steps

Rihanna, 38, is all smiles as she steps out in mustard look in India to promote new beauty range

SUPERSTAR Rihanna looks as keen as mustard to promote her beauty brand.

The Barbadian singer, 38, wore a flowing yellow top and ankle-length leather skirt.

Rihanna wore a flowing yellow top and ankle-length leather skirt on an overseas trip to India Credit: Getty
Rihanna was in Mumbai to promote her brand Fenty Beauty, wearing jewellery from a local designer Credit: AFP

She also wore gems from local designer Manish Malhotra, at the Indian launch in Mumbai of Fenty Beauty

The mum of three’s earnings from her Fenty cosmetics and fashion lines have given her a net worth of £1 billion.

Fenty Beauty is a makeup brand that in late 2020 branched out into skincare, and Savage X Fenty is a luxury underwear brand for women and men.

She recently posed for revealing photographs in red satin lingerie, sprawled sexily across a sofa.

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Rihanna has also revealed that she is actively working on brand new music for the first time in years.

She has largely stayed out of the music industry since her acclaimed 2016 release Anti and has focused on business endeavours instead.

Her only solo lead song since 2016 was in 2022 with the track, Lift Me Up, to accompany the film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Last year she gave birth to her third child with partner A$AP Rocky.

Rihanna is also set to make a sensational return to music, working on new tracks Credit: Getty

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Peru’s election chief steps down amid frustration over long vote count | Elections News

Ballot delivery delays and other missteps on election day have contributed to frustration with electoral authorities.

The head of Peru’s election authority has resigned from his role amid widespread anger over the country’s chaotic general election earlier this month, with vote counting still under way.

Piero Corvetto said in a social media post on Tuesday that he was stepping down as head of the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE), a government body tasked with organising elections in Peru.

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In a letter to the National Board of Justice (JNJ), Corvetto denied that irregularities had taken place, as some politicians have alleged.

But he explained that he was leaving in a bid to increase public confidence, ahead of an anticipated second round of voting in the presidential race on June 7.

The first round of the election, held on April 12, was marred by logistical issues that led to the extension of voting hours around the capital Lima and elsewhere.

Election observers have acknowledged missteps with the electoral process but cautioned that there is no firm evidence of fraud.

Peru’s National Jury of Elections (JNE) said the voting results will be finalised no later than May 15, with the top two presidential candidates advancing to the final round.

Right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori leads with about 17 percent of the vote and is likely to advance to the run-off.

But who will face her remains a mystery. Left-wing Congressman Roberto Sanchez and Lima’s former far-right mayor Rafael Lopez Aliaga remain virtually tied, with 12 percent and 11.9 percent respectively.

The hectic first round of voting could deepen dissatisfaction with the country’s political system at a time of protracted instability and sloping trust in government institutions.

Even before the April election, about 68 percent of Peruvians said that they had little to no trust in the country’s election authorities, according to a poll conducted by the Institute for Peruvian Studies (IEP) and the Institute Bartolome de las Casas (IBC).

Some presidential candidates, including Lopez Aliaga, have pushed unconfirmed claims of fraud and have called for the first round of voting to be nullified.

Election authorities have begun to review thousands of contested ballots that were challenged due to inconsistencies, missing details or tally sheet errors.

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Lebanon steps up diplomacy to confirm inclusion in U.S.–Iran cease-fire

People flee from areas the Israeli army has warned could come under attack in Beirut, Lebanon, on Wednesday. Photo by Wael Hamzeh/EPA

BEIRUT, Lebanon, April 9 (UPI) — Lebanese officials engaged Thursday in intensive diplomatic contacts to confirm the country’s inclusion in the Pakistan-mediated U.S.-Iran cease-fire and refusing to let Tehran negotiate on their behalf.

The initiative comes a day after Israel carried out large-scale air strikes on Beirut and across Lebanon.-

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called on his Pakistani counterpart, Shehbaz Sharif, during a telephone call to emphasize that the cease-fire achieved between the United States and Iran on Wednesday “must include Lebanon to prevent a recurrence of the Israeli aggressions.”

Sharif condemned the recent Israeli attacks on Lebanon and affirmed that Pakistan “is working to ensure peace and stability” in the country.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun urged Western and Arab officials he had contacted to give his country “an opportunity — just as was given to the United States and Iran — to reach a cease-fire and move toward negotiations.”

Speaking during a Cabinet meeting, Aoun, who last month proposed direct talks with Israel starting with a truce, also called for exerting the necessary pressure to ensure that “Lebanon becomes part of the cease-fire agreement, allowing us to proceed with negotiations.”

Israel has rejected the proposal for direct talks and inclusion of Lebanon in the two-week cease-fire, which is said to call for a cessation of hostilities across multiple fronts, Lebanon among them, while pledging to continue strikes against Hezbollah.

Aoun refused “anyone [who] negotiates on our behalf,” a clear reference to Iran, which threatened to withdraw from the temporary cease-fire with the United States if Israel continues to attack Lebanon.

“We have the ability and the means to negotiate ourselves, and therefore we do not want anyone to negotiate for us. This is something we do not accept,” Aoun said.

In separate comments, Aoun said the only solution is to achieve a cease-fire, followed by direct negotiations with Israel.

Ali Fayyad, A Hezbollah member in Parliament, called on the Lebanese government to “insist on a cease-fire as a prerequisite before moving to any subsequent step.”

Fayyad reiterated his group’s rejection of any direct negotiations with Israel, requesting Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon, cessation of Israeli attacks and return of the displaced to their villages and towns.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a post on X that his country “will never abandon its Lebanese brothers and sisters” after Israel’s Wednesday strikes on residential areas in Beirut and other Lebanese areas killed more than 200 people and injured over 1,000.

Pezeshkian said the Israeli attacks “blatantly violate the initial cease-fire” and that “such actions signal deception and non-compliance, rendering negotiations meaningless. Our hands remain on the trigger.”

While Pakistan has confirmed that Lebanon is included in the cease-fire it mediated, Israel and the United States have claimed otherwise.

The Lebanese Cabinet decided to file an urgent complaint to the U.N. Security Council regarding the “dangerous escalation” of Israeli attacks that resulted in a large number of civilian casualties and came “in defiance of all international and regional efforts to halt the war in the region.”

It also called on the Army and security forces to immediately take action to strengthen the state’s full authority over Beirut, ensuring that weapons are restricted to legitimate forces and the laws are strictly enforced.

The measure specifically targets Hezbollah, which has refused to fully disarm after its war with Israel that began Oct. 8, 2023, in support of Gaza — a conflict that was supposed to end with the Nov. 27, 2024, cease-fire, which Israel ignored, continuing its strikes against the militant group.

It also came after Israel hit buildings, apartments and hotel rooms in Beirut where Hezbollah and Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps allegedly were hiding, risking civilian lives.

While Hezbollah announced Thursday that it resumed firing missiles and rockets on settlements in northern Israel for its violation of the truce with Iran, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the group was “desperate for a cease-fire.”

Katz was quoted by Israeli English-language websites as saying that 200 Hezbollah members were killed in Wednesday’s attacks, bringing the number of “those eliminated” during the new round of fighting since last March to 1,400.

“Hezbollah is stunned by the scale of the blow,” he said.

The Israeli Army said that among those targeted Wednesday in an air strike on a residential building in Beirut was Ali Youssef Harshi, the personal secretary and nephew of Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem.

It said that Maher Qasem Hamdan, whom it described as the commander of the Hezbollah-affiliated “Lebanese Resistance Brigades,” and seven others also died in a strike on the port city of Sidon in southern Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Israel sparked a new wave of panic by issuing evacuation orders for residents in Beirut’s southern suburbs and surrounding areas, forcing thousands, including already displaced people, to flee in haste.

Early Thursday, rescue teams continued searching in two targeted buildings, one of which collapsed, while many families tried to locate loved ones who have been unaccounted for since Wednesday.

According to medical sources at the government-run Rafik Hariri University Hospital, about 95 bodies, some mutilated, were brought to the hospital and were awaiting identification by their families.

While the health ministry reported Wednesday night 112 killed and 837 injured, the General Directorate of Civil Defense said 254 people were killed and 1,165 wounded, adding that the toll in Beirut reached 92 dead and 742 injured.

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Pakistan Steps in as Power Broker in US Iran Crisis

Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator in ceasefire talks between the United States, Iran and Israel, hosting negotiations in Islamabad. The announcement of the initial ceasefire by Shehbaz Sharif signaled Islamabad’s unexpected diplomatic centrality in a high stakes conflict.

This role is not incidental. It reflects Pakistan’s long standing regional ties, security concerns, and strategic positioning between major global and regional powers.

Historical Leverage with Iran
Pakistan’s mediation draws on decades of close ties with Iran, shaped by shared borders, religious linkages, and past strategic cooperation. Since 1947, both states have supported each other in regional disputes, creating a baseline of trust that allows Islamabad to act as a credible interlocutor.

Despite occasional tensions, Iran continues to view Pakistan as a state willing to engage without overt hostility, making dialogue politically feasible.

Security Driven Diplomacy
Pakistan’s involvement is rooted in hard security calculations. Instability in Iran could spill over into Balochistan, where separatist movements already challenge state authority. A fragmented Iran risks amplifying cross border militancy and separatist narratives.

Additionally, Pakistan’s status as a nuclear power makes regional de escalation a priority, as prolonged conflict increases the risk of external pressure on its own strategic assets.

Military Influence and US Access
The central role of the military, particularly Asim Munir, has strengthened Pakistan’s credibility with Donald Trump. Direct engagement between military leadership and Washington has enabled Islamabad to maintain influence within US strategic circles.

This relationship enhances Pakistan’s ability to act as a bridge, especially under an administration that values strong security partnerships.

Emerging Strategic Alignments
Pakistan’s deepening ties with Saudi Arabia and parallel coordination with the United States suggest the emergence of a loose strategic alignment. At the same time, Islamabad maintains close relations with China, which has a vested interest in Gulf stability due to energy dependence.

This dual alignment uniquely positions Pakistan as a mediator acceptable to multiple competing blocs.

Implications
Pakistan’s role signals a shift in regional diplomacy, where mid tier powers can leverage geography and relationships to shape major geopolitical outcomes. Successful mediation could elevate Pakistan’s global standing, while failure risks exposing its strategic vulnerabilities.

The talks also highlight how regional conflicts are increasingly multi layered, involving overlapping alliances and competing security priorities.

Analysis
Pakistan is not acting as a neutral peace broker but as a strategic actor pursuing its own stability. By engaging all sides, it reduces the risk of regional spillover while enhancing its diplomatic relevance.

Its ability to maintain simultaneous ties with Washington, Tehran, Riyadh and Beijing gives it rare flexibility. However, this balancing act is inherently fragile. Any perceived bias could undermine trust and derail negotiations.

Ultimately, Pakistan’s mediation reflects a broader geopolitical reality: influence in today’s conflicts belongs not only to superpowers, but to states that can navigate between them.

With information from Reuters.

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TikTok ad leader steps down in latest high-profile exit

TikTok advertising leader Khartoon Weiss is leaving the short-form video company, joining a wave of American executives stepping down over the past year.

Weiss is departing to pursue a new opportunity, the company said Tuesday. She had been at the video service for nearly six years, most recently in charge of TikTok’s global brands and agency business for North America.

Other recent departures have included global head of creators, Kim Farrell, who left earlier this year after almost six years, and Blake Chandlee, who departed in 2025 after leading advertising and marketing for six years.

Michael Beckerman, a public policy executive who helped lead TikTok’s fight against a US ban, also exited last year, as did music chief Ole Obermann. And Erich Andersen, who served as US-based general counsel for TikTok and its Chinese parent ByteDance Ltd., left that role in 2024.

Though ByteDance spun off key parts of its US business in January — part of a national security deal brokered by the Trump administration — the Chinese company remains in control of the advertising and marketing arm. In March, Weiss was the star of TikTok’s first major event since this tumultuous regulatory saga came to a close following more than half a decade.

“We’re going to kick into fifth gear,” Weiss said at the event. “We’re going to completely accelerate.”

In a memo this week, Weiss told advertisers that a search was underway for a replacement. The message was first reported by Digiday.

ByteDance regularly restructures TikTok teams and shuffles leaders. In some cases, it’s enlisted leaders or personnel who worked in China, angling to replicate the success it’s enjoyed in that country with TikTok’s sister app, Douyin.

Levine writes for Bloomberg.

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Lewis Hamilton & Kim Kardashian’s relationship steps up a gear as they go Insta official with video of spin in Ferrari

SIR Lewis Hamilton has taken his relationship with Kim Kardashian up a gear — going Instagram official.

The Formula 1 great took his girlfriend for a spin in a Ferrari in Tokyo and shared a video of it on social media.

Loved-up Kim Kardashian shows off her curvesCredit: EPA
Lewis took Kim for a spin in a Ferrari in TokyoCredit: Instagram
Lewis shared a video of the outing on social mediaCredit: Instagram / Lewis Hamilton

It showed the reality star grinning in the passenger seat.

After drifting down a road and spinning, he brought the car to a stop and Kim, said: “That’s insane.”

She flew out to Asia to be with him at the end of last month for the Japanese Grand Prix, but did not attend the race itself.

The Sun first told in February how Brit Lewis, 41, had struck up a romance with The Kardashians star, 45, with the couple spending a weekend at Estelle Manor in the Cotswolds.

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They have since been seen together in Paris and the US, but this is the first time either has publicly posted about the other on social media.

Kim, who was four kids with disgraced rapper Kanye West, 48 — who she was married to from 2014 to 2022 — said last October she could not imagine herself dating another famous man.

She told a podcast that the person “would have to be someone super- special” for her to start another relationship.

Kim explained: “I don’t know if I have the energy or whether I’ve met the right person that I would want to blend my family with.”

On whether she might date another musician or athlete, she added: “Neither. We’re going, like, lawyers and longevity scientists who would give me all their secrets.”

After splitting from Kanye, she dated comedian Pete Davidson and then NFL player Odell Beckham Jr until things fizzled out in April 2024.

Kim flew out to Asia to be with Lewis at the end of last monthCredit: Shutterstock
Formula 1 great Hamilton has hit out at those who criticised his recent performances on the trackCredit: Shutterstock Editorial

Lewis has not had a serious relationship since he split from Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger in 2015 after almost eight years.

The driver is currently fourth in the F1 standings behind his team-mate Charles Leclerc — and hit out at those who criticised his recent performances.

Seven-time champ Lewis said: “When you have difficult years, there are lots of questions.

“It felt great to come into this season and start off strong, to be able to show that I still have what it takes to be able to compete at the front.”

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Steps singer, 51, reveals he’s a dad-of-two as wife gives birth to second child

An image collage containing 1 images, Image 1 shows Person in a hospital corridor carrying a baby carrier and a bag

STEPS singer Lee Latchford-Evans has confirmed his wife has given birth to their second child.

The couple first revealed they were expecting another baby on Christmas Day last year but Lee has now confirmed their bundle of joy is here.

Steps singer Lee Latchford-Evans has revealed his wife has given birth to a second childCredit: Instagram
It is the second child for the coupleCredit: Instagram
Lee confirmed the news on Instagram todayCredit: Instagram

Taking to Instagram, Lee, 51, tagged his wife, Kerry Lucy, as he shared a snap of himself walking out of the hospital and carrying the newborn in a baby travel seat.

Lee captioned the snap: “Here we go again!”

He added both a blue and purple love heart as to keep his fans guessing over the gender of the newborn.

Kerry later re-shared the post to her own Instagram story.

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The couple were immediately met with well-wishes from fans as one penned: “Oh this is wonderful news!! Congratulations!! X.”

With another writing: “Congratulations on your baby news.”

Lee’s Steps bandmate, Faye Tozer, also commented to say: “Bursting with joy for you all! Can’t wait to meet little one.”

It is the second baby for married couple Lee and Kerry.

Lee and Kerry-Lucy welcomed their first son Leo in July 2021.

The couple, who have been together since 2007, had previously suffered a devastating miscarriage.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Lee opened up on how he and Kerry went through a period of time where they felt “resentment” towards their friends who were expecting or already had babies.

“We’ve wanted a baby for so long. We did start thinking, “Why isn’t this working for us? What’s wrong with us?”

“You doubt each other slightly, but luckily we have a very strong relationship.

“We went through a time where all of our friends were pregnant and people were always walking past us with prams and I guess we hated that and had a bit of resentment towards them, which I know we shouldn’t have.

“It was difficult and frustrating.”

Lee rose to fame as a member of StepsCredit: PA

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Iran accuses US of plotting ground attack, as Israel steps up bombardment | US-Israel war on Iran News

Iran’s parliament speaker has accused the United States of plotting a ground attack despite publicly pushing for a negotiated deal, as the US deploys thousands of military personnel to the Middle East.

“Our men are waiting for the arrival of the American soldiers on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional allies once and for all,” Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in a statement on Sunday, carried by the official IRNA news agency, as Iran struggled with power cuts amid escalating Israeli attacks on central and western areas of the country.

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Iran’s Ministry of Energy reported power outages in the capital, Tehran, its surrounding region and neighbouring Alborz province on Sunday, “following attacks on electricity industry facilities”. The Fars news agency reported later that the outages were being resolved.

It was unclear whether the attacks were related to US President Donald Trump’s threats to strike Iranian power stations and other energy infrastructure if Tehran did not agree to a deal to end the war. Trump extended his deadline by 10 days through April 6 as Washington presented a 15-point plan for peace that critics described as “maximalist”.

Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem, reporting from Tehran, said that authorities had activated substations to restore power. “This gives an indication of how much they’ve been also preparing for such situations,” he said.

Ghalibaf’s comments on Iran’s readiness for a ground assault came as The Washington Post reported that the Pentagon was preparing for weeks of limited ground operations in Iran, potentially including raids on Kharg Island, a crude export hub, and coastal sites near the Strait of Hormuz shipping chokepoint.

As the US-Israel war on Iran stretches into its fifth week, the Trump administration is also planning to send thousands of soldiers from the army’s 82nd Airborne to the region, following a US Central Command (CENTCOM) announcement Saturday that about 3,500 military personnel had arrived in the Middle East on board the USS Tripoli.

IRGC threatens retaliation after university attacks

The Israeli military said it dropped more than 120 munitions on sites used for research, development, and production of weaponry in Tehran on Sunday.

Iran’s Ministry of Health reported that 2,076 people had been killed since the start of the war, including 216 children.

Among the deaths, six people were killed in a US-Israeli attack on a residential area in the Iranian village of Osmavandan, according to the Mehr news agency, which added that five houses were destroyed and 22 were severely damaged.

A university in Iran’s central city of Isfahan said it was hit by US-Israeli air strikes on Sunday for the second time since the war erupted, leaving four university staff members wounded.

The strike followed an attack the previous day on Iran’s University of Science and Technology. After that attack, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it would target two Israeli or US universities in the region in retaliation, according to Iranian state television.

Hossein Sadeghi, head of the Information and Public Relations Center at Iran’s Ministry of Education, told the IRNA news agency that at least 250 students and teachers have been killed amid strikes on 600 educational facilities across Iran since the war began.

Also on Sunday, a commercial building housing Qatar’s Al-Araby TV in Tehran was hit, with video footage showing walls and windows blown out of the multistorey block. “It was a real miracle we survived,” said Al Araby camera operator Mohammadreza Shademan. “There was no military target here”.

As the civilian cost of the war mounts, Iran is demanding compensation in a five-point plan presented to the US.

That plan also includes a halt to killings of Iranian officials, an end to hostilities, safeguards against the outbreak of more war, and Iran’s “exercise of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz”.

Iran, Hezbollah launch attacks

Israel’s military said on Sunday evening that it had detected seven new incoming missile salvoes fired from Iran during the day. These coincided with Hezbollah rocket attacks on northern Israel, with sirens triggered in more than 100 towns.

Israel’s ADAMA, a pesticide maker in the Neot Hovav industrial zone, located 9km (6 miles) south of the city of Beersheba, said its Makhteshim plant was hit either by an Iranian missile or debris ⁠from a missile. No casualties were reported, and no leak of hazardous materials was found.

Reporting from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh said it was “an incident that raises a lot of alarms”.

“This industrial zone has about 19 different factories, including a bromide factory and some pharmaceutical factories. But it’s also home to the main hazardous disposal sites in Israel. So a lot is at stake here,” she said.

Another missile hit open ground near homes in Beersheba, injuring 11 people.

Israeli media reported that missile fragments fell on the northern port city of Haifa after missiles launched by Iran and Hezbollah were intercepted.

Houthis enter fray amid talks

As the war raged on, foreign ministers from Pakistan, Turkiye, Egypt and Saudi Arabia met in Islamabad, looking to de-escalate the conflict, which has also ensnarled Gulf nations hosting US military assets.

Across the Gulf, the United Arab Emirates said it had intercepted 16 ballistic missiles and 42 drones launched from Iran, while Saudi Arabia reported downing 10 drones. Sirens sounded in Kuwait and Bahrain.

The Iranian army said it had targeted US forces based in Jordan, launching drones on the living quarters and military equipment sites at the Muwaffaq Salti airbase in Azraq, the ISNA news agency reported.

Meanwhile, readying itself for attacks amid the US military build-up, an Iranian naval commander, cited by state media, said Iran had complete control of waters near the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint for a fifth of the world’s oil.

He said Iran was waiting for US forces to come within range, warning they could be targeted with coastal missile systems.

As oil prices shoot up and the world’s economy slides, the arrival of Yemen’s Houthis into the conflict, with Saturday’s strikes on Israel, further complicates matters, raising fears that the Yemeni group could block the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

Houthi attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea during Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza upended commercial traffic worth about $1 trillion a year.

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SK hynix says is taking steps for listing on U.S. stock market

South Korean chipmaker SK hynix Inc. said Wednesday it has begun taking steps for listing on the U.S. stock market. This file photo, taken Jan. 29, 2026, shows the company’s headquarters in Icheon. File Photo by Yonhap

SK hynix Inc. said Wednesday it has begun taking steps for listing on the U.S. stock market as the chipmaker aims to improve access to global investors amid its artificial intelligence (AI) drive.

The South Korean chipmaker filed a “confidential submission” to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) the previous day, with a goal to have its American depositary receipts (ADRs) listed on the U.S. stock exchange within the year, it said in a regulatory filing.

“We are preparing with the goal of listing in the second half,” Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kwak Noh-jung said during a general shareholders meeting in Icheon, some 50 kilometers southeast of Seoul.

“As the issuance size and method have not yet been finalized and the listing review process has begun, I cannot disclose specific details in accordance with domestic and international laws and regulations,” he said. “We plan to proceed in a way that helps enhance shareholder value.”

ADRs refer to securities issued in the U.S. stock market that allow the trading of shares in foreign firms. They allow companies to attract U.S.-based investors without a full listing of common shares.

The size, schedule and other details of the process have not yet been confirmed and will largely be determined by market environments, the company noted, adding the final decision will be made by the SEC.

SK hynix’s move is expected to help the chipmaker broaden its funding base in overseas markets, industry watchers said.

The chipmaker said it plans to make another related regulatory filing within six months or earlier if there are further updates.

Separately, Kwak outlined plans to secure more than 100 trillion won (US$66.8 billion) in net cash to support long-term strategic investment for further growth.

“Financial soundness that enables stable investment is essential to respond to structural demand growth and maintain competitiveness,” Kwak said. “We will secure world-class financial strength to lay the foundation for long-term growth.”

According to an annual report, SK hynix maintained net cash of 12.7 trillion won as of end-2025.

Kwak added the company will continue shipments of its high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips as planned this year and aims to release samples of the next-generation HBM4E product later this year.

“HBM3E chips remain the mainstay, and shipments of HBM4 will increase in the second half. Our overall shipment schedule remains largely unchanged,” he said. “We plan to present samples of HBM4E within the year.”

Copyright (c) Yonhap News Agency prohibits its content from being redistributed or reprinted without consent, and forbids the content from being learned and used by artificial intelligence systems.

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Europe’s ‘most walkable’ city has three magnificent sights in just 3,200 steps

“Take your time and don’t be afraid to get lost.”

When holidaying abroad, it’s far more enjoyable to explore your destination on foot rather than relying on vehicles or public transport. Whether wandering between landmarks or hunting for restaurants, being in a genuinely walkable location can significantly reduce travel anxiety.

Bearing this in mind, Braw Scottish Tours examined the walking distances and step counts between five principal attractions across 30 of Europe’s most visited cities. Their findings revealed that the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul ranks as Europe’s most walkable city.

There, a mere 2.5km stroll connects major sites including Hagia Sophia and the Grand Bazaar. Exploring this area requires roughly 3,250 steps and approximately half an hour’s walk.

On TripAdvisor, one traveller to the metropolis commented: “Istanbul is a magical city. Phenomenal and historical buildings pepper this amazing place. Literally, it takes days to soak in the nuances and atmosphere of Istanbul. Take your time and don’t be afraid to get lost.”

Another visitor added: “Istanbul is a magnificent city… one full of beauty, history, spectacular architecture, amazing restaurants, views to die for, wonderful little family-owned hotels, exceptionally kind and honest people, fun-filled nightclubs, exotic sounds, exotic smells, and many other fabulous things too numerous to mention.”

A third person said: “There are so many cliched phrases used to describe Istanbul – ancient and modern, where east meets west, old world blended with new world, etc., etc., and they are all true. There is history, culture, shopping, sightseeing, museums, galleries, boat trips. There is SO much!”

For those who have already explored Istanbul, or perhaps feel it’s not quite their cup of tea, fear not, there are numerous other pedestrian-friendly destinations across Europe.

Europe’s most walkable cities:

  1. Istanbul, Türkiye
  2. Milan, Italy
  3. Hamburg, Germany
  4. Dublin, Ireland
  5. Prague, Czechia
  6. Amsterdam, Netherlands
  7. Copenhagen, Denmark
  8. Birmingham, UK
  9. Frankfurt, Germany
  10. Kraków, Poland

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