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IBM Lowers Annual Revenue Forecast Amid AI Investment Focus U.S. technology company IBM has lowered its annual revenue forecast due to sluggish performance in its core business and increased investments in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure by corporations. On July 22, IBM announced in its second-quarter earnings report that it has revised its revenue growth forecast for the year, excluding the effects of currency fluctuations, from 'over 5%' to between 4% and 5%. Second-quarter revenue reached $17.162 billion, a 1% increase from the same period last year, but fell short of market expectations of $17.58 billion. Net income was $2.165 billion, slightly down from $2.194 billion a year earlier. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS), excluding one-time items, also came in at $2.93, below the market forecast of $2.97. The decline in sales from IBM's mainframe business significantly impacted its performance. Revenue from IBM Z mainframes dropped 42% year-over-year, and overall infrastructure revenue decreased by 7%. While software revenue increased by 5%, it did not meet market expectations. Corporations have concentrated their investments in servers, data storage, and memory needed for AI, leading to delays in some existing information technology (IT) investments. Consequently, some large contracts that IBM anticipated were not finalized in the second quarter. IBM acknowledged that it failed to respond quickly to the rapidly changing market conditions. However, Arvind Krishna, IBM's CEO, stated during a conference call following the earnings announcement that about one-third of the large contracts that did not materialize in the second quarter have already been secured in the third quarter.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-23 07:08:00 -
Alphabet Reports Strong Q2 Earnings Driven by AI Demand Google's parent company Alphabet reported second-quarter earnings that exceeded market expectations, driven by strong demand for artificial intelligence (AI). The company plans to increase investments in AI infrastructure, including data centers and servers, as its cloud business continues to grow rapidly. However, these large investments have resulted in a negative free cash flow.On July 22, Alphabet announced that its Q2 revenue rose 24% year-over-year to $119.8 billion, surpassing market forecasts of approximately $117 billion.The growth was primarily fueled by Google Cloud, which saw an 82% increase in revenue to $24.8 billion, driven by rising demand for AI services and infrastructure. Revenue from the search segment was approximately $63.3 billion, while total advertising revenue reached $81.6 billion.Net income for the quarter was $112.1 billion, with earnings per share (EPS) of $9.11. This surge in net income included an estimated $98 billion in valuation gains from Alphabet's holdings in other companies, such as SpaceX, indicating that the increase was not solely from core business profits.Investments in AI infrastructure also expanded significantly. Alphabet's capital expenditures (CAPEX) for Q2 reached $44.9 billion, doubling from the same period last year. CAPEX refers to funds used for long-term facilities and equipment, such as data centers and servers.Alphabet has raised its annual capital expenditure forecast for the year from a previous range of $180 billion to $190 billion to a new range of $195 billion to $205 billion. This marks the second upward revision from an initial estimate of $175 billion to $185 billion, reflecting the growing need for data centers and servers as AI service usage increases.As investments have surged, cash flow has come under pressure. The free cash flow (FCF) for Q2 was negative $5.86 billion. FCF represents the cash a company generates from operations after accounting for capital expenditures.Alphabet's FCF was $10.1 billion in Q1, but it turned negative in just one quarter. The cumulative FCF over the past 12 months was $53.3 billion, indicating that the rapid growth in AI infrastructure investments has led to spending exceeding cash generated from operations.Usage of AI services is also increasing rapidly. Sundar Pichai, Alphabet's CEO, stated, “About 90% of the Fortune 100 companies are using Gemini for enterprise applications,” adding that the monthly active users (MAU) of the Gemini app have reached 950 million.The volume of data processed by the Gemini model through external services is also growing quickly, with tokens processed via application programming interfaces (APIs) totaling 22 billion per minute. Tokens are the basic units used by AI to process sentences and information.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-23 07:00:00
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Fire Breaks Out at Plastic Manufacturing Plant in Donghae A fire broke out at a plastic manufacturing plant in Guhodong, Donghae, Gangwon Province.According to Yonhap News, the fire started at approximately 3:48 a.m. on July 22, and the cause is currently unknown. Fire authorities are actively working to extinguish the flames.The fire department has issued a Level 1 response, deploying all personnel from the local fire station. They are also conducting rescue operations for one individual who was trapped inside the factory.In response to the incident, the city of Donghae sent out a safety disaster text advising residents to avoid the area due to heavy smoke and to remain cautious.Police and fire officials plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire once it is extinguished. 2026-07-23 06:36:00
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Iran Warns 'If We Can't Sell Oil, No One Can' Amid Regional Energy Facility Threats Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Speaker of Iran's Parliament, warned that if Iran's oil exports and security are threatened, the oil exports and infrastructure of other countries in the region will also be at risk.In a statement on July 22, Ghalibaf told X (formerly Twitter), "The equation of this war is 'all or nothing.' If we cannot sell oil, no one in this region will be able to sell oil either."He added, "If our security is not guaranteed, no infrastructure will be safe," asserting that security in the Strait can only be ensured when U.S. troops are not stationed there. He also reaffirmed his stance that the Strait of Hormuz will not return to its pre-war state.The Iranian military also warned that it would expand its retaliation targets to regional energy facilities if the U.S. attacks its infrastructure again.The Central Command of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated, "Vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz must follow designated routes and pre-passage procedures."It further warned, "If the U.S. attacks Iranian infrastructure, not a single drop of oil will be exported, and we can target regional oil, gas, power, and economic infrastructure."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-23 06:32:00
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U.S. Plans Airstrikes on Iran's 'Gokgangisan' Nuclear Site, Informs Israel The United States has informed Israel that it plans to escalate airstrikes against Iran, targeting the underground nuclear facility known as 'Gokgangisan' within days, according to a report by Israeli public broadcaster Kan on July 22. According to Kan, the U.S. intends to deploy heavy bombers to intensify its offensive against Iran, with Gokgangisan, located near the Natanz nuclear facility, identified as a primary target. Gokgangisan is an underground site approximately 2 kilometers from Iran's Natanz nuclear facility. While its exact purpose remains unconfirmed, Iran announced plans in 2020 to construct advanced centrifuge-related facilities there. U.S. President Donald Trump has also recently hinted at an impending attack on Gokgangisan, stating, “We will strike that area very hard soon,” and adding, “If there is any place that raises even a slight suspicion regarding nuclear activities, we will attack very strongly.” Kan reported that the U.S. shared its attack plans in advance to prepare for the possibility of Iranian retaliation, such as missile strikes against Israel. Following the notification from the U.S., Israel is said to be maintaining a high level of readiness.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-23 06:28:00
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Houthi Rebels Warn Ships in Red Sea, Target Saudi Vessels The Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen has issued a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia and sent direct warnings to vessels traversing the Red Sea.According to AFP on July 22, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) confirmed that the Houthis transmitted warning messages to ships in the region.The maritime security firm Neptune P2P Group reported that the warning was captured by a vessel passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on July 20.The Houthis warned via the VHF channel 16, used for international distress and safety communications, that “Saudi vessels are prohibited from operating” and that failure to comply could result in being targeted.While the Houthis declared a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia on July 20, they did not specify how it would be enforced. So far, there have been no confirmed instances of actual attacks on vessels related to this blockade.Some ships have altered their routes, but traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait remains largely unaffected. According to maritime logistics tracking firm Kpler, 44 vessels passed through the strait on the day the blockade was announced, and 29 on the following day. In the five days prior to the blockade announcement, daily traffic ranged from 30 to 53 vessels.However, if the Houthis do carry out attacks, it could significantly disrupt oil and cargo transport through the Red Sea. With traffic through the Strait of Hormuz already constrained, Saudi Arabia is utilizing the western port of Yanbu as an alternative export route.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-23 06:20:00
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Trump Plans Strong Strike on Iran's 'Gokgyeongisan' Nuclear Facility President Donald Trump has indicated that the United States will soon launch a strong strike against Iran's underground nuclear facility known as 'Gokgyeongisan.' However, analysts suggest that the facility's deep construction within a mountain may make it difficult to completely destroy, even with the U.S. military's most powerful conventional bunker buster.According to reports from AP and CNN on July 22, Gokgyeongisan is located about 2 kilometers from Iran's Natanz nuclear facility.Iran announced plans to build the facility in the mountains as a replacement after the destruction of its centrifuge assembly plant in Natanz in 2020. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has not been able to verify the facility's internal operations, leaving its exact purpose unclear. The U.S. and Israel suspect that Iran may be using the site for its nuclear program.If the U.S. military proceeds with an attack, there is speculation that it may deploy the massive GBU-57 penetrating bomb, which was used in last year's strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. At that time, the U.S. dropped 14 GBU-57 bombs on the Fordow and Natanz sites using B-2 stealth bombers.However, it is believed that the core facilities at Gokgyeongisan may be located even deeper than those at Fordow. The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) estimates that the facility is built at least 100 meters underground. While the exact penetration capability of the GBU-57 is not publicly disclosed, there are doubts about its ability to directly destroy the core facilities at Gokgyeongisan.James Acton, co-director of the nuclear policy program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, stated, "While a bunker buster attack could collapse the tunnel entrance, it would be difficult to bring down the core facilities deep underground."Instead, there are discussions about focusing attacks on tunnel entrances, ventilation shafts, and power supply facilities to disrupt operations. ISIS believes that since the internal facilities at Gokgyeongisan require power, ventilation, heating, cooling, and the movement of personnel and materials, exposed facilities on the surface could be targeted.However, this approach may only prevent access and operations without destroying the underground facility itself. If the entrances are repaired or alternative routes are established, the facility could be used again.ISIS suggests that to ensure the facility's complete destruction, ground operations involving troops may be more effective than airstrikes. However, Gokgyeongisan is located deep within Iranian territory, posing significant risks of exposure to missile and drone attacks during the entry and exit of special forces.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-23 06:12:00
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Trump Threatens to Target Iranian Infrastructure in Response to Attacks President Donald Trump has declared that if Iran attacks commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. will retaliate by destroying one bridge or power plant in Iran for each incident. According to Axios on July 22, Trump stated on his social media platform Truth Social, "From now on, whenever the Islamic Republic of Iran attacks ships in the Strait of Hormuz with missiles, rockets, drones, or any other devices or weapons, the United States will bomb and destroy one bridge or power plant inside or near Tehran."This statement comes as the U.S. government considers various options, including a ceasefire and increased attacks on Iran. Initially, the U.S. emphasized the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the freedom of navigation for commercial vessels in a memorandum of understanding with Iran. However, tensions escalated as Iran insisted on maintaining its control over the region. Axios reported that over the past three months, more than 30 commercial vessels have been attacked by Iran, and Trump has maintained that a ceasefire is only possible if Iran halts its attacks on these vessels and reopens the strait. The U.S. conducted airstrikes against Iran for 11 consecutive days until July 21, targeting key infrastructure such as railways and roads.The report noted that Trump's remarks come at a critical juncture for potential military intervention. However, it cautioned that targeting power plants in Tehran could further deteriorate U.S.-Iran relations, potentially provoking broader retaliation from Iran. Following Trump's warning, an Iranian official stated, "If Americans target Iran's bridges or power plants, Iran will respond immediately by bombing infrastructure or bridges in the region," according to CNN, citing local semi-official news agency Tasnim.Trump's warning also extended to the Houthi rebels, who, with Iranian support, control significant portions of Yemen and have recently threatened to blockade the Red Sea, affecting oil tankers. On July 21, the Houthis issued a statement declaring an immediate maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia, based on the principle of "an eye for an eye" in response to what they termed crimes committed by Saudi adversaries. In response, Trump remarked, "Nothing like that has happened yet, and if it does, we will handle it."As military clashes continue in the Middle East, international oil prices are rising. Brent crude rose 4.12% to $94.76 per barrel, the highest in six weeks, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) increased by 4.35% to $88.01 per barrel. The National reported that Trump's dismissal of the possibility of talks with Iran and the threat from the Houthis have raised concerns about disruptions to the global energy supply chain, contributing to the price surge.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-23 05:04:00
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Samsung Unveils Galaxy Z8 Series and AI Glasses at 2026 Galaxy Unpacked Event "Most AI experiences start on smartphones. To realize the true value of AI, more people need to use it. We will integrate Galaxy AI into over 800 million devices this year," said Samsung Electronics' President, Roh Tae-moon, during the 'Galaxy Unpacked 2026' event held on July 22 at Old Billingsgate in London.The event, lasting about 90 minutes, showcased new products including the Galaxy Z8 series and Galaxy Watch9, while outlining Samsung's vision for the future of mobile technology in the AI era. The stage featured product presentations, videos, and a surprise appearance by Spider-Man, creating an engaging atmosphere akin to a performance.Roh described AI as "an indispensable intangible infrastructure in daily life," stating, "AI will reduce the need for app switching and help users focus on what truly matters." He emphasized connectivity beyond smartphones, extending to watches and AI glasses, asserting that "Galaxy's agentic AI will move with users in their daily lives."The highlight of the event was the new foldable lineup. Samsung introduced the Fold8 Ultra, Fold8, and Flip8, declaring, "We are now in an era of choice for foldables." Designed to be the thinnest and lightest yet, the devices incorporate 'Flex Titanium' technology for enhanced portability and durability. Roh expressed confidence, stating, "We have been making foldables thinner, lighter, and more robust for seven years. This product is the most powerful and flexible foldable yet."Choi Won-jun, Samsung's MX Business Development Head and COO, focused on the AI experience rather than hardware. He remarked, "AI is no longer a feature used occasionally; it is the foundation that drives the entire Galaxy ecosystem. We will usher in an era of 'AI OS' where users can simply speak their needs, and AI will navigate through various apps and services to perform necessary tasks." He also highlighted Samsung's commitment to openness, aiming to lower platform barriers by expanding data sharing between Android and iOS, as well as enhancing web-based sharing features and Smart Switch.The much-anticipated AI glasses were also unveiled. Choi introduced the collaboration with Gentle Monster, stating, "Our goal was to create glasses that are not only technologically advanced but also comfortable enough to wear all day." The AI glasses are designed to be significantly lighter than similar products and offer up to nine hours of battery life on a single charge. They allow users to take photos and videos with a single button and seamlessly integrate with the Galaxy ecosystem, including organizing meeting notes in Samsung Notes and connecting with Google Meet.Partners Google and Qualcomm also took the stage. Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon stated, "Our nearly 30-year collaboration with Samsung will continue into the AI era. The 'Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 for Galaxy' is a key platform that achieves both on-device AI and power efficiency." He emphasized that Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm are redefining mobile technology for the age of AI agents.The event attracted a crowd of over 1,200, including influencers, YouTubers, and media personnel. Notable attendees included former Manchester United star Dimitar Berbatov and actor Jacob Batalon, who played Ned in the Spider-Man films. Batalon demonstrated the Fold8 Ultra's large-screen multitasking capabilities, showcasing the 'Spidey Tracker' feature, which allows users to view all information on one screen without switching apps. The audience was captivated when Spider-Man made a surprise appearance on stage.After the event, attendees flocked to the product experience area, with the Fold8 demonstration space being the most popular. The new product's 4:3 aspect ratio generated significant interest.Austin Evans, a tech YouTuber with 5.8 million subscribers, shared his thoughts, stating, "I loved the Flip for its compact form factor and portability, but the Fold has undergone significant changes since 2021. It used to feel too big and heavy, but the recent models are thin enough to feel like using a regular smartphone." He highlighted the Fold8 as the most impressive product, praising Samsung's new direction and noting that the wider form factor is likely to gain popularity among other brands, including Apple." 2026-07-23 04:08:00
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National Assembly Committee Questions Necessity of Election Commission The National Assembly's special committee investigating the mismanagement of ballots during the local elections criticized the Central Election Commission (CEC) during a hearing on July 22. The People Power Party argued that the investigation period should be extended as the facts have not yet been fully uncovered.During the second hearing, the committee focused on clarifying the circumstances surrounding the infringement of voting rights and developing institutional remedies. Democratic Party lawmaker Yang Boo-nam stated, "Out of 2,162 polling places in Seoul, 310 reported 653 instances of double voting, and 104 ballot counting centers in Songpa have yet to be reviewed," questioning the necessity of the CEC's existence.People Power Party lawmaker Park Soo-min remarked, "The thick layer of dust accumulated over 65 years at the CEC is more frightening than any villain," asserting that the special investigation must reveal illegalities and that complacency should be addressed through reform.Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yong-man highlighted issues of nepotism in hiring at the CEC, stating, "Children of former and current secretaries, as well as friends' children and future sons-in-law, were included in the irregular hiring practices," adding that only one of the high-ranking officials who passed on their positions faced any disciplinary action.Kim Eun-hye, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, claimed that the police are conducting a lackluster investigation into the CEC, noting, "I understand that the search warrant for former CEC Chairman Noh Tae-ak's phone was rejected," and pointed out that areas of concern have evaded scrutiny.With the conclusion of the second hearing, the scheduled activities of the special committee are set to wrap up. However, as the investigation report has not yet been adopted, a full meeting to approve it is expected to take place in the future.Members of the People Power Party are advocating for an extension of the committee's activities. The opposition's secretary, Seo Beom-soo, along with other opposition members, held a press conference, stating, "The necessary materials for uncovering the truth have not been adequately provided. Witness testimonies have been inconsistent," emphasizing that hastily concluding the investigation would sever the complementary relationship with the special investigation.Lawmaker Choi Bo-yoon added, "There is still much to uncover regarding the infringement of voting rights, and there is no reason to rush to conclude the investigation," urging the National Assembly to do its utmost to resolve any additional concerns raised by the public.Despite the People Power Party's assertions, the likelihood of extending the committee's activities appears slim. Democratic Party lawmakers expressed a negative stance on the extension during the committee meeting. The People Power Party plans to continue negotiations for an extension until the committee's activities conclude on August 1.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-23 00:08:00