Voters in the U.K. are casting their ballots in a national election to choose the 650 lawmakers who will sit in Parliament for the next five years. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak surprised his own party on May 22 when he called the election, which could have taken place as late as January 2025.

After 14 years in power under five different prime ministers, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives are widely expected to lose to the main opposition party, the left-of-center Labour Party led by Keir Starmer. Sunak’s party has struggled to reassure voters on issues including the rising cost of living and a crisis in the National Health Service.

Polls opened at 7 a.m. and will close at 10 p.m. on Thursday night. Even before in-person voting began, hundreds of thousands of people had cast their ballot by postal vote.

An exit poll commissioned by the main U.K. broadcasters will be published as soon as the polls close, giving an indication of the likely result.

Counting will begin immediately but most of the results will only be announced in the early hours of Friday.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak cast his ballot Thursday in a national election that will determine if he remains in office. Sunak, who tried to bring stability to a Conservative Party in chaos when he was picked as leader in October 2022, spent the past six weeks trying to persuade voters across the U.K. to give his party another term after 14 years in power.

Pollsters and politicians widely expect the Labour Party to win for the first time since 2005.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 surged Thursday to a record close of 40,913.65, while most other major world markets also advanced.

Investors worldwide are keen to see the Federal Reserve cut rates that it has been keeping at two-decade highs to slow growth and tame inflation, and hopes have been reviving that price pressures are easing enough to make that possible.

In early European trading, Germany’s DAX rose 0.2% to 18,586.00 and the CAC 40 in Paris gained 0.8% to 7,694.52.

In London, the FTSE 100 was up 0.7% at 8,228.90. British voters were choosing a new government in a parliamentary election Thursday that is widely expected to bring the opposition Labour Party to power.

The future for the S&P 500 was up 0.1% while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.2%.

The Nikkei 225 gained 0.8% to 40,913.65, with buying of automakers’ shares and other export-oriented stocks pushing the benchmark to an all-time high. The Nikkei 225’s all-time high during intraday trading is 41,087.75, on March 22. Its previous record close was 40,888.43, also set on March 22.

The index surpassed its longstanding record of 38,915.87, set on Dec. 29, 1989, in February.

Toyota Motor Corp.’s shares jumped 2% and Honda Motor Co. climbed 3%. Nissan Motor Corp. rallied 4.5% and shares in computer testing equipment maker Advantest Corp. gained 2.1%.

Investors have piled into the Japanese market partly due to the cheapness of the Japanese yen, which is trading at 34-year lows against the dollar. A weak yen tends to push the profits of exporters higher when they are repatriated to Japan.

Changes in regulations on investment accounts have also boosted share purchases.

The Nikkei 225 index has gained 22.4% so far this year. The index surged in the late 1980s during Japan’s bubble economy, when asset prices soared. But it collapsed when that financial bubble imploded in early 1990.

Elsewhere in Asia, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng recovered from early losses, rising 0.3% to 18,028.28, and the Shanghai Composite index shed 0.8% to 2,957.57.

Taiwan’s Taiex jumped 1.5% as chip maker and market heavyweight Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. gained 2.7%.

In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 surged 1.2% to 7,831.80, while the Kospi in Seoul advanced 1.1% to 2,824.94.

Bangkok’s SET picked up 0.5%.

On Wednesday, U.S. stocks kept rising in a holiday-shortened session after weak reports on the economy kept the door open for possible cuts to interest rates.

U.S. markets are closed Thursday for the Independence Day holiday.

On Wednesday, the S&P 500 rose 0.5% to set an all-time high for a second straight day and for the 33rd time this year. It closed at 5,537.02. The Dow dipped 0.1% to 39,308.00, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.9% to 18,188.30.

The hope on Wall Street is that the economy will soften by just enough to keep a lid on upward pressure on inflation, but not so much that it throws workers out of their jobs and triggers a recession.

A much more anticipated report will arrive on Friday, when the U.S. government will give its comprehensive update about how many workers employers added to their payrolls during June.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury dropped to 4.35% from 4.44% late Tuesday, a notable move for the bond market, and much of the slide came after the report on U.S. services businesses. It’s been generally sinking since April on hopes that inflation is slowing enough to get the Federal Reserve to lower its main interest rate from the highest level in more than two decades.

In other dealings early Thursday, U.S. benchmark crude oil gave up 41 cents to $83.47 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Brent crude, the international standard, lost 35 cents to $86.99 per barrel.

The U.S. dollar fell to 161.23 Japanese yen from 161.67 yen, reflecting expectations that U.S. interest rate cuts might narrow the gap in rates with Japan, where the benchmark lending rate is near zero.

The euro rose to $1.0799 from $1.0787.

German May factory orders in shock fall Demand fell 1.6% from the prior month and 8.6% year on year, the economy ministry said on Thursday. Analysts had forecast a rise of 0.5%.

Together with the recent deterioration in business expectations in the manufacturing sector, the continuing decline in orders points to rather subdued momentum in industry in the coming months, the Economy Ministry said. Orders are only likely to stabilise once global trade continues to recover and demand for industrial products gradually picks up.

Delvitech and Eurotech: a partnership to take quality control to the next level

From Mathematical Models to AI-driven Automated Optical Inspection

AMARO, Italy, July 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Delvitech, a leader in 3D automated optical inspection for assembled printed circuit boards leveraging artificial intelligence, has joined forces with Eurotech, a global innovator in ultra-high-performance Edge AI Computers, to revolutionize quality control technology.

Delvitech’s patented integrated optical inspection technology, designed to collect comprehensive data to drive neural networks in optical inspection, gains crucial support from Eurotech’s hardware. This collaboration boosts the efficiency of assembling printed circuit boards, greatly increasing assembly machine uptime and significantly reducing waste and rework.

Employing the patented optical head, Delvitech captures detailed images that are processed through its software, adept at detecting assembly and welding errors in the electronics manufacturing process. Eurotech’s hardware complements this system by offering the speed and computational accuracy necessary to handle the massive influx of data required for the algorithms to produce desired outcomes.

This integrated 3D solution is highly competitive and flexible, allowing customization to meet specific customer needs. As board electronics become increasingly complex, Delvitech’s technology surpasses traditional mathematical models by analyzing a variety of components, such as metal parts, transparent glues, and silicone elements.

Moreover, this collaboration enables Delvitech and Eurotech to offer a solution that not only identifies errors but also drives AI models to detect deviations and trends, proactively preventing future errors and enhancing process quality.

In an environment where quality control demands are continuously growing, it is crucial to develop optical inspection systems with optimal performance and partner with providers of state-of-the-art solutions. Eurotech offers highly reliable solutions, extensively tested to meet our high-performance requirements, said Roberto Gatti, CEO of Delvitech.

Paul Chawla, CEO of Eurotech, added, Our collaboration with Delvitech showcases the power of our Edge AI solutions. We empower our partners to deliver efficient, cost-effective, and scalable solutions where accuracy and speed are critical.

Currently focusing on optical control of boards and soon semiconductors, the partnership aspires to expand into other sectors, including medical and food, with a strong emphasis on cybersecurity and sustainability.

Roboat, a spin-out from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions (AMS), recently secured a €550k investment from LUMO Labs and SHIFT Invest. The funding aims to enhance Roboat’s efforts in revolutionizing inland waterway transport with fully autonomous boats. Ynse Hendrik Deinema, Roboat CEO & Co-founder, expressed enthusiasm for the support received, highlighting collaborations across Europe to advance the cutting-edge technology.

Roboat’s AI-powered system, developed in 2023, is specifically tailored for navigating complex urban waterways efficiently and sustainably. One of their current partnerships includes the GVB in Amsterdam, where the Roboat system enhances situational awareness for safer operations. The technology offers a range of features such as automated docking, obstacle identification, and autonomous sailing, benefitting both passenger transport and goods delivery while reducing emissions.

Investors from LUMO Labs and SHIFT Invest recognize the potential of Roboat’s autonomous shipping technology in addressing urban congestion and enhancing sustainability. By offering a subscription-based service that can be customized to meet individual operational needs, Roboat aims to empower shipping companies with state-of-the-art autonomous capabilities. With a focus on promoting more fuel-efficient sailing practices, Roboat is at the forefront of reshaping contemporary transportation systems towards a more versatile and eco-friendly future.

The recent funding injection from LUMO Labs and SHIFT Invest supplements prior support from Delft Enterprises, signaling a growing interest in Roboat’s innovative solutions within the maritime industry. As the company continues to expand its team and refine its technology, the prospects for enhancing inland waterway transport and urban liveability look promising. With a strong emphasis on technological advancement and sustainable practices, Roboat is poised to make a significant impact on the future of waterborne transportation.