When Stephenson lodged her proposition in June, external, the St Mary, St Ouen and St Peter deputy said the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which led to limited traffic moving through the Strait of Hormuz, had exacerbated “spiralling costs” for Jersey residents.

She said her discussions with Maclean and other colleagues at the States had left her satisfied the issue was being taken seriously.

“I think there were very clear messages at the recent election from voters about the cost of living,” Stephenson said.

“It’s obvious people are struggling and we have heard that loud and clear.”

The budget is due to be lodged by the government later in September before being debated by the States in December.

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ASHBURN, Va. — Researchers have completed a full map of every neuron and connection in the brain of a male fruit fly, marking the second complete “connectome” of the species and giving scientists an unprecedented tool for understanding how brains process information at the most fundamental level.

The project, announced Friday, was a collaboration between biologists at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Research Campus and computer scientists at Google. Both teams have said neither could have completed the effort without the other. The new male fly connectome follows the completion of a female Drosophila connectome earlier this year by university-based researchers, giving scientists their first opportunity to compare complete neural wiring diagrams between the sexes of the same species.

A connectome is a comprehensive catalog of every neuron in a brain, including its precise location in three-dimensional space and every connection, or synapse, it forms with other neurons. While the fruit fly’s entire nervous system contains roughly 150,000 neurons, with only a fraction of those located in the brain itself, the new research identified more than 300 million individual synaptic connections within that relatively small structure, illustrating just how densely interconnected even a comparatively simple nervous system can be.

Gerry Rubin, a senior group leader at the Janelia Research Campus and one of the senior authors on the new study, described how dramatically the tools available for this kind of work have changed since he began his career studying an even simpler organism.

“I was a graduate student at the UK’s Laboratory of Molecular Biology … and when I got there in ’71, they already bought this giant computer, and they had the idea that they were going to use machine vision and computers to assemble the C. elegans connectome,” Rubin said. C. elegans is a small, transparent worm with just over 300 neurons.

“It took them about two years to realize that the computers were nowhere near powerful enough,” Rubin said, “and so they went with printing everything out on photographic prints and colored magic markers and circling neurons and tracing it by hand.”

That painstaking manual approach would have been entirely impractical for the fruit fly, a species that is both far more complex than C. elegans and, unlike the transparent worm, opaque, making its neurons far more difficult to image directly. To build the new connectome, researchers dissected a fruit fly brain along with part of its ventral nerve cord and sliced it into an enormous series of evenly spaced sections, which were then imaged using electron microscopy at a resolution fine enough to identify small cellular structures. From there, the reconstruction of the brain’s three-dimensional architecture depended almost entirely on artificial intelligence.

Michal Januszewski, a staff scientist at Google Research, told Ars Technica that the first computational step involves using a form of generative AI to seamlessly reconnect the tissue across the boundaries created by each physical slice.

“When you take those blocks and you stitch them back together computationally, there’s a little bit of a gap in between them so the tissue doesn’t completely smoothen,” Januszewski said. “We use a generative model to make the tissue look as if the seams were not there, and that then makes all the downstream processing easier because you can basically ignore the problem to a large degree.”

A separate AI model then works to fill in the spaces defined by cellular membranes, allowing the system to track individual neurons continuously across three-dimensional space. Januszewski described that model as functioning differently than many people typically imagine when they think about artificial intelligence.

“It is different in a number of ways from what people commonly think when they talk about AI,” Januszewski said. “One is that it is actually a recurrent process, so it literally moves through space as it makes the outline of the neurons, and it is a visual model, so it converts voxels out of the images from the microscope, converting them into a 3D presentation of the neurons.”

Additional models were used to identify synapses and classify their specific type once detected, with their sensitivity levels adjustable based on ongoing feedback from human proofreaders reviewing the AI’s output. Rubin described the process as a continuous back-and-forth between researchers and engineers.

“This has to be tuned by going back and forth between the proofreaders and Mikhail to say, ‘Oh, give us a version where you were less greedy because it’s harder to disassemble than it is to assemble,’” Rubin said. “So it’s an iterative process between the humans giving feedback and the algorithms getting tuned.”

The full project took roughly four years to complete, from the initial dissection of an intact fly brain to the finished connectome. Rubin said the techniques and software developed along the way are intended to scale toward far more complex nervous systems in the future, potentially including those of vertebrates such as mice.

“Our view is we did Drosophila with a team of 50 people,” Rubin said. “The hope is, by the time someone does a mouse, they’ll also need a team of 50 people, even though there are a thousand times more neurons in there. The people will never go away, but the people will not need to scale with the number of neurons, which would be economically not feasible.”

Januszewski said the scale and difficulty of the challenge is precisely what drew Google into the collaboration in the first place.

“The reason I think Google and we were interested in this is because this is this type of grand challenge that just cannot be done in any other way,” Januszewski said. “We knew we need AI for this. This cannot be solved by having more humans or by any other technology. And it’s important.”

Beyond serving as a foundational tool for future neuroscience research, the completed male connectome, when compared against the earlier female connectome, has already yielded new insight into how sex differences are wired into the fly brain. Building on decades of prior genetic research identifying two genes, doublesex and fruitless, as key regulators converting chromosomal sex into behavioral differences, researchers identified 289 neurons unique to males, 71 unique to females, and 138 present in both sexes but differing in shape and connectivity. Notably, roughly 90% of the male-specific neurons expressed the doublesex or fruitless genes, but 10% did not, suggesting some neurons may acquire sex-specific characteristics indirectly, through interactions with neighboring cells that do express those genes.

Researchers also found that sex-specific neurons tended to cluster together and operate at higher levels of neural processing, rather than directly within basic sensory detection or motor control circuits, with a few notable exceptions such as neurons that detect sex-specific pheromones. As the research team wrote in their published paper, the pattern suggests “a hierarchy in which sex differences primarily modify integrative and decision-making areas while sensory detection and the highly tuned motor interface remain more constant.”

Rubin said the completed connectome has already begun reshaping theoretical neuroscience by giving researchers a concrete wiring diagram to test their models against, rather than working from open-ended speculation about how a brain might function.

“Before this, most neuro theorists were very much like, ‘How could a brain work?’” Rubin said. “And they didn’t have a constraint. Once they had the connectome, they could say, ‘The brain does this and here’s the wiring diagram. How can this wiring diagram allow this function?’ So this has been a major — I’d say this is the biggest change in having the connectome.”

Looking ahead, researchers say a key open question is whether the cost and time required to build additional connectomes will fall sharply as techniques continue to improve, similar to the trajectory seen in genome sequencing over the past two decades. With only two complete fly connectomes currently available, including one notable case in which a specific neuron found in the female fly was entirely missing from one hemisphere of the male fly’s brain, researchers say dozens of additional connectomes will likely be needed before scientists can draw statistically meaningful conclusions about how much natural variability exists between individual brains, even within the same species.

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NEW DELHI — Maruti Suzuki has launched an updated version of the Baleno premium hatchback in India, introducing a new three-cylinder petrol engine, an advanced driver-assistance suite and a range of design refinements as part of a mid-lifecycle update to one of the country’s best-selling hatchbacks.

The 2026 Baleno facelift went on sale Sept. 5, priced starting at Rs 6.10 lakh, ex-showroom, according to Autocar India. The update arrives roughly four years after Maruti launched the second-generation Baleno in 2022, and represents what the company has described as an evolutionary cosmetic and mechanical refresh rather than a complete redesign of the model.

The most significant change under the hood is the introduction of a new powertrain. The updated Baleno now uses the Z12E 1.2-liter, three-cylinder, naturally aspirated engine, the same unit found in Maruti’s Swift and Dzire models, though Maruti says the engine has been specifically tuned to deliver improved low-end torque in its Baleno application. The new three-cylinder engine replaces the previous 1.2-liter, four-cylinder K12N unit that powered the outgoing Baleno.

Peak output for the new engine comes in at 83 horsepower and 112 Newton meters of torque in petrol configuration, with buyers able to choose between a five-speed manual transmission and a five-speed automated manual transmission, commonly referred to as AMT. According to figures published by ZigWheels, the petrol variants deliver claimed fuel efficiency ranging from 23.8 to 24.77 kilometers per liter under Indian ARAI testing standards.

Maruti has continued offering a factory-fitted compressed natural gas, or CNG, variant alongside the petrol lineup. In CNG mode, power and torque outputs drop to 70 horsepower and 102 Newton meters, respectively, with the CNG variant continuing to use a five-speed manual transmission exclusively rather than offering an automatic option. According to ZigWheels, the CNG variant carries a claimed mileage figure of 33.61 kilometers per kilogram of fuel.

On the safety front, the updated Baleno introduces a Level 2 advanced driver-assistance system, a feature Maruti has emphasized as a segment-first addition that none of the model’s direct rivals currently offer. The ADAS suite includes adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, automatic emergency braking and high-beam assist. The facelift also adds a tire pressure monitoring system as a new safety feature. Additional standard safety equipment across trim levels includes six airbags, anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, and a 360-degree camera setup, an offering Maruti has positioned as leading the broader sub-Rs 20 lakh vehicle segment for that specific camera feature.

Visually, the updated Baleno receives a reworked front fascia featuring a redesigned grille with a horizontal bar connecting the headlights, along with a revised front bumper, retweaked headlight internals and a repositioned Suzuki badge. The distinctive boomerang-shaped LED daytime running lights carry over largely unchanged from the outgoing model. New 16-inch alloy wheel designs feature in profile, while changes toward the rear of the vehicle remain more subtle, limited primarily to a revised bumper, with the existing taillight design, roof-mounted spoiler and rear window wiper continuing without significant alteration.

Inside the cabin, changes are similarly measured rather than dramatic. The dashboard layout carries over largely unchanged from the previous generation, continuing to use the same nine-inch infotainment touchscreen unit found in the outgoing Baleno. Reported updates include new cabin upholstery options, ventilated front seats, a newly added heads-up display, and additional chrome trim elements that Maruti has positioned as adding a more premium feel to the cabin.

Maruti has not yet announced full variant-wise pricing details for the updated Baleno lineup beyond the starting price, according to Autocar India, with additional pricing information for higher trim levels expected to follow in the coming days.

The Baleno continues to compete within one of India’s most closely contested vehicle segments, facing off against rivals including the Tata Altroz, Hyundai i20, Toyota Glanza and, within Maruti’s own lineup, the Fronx crossover and the Swift hatchback. According to figures cited by ZigWheels, competing models like the Fronx have shown strong consumer preference in head-to-head comparisons against the Baleno in some market surveys, underscoring the intensity of competition the updated model faces even with its new engine and expanded safety features.

User reviews compiled on automotive platforms including CarDekho reflect broadly positive long-term ownership experiences with the outgoing Baleno generation, with several owners specifically praising the model’s fuel efficiency, cabin space and comfort levels comparable to larger vehicles despite its hatchback body style. One reviewer who had owned a Baleno for four years described experiencing no significant issues over that period, while another owner who had driven an automatic Baleno variant nearly 40,000 kilometers over two years said the vehicle continued to feel new, citing strong mileage and cabin space as standout qualities, though noting hope that Maruti would address concerns around interior build quality with the new facelift.

Some prospective buyers reviewing early details of the 2026 update have specifically flagged safety ratings as an area they hope Maruti addresses with the facelift, reflecting ongoing broader consumer interest in crash-test performance among Indian hatchback buyers, an area where Maruti’s vehicles have faced periodic scrutiny in independent testing conducted by global crash-safety organizations in recent years.

With the new engine, expanded ADAS suite and refreshed styling now confirmed following the Sept. 5 launch, the updated Baleno positions itself to compete more directly on safety credentials against segment rivals, even as its core mechanical and interior architecture remains fundamentally similar to the outgoing model. Prospective buyers weighing the updated Baleno against competitors like the Hyundai i20, Tata Altroz and Toyota Glanza will likely be watching closely for full variant-wise pricing details, along with independent test drives and crash-safety assessments, before the vehicle’s broader market reception becomes clear in the weeks following its launch.

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Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.