Author: News Desk

South Korea: Samsung Electronics has announced that it expects second-quarter operating profits to increase more than 15 times compared to last year. A surge in artificial intelligence (AI) has increased the cost of sophisticated chips, raising the company’s second-quarter projection. Samsung shares rose more than 2 percent in early Seoul trading after the announcement. The company also revealed that its profits for the first three months of this year increased by a factor of more than ten. Sales are expected to rise 23.3 percent to 74 trillion South Korean won, Samsung said. The world economy depends heavily on semiconductors, which…

London, UK: The Labour Party has won the UK general election 2024, ending 14 years of Conservative rule, and Keir Starmer will be the new prime minister. Starmer declares, “Change begins now,” following his resounding victory in the general election. The 61-year-old Labour leader has won seats in Holborn and St Pancras. Several well-known Conservatives, including Penny Mordaunt, Jacob Rees-Mogg, and Defense Secretary Grant Shapps, have lost their seats. Soon resigning current PM of the UK, Rishi Sunak, has conceded the defeat saying sorry. Sunak has secured a parliamentary seat in northern England. “To the many good, hard-working Conservative candidates…

Tehran: Iranians are voting in a run-off presidential election, amid widespread voter apathy and heightened regional tensions. The earlier election on June 28 had a historic low turnout, with over 60 percent of voters abstaining from electing a successor to Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash. Critics interpret the low participation as a vote of no confidence in the Islamic Republic. The election will be a tight contest between lawmaker Masoud Pezeshkian, the only moderate among the four candidates, and hardline former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili. Polls opened at 8 a.m. local time (0430 GMT) and close at…

Brussels: The European Union (EU) has increased tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), marking a significant move to protect the bloc’s motor industry. The new tariffs on individual manufacturers range from 17.4 percent to 37.6 percent, in addition to a 10 percent duty already in place for all-electric cars imported from China. The decision is expected to raise the price of EVs across the EU, making them less affordable for European consumers. The move marks a significant blow to Beijing, which is already in a trade war with Washington. The EU is the largest overseas market for China’s EV industry,…

United States: A wildfire that is raging in Butte County has forced thousands of people to flee Northern California as the West experiences an intensifying heat wave. The already-parched foliage has been further dried out by the high temperatures, which are expected to last into next week, raising the risk of wildfires throughout the area. The California National Guard may be called into action to help fight the fire after Governor Gavin Newsom announced a state of emergency for the affected area. The governor’s declaration lists strong winds, dry conditions, and continuous high temperatures throughout the day and night as…

Australia: Australia’s McDonald’s restaurants have shortened their breakfast hours due to a shortage of eggs brought on by a bird flu outbreak. Due to “current industry challenges” with securing eggs, the fast food behemoth said this week that it will temporarily stop its breakfast service at 10:30 AM instead of midday as normal. “We are working hard with our Aussie farmers and suppliers to return this back to normal as soon as possible. So, from Tuesday July 2nd, for a breakfast that really hits the spot, make sure you check the clock,” McDonad’s Australia said in a statement. Since May,…

Indonesia: Researchers have discovered the world’s oldest artwork in a cave on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. The painting, found in the Leang Karampuang cave in the Maros-Pangkep region, is estimated to be around 51,200 years old. Maxime Aubert, an archaeologist at Australia’s Griffith University and co-author of the study published in Nature, described the finding as the ‘oldest evidence of storytelling.’ The newly discovered artwork features three people around a wild pig, measuring 92cm by 38cm (36 inches by 15 inches), rendered in a single shade of dark red pigment. There are other images of pigs in the cave.…

United Kingdom: Millions of people will cast ballots in the general election of 2024 today. Polling places, which are located in areas of neighborhood community centers and schools, will be open from 7:00 until 22:00 BST. There are around 40,000 polling stations and about 46 million eligible voters for the 650 members of the House of Commons. Voter ID is now mandatory for the first general election following the introduction of new regulations in 2023. Voters can use any of the available forms of identification, such as a passport or driver’s license. Every constituency, or area, will have its results…

Japan: The Supreme Court of Japan has declared a defunct eugenics law as unconstitutional that enforced the forced sterilisation of approximately 16,500 disabled individuals between the 1950s and 1990s. In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court also mandated the government to provide damages to 11 victims involved in five cases brought on appeal. The court ruling marks an end to the decades-long struggle for justice by victims who have sought both compensation and an apology. While a 2019 law had initially granted damages to surviving victims, some continued to fight for increased compensation. In four of the cases heard, the…

United States: Former US Navy officer and oceanographer Tim Gallaudet, has published a report urging the world to pay closer attention to Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs). Gallaudet emphasised that these objects could transition seamlessly from air to sea, posing potential national security threats for US. These objects defy the current human-made technology and physical laws. In July 2019, the USS Omaha recorded footage of a UFO, or an Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon (UAP). The object disappeared into the ocean off the coast of San Diego without any trace, showcasing advanced capabilities. The 2019 incident has still not been explained by the…