Aggregator

Gulf states like Dubai and Abu Dhabi have built their global reputation not simply on ambition, but on stability, leadership and long-term vision.

"Reservation holders, it's finally time to get ready," writes long-time Slashdot reader AirHog. The EV news site Electrek reports: Aptera Motors, "the little startup that could," announced another important milestone... completing the first example of its flagship solar EV on its validation assembly line in Southern California... While the validation line at its headquarters remains a low-volume assembly process, its successful operation represents the startup's transition from hand-built validation SEVs to a more structured assembly line process that will be fine-tuned for mass production... With low-volume assembly now being validated, Aptera is starting to publicly utter encouraging terms like "EPA certification" and, better yet, that holy grail of "initial customer deliveries." Before then, however, the Aptera Solar EVs built on this low-volume validation line will be used for testing programs such as thermal validation, brake performance, and "some destructive testing." Aptera shared that its assembly and integration team has grown to become the largest at the startup, "reflecting the beginning of its transition from engineering development to testing and production execution"... As of March 2026, Aptera says it has over 50,000 reservations totaling over $2 billion in sales if all were to solidify following the launch of a deliverable vehicle. Clean Technica notes the vehicles' "generous cargo space that comes out to 60% more storage than a Honda Accord and 20% more storage than a Prius, according to the company." "Built with recyclable materials, this eco-friendly vehicle features a lightweight carbon fiber structure and no-welding assembly for maximum cost and production efficiency," Aptera adds. The emphasis on lightweighting supports the goal of engineering a car that can travel on the electricity provided by its onboard solar panels. The company currently advertises that the vehicle can travel 40 miles on solar power alone, with the battery providing extra juice as needed. Ideally, the car can keep recharging itself with sunlight, further elongating the time between charging sessions... [Its range is up to 1,000 miles with plug-in charging.] The new autocycle could also appeal to drivers who enjoy the challenge of hypermiling, which involves deploying a suite of driving techniques to minimize fuel consumption. Hypermiling can apply to gas-powered cars, but the magic really kicks in with the regenerative braking capability of EVs. Aptera's onboard solar panels add another dimension to the fun.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The stars of America's Next Top Model have revealed the very strict rules they had to follow on the show, claiming producers used 'cult techniques'. 

Shut away at Wood Farm, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been twiddling his thumbs this week while his old stamping ground in the Middle East is torn apart by war.

A landmark report by Labour peer Lord Walney has identified more than 30 organisations that he alleges have become part of the network with links to the hardline Iranian Islamic Republic.

Both Mr Adams and Martin McGuinness were named as members of the IRA's war council in a 1997 US state department diplomatic cable.

Dame Antonia, who is said to command a £200,000 salary in her new role, bought the house in West London with her hugely wealthy husband John Romeo, back in 2023.

I travelled to north east Syria to track down Britain's most famous bride, Shamima Begum. I went to her tent and what I saw there was extraordinary.

Since 2014, the ITV show's judges - as well as hosts Ant and Dec - have used one Golden Buzzer each during the audition rounds.

Dear Bel, I have a question that is not unusual. Do I tell - or not? My son has been married for 23 years, with two adult daughters.

The alarm comes as the crucial Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed to oil tankers.

After it was reported that Nicola Peltz receives $1million a month from her father, 'adult allowances' have been a hot topic.

Backstage at the world-famous dog show, Shih-tzus sport wacky topknots, poodles are fluffed and blow-dried into clouds of curls, and terriers sit patiently as their owners fuss over their coats.

HMS Prince of Wales could be moved to a higher state of readiness, with the notice period to deploy reduced from ten days to just five, according to reports.

Last weekend, Kaley Cuoco called out the 'intense and cliquey' environment when she first joined the Charmed cast for the show's eighth series back in 2005.

An anonymous reader shared this report from the Independent: A popular predictions market app will not pay out the $54 million some of its users believed they were owed after correctly forecasting the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to a report. Kalshi, which allows players to gamble on real-world events, offered customers favorable odds on Khamenei, 86, being "out as Supreme Leader" in response to the announcement of joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Tehran in the early hours of Saturday morning. The company promoted the trade on its homepage and app and tweeted [last] Saturday: "BREAKING: The odds Ali Khamenei is out as Supreme Leader have surged to 68 percent." It continued: "Reminder: Kalshi does not offer markets that settle on death. If Ali Khamenei dies, the market will resolve based on the last traded price prior to confirmed reporting of death." Khamenei was later confirmed dead in the airstrikes and the company clarified in a follow-up post: "Please note: A prior version of this clarification was grammatically ambiguous. As a customer service measure, Kalshi will reimburse lost value due to trades made between these clarifications...." While the company has offered to reimburse any bets, fees or losses from the trade placed prior to its clarification message, it has nevertheless attracted a firestorm of complaints on social media. A Kalshi spokesperson told Reuters they'd reimbursed "net losses" out of pocket "to the tune of millions of dollars". But a class action lawsuit was filed Thursday saying Kalshi had failed to pay $54 million: Kalshi did not invoke a "death carveout" provision until after the Iranian leader was killed to avoid paying customers in Kalshi's "Khamenei Market" what they were owed, the lawsuit said... The language specifying that Khamenei's departure could be due to any cause, including death, was "clear, unambiguous and binary," the lawsuit said, describing Kalshi's actions as "deceptive" and "predatory." "In a notice filed Monday, the company proposed standardizing the terms of all its markets that implicitly depend on a person surviving..." reports Business Insider. "The update comes after Kalshi paid $2.2 million to resolve complaints from users who were confused by the way it divided the $55 million wagered on Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's ouster after his targeted killing by Israel and the US." Their article cites a DePaul University law professor who says "There's now sort of this nascent, but bipartisan movement against prediction markets. I think Kalshi's feeling the heat." For example, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy told the Washington Post, "People shouldn't be rooting for people to die because they placed a bet."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The Oasis band member, 58, was spotted carrying a James Perse shopping bag on Monday, just days before he parted ways with Sally Mash.

OLIVER HOLT AT ONE CALL STADIUM: Nearly 10,000 people packed into Field Mill, a home they claim is the oldest professional football ground in the world.

Blackburn had deleted multiple web searches and Facebook messages.

The unique structure is nearly 2,000 years old and was once used for chariot races