LG Electronics said on Friday its second-quarter net profit declined amid rising logistics and tariff costs, despite outperforming market expectations.

In a regulatory filing, the company posted a net profit of 609.7 billion won (US$442.5 million) for the April-June period, down 3.1 percent from a year earlier, reports news agency.

Its operating profit plunged 46.6 percent on-year to 639.4 billion won, and revenue decreased 4.4 percent to 20.73 trillion won.

The earnings exceeded market expectations. The average estimate of net profit by analysts stood at 173.2 billion won, according to a survey.

The Information Technology-enabled Services (ITeS) and IT sectors in India continue to dominate the commercial real estate (CRE) leasing segment, accounting for 50 per cent of absorption during April-June (Q2 2025), up from 36 percent in the previous quarter, a report said on Friday.

Flex spaces trailed behind, accounting for 14 per cent of the total absorption, an increase from 9 per cent in the previous quarter. The area absorbed by flex spaces increased by 68 per cent over the previous quarter. The southern cities of Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad accounted for 80 per cent of absorption in metro cities, the report from CRE firm Vestian said.

Due to a low-pressure zone created over the Bay of Bengal, the city and several districts in south Bengal received heavy rainfall last night, leaving several streets both in the city and in the districts waterlogged, causing inconvenience to daily commuters on Friday morning.

According to the Met Office, the city and its adjoining areas will continue to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall in the next four days.

A weather bulletin issued by the Indian Meteorological Department said the low-pressure area over the north Bay of Bengal and the associated cyclonic circulation will intensify into a depression over the coastal areas of West Bengal during the next 24 hours.

Ed Sheeran and Arijit Singh have released a special version of “Sapphire”. The Grammy winner said that he loves this version of the song and it's the one he listens to every morning with his daughters because he loves the Bollywood singer’s voice.

Sheeran said: ”One of my fav experiences ever in my career was going to Jiaganj Azimganj with my dad to go and see Arijit for the final jigsaw piece of Sapphire.”

The “Perfect” singer said it was a “24 hour trip, and it felt like a pilgrimage of music. After a five-and-a-half-hour drive after we landed, we arrived, and Arijit took us on a boat to see the sights. We talked, ate, and drank coffee.”

The Indian men’s hockey team is set to tour Australia in August for a four-match series, set to be held at the Perth Hockey Stadium from August 15 to 21.

The series promises to be a highly competitive contest, featuring eighth-ranked India taking on sixth-ranked Australia. The matches will be played on August 15, 16, 19, and 21.

The two sides recently faced each other in the FIH Pro League 2024–25 in Europe, where Australia edged India 3–2 in both legs. However, India had earlier scripted a memorable 3–2 victory over the Kookaburras at the 2024 Paris Olympics — their first Olympic win over Australia since the 1972 Munich Games.

While recent encounters have been closely fought, Australia have historically held the edge in the rivalry, winning 35 of the 51 matches played between the two teams since 2013. India have won nine times, with seven matches ending in draws.

Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province activated a red alert for rainstorms on Friday.

According to the Heilongjiang Meteorological Observatory, it is expected that some southern townships of the Mongolian Autonomous County of Dorbod, Heilongjiang, could receive accumulated precipitation of up to 100 mm within the space of just three hours.

At 5:50 a.m. on Friday, the provincial meteorological observatory issued a high-impact weather forecast, predicting short-term heavy rainfall in the provincial capital Harbin's main urban area and in cities such as Zhaodong, Wuchang and Shangzhi, within six hours after the issuing of the forecast.

Thunderstorms and strong winds are expected in some parts of the province, with gusts reaching a maximum force of level 7 to 8.

As torrential monsoon rains continue to batter Pakistan, another eight people died across the country in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 266, according to the latest report issued by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), local media reported on Friday.

Among the newly reported eight casualties, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa recorded three deaths and five injuries. While Islamabad and Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan each reported two fatalities, another death was recorded in Sindh.

Since the beginning of the monsoon season in late June, a total of 266 people have lost their lives, including 94 men, 46 women, and 126 children. Additionally, 628 have sustained injuries nationwide in rain-triggered incidents, reported.

Global currency markets are undergoing a significant transition as the US dollar faces consistent downward pressure, driven by lingering uncertainties around US interest rates and the possibility of new trade tariffs, a report said on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Euro and British Pound have gained ground, following timely and aggressive rate cuts by the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of England (BOE), according to Emkay Wealth Management's latest report.

In the Asian context, the Indian Rupee has shown short-term strength, recovering from a recent high of Rs 87.

According to the report, this rebound in Indian currency is partly supported by improved trade data; its durability hinges on the return of foreign capital, expected once US interest rates begin to ease.

As the year unfolds, global markets will continue to track the Fed’s signals and geopolitical shifts.

A bank manager lost Rs 56 lakh after being "digitally arrested" by cyber fraudsters in Karnataka's Mandya district.

The police cracked the case after nine months and arrested three persons in connection with the crime.

According to police, the victim is a woman bank manager working at Bank of Baroda.

The cyber criminals, posing as officers from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), contacted her through a video call and accused her of being involved in money laundering and making threatening calls.

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed various topical issues in a telephone conversation on Thursday, the Uzbek president's press service said.

During the telephone conversation, "President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin warmly congratulated President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev on his birthday, wishing him good health, prosperity, and success in his public activities," said the press service in a statement.

The issues the two leaders discussed included the development and strengthening of the Uzbek-Russian comprehensive strategic partnership and alliance in the context of the practical implementation of agreements at the highest level, the statement said.