Firms agree deals with Beijing-based Baidu to take self-driving cabs to UK capital

Chinese robotaxis are due to be on the streets of London next year after the US ride-hailing companies Lyft and Uber announced tie-ups with Beijing-based Baidu to deploy its self-driving technology.

Lyft is the third firm to announce plans to introduce self-driving taxis to the UK capital next year, after Uber and Waymo, the main operator of robotaxis in the US.

From retailers to banks, carmakers to councils, the bold pledges for carbon-neutral economies are being watered down or scrapped

Almost a year since Donald Trump returned to the White House with a rallying cry to the fossil fuel industry to “drill baby, drill”, a backlash against net zero appears to be gathering momentum.

More companies have retreated from, or watered down, their pledges to cut carbon emissions, instead prioritising shareholder returns over climate action.

Government efforts to recruit examiners fail again with average test slot wait now at 22 weeks, report says

Plans to cut the wait for a driving test to seven weeks by the end of the year will not be achieved until November 2027, an audit report has found.

Only a net 83 more driving test examiners have been hired despite 19 recruitment campaigns since 2021, with the average wait for a practical test now at 22 weeks across Great Britain, according to the National Audit Office (NAO).