Taipei is drafting guidance for citizens visiting China as Beijing prepares device inspections at the border, NSC adviser Alex Huang says. Taiwan's government is drawing up official guidance to help its citizens reduce the dangers of visiting China, as Beijing readies border rules that could see travellers' mobile phones and other electronic devices searched. Alex Huang (黃重諺), an adviser to the National Security Council, set out the plan in an interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times published on Thursday. Beijing's rewritten entry and exit regulations are due to take effect next Tuesday, a change that has drawn concern abroad and led Washington to revise its own travel advisory for China. From next month, Chinese authorities will start carrying out random checks of personal communication devices. Huang said many Taiwanese fear that commercial secrets could be uncovered during such searches, or that remarks they posted on social media in the past might later be turned against them. The Mainland Affairs Council, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and other departments are preparing the advisory together, Huang said. He singled out three categories of travellers who should take extra care. Officials, clergy and tech workers at risk The first group is public employees at every level of government, whether in local, central or security posts. Huang said they could be treated as sources of intelligence. He pointed to recent episodes in which police officers were quizzed about how critical infrastructure is protected and court staff were pressed on the inner workings of the judiciary. Village heads and local civil affairs officers, he added, could be approached for details about air-raid shelters, emergency stockpiles and how supplies are distributed. Religious workers make up the second group. Huang argued that China lacks true freedom of worship, noting that missionary activity, ordinations and baptisms have to take place under the watch of religious affairs bodies answering to the Chinese Communist Party's United Front Work Department. Meetings of worshippers and religious study sessions, he said, are handled as national security concerns. He cited reports that several members of the I-Kuan Tao faith who went to China as tourists were detained without clear cause and are still being held. The third group covers people employed in sensitive fields such as semiconductors, quantum research, advanced materials and defence, along with staff at major foreign firms and companies tied to businesses that Beijing has sanctioned. Huang said such workers face an especially high chance of having their movements curtailed. Beijing extending its reach Huang linked the tighter border regime to a broader effort by Beijing to keep skilled workers and technology inside the country and to dissuade its own citizens from pursuing careers overseas. He said China's slowing economy has left a small circle of people prospering while many others struggle, and that supply chains around the world are moving faster to cut their dependence on the country. He described the new measures as part of a pattern that began with the so-called "22 guidelines to penalise Taiwanese independence separatists." Together, he said, these steps show Beijing trying to project its legal authority beyond its own territory and reveal a deep suspicion of its population. As an illustration, Huang pointed to China's Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress. He said it places Han Chinese culture above other cultures, gives priority to standard spoken Chinese and simplified characters, and goes as far as instructing parents to raise their children to "love the CCP." Rules of that kind, he said, twist basic constitutional and governing norms. He also flagged changes to China's National Defence Mobilisation Law. The amendments would widen what can be mobilised to take in supply chains and other assets bound up with the country's development. Under the revised text, Huang said, civilian resources would no longer be temporarily requisitioned but expropriated outright, with ownership transferred to the state. Taiwan travel advisory China, China border rules, Alex Huang National Security Council, China phone inspections, Mainland Affairs Council, I-Kuan Tao detained, Taiwan semiconductor workers China, China entry exit regulations

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Debutant Razaullah smashed 81 off 63 balls with nine sixes at Edgbaston, dragging Pakistan back into the third Test against England on day three. A 21-year-old debutant named Razaullah hijacked the third Test between England and Pakistan at Edgbaston on Friday, hammering 81 from 63 balls to drag his side back into a match they had been expected to lose. Coming in at number nine, he struck nine sixes in an innings that lasted around two hours and left England's bowlers scrambling. By the close of day three, England needed 130 to win, a target that had looked far more comfortable before Razaullah walked to the crease in Birmingham. Instead of wrapping up the game and taking Saturday off, both sides must return for a fourth day. Razaullah arrived in international cricket almost unknown. He had played just eight first-class matches, with a single century to his name, and was picked as part of wholesale changes Pakistan made before the final Test. Selectors saw him primarily as a raw, quick fast bowler, with comparisons drawn to Waqar Younis. His name was not one England's attack had prepared for. That changed quickly. He broke two bats during his onslaught and had to call for a third, flaying the England bowling to all corners. His nine sixes equalled the most ever hit in a single Test innings in England, matching Ben Stokes' 155 against Australia during the 2023 Ashes. In one innings he cleared the rope as many times as Sir Geoffrey Boycott did across his entire 108-Test career. England captain Joe Root ran out of answers. At one stage he pushed eight fielders back to the boundary, a defensive setting that did nothing to slow the debutant, who kept swinging with the confidence of a player untroubled by the situation. Pakistan, well behind in the match and written off before a ball was bowled, batted with a freedom absent from earlier in the series. Razaullah was not alone in the fightback. Opener Shan Masood anchored the innings with a patient 95, providing the application at one end that allowed the hitting at the other. Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja, on BBC Test Match Special, said the innings marked the arrival of a genuine talent. "It's the first time he's been out there for Pakistan ever, and he absolutely lights up the show. This is the attitude that was needed," he said. "Someone with a strong body language and who believes in himself. They'll want him playing all formats because he's a natural in mind, body language and attitude. It was a tremendous fightback." The style of the knock drew comparisons to Pakistan's great entertainers, with echoes of Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq in the way Razaullah attacked. For a player with only one first-class hundred and a reputation built on bowling pace, it was a startling introduction on the biggest stage. With 130 still to get, England remain favourites to close out the Test. But Razaullah's assault has ensured the match runs into a fourth day and handed Pakistan a contest they had appeared certain to concede. Razaullah, Pakistan cricket, England Pakistan Test, Edgbaston, third Test, Shan Masood, nine sixes, Test cricket

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ITAT Delhi cancelled a Rs 12.83 lakh penalty on a Delhi taxpayer, ruling that a dispute over the India-UAE treaty rate is not under-reporting of income. The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) Delhi has cancelled a Rs 12.83 lakh penalty imposed on a New Delhi taxpayer, ruling that no penalty for under-reporting can apply when the income he declared matched the income the tax department finally assessed. The only real disagreement, the tribunal found, was over the tax rate the man could claim under the India-United Arab Emirates Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA). The taxpayer, identified in the proceedings by the surname Lalwani, filed his income tax return on November 4, 2022, declaring total income of Rs 8.43 crore. The Assessing Officer (AO) at Jhandewalan reopened the case on March 22, 2025, and reworked the tax treatment of Rs 1.17 crore of interest income earned by his minor child. The officer clubbed that Rs 1.17 crore with the father's income and changed the rate applied to it. In doing so, the AO also refused to allow the lower rate of tax the man had claimed under the India-UAE treaty. Separately, the officer declined credit for Rs 2.62 lakh in tax deducted at source (TDS), on the ground that the related rental income had not been brought into the taxable total. On the same date, the AO invoked Section 270A of the Income-tax Act, 1961, and levied the Rs 12.83 lakh penalty for what it described as under-reporting of income. The Commissioner of Appeals (CIT-A) upheld that penalty. The taxpayer then took the matter to ITAT Delhi, which ruled in his favour on July 28, 2026, and ordered the penalty deleted. Why the tribunal struck down the penalty The central question before ITAT Delhi was whether a Section 270A penalty could stand when the income shown in the return and the income assessed by the officer were identical. Section 270A deals with cases of under-reporting or misreporting of income. The taxpayer argued there was no gap between what he declared and what was assessed, so there was nothing under-reported. He further contended that the fight over the Rs 1.17 crore was confined to the rate of tax under the India-UAE treaty, not to whether the income existed or had been disclosed. The tribunal accepted this. It noted that the disputed interest income had already appeared in his return and had also been carried into the assessed income. Chartered accountant Surana, quoted by ET, said the assessment "merely altered the tax treatment by denying the concessional treaty rate." On that basis, he said, ITAT Delhi treated the matter as a dispute about the rate of tax rather than the amount or the disclosure of income. The tribunal also examined the denied TDS credit of Rs 2.62 lakh. After reviewing the taxpayer's explanation as recorded in the assessment order, it found no significant defect in it. That issue, too, was held insufficient to brand his conduct as under-reporting or misreporting warranting a Section 270A penalty. According to Surana, the taxpayer prevailed because the reported and assessed income were the same, the Rs 1.17 crore interest had already been disclosed, and the core dispute was the treaty rate. How clubbing of a minor's income works The case turned in part on the clubbing provisions of the Income Tax Act, under which income belonging to one person is added to another taxpayer's total in defined situations. The aim is to stop tax avoidance by shifting income to someone else. These provisions apply to individuals, not to firms, Hindu Undivided Families or companies. As a general rule, a minor child's income is clubbed with the income of the parent who earns more. Once clubbed, it is taxed at the rate that applies to that parent, which can raise the overall bill if the income is moved to someone in a higher bracket. The law carves out exceptions. Income a minor earns through manual work or by using a special skill or knowledge is not clubbed. Where a minor's income is clubbed, Section 10(32) allows an exemption of Rs 1,500 per child. Income a spouse earns from their own personal skill or manual work, or from assets bought with their own independent funds, is also kept out of the clubbing net. Separately, income from assets transferred to a son's wife is taxed in the hands of the person who made the transfer. The ruling underlines a distinction that decided the case: a disagreement over whether taxable income exists, or how much of it there is, is not the same as a dispute over the rate applied to income that has already been fully disclosed. ITAT Delhi, Section 270A penalty, India-UAE DTAA, clubbing of income, minor child income tax, income tax appeal, TDS credit, under-reporting income

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A review at Addenbrooke's Hospital found 209 patients harmed under surgeon Kuldeep Stohr, with 41 severe cases and one death. Families demand a public inquiry. A mother whose teenage daughter was among more than 200 patients found to have been harmed by a now-suspended NHS orthopaedic surgeon says she no longer has any faith in the hospital that carried out the operation. Lynn, whose 13-year-old daughter Tammy was treated at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, described the scale of the failures as "ridiculous". Figures made public on Monday show that 209 patients experienced harm while under the care of surgeon Kuldeep Stohr. Of those, 41 cases were graded as severe and one patient died. The numbers appeared in a report drawn up for the board of directors at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH), which runs Addenbrooke's. The trust said it was "deeply sorry". Stohr has previously stated that she was fully co-operating with the investigation into her work. Screws placed in the wrong position Tammy's family was among the first to be given the results of an independent investigation last year. Her lawyers say the trust provided a written admission that the surgery fell below acceptable standards. Screws intended to be fixed into Tammy's hip joints to help her move more freely were positioned incorrectly and failed to attach properly to the bone. Lynn said the sheer number of affected patients could not be brushed aside. "One or two can be classed as a mistake, but this amount - no," she said. She added that the situation was especially hard for parents who had watched their children go back into theatre for further operations. She also questioned who had compiled the board report, saying relatives no longer believed what the hospital told them. More than 900 cases examined The wider review being carried out by CUH has so far assessed the treatment of over 900 patients. A large share of the cases involve children who were operated on by Stohr. The board report had been posted on the trust's website before a meeting scheduled for Wednesday. It was then taken down after journalists approached the trust for comment. The trust said a "confidential interim update" had been "shared by mistake in our public board papers". Stohr has been absent from work since March 2024. She was suspended by the hospital, with the trust initially citing personal reasons. Calls for a public inquiry Another parent, Natasha, is pressing for a public inquiry into how children treated by Stohr came to be injured. Her daughter Neave, aged 19, is among those affected. The trust expects to release its final conclusions in November. Chief executive Nicola Ayton said the findings would be given to patients and their families ahead of publication. Elizabeth Maliakal of Hudgell Solicitors, which acts for several of the families, said she anticipated the final report would be "damning". She said some of her clients, including children, had undergone significant operations they did not need - procedures that brought no benefit and left them in pain for years. "I expect the final report from the trust, once all the findings of the independent review panel are known, to be highly critical," she said, pointing out that fatal harm had already been confirmed in at least one instance, alongside many other injuries. Kuldeep Stohr, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals, NHS surgeon suspended, patient harm review, orthopaedic surgery children, public inquiry NHS, Hudgell Solicitors

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Apple opens preorders for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max ahead of a September 18 release, with prices from $1,199 and A20 Pro chips inside. Apple has opened preorders for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, the two flagship handsets it revealed at its September 2026 "Sunrise and shine" event. Both models go on sale Friday, September 18th, and buyers can already reserve a specific color and storage size before stock is committed. The 6.3-inch iPhone 18 Pro carries a starting price of $1,199 for 256GB of storage, rising to $2,399 for the top 2TB configuration. The larger 6.9-inch iPhone 18 Pro Max begins at $1,299 for 256GB and reaches $2,499 for its 2TB version. Each phone comes in four finishes: deep black, silver, glacier, and burgundy. Inside both devices is Apple's new A20 Pro processor. The chip adds GPU muscle for graphics and packs additional neural cores aimed at handling AI workloads. Apple has also reworked the camera system on the two Pro models, though the phones were unveiled at the same event as the iPhone Duo and other new products. Where to place an order For now, Apple itself is the only place to reserve an unlocked iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max. Other major retailers are starting the preorder window with carrier-tied units only. Best Buy is selling the 18 Pro through Verizon or AT&T and the Pro Max through the same two carriers. Walmart has a wider spread, listing the 18 Pro via Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, and the Pro Max through T-Mobile, Verizon, or AT&T. Shoppers who would rather not hand over the full amount at once have several routes. Apple offers a financing plan spread across 36 monthly payments at zero percent APR, and the new phones qualify for the company's recently launched Apple Upgrade program. Trading in an older handset can knock as much as $885 off the bill, and carriers layer on extra credits of their own. What the carriers are offering AT&T will cover the cost of an iPhone 18 Pro through billing credits repaid over 36 months, provided customers trade in an iPhone 14 or a newer model and sign up for the AT&T Extra plan. Cheaper plans earn smaller discounts. These deals surface on Apple's checkout page, where buyers can choose to pay the $99 gap between the Pro and Pro Max themselves. T-Mobile is advertising the iPhone 18 Pro at no cost through bill credits when customers port in a number or trade in a qualifying device on its Experience Beyond plan. The terms are tighter for people already with the carrier, who need to trade in an iPhone 16 or newer to fully offset a new phone. Switchers get an offer close to what AT&T is presenting. Verizon's promotion is more direct. Its Simplicity Pro plan, priced at $80 a month for customers moving over from another network, bundles in a free iPhone 18 Pro and the ability to upgrade after a year. As with the rival deals, the "free" phone is settled through monthly bill credits, so buyers must stay with Verizon for three years to collect the full amount. Across all three networks, the pattern is the same: the phone is paid down over time rather than gifted upfront, and leaving early forfeits the remaining credits. For anyone set on a particular color or capacity, placing a preorder now is the surest way to secure it before the September 18th launch. iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone 18 Pro preorder, Apple A20 Pro chip, iPhone 18 Pro price, iPhone 18 Pro colors, Apple September 2026 event, iPhone 18 Pro trade-in

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Apple's launch event brought the folding iPhone Duo, the iPhone 18 Pro, and new Apple Watches with an always-on microphone, in John Ternus's first outing as CEO. John Ternus introduced Apple's first folding phone, the iPhone Duo, in his first public appearance as the company's chief executive. The debut, staged at Apple's launch event, paired a high-profile product with a high-profile leadership change, giving the new CEO a marquee device to headline his opening act. The iPhone Duo marks Apple's entry into a category that Android manufacturers have occupied for years. Rather than break new ground on the format, Apple appears to have studied its rivals closely, selecting the features it judged to work best from existing Android foldables and building around them. The Verge's Allison Johnson tested the new phones in Cupertino ahead of the event. The iPhone 18 Pro and its variable aperture Alongside the foldable, Apple introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. The headline camera change is a new variable aperture, which lets the lens open and close to different f-stops. But the standout improvement may be simpler than the mechanism suggests. The more meaningful gain appears to be the wider maximum aperture itself, which lets in more light, rather than the added ability to stop the lens down to narrower settings. New Apple Watches that listen Apple also refreshed its smartwatch line with the Apple Watch Series 12 and the Apple Watch Ultra 4. Both carry a new sensor array, raising the question of whether the added hardware delivers genuinely new health metrics or simply more loosely defined wellness data. Victoria Song tested the watches for The Verge. The more striking addition is on the software and privacy side. Both new watches can keep a microphone switched on at all times, using it to summarize the conversations a wearer has throughout the day. The Series 12 pairs this with an always-on Siri capable of generating AI recaps of a user's day. Apple published a document explaining how the listening features are designed to protect user privacy, an acknowledgment that an always-listening wrist device invites scrutiny. Local AI and the OpenAI math dispute The event coverage extended beyond Apple's own hardware. In a separate segment, The Verge's Nilay Patel and David Imel spoke with AI researcher CJ Trowbridge about the current state of running local large language models directly on the Mac, a growing interest for users who want to keep AI workloads on their own machines rather than in the cloud. Attention also turned to a controversy surrounding OpenAI. The company has claimed a significant mathematical breakthrough, but the announcement has unsettled parts of the academic community. Mathematicians are pressing OpenAI for proof that it did not rely on their existing work to reach the result, and the dispute has cast a shadow over what the company presented as a milestone. Several shorter items rounded out the week's technology news. The so-called Trump phone was hit with a $250 price increase. Sony returned to one of its best-known audio products, revisiting the XM4 headphones six years after their original release. And Hori released an electronic take on the Ocarina of Time that, by design, requires no musical ability to play. Together, the announcements point to a busy stretch for Apple and the wider industry. For Apple, the day carried added weight: a new foldable, a redesigned camera system, and a set of always-listening wearables all arrived under a new chief executive making his first impression from the stage. iPhone Duo, foldable iPhone, John Ternus Apple CEO, iPhone 18 Pro, Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, variable aperture camera, Apple AI features

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A Canadian study finds human shouts and flashing lights drive deer and elk from crops, but the animals stop reacting within six weeks. A recorded human shout is the single most effective sound for driving deer and elk off farmland, but the animals quickly learn to ignore it, according to a 2025 study from the University of Alberta and King's University. The research, published in the journal Ecology and Evolution, tested audio and light devices on crops in British Columbia's Cowichan Valley and found that the fear response faded within six weeks. Between August 4 and September 17, 2023, the team fitted 15 crop fields with motion-triggered devices. When a Roosevelt elk or black-tailed deer approached, a device played one of several recordings: ordinary conversation, shouting, wolf and cougar calls, barking dogs, or local birdsong. Some fields also flashed LED lights. Across the trial the researchers logged 680 usable encounters with the two species, which routinely wander into fields and damage crops and fencing. Shouting beat wolf and cougar calls The loudness of the voice, not merely its presence, drove the animals off. Deer bolted from human shouts in 64% of encounters, but from calm talking only 46% of the time. Recorded predator calls sent deer running in 45% of cases, and dog sounds performed worse still. Elk reacted less across the board: they fled from shouts in 36% of encounters, compared with 13% for conversational speech, while predator calls, dog barks and birdsong each produced flight in roughly 16 to 18% of cases. That gap between talking and shouting suggests the animals were responding to the aggression in the sound rather than just recognising a human voice. Lights sharpened the effect Pairing sound with a flashing light made a clear difference. For elk, adding lights roughly doubled the share of encounters ending in flight, from 13% with audio alone to 26%. Measured overall, combining the two cues raised the odds of an animal fleeing by 4.7 times for elk and 1.8 times for deer. The lights did not, however, keep the animals on edge for any longer once the encounter was over. The researchers propose that a second warning signal may make a threat harder to shrug off, though they could not confirm whether the flashing itself read as a predator or simply amplified the alarm. Then they stopped running The deterrents' biggest weakness showed up over time. As the 45-day experiment wore on, both species grew calmer. Among elk, the predicted chance of staying alert dropped from 86.4% on the opening day to 55% by day 45 - a relative fall of about 36%. Deer alertness slid more gently, from 84.8% to 62.9%, a decline of roughly 26%. The animals, in effect, worked out that the noises and flashes carried no real danger. This learning process, called habituation, is a recurring obstacle for anyone trying to manage wildlife with artificial signals: a threat repeated often enough, with nothing behind it, eventually stops meaning anything. Busy landscapes sped up the learning For deer, the surrounding environment shaped how fast that happened. The animals tuned out the devices sooner at sites near clusters of houses and close to highways, hinting that deer already used to steady human activity are quicker to dismiss human-sounding alarms. The trend was murkier for elk; the researchers saw a possible link with highway proximity, but their strongest statistical model did not pin down a clear landscape effect. What it means for farmers Growers are increasingly turning to deterrents as a humane alternative to shooting animals or building costly exclusion fences. The study offers cautious support for that approach, showing that sound systems can work, especially when they use forceful human voices backed by a visual cue. But it also warns that a device left untouched in one spot will lose its bite. To keep animals guessing, the authors suggest rotating the types of stimuli and adding real consequences so the perceived threat is occasionally backed up. They stress the limits of their work - 15 sites over 45 days is a small sample - and note it cannot yet say whether the short-term changes in behaviour actually cut crop losses or affect wildlife numbers. The practical takeaway is blunt. A shouted warning may send a deer running today, but if the same sound keeps coming from the same box with nothing ever happening, the animal will eventually decide it can stay and feed. deer deterrents, elk crop damage, wildlife habituation, University of Alberta study, Cowichan Valley farming, non-lethal wildlife control, Roosevelt elk, black-tailed deer

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Soori's 'Mandaadi' earned Rs 9.25 cr on Day 3 for a worldwide gross of Rs 29.43 cr, while Karthi's 'Sardar 2' dipped to Rs 2.20 cr on its first Saturday. Soori's action drama 'Mandaadi' posted a sharp rise in earnings on its first Saturday, collecting Rs 9.25 crore in India net on Day 3, September 12, according to figures compiled by Sacnilk. The number marked a 38.1% jump over the Rs 6.70 crore the film earned on Day 2. The Day 3 total came from 3,354 shows and pushed the film's India net collection to Rs 20.80 crore. Its India gross now stands at Rs 24.43 crore. Overseas markets added Rs 2.50 crore on Saturday, taking the total overseas gross to Rs 5.00 crore. Combined, 'Mandaadi' has reached a worldwide gross of Rs 29.43 crore. The film opened on September 10 with Rs 4.85 crore from 2,953 shows and an overall occupancy of 32.7%. Business climbed on Friday to Rs 6.70 crore from 2,864 shows as occupancy rose to 44.9%. Saturday extended the upward run, with 3,354 shows lifting occupancy to 53.8%. Tamil version drives the numbers The Tamil version was the film's largest contributor on Day 3, taking in Rs 7.55 crore from 2,548 shows at an occupancy of 57.2%. The Telugu version added Rs 1.70 crore from 806 shows, with occupancy at 43.0%. Together the two versions account for the Rs 20.80 crore India net total. The strength of the Tamil release showed clearly across the day. Its 2D version recorded overall occupancy of 58.90% on Saturday, rising from 37.92% in morning shows to 60.62% in the afternoon, 62.46% in the evening and 74.62% at night. The Telugu 2D version posted 42.50% overall, moving from 33.27% in the morning to 34.00% in the afternoon, 41.55% in the evening and 53.91% at night. Tamil Nadu leads the states Tamil Nadu remained the film's biggest market by state. On September 12 it generated Rs 7.25 crore of the day's gross. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana together added Rs 2.00 crore, while Karnataka contributed Rs 1.15 crore. Kerala brought in Rs 35 lakh and the rest of India accounted for Rs 10 lakh. The state-wise gross for Day 3 totalled Rs 10.85 crore. 'Sardar 2' loses ground on Saturday Karthi's 'Sardar 2', which also opened on September 10, moved in the opposite direction. The film collected Rs 2.20 crore in India net on Day 3, a 10.2% fall from its Friday figure of Rs 2.45 crore, according to Sacnilk. The Saturday total came from 3,035 shows. The film's India net now stands at Rs 9.15 crore and its India gross at Rs 10.75 crore. Overseas markets added Rs 1.00 crore on Day 3, lifting the total overseas gross to Rs 3.50 crore and the worldwide gross to Rs 14.25 crore. 'Sardar 2' began with Rs 4.50 crore from 3,950 shows on its opening day, at 24.5% occupancy. Day 2 brought Rs 2.45 crore from 3,361 shows as occupancy slipped to 19.3%. On Day 3, occupancy edged up to 21.0% even as the day's earnings declined. By language, the Tamil version of 'Sardar 2' earned Rs 1.50 crore in India net on Day 3, playing across 2,014 shows at 22.0% occupancy. The Telugu version added Rs 70 lakh from 1,021 shows at 19.0% occupancy. The two versions together make up the film's Rs 9.15 crore India net total. With both films sharing a September 10 release, their first weekend has drawn a clear contrast: 'Mandaadi' building steadily day on day, and 'Sardar 2' easing back after its opening. All figures are approximate and may change as further studio and international market data are finalised. Mandaadi box office, Soori Mandaadi, Sardar 2 box office, Karthi Sardar 2, Tamil cinema, Telugu box office, Mandaadi collection, Sacnilk

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French officials will let producers raise champagne's alcohol content to 15% for 2026 after record heatwaves created sweeter grapes and the earliest-ever harvest. French officials have cleared producers to raise the alcohol content of champagne to as much as 15% for the 2026 vintage, lifting the usual 13% ceiling for the first time after a summer of record heat left grapes packed with sugar. The Comité Champagne, the industry association that governs the region, said the change is exceptional and applies to this year only The decision follows a growing season marked by extreme heat and drought, which produced grapes with unusually high sugar levels. Because yeast converts sugar into alcohol during fermentation, that extra sweetness translates directly into stronger wine. During the second fermentation, the stage that gives champagne its bubbles, a small number of wines from the harvest were on track to edge past the regulatory limit. A spokeswoman for the Comité Champagne told the BBC that only a handful of wines are affected. Some "could have slightly exceeded the regulatory limit of 13%, reaching around 13.1% or 13.2%," she said, adding that officials chose "to exceptionally and temporarily increase the regulatory limit to 15% - only for this year." The weather also reshaped the calendar. The first grapes were cut in early August, and picking spread across the region by the middle of the month - the earliest harvest ever recorded in Champagne, according to the association. The 2026 season, it said, "will be remembered as one of the most unusual in Champagne's history, marked by severe spring frosts of historic intensity, an exceptionally early flowering period and five heatwaves throughout the summer." A new cycle for the vines Producers see the season as a turning point rather than a one-off. Stéphane Vignon, a grower in Verzenay, told the Times: "The Mediterranean climate is moving north. This is year one of a new cycle. It's unlikely to be every year, but it will happen again." Maxime Toubart, co-chair of the Comité Champagne, made a similar point to the AFP news agency. With hotter weather increasingly likely, he said, "this unusual harvest will probably become the norm in 10 to 15 years." The association echoed that timeline, warning that the early harvest could become standard within a decade to 15 years as the climate shifts. Stronger, but not necessarily better sellers A higher alcohol figure may not appeal to buyers. Jane Anson, a wine columnist and author based in Bordeaux, said stronger champagne is unlikely to work as a selling point because drinkers are moving the other way. "Today people increasingly prefer lower-alcohol," she told the Times, adding: "The battle between what consumers want and what nature provides must be very stressful for producers." Consumers will not be able to judge the results for some time. Champagne must age for at least 15 months, so the 2026 vintage is unlikely to reach shelves until 2028. The stronger bubbly is one small consequence of a punishing year for France, one of the European countries hit hardest by this summer's extreme weather, which fuelled large wildfires. Climate change is pushing up global average temperatures and making heatwaves more frequent and more intense. The effect has been especially sharp in Europe, which the Copernicus climate service describes as the fastest-warming continent, heating up at twice the global average rate. champagne alcohol content, France heatwave 2026, Comité Champagne, champagne harvest, climate change wine, 15% ABV champagne, Champagne region, early grape harves

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Saudi Arabia shut its East-West pipeline after a drone attack launched from Iraq's Maysan province. Iraq fired a commander and opened an investigation. Saudi Arabia has shut down its East-West oil pipeline after the line was hit by drones flown in from neighbouring Iraq, closing a route the kingdom relies on to move crude without passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Riyadh announced the closure on Friday, calling it a precautionary step while it assessed the damage. Iraq acknowledged that the drones had come from its territory, specifically from Maysan, a province on its border with Iran. The Iraqi prime minister's office said it had dismissed the operations commander for the governorate after confirming the attack originated there, and it has opened an investigation into how the strike was mounted. The Saudi foreign ministry said the attack caused injuries and physical damage, the full extent of which was still being measured. Satellite photographs released afterwards showed burned ground and smoke rising near the targeted section of the line. Imagery from Planet Labs captured the site before and after the hit. The pipeline stretches 1,200km (745 miles) and is central to how Saudi Arabia, the largest crude exporter in the world, ships oil while sidestepping the congested Strait of Hormuz. According to Reuters, which cited ship-tracking firms and analysts, the route had been carrying between 4% and 5% of the world's oil supply before the shutdown. Saudi Arabia said it would not strike back for now. Its foreign ministry said the decision followed a telephone call from the Iraqi prime minister, and that the kingdom would back Baghdad's efforts to stop cross-border attacks on its neighbours. At the same time, the ministry said Riyadh keeps the option of acting later, stating it "reserves its right to take all necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty and security, protect its facilities, and ensure the safety of its citizens and residents." This is not the first time Riyadh has blamed armed groups inside Iraq for going after its energy sites. Saudi Arabia has before pointed to Iran-backed militias operating on Iraqi soil, and it has joined the United States in carrying out strikes against those groups after accusing them of sending drones at oil installations. Gulf states condemn the strike The Gulf Co-operation Council, whose members are Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait, issued a joint statement denouncing the attack. Its secretary general, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, described the strike as "a dangerous escalation and an unacceptable threat to the security of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its territorial integrity, and its vital installations, as well as a flagrant violation of the principles of international law." The strike landed as fighting across the wider region intensifies. The confrontation between the United States and Iran has now run into its seventh month, and the pressure on oil routes is mounting on more than one front. Houthi gains in Yemen In Yemen, Iran-aligned Houthi fighters have pushed forward rapidly over the past week and, according to sources, taken control of much of the country's coastline. The group said it now holds the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the entry point to the Red Sea and, beyond it, the Suez Canal. The Houthis said shipping through the waterway remained "safe for all." The rebels seized the entire Red Sea coast earlier in the week. On Friday, forces loyal to Yemen's Saudi-backed government said they had hit Houthi positions in Mokha, a coastal city of strategic value, a day after the group consolidated its hold on the shoreline. Together, the pipeline closure and the Houthi advance place fresh strain on the global shipping lanes that carry a large share of the world's oil, tightening the squeeze on routes that run through both the Red Sea and the Gulf. Saudi Arabia oil pipeline, East-West pipeline, Iraq drone attack, Maysan governorate, Houthi Yemen advance, Strait of Hormuz, Iran-backed militia, Bab al-Mandab Strait

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Neymar sits out with a grade 2 thigh injury and Gabigol is suspended as Santos host Cruzeiro at Vila Belmiro in the Brazilian championship. Santos faced Cruzeiro without two of their biggest attacking names on Saturday, the 12th, in the 27th round of the Campeonato Brasileiro. The match kicked off at 9 p.m. Brasília time at Vila Belmiro, with Neymar and Gabigol both ruled out for very different reasons. Neymar is sidelined by a muscle injury. He suffered a grade 2 tear in his right thigh during the match against Palmeiras on September 2. The problem is considered moderate, involving a partial rupture of muscle fibres, swelling and intense pain in the rectus femoris. The forward has already begun treatment. His recovery is estimated at six to eight weeks, a timeline that could keep him out of as many as 13 matches. The most optimistic projection points to a return at the end of October, while a more conservative reading suggests he may not play again until early November. Given Neymar's recent history of injuries, his camp has ruled out any attempt to bring him back early. The player's staff prefer to respect the full recovery window rather than risk a setback. Gabigol's absence stems from two separate issues. The striker picked up his third yellow card, triggering an automatic suspension that bars him from the 27th round. Even if he were clear on disciplinary grounds, he could not have played. Gabigol belongs to Cruzeiro and is on loan at Santos, and a contractual restriction prevents him from being fielded against his parent club. Unlike Neymar, Gabigol's return is straightforward. He will be available again as soon as his suspension is served, with no medical timeline to manage. Beyond the two forwards, Santos went into the game carrying further squad problems, leaving the hosts short of attacking options against Cruzeiro at Vila Belmiro. Neymar injury, Gabigol suspension, Santos vs Cruzeiro, Brasileirao, Vila Belmiro, Campeonato Brasileiro, Santos FC, Cruzeir

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Roger Goodell talks NFL's first regular-season game in Australia, his contract to 2031, and plans for up to 16 international games and overseas teams. The National Football League stages its first regular-season game on Australian soil this week, with the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams set to kick off the Week 1 matchup on Thursday at 8:35 p.m. ET. Commissioner Roger Goodell, speaking in Melbourne, framed the milestone as one piece of a much longer campaign to plant the sport around the world. Goodell, 67, told CNBC that running the league now means mapping out decisions over a decade or more. "Whether it's media, or whether it's labor, or whether it's our international plans or what we're doing with stadiums, all of that [requires] taking a 5-, 10-, 15-year look, and it's critical to do that," he said, adding that failing to plan that far out would be "irresponsible." The commissioner has secured the time to see those plans through. Earlier this month he agreed to a four-year contract extension that keeps him in charge until March 2031. This season marks his 20th at the helm, a tenure that has seen the league expand to a 17-game regular season and move its broadcast inventory onto streaming platforms. Overseas expansion may prove the most consequential shift of all. The NFL has already brought regular-season contests to Germany, France, Brazil and Mexico, and the Melbourne fixture widens that footprint further. The schedule calls for nine games outside the United States in 2026 and 10 the following year. Goodell has said he would eventually like to reach 16, but that ambition depends on the players. That constraint is written into the sport's labor deal. The current collective bargaining agreement limits the league to 10 games abroad, and it runs out in March 2031 - the same month Goodell's new contract concludes. Pushing past the cap will require fresh negotiation and the athletes' agreement. Long flights and time-zone changes can upset the strict routines players lean on to stay healthy across a grueling season. Even so, Goodell said the roster embraces the trips. "I think they see the opportunity. I get calls, texts from our players during the offseason, and they're all over the world, so I think this generation of players is used to being international," he said. He added that today's athletes view the games as a chance to build their personal brands, calling that "great for the NFL." Beyond a one-off visit Goodell was candid that dropping a team into a foreign city for a single week does little to create lasting supporters. The league is betting instead on its Global Markets Program, under which every franchise holds marketing rights to at least one country. The idea is to nurture followings in places that have no historic tie to any particular club. "You don't want to be at the circus to come in and play a game and leave," Goodell said. "You want to have events and sponsors and media partners. I think we'll continue to modify [the Global Markets Program], but I think it's worked well." The numbers show how far that work still has to go. Last season's Week 1 international game, between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers, streamed on YouTube and drew 18.5 million viewers inside the United States. Abroad, it pulled in just 1.2 million. American audiences remain enormous - NFL broadcasts regularly top the country's television rankings - but interest elsewhere is still slight. A franchise overseas Goodell has gone further in describing his vision, saying he expects the league to one day place a team permanently outside the United States. He suggested he could picture multiple NFL clubs based in Europe. He would not attach any timeline to establishing an overseas franchise, saying it forms part of the broader strategy still taking shape. For now, the focus is on Thursday's contest in Melbourne, a first for the sport in a country the NFL hopes to add to its growing list of overseas hosts. The game tests, in real time, whether a week-long visit can be turned into something more durable - the central question behind Goodell's international push. NFL Australia game, Roger Goodell, NFL international games, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, NFL Global Markets Program, NFL collective bargaining agreement, NFL streaming right

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