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France to Launch Self-Driving Bus Service in Châteauroux by September 2026 The first regular service of self-driving buses in France is scheduled to launch in September 2026 in the city of Châteauroux. These autonomous vehicles will operate on a 2.5km route in the city center with a capacity for eight passengers. The project is a collaboration with transport operator Kéolis, featuring buses manufactured by Renault and WeRide, with each vehicle costing between €250,000 and €300,000. This initiative aims to address the shortage of bus drivers, offer more flexible service in less populated areas, and improve economies of scale. ...

Uber and Rivian Announce Major Partnership for Autonomous Robotaxi Fleet Uber Technologies and Rivian Automotive have forged a strategic partnership to deploy up to 50,000 fully autonomous R2 robotaxis. As part of this landmark deal, Uber is set to invest up to $1.25 billion in the electric vehicle manufacturer, with the investment contingent on Rivian meeting specific autonomous performance milestones. An initial commitment of $300 million has been made, pending regulatory approval. The first deployment phase will introduce 10,000 vehicles, with initial rollouts planned for San Francisco and Miami in 2028, expanding to 25 cities by 2031. These fully autonomous Rivian R2 robotaxis will be exclusively bookable through the Uber platform. ...

AI and CRISPR Identify New Kidney Cancer Drug Targets Researchers in the UK and Korea have developed a new machine learning pipeline to identify novel drug targets for clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), a common type of kidney cancer. The innovative framework integrates single-cell RNA sequencing with CRISPR screens and protein network analysis to pinpoint tumor-specific vulnerabilities. This AI-driven approach identified 96 potential drug targets and 39 existing FDA-approved compounds for repurposing. Preclinical tests revealed that several of these drugs, including Ribociclib and Dasatinib, were significantly more effective than current standard treatments across all tested renal cancer cell lines. This research, published in npj Drug Discovery, focuses on targeting the tumor’s intrinsic weaknesses. ...