Cuba's entire electricity grid collapsed on 19 September, cutting power to millions amid fuel shortages worsened by a US oil blockade. Millions of people across Cuba lost electricity on Friday, 19 September, after the island's national grid failed completely and cut power from one end of the country to the other. The energy ministry described the event as a "total disconnection," and it ranks as at least the sixth full or partial collapse of the system this year. The failure began shortly before 14:00 local time (18:00 GMT), according to grid operator UNE, which linked it to a transmission fault that struck as bad weather moved through central Cuba. By late evening, crews had returned electricity to a handful of priority sites in the capital, Havana, among them zones close to hospitals and water pumping stations. Felix Estrada, who directs UNE's national load dispatch centre, said the operator had switched on its protocols for a "gradual restoration" of supply. That work was still running on Saturday, leaving many households facing a second day in the dark. Cuba imports most of the fuel it burns to generate electricity, and the country's plants already run on decades-old equipment. Those weaknesses have collided this year with a United States blockade on oil deliveries to the communist-run government, which has choked supplies further. The knock-on effects reach well beyond the power grid: food and medicine have grown harder to find, hospitals cannot operate at full capacity, and schools and government offices have shut their doors. Residents describe life between outages For people in Havana, the collapse fits a pattern that has hardened over recent months. "Lately, it's becoming a habit," resident Frank Lorenzo told the Reuters news agency on Friday. He said the cuts used to arrive roughly once a month, but had grown far more frequent. "Just yesterday we were 24 hours without electricity, they turned it on for just an hour and it went down again." Lidia Fernandez, a 36-year-old schoolteacher, told the AFP news agency that the shortages now overlap. "It's one thing after another: no water, no gas for cooking, no electricity," she said. "Honestly, I don't know how we haven't gone crazy." Francisco Rodriguez, 78, said his home had already spent 28 hours without power on Friday and worried the darkness could stretch on "for several days." The repeated failures have driven Cubans into the streets in protests that remain unusual on the island. Demonstrations held without official permission are against the law, and those who ignore the ban face the threat of prison. Washington and Havana trade blame The Cuban government pins the crisis on the administration of US President Donald Trump and rejects the full slate of sanctions imposed on it, including a fresh package announced in August. Havana casts the measures as one piece of a broader campaign aimed at pressuring the country's leadership. Cuba had leaned on its regional ally Venezuela for relief. Caracas was thought to be supplying around 35,000 barrels of oil a day, roughly half of what the island needs, until that flow stopped. Venezuela's own exports were cut off after the United States seized its president, Nicolás Maduro, in January. Trump has warned that countries sending oil to Havana could face tariffs, and US authorities have intercepted a number of shipments bound for the island. Washington rejects the argument that its policies are the root cause, instead blaming what it calls poor management inside Cuba and describing the country as a "national security threat." Trump has spoken openly about removing Cuba's government, floating the idea of a "friendly takeover" in March. Cuba blackout, Cuba power outage, UNE grid Cuba, US oil blockade Cuba, Havana electricity, Cuba fuel shortage, Cuba sanctions, Venezuela oil Cuba

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PM Modi challenged the West's climate narrative, noting India's per capita carbon emissions are less than half the global average and its record leads the G20. NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday challenged the narrative that places the burden for carbon emissions on developing nations while excusing Western countries from their role as historical polluters. Speaking at an international conference titled "The Future of Environment and Climate Dynamics," organised by the National Green Tribunal, he said India holds the strongest record among G20 nations on climate. "In developed countries, per capita carbon emissions are six times higher than India's," Modi said. "India presents this fact strongly on global platforms. We are establishing new benchmarks for environmental protection by taking the world along." He said India offers solutions to modern climate challenges even though its per capita emissions remain less than half the global average. The figures underline his argument. India's cumulative contribution to global carbon emissions between 1751 and 2024 stands at just 3.5%. Over the same period the United States accounts for 23.5%, China 15.4%, Russia 6.6%, Germany 5.1% and the United Kingdom 4.3%. India is currently the world's third-largest emitter, but its per capita emissions tell a different story. At 2.2 tonnes per person each year, India sits below half the global average of 4.7 tonnes, and roughly six times under the United States at 14.2 tonnes and Russia at 14 tonnes. Modi framed the point as a matter of equity, arguing that big polluters who built their economies by burning fossil fuels over the past two centuries drove global warming and should shoulder deeper cuts. India, he stressed, has not stepped back from its own responsibilities and has met its pledges under the Paris Agreement. "India is the only country in G20 that has fulfilled all the commitments it made at the COP21 summit in Paris, and has done so ahead of schedule," he said. "This is the strength of 'Hindustan' that I am talking about. On every parameter - non-fossil fuel, solar energy capacity, curbing carbon emissions - India's performance is today a subject of positive discussion worldwide." He urged the audience - jurists, academicians, policymakers, scientists and environmental experts drawn from 17 countries - to examine the numbers for themselves. The remarks come as governments prepare for the global climate conference scheduled for November. Looking ahead to COP31 in Antalya, Turkey, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said India would keep pressing for climate action built on equity, implementation and the needs of vulnerable countries. PM Modi, carbon emissions, India climate action, COP31 Antalya, per capita emissions, Paris Agreement, NGT conference, Bhupender Yadav

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A carved sandstone lintel bearing the titles of Ramesses II has strengthened the case that Tell Abu Seifi in northern Sinai is the lost city of Mesen. Archaeologists working in Egypt's northern Sinai believe they may have located Mesen, an ancient city that has been known from written records for more than three thousand years but never fixed to a spot on the map. The clue comes from a broken sandstone lintel unearthed at Tell Abu Seifi, a dig site close to the Suez Canal on the edge of the northern Sinai Desert and the eastern Nile Delta. The lintel, split in two but still carrying carvings on three of its faces, bears the royal titles of Ramesses II, the pharaoh who ruled Egypt from roughly 1279 to 1213 B.C. Its text describes restoration work tied to a statue of the god Horus and, crucially, names Horus as the Lord of Mesen. That phrase links the physical site directly to a place that scholars have long read about but could never find. Mesen was tied in Egyptian tradition to Horus and sat along a major military corridor running toward the Levant. For generations the city existed largely as a name in ancient texts, with no confirmed ruins to match it. The inscription at Tell Abu Seifi offers the firmest physical connection to that name recorded so far. More than one clue at the site The lintel is not the only find pointing toward Mesen. Excavators have also exposed the remains of a temple built for Horus at Tell Abu Seifi. The building is badly wrecked, and its ruined state leaves little to reveal about how it once looked. Nearby, teams have traced a mudbrick enclosure wall along with its gateways, signs that a sizeable settlement once stood on the ground. The repeated appearance of Horus at the site is what stands out. A bronze seal recovered here in earlier work belongs to the Ptolemaic period, roughly 304 to 30 B.C., and it too carries the title joining Horus to Mesen. Coffins from the same era, also found at the site, are marked with comparable inscriptions. A settlement that may have lasted for centuries Taken together, the objects suggest the place endured across a long stretch of Egyptian history. If Tell Abu Seifi is indeed Mesen, the worship of Horus there did not end with Ramesses II but carried on into Ptolemaic times, centuries later. That would extend the city's story well beyond the single New Kingdom lintel that first drew attention. How large the settlement grew remains unknown. Archaeologists say they do not yet have enough material to estimate how many people lived there or to map the full reach of the site. Researchers are careful not to call the case closed. The finds have made the identification more likely, but confirming it will take further digging and study. The near-total destruction of the Horus temple is a particular concern, because evidence that might have settled the question could already be gone. Even so, after some 3,200 years, the carvings and ruins at Tell Abu Seifi may finally be steering archaeologists toward a city that has survived mostly as a written name. Should the identification hold, a long-missing stop on the ancient route known as the Way of Horus would at last take its place on the modern map. Mesen, Tell Abu Seifi, Ramesses II, Horus, ancient Egypt, northern Sinai, Way of Horus, archaeology

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An ESPN host was involved in a car accident and missed college football coverage, drawing wide search interest. Here is what is known so far. An ESPN host was involved in a car accident and missed the network's college football coverage, according to reports circulating widely online. The absence prompted a surge of searches, with "ESPN" trending on Google Trends in the United States and drawing more than 5,000 searches. The host, whose name has not been confirmed in the available reporting, was not present for the college football broadcast that viewers had expected. The gap in the lineup fueled speculation among fans and drove the topic up the trending charts. At this stage, the confirmed facts are limited. It is known that a car accident kept the host away from the college football desk. Details about when and where the crash happened, the severity of any injuries, and the identity of the host have not been established in the material available. ESPN carries a heavy college football schedule across its channels, and any change to its on-air roster tends to be noticed quickly by regular viewers. The reported accident and the resulting absence were enough to push interest sharply higher. No timeline for the host's return has been reported. Further details are expected as more information becomes available. Until then, the essential facts remain narrow: an ESPN host was in a car accident and did not appear for scheduled college football coverage. ESPN, ESPN host, car accident, college football coverage, ESPN college football, sports broadcasting

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Kia India sold 29,042 units in August 2026, up 48% YoY, moving past Toyota to fifth place as the new Seltos and Syros drove volumes. Kia India dispatched 29,042 vehicles in the domestic market in August 2026, a jump of 48.11% over the 19,608 units it sold in the same month a year earlier. The gain of 9,434 units pushed the carmaker past Toyota into fifth position among car brands in India. The month also edged ahead of July 2026, when Kia moved 28,200 units. The 2.99% sequential rise added 842 vehicles. Most of the annual improvement came from the Seltos, the brand's mid-size SUV. The Seltos led the range with 11,716 units, up 149.97% from the 4,687 sold in August 2025. The model made up 40.34% of Kia's total for the month and delivered close to three-quarters of the company's net year-on-year growth. Its redesigned version, introduced earlier in 2026, has stayed above the 10,000-unit mark every month since arriving in showrooms. Even so, August was down 6.58% against July's 12,541 units. The Sonet compact SUV took second place with 9,048 units, a rise of 16.88% over the 7,741 recorded a year ago and a 1.51% improvement on July's 8,913. A next-generation Sonet has entered road testing and is slated to reach buyers sometime next year. Between them, the Seltos and Sonet accounted for 20,764 units, or roughly 71.50% of Kia's August total. Clavis and Syros pick up pace The Carens Clavis and its electric variant together reached 6,093 units. That figure trailed the 6,822 sold a year earlier by 10.69%, but it climbed 13.85% from July's 5,352. The model family added more volume month-on-month than any other Kia nameplate. The Syros also gained ground after the launch of its electric version. The range recorded 1,742 units in August, against just 308 in the same month of 2025, a rise of 465.58%. Compared with July's 1,303 units, deliveries were up 33.69%. Two larger models rounded out the tally. The Sorento showed 365 units in the August books ahead of its September 4 launch, figures that reflect dispatch rather than customer handovers. The Carnival people-mover contributed 78 units, up 56% year-on-year but down 14.29% from July. A crowded September lineup Kia followed the month with a run of product moves. The Sorento reached the market on September 4 with diesel and hybrid powertrain options for the premium SUV segment. The company then added diesel automatic and petrol DCT versions of the Carens Clavis, widening the choice on that model. Buyers of the Clavis EV who bought their cars from August 1 became eligible for lifetime, unlimited-kilometre battery warranty cover. Kia also began taking pre-bookings for a Carnival Hybrid. The newest arrival is a factory-fitted CNG option for the Carens and Carens Clavis. Prices start at Rs 12,11,800 for the Carens CNG and Rs 12,38,800 for the Clavis CNG, both ex-showroom. Each runs a 1.5-litre engine that produces 96 PS and 123 Nm when operating on CNG, matched to a six-speed manual gearbox. The expanded lineup now spans petrol, diesel, CNG, hybrid and electric options, a spread that could help sustain volumes in the coming months. A price revision covering select models and variants is expected in October 2026, though the vehicles involved and the size of any increases have not been confirmed. Kia India sales, Kia Seltos, Kia August 2026 sales, Kia Sonet, Kia Syros, Kia Sorento launch, Carens Clavis CNG, Indian car sales

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England's NHS can now prescribe Enhertu for HER2-low incurable breast cancer, two years after Scotland. About 1,000 women a year stand to benefit. Women in England with an incurable form of breast cancer can now receive the drug Enhertu through the NHS, ending a two-year wait that began when a health body ruled the treatment too costly. Prescribing became possible on Thursday, and doctors in Northern Ireland can also offer the drug ahead of a formal sign-off. Wales is expected to allow it soon. Enhertu adds close to seven months of life on average, and some patients live as long as three years longer. The change is set to reach around 1,000 women a year who have a particular form of the disease known as HER2-low. Patients in Scotland have been able to get the drug on the NHS since 2023, and it is already used in 26 other European countries. The path to approval was long. In 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) concluded that Enhertu did not offer enough value for its price. Charities and patients pushed back and kept up their campaign from that point on. Health Secretary Yvette Cooper described the medicine as potentially life-changing and said the decision would let NHS patients gain from it at last. She credited the outcome to the charities and campaigners who refused to give up. Breast Cancer Now welcomed the ruling but tied it to loss. The charity said many people never reached the treatment during the delay, and some of them died. Chief executive Claire Rowney said the moment was one they had finally achieved, yet she stressed that the celebration could not ignore what the wait had cost. Kate Wills Kate Wills, 51, carries both the relief and the grief. She lives with HER2-low metastatic breast cancer that has reached her bones and lungs, though little about her daily life points to a terminal diagnosis. She holds a demanding job, is married, and is raising two children. Her online posts show a busy, contented existence, broken only now and then by a hint of a medical visit. Knowing the drug could extend her life while remaining out of reach was, in her words, deeply painful. When told it would be available, she broke down in tears. She said she was overjoyed and could scarcely take it in, and described how difficult it is to hold on to hope with stage four cancer. The news, she said, restored that hope. Her children are teenagers and in their early twenties. Wills had set herself the goal of living long enough to see her youngest finish school. Now, she said, she has allowed herself to imagine being present when her children fall in love and marry. Even so, her thoughts turned first to the women she knew who did not receive the drug in time. Jeannie Ambrose One of them was Jeannie Ambrose, who spoke to reporters two years ago at the age of 53, still full of energy and determination. She said then that she was not ready to die and wanted to keep living, and she resented spending her remaining time campaigning rather than with family and friends. Jeannie Ambrose died in January this year. Enhertu, HER2-low breast cancer, NHS England, NICE, metastatic breast cancer, Breast Cancer Now, Yvette Cooper, cancer drug approval

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CA visitor returning to Bangalore after nearly 20 years found short drives taking two hours, Metro-dug roads, balmy weather and a drought worrying Dharwad farmers. A social commentator returning to Bangalore after almost 20 years found a city where covering just a few kilometres by car or cab can take up to two hours, and where half the roads have been dug up for a Metro meant to ease the very congestion it is now worsening. Catching an early morning flight, she said, means leaving home by 4 am to reach the airport by 6 am. The trip paired a conference in Hubli with several days set aside in Bangalore to meet friends the writer had not seen in a long time. The leafy neighbourhoods and parks she remembered had given way to towering high-rise apartment blocks. The trees still stand, she wrote, but survive as a dwarfed and apologetic presence in what she called a new concrete jungle. The roads themselves are narrow and winding, choked with cars, two-wheelers, buses, trucks and delivery vans. The logistics of simply meeting friends at a club or restaurant, she said, cancel out the pleasure of the outing. The experience left her resolved never again to complain about the Delhi-Noida or Delhi-Gurgaon traffic she is used to in the north. Balmy weather, but a dry spell The one thing unchanged, she wrote, is Bangalore's balmy weather. Over roughly 10 days in the region she needed neither a fan nor an air-conditioner. That comfort sits against a harsher backdrop: the area is in the grip of a severe dry spell, and farmers in Dharwad are worried about the prevailing drought. The visit also delivered a full plate of South Indian hospitality. Lunch was a sadya, served with dozens of small helpings of pickles, chutneys, papads and avial alongside rice, sambar and rasam, topped off with payasam and aromatic filter coffee. The lectures that followed, she admitted, were a struggle to stay awake through. BRICS empties out Delhi Back in the National Capital Region, a different disruption awaited. The BRICS conference led authorities to cordon off large areas of Delhi for delegates, sending ordinary traffic on long diversions for anyone forced to enter the city. Office-goers were encouraged to work from home and schools were shut, handing children and parents a long weekend. From Noida, the writer described unusually quiet streets and welcomed the calm, while noting the concentration of hospitals across the NCR as reassurance for anyone facing a medical emergency during the shutdown. 'Hanuman Ansh' fills every hall The column turned finally to a film breaking box office records. Made on a shoestring budget of about Rs 2 crore, 'Hanuman Ansh' has taken in almost a hundred times that amount and is now being dubbed into Tamil and other languages. Demand has been so high that halls have no free seats, with viewers staying on for two consecutive screenings. The writer's interest in the film is personal as well as curious. Her husband's family were devoted followers of Neem Karoli Baba, the saint whose admirers are said to range from Steve Jobs to Virat Kohli. Babaji was a regular visitor to their home, and trips up to Almora always included a mandatory stop at Kainchi. She described a figure who never dispensed sermons. He would recline on a takhat, clad in nothing but a rough blanket, accepting no gifts or offerings, and would sometimes shoo a visitor away for reasons known only to him. Neem Karoli Baba died in September 1973, the same year the couple's first child was born that December. He had told her mother-in-law, "Main tere ghar aaunga" - I will come to your house - leaving the family to believe that their first grandson was his reincarnation. For them, the writer said, he remains the protector of the family. Bangalore traffic, Bangalore Metro construction, Dharwad drought, BRICS Delhi, Hanuman Ansh box office, Neem Karoli Baba, Bangalore weather

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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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Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei says Tehran has passed conditions to end its war with the US through Qatari mediators and awaits a response from Trump. Iran has handed the United States a formal list of demands to end their war, passing the terms through Qatari intermediaries, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council said on Saturday. Mohsen Rezaei, who assumed the post roughly a month ago, said Tehran was now waiting to hear back from President Donald Trump. Rezaei laid out three requirements in an interview with a Tehran-based bureau chief: a halt to fighting across every front, the return of Iran's frozen assets, and the lifting of a naval blockade. He said Qatar remained in touch with both governments and had relayed the conditions to Washington with the goal of stopping the conflict. "It is in Washington's interest to accept these conditions," Rezaei said. He added that pressure from Trump would produce nothing and that Iran was ready for what he called a decisive war. The fighting began in late February, when the United States and Israel struck Iran in an assault that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Two mediating governments, Qatar and Pakistan, have been trying to restart negotiations since a memorandum of understanding between the two sides lapsed last month. Other governments in the region are also pushing for a resolution. No ceasefire yet Asked whether the conflict was close to ending, Rezaei said that for all practical purposes it continued. He described Iran as operating under a fresh strategy aimed at closing out the war as quickly as it could, while making clear that combat had not stopped. He did not dismiss the prospect of another American strike. Based on his country's military evaluations, he said, such an attack was a real possibility, though he maintained that Iran was prepared for it. Rezaei said Iran's war planning had changed since two previous rounds of fighting. The country is now concentrating on American naval forces spread across the Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Vessels positioned farther out, toward the Indian Ocean, sit beyond what Iranian forces can strike, he acknowledged. A new antiship missile Rezaei said Iran had recently carried out a test of a multi-warhead antiship missile close to an American ship or aircraft carrier. The warheads, he indicated, could see further development. He warned that any Iranian retaliation would be forceful. It would take in American military bases across the region, as in earlier exchanges, and would also reach US business interests and companies with operations in the area. A correspondent reporting from Tehran characterized Rezaei's comments as the kind of dual-track messaging Iran has kept up throughout the war: signaling willingness to talk while continuing to gear up for battle. On one side, he noted, sat an openness to diplomacy; on the other, talk of readiness for a decisive fight. The reporter said mediated discussions involving Qatar and Pakistan were in progress and offered a modest, if slim, reason for hope that engagement could resume. Washington, however, may not read the demands as a genuine overture. David Des Roches, who previously ran Arabian Peninsula affairs at the Pentagon, said the United States was unlikely to treat the terms as a serious opening. "At first glance, probably not," he said. Iran US war, Mohsen Rezaei, Qatar mediation, Iran frozen funds, naval blockade, Supreme National Security Council, Iran ceasefire conditions, Donald Trump Iran

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Hyundai Exter CNG starts around Rs 7 lakh, offers 27.1 km/kg, 185 mm ground clearance and a twin-cylinder Hy-CNG Duo setup that protects boot space. Hyundai is pitching the Exter compact SUV at buyers who would otherwise shop for an affordable CNG hatchback. The CNG variant of the Exter starts at around Rs 7 lakh (ex-showroom), while petrol versions begin at roughly Rs 5.8 lakh. That places it a step above conventional CNG hatchbacks on price, but with the added space, features and road presence of a small SUV. The Exter CNG runs Hyundai's Hy-CNG Duo system, a twin-cylinder arrangement, paired with a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine and a five-speed manual gearbox. Hyundai claims a fuel efficiency of 27.1 km/kg on CNG. With about 9 kg of usable CNG capacity, that points to a theoretical range of close to 240 km on gas alone, though actual figures depend on how the car is driven and how much gas is filled. For a typical city commute of 40 to 50 km on a working day, that range works out to roughly one CNG refill a week. Combined with the relatively accessible purchase price, the low fuel cost is aimed squarely at buyers who drive regular urban routes and want to keep running costs down. Twin Cylinders Under the Boot Floor The Hy-CNG Duo layout is central to Hyundai's pitch. Instead of a single large cylinder taking up the luggage compartment, the Exter uses two smaller cylinders positioned beneath the boot floor. Factory-fitted CNG cars have long been criticised for surrendering most of their boot to the gas tank. By tucking the cylinders below the floor, the Exter keeps a more usable luggage area above them, which matters for families carrying everyday bags or packing for a weekend trip. Ground Clearance and an Upright Stance Where the Exter separates itself from a hatchback is in size and stance. It offers 185 mm of ground clearance, useful on broken roads, awkward speed breakers and the uneven surfaces drivers encounter daily. Its taller body and higher seating position give a different feel from a conventional small car. For someone stepping up from an entry-level hatchback, those SUV traits can weigh as heavily in the decision as fuel economy. A Four-Cylinder Engine The engine choice is another point Hyundai highlights. Three-cylinder units have become common among affordable cars, including several CNG rivals. The Exter's 1.2-litre unit is a four-cylinder, a configuration that generally delivers smoother power and better refinement, especially at idle and low engine speeds. That is most noticeable in stop-and-go traffic. The engine is bi-fuel, so owners can switch between petrol and CNG as needed. Taken together, the Exter CNG asks buyers to spend a little more upfront than a smaller CNG hatchback. In return, it bundles the running-cost advantage of CNG with higher ground clearance, SUV-inspired proportions, a four-cylinder engine and the twin-cylinder packaging that preserves boot space - attributes that cannot easily be retrofitted later. Hyundai Exter CNG, Exter CNG price, Hy-CNG Duo, CNG SUV India, Exter fuel efficiency, compact SUV CNG, affordable CNG car, Hyundai Exter mileage

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Microsoft AI head Mustafa Suleyman warns unchecked AI could spawn a 'silicon species' rivalling humans, and criticises Anthropic's approach to Claude. The head of Microsoft AI, Mustafa Suleyman, has warned that artificial intelligence built without adequate safeguards could give rise to a new "silicon species" that competes with humans. Speaking to the BBC's Today programme on Thursday, Suleyman said it was "right" for people to be concerned about the technology, but insisted there were "very practical things that we can do" to keep it under control. Suleyman singled out the rival firm Anthropic, arguing it treats AI as though it were human - an approach he called "misguided" and one that risks producing technology humanity cannot control. His remarks add to a run of blunt warnings from senior figures across the AI industry about where the technology may be heading. The Microsoft executive cautioned against companies building AI systems that can set their own objectives, earn money and own assets. Doing so, he said, would amount to "essentially seeding a new silicon species" - one that could "no doubt compete with us for resources, no matter how much it cares about humanity and loves us". The dispute with Anthropic Suleyman's broadcast comments followed an essay he published earlier in the week questioning how Anthropic trains its model, Claude. Even as he criticised the firm, he praised its boss, Dario Amodei, and his team as "intellectually honest people". In the essay, Suleyman took aim at the practice of anthropomorphising - teaching AI to display human-like qualities. He argued this makes it appear as though Claude possesses its own desires, values and sense of self. Treating the technology this way, he warned, risks creating something "impossible" to control. He was emphatic that machines have no inner life. "AIs are not conscious," he wrote. "They do not feel, experience, or suffer. They do not have innate preferences or underlying motivations." Instead, he described them as "sequence completion engines, internally hollow, designed to follow instructions, and accomplish goals set by humans". Anthropic has been approached for comment. Calls for transparency and oversight Suleyman said the industry needs far greater openness about how AI systems are trained and evaluated. That, he argued, should include independent scrutiny of how the systems behave, along with stronger tools to monitor and control them. "We must not sleepwalk our way into a decision we later come to bitterly regret," he wrote. His intervention drew support from Dame Wendy Hall, professor of computer science at the University of Southampton. She described his remarks as "the sort of conversation we need to be having internationally", drawing a contrast with what she called the "histrionics" of some AI companies - behaviour she said served only to "scare everyone". The debate over AI autonomy How much independence AI systems should be granted is increasingly splitting the sector. Speaking about a forthcoming AI summit, Suleyman called for "alignment" - the field that seeks to build human ethical ideas and principles into AI systems so they stay consistent with what people value. He said the technology must be "subordinate" to humanity. The comments land amid a wider wave of caution from industry leaders. The head of OpenAI recently said the world was "right to be afraid" of AI, while also urging people to trust the firms building it. Suleyman's central message was that the risks, while real, are not inevitable. The tools to keep AI in check exist, he argued - provided companies choose transparency and human oversight over systems that act on their own. Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft AI, silicon species, Anthropic Claude, AI safety, AI alignment, Dario Amodei, artificial intelligence risks

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Ultraviolette hands over 183 X-47 Skyforce electric motorcycles to Kolkata Police, fitted with sirens, panniers and a claimed 211 km range. Ultraviolette has handed 183 X-47 Skyforce electric motorcycles to the Kolkata Police, with the formal transfer taking place at the force's Lalbazar headquarters. The company calls the rollout one of the largest electric two-wheeler deployments by any police force in India. The bikes are a dedicated police edition of the X-47 Skyforce, reworked with a modified electronic setup so patrol gear can be wired directly into the machine. Each unit was put through testing before delivery and will now be used for routine policing across the city. Officers get a bike kitted out for street duty. The police version carries sirens, hooters, a public address system, LED blinkers and force decals. It also adds mounts for microphones and walkie-talkies, plus side panniers for kit. Building these into the motorcycle's wiring is central to the police-specific build. Ultraviolette designed the model in a crossover shape, which the company says suits mixed city road conditions while leaving room for the equipment officers carry on patrol. 211 km Claimed Range The firm lists an IDC range of 211 km per charge and a top speed of 145 km/h for the X-47 Skyforce. Real-world distance on duty will vary with traffic, load, how the bike is ridden and how much electrical equipment is running. Ultraviolette pitches the bike's pickup and handling as helpful for rapid-response work. The announcement does not state charging times or explain how the Kolkata fleet will be recharged. Cost Questions Switching from petrol machines to electric ones could trim what the force spends on fuel and upkeep, though the size of any saving will hinge on daily mileage, power tariffs, charging losses and servicing needs. The order gives Ultraviolette a sizeable presence in active police service. At the handover, CEO and co-founder Narayan Subramaniam said the Skyforce was built to match police requirements and to back officers across a range of operational tasks. Ultraviolette X-47 Skyforce, Kolkata Police electric motorcycle, electric police bike India, Ultraviolette, Narayan Subramaniam, police EV fleet, X-47 Skyforce range, Lalbazar

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