.

McTominay has made 34 appearances for Napoli this season, scoring 10 goals and helping the team to a strong position in the table.

Lennon Miller, who began his career with Motherwell, has made a promising start to his career, earning four caps for Scotland and joining Udinese in August.

Miller has made 14 appearances, including six starts, for Udinese this season.

Fans can stay up-to-date with their favorite clubs through BBC Sport.

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GB men’s curling team suffers upset defeat to Italy

At the 2026 Winter Olympics, Great Britain’s men’s curling team mounted a comeback against Italy following a disappointing beginning, ultimately falling short in their inaugural match.

Despite a valiant comeback, Team GB ultimately fell short as Italy held their composure to secure the win in the final end.

A dismal start to the match proved costly for Team GB's men, as they suffered their first defeat of the Winter Olympics at the hands of host nation Italy, despite a spirited fightback in the packed Cortina Curling Stadium.

Following victories in their first two matches, including a win over the Swedish rink that beat them in the gold-medal match four years ago, Team GB entered their second high-profile encounter in as many days in a confident position.

However, a disastrous opening end, in which Italy stole four points, left Team GB trailing and facing an uphill battle in front of a boisterous home crowd.

The British team, currently ranked number one in the world, gradually regained their footing and managed to level the score by the ninth end.

Ultimately, Italy maintained their composure in the final end to emerge victorious, winning 9-7 and adding Team GB to their list of scalps, which already included the Swedes.

"We had to dig deep and play some solid curling, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough to get us over the line," Team GB lead Hammy McMillan said in an interview with BBC Sport.

With seven wins from nine round-robin matches guaranteeing a spot in the semi-finals, Team GB remains in a strong position, although fewer wins may still be sufficient to advance.

The women's team is set to take to the ice next, facing South Korea in their second match at 13:05 GMT, while the men will return to action on Saturday against the Czech Republic at the same time.

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The looks of shock on the faces of Team GB's curlers told the story of a disastrous opening end.

With a stone in play, Mouat attempted a risky shot in an effort to claim two points, but it backfired, resulting in none of Team GB's stones in the house and four Italian stones in position.

However, the Scottish quartet, ranked number one in the world, quickly regained their composure and got back to their game.

The teams exchanged singles before a impressive final throw by Mouat, aided by a measurement to determine which stone was closest to the button, allowed Team GB to claim two points and narrow the gap to 5-3.

Another excellent team effort, which included a well-judged throw by Mouat, a solid sweep by Hammy McMillan and Bobby Lammie, and Grant Hardie's strategic expertise, forced Italy to concede a point in the fourth end, reducing the deficit to a single point at the break.

Italy blanked the sixth end and added two points in the seventh to rebuild their lead, but Team GB fought back with two points of their own, remarkably levelling the score with one end remaining after a steal.

The match came down to the final end, but Italy held their nerve to secure the win, prompting a deafening roar from the crowd.

"It's an incredible experience, and we need to get used to it," McMillan added, describing the electric atmosphere as "surreal" and "cool," more akin to a football match than a typical curling crowd.

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Scotland Kicks Off Nations League Against Slovenia

Uefa has released the schedule for the Nations League, with Scotland set to begin their campaign on 26 September with an away match against Slovenia.

Uefa has released the schedule for the Nations League, with Scotland's campaign set to begin on 26 September with an away match against Slovenia.

The team's six group stage games will be played within a three-month period, culminating in a match against Switzerland on 16 November.

The fixture list was announced following Thursday's draw, which placed Scotland in a group with Switzerland, Slovenia, and North Macedonia.

Having been relegated from League A after a play-off loss to Greece last year, Scotland will compete in the second tier of the Nations League this year.

In response to the draw, head coach Steve Clarke noted that the teams in the group appear to be evenly matched.

Clarke reflected on the team's past experience in the competition, stating that it has been beneficial for Scotland.

He emphasized the importance of the Nations League, citing its role in helping the team qualify for Euro 2020, and anticipated a challenging set of matches.

A key matchup in the Nations League will see Scotland face off against Switzerland.

The group stage will determine the teams' fates, with the winner earning promotion, the runner-up entering a play-off, the third-placed team facing a relegation play-off, and the fourth-placed team being relegated directly.

The upcoming group games will mark a reunion for Scotland and Switzerland, who previously drew 1-1 in Cologne at Euro 2024.

Scotland's last encounter with Slovenia was during the 2018 World Cup qualification campaign, when they won 1-0 at home and drew 2-2 away.

The team has not played North Macedonia since the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, when they drew 1-1 at home and won 2-1 away, with goals from Ikechi Anya and Shaun Maloney.

The schedule for Scotland's Nations League campaign begins on 26 September with a match against Slovenia.

The team will then host Switzerland on 29 September, followed by a trip to face North Macedonia on 3 October.

Scotland will then play Slovenia at home on 6 October, before hosting North Macedonia on 11 November.

The final group stage match will see Scotland travel to face Switzerland on 16 November.

The team's home match against North Macedonia is set for 11 November.

The campaign will conclude with an away match against Switzerland on 16 November.

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