September 22, 2025 – BRIANSWORLD

Is this the biggest hint yet London is about to get robotaxis?

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 01: Waymo cars drive down a street on March 01, 2023 in San Francisco, California. Waymo, Alphabet's self-driving car division, announced that it has laid off over 135 employees in a second round of layoffs this year. Waymo has cut 8 percent of its workforce this year. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) — Tooting and Greenwich could soon look like this (Picture: Getty)

Self-driving taxis are nothing new in California, where they have been picking up customers since last summer.

But are they about to head out of Silicon Valley and into the traffic chaos of Hyde Park Corner and the M25?

A spate of job adverts has appeared on the Careers section of robotaxi firm Waymo, recruiting for seven roles based in London.

They are for a Fleet Readiness Lead and Incident Response Manager, as well as for software engineers focused on machine learning.

One fulltime role, advertised with a base salary of up to £95,000, will be tasked with ‘ensuring the Waymo fleet is ready for service’ as well as keeping cars prepared for Ride-Hail services.

While the new employee will have to travel to the US for a month for training, the main role will be based in London, raising the question… exactly which fleet will they be maintaining?

Is this the biggest hint yet London is about to get robotaxis? — Do you have the right skillset to be the London Fleet Readiness Lead? (Picture: Waymo)

Waymo began as as the Google self-driving car project, and is still majority owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet. In 2019, it bought British AI company Latent Logic, which uses artifically intelligence to predict realistic human behaviour in simulations.

It’s no secret that the UK is an attractive future market for self-driving taxis.

Waymo’s first European engineering team is based here, with more investment intended to come.

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Uber has said it’s ready to put robotaxis on the road as soon as the government agrees, and they already have driverless taxis in the US, China, the UAE and Singapore.

Tesla has also tested its self-driving software on London streets with the aim of launching its Cybercab here.

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In July, ministers said they would fast-track pilots schemes for the UK’s first self-driving taxis and ‘bus-like services’, so they could start from spring 2026.

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The government said it hoped the new technology could provide more accessible travel options and boost transport in rural areas, while ‘creating 38,000 jobs and unlocking a £42 billion industry’, and a consultation about it is running until September 28.

Driverless taxis will get the full green light in the UK from 2027, when the Automated Vehicles Act is implemented.

This week’s recruitment drive from Waymo indicates the company is preparing to hit the road driving as soon as the regulation is there.

We will have to get used to seeing robots in our daily lives: you might even spot them delivering your post in future.

Last month, we followed a robotic dog doing a round of deliveries in a trial for Evri in Leeds, somewhere residents are already used to mini robots on wheels bringing them their groceries from Co-op.

Waymo is currently available in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Atlanta and Austin, and says it has completed over ten million rides with a 93% satisfaction rate. It has not yet expanded outside the US however, so London could be one of its first overseas markets, alongside Tokyo, where it has also started test operations.

In a blog post last month, Waymo said: ‘We’re constantly asked ‘when will Waymo come to my city?’ The answer— we’re on our way to serving major cities across the U.S. and other global cities as we work to bring the Waymo Driver to more people.’

They claimed the driverless tech was making roads safer, with 91% fewer ‘serious injury or worse crashes’ compared to an average human driver over the same distance.

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People think the rapture is coming and are sharing tips on how you can be ‘saved’

Image shows the resurrected Jesus Christ ascending to heaven. (Picture: Getty Images) — An impression of the resurrected Jesus Christ ascending to heaven. No pets pictured (Picture: Getty Images)

‘Will we see our pets in Heaven?’ is a difficult question parents have attempted to answer since the birth of Christianity.

But in 2025 American TikTokers are genuinely afraid their pets won’t make it to the promised land after a South African pastor warned that the Rapture will happen today.

Pastor Joshua Mhlakela has warned that Jesus will return on September 23 ‘whether you are ready or not’.

The pastor’s prediction has prompted ‘RaptureTok’ – a wave of religious hysteria now sweeping through TikTok.

Chief among believers’ concerns appears to be their pets’ souls, with many asking: ‘Will our pets be raptured?’

The Rapture of People out of the world; Shutterstock ID 31691326; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: — Pastor Joshua Mhlakela has warned that Jesus will return on September 23 ‘whether you are ready or not’ (Picture: Shutterstock / Benjamin Haas)

Cloudy afternoon light shines on a sign signalling preparation for the rapture (Picture: Shutterstock)

The Rapture is the belief that Christian believers will one day ascend to heaven. Those left behind will endure seven years of suffering, war and devastation led by the Antichrist.

One widely-shared TikTok video shows a woman quoting the Bible as evidence that people’s dogs, hamsters and parrots will be raptured.

‘I ask God all the time to please take my dogs when we’re raptured,’ someone wrote in the comment section of one video.

‘I have prayed for my fur babies to be raptured with me,’ agreed another.

Some, however, are poking fun at the trend. One person posted a sketch showing him hoisting his dog up in preparation for salvation.

@sarah_g505

Replying to @youart2023 #rapture #raptureiscoming #raptureisnear #raptureready #endtimes #endtimesprophecy #jesuschrist #christian #christiantiktok #bornagainchristian #theword #christianity #jesus #jesusiscoming #rapture2023

♬ Belonging – Muted

Another video shows a woman sharing her tips for ensuring you’re among God’s chosen people. They include ‘be saved’ and ‘complete GTA V’.

Pastor Mhlakela’s announced his prophecy on a YouTube podcast that has since received almost 550,000 views.

He claimed Jesus came to him in a vision and confirmed that September 23 would be the date of his coming.

The video has been taken up by some Christians in the US, where approximately 23 to 26% of people identify as Evangelical Protestants, according to Pew Research Centre.

@r3alism_0fficial

Real talk 😭 #doglover #christiantiktok #jesusisking #christianhumor

♬ Rapture – Sheriden kimberley💕 ✞

Christian and Jewish figures have been predicting the end of the road since at least as early as 66CE – without success.

In the last decade alone, high-profile religious figures have warned that the Rapture would come in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.

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Schoolchildren fall ill after eating falafel contaminated with human waste

As many as 55 people – most of them schoolchildren – have fallen ill after eating falafel contaminated with human waste.

The incident happened in a restaurant in the town of Irbid, in Jordan, which which was then shut down ‘within hours’.

Early findings released by the Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA) confirmed the presence of poo in samples of the food that was served.

Both E. coli and Shigella – highly infectious bacteria that can cause severe gastrointestinal illness – were detected in the meals.

Dr Ayman Maqableh, the director of epidemiology at the ministry of health, said at least 42 students had sought medical care in hospitals and clinics last week,

Eight have been admitted for treatment, with three remaining under close observation, Gulf News reported.

The victims, aged between six and 14, showed symptoms consistent with Shigella infection, including diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps.

Health officials also confirmed that one of the restaurant’s workers tested positive for the same bacterium, raising the likelihood that he may have been a source of the outbreak.

The restaurant, which was licensed to prepare baked goods, had reportedly been closed by its original owner.

It was then rented to a local schoolteacher.

Without notifying regulators, he began serving falafel meals to students at two nearby schools.

The Jordanian ministry of health stressed that the situation was ‘under control’ and that treatment and monitoring protocols had been activated.

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‘Houston, we’ve had a problem’: How the Apollo 13 space mission unfolded

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It’s thirty years since one of the most famous films ever made about space travel came out in cinemas.

Apollo 13 was nominated for nine Oscars, and brought the true story of how three astronauts nearly died while whipping around the Moon to a new audience.

Ron Howard’s epic lost out on Best Picture to another Tom Hanks film, Forrest Gump, but has been recognised as a landmark in space cinema, laying the groundwork for works like Gravity and The Martian.

Those too young to remember it may still have seen another of its stars Kevin Bacon reprise his role as an astronaut, this time for an advert for EE in 2022.

But what actually happened during the Apollo 13 mission on April 11, 1970, and why is it seen as such a success story, despite the fact it never landed on the lunar surface as planned?

‘Failure is not an option’

Although these words were never actually spoken in the real mission, they became synonymous with the launch after NASA Flight Director Gene Kranz says during the film: ‘We’ve never lost an American in space; we’re sure as hell not going to lose one on my watch! Failure is not an option.’

Losing an astronaut was a real possibility, after an oxygen tank exploded while the space craft was over two days into its journey to the Moon, around 200,000 miles from Earth.

Commander Jim Lovell, Command Module Pilot Jack Swigert, and Lunar Module Pilot Fred Haise were in danger of becoming lost in space, with dwindling oxygen and a malfunctioning ride home.

Editorial use only. No book cover usage. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Universal/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock (5884100i) Kevin Bacon, Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton Apollo 13 - 1995 Director: Ron Howard Universal USA Scene Still Drama — Kevin Bacon, Tom Hanks and Bill Paxton appear in Apollo 13 (Picture: Universal/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)

Remaining calm in the most stressful of circumstances (the near certainty of freezing or suffocating to death does make problems on the commute look tame), they crammed into the lunar module and used it like a ‘life boat’, improvising a filter for carbon dioxide.

A Nasa account of the descent tells how after the oxygen tank exploded like a ‘bomb’, they had to ration out water to only around 170ml per day, as it would still take them four days to get back in the small capsule. All three of the of the crew lost a lot of weight, surviving on fruit juice and hot dogs.

The spacecraft had been on course to land on the Moon, so they had to work out how to change direction and go back to Earth instead.

Apollo13 - view of the crippled Service Module after separation. — The severely damaged Apollo 13 service module after separation from the command module, with an entire panel blown away by the oxygen tank explosion (Picture: Apollo 13 Image Library)

Ground crews computed how long they would need to fire the descent engine to set them on a free return couse to Earth, and five hours after the explosion they fired a 35–second burn to allow them to swing around the Moon instead. After rounding the far side of the Moon and coming back towards it, they fired a longer five-minute burn to send them back on course to Earth, and a safe splashdown near Samoa in the Pacific Ocean.

This incredible feat was memorably described in the film by Jim Lovell’s mother Blanche, who said the line ‘If they could get a washing machine to fly, my Jimmy could land it.’

The film also immortalised the line ‘Houston, we have a problem’, even if this was subtly different from the real words spoken, ‘Houston, we’ve had a problem’.

The Apollo programme to the Moon

It is now over 50 years since humans walked on the Moon, but there are plans for that to soon change. Nasa is working on the Artemis programme to bring us back there, potentially using a settlement on the Moon as a staging point to Mars. Countries incuding China, India, and Russia are also looking at crewed missions to the lunar surface.

So far, the Apollo missions are the only ones to do so:

Apollo 11: July 1969 was the first time humans walked on the Moon

Apollo 12: Four months later, in November 1969, astronauts landed there again and retrieved part of a previous lander to see how it had fared.

Apollo 14: February 1971 saw astronauts return after the Apollo 13 mission went wrong.

Apollo 15: July 1971 was the first time humans drove a car on the Moon.

Apollo 16: In April 1972, astronauts drove more than 16 miles over three moonwalks in their lunar rover, collecting 209 pounds of samples.

Apollo 17: December 1972 was the last time humans walked on the Moon.

Earlier Apollo missions had focused on space flight without landing on the Moon. Before any mission flew, however, the programme began with tragedy after fire broke out in a simulation capsule where Nasa had been using 100% oxygen, killing all three astronauts in the first intended Apollo crew who were training there.

While the film about Nasa’s attempt to land humans on the Moon for the third time is a classic, the real story is just as unbelievable – and not just the bit about astronauts surviving against the odds.

Another fact which regularly goes viral is that the woman who established the emergency system to guide astronauts back if things went wrong was also the mother of Hollywood star Jack Black.

His older brother Neil Siegel, who became an engineer ike his mother Judith Love Cohen, wrote in her obituary when she died aged 83: ‘She actually went to her office on the day that Jack was born.

‘When it was time to go to the hospital, she took with her a computer printout of the problem she was working on. Later that day, she called her boss and told him that she had solved the problem. And . . . oh, yes, the baby was born, too.’

At the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame induction ceremony, new and former inductees are seated on the dais. In the front row, from left, are John Glenn, Scott Carpenter, Al Worden, Steven Hawley, Michael Coats, John Young, Jim Lovell and Ed Mitchell. At far left is John Zarrella, CNN's Miami Bureau Chief, who moderated. The May 5 induction added space shuttle commanders Michael L. Coats, Steven A. Hawley and Jeffrey A. Hoffman to the Hall of Fame. They grow the number of space explorers enshrined in the Hall of Fame to 66. The ceremony was held at the Kennedy Space Center's Apollo/Saturn V Center on May 5, 2007. CAP/MPI/CNP/NASA ?NASA/CNP/viaMPI/Capital Pictures. 05 May 2007 Pictured: Apollo 13. Photo credit: NASA/CNP/viaMPI/Capital Pictures / MEGA TheMegaAgency.com sales@mega.global — The Apollo 13 astronauts being recovered after the command module splashed down in the Pacific Ocean (Picture: NASA/CNP/viaMPI/Capital Pictures / MEGA)

He added: ‘My mother usually considered her work on the Apollo program to be the highlight of her career. When disaster struck the Apollo 13 mission, it was the Abort-Guidance System that brought the astronauts home safely. Judy was there when the Apollo 13 astronauts paid a “thank you” to the TRW facility in Redondo Beach.’

While US audiences have the option of watching the film on a massive screen at IMAX cinemas for the 30th anniversary, in the UK it is limited to some independent smaller cinemas, or the Science Museum IMAX screen (be quick; that showing is tonight at 7.15pm).

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How the ‘world’s smelliest fruit’ sparked a town centre’s gas leak emergency

Strongs store owner Andrew Simpkins, 61, with the durian fruit. An engineer sent to probe a suspected gas leak at a greengrocers was shocked to discover the cause was the world's smelliest fruit. Staff at Strongs Fruit and Veg shop were bemused when a Cadent gas engineer walked in to try and identify the source of the leak. Photo released 22/09/2025 — Strongs store owner Andrew Simpkins, 61, with the durian fruit that caused an emergency gas callout (Picture: William Lailey/SWNS)

An engineer was dispatched to a town centre gas leak emergency that turned out to be a green grocer’s very smelly fruit.

The worker, from Cadent gas company, visited a number of shop in Lytham, Lancashire, to test for gas after a shopper reported a strong smell of the toxic substance.

How once they reached Strongs Fruit and Veg shop staff informed them that the odour was actually durian, known as the smelliest fruit in the world.

Store assistants Wai Peng Cheng, 51, and his partner Candy Pooi Kuan Lam, 46, had not been aware of the emergency callout and had ‘no idea’ what was going on when they spotted the engineer with his testing equipment.

Wai Peng said: ‘We saw a gas engineer pull up in front of the shop at around 1pm and he went into the charity shop next door.

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‘About an hour later he tried the body care shop on the other side before coming inside Strongs.

‘He said he was looking for a gas leak and that the charity shop next store had reported it after a customer told them about the strong gassy smell.’

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Mr Cheng told the engineer the smell was caused by the the durian fruit, but initially be didn’t believe him.

‘It was only when I took him outside and gave one to him that he realised,’ he added.

‘We all just started laughing it was hilarious – he then checked if there was any gas leak outside just to be sure, but of course there wasn’t, before leaving at 4pm.’

Durian fruits are a popular delicacy found predominantly in Southeast Asia.

They have a powerful, pungent rotting onion smell and have even been known to be banned from being carried inside hotels and public transport in parts of Asia.

Stills from CCTV show the Cadent gas engineer inside the shop checking for gas leaks. An engineer sent to probe a suspected gas leak at a greengrocers was shocked to discover the cause was the world's smelliest fruit. Staff at Strongs Fruit and Veg shop in Lytham were bemused when a Cadent gas engineer walked in to try and identify the source of the leak. Photo released 22/09/2025 — The gas engineer at green grocer’s in Lytham (Picture: Andrew Simpkins/SWNS)

Wai Peng and Candy had been on holiday to Malaysia and when they returned to the UK earlier this month they asked Strongs store owner Andrew Simpkins, 61, if they could stock the fruit, to which he agreed.

The store received a delivery of the fruit last week and they put it on display later that day, hours before the incident happened.

They sell the fruit for £22 per 500g.

Andrew said: ‘I knew it smelled bad but I didn’t think it would bring the gas board out.

‘They told me there were some police officers there too.

Durian fruit from Vietnam is sold outside the store for ??22. An engineer sent to probe a suspected gas leak at a greengrocers was shocked to discover the cause was the world's smelliest fruit. Staff at Strongs Fruit and Veg shop were bemused when a Cadent gas engineer walked in to try and identify the source of the leak. Photo released 22/09/2025 — Durian is sold at Strongs for £22 per 500g pack (Picture: William Lailey / SWNS)

‘We only bought a small box full this week but they have flown of the shelf.

‘I tried some for the first time – I was sceptical at first but it has a pleasant aftertaste.’

Phil Hendrick, head of operational delivery (north west) at Cadent, said: ‘One of our engineers responded to a report of a gas smell inside a building.

‘As part of his routine checks, he visited adjoining properties – including a fruit and veg shop – and found no trace of gas in any of the buildings.

‘As the gas emergency response service, we attend thousands of reported smells of gas every year.

‘Thankfully, most turn out not to be gas-related.’

Store assistant Wai Peng Cheng, 51, An engineer sent to probe a suspected gas leak at a greengrocers was shocked to discover the cause was the world's smelliest fruit. Staff at Strongs Fruit and Veg shop were bemused when a Cadent gas engineer walked in to try and identify the source of the leak. Photo released 22/09/2025 — Store assistant Wai Peng Cheng says the engineer initially didn’t believe the smell was a fruit
(Picture: William Lailey / SWNS)

He said that over the years, the company has traced reported smells to a variety of sources – from factory discharges and aviation fuel, to dockside activities and, on occasion, durian fruit.

He added: ‘If you ever smell gas, calling it in is always the right thing to do, every time. Don’t take chances. Act immediately and ring the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999, day or night.

‘Our engineers carry sensitive equipment that can detect even the smallest traces of gas.

‘Whether it turns out to be gas, or just a smelly fruit, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.’

Cadent operates the gas emergency service for four of the UK’s eight gas distribution network areas.

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Bear attacks woman, 90, after wandering into shop during rampage in New Jersey

The bear was euthanised after repeatedly wandering into the store and attacking a woman and a dog
(Picture: Instagram/thegardenstate)

An elderly woman has been taken to hospital after a wandering bear attacked her while she was shopping.

The animal entered the Dollar General store in Vernon, New Jersey last Tuesday, and was chased out by police who shot it with rubber pellets.

Two hours later it returned, attacking the dog of a neighbouring restaurant owner before re-entering the convenience store.

It proceeded to stalk the aisles, occasionally lunging at shoppers and pets.

Footage filmed by a local man as he tried to lure the 175lb (80kg) female out of the store shows her pacing sluggishly as though she may be sick.

The man is heard saying to the bear: ‘What’s up, buddy? You are one big, nasty motherf***er.

Sorry, this video isn't available any more.

As she gets closer to him, he nervously says: ‘Where the f*** is the door?’

By this point the bear had already attacked a 90-year-old woman by either scratching or biting her leg, local police say.

A worker at a neighbouring business told The New York Times the woman appeared unfazed by the incident.

After being warned there was a bear in the store, the woman reportedly said ‘I know, he swiped at me’ and kept shopping.

She was hospitalised with non-severe injuries.

A black bear wandered into the Dollar General in Vernon, Sussex County, startling shoppers. Local real estate agent Sean Clarkin quickly stepped in, guiding the bear through the aisles and out the front door of the store 15120249 Bear killed after injuring 90-year-old woman during rampage through Dollar General store — The bear’s behaviour raised fears it may have been sick

The dog was uninjured, its owner saying the bear had tackled the German Shepherd without biting or scratching it.

The bear had already been sighted in the area hours before entering the store.

After the incident in the store it was tracked to a nearby parking lot where officers determined that it needed to be euthanised.

State authorities collected the carcass to test it for rabies.

Authorities in Sussex County, where Vernon is located, counted 294 bear-related incidents this year as of last month, by far the highest of any county in the state.

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‘Failure is not an option’

The Apollo programme to the Moon

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