Microsoft will host a Windows and Surface event on October 7 in San Francisco, with Satya Nadella and Nvidia's Jensen Huang attending to discuss local AI. Microsoft will hold a major Windows and Surface event in San Francisco on October 7, its first big Windows showcase in more than two years. The company says the gathering will center on a "conversation on how local AI will shape the next chapter of the PC." The event begins at 10AM PT / 1PM ET. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will attend, alongside Pavan Davuluri, the executive who leads both Windows and Surface. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is also set to appear, an unusual guest for a Windows event and a signal of where the focus may land. Huang's presence points to RTX Spark PCs as a likely centerpiece of the presentation. If that holds, the event could also bring new details on pricing and availability for the Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra. Beyond hardware, Microsoft is expected to spend time on quality improvements to Windows and to outline what comes next for the operating system. A surprise reveal of Windows 12 is not anticipated. The October 7 date ends a long gap between flagship Windows events. Microsoft last held a major one in May 2024, when it unveiled Arm-based Copilot Plus PCs and highlighted a renewed partnership with Qualcomm. Before that, the company used a June 2021 live stream to announce Windows 11. The San Francisco event puts local AI - processing handled on the device rather than in the cloud - at the heart of Microsoft's pitch for the future of the PC. Microsoft Windows event, Surface October 7, Satya Nadella, Pavan Davuluri, Jensen Huang, local AI PC, RTX Spark PC, Surface Laptop Ultra

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From Tuesday, pubs and shops in England and Wales can verify drinkers' ages with government-approved digital ID apps like Yoti, the Post Office and Luciditi. People buying alcohol in England and Wales can now prove how old they are using a digital ID app on their phone, following new rules that took effect on Tuesday. Pubs and shops are permitted to accept the technology alongside the physical documents they already recognise, with the government arguing that an on-screen check will be faster and safer for both customers and staff. Drinkers who want to use the option can pick from a list of approved suppliers, including the Post Office, Yoti and Luciditi. Only apps that appear on the government's sanctioned register will be valid. Under the change, venues are no longer obliged to accept a passport or driving licence, though ministers expect the vast majority to keep taking them. The scheme is described as technology-agnostic, meaning the government has not dictated the precise way each app must operate. Officials say the voluntary arrangement lets customers reveal less about themselves than a paper document would. Rather than handing over an official card, a person could tap their phone against a reader or hold up a scannable QR code. The apps are also expected to stop people from passing a phone to a younger friend or relative. Each service has to confirm that the account genuinely belongs to whoever is using it. Yoti's version, for instance, only grants access after a live scan of the user's face is matched against the one recorded when they registered. The app then produces a QR code that a business reads with a free checker tool, which simply returns the person's age. That code expires after a set time to make copying or sharing it harder. What ministers and the industry say Stephanie Peacock, the digital government minister, said the digital route would mean people "do not need to carry a physical ID, nor hand over sensitive personal information", adding that customers could "feel safer on a night out". Allen Simpson, chief executive of the trade body UKHospitality, called the rules a "positive step". He said the sector would cooperate with the government to keep the rollout from becoming "burdensome", and pointed to the need for several competing suppliers and a system that remains affordable for venues. The government wants the various apps to be compatible with one another, so a customer is not forced to install a different one for each place they visit. It also wants the services to function offline, remaining usable when there is no mobile signal or Wi-Fi. In time, the same digital proof-of-age approach could be widened to cover the sale of tobacco and vapes. Warnings over exclusion Not everyone has welcomed the move. Campaigners focused on digital rights warn that it could leave certain groups behind. Jasleen Chaggar of Big Brother Watch said offering more than one way to confirm identity was useful, but urged the government to make sure digital ID never becomes mandatory in practice, "as it would shut out millions of people". She noted that plenty of people stick with physical identification for good reasons, "whether out of choice, privacy and security concerns, or because they lack the digital skills or means to use digital ID". Chaggar called on ministers to "expressly prohibit businesses from requiring digital IDs for age checks without offering reasonable alternatives". The new arrangement arrives after a broader push on digital identity ran into trouble. That earlier programme, championed by former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, drew significant criticism and was later dropped by Andy Burnham. digital ID apps, age verification, pubs England Wales, Yoti, buying alcohol, UKHospitality, Stephanie Peacock, Big Brother Watch

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Taiwan welcomes Washington's backing for its place in the Pacific Islands Forum, as US official Matt Murray criticizes China's pressure and Pacific conduct. Taiwan on Wednesday said it welcomed and affirmed the United States' backing for its role in the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders' Meeting, declaring that it is prepared to help strengthen security and resilience across the region. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung issued the statement soon after the US Department of State, speaking at a virtual news conference on Tuesday, said it rejected Beijing's use of diplomatic and military pressure to cut Taiwan off from the international community. In a news release, Lin said Taipei wants to deepen its work with the US and other partners in Palau as part of a broader effort to support development throughout the Pacific. He added that Taiwan is determined to demonstrate its commitment to helping regional friends build up their capacity to withstand pressure. Matt Murray, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, told the conference that Washington strongly supports Taiwan's involvement in the forum. He noted that Taiwan has served as a development partner of the group since 1992. "We see Taiwan as a reliable, like-minded and democratic partner that contributes significantly to prosperity and economic development across the Pacific," Murray said. He also observed that Taiwan's foreign minister kept a busy agenda during his time in Palau. Opposition to Beijing's Pressure Campaign Murray said the US continues to resist Chinese attempts to push countries into breaking or scaling back their relations with Taiwan, or into blocking its participation in the Pacific Islands Forum. He described this as a specific concern in the context of Beijing's conduct toward the island. Asked more broadly about China's role in the region, Murray said Washington shares the worries voiced by its Pacific Island partners over what he termed Beijing's malign activities. He listed illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, elite capture and corruption, economic coercion, and damage to the environment. He also cited provocations, including the firing of ballistic missiles from Chinese submarines. Undersea Cables and Regional Partners Murray said the US is building secure and dependable undersea internet cables together with like-minded countries in the Pacific. He said the project is being carried out in close cooperation with Taiwan, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and private-sector companies. The exchanges pointed to a coordinated push by Washington and Taipei to expand their footprint in the Pacific, where competition with Beijing over influence, connectivity and diplomatic recognition has intensified. Lin framed Taiwan's contribution as one focused on resilience and long-term development for island nations. Separately, the Ministry of the Interior said on Wednesday that 400 foreign high-level professionals have been naturalized as Republic of China citizens over the past ten years, after the government relaxed nationality rules to draw talent from a broader set of fields. The 400th such professional, who works in the electronics sector, received approval for citizenship on Aug. 26. The ministry quoted the new citizen as saying that Taiwan leads in areas including semiconductors, electronics manufacturing, artificial intelligence and energy technology. On cross-strait tensions, Japan's Kyodo News reported on Wednesday, citing sources, that China has warned it could scrap a planned summit between the US and Chinese leaders if Washington signs off on new arms sales to Taiwan. The report said US President Donald Trump attaches great importance to meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping, apparently keen to point to diplomatic wins before November's midterm congressional elections. According to the report, Beijing has repeated during preparations for Xi's trip that it treats the Taiwan question as a red line in relations between the two countries. Taiwan Pacific Islands Forum, Lin Chia-lung, Matt Murray, US Taiwan relations, China Pacific pressure, undersea internet cables, Palau, Taiwan diplomacy

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A question over whether the Centre ordered merging nine public sector banks, including SBI, PNB and Bank of Baroda, is trending across India. A question over whether India's central government has ordered the merger of nine public sector banks is drawing sharp interest online, with the search term "bank merger" climbing on Google Trends in India and drawing more than 500 searches. The query centres on some of the country's largest state-owned lenders. State Bank of India (SBI), Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Bank of Baroda are among the names tied to the circulating claim that the Centre has directed a consolidation of nine public sector banks. At this stage the report is framed as a question rather than a confirmed decision. The claim asks whether such an order has been issued, and it is spreading as an unverified query rather than an announced government move. No confirmed details of the terms, timing or structure of any such merger are available. The surge in searches points to strong public attention on the future of India's public sector banking network, where SBI, PNB and Bank of Baroda rank among the biggest lenders serving millions of customers and account holders across the country. Any change to their ownership or structure would be closely watched by depositors and borrowers alike. Until the government or the banks named confirm the position, the status of a merger involving the nine lenders remains open. Customers and observers tracking the claim are advised to rely on official statements from the institutions concerned for any verified information on whether a consolidation is planned. bank merger, public sector banks, SBI, PNB, Bank of Baroda, India banking, Google Trends India

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A GAO report finds the U.S. government spent an estimated $9.5 billion on paid administrative leave in 2025, most tied to the DOGE-led resignation scheme. The Trump administration spent an estimated $9.5 billion in 2025 on federal employees who were kept on administrative leave, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The payments came as the government pushed to shrink its workforce and cut spending. Roughly $6.7 billion of that sum flowed through the administration's deferred resignation programme. The scheme sat at the centre of a downsizing drive run by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which was headed by billionaire Elon Musk. Workers who agreed to quit were allowed to keep drawing their pay until September 30, 2025. The programme opened in January 2025, extending a single offer to around two million federal staff: resign now, keep collecting a salary through September. Federal workforce records cited by the GAO show 139,963 employees eventually took the deal. The Agriculture, Defence and Treasury departments logged the highest counts of takers. The use of paid administrative leave surged during the effort. Across federal agencies, it climbed 435% between 2023 and 2025. Reported workdays spent on such leave jumped from roughly 4 million in 2023 to 21.6 million last year. The staffing changes were sweeping. GAO figures record nearly 378,000 departures from 22 major agencies over the course of 2025, against about 127,000 new hires. Headcount at those agencies dropped by more than 11% between December 2024 and January 2026. No clear tally of long-term savings The watchdog said the government cannot yet show what the reductions will save over time. The Office of Personnel Management lacks a dependable way to trace how much administrative leave was tied specifically to the downsizing programmes. Without that link, the immediate bill for paying idle employees cannot be weighed against the savings from their exits. The $9.5 billion estimate carries its own warning label. The GAO flagged flaws in the leave records behind the number and said the real figure may differ. One problem stood out: pay periods that included public holidays showed unusually high leave totals, even though those holidays should never have been logged as administrative leave. Some agencies have already begun hiring back for jobs vacated by departing staff. Recruitment has covered lawyers and technology specialists, with agencies leaning more heavily toward early-career recruits. The Partnership for Public Service estimates that more than 20,000 posts emptied by deferred resignations have since been refilled. Democrats attack the price tag Opponents have challenged both the cost and the fallout, warning that the exodus stripped the government of seasoned staff and opened gaps in key roles. Sen. Patty Murray, the senior Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, went after the spending in a statement issued Tuesday. "Trump spent billions to push out experienced and badly needed experts across government," Murray said, calling it a costly route to a smaller workforce. The administration has stood by the overhaul, casting it as part of a wider push to trim the size and expense of the federal government. Keywords: Trump administration federal workforce, GAO report administrative leave, deferred resignation programme, DOGE Elon Musk, federal employees paid leave, government workforce reduction, Office of Personnel Management, Patty Murray

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Marvel's Wolverine, Insomniac's PlayStation follow-up to Spider-Man, sets Logan in Earth-1048 with Team X. Director Mike Daly calls it "unapologetically violent." Insomniac Games is bringing Wolverine to PlayStation in a new AAA title that reworks the character's origins and relationships, placing him inside the studio's own corner of the Marvel multiverse. Game director Mike Daly and Eric Monacelli, executive producer at Marvel Games, described the project as one that leans hard into the character's ferocity while reaching for something beyond the carnage. Marvel's Wolverine is Insomniac's follow-up to its Spider-Man video game series, and it unfolds on Earth-1048, the same continuity the studio built for those games. In this version of the world, the X-Men do not exist and the mutant population has dwindled. Logan, voiced by Liam McIntyre, has spent three years alone before the story pulls him back into action. That return centers on Team X, a mutant strike force the game frames as Logan's found family. The unit includes Mystique, also known as Raven, voiced by Nicole Pacent, and Sabertooth, or Victor, voiced by Brett Gipson. The group's leader and benefactor is Nathaniel Essex, voiced by Troy Baker. Trask, the Reavers and The Hand The plot opens as a rescue mission. Essex has been taken by Bolivar Trask, a mutant-hating scientist who develops the Sentinel program and commands a force of cybernetic mercenaries called the Reavers. What begins as an extraction quickly widens into a larger conspiracy that drops Logan into the path of the ninja clan known as The Hand. That escalating conflict pushes Logan to question his place among mutants and drags up revelations about his past, forcing him to reckon with who he really is. The character's history has long allowed him to shift roles, and the game draws on that flexibility, remixing familiar pieces of his background to redefine him for this setting. "Unapologetically violent" Combat sits at the center of the experience, and the developers made no effort to soften it. The game does not hold back on action or bloodshed. Players looking to command Wolverine's berserker mode will find plenty of it, from tearing Reavers apart to impaling Hand ninjas on their own swords. Daly said the team treated brutality as a matter of honesty about the character. "We wanted to be unapologetically violent and honest with how that character would behave," he said, describing one of the core principles behind the combat design. Still, the developers stressed that the violence is not the point on its own. Wolverine, they argued, is not simply an animal, and the story carries stakes beyond the body count. The game aims to dig into the human side of Logan, the quality the team credits for keeping the character resonant across decades. Wolverine first appeared roughly 50 years ago and was not initially expected to endure. He went on to become one of Marvel's most popular and durable creations, cycling through roles as adversary, agent, samurai, X-Man, Avenger and more. That adaptability, rather than his adamantium skeleton or healing factor, is what the game's makers point to as the reason he has stayed in the conversation for more than five decades. By setting the story in a world stripped of the X-Men and thin on mutants, Insomniac isolates Logan from the ensemble that usually surrounds him. The choice puts the weight of the narrative on the character himself and on the small circle of Team X, testing his loyalties as the conspiracy deepens. For Insomniac, the project extends a partnership with Marvel that has already produced multiple Spider-Man titles on PlayStation. With Wolverine, the studio turns to a figure defined as much by his rage as by his search for identity, betting that both sides of the character can carry a full game. Marvel's Wolverine, Insomniac Games, PlayStation, Mike Daly, Earth-1048, Team X, Liam McIntyre, Marvel Games

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Harry Brook reached his hundred off just 42 balls against Sri Lanka, the joint-second fastest T20I century by an England batter. Harry Brook reached a century off just 42 balls for England against Sri Lanka, recording the joint-second fastest hundred by an England batter in a men's Twenty20 international. The innings came in the first T20I between the two sides Brook's hundred stands among the quickest England has produced in the format, matching the second-fastest mark set by an Englishman in a T20I. His scoring rate carried the innings, with commentators describing the effort as sensational as he moved to three figures at close to a run every ball faced. The knock drew praise from former England captain Michael Vaughan, who said Brook is a batter capable of winning matches on his own. It is an assessment that reflected the tempo of an innings built on clean, aggressive strokeplay from the outset. England head coach Brendon McCullum also spoke about Brook, defending the batter and calling his cricket outstanding. McCullum said the team had dealt with recent matters surrounding the player, keeping the focus on his performances on the field. The match was the opening fixture of England's T20I series against Sri Lanka. Brook's rapid century set the tone for the contest and reinforced his standing as one of England's most destructive short-format batters. By reaching the milestone in 42 deliveries, Brook placed his name alongside the fastest hundreds an England player has struck in the format. The innings underlined the attacking approach England have adopted in white-ball cricket and the threat Brook poses at the top of an order built for quick runs. England continue their series against Sri Lanka, with Brook's early-series statement providing momentum. The strength of the innings, its speed and its impact left little doubt about the form the batter carried into the fixtures. Harry Brook, England cricket, Sri Lanka T20I, fastest T20I century, 42-ball hundred, Brendon McCullum, England men's cricket, T20 international

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Kia has unveiled the PV7 electric van in cargo and passenger forms, with an 800V system, up to 9 seats in Europe and a 96.2 kWh battery. Kia has unveiled the PV7, a large electric van that will be sold in both passenger and cargo forms across several markets, including Korea and Europe. The vehicle expands the company's push into the light commercial vehicle segment and follows the smaller PV5, which arrived in 2025. Kia says it will roll out as many as 23 variants of the PV7 over the coming years. The PV7 is built on the E-GMP.S architecture, the same service-focused platform that underpins the PV5. This structure is designed specifically for commercial use and differs from the standard E-GMP platform used in Kia's passenger cars. The van will come in standard and long wheelbase versions, though the company has so far detailed only the long wheelbase model. Size and payload The long wheelbase PV7 measures 5,350 mm in length, 1,995 mm in width and 1,990 mm in height, with a 3,500 mm wheelbase. That makes it considerably bigger than the long wheelbase PV5, which stands at 4,670 mm long with a 3,000 mm wheelbase. Cargo capacity reflects the larger footprint. The long wheelbase Cargo version with a standard roof offers 6.1 cubic metres of load space, rising to 8.0 cubic metres in the high-roof configuration. Payload is rated at 1,200 kg for the standard version and 1,165 kg for the long wheelbase model. By comparison, the PV5 carries between 605 kg and 800 kg. Kia has not disclosed the gross vehicle weight. The Passenger variant is aimed at personnel transport, shuttle and tourist services, rental fleets and family use. In Europe it will be available with up to nine seats, while the Korean market will offer up to 11. Buyers will be able to choose from several seating layouts, some with removable seats. Charging and range Unlike the PV5, which uses a 400-volt system, the PV7 adopts an 800-volt architecture. The main advantage is faster charging, which Kia describes as critical for commercial operators. Using a 350 kW charger, the van can go from 10 percent to 80 percent in about 25 minutes. The PV7 also carries front and rear charging ports. The front port supports both DC and AC charging, while the rear port handles AC only. Kia says the twin-port layout is meant to ease charging in tight spaces where access to a single point might be difficult. At launch the van will be front-wheel drive, with an all-wheel drive version to follow. The FWD model produces 200 kW, equivalent to 272 PS, along with 420 Nm of torque. Two battery packs will be offered, a 71.5 kWh unit and a 96.2 kWh unit. Fitted with the larger battery, the Cargo version has a WLTP range of around 460 km. Technology and fleet tools Inside, the PV7 uses Kia's Pleos Connect infotainment system, which supports over-the-air updates, an open app marketplace and the Gleo AI voice assistant. The cabin includes a 12.9-inch display and a 14.6-inch unit. For commercial buyers, Kia is bundling a dedicated Business Solutions package. It adds predictive diagnostics, a fleet management system and a dashboard that draws on connected vehicle data. The wide model range is made possible by Kia's Flexible Body System, a modular body design that allows the van to be reconfigured for different jobs. The planned 23 variants include three Cargo models covering standard, long and high-roof bodies, two Passenger versions, a Chassis Cab and a range of other customised builds. The PV7 sits between the PV5 and a still-larger model, the PV9, which Kia has scheduled for launch in 2029 as the next step in building out its commercial vehicle lineup. Kia PV7, Kia electric van, PV7 battery range, E-GMP.S platform, Kia commercial vehicle, PV7 cargo van, 800 volt electric van, Kia PV5

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Digital Realty and Equinix stocks slumped after AI slowdown warnings, but CEO Andrew Power says cloud demand still drives the data center real estate market. Shares of Digital Realty and Equinix, two of the largest data center real estate investment trusts, slumped on Monday after weekend warnings about a possible slowdown in the pace of artificial intelligence development. Digital Realty Chief Executive Andrew Power pushed back on fears that cooling AI ambitions would derail the property market that supports the technology. Calls for a slower rollout came from major AI players Anthropic, OpenAI and xAI. Power said those pledges do not amount to "pencils down" for AI or the real estate that houses it. "There's tremendous digital transformation happening that is not connected to AI," he said in an interview with CNBC's Property Play. "There is tremendous cloud computing growth." AI has quickly become the dominant force behind demand for data center space, which is also used for cloud services, storage, enterprise IT and internet services. A report from McKinsey estimates that AI could account for about 70% of global data center capacity demand by 2030. The same report put the total capital needed to meet data center demand by that year at nearly $7 trillion. The real estate slice of that spending is substantial. JLL, which provides data center real estate services worldwide, estimates the property portion alone could reach $3 trillion in investment over the next five years. Power argued that the recent focus on AI has actually held back other parts of his business. "Frankly, from my business lens, my seat, I think those demand trends, which are massive drivers of our business, have been stifled in these days of AI," he said. He explained that hyperscale customers have been forced to choose between expanding their commercial cloud operations and handing capacity to AI labs. Northern Virginia to Tokyo Not every market feels the same pressure, Power said. Digital Realty operates in Northern Virginia, Dallas, Chicago, Singapore, Tokyo, Frankfurt and Amsterdam, where he said customers are fighting for the same limited space. "Our markets' demand has been outpacing supply now for several years. There's pent-up need for infrastructure in those markets. There's locational sensitivity. Those workloads can't choose any one of the 50 states," he said. He also pointed to the company's international reach as a buffer. "We have a global company portfolio, so we've got data sovereignty and support in other countries as well," Power said. Analysts largely agree that a slower release schedule for AI models would not immediately dent the physical demand for data centers. A change of pace would mainly affect the training of new models rather than their everyday use. Inference over training Andrew Batson, global head of data center research and strategy at JLL, said the bigger driver over the coming years is inference - the point at which businesses and individuals fold AI tools into their daily routines. "Only 1 in 4 Americans use AI daily, so even if models are slow to be released, there is significant runway for adoption to grow and data center demand to increase," he said. Batson also noted that large institutional investors remain committed to the sector. He pointed to Blackstone, BlackRock and KKR, which he said "have high conviction in this space." Despite the negative headlines, he added, the underlying case "on paper, still looks quite strong." For his part, Power said the stock market reaction would not change how Digital Realty runs its business. His message to shareholders, he said, is that the company has prepared for exactly this kind of turbulence. The most important thing, he added, is to make sure that daily swings in the share price do not shape the company's strategy. Digital Realty, Equinix, data center REITs, Andrew Power, AI slowdown, data center real estate, cloud computing demand, JLL data center

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A French reptile park saw 10 Nile crocodiles hatch without incubators after record summer heat kept their nest warm - a first the director calls a climate marker. Ten Nile crocodiles have hatched with no help from keepers at a reptile park in southeastern France, the first time the species has bred there without artificial incubation. Extended summer heat left the nest warm enough for the eggs to reach term on their own. The young reptiles emerged at La Ferme aux Crocodiles in Pierrelatte, which describes itself as Europe's largest wildlife park devoted to reptiles. Visitors noticed the 10 animals breaking out of their shells on Saturday and called over park staff. The facility usually depends on managed incubation to raise crocodile eggs. Samuel Martin, who directs the reserve, spoke to AFP on Wednesday, according to France 24. "For the first time, we had an incubation that took place entirely under natural conditions," he said. He described the event as an "unprecedented natural process" and, above all, "a marker of climate change." What began as a moment of delight for guests and the veterinary team soon turned into unease about the weather that had allowed it to happen. Why natural hatching is rare in captivity Wild Nile crocodiles bury their eggs in underground nests where they warm and develop. Parks and zoos instead place the eggs in incubators that hold steady temperature and humidity. For an embryo to form and hatch, a Nile crocodile egg needs to sit at 30°C to 32°C for roughly three months. At Pierrelatte, the sand surrounding the clutch soaked up warmth through each day and held it, keeping the nest at incubation range without any equipment. A summer of record heat France has been through three heatwaves this summer and a record 52 days of extreme temperatures, conditions made harsher by climate change. That sustained warmth suited the subtropical crocodile, giving it the setting to reproduce naturally far from its native range. All 10 hatchlings are healthy. They will stay under watch in the park's nursery before going on display to the public. The same heat that helped the crocodiles has raised worries about animals suited to cooler climates. Martin said creatures from "very hot countries are feeling comfortable," while "species from more temperate environments may have suffered more." The split effect means the weather that let a subtropical reptile thrive may have strained animals built for milder surroundings. Nile crocodile hatching, La Ferme aux Crocodiles, Pierrelatte France, France heatwave 2025, climate change wildlife, natural incubation crocodile, Samuel Martin, reptile park France

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South Africa's president pledges action after seven women's bodies are found near Kempton Park. Police probe whether a group is behind the killings. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has promised that "no stone will be left unturned" in the hunt for whoever is responsible for the deaths of several women found in and around Kempton Park, a town north-east of Johannesburg. The killings have occurred over roughly the past two months, and a fresh discovery on Tuesday morning has widened the scope of the case. Police now say their investigation covers the deaths of seven women, most of whom were found either partly or completely unclothed. "These incidents are causing fear and uncertainty in our communities, and especially among women," Ramaphosa said. He added that he had ordered the cases to be treated as a priority, saying law enforcement was "working urgently to establish the facts, keep communities safe and bring the perpetrator or perpetrators to justice." Investigators have stopped short of describing the crimes as the work of a single serial killer. Instead, they are weighing the possibility that a group of people may be responsible. "[It] could be that it's a copycat crime that is happening right here but so far, no linkages as yet," police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe said. One person has been arrested over the discovery of the first body and remains in custody. Only two of the seven victims have been named so far. On Monday, police confirmed that one of them was Elizabeth Moselakgomo, a 38-year-old whose disappearance last week set off an anxious and highly public search. Her young daughter first alerted others after Moselakgomo did not come home from her regular run last Wednesday. Her body was recovered on Saturday, and relatives identified her two days later. A timeline stretching back to July The earliest of the bodies now under investigation was found in mid-July, followed by a second in late August. The remaining discoveries came this month, including two within the past two days. On Tuesday, officers said the body of a woman recovered on 7 September in a town near Kempton Park had also been folded into the inquiry, raising the count to seven. Acting Gauteng police chief Maj-Gen Fred Kekana said the wider pattern only became clear once officers began reviewing earlier reports. "After noticing that there are bodies being picked up, we went back to our police stations... and unfortunately it came to light that a body of a female in her late 20s was observed in a river next to a mall," he told a briefing. Kempton Park sits beside South Africa's busiest international airport, and police have appealed to women in the area to steer clear of walking or running by themselves, "particularly in isolated areas." The warning followed a series of finds that have unsettled residents and drawn sustained criticism of the authorities. Anger over protection of women The deaths have triggered public outrage, with many accusing officials of failing to keep women safe. South Africa records some of the highest rates of gender-based violence anywhere in the world. According to UN Women, women there are killed at a rate five times the global average. The country's Commission for Gender Equality called on people living in Kempton Park to cooperate with investigators in tracking down those responsible. "These deaths are indicative that women in South Africa continue to face environments in which their ordinary freedom of movement can become a matter of life and death," the commission said. For now, key questions remain open. Police have not established a firm link between the seven cases, five of the victims are still unidentified, and it is not yet clear whether a single suspect, a group, or separate offenders imitating one another are behind the deaths. The single arrest so far relates only to the first body found in July, leaving the more recent killings without a named suspect. Ramaphosa framed the response as a test of the state's ability to protect its citizens, tying the Kempton Park cases to a broader crisis. His pledge that authorities would leave nothing unexamined now rests on an investigation that has expanded almost daily, with each new discovery adding pressure on police to explain how so many women came to be found dead in the same corner of Gauteng within weeks of one another. Kempton Park killings, Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa women deaths, gender-based violence South Africa, Elizabeth Moselakgomo, Johannesburg crime, Gauteng police, serial killer investigation

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The updated 2026 Bajaj Pulsar NS200 and N250 were spied testing with new 5-inch TFT clusters and WP Apex USD forks on the NS200. Bajaj Auto is preparing updated versions of the Pulsar NS200 and Pulsar N250, and both motorcycles have been spotted testing together in recent spy shots. The 2026 models pick up new TFT instrument clusters and, in the case of the NS200, WP Apex upside-down front forks. The two bikes are the latest to move through Bajaj's ongoing refresh of the Pulsar range. The company has already rolled out the updated Pulsar N160 4V and the next-generation Classic Pulsars, the Pulsar 150 and Pulsar 125. With those launches done, attention has now shifted to the NS200 and N250. The spy images show that Bajaj has left the styling of both motorcycles untouched. The bikes keep the same silhouette and design cues they have carried so far, with the changes concentrated on equipment rather than looks. The result is a more feature-heavy package sitting under a familiar shape. New 5-inch TFT and switchgear Both the NS200 and N250 were seen with revised switchgear, the same style fitted to Bajaj's other recent Pulsars. Its main purpose is to control the new TFT instrument cluster that replaces the older displays. On the right-hand cluster, the shots reveal hazard light and engine kill switches. The NS200 also gains adjustable levers. The screen itself is a 5-inch TFT unit, the same one already used on the Pulsar N160 4V and the next-generation Classic Pulsars. It brings a long feature list. The display supports document storage for the RC, driving licence and insurance, along with smartphone connectivity over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Riders also get music controls, third-party notifications and Google Maps mirroring. Traction control and riding modes are expected to feature on both bikes, including the NS200. The TFT screen is the interface used to switch between those modes. Depending on the variant, Bajaj may also add a lap timer to the cluster. WP Apex forks arrive on the NS200 The headline hardware change sits at the front of the NS200. The motorcycle was spied with WP Apex USD telescopic front forks, and the WP branding is clearly visible on the units. That makes the 2026 NS200 the first Bajaj and the first Pulsar to run WP Apex USD forks, in place of the current Endurance components. WP Apex suspension comes from WP Performance Systems, which sits under the KTM AG group. In India, this race-derived hardware has so far been reserved for KTM and Husqvarna machines, so its arrival on a Pulsar marks a notable move for the brand. It is not yet clear whether the updated N250 will also receive the WP Apex forks. The spy shots confirm the setup only on the NS200. Some equipment remains uncertain. It is not confirmed whether silent start and an auto engine start-stop system, driven by an integrated starter generator, will be part of the package on either bike. On the mechanical side, both motorcycles are expected to carry over their existing engines. There is, however, a slight chance that Bajaj could introduce engine upgrades on the 2026 NS200 and N250. For now, the updates seen in testing point to a technology-focused overhaul aimed at making the two Pulsars more modern without changing what they already are. Bajaj Pulsar NS200, Bajaj Pulsar N250, 2026 Pulsar update, WP Apex forks, Pulsar TFT screen, Bajaj Auto, Pulsar spy shots, WP Performance Systems

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