Shahid Afridi faces backlash over fan video

Apple has projected slower sales growth for the current quarter, disappointing investors as ongoing supply chain problems continue to limit the company’s ability to meet strong customer demand. The weaker outlook sent Apple shares down by more than five percent in after hours trading despite the company reporting better than expected financial results for the previous quarter. The technology giant said revenue for the quarter ending in September is expected to grow between 9 and 11 percent compared with the same period last year. That forecast fell short of market expectations, which had predicted growth of around 12 percent. Apple also expects iPhone sales to increase at a mid teens rate, slightly below analysts’ forecasts. Chief Executive Tim Cook said the company’s biggest challenge is not weak demand but limited supplies of critical components. He explained that shortages of advanced chip manufacturing technology have reduced Apple’s ability to produce enough of its custom designed processors, especially for its Mac computers. Cook said the company is reviewing all possible options to secure additional supplies, including working with alternative memory chip suppliers. Apple’s Chief Financial Officer Kevan Parekh told investors that the company expects gross profit margins to remain between 47 and 48 percent during the current quarter. Although supply problems remain a concern, executives said demand for Apple products continues to be stronger than expected across several product categories. According to Cook, the company experienced particularly high demand for its Mac lineup during the recently completed fiscal third quarter. Sales of Mac computers rose by nearly 29 percent, driven by strong demand for the entry level MacBook Neo and the premium MacBook Pro models. Cook said the advanced chip manufacturing industry currently lacks the flexibility to respond quickly to unexpectedly high demand, making it difficult for Apple to increase production. Despite concerns about future growth, Apple reported financial results that exceeded most market expectations. Revenue for the fiscal third quarter, which ended on June 27, increased by 16.4 percent to 109.42 billion dollars. Net profit reached 2.02 dollars per share, including benefits from tariff refunds provided by the United States government. Even without those refunds, earnings remained above analysts’ expectations. The company’s strongest performance came from iPhone sales, which climbed 21.7 percent to 54.25 billion dollars. These were Apple’s highest ever third quarter iPhone sales, a period that usually experiences slower demand as customers wait for new models to be released later in the year. Analysts believe some consumers accelerated purchases because of concerns that future price increases could result from the global shortage of memory chips. Mac sales also exceeded expectations, reaching 10.35 billion dollars during the quarter. However, iPad sales declined by 5.9 percent to 6.19 billion dollars. Cook said the decline reflected difficult comparisons with the previous year, when Apple launched a lower priced iPad model that generated unusually strong demand. Revenue from Greater China increased by 22.4 percent to 18.82 billion dollars, although that figure still fell below market forecasts. Analysts said investors remain uncertain about whether demand will remain strong if Apple decides to raise iPhone prices during its expected product launch in September. Although Apple continues to benefit from strong consumer interest and solid financial performance, the company acknowledged that supply chain disruptions remain a major obstacle. Executives said resolving shortages of advanced chips and memory components will be critical to maintaining growth as demand for premium technology products continues to rise.

The United Nations Security Council will begin its first round of informal voting on Thursday to measure support for candidates seeking to become the next UN secretary general. The confidential ballots mark the start of a selection process that will eventually determine who succeeds Antonio Guterres when his second five year term ends later this year. Seven candidates from different regions are currently competing for the position. They include Argentina’s Rafael Grossi, who heads the UN nuclear watchdog, former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, former Costa Rican Vice President Rebeca Grynspan, former Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Maria Fernanda Espinosa, former Guyanese Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, former Senegalese President Macky Sall and Ugandan diplomat Olara Otunnu. Additional candidates are still allowed to enter the race before the selection process concludes. The next secretary general will take charge of the United Nations at a time when the organization faces mounting criticism over its effectiveness and structure. Calls for reform have increased as member states push for a more efficient institution, arguing that the UN must reduce bureaucracy, eliminate overlapping responsibilities among its agencies and improve its ability to respond to global crises. The first stage of the selection process involves informal straw polls conducted behind closed doors among the Security Council’s 15 members. During these secret ballots, council members indicate whether they encourage, discourage or have no opinion on each candidate. The votes are non binding but provide an early indication of which candidates have the strongest support and which face significant opposition. At this stage, all Security Council members use identical ballots, meaning diplomats can see the overall level of support for each candidate without knowing whether opposition comes from one of the council’s five permanent members. Those permanent members are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, each of which holds veto power over the final recommendation. As the selection process moves forward, the permanent members will use ballots in a different color during later rounds of voting. This allows diplomats to determine whether any candidate has received a negative vote from a veto holding country, information that often plays a decisive role in narrowing the field. There is currently no clear favorite to replace Guterres. Previous UN leadership contests have required several rounds of voting over many weeks before a consensus candidate emerged. Diplomats expect this year’s process could continue throughout the summer and possibly into late September or early October if no candidate gains broad enough support. If the Security Council remains divided, the process could take even longer. Once the council agrees on a single candidate, it will formally recommend that person to the 193 member UN General Assembly. The recommendation requires at least nine votes in favor and no veto from any of the five permanent members. The General Assembly then votes to confirm the appointment, a step that has traditionally been considered a formality after the Security Council reaches agreement. The current president of the Security Council is the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its ambassador to the United Nations, Zenon Mukongo Ngay, confirmed that the first round of straw polls will take place on Thursday morning. He also said that Ugandan candidate Olara Otunnu will participate in the voting despite not taking part in the informal public hearings completed by the other candidates. According to his biography, Otunnu played an important role in shaping the current selection process. He states that he introduced the system of informal straw polls while serving as president of the Security Council in 1981. That method has since become a key part of the process used to identify the candidate most likely to secure broad international support before the final appointment is made.

US President Donald Trump has appointed Will Scharf as the next White House counsel and assistant to the president. Scharf, who currently serves as White House staff secretary, will take over the legal post on September 1, 2026. He will replace David Warrington, who is set to leave the administration and enter the private sector. Scharf is a lawyer and political adviser with close ties to Trump. Before joining the White House, he represented Trump in several major legal matters. He was also involved in the presidential immunity case that reached the US Supreme Court. Scharf previously worked as a federal prosecutor. He also served as a law clerk for federal appeals court judges, giving him experience in both government and federal litigation. His new position will place him at the centre of the Trump administration’s legal strategy. As White House counsel, Scharf will advise the president on legal issues and oversee matters involving executive privilege, judicial appointments and relations with the Justice Department. He will also be involved in responding to legal challenges facing the administration. The position is considered particularly important as Trump prepares for growing political and legal pressure ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Scharf joined Trump’s legal team in 2023. He worked on the federal election interference case brought by former Special Counsel Jack Smith. His involvement continued as the case reached the Supreme Court. In 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that presidents have broad immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts. The decision became a major development in the legal battles surrounding Trump. After Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, Scharf was appointed staff secretary. In that role, he managed documents and other materials sent to the president for review. He also frequently appeared with Trump during executive-order signing ceremonies. Scharf has also chaired the National Capital Planning Commission. During his tenure, he was involved in the approval process for Trump’s proposed White House ballroom project, which has faced controversy and scrutiny. His appointment comes at a politically sensitive time for the administration. The White House is dealing with legal and political challenges while preparing for increased congressional scrutiny before the midterm elections. Trump praised Scharf after announcing the appointment. He described him as “tough, strong, and smart” and highlighted his experience as a federal prosecutor and his work on Trump’s legal cases.