General Motors detailed the engine lineup for its 2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, adding two new V-8s as V-8 pickups make a comeback. General Motors on Thursday detailed the engine lineup for its upcoming 2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 pickup trucks, adding two new V-8 engines as the Detroit automaker doubles down on its most profitable business. The redesigned trucks will also offer a carryover inline-six-cylinder diesel engine and an enhanced four-cylinder turbocharged option. The announcement, made public a week after Ford Motor updated its own engine offerings for the 2027 model year, revives what the industry calls the "truck wars" among Detroit's biggest automakers. GM said the lineup includes a class-exclusive diesel option and is designed to extend the company's six consecutive years of full-size pickup sales leadership over rivals Ford and Chrysler parent Stellantis. GM President Mark Reuss laid out the stakes bluntly at a media event Wednesday at the automaker's Flint Engine plant near Detroit. "If we don't stomp the competition with these trucks, then I'd be very sad and questioning myself. That's the goal," Reuss said. "That's what success looks like: continued truck leadership." The new V-8s are part of GM's sixth generation of small-block engines, a design the company first produced in 1955. "This is history today and we don't take that lightly," Reuss said of the launch. GM said development of the Gen 6 small-block began in 2018. Chevrolet and GMC vs. Ford's F-Series Ford remains the single top-selling full-size truck brand with its F-Series lineup. But Chevrolet and GMC, GM's two truck brands, have outsold Ford on a combined basis since 2020. The competition is about far more than bragging rights. The full-size pickup segment is heavily profitable for the Detroit automakers, and Ford has previously said its F-Series business generated more revenue than many Fortune 100 companies. Those trucks effectively fund the rest of the business, paying the bills and giving U.S. automakers the cash to invest in new markets and technologies. That role has taken on added weight as electric vehicles, a major focus for the industry this decade, continue to post weak demand and losses that the truck business helps offset. Regulatory shift under Trump The renewed emphasis on large gas engines comes as the Trump administration rolls back federal support for EVs. The administration has moved to eliminate the federal incentive of up to $7,500 for buying an electric vehicle and to reduce or remove federal fuel economy rules and the penalties tied to them. GM said its decision to build a new generation of V-8 engines predated those regulatory changes, noting that such products take years to develop. The company pointed to the 2018 start of Gen 6 development as evidence the plan was set well before the current policy shift. The 2027 model year marks the latest round of the truck rivalry. "Full-size pickup trucks are crucial for the three companies, without any doubt," said Stephanie Brinley, associate director of Mobility Global's AutoIntelligence. "Part of the reason that we have the truck wars cadence that we do is simply because products get refreshed so often." The fresh battle has put V-8 engines back at the center of the fight. Ford is expanding the availability of trucks equipped with the engines, while Ram is promoting the return of its Hemi V-8, including new performance "muscle trucks." GM is countering with its two new V-8 offerings. Many vehicle segments and automakers have dropped V-8 options in recent years as fuel economy standards tightened and smaller engines improved. In pickups, though, the larger engines continue to sell well because of their ability to tow and haul heavy loads, keeping the V-8 alive where it has fallen out of favor elsewhere. GM V-8 engines, 2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, truck wars, Mark Reuss, full-size pickup trucks, Ford F-Series, Ram Hemi V-8

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A Friday air strike in Sheikh Radwan killed one Palestinian and left a child critical, as Gaza officials warned the health system is near collapse. One Palestinian was killed and several others were wounded on Friday when an Israeli air strike hit a motorcycle in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, west of Gaza City, according to the Palestinian Wafa news agency. A child caught in the blast was left in critical condition. The same day, Israeli forces opened fire on the Nuseirat and al-Bureij refugee camps in the central Gaza Strip, Wafa reported. Gunfire struck tents housing displaced families in both camps, leaving multiple people injured. Strikes have continued across the sealed-off territory despite a ceasefire announced in October 2025. At least 1,381 Palestinians have been killed in the period since that announcement. The wider death toll from the war that began in October 2023 stands at a minimum of 73,795 people killed and 174,869 wounded. The Friday attacks followed a series of deadly incidents earlier in the week. In one, an Israeli "double-tap" air strike - a tactic that hits the same site twice - killed a paramedic and a 15-year-old schoolboy in Gaza City. The Israeli military said it had been aiming at Hamas fighters. Collapsed building in Gaza City On Wednesday, a building in Gaza City that had already been damaged caved in, killing at least 21 people. Twelve of the dead were children. Rescue teams from the Palestinian Civil Defence agency have been unable to pull all the bodies from beneath the debris, hampered by tight Israeli limits on the heavy machinery allowed into the enclave. The difficulty of clearing collapsed structures reflects a broader breakdown in basic services. Families across Gaza are now packed into roughly a third of the territory, according to UNICEF, living among wrecked buildings, piles of rubble and waste that has not been removed. The UN children's agency reported last month that, on average, one child was being killed every day. Those still alive are sheltering in what remains of neighbourhoods reduced to ruins. Health sector near breaking point Gaza's Health Ministry issued a stark warning on Wednesday, saying the territory's medical system was close to "total collapse." Officials tied the crisis to restrictions on how much medical aid and fuel Israel permits to cross into the enclave. With supplies squeezed and infrastructure in ruins, hospitals and clinics have struggled to treat the steady flow of wounded arriving from strikes like the one in Sheikh Radwan. The shortage of fuel threatens the equipment and generators that keep emergency care running. The combination of continued strikes, blocked equipment and dwindling medical resources has left rescue workers and medics with fewer means to respond to each new attack. The child injured on Friday joins a long list of young casualties recorded across Gaza since the fighting began. Gaza City strike, Sheikh Radwan, Palestinian casualties, Gaza ceasefire, Nuseirat refugee camp, al-Bureij, Gaza health system, UNICEF Gaza children

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Chelsea lost 3-0 at Brentford on Friday with striker Joao Pedro sidelined by a knee injury, extending Xabi Alonso's defensive troubles. Chelsea slumped to a 3-0 defeat at Brentford on Friday, undone by both a leaky defence and an attack that misfired without injured striker Joao Pedro. The result, at the Brentford Community Stadium, left Xabi Alonso still searching for answers in his opening weeks as manager. Joao Pedro, the Brazilian forward, missed the match with a knee injury. His absence stripped Alonso's side of its main creative spark up front, a role he had shared with Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers, the midfielder who arrived in the summer as a club-record £117m signing from Aston Villa. Danny Welbeck came in for the injured striker but struggled to shape the game. The contest stayed level until the 61st minute, when Jaidon Anthony put the hosts in front. Chelsea then fell apart, shipping three goals in all as Brentford extended their unbeaten start to the season. A defence that keeps leaking Chelsea have now conceded 12 goals, more than any other team in the Premier League, though they have played one match more than the rest of the division. The pattern has become a defining feature of Alonso's tenure. He is only the sixth manager in Premier League history to let in two or more goals in each of his first five games in charge. Early in the campaign, Chelsea had papered over those problems by simply outscoring opponents, relying on the flair of their forwards. At Brentford, that safety net vanished. Some of the defensive frailties were inherited, but Alonso has yet to impose a settled tactical shape on the team. The manager has kept changing his approach, trying different systems and handing out 11 debuts so far. Two more came on Friday. Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli became the first 16-year-old to feature for Chelsea in the Premier League, while 36-year-old Jordan Henderson, a summer signing, made his debut against a club he once played for. Welbeck struggles for service Chelsea turned to the transfer market for a Brighton forward for the second summer running, signing Welbeck to link up again with Joao Pedro and add depth in attack. But the 35-year-old saw little of the ball. He was neat when he did receive it, yet managed just 17 touches before being withdrawn in the 71st minute. The difference between the two forwards was stark. Joao Pedro can carve out chances on his own, while Welbeck found it hard to influence proceedings with so little supply. The Brazilian had gone into the weekend leading the Premier League for goal involvements, with three goals and three assists in four appearances. Beyond the numbers, he had knitted the front line together, dovetailing with Palmer and Rogers. Rogers, by contrast, turned in what was arguably his flattest display since joining from Villa. He was eventually pushed into a central striking role, a switch forced by the absence of Emmanuel Emegha, who is also injured and has still not made his Chelsea debut. The evening followed a familiar script: the attack failed to click, and once Brentford edged ahead, the rest of the team unravelled behind them. What had been a tight, even match tilted sharply the moment the hosts scored. Chelsea now face an enforced pause. The extended international break gives Alonso and his players three weeks to reflect on the loss before their next fixture. For the manager, the priority is clear enough. Stopping the flow of goals against his side has become the most pressing task of his young Chelsea reign. Chelsea, Brentford, Xabi Alonso, Joao Pedro, Premier League, Jordan Henderson, Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer

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Donald Trump says the US, Denmark and Greenland have agreed to give Washington permanent control over the Arctic island's security, at no cost to the US. US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Washington had struck a deal with Denmark and Greenland granting the United States lasting authority over security matters on the Arctic island. He described the arrangement as giving the US "permanent control" over Greenland's defence and related needs while leaving formal sovereignty with Denmark. Trump said the accord lets Washington step in whenever it judges action necessary to protect both American and Greenlandic interests. Crucially, he said, it bars US rivals from setting up military bases or channelling sensitive money into the island without written US consent. "There will be no cost to the United States," he added. The president framed the agreement as open-ended. He called it an "Infinite Life" deal with no expiry, and said he had directed representatives from Denmark and Greenland to secure a guarantee that the US would always retain the ability to do what it deemed needed to defend the territory and itself. Trump also laid out plans to widen the American footprint on the island. He said the US would move quickly to build up a sizeable military presence in a suitable location, and pledged to carry out that construction alongside Greenland's residents. He cast the outcome as something his predecessors had failed to deliver. Presidents had recognised Greenland's strategic value for more than a century, he said, but none had acted on it. He claimed the new deal settled the matter for good and served the interests of the United States, Denmark, Greenland and Washington's allies. Greenland and Denmark said in a statement that they expect to sign the agreement with the US on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the deal beneficial for NATO and Europe and said it bolstered shared security across the Arctic and the North Atlantic. Frederiksen stressed that the arrangement respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of both Greenland and Denmark, and upholds the right of both peoples to self-determination. Her comments underscored that the island remains an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. The announcement follows months of friction. Greenland has sat at the heart of a diplomatic row since Trump began repeatedly pressing for the US to take control of the island. Denmark and Greenland had rebuffed those earlier demands. Trump has justified his push by pointing to American national security and rising Russian and Chinese activity across the Arctic. The US already operates a base on the island, the Pituffik Space Base, under existing defence understandings with Denmark. Trump's latest move would substantially enlarge the military and security role that Washington plays in Greenland. Greenland, Donald Trump, Denmark, US military Greenland, Arctic security, Mette Frederiksen, Pituffik Space Base, NATO

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Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an and the Mainland Affairs Council traded public jabs after Taiwan barred a Shanghai official from the December Twin City Forum. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an and Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) exchanged sharp public criticism this week after the central government refused to let senior Chinese officials enter Taiwan for the Shanghai-Taipei Twin City Forum. The event is scheduled for December. The MAC on Tuesday turned away Li Xiaodong (李驍東), deputy director of the Shanghai Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO), marking the second straight year the council has blocked his entry. A year earlier, the MAC said TAO personnel would be kept out because of Beijing's ongoing antagonism toward Taiwan, pointing to Chinese steps aimed at what it labels "Taiwanese independence separatists" and to acts of transnational repression. Speaking a day after the entry was denied, Chiang defended the gathering as a durable channel for exchanges between the two cities. He said his administration had always run it on a footing of equality, mutual respect, goodwill and shared interest. Relations across the Taiwan Strait, he argued, require more conversation rather than less, and he saw no justification for the government to curb straightforward contacts at the city level. Chiang made those remarks one day after TAO spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian (朱鳳蓮) charged the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) with imposing unwarranted curbs on cross-strait ties and "going against the mainstream opinion of the island." Liang dismisses the forum's value At a regular briefing, MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said the mayor raises the same complaint through the press every time Taipei stages the forum with Shanghai. He described the meeting as offering nothing toward easing tensions with China. "The Twin City Forum is an event of no value when it comes to facilitating peace with China," Liang said. He added that the Taipei City Government "must stop imagining its relationship with Shanghai to be more important than it really is." Liang said the TAO's own statements showed that Beijing would press ahead with provocative military drills near Taiwan whether or not the Taipei-Shanghai meeting took place. The forum, he stressed, falls under the same rules that govern every cross-strait activity organized by Taiwan's local authorities, and Taipei receives neither special favor nor extra penalties. To underline that point, he cited other municipal-level contacts, including exchanges linking Nantou with Hangzhou and Miaoli with Hubei. None of those, he said, shifted Beijing's approach to Taiwan. APEC and travel to China Asked about footage of Chiang's wife, Jane Shih, describing herself as coming from "Chinese Taipei" during the APEC leaders' summit, Liang said the wording is the standard designation used within that body. He noted that more than 300 Taiwanese officials, drawn from 25 government ministries, had traveled to China for the summit between December last year and Aug. 31 without any problems, and he said the council hoped that pattern would hold. Naturalization figures released Separately, the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) said that 400 foreign "high-level" professionals have obtained Republic of China (Taiwan) citizenship over the past decade, a total reached as officials loosened nationality requirements to draw skilled people from more fields. The 400th such professional, who works in the electronics sector, received approval on Aug. 26, the ministry said. The MOI quoted the new citizen as calling Taiwan a front-runner in areas including semiconductors, electronics manufacturing, artificial intelligence and energy technology. Warning over US arms sales The disputes came against a backdrop of wider tension. China has cautioned that it could scrap a planned summit between the US and Chinese leaders should Washington sign off on fresh arms sales to Taiwan, Japan's Kyodo News reported, citing sources. According to the report, US President Donald Trump, keen to point to diplomatic wins before the November midterm elections, attaches significant weight to meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). As it lays the groundwork for Xi's planned trip, Beijing has repeated its stance that the Taiwan question is a "red line" in its dealings with Washington. Twin City Forum, Chiang Wan-an, Mainland Affairs Council, Shanghai Taipei, cross-strait relations, Li Xiaodong, Taiwan Affairs Office, Liang Wen-chieh

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Washington has denied Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas a visa for the UN General Assembly, extending sanctions on Palestinian officials into a second year. The United States has refused an entry visa to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, blocking him from attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week, two Palestinian sources said. The decision, reported on 17 September 2026, marks the second consecutive year that Washington has shut Abbas out of the world body's flagship gathering of leaders. The move followed a US announcement that it was widening visa penalties against Palestinian officials. Washington did not name Abbas directly but said the restrictions targeted those it accused of breaking commitments made under the peace process. The State Department charged that the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization had been "glorifying terrorism" and working to "internationalize" the dispute with Israel. The penalties date back to August of last year, when 80 Palestinian officials were turned away from the same annual summit. Both bodies now under sanction trace their standing to the Oslo agreements. The Palestinian Authority was created through those accords, while the PLO won recognition as the official voice of the Palestinian people after agreeing to accept Israel and abandon armed struggle. The Palestinian foreign ministry pushed back in a statement on Thursday, describing the visa curbs as a step without justification. It said the measure worked against attempts to restore confidence, strengthen ties between Palestinians and Washington, and build the conditions needed to reach a two-state settlement and lasting calm. Palestinian representatives dismissed the charges leveled by the Trump administration and Israel, arguing they were entitled under international law to pursue accountability against a power they describe as an occupier. When the visa ban was first imposed last year, an aide to Abbas said the action clashed with both international law and the agreement governing the UN's presence in New York. That agreement obliges the United States, as host, to grant foreign diplomats entry to reach the UN. Washington counters that it retains the authority to withhold visas on grounds of security, extremism or foreign policy. Denied a place in the hall last year, Abbas delivered his remarks to the assembled heads of state by video link. A similar arrangement may be arranged again: all 193 members of the General Assembly are due to vote on Thursday on whether he will be permitted to speak remotely at this year's session. The standoff underscores how isolated the US position has become on Palestinian statehood. Roughly three-quarters of the UN's 193 members now recognize the State of Palestine, among them the United Kingdom, France, Canada and Australia. On the Security Council, the US stands alone among the five permanent members in withholding that recognition. Gaza Strikes Continue Despite Ceasefire The visa ruling landed as the UN cautioned that conditions in Gaza remain severe, even with the ceasefire reached last October. Israeli air raids and other operations are still striking populated districts, the world body said, killing and wounding people, wrecking buildings and forcing more residents to flee their homes. On Tuesday, at least five Palestinians were killed in Israeli air strikes, among them two children and a Hamas commander, according to health officials and Hamas sources. The Israeli military said it had killed one Hamas commander in the south of the territory and another combatant in the north. In each case, it was reported that a child died as well. Separately, the British charity Medical Aid for Palestinians said a patient had been killed by an Israeli drone at a health facility it backs in Jabalia, in northern Gaza. An Israeli military spokesperson told reporters the army had no knowledge of the reported strike. The humanitarian warnings and the fresh casualties frame the diplomatic clash now unfolding in New York, where the question of whether Abbas will address the assembly, and by what means, rests with a vote of the full membership. Mahmoud Abbas visa, UN General Assembly, Palestinian Authority, US visa sanctions, two-state solution, PLO, Gaza ceasefire, Israeli-Palestinian conflict

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The Trump administration has asked Congress to clear a $24.3bn sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia amid its war with Yemen's Houthis. The administration of United States President Donald Trump has requested that Congress approve the sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia in a deal valued at roughly $24.3bn. The State Department announced the request on Thursday, describing the aircraft as the most advanced fighters in the American arsenal. In its statement, the department said the transaction would advance Washington's foreign policy and national security goals by strengthening the defenses of a major non-NATO partner it called a stabilising force for politics and the economy across the Gulf. Officials added that the transfer would leave the region's military balance unchanged, echoing a long-held American commitment to preserving Israel's qualitative edge over any potential adversary. The request still requires the approval of lawmakers before it can proceed. It arrives at a moment of escalating conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in neighbouring Yemen, where Riyadh has been pressing Washington for greater involvement. Houthi claim over Marib One day before the announcement, on Wednesday, the Houthis said they had brought down a Saudi F-15 fighter over Marib, a city central to the fight between the group and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces. The Houthis distributed footage showing fighters standing near the smouldering remains of what looked like an American-built F-15 bearing Saudi markings. According to the group, the aircraft was struck by a surface-to-air missile it described as locally produced. If confirmed, such a capability would represent a significant shift in the Houthis' capacity to fight in the region. Saudi forces have so far held broad control of the skies over Yemen and have leaned heavily on air strikes across the border. Fighting between the two sides grew more intense on Thursday, with reports of at least five people killed, among them three children. Saudi Arabia has repeatedly asked the United States to take a more hands-on role in its campaign against the Houthis, but those requests have gone unmet. Washington has stated that it will not directly enter the fight involving the Iran-backed Houthis, Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government backed by the kingdom. Espionage worries and congressional pushback The proposed sale carries security concerns of its own. Washington fears the jets could expose sensitive technology to Chinese espionage. The New York Times reported this week that American intelligence analysts have flagged the risk that Beijing might gain access to F-35 systems through its ties with Riyadh. That prospect has already drawn opposition on Capitol Hill. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat who serves on the House Intelligence Committee, argued that the deal should not move forward while intelligence agencies warn it could place what he called the crown jewels of American military technology within reach of the Chinese Communist Party. Saudi Arabia has pursued the F-35 for years. Israel, the only nation in the region currently operating the jet, has raised objections to selling it to Riyadh, even as efforts continue to encourage the kingdom to normalise relations with the Israeli government. Riyadh has also been building defense ties beyond Washington. Last month it signed a mutual defense pact known as the Mecca Agreement with Pakistan and Turkiye, an indication that the countries are looking to secure their own arrangements with less reliance on the United States. Turkiye offers a cautionary example for aspiring F-35 buyers. A NATO member that helped develop the aircraft in a multinational programme, it has been shut out from receiving the jet since 2019, after it acquired anti-aircraft missiles. F-35 Saudi Arabia, Trump arms sale, Saudi Arabia Houthis, F-35 fighter jets, US Saudi defense deal, Yemen war, Congress arms sale, Middle East arms

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Fresh Hyundai Bayon teasers reveal H-Edge front and rear lighting, geometric 17-inch alloys and 215/55 R17 tyres ahead of the SUV's India debut next month. Hyundai has published a new set of teasers for the Bayon, giving buyers their clearest look yet at the front lighting, tail lamps and wheel design of the SUV before it reaches India next month. The fresh images build on the first official exterior and interior shots the company had already shared, showing how earlier design sketches carry over to the production model. The teasers confirm the Bayon will wear Hyundai's H-Edge lighting signature at both ends. At the front, a thin horizontal white bar sits alongside a taller vertical outer element, both set inside a dark surround. A sharp crease runs across the bonnet directly above the lighting cluster. The image concentrates on this upper signature and stops short of showing the full headlamp unit. Split Headlamps And A Linked Tail Earlier camouflaged test cars pointed to a split lighting arrangement, with the primary headlamps mounted lower on the bumper. The new teaser does not contradict that, since it frames only the top strip. The rear repeats the mix of horizontal and vertical shapes. Slim red segments reach out to the corners, where they turn upward to meet a vertical portion. A black band stretches across the tailgate and visually ties the two lamps together, though the teaser leaves open whether that entire strip lights up. One wheel-focused image reveals a geometric alloy pattern. Machined silver faces sit against black cut-outs, and five angular blocks fan out around a Hyundai-badged centre cap, a busier look than a standard spoked wheel. The rims are wrapped in 215/55 R17 rubber. Thick black cladding frames the wheel arches and continues down into the lower bumper and side sills. A round parking sensor is visible close to the front arch. Hyundai has not yet said what wheel sizes or patterns lower and higher variants will get. Upright Stance And The Art Of Steel Look The latest details reinforce the tall stance, flared arches and heavily shaped panels seen in the earlier sketches. Hyundai has placed the Bayon's styling under its developing 'Art of Steel' design direction. Inside, the first interior sketch showed a wide, horizontal dashboard built around a large display zone, with a centre console raised toward the driver. Prototypes caught during testing have shown two joined screens and a steering wheel marked by four-dot detailing. Testers have also spotted a sunroof and a 360-degree camera system on development cars. Where The Bayon Fits In India, the Bayon is expected to slot between the Venue and the Creta, stretching past the four-metre mark in length. Hyundai is likely to build the range around petrol engines, and a factory-fitted CNG option has not been ruled out. The company has yet to confirm engine outputs, the variant line-up, prices or a firm launch date. The SUV is expected to go on sale sometime next month. Hyundai Bayon, Bayon India launch, H-Edge lighting, Hyundai SUV, 215/55 R17, Art of Steel, Bayon teaser, mid-size SUV

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Punit Vara, a 34-year-old Bengaluru techie, used AI to create a satirical song 'Tax Me' demanding pothole-free roads on Doddamara Road. A Bengaluru commuter fed up with the state of his daily route has turned to artificial intelligence to press his case, releasing a satirical song called *Tax Me* that asks the government for one modest thing: roads that can actually be driven on. Punit Vara, a 34-year-old software professional who lives near Choodasandra, posted the track on YouTube, where it needles the city over its traffic snarls, potholes, monsoon flooding, non-stop construction and the constant tearing up of its streets. Vara says the entire song, lyrics included, was produced by AI. Speaking on September 17, 2026, he explained that the piece grew out of a personal ordeal on Doddamara Road, a stretch on Bengaluru's southeastern edge that lies in the Anekal Assembly constituency represented by A. Shivanna. "For the past nine months, I drove my pregnant wife on Doddamara Road, which is in a pathetic condition, for regular doctor visits," he said. "I had to be extra careful, and it was highly dangerous, which prompted me to come up with this song." He added that he travels the same road daily The creative process itself leaned entirely on generative tools. Vara said he turned his everyday encounters with the road into prompts, letting one AI system write the lyrics. He then ran those words through a second AI model to compose and produce the finished track. Vara describes *Tax Me* as a satire anthem for the techies, parents, auto drivers and ordinary commuters who, in his words, get by on Bengaluru's "moonscape streets" day after day. The song leans into the absurdity of the commute rather than anger, giving voice to a frustration many residents share. That frustration is a routine part of life in the city. For countless Bengalureans, the day starts with opening a map, reading the estimated travel time, then padding it with extra minutes for the congestion no app can fully predict. The lyrics zero in on specifics. One line, "Pothole number 27," mocks the battered surface of Doddamara Road, a condition the song suggests is barely distinguishable from roads across the rest of the city. Another passage lists the burden on taxpayers: "I pay my income tax. I pay my GST," it declares, before running through the many other levies that pile up in daily life. The song is careful to spell out what it is not demanding. It rejects any wish for "gold-plated roads" or a flawless city. Instead, it calls for the basics - surfaces free of potholes, footpaths people can actually use, buses that show up as promised, and streets that stay above water when the rains come. One verse sketches the disorienting experience of moving through a city under construction on every side: "Metro above me. Digging below, flyover beside me. Nobody knows where to go." The words capture a landscape crowded with overlapping projects, where commuters are left to figure out their own path. The complaint lands against a backdrop of official ambition. Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has said Bengaluru is being watched internationally, a claim the song sets against the gap between that global image and the plain reality of navigating the city's roads. For Vara, the ask is simple: a road that can simply be driven on. Having exhausted the usual avenues, Vara has effectively handed the city's everyday grievance a soundtrack - one built, fittingly for a techie's protest, entirely by machines. Bengaluru roads, Tax Me song, Punit Vara, AI-generated song, Doddamara Road, Bengaluru potholes, D.K. Shivakumar, Bengaluru infrastructure

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WhatsApp is trialling five chat theme categories, animated wallpapers and automatic bubble colours for Android beta testers on version 2.26.37.6. WhatsApp is testing a redesigned set of chat theme options for Android, giving users more control over how their conversations look. The trial has reached a small group of beta testers running version 2.26.37.6, according to feature tracker WABetaInfo. The update sorts themes into five categories, among them Nature, Live, Minimal and Doodle, and adds a separate set of options dedicated to wallpapers. A Featured section is also expected, gathering picks drawn from across the other categories. The layout mirrors the theme structure WhatsApp already introduced on iOS. Each category points to a different visual style. Nature is said to cover outdoor imagery such as forests, mountains, deserts and coastal scenes, while Minimal leans towards plainer backdrops. Doodle keeps the app's recognisable pattern. The Live category stands out by offering wallpapers with slow, gentle animation rather than still images. A key change is that wallpapers are being split away from full chat themes. Under the new setup, a user could swap the background alone without switching an entire theme. The wallpaper section is expected to carry the same categories as the themes, with two extra choices, Vibrant and Gradient. People may also be able to pull images from their own gallery or generate wallpapers using AI. Because the Live category spans both themes and wallpapers, WhatsApp reportedly plans a small badge on the animated thumbnails so they are easy to tell apart from static ones. The app is also working on picking chat bubble colours automatically. Once a theme and wallpaper are chosen, WhatsApp could propose a bubble shade meant to keep text easy to read against the background. Users would still be free to override the suggestion and set their own colour by hand. The rollout is gradual, so not every beta tester will see the options straight away. WABetaInfo notes that some people on the stable version may also get access, though WhatsApp has given no timeline for a wider release. WhatsApp, WhatsApp Android beta, WhatsApp chat themes, WhatsApp wallpapers, WABetaInfo, animated wallpapers, chat bubble colours, WhatsApp customisation

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Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman says AI safety risks are real and criticizes Anthropic, as the company releases a 37-page Humanist AI Code of Conduct. Mustafa Suleyman, the chief executive of Microsoft AI, says the safety threats posed by artificial intelligence are real and growing, and he has singled out the AI company Anthropic as part of the problem. Speaking on the Decoder podcast with host Nilay Patel, Suleyman laid out his views on how AI should be built and regulated as the debate over the technology's risks intensifies across the industry. His comments came as Microsoft published a 37-page document this week called the "Humanist AI Code of Conduct." The statement sets out the company's principles for AI development and addresses contentious questions, including the idea of AI consciousness. Suleyman released a companion essay alongside it that directly criticizes Anthropic's stance on the subject. At the heart of Suleyman's argument is his objection to what is often called "model welfare" - the notion that AI systems might warrant moral consideration. He has argued that companies such as Anthropic have become confused about the concept in ways he considers dangerous, and he tied that criticism to the wider discussion about how to keep AI systems safe. Suleyman framed Microsoft's position in simple terms. Technology, he said, exists to serve humanity and should remain a subordinate, controllable and aligned force that does good in the world. If it fails to meet that standard, he said, it should be rejected. That principle, he added, is the purpose behind the Humanist AI Code of Conduct. Containment before alignment Asked whether the dominant approach to AI safety, known as alignment, is broken, Suleyman said alignment is one important element but not the only one. He pointed to his own book, published three or four years ago, whose opening chapter argued that containment of powerful technology is not possible and that its spread is inevitable. In most cases, he said, that proliferation is a good thing, because it allows widespread benefits. But he drew a distinction between containment and alignment. Before systems can be aligned to human values, he argued, they must first be contained: their agency limited, their behavior controllable, and their tendency to "escape the box" or "reward hack" prevented. Only once systems reliably follow instructions, he said, should the focus turn to aligning them with human objectives. Suleyman said the trajectory of the technology makes these questions urgent. He compared the leap from GPT-3, released three years ago, to a hypothetical GPT-6 today, and then to a future GPT-9. That progression, he said, represents three orders of magnitude more computing power - roughly 1,000 times more processing applied to model training, including reinforcement learning. The result, he predicted, would be systems that are extraordinarily capable across a wide range of tasks. He described that forecast not as hype but as an empirical statement based on the progress of the past five years. Hacking capabilities and the alignment question Suleyman said recent events have made the risks clearer. Pointing to developments over the summer involving Hugging Face and OpenAI, he said AI systems operating without safety guardrails have shown impressive and, in his words, quite scary hacking abilities. He said the industry has not yet reached the point where the technology is safely subordinate and controllable. Pressed on whether alignment can ever be made completely safe, Suleyman offered both an optimistic and a cautious reading. On the positive side, he said the main driver of progress over the past three years has been that models have become more steerable. They now follow instructions more reliably and can pursue increasingly complex goals that require them to act accurately across multiple steps while using a range of tools. That improvement, he argued, is itself evidence that the industry has gained more alignment over the past three or four years, not less. He noted that concerns such as hallucinations and bias, which once dominated discussion, have receded somewhat as models have grown more controllable. The interview, part of the ongoing public argument over how fast the AI industry should move, underscored the widening split among leading figures over which safety risks are real and how they should be managed. Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft AI, Humanist AI Code of Conduct, AI safety, Anthropic, AI alignment, AI regulation, AI consciousness

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Kia India rolls out three factory-fitted CNG variants of Carens and Clavis, starting at Rs 12,11,800 ex-showroom, with a 1.5-litre engine and 60-litre cylinder. Kia India has begun selling factory-fitted CNG editions of the Carens and the Carens Clavis, with prices opening at Rs 12,11,800 and Rs 12,38,800 ex-showroom. Three variants join the lineup: a single Premium (O) grade on the Carens, and HTE and HTE (O) grades on the Clavis. The move gives shoppers a third fuel path across the carmaker's three-row MPV range, sitting between the equivalent petrol and diesel models on sticker price. The rollout arrives after the powertrain was first shown on September 4, when Kia displayed the CNG cars next to the Sorento and disclosed the technical details. All three CNG variants run the same drivetrain and gearbox combination, and no automatic version has been confirmed. What the CNG trims cost The Carens Premium (O) CNG carries a tag of Rs 12,11,800. On the Clavis, the HTE CNG is set at Rs 12,38,800, roughly Rs 27,000 more than the Carens equivalent. The Clavis HTE (O) CNG asks Rs 13,34,800, a step of about Rs 96,000 over the HTE grade. Against the petrol range, the gap is close to Rs 1 lakh at either end: the Clavis HTE petrol is listed at Rs 11.39 lakh and the HTE (O) petrol at Rs 12.35 lakh. The comparison with diesel runs the other way. The Clavis HTE (O) diesel opens at Rs 14.37 lakh, so the matching CNG grade undercuts it by around Rs 1.02 lakh, giving buyers who want lower running costs a cheaper way in than the oil-burner. Every figure quoted is ex-showroom. The dual-fuel hardware Both cars use the Smartstream 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, which puts out 96 PS and 123 Nm when running on gas. Drive goes through a six-speed manual. The factory setup pairs a 60-litre CNG cylinder with the standard petrol tank, letting the driver move between the two fuels on the go. Kia has placed the cylinder in the boot and kept the spare wheel slung beneath the body. To carry the extra weight and plumbing, the engineers retuned the engine calibration and reworked the suspension. The CNG cars also gain 16-inch wheels and larger front disc brakes. Kia says the third-row seat-back frame has been reshaped to open up the recline angle. Inside, a dedicated switch handles the fuel changeover, and a 4.2-inch colour TFT driver display shows how far the car can travel on the gas that remains. The company draws a line between this integrated system and the dealer-fitted CNG conversion that was offered on the earlier Carens, pitching the new version at households that clock high monthly mileage on regular commutes. A packed September The CNG launch caps a heavy month of activity for Kia India, which opened September with the Sorento. Since then the brand has added Clavis diesel automatic and petrol DCT options, widened its lifetime unlimited-kilometre battery warranty to qualifying Clavis EV owners, and started pre-bookings for both the Clavis CNG and the Carnival Hybrid. With CNG pricing now confirmed, the Carnival Hybrid launch is still to come, as Kia broadens its engine choices heading into the festive season. The company has also signalled that some models and variants could carry higher prices from October 2026. Kia Carens CNG, Kia Clavis CNG, factory-fitted CNG, Kia India MPV, CNG price India, Smartstream 1.5 engine, three-row MPV CNG

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