News Desk

Aug. 10 (UPI) — The U.S. military said it blocked an additional 20 ships from reaching or leaving Iran’s ports, as prospects for a resumption of negotiations on ending the war look bleak.

U.S. Central Command announced in a statement Sunday that its blockade has redirected 55 commercial vessels, up from 35 on Aug. 2. It has also disabled two vessels and boarded two others.

The U.S. military resumed its blockade of Iran’s ports on July 14 amid a resumption in fighting between Washington and Tehran over control of the Strait of Hormuz.

The United States is seeking to regain freedom of navigation of the vital energy trade route that Iran has claimed control of since the war between the two erupted in late February.

The Trump administration has said a restoration in a freedom of navigation is necessary for negotiations on ending the war to enter the next phase focused on Iran’s nuclear program. However, Iran is fighting to maintain control of the strait that it seized.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi told reporters Sunday that while intermediaries were in contact concerning negotiations, no talks would be resumed until the United States ended what he called violations of a June memorandum, the semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported.

The June memorandum of understanding sought to lay the foundation toward end-of-war talks but differences over control of the Strait of Hormuz opened a new chapter in the war. The United States has been enforcing its blockade of Iran’s ports to coerce it to open the strait.

Aragchi said that while Iran was not in negotiations with the United States, talks were underway with Oman on establishing new maritime routes through the Strait of Hormuz.

The foreign minister’s remarks came as U.S. President Donald Trump told Axios that the United States was willing to allow the economic pressure of its blockade to further weigh on Iran’s economy rather than ordering new attacks.

“We are low-keying it,” he said, while stating, “We are only semi-negotiating with them. We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the they fact that have no money.”

Gaza Health Ministry says hospitals receive bodies of two Palestinians as Netanyahu rejects Trump plan to end war.

Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed at least one person as Palestinian health authorities have confirmed another death after a body was recovered from beneath the rubble in the war-shattered enclave.

Israeli forces shot and killed one Palestinian east of Deir el-Balah in central Gaza on Saturday, the Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported, quoting medical sources.

The Gaza Ministry of Health confirmed on Sunday that hospitals had received the bodies of two Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks, including one recovered from the rubble.

At least five people, including children, were wounded in Israeli attacks in the southern cities of Khan Younis and Rafah on Saturday, QNA reported.

Local sources said several people were wounded when an Israeli tank opened fire on tents sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis. Among them was a woman who was critically wounded. A girl was seriously wounded by Israeli army fire in the al-Mawasi coastal area of Rafah.

Israeli artillery also shelled areas east of Khan Younis, and Israeli fire wounded several more people in the al-Mahatta area of Gaza City’s Tuffah neighbourhood.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said the overall death toll since Israel launched its genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza in October 2023 was 73,386 with 174,250 wounded.

The remains of many people killed in Israeli attacks are still buried under rubble, and those deaths are uncounted, the ministry added. Ambulance and Palestinian Civil Defence crews remain unable to reach them.

Since a “ceasefire” took effect in October, the Health Ministry has recorded 1,258 people killed by Israel, 4,139 wounded and 807 bodies recovered from the rubble of destroyed buildings.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel has rejected United States President Donald Trump’s 15-point plan for Gaza, telling a cabinet meeting that Israeli forces “will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed”.

The rejection follows a similar position taken last week by the US-led Board of Peace, which said an Israeli withdrawal would only proceed once Hamas’s disarmament is complete, leaving both the ceasefire’s terms and any timeline for Israel’s exit from Gaza unresolved even as casualties continue to mount.

Salzburg, Austria — “Optimism doesn’t mean pretending everything is fine,” the Belarusian flutist and political activist Maria Kalesnikava said in this year’s Salzburg Festival keynote address. “It means deciding to step up and act, even in the face of uncertainty.”

Picture-perfect, Mozart-drunk Salzburg can’t pretend everything is fine. Temperatures are rising and normally rainy Salzburg now worries about water shortage and the environmental ravage of over-tourism. The artistically and culturally exceptional six-week Salzburg Festival, which began mid-July with a two-week Ouverture Spirituelle this year titled “miserere” (mercy), is facing its own political and administrative turmoil and uncertainty.

Salzburg’s worries are our worries; its triumphs can be ours as well. Los Angeles and the Salzburg Festival have been cultural and political soulmates for close to a century, beginning when playwright, director and filmmaker Max Reinhardt, who co-founded the Salzburg Festival in 1920, found mercy in L.A. as refuge from the Nazis.

Reinhardt’s star-studded 1934 music-theater production of “Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Hollywood Bowl offered a template for spectacle in the young amphitheater, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s participation crucially reinforced a young orchestra’s early venturesome ambition following an avant-garde Bowl season the previous summer that nearly bankrupted the Bowl. Over the next decade this Salzburger’s influence on Hollywood dramaturgy would become legend.

L.A. has reciprocated by sending our visionaries to Salzburg, where director Peter Sellars and conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, for instance, have been given the license and means to inspire a reinvention of musical and theatrical thinking. L.A. arts patrons Betty Freeman and Richard Colburn provided important support for Salzburg during their lifetimes that included commissioning new work.

Gustavo Dudamel conducts Strauss’ ‘Alpine Symphony’ with the Vienna Philharmonic at the Grosses Festspielhaus in Salzburg Aug. 25, 2024.

(Marco Borrelli / Salzburg Festival)

Gustavo Dudamel, L.A. Phil’s optimist these 17 seasons, has long been a Salzburg regular as well, and he arrived last week just in time to take up Kalesnikava’s challenge. Her proclamation of optimism comes on the heels of her having been released in December from a brutal Belarusian prison for supporting an opposition candidate running against the country’s authoritarian leader.

In Dudamel’s case, his life has been turned around by the recent earthquakes that devastated Venezuela just two weeks after his last concerts in Walt Disney Concert Hall as L.A. Phil music and artistic director. His activities this summer now revolve around partnering with the United Nations Development Program to gather global support for Venezuela’s recovery, which is estimated at $6.7 billion.

Although little noted, Dudamel’s buoyant World Cup halftime appearance with 20 members of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra and 20 from the New York Philharmonic was as a FIFA fundraiser supporting children affected by global crises, in this case earthquake relief in Venezuela. Dudamel has further turned his last Hollywood Bowl program as L.A. Phil music director into a benefit on Aug. 23.

Prophetically, Dudamel had months ago been invited to close this summer’s Ouverture Spirituelle by leading the Vienna Philharmonic in Mahler’s Second Symphony, known as the “Resurrection.” One way to think about Mahler’s extravagant 90-minute exercise in his search for life’s meaning is as an exercise in attaining optimism in the face of tragedy.

“Rise again, yes, you shall rise again,” Mahler extols in a final ecstatic climax, and it is with the “Resurrection,” which includes chorus and a pair of vocal soloists, that Dudamel began his “Gracias Gustavo” L.A. Phil season last fall. Raising roof, the message was clear: optimism is the native language of Walt Disney Concert Hall.

In Salzburg, where Dudamel’s two Vienna Philharmonic performances were dedicated to the people of Venezuela, those lines took on obvious new meaning. Earlier in the day, Dudamel gave a public talk with a lively German journalist, Marco Frei, in which he described himself as a “resurrectionist” in more ways than one.

The symphony has been a been a musical and spiritual guide for him since his boyhood. He became so excited about a new sense of freedom he feels in the second movement that he leaned back in his chair and kicked his white sneakers in the air.

After the talk, I walked with Dudamel back to his hotel as he displayed a different, more solemn passion describing the toll the earthquakes have taken on El Sistema, the Venezuelan youth program that has been behind his educational activism in L.A.

“At least 140 members of the El Sistema staff and educators were killed or are unaccounted for,” Dudamel said, and that’s not counting what may have happened to a great many children and their families. But remarkably, Dudamel noted, in places where few structures remain, the nucleos (the small El Sistema community schools) are surprisingly still standing. They have become centers for food, aid and shelter.

In Salzburg, Dudamel indulged the Vienna Philharmonic’s incomparable lushness, those plush strings, glowing winds, golden brass, voluminous timpani. The symphony received mixed reviews, with critics complaining of a lack of transparency, argument and depth. Had they been in Disney Hall, they would have had it all.

But here Dudamel became more simply an architect of awe, unfazed by Mahlerian uncertainty as he worked his way to an inevitable cosmic grandeur unfazed by uncertainty. An enthralled audience left opening its collective wallets. Ushers stood at all the exits of Great Festival Hall with baskets for donations for Venezuela. I did not see a single member of the audience leave without throwing in a bill or several.

Dudamel’s “Resurrection” might also be read as a message from L.A. to Salzburg. In the spring the festival board dismissed its artistic director of the past decade, Markus Hinterhäuser, saying there is a difference in vision. Hinterhäuser’s penetrating and uncompromising vision is what has made the modern festival matter. Hinterhäuser has implied political meddling.

It is a huge festival, with more than 200 performances. Last year’s audience exceeded 200,000, with visitors from 88 countries. The arts as a vehicle for coming together can be cliché. In Salzburg, sharing becomes essence, not the kind of narcissism that appears to be adopted by our upcoming LA28 cultural Olympiad, in which Angelenos are invited to submit entrees that show off our goods rather than a cultural exchange.

Over 100 artists have protested Hinterhäuser’s removal, including two Nobel Prize laureates. Hinterhäuser is also an insightful pianist, and he joined baritone Matthias Goerne in a chilling performance of Schubert’s existential song cycle, “Winterreise.” Hinterhäuser got thunderous ovations.

Salzburg’s future is anyone’s guess, but even with Hinterhäuser on the sidelines, this summer is still his festival, meaningful as ever.

A new production of “Carmen” could not be darker, nor more brilliant. It is the latest project of conductor Teodor Currentzis, who has worked extensively with Peter Sellars in Salzburg and elsewhere, and who brings electricity to every moment with his Utopia Orchestra and Choir. Argentine choreographer Gabriela Carrizo makes her debut directing opera and utilizes her alarmingly vibrant Belgian dance company, Peeping Tom. Performing in a vast empty space, two gripping singers — Asmik Grigorian plays an understated Carmen as a survivor in a hostile society, while Jonathan Teltelman’s Don José is unable to cope with that society — turn Bizet’s opera into revelatory existential theater in which survival is toleration.

A scene on the moon in director Yuval Sharon’s magical new production of Janacek’s neglected opera “The Excursions of Mr. Broucek to the Moon and the 15th Century” at the Bregenz Festival.

(Daniel Ammann / Bregenz Festival)

Something similar happens in “Faust, Part 1,” in which the actors spend the entire four hours in a new production by German director Ulrich Rasche walking against the direction of of a revolving disc. To remain in front of the audience, they must remain in motion. They’re dressed in modern business attire, but as they bare their souls, they bare their torsos as they step against forces that prevent progress. The backdrop is brightly illumined screens that hurt your eyes.

This, however, can serve as a reminder of a “Faust” staged by Reinhardt at the Pilgrimage Theater (now John Anson Ford Theater) when it was designed to look like the gates of ancient Jerusalem in 1935. Practically all of Hollywood celebrity showed up for what was the theatrical event of the season.

I asked Lukas Crepaz, who directs the Salzburg Festival’s administrative and business operations, whether it would be possible and whether there still is time for the Salzburg and L.A. to collaboration on an opera production. He said yes, if funding could be found. In fact, the L.A. Phil will mount in February “One Morning Turns Into an Eternity,” a Salonen/Sellars essay in intensity from Salzburg last summer.

Another option: The Bregenz Festival, also in Austria, has just staged a new production by Yuval Sharon of Janacek’s little-known opera, “The Excursions of Mr. Broucek to the Moon and the 15th Century.”

Sharon — who was responsible for the fabulous excursions of his L.A. experimental company, the Industry — supplies his characteristic wit, imagination and insight into a hard-to-please opera about a beer-besotted philistine landlord, who comes to no good in his drunken dreams of going to the moon and back in history, as he does as an angry old man stumbling home from the bar or sitting watching TV (Sharon’s invention).

L.A. optimism may matter more to Austria this summer than it does to L.A. We have two years to step up and act, even in the face of uncertainty.

Footage shows Brazilian player Jacy Maranhão falling into the players’ tunnel after jumping over advertising boards while celebrating a goal in a Brazilian league match. To make matters worse the goal was ruled offside.

Pakistan-administered Kashmir is facing its biggest political crisis in years, with deadly protests ahead of a final round of voting in regional elections.

Al Jazeera’s Ava Warriner explains why the wider territory is divided and what’s driving the latest unrest.

PRINCE HARRY has given his royal seal of approval to 2024 Britain’s Got Talent winner Sydnie Christmas.

He told Syd he “felt every word in the back of his throat” after she performed Tomorrow from Annie and Frank Sinatra’s My Way in front of him at David Foster’s charity gala in Canada over the weekend.

Both tracks have poignant lyrics about overcoming difficulties and being beaten down, which is rather apt for Harry, who has endured setback after setback recently.

Speaking from Canada, Syd told me: “When I was on stage, I joked about meeting his dad before adding, ‘Sorry he couldn’t make it. He sent me instead’.

“Oh my god – I say such silly things when I’m nervous, but Harry started laughing.

“When I got down off stage he just came forward and gave me a big cuddle.

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“And he went, ‘Sydnie, I felt every word. I really felt that in the back of my throat’.”

Revealing how the fifth-in-line to the throne ditched royal protocol, Sydnie continued: “He just went in for the hug and I was like, ‘Why not?’.”

Next week, the singer drop her new single Spirit, taken from her second album The Artist, which is due out on October 2.

Teasing the record, Syd said: “This is going to be different from what people know me for.

“I’m just trying to progress and make music that hopefully people like.

“The dream is just to continue touring and making music.

“It’s sounds so simple, but it’s difficult in this day and age.”

Denise has a Tiny secret

DENISE WELCH has revealed that US band Tiny Habits soundtracked Matty Healy and wife Gabbriette Bechtel’s first dance at their wedding last month.

The folk-pop trio were joined by Matty’s mum, Loose Women star Denise, during their show at London’s St Pancras Old Church on Friday when she let slip the news.

Clearly she’s a big fan now too, as she stayed for the gig and posed for a photo with the group afterwards.

The band, made up of Judah Mayowa, Cinya Khan and Maya Rae are good friends with The 1975 frontman Matty, who provided background vocals on their recent single, Anything He Was.

It will feature on their second studio album, Keepers, which is due out on August 28.

Tiny Habits met while at university in Boston and have since gained more celebrity fans in Marcus Mumford, Noah Kahan and Phoebe Bridgers.

They’re clearly doing something right.

Madge and Kylie set for 102nd top ten hit

POP legends Madonna and Kylie Minogue are on course for a big hit with their new single, Love Sensation.

Official Charts has revealed the track is currently at No8 in the midweek update.

If its popularity continues, it will become the 102nd Top Ten that the pop stars have scored between them – Madge’s 65th and Kylie’s 37th.

They debuted the tune, a remix of a song from Madonna’s Confessions II album, at WorldPride in Amsterdam earlier this month, right.

Meanwhile, Sam Fender and Olivia Dean are set to stay at No1 for a 21st week with Rein Me In, with only Shakira’s Dai Dai challenging them for top spot.

Usher: ‘I don’t do doubles’

USHER has been forced to hit back at claims that he had a body double perform on stage for him during his MetLife Stadium show in New York.

The Burn singer’s fans were up in arms after his concert, claiming the man on stage singing was not Usher.

Posts about the claims started to go viral yesterday, with Usher forced to clarify it was him, writing: “How y’all come up with this? AI ain’t that advanced.”

It’s not the first time we’ve seen this recently.

Last month, a Blue fan got in touch to complain they didn’t think Simon Webbe had been performing with the band during a gig in London.

After a quick – and comical – conversation with their manager, we managed to clear up that it was the real Simon on stage.

Specsavers, anyone?

Taika moment to go offline

TAIKA WAITITI’S upcoming sci-fi film, Klara And The Sun, is set in a world with no internet.

But the Hollywood director admits he struggles to limit his time online – despite his best efforts.

Taika, below, told us: “When I’m writing, I tend to hang out too much on it, but you’ve got to really make an effort and go somewhere where there is no wi-fi – or just unplug the router and force it upon yourself.”

He added of the film, based on the best-selling book by Kazuo Ishiguro: “It’s set in the near future where we’ve ended up abusing our power with the internet and technology so much that they actually had to turn it off.

“No internet or AI – all the robots are analogue and not connected to anything at all. Basically, robots that are dumb.”

I’d love some internet breaks at times, but alas showbiz never sleeps.

Fans’ joy at long Weeknd

THE WEEKND has done a U-turn on his announcement early last year that he plans to retire – insisting he will keep performing “for ever.”

The Blinding Lights singer, inset, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, had said he wanted to put his alter-ego to bed, but in Stockholm on Saturday, he made it clear his current tour has reinvigorated his love for music.

Ad-libbing during one of his tracks, he sang: “I’ll never disappear. I love this too much to ever disappear.

“I tested retirement a little bit, and I don’t like the way it feels. Imma be here for ever with you.”

That will be music to the ears of fans who didn’t manage to get tickets for his five Wembley Stadium shows and two concerts at Dublin’s Croke Park in the next fortnight.

The former Trump lawyer, who worked on the presidential immunity case and oversaw approval of the president’s disputed White House ballroom project, will replace David Warrington on September 1.

United States President Donald Trump has named White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf as his next White House counsel, elevating a longtime legal ally to one of the administration’s most important legal positions months before November’s midterm elections.

The former Trump lawyer, who worked on the presidential immunity case and later oversaw approval of the president’s disputed White House ballroom project, will replace David Warrington on September 1, with Warrington leaving the administration for the private sector. Scharf will also hold the title of assistant to the president, moving from a role overseeing the administrative work of the Oval Office to serving as the White House’s top lawyer.

Trump praised Scharf on Truth Social as “Tough, Strong, and Smart” and pointed to his background as a federal prosecutor and his work representing Trump in several legal cases.

From Trump’s legal team to the White House

Scharf joined Trump’s legal team in 2023 and worked on the federal election interference case brought by former Special Counsel Jack Smith. He was part of the team when the case reached the Supreme Court, which ultimately ruled in 2024 that presidents have broad immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts.

Scharf’s ties to Trump stretch further back. During the president’s first term, Scharf worked on the confirmation of federal judges, including Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, according to The Associated Press news agency.

After Trump returned to office in January 2025, Scharf became White House staff secretary, managing documents reaching the president and regularly appearing alongside him during executive-order signings. The role has placed Scharf close to the process through which many of Trump’s major policy decisions have been implemented.

Scharf’s role in the ballroom controversy

Scharf has also been closely involved in one of the Trump administration’s most controversial projects.

Trump appointed Scharf chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission in July 2025. The commission later approved Trump’s $400m White House ballroom, planned on the site of the demolished East Wing.

The project has become part of a wider legal argument over the limits of presidential authority. The AFP news agency reported on Saturday that a federal appeals court upheld an order stopping aboveground construction, ruling that such a major alteration to the White House requires explicit congressional approval. Trump said he would take the case to the Supreme Court.

Scharf had previously maintained that the planning commission had authority over construction but not the demolition that preceded it.

A sensitive moment for the White House

The White House counsel advises the presidency on legal and constitutional issues, reviews legislation and executive actions, and helps coordinate the administration’s response to lawsuits and congressional investigations.

Scharf takes over at a particularly sensitive time. Democrats have pledged to investigate Trump and his administration if they gain control of Congress in November’s midterm elections, according to AP.

His appointment also continues a pattern of Trump elevating lawyers who previously represented him. Todd Blanche, who defended Trump in his criminal cases, was confirmed as attorney general on Saturday. D John Sauer, who argued Trump’s presidential immunity case before the Supreme Court, was appointed solicitor general, while former Trump lawyer Emil Bove was initially given a senior Justice Department post before being confirmed to a federal appeals court.

A fast-moving wildfire in Canada’s British Columbia province has forced thousands of people from their homes. Canadian officials say more than 20,000 residents have been evacuated from the towns of Summerland and Peachland in the Okanagan region.

HE is the most controversial man in music, and banned from the UK.

But Brits are now throwing their support behind Kanye West, with hundreds flying out to his latest show in Portugal on Friday.

After then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer led the charge by saying Ye couldn’t enter the country due to past antisemitic comments — which the star has apologised for, blaming a mental health episode — only a handful of his European shows have gone ahead.

Before the ban, he had been lined up to headline Wireless in ­London’s Finsbury Park last month.

Now many supporters are speaking out against his exclusion. One pair, mother and daughter Lauren and Kate, jetted to Portugal and queued for hours holding a flag backing the rapper which read: “F*** Keir Starmer, Scotland loves Ye.”

Lauren, who said they had spent £3,000 on the trip, explained: “He was banned from the UK and it’s shocking because he wasn’t well and he’s apologised for it. Some people are given grace and others aren’t. But we get to come here and it’s beautiful.”

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The concert drove an extra influx of tourists to the area — with barely a single free hotel room left in the region.

Amy, from Ayr, said she booked her ticket a week after Wireless was cancelled in April.

She said: “There’s so many British folk here — so many, just because they can’t go to Wireless.

“To see Kanye in London would have probably been better because British crowds are just better.”

Fans Kane and Kate, who travelled from Portsmouth, said they queued for two hours just to buy merchandise before the gig, while another fan, Alfie, also attended Kanye’s show in Madrid, Spain, the previous week.

He described the concert as “the best show you’ll ever go to in your life,” adding: “My mum loves Michael Jackson and she was like, ‘I can’t believe you’re going to Portugal to see him again.’

“I said, ‘If it was Michael Jackson, you’d do the same’.”

And celebrity fans are sticking by Ye, too — supermodel Naomi Campbell and Real Madrid’s Trent Alexander-Arnold attended his show the previous week.

As for the concert, I can confirm it’s ­absolutely remarkable.

He performed atop a hemisphere-shaped stage in the centre of the Estadio Algarve, with a spinning globe and other projections being beamed on to it throughout the night.

It meant he was “on top of the world” during the majority of his epic 39-song set, which included everything from songs like Jesus Walks and All Falls Down from his 2004 debut, to King and Father from his latest record Bully.

And there was even a surprise showing from his daughter North, who joined him to perform her song H0w Sh0uld ! f33l and their collaboration Talking.

Kanye was on his best behaviour during the show, with no rants or missteps, clearly determined to let the music do the talking.

Now Brits who flew out will hope the UK takes note — and lets him back in.

Aug. 9 (Asia Today) — SK hynix is rapidly expanding its manufacturing base in South Korea as the chipmaker prepares for continued growth in global demand for artificial intelligence memory through the end of the decade.

The company is increasing capacity for high-bandwidth memory, DRAM, NAND flash and advanced semiconductor packaging across its major production sites while preparing another large-scale manufacturing hub in southwestern South Korea.

Industry research firm Omdia forecasts demand for DRAM and NAND memory to grow at an average annual rate of about 19% through 2030.

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won has also said he expects the global shortage of memory chips to continue through 2030.

That outlook is driving SK hynix to expand production capacity at several locations simultaneously.

Yongin becomes long-term DRAM and HBM production base

In Yongin, south of Seoul, SK hynix is focused on securing large-scale manufacturing capacity for long-term memory demand.

The company plans to build four semiconductor fabrication plants, or fabs, in phases at the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster.

Construction is underway on the first fab, known as Y1, while preparations are moving forward for subsequent facilities.

SK hynix plans to invest about 600 trillion won, or approximately $407 billion, in Yongin over the long term, making the complex a major production center for high-bandwidth memory and next-generation DRAM.

The company’s board Friday approved 35.2 trillion won ($25 billion) in investment for the second phase of the Yongin project through 2031.

Construction of the second fab, Y2, is scheduled to begin in July 2027, with its first cleanroom expected to become operational in June 2029.

The facility is expected to produce advanced DRAM products, including high-bandwidth memory used in AI servers.

Cheongju expands from NAND into AI memory hub

SK hynix is also significantly broadening the role of its Cheongju production base in central South Korea.

Cheongju was historically centered on NAND flash production, but the company is adding capacity for next-generation DRAM, advanced packaging and enterprise solid-state drives.

M15X is being developed as a new DRAM production base after SK hynix accelerated the project in response to rapidly growing AI memory demand.

The company plans to expand production of high-bandwidth memory and other next-generation DRAM products at M15X while linking the facility with nearby packaging and testing infrastructure.

P&T7, which began construction in April, is dedicated to advanced packaging for AI memory products, including high-bandwidth memory.

The facility will handle semiconductor packaging and wafer testing, adding back-end manufacturing capacity to SK hynix’s existing front-end wafer fabrication operations.

SK hynix announced in January that it plans to invest about 19 trillion won, or $12.9 billion, in P&T7.

The company has said Cheongju will become a major center for AI memory production as demand for high-bandwidth memory continues to rise.

NAND capacity will also expand through M17.

SK hynix’s board recently approved 19.1 trillion won, or about $12.9 billion, for the new facility.

Construction of M17 is scheduled to begin in February 2027, with its first cleanroom expected to open in December 2028.

The facility will produce NAND flash memory for applications ranging from personal computers to enterprise and AI servers.

New $271 billion semiconductor hub planned in southwest

SK hynix is also planning a major new production base in southwestern South Korea.

The company plans to invest about 400 trillion won, or approximately $271 billion, in phases to develop a new semiconductor cluster beyond its existing Yongin and Cheongju operations.

The precise location, fab configuration and construction timetable have not yet been finalized.

The company has said rapid growth in AI services could eventually create memory demand that cannot be met by its existing expansion plans alone.

The southwestern project is therefore expected to become another major pillar of SK hynix’s long-term manufacturing network.

Together with planned investments of about 600 trillion won ($407 billion) in Yongin and 100 trillion won ($67.9 billion) in Cheongju, the southwestern project forms part of an approximately 1,100 trillion won ($781.3 billion) long-term domestic semiconductor investment strategy.

Icheon retains research and advanced production role

SK hynix’s headquarters in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, is expected to retain its role as a major research, development and manufacturing center.

The site operates the M10, M14 and M16 fabs, with M16 serving as a key production base for advanced DRAM.

As new production sites are added elsewhere in South Korea, Icheon is expected to remain an important center for both research and advanced memory manufacturing.

The overall strategy combines continued use of existing facilities with the addition of substantial new manufacturing capacity to respond to rising AI memory demand.

Chongqing sale review separate from South Korea expansion

Separately, SK hynix is reviewing options for its semiconductor packaging and testing plant in Chongqing, China, including a possible sale.

The company stressed that the review of its Chongqing operation is separate from the expansion of production capacity in South Korea.

“Nothing has been decided, and we may ultimately decide not to sell it,” an SK hynix official said. “It is one of several options being considered as part of our global fab operations.”

The official said the company’s new investments in South Korea are intended to secure additional production capacity.

The Chongqing facility handles semiconductor packaging and testing, the back-end manufacturing processes that prepare chips for final use.

SK hynix’s expansion strategy reflects the increasingly important role of high-bandwidth memory and other advanced memory products in AI computing, where rapidly growing server deployments are driving demand for both processing power and memory capacity.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260810010002802

FORMER Strictly pro James Jordan secretly lived apart from his wife Ola for months prior to their split.

Pals said he moved into a flat earlier this year close to the five-bedroom house the dancers once shared.

James, 48, is said to have “needed space” as he and Ola, 43, embarked on a trial separation after 22 years of marriage.

A source explained: “It was James’s decision to move out, he needed some space. It happened months ago. He has been holed up in a small flat in Kent.

“These past few months have been tough for James but he is trying to keep moving forward. Ola has been supporting him as best she can but their decision to end their marriage has been incredibly difficult for both of them.”

James was photographed looking downcast as he walked close to his flat last week, minus his wedding ring.

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We revealed on Saturday how the couple, who have not been photographed together since last year, had split.

James, originally from Gillingham, and Polish-born Ola, who have a daughter, Ella, then released a joint statement confirming their break-up.

It read: “We’re taking some time apart as we work through very difficult personal challenges.

“James moved out of the family home some time ago. This has been an incredibly painful and emotional journey for us both and it certainly wasn’t an easy decision.”

It said James’s mental health “hasn’t been in a good place for quite some time”.

James added: “I’ve been struggling more than I’ve let people see and I’m taking the time I need to focus on getting myself into a healthier place, both for myself and for Ella.

“Neither of us is in a good place right now. We’re both doing our best to navigate one of the hardest chapters of our lives.”

James and Ola both joined Strictly in 2006.

James quit in 2013 with Ola leaving two years later, after winning the trophy in 2009 with Chris Hollins.

Aug. 9 (UPI) — President Donald Trump on Sunday announced that Staff Secretary Will Scharf will be his new White House counsel, promoting another former personal lawyer within his administration.

Scharf, who was on Trump’s legal team in the presidential immunity case before the Supreme Court, will assume his new position Sept. 1, Trump said in a social media statement, replacing David Warrington, himself a former personal lawyer for Trump, who is returning to private practice.

“Will has done an amazing job in his current role as White House Staff secretary and has also served as Chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission. I know him well!” Trump said.

“Will is tough, strong and smart! He also loves our Country, and respects the Law. Will Scharf will do a great job as White House Counsel!”

As staff secretary, Scharf oversees the everyday paperwork, presidential actions, speeches, correspondence and press releases of the president, and is frequently at Trump’s side during signing ceremonies where he is seen handing him executive orders.

As the new White House counsel, Scharf will be in charge of advising Trump and White House staff on legal issues, including the interpretation of laws and their intersection with policies.

Scharf has also been serving as chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission, which approved Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom. On Friday, a federal appeals court ruled the ballroom unlawful and ordered its construction to stop, though the ruling was stayed for 14 days to give the White House time to appeal to the Supreme Court.

The announcement also comes a day after the U.S. Senate confirmed Todd Blanche, another former personal lawyer for Trump, as attorney general, replacing Pam Bondi, whom Trump fired in April.

At least seven lawyers who represented Trump personally or served on his legal teams now hold positions in his administration, including Blanche, Warrington, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon and Solicitor General D. John Sauer.

Scharf was a member of the legal team that successfully argued before the Supreme Court that presidents enjoy broad immunity from prosecution for actions taken while in office as part of the federal election interference case brought against Trump by the Justice Department under the Biden administraiton.

The “brrrt” of the GAU-8 Gatling gun in action, the whistle of the TF34 engines as A-10 Warthogs fly at low level, the hurried calls of Joint Terminal Attack Controllers needing support from above – welcome to the first episode in our opening season of “Special Access” on TWZ’s YouTube channel, a series where we take you up close to the latest military technology and inside the wire at elite military units.

In this episode, Jamie Hunter visits the U.S. Air Force A-10 Weapons Instructor Course that has been the center of excellence for the Warthog and its missions for nearly 50 years, but is now closing down as this close air support master nears retirement. Jamie had the rare opportunity to fly with the 66th Weapons Squadron’s A-10 team at Nellis Air Force Base, in Nevada, as they supported a capstone exercise one last time during the Weapons School’s final graduation events for new Weapon Instructors before they gain their prestigious graduate patches.

“The fundamentals of combat search and rescue, close air support, forward air control, even counter-maritime mission sets, as well, that starts the minute you walk in the door. The beauty of the weapons school is that it truly teaches you how to be an expert in your aircraft. It also teaches you, more importantly, how to be an expert in integration,” says Maj. Alex “Trippin” Boules, one of the last A-10 weapons instructor pilots at the 66th Weapons Squadron.

The final Weapons Instructor Course, or WIC, concluded in December 2025 as the last pair of students graduated from the six-month course, which has been run by the USAF Weapons School since 1977. Many graduates of the 66th Weapons Squadron have taken part in significant combat operations since that time, such as those in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as the recent Operation Epic Fury in Iran. The latter saw A-10s taking on a critical role watching over combat search and rescue operations in partnership with special operations teams to recover downed U.S. aircrews.

Despite repeated calls for the A-10 to be retained in service, the Warthog is ultimately nearing retirement. Three squadrons have been granted a reprieve to continue operations until 2030, but the writing is on the wall for the Warthog as increasing numbers arrive at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) boneyard in Arizona for storage.

So get ready for one last blast of A-10 action from Nellis as the 66th Weapons Squadron winds down the Warthog Weapons School.

The Last Days Of The A-10 Warthog Weapons School

Contact the presenter: jamie.hunter@teamrecurrent.io

Gary Lineker’s production company, Goalhanger, is said to be looking at ‘exciting new formats’ which may include a food programme potentially starring a huge celebrity chef

Gary Lineker is set to go head-to-head with the BBC as he plans a new cookery show that could rival MasterChef, it has been claimed.

According to reports, the broadcaster’s production company, Goalhanger, which currently produces The Rest Is.. series is looking at “exciting new formats” which could include a new food programme. Gary, 65, has been passionate about food since the coronavirus lockdown, and regularly cooks for friends and family, a source said.

Amid claims he might work on a new food show, a few names have been floated around as potential hosts – including Jamie Oliver. However, currently any details of a potential show are under wraps as no plans have yet been confirmed.

Speaking to The Sun, a source claimed: “Since lockdown Gary has become a massive foodie, and is regularly in the kitchen conjuring up feasts for friends and family. Doing a food show has long been his dream, but he didn’t know if he could.”

The insider added: “Last week the board held meetings to discuss new formats, and a brilliant new cookery show was front and centre. A few names, including Jamie’s, were thrown around, and an ad has now gone up looking for an experienced producer.

“Food content is absolutely massive on TikTok and Instagram, and this would be a natural extension of this – giving people what they want in a new, longer-form way, but with brilliant, hugely clippable moments being pushed online. Everyone is really excited.”

According to the publication, however, Jamie’s “incredibly busy schedule” means he may not be able to host the show. Currently, it’s not clear which platform a potential show by Gary would air on, but since he left the BBC last year, his The Rest Is Football podcast moved to Netflix.

It comes weeks after Gary managed to find his way on to the latest BBC high earners list despite officially working for just two months in the past financial year. The corporation revealed its annual report for 2025/26, and published its annual list of earnings of some of its highest-paid stars.

He still managed to earn £325,000-£329,999 in his final months. Gary was previously the highest paid presenter on £1.35 million a year. Other top earners at the BBC last year included Greg James, Stephen Nolan, Laura Kuenssberg, Vernon Kay and Alan Shearer. Since leaving the BBC in May last year, the TV presenter went on to sign new contracts with ITV and Netflix.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

Iran-backed Houthis have resumed attacks on Yemen’s al-Makha port in the Red Sea, striking Saudi weapons depots with missiles and drones. Yemen’s military says at least seven people were killed.

Suspected Irish crime boss Daniel Kinahan has appeared before a Dublin court after being extradited from Dubai. The 49-year-old, who is one of the world’s most wanted men, was charged with directing a criminal organisation after being extradited from Dubai.

HAILEY Bieber licked her pal’s thong at Kylie Jenner’s birthday party before slipping into a sexy bikini.

The model, 29, took to her Instagram stories on Saturday evening to share a sneak peek into the festivities for Kylie’s birthday.

In one snap, the Rhode skincare founder licked her pal’s lower back, which had a pink G-string poking out next to it.

Hailey was seen wearing a princess tiara on her head as well as some pink feathers around her neck as she poked her tongue out for the picture.

Kylie is all set to turn 29 on Monday but decided to throw herself a party at home on Friday evening.

Her sisters Kim and Khloe Kardashian were in attendance as well as Hailey’s husband Justin Bieber.

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As well as her behind the scenes look at Kylie’s birthday, Hailey shared an August dump on her feed.

In one picture, she slipped down to a striking yellow bikini as she posed for a selfie.

She showed off her toned body and bronzed skin in the snap as she tied up her hair in a chic bun.

Hailey also posted a video of herself working out as well as a photo of a meatball dish loaded with cheese.

She simply captioned it: “August so far.”

Her followers flocked to the comments section to compliment her as one gushed: “The prettiest girl ever.”

Another loyal fan enthused: “She just gets prettier and prettier everyday, it’s insane.”

While a third added: “Justin is seriously the luckiest man alive.”

Last week, Hailey once again showed off her enviable figure as she posed in a tiny pink bikini.

She shared snaps from a recent getaway as she was seen sitting on the floor in the barely-there two-piece.

The mum-of-one appeared to be fresh from taking a dip as she went make-up free, with her brunette hair looking slightly damp. 

Hailey showed off her rock hard abs as she posed for the selfie with her orange iPhone.

Aug. 9 (UPI) — Typhoon Dolphin roared into eastern China Sunday at Force 13 speeds of 85 miles per hour, producing extreme downpours and prompting the cancelation of hundreds of flights, official media reported.

Dolphin made two landings in densely populated eastern China, with the first coming at 5:30 p.m. local time at Yuhuan in Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

The second landfall came at Yueqing City in Zhejiang a bit more than an hour later.

China’s National Meteorological Center issued alerts to local authorities in the region to be guard on against extreme downpours.

Forecasters warned that heavy to torrential rain is expected until Tuesday in most parts of Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui and northern and central-eastern Hubei provinces.

Some local rain totals could reach as high as 12.5 inches in eastern Zhejiang and the mountainous regions of southern Anhui, they predicted, with as much as 3.1 inches falling in as little as an hour.

Meanwhile, 388 inbound and outbound flights were canceled Sunday at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport in Hangzhou City, the capital of Zhejiang Province.

Typhoon Dolphin is expected to weaken into a tropical storm as it moves northwestward through Zhejiang, Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration said Sunday.

The storm passed north of the island but its wake prompted sea warnings in the area as maritime officials announced the suspension of sea traffic on Monday.

Despite dodging a direct hit, Dolphin produced strong winds and heavy rains in northern Taiwan, causing scattered damage, the Central News Agency reported.

Six people were injured and hundreds of incidents of fallen trees were reported in Taipei as a result of the typhoon.

Much of the country will feel some relief from the heat early in the week before temperatures spike again.

On Monday, the air will feel a little fresher compared to the weekend with maximum temperatures in northern areas of the UK around 18 to 24C.

Further south, while cooler than Sunday, it will still be a very warm day with temperatures between 22 to 27C.

By Tuesday, warmer air will start to move back in across the UK with the highest temperatures across central southern England, the Midlands and east Wales.

Yellow heat-health alerts remain in force for much of England until 21:00 BST on Tuesday, though they are likely to be extended or upgraded as the heatwave nears.

Highs are likely to be around 27 to 30C.

Wednesday will see temperatures widely across England and Wales head into the high twenties and low thirties.

The peak of the extreme heat is set to arrive on Thursday, with temperatures reaching 36C (97F) in south-east England, and up to 35C likely across central and eastern England.

This would mark the fourth consecutive month where 35C has been reached in the UK – a new record.

Many locations will exceed their heatwave threshold of 25 to 28C – dependent on location – for the first day.

Some of the warmth will spread further north into northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland with temperatures into the low to mid-20s Celsius.

As heat builds throughout the week, overnight temperatures will stay relatively high bringing some uncomfortable nights for sleeping.

Minimum temperatures may not go lower than 16 to 18C across England and Wales.

There’s also a possibility of a ‘tropical night’ – where temperatures remain above 20C all night – in south-east England.

ROD Stewart has become a grandfather for the sixth time as his daughter Ruby has welcomed her second child with fiance Jake Kalick.

She took to Instagram to share the special news alongside a series of pictures of her newborn son.

Ruby posted adorable pictures of her older son Otis meeting his sibling for the very first time.

She captioned it: “We welcomed our little (big) Levi Rhodes Kalick at 6:58pm on 8/4/26 at 9lbs 20inches….

“His name Levi means My Heart and his arrival has grown our hearts to 10 times the size… seeing Otis and Levi meet for the first time might have been the greatest experience of my life so far…

“Otis is already the best big brother and we are already so in love with this sweet boy… Welcome sweet Levi!”

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In one snap, Ruby’s mum Kelly Emberg could be seen smiling as she held her newborn grandson along with Levi’s paternal grandmother.

Rod has eight children in total with five different women.

He shares daughter Sarah with ex Susannah Boffey, who he dated for one year back in the 60s.

The pair put her up for adoption and she was raised by her adoptive parents.

She reconnected with Rod later in life and works in the health and care sector.

He’s also dad to Kimberly and Sean, from his marriage to Alana Collins, from 1979 to 1984.

He and ex-girlfriend Kelly Emberg are parents to daughter Ruby while his second wife Rachel Hunter and he share daughter Renee and son Liam.

Finally, Rod is a father to his two sons Alastair and Aiden, from his third and current marriage to Loose Women star Penny Lancaster.

He and Penny, 55, met back in 1999 at The Dorchester Hotel in London when a friend dared her to go up to him and ask for an autograph.

They dated for several years before tying the knot in a lavish ceremony in Italy in 2007.

Aside from Ruby’s sons Otis and Levi, the singer is also a granddad to Delilah, Louie, Elsie and another one of his daughter Kimberly’s children, whose name she hasn’t disclosed publicly.

Despite some of his eight children having different mothers, he has successfully cultivated a large, blended family.

He has a good relationship with his former girlfriends and ex-wives, with the huge clan often posing together at family celebrations.