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Hyo-Joo Kim Aims for 10th LPGA Win at Scottish Open Hyo-Joo Kim, experiencing a resurgence in her career, is set to challenge for her 10th LPGA Tour victory at the ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open in Scotland.Starting on July 23, Kim will compete over four days at Dundonald Links in North Ayrshire, Scotland, where the total prize purse is $2 million.This tournament, co-hosted by the Ladies European Tour (LET) and the LPGA Tour, serves as a precursor to the AIG Women's Open, the final major of the season, which begins on July 30.Kim is a player to watch. She has been on a strong run this year, winning back-to-back titles at the LPGA Tour Founders Cup and the Ford Championship in March. Her success continued in Korea, where she claimed victories at the KLPGA Tour NH Investment & Securities Ladies Championship and the Lotte Open, which concluded on July 5. In total, she has secured four wins this year across both the U.S. and Korean tours.However, her recent performances in major tournaments have been disappointing. Aside from a sixth-place finish at the Chevron Championship in April, she has failed to break into the top 10 in other majors, missing the cut at the U.S. Women's Open and finishing tied for 42nd at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship and tied for 26th at the Amundi Evian Championship.For Kim, this tournament presents an opportunity to finalize her preparations ahead of the AIG Women's Open. With both events taking place in the UK just a week apart, it allows her to acclimate to the unique conditions of links courses, including strong winds.Kim has shown a strong performance at Dundonald Links in the past, finishing tied for third in 2022 and placing second in both 2023 and last year. This will be her sixth appearance at this course, where she will play the first two rounds alongside Aki Iwai from Japan and Cassandra Alexander from South Africa.The tournament features a strong field, with seven of the top 10 players in the world rankings and 19 major champions participating.Notably, world No. 1 Nelly Korda, who missed the cut at the Evian Championship, is looking to restore her pride. In a press conference, Korda expressed her excitement about returning to Europe for the ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open and the AIG Women's Open, stating, "At this golf course, you definitely have to bring a bit more artistry to your game. Playing in this weather and on this type of course brings me back to the roots of golf."Defending champion Lottie Wood from England aims for a second consecutive title and will play alongside Korda and Charlie Hull. Wood remarked, "It’s nice to come back to where it all started. At that time, it was my first tournament, so I didn’t fully grasp the victory. But now, playing every week and seeing how talented everyone is makes that win feel even more special."South Korean players are also a point of interest, with 2017 champion Mi-Hyang Lee, along with Kim Sei-young, Yoon Ina, Choi Hye-jin, and Hwang Yu-min, set to compete.In contrast, Hae-Ran Yu, who has recently won consecutive major tournaments, will take a break this week to focus on preparing for the AIG Women's Open.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-23 07:40:00 -
Tesla Reports Surge in Q2 Revenue but Decline in Profit Amid Rising Investment Costs Tesla, the American electric vehicle manufacturer, reported a revenue increase in the second quarter of this year, driven by a rise in vehicle sales that exceeded market expectations. However, profitability declined due to price cuts and increased investments in artificial intelligence (AI).On July 22, Tesla announced that its Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) net income for the second quarter was $1.114 billion, a 5% decrease from the same period last year. The adjusted earnings per share (EPS) was 33 cents, significantly below the market forecast of 51 cents.In contrast, revenue and vehicle sales saw substantial growth. Second-quarter revenue reached $28.24 billion, a 26% increase from the previous year, surpassing the market expectation of $25.71 billion. Vehicle deliveries also rose by approximately 25%, totaling 480,126 units.The decline in profit despite increased sales was attributed to price reductions and rising costs. Revenue from selling carbon credits to other automakers also decreased. Tesla's gross margin for its automotive segment was 16.3%, falling short of the market expectation of 18.04%.Significant investments in AI projects, including autonomous driving and robotics, have also strained cash flow. Capital expenditures for the second quarter reached $5.8 billion. After accounting for operational and investment expenses, the free cash flow recorded a deficit of $1.1 billion, marking the first quarterly free cash flow deficit in over two years.Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated, "We plan to invest more than $25 billion this year to expand our AI initiatives, including autonomous driving and robotics," which is nearly three times last year's capital expenditures of $8.53 billion.Following the earnings report, Tesla's stock fell approximately 2.5% in after-hours trading.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-23 07:24:00
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U.S. Stocks Decline Amid Rising Oil Prices and Tech Earnings Concerns The three major U.S. stock indices fell on July 22 as rising international oil prices heightened inflation concerns and investors grew wary ahead of earnings reports from major tech companies like Alphabet and Tesla.The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 6.06 points, or 0.01%, at 52,218.58. The S&P 500 dropped 10.24 points, or 0.14%, to finish at 7,498.96, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 146.30 points, or 0.57%, ending at 25,690.90.The surge in oil prices dampened investor sentiment. Brent crude rose by $3.06 to $94.07 per barrel, and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) climbed to $86.83, both reaching their highest levels in about six weeks.Concerns about supply disruptions increased as armed conflict continued between the U.S. and Iran, with Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group threatening maritime blockades on Saudi oil shipments. The uncertainty surrounding key oil transport routes in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea contributed to the rise in oil prices.There are growing fears that rising oil prices could lead to renewed inflation. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note rose to around 4.63%, adding pressure to the stock market. There is also apprehension that continued increases in energy prices could delay the Federal Reserve's monetary policy easing.Tech stocks generally showed weakness ahead of the second-quarter earnings reports from Alphabet and Tesla. Alphabet fell 1.5%, while Tesla dropped 1.3%. As significant investments in artificial intelligence (AI) continue, investors are increasingly focused on whether these expansions will translate into actual revenue and profit growth.In contrast, semiconductor stocks performed relatively well. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index rose 0.4%, marking its third consecutive day of gains. Supermicro Computer surged 19.8% on news of large new orders, while Dell Technologies and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) increased by 9.3% and 3%, respectively.Stock prices also fluctuated based on corporate earnings. AT&T rose 3.5% after reporting a higher-than-expected increase in wireless subscribers for the second quarter. Philip Morris International also saw a 3.3% increase, buoyed by better-than-expected earnings.After the market closed, Alphabet and Tesla released their second-quarter earnings. Alphabet exceeded market expectations, driven by strong demand for AI, and announced plans for significant investment expansion. Tesla's revenue also surpassed market forecasts, but the company reported a $1.1 billion deficit in free cash flow for the second quarter.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-23 07:16:00
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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
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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