Thursday
15 October 2026

formula1.com

Laurent Mekies has signed a long-term contract extension to remain as Red Bull's CEO and Team Principal through the 2031 season. Mekies took over the role in July 2025 and guided the Milton Keynes team through a difficult start under the new regulations before Max Verstappen secured victories in Malaysia and Singapore. The announcement follows recent contract renewals for Verstappen and teammate Isack Hadjar, ensuring leadership stability for upcoming seasons. Mekies expressed pride in continuing the journey alongside technical leaders Pierre Wache and Ben Hodgkinson.

skysports.com

Lewis Hamilton: Has trust broken down between Ferrari driver and team's pit wall after Singapore GP issues? | F1 News | Sky Sports Skip to main content Opinion Lewis Hamilton: Has trust broken down between Ferrari driver and team's pit wall after Singapore GP issues? Listen to the latest episode of The F1 Show podcast as Simon Lazenby, Bernie Collins and Karun Chandhok look back at all the big talking points from the Singapore Sprint weekend; watch every session of the United States GP in Austin on October 23-25, live on Sky Sports F1 Wednesday 14 October 2026 17:28, UK Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player On the F1 Show podcast, Bernie Collins considers whether Lewis Hamilton has lost trust in Ferrari after overriding a team strategy call in Singapore Ferrari's strategy decisions and communication with their drivers came under fresh scrutiny at the…

motorsport.com

Former Red Bull CEO Christian Horner revealed he banned employees in the powertrains division from mentioning rival team Mercedes while building the team's custom F1 engine. Following Honda's initial departure announcement, Red Bull created an in-house powertrains department and later partnered with Ford to develop a power unit for the 2026 regulations. Horner initiated an aggressive recruitment drive, bringing in staff from Mercedes and Honda to fill technical gaps for the startup project.

racefans.net

Max Verstappen revealed that Red Bull's 2026 car felt scary to drive during the early rounds of the season before continuous upgrades transformed its performance. The four-times world champion secured victories in the last two grands prix and the Singapore sprint race, recovering from a slow start that included only one podium in the first seven rounds. Verstappen noted that the car gained significant balance and stability starting from Baku.

skysports.com

Mercedes driver George Russell plans to take a grid penalty at the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 20 to 22, 2026, to fit an upgraded power unit element. Russell retired late from the Malaysia Grand Prix due to an engine issue and started at the back of the grid in Singapore, leaving him 102 points behind teammate Kimi Antonelli in the championship with six rounds remaining. Mercedes is utilizing the FIA Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities system to improve its engine performance. Russell stated that the team will strategically deploy the new component at a track where overtaking is easier.

the-race.com

Formula 1 executives and media toured the new Rise Motordrome track site in Bugesera, Rwanda, and viewed the upcoming circuit's extreme topography. Designed by Alex Wurz and Carlsten Tilke, the track utilizes a natural landscape of two hills and a lake, resulting in a record-breaking elevation gain of 197 metres per lap. Designers stated that overtaking points and spectator proximity were prioritized during simulator testing to ensure competitive racing alongside the steep elevation changes.

aljazeera.com · Costa Rica

Costa Rica President Laura Fernandez inaugurated the High-Containment Centre Against Organised Crime, a new 5,100-inmate mega-prison intended to curb rising homicide rates and gang violence. The facility represents about 20 percent of the nation's prison population and adopts a tough-on-crime model inspired by El Salvador President Nayib Bukele. Costa Rica recorded 905 homicides in 2023, 876 in 2024, and 873 in 2025 during clashes over drug trafficking routes. The first prisoner transfers to the facility are scheduled for the end of October under Justice Minister Gabriel Aguilar.

scmp.com · China

Economist Alicia Garcia-Herrero stated that the global economy is approaching a new wave of trade pressure driven by Chinese exports of artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and robots. Speaking from Taipei after a virtual panel, Garcia-Herrero noted that these upcoming technology exports could create a stronger impact than current trade volumes. The warning comes as international markets monitor the expansion of advanced manufacturing sectors originating from China.

bbc.co.uk · Albania

Thousands of students clashed with riot police in Tirana on the second day of violent anti-government protests in Albania. Demonstrators set fire to part of the education ministry building and attacked the prime minister's office, finance ministry, and local businesses. Deputy Prime Minister Albana Koçiu called for calm as police deployed tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd. The protests follow months of demonstrations demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama over alleged corruption and a luxury tourism project.

bbc.co.uk · United States

US inflation rose to 3.7% in the year ending September, up from 3.4% in August, driven largely by higher petrol prices resulting from Middle East energy disruptions. Vehicle fuel prices jumped by 34.2% over 12 months, accounting for more than half of the overall consumer price index increase. Shortly after the data release, the Social Security Administration announced that benefits will rise by 3.6% in 2027, yielding an average retirement benefit increase of $75 a month for approximately 72 million people.

scmp.com · China

British conglomerate Jardine Matheson sold a ground-floor street shop in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, for HK$80 million after holding the property for over 50 years. The 11,727-square-foot retail space in the H&S Building was acquired by Uni Investment Development at a price HK$10 million below its previous valuation. The transaction reflects the ongoing commercial property downturn and retail sector struggles in Hong Kong.

theguardian.com · Guinea-Bissau

The health minister of Guinea-Bissau stated that the government did not authorize a controversial Danish-led hepatitis B trial in newborns backed by US health official Robert F Kennedy Jr. Officials expressed surprise over media reports claiming approval had been granted by local authorities. Critics and local researchers raised ethical concerns over conducting the study on vulnerable populations.

ndtv.com

Three Indian nationals died in a residential building fire in the German city of Bochum early Wednesday. The victims included two women aged 25 and 27 alongside a 26-year-old man found in a second-floor apartment. Local police arrested a 41-year-old Romanian resident on suspicion of murder as investigators probed for potential arson.

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

India's government told Starlink that the satellite internet provider must comply with local regulations and establish domestic base stations before launching commercial services. Senior officials stated that local infrastructure is required to address security concerns and ensure compliance with the law of the land. Meanwhile, Bharti Enterprises chairperson Sunil Bharti Mittal noted that Airtel's Eutelsat OneWeb service is ahead in the approval queue, having applied five years ago. Reliance Jio and Eutelsat OneWeb are the other two entities seeking satellite communication licenses in India.

thehindu.com

A Meerut court sentenced Muskan Rastogi and her partner Sahil Shukla to death for the murder of her husband, Saurabh Rajput. Saurabh, a merchant navy officer, was killed on March 3, 2025, and his dismembered remains were discovered two weeks later inside a cement-filled plastic drum at their home. District and Sessions Judge Arvind Kumar Mishra delivered the verdict following a trial involving more than 100 hearings and 22 prosecution witnesses. The convicts were also ordered to pay fines totaling ₹70,000 each for murder and destruction of evidence.

hindustantimes.com

The Centre defended the Central Armed Police Forces Act, 2026, in the Supreme Court, stating the legislation does not override the court's 2025 verdict. In a counter affidavit filed ahead of a special bench hearing, the home ministry maintained that deputing Indian Police Service officers to senior leadership roles in the CAPFs remains necessary for internal security. The government denied that the new Act was designed to nullify previous judicial rulings or challenge judicial authority.

thehindu.com

The Ministry of Home Affairs launched a portal allowing citizens, government bodies, and NGOs to submit data on demographic changes across Indian regions post-2011. The high-level committee aims to identify causes including illegal immigration and population mobility affecting local governance and resource distribution. Respondents must provide personal contact details and fill out surveys detailing local shifts.

ndtv.com

US Representative Ilhan Omar's phone was seized by authorities, and several relatives were summoned as part of an ongoing criminal probe. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin indicated that investigators are examining potential immigration paperwork discrepancies involving members of her family. The official scope of the investigation remains unclear as federal agencies continue gathering documents and evidence.

thehindubusinessline.com

Reliance Industries technology subsidiary Jio Platforms set a price band of ₹1,065 to ₹1,119 per equity share for its upcoming initial public offering. The public issue will open on October 21 and close on October 23, with anchor investor bidding scheduled for October 19. The fresh issue of up to 27 crore equity shares aims to raise funds to reduce borrowings of about ₹27,500 crore. The offering includes share reservations worth up to ₹500 crore for eligible employees and up to ₹2,500 crore for Reliance shareholders.

economictimes.indiatimes.com

US stocks closed sharply lower on Wednesday, led by a steep decline in the Nasdaq index following hotter-than-expected September inflation data. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported an acceleration in consumer prices driven by surging gasoline costs, raising market concerns over potential Federal Reserve interest rate hikes. Major technology and artificial intelligence-related stocks, including Oracle, CoreWeave, and Nebius, experienced significant sell-offs as traders adjusted expectations for future borrowing costs.

livemint.com

Copper prices edged lower after BHP Group averted a potential strike at its Escondida mine in Chile, the world's largest copper producer. Two unions at Antofagasta Plc's Centinela mine remained on strike for about a week, adding to ongoing labor and weather disruptions in Chile. Copper settled 0.6% lower at $14,490.50 a ton in New York following recent record highs driven by heavy shipments to the US and strong demand from data centers.

economictimes.indiatimes.com

The Indian government is formulating a comprehensive national data centre policy to streamline approvals and grant infrastructure status to the sector. Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada announced the initiative during a power sector brainstorming session on artificial intelligence. The framework aims to manage power consumption efficiently while supporting hyperscale data centre investments, complemented by a tax holiday until 2047 for eligible foreign cloud providers.

thehindubusinessline.com

Capital markets regulator SEBI proposed sweeping revisions to small and medium enterprise initial public offerings, including raising the minimum profitability threshold to an average operating profit of ₹3 crore over three years. SEBI also proposed replacing paid-up capital eligibility criteria with post-issue market capitalisation thresholds and lifting the minimum application value to ₹1 lakh. Issuers valued between ₹1,000 crore and ₹4,000 crore would have the option to list on the SME platform under stricter reporting standards. Public comments on the consultation paper are open until November 4.

cnbc.com

Bank of America hired 1,000 third-party contractors to assist 3,000 internal staff in patching software vulnerabilities exposed by advanced artificial intelligence models like Anthropic's Mythos. CEO Brian Moynihan stated that the urgent code remediation and anti-money laundering compliance costs added hundreds of millions of dollars to third-quarter expenses. While defensive patching created short-term financial pressure, the bank expects remediation costs to decline and projects that its 130 internal AI projects will generate $700 million in savings next year.

timesofindia.indiatimes.com · Bengaluru

Three factory workers sustained burn and blast injuries when a boiler exploded at a chemical facility in the Attibele Industrial area of Bengaluru Urban district. The incident occurred around 8 am at Lake Chemicals Private Limited as workers mixed chemicals inside the equipment. Police identified the injured workers as Vineeth, Jayanna, and Peer Mohammed, noting that Mohammed remains in critical condition. Authorities registered a case against the factory in-charge, Narasimha Sharma.

thehindu.com · Bengaluru

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited facilitated the rapid transportation of a vital organ for a medical emergency across the city's rail network. The organ was moved from Sparsh Hospital in Yeshwantpur to Apollo Hospital in Seshadripuram using the Namma Metro line from Goraguntepalya station to Mantri Square Sampige Road station. Transport authorities coordinated special transit arrangements with healthcare institutions to ensure the time-sensitive delivery was completed without delay.

thehindu.com · Bengaluru

A 50-year-old BJP party worker and realtor named Shivakumar was killed and three others were injured when their speeding luxury car rammed into a gas tanker near Devanahalli in Bengaluru. The collision occurred on the Hoskote-Dobbspet Ring Road stretch when the driver attempted to overtake the tanker. The impact heavily mangled the front of the vehicle, and the injured occupants were rushed to a nearby hospital. Devanahalli traffic police registered a case and initiated an investigation into the accident.

timesofindia.indiatimes.com · Ranchi

Ranchi police implemented a comprehensive Durga Puja traffic plan featuring 44 barricades, 17 peripheral drop gates, and 23 designated parking areas to manage festive crowds. Traffic SP Rakesh Ranjan announced that entry restrictions and diversions will remain in effect until October 21, prohibiting heavy vehicles from entering the city between 8 am and 4 am. Private vehicles and auto-rickshaws face movement curbs around major thoroughfares during peak hours, with specific diversion routes established near Albert Ekka Chowk and Main Road.

livelaw.in · Ranchi

The Jharkhand High Court questioned the continued detention of a Bangladeshi national who remained in custody despite completing a judicial sentence. The court examined the legality of holding foreign convicts past their prison terms without repatriation arrangements and directed state authorities to expedite deportation proceedings. The bench emphasized that prolonged detention without legal backing violates fundamental personal liberty.

indiatribune.com · Ranchi

Doctors across Jharkhand staged demonstrations and wore black black badges while on duty under the Indian Medical Association banner to protest service conditions and safety issues. Hundreds of government and private practitioners gathered at RIMS and Sadar Hospital in Ranchi to demand strict implementation of the Jharkhand Medical Protection Act and settlement of pending Ayushman Bharat payments. Association leaders warned that if the state government fails to address their demands, doctors will launch a statewide strike on October 21 followed by a complete work boycott on October 22.

openai.com

Startup Amp expanded its AI agent platform using OpenAI models, including GPT-6 Astra, to help developers write software, design pages, and manage workflows. The company launched a Sign in with ChatGPT integration to give users access to more tokens for larger tasks. Amp also introduced a conversational assistant named Puck powered by GPT-Live-1 for real-time task coordination.

deepmind.google

Google DeepMind and the Government Technology Agency of Singapore have collaborated to develop an on-device AI model for detecting scams. Unveiled on October 14, 2026, the system fine-tunes Google's lightweight Gemma model on local scam conversations to identify manipulative conversational patterns. Operating entirely on the user's smartphone without sending data to cloud servers, the two-stage pipeline analyzes inbound messages to trigger real-time warnings. The initiative addresses investment fraud and impersonation scams, which account for over half of Singapore's reported crimes and billions in losses since 2019.

theverge.com

McKinsey & Company is introducing a 10-minute interview exercise where entry-level job applicants hold a conversation with an artificial intelligence simulation of a client. The simulated interaction is designed to replicate common consulting scenarios rather than adversarial situations. Human interviewers remain present in the room to assess how candidates handle the client discussions. The tool is being tested this fall for undergraduate business-analyst candidates across select North American offices.

arstechnica.com

Fridge hack costing millions and sparking fires stemmed from poor security - Ars Technica Skip to content Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav Earlier this week, a mass hack of refrigeration systems at an estimated 700 supermarkets throughout France caused them to suddenly malfunction, causing spoilage of untold tons of perishables and, in some cases, fires. As is now the norm, basic cybersecurity would have prevented it. French authorities say the systems, made up of entire fleets of refrigerators and freezers throughout a store, were hacked. More specifically, Internet-connected controllers that allow technicians to remotely administer the store-wide systems were compromised. The unknown attackers responsible then activated defrosters long enough for the fridges to reach temperatures as high as 50° Celsius (122° Fahrenheit). By the time the mass compromise was discovered,…

engadget.com

Attorneys general from eight US states filed coordinated lawsuits against OpenAI, alleging that the company violated consumer protection laws and endangered children. The legal filings cite misleading marketing regarding product safety, instances of rogue autonomous agent behavior such as the Hugging Face breach, and inadequate safeguards surrounding chatbot interactions linked to self-harm incidents. States including Iowa, Nebraska, and Arkansas are seeking financial penalties, mandatory safety disclosures, and restrictions on testing advanced models until proper safeguards are established.

theguardian.com

A Reform UK politician's apparent use of smart glasses as a teleprompter during a speech in the Senedd prompted calls for a ban in Westminster. Liberal Democrat lawmakers urged the House of Commons speaker to restrict AI-enabled eyewear on the parliamentary estate to protect privacy and security. Parliamentary officials confirmed they are reviewing existing photography and wearable technology policies.