OPINION: Middle East and U.S. foreign policy

KENOSHA, September 11 (AJP) - CIA Director William J. Burns and British counterpart MI6 Chief Richard Moore have just met and are launching the latest effort to secure a peace agreement in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, and stop the emerging regional war. This reflects the vital importance of intelligence for Israel as well as the close Anglo-American “Special Relationship,” which began with intelligence agencies in World War I. This unusual approach also reflects the di

September 11, 2024

OPINION: Starting with handshake, presidential debate between Harris and Trump then turns fierce, and pointed

SEOUL, Sept. 11 (AJP) - As the two presidential candidates entered the debate stage, Kamala Harris strode across it and offered her hand to Donald Trump to shake, setting a confident tone that didn't flag throughout the debate. Trump, appearing to grow angrier through the night, stuck to his well-trodden themes of American decline and reminded viewers that Harris was part of the Biden administration, which he blamed for that decline. Each candidate probably won points with th

September 11, 2024

Workers go on strike at Samsung Electronics's India plant

SEOUL, September 11 (AJP) - Employees at a Samsung Electronics factory in southern India, have gone on strike, causing some disruption to production. Reuters reported Monday, hundreds of workers at the Samsung plant in Sriperumbudur have initiated an indefinite strike, demanding wage increases and improved working hours. The factory employs fewer than 2,000 people and produces refrigerators, washing machines and other home appliances. Sources cited by Reuters indicated that the s

September 11, 2024

LG's AI Home Hub, AeroCat steal the spotlight at IFA 2024

SEOUL, September 11 (AJP) - LG Electronics' mobile AI Home Hub, codenamed Q9, has received high praise from international media at IFA 2024 in Berlin. The device, which features LG's AI agent FURON and autonomous navigation capabilities, was named the best product in various categories by prominent tech publications. TechRadar explained it as "the first robot that made me think it had personality and was worth buying," crowning it the best smart home tech at IFA

September 11, 2024

Hanwha Robotics unveils long-reach collaborative robot at U.S. trade show

SEOUL, September 11 (AJP) - Korean robotics firm Hanwha Robotics Co. has introduced its new long-reach collaborative robot, the HCR-10L, at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) 2024 in Chicago, which runs from Sept. 9 to 14. The HCR-10L, boasting a reach of 180 centimeters, is claimed to have the longest arm in its 10-kilogram payload class globally. It is designed for various industrial applications including powder coating, palletizing and welding. Hanwha Robo

September 11, 2024

SM Entertainment's first virtual artist debuts with English single 'Done'

SEOUL, September 11 (AJP) - SM Entertainment, a major Korean talent agency, has debuted its first artificial intelligence (AI)-powered virtual artist, nævis, with an English single, "Done." The music video for the digital single, released on Tuesday, has gained over 590,000 views on YouTube within 17 hours. The music video features the virtual artist performing alongside four human backup dancers. Through her debut song, nævis expresses her first step toward freed

September 11, 2024

Egypt's urban inflation hits 26.2% in August

SEOUL, Sept. 11 (AJP) - Egypt's annual urban inflation rate rose unexpectedly to 26.2 percent in August, up from 25.7 percent in July, according to CAPMAS data. On a monthly basis, prices increased by 2.1 percent, a sharper rise compared to the 0.4-percent growth in July. Food prices, which had decreased by 0.3 percent in July, jumped by 1.8 percent in August and were 29-percent higher than the previous year. Analysts had forecasted inflation to ease to a median of 25.1 perce

September 11, 2024

Two Korean climbers found dead on Mont Blanc

SEOUL, Sept. 11 (AJP) - Two Korean climbers were found dead in the Alps on Tuesday, three days after they went missing, according to the Korean Embassy in France. French rescuers discovered their bodies near the summit of Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps and Western Europe. They were identified as a man in his 50s and a woman in her 40s, who had been reported missing last Saturday by a Korean mountaineering club. The two were part of a seven-member group who had traveled

September 11, 2024

Japan's JR East to introduce autonomous bullet trains by 2028

SEOUL, September 11 (AJP) - East Japan Railway Company (JR East), one of the country's largest railway operators, announced on Tuesday its plans to introduce self-driving bullet trains on a section of its Joetsu Shinkansen Line by fiscal year 2028. The autonomous service, which could be the world's first for high-speed trains, will initially operate with a driver onboard for emergencies. The 55.7-kilometer stretch between Nagaoka and Niigata stations in northwest Japan wi

September 11, 2024