Valerie Bennett Naquin's "How to Build a Big Life Without Being Rich" Inspires Purpose-Driven Living

KT said Thursday it has joined a government-led research project to develop design and construction solutions for "dark factories" — fully automated, unmanned plants that run around the clock using artificial intelligence (AI) across every stage of production. The project falls under a Ministry of Science and ICT initiative to build a research and development ecosystem for a software platform based on collaborative intelligence and physical AI. It aims to build a dark factory near Jeonbuk Innovation City in North Jeolla Province. Besides KT, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, LG Energy Solution, Harim Foods, Shinsung E&G and the Korea Productivity Center are taking part as joint research institutions. KT will develop a system built on modular edge AI data center infrastructure — compact, distributed AI data centers pre-assembled on factory floors — to generate and verify Sim-Ready synthetic data, or digital data usable in virtual simulation environments, along with an integrated environment for operating AI agents. Through the research, KT aims to resolve error

CJ ENM, the Korean entertainment powerhouse behind hits like "Parasite" and Studio Dragon dramas, is widening its reach into Central and Eastern Europe. Following its participation in the 2026 Korea-Poland Brand Week in Warsaw on Tuesday and Wednesday, the media company announced plans Thursday to accelerate content distribution and forge local production alliances across the region. The event was hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and organized by the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA). During the two-day event, CJ ENM signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korean Cultural Center in Poland and KOCCA to expand the reach of Korean content in the country. Under the agreement, the company plans to widen exchanges with European institutions and broaden the footprint of Korean content through screenings, promotional events and other programs. CJ ENM ran experience booths tied to its dramas "Lovely Runner" and "The Legend of Kitchen Soldier," letting visitors engage directly with the shows. It also held a special screening of "The Legend of Kitchen Soldier," alongsi

Senior executives from Hansae Yes24 Group attended a Korea-Uzbekistan business forum in Seoul as the conglomerate moves to expand investment and localize operations in Uzbekistan, the group said Thursday. Hansae Yes24 Holdings Vice Chairman Kim Suk-hwan, Hansae Vice Chairman Kim Ik-whan and Hansae Mobility CEO Sung Nag-gon joined the forum at the Shilla Seoul hotel on Tuesday. The event, jointly hosted by Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Korean Prime Minister Han Seong-sook, brought together government officials and business leaders from the two countries to discuss Uzbekistan’s investment environment and ways to broaden strategic economic cooperation. Hansae Mobility, one of the group’s future growth engines, has worked with Uzbekistan automaker UzAuto Motors since its early stages. The Korean company began localizing production of key automotive components late last year and started full-scale mass production this month. Hansae Mobility plans to invest a total of $25 million in Fergana Province. It has invested $13 million in the first phase this year and plans to add $1

Hanwha Systems will team up with the United Arab Emirates’ state-run defense conglomerate EDGE to establish an integrated air defense network, covering long- and medium-range capabilities as well as counter-drone defenses. According to Hanwha Systems, Thursday, the CEOs of the two companies signed a term sheet for the air defense network project during a ceremony in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday (local time). The term sheet outlines the direction of the planned introduction of weapons systems for the integrated air defense network and review agendas at each stage of the project. The two sides plan to determine details of the project in line with the direction of defense cooperation between the two countries. Through government approvals and consultations, the two companies will pursue establishing a local joint venture and discuss its operation and local production. Through the partnership, Hanwha Systems plans to expand its role from supplying individual weapons systems to participating in the integrated air defense network, by linking ground weapons systems, including the Chunmoo multiple roc

Korean Air has finalized contracts to purchase 103 next-generation Boeing aircraft and aircraft engines and maintenance services from U.S. companies in deals worth a combined $44.8 billion, completing a major U.S. procurement plan announced last year. The airline said Wednesday that it signed final agreements covering $36.2 billion worth of Boeing aircraft and $8.6 billion in spare engines and engine maintenance services from GE Aerospace and CFM International. The deals finalize the $44.8 billion U.S. purchase plan announced by Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Won-tae in Washington in August 2025, during President Lee Jae Myung's visit to the United States. Korean Air said the signing ceremony was held Tuesday at the Conrad Seoul hotel in Yeouido and jointly hosted with Boeing. Senior executives attending the event included Cho, Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Stephanie Pope and CFM International President and CEO Gaël Méheust. Government and financial officials from Korea and the United States also attended, including Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources Kim Jung-k

Musinsa, the Korean e-commerce titan that built an empire out of Seoul’s trendsetting streetwear scene, is doubling down on physical retail in China. The company will open locations on Oct. 31 for both its flagship multibrand boutique and its private-label basic line, Musinsa Standard, side by side in Shenzhen — marking its expansion beyond eastern China into the country's southern fashion hub. The Korean fashion platform said Thursday that both stores will open at ONE AVENUE, a major mixed-use shopping complex in Shenzhen’s Futian central business district. The move marks Musinsa’s first offline expansion into southern China after establishing retail operations centered on Shanghai and Hangzhou. The company said Shenzhen, a major economic and industrial center in southern China, has a large population of young consumers with strong purchasing power. Musinsa Store will initially carry about 30 Korean fashion brands, with plans to add more based on customer response and demand. The store is intended to serve as an offline base for introducing Korean fashion labels to Chinese consume

Noul, a Korean medtech firm specializing in artificial intelligence (AI)-driven diagnostic tools, has entered the Indonesian market through its first supply agreement for an automated cervical cancer screening system as the Southeast Asian nation works to scale up preventive care. The company said Thursday it signed the agreement with an Indonesian medical device distributor and plans to supply at least 50 miLab CER units to local medical institutions and laboratory networks over three years. Noul said it will initially work with hospitals, screening centers and laboratory networks before seeking opportunities in Indonesia’s public procurement market. The company said it has secured regulatory approvals for miLab CER in several Southeast Asian markets, including Vietnam and the Philippines, providing a foundation for further expansion across the region. Indonesia, with about 280 million people, is Southeast Asia’s largest health care market, according to Noul, which said cervical cancer places a significant burden on women in the country. Noul said Indonesia plans to include cervical

Domestic sales of Samsung Electronics' new Galaxy Z foldable smartphone have increased following the unveiling of Apple's first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, industry sources said Thursday. Sales of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 in Korea rose about 10 percent in the week following the unveiling of the iPhone Duo from the previous week, according to the telecommunications industry. The increase is believed to have been driven in part by consumers who had delayed their purchases while waiting for Apple's new product and subsequently opted for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 instead. The iPhone Duo's price and hardware specifications are also considered factors in Korean consumers' purchasing decisions, they said. The iPhone Duo is priced at 3.29 million won ($2,380) for the 256-gigabyte model in Korea, more than 1 million won above the 2.28 million won price of the 256GB Galaxy Z Fold 8. The 2-terabyte iPhone Duo model is priced at 5.09 million won. The price gap in Korea is relatively wide compared with the United States, where the 256GB models of the two smartphones differ by about $100 in price.

The former athlete has told a Sydney court that Jones touched him non-consensually and sent him gifts including weekly flowers delivered by his driver.

The predicted AI job apocalypse hasn’t landed yet. But the industry is more concerned about the bigger problem of human extinction.

A comprehensive report on KPMG’s whistleblower failings has come up short, as key staff weren’t interviewed and there were no records of crucial meetings.

Charlize Zmuda, 17, was fatally attacked by a bull shark while swimming at Woorim Beach on Bribie Island, north of Brisbane.

Planning Minister Paul Scully has hit pause on the divisive project to raze seven buildings for a new plaza. The council has accused him of trying to block it.

Dalaroo Metals has homed in on priority drill targets at its Watheroo copper-nickel-PGE project in WA, after a new IP survey confirmed prior exploration indicators.

There was a moment in Brisbane’s semi-final triumph that illustrated to coach Chris Fagan just how much Eric Hipwood had transformed public perception.

The Home Affairs Minister rejected the idea he should have made faster, deeper cuts during a speech at the National Press Club – arguing such a move would trash the economy.

He has 'tendency to approach and assault' children, court hears.

The idea of the “360-degree feedback” has always struck me as worthy in theory but highly dubious in practice.

It could not be more ridiculous.

Critica has delivered a second high-grade 58% TREO product from its WA Jupiter project, increasing key magnet and heavy rare earth content and de-risking its flowsheet.

World sports governing bodies have given the Fitzroy River venue the green light for 2032, but the assessment report clearing the course has not been released.

The Supreme Court has delivered its decision about a high-profile dispute over a Toorak townhouse, which embroiled some of Melbourne’s most famous families.

Cristian Volpato has pleaded not guilty to driving with the drug in his system after being stopped by police in Sydney in late July.

A teenage girl was kicked in the head, stomped on and knifed at a reserve in Melbourne’s west, where a brawl broke out between two feuding groups.

Melbourne-based sign writer Gaston Castagnet is passionate about old-school hand-painted signs. Now he's reviving the nearly-lost form in his family's homelands in South America.

A boy accused of murdering a young man in a group attack at a party has had his case heard in court for the first time. He is the ninth person charged in the murder case.

The baby was taken to Perth Children’s Hospital on Sunday for an assessment as a precaution.

The Federal Reserve’s first increase to interest rates since July 2023 comes less than two months before the midterm elections.

Held up on the banks of the Dadu River by a lack of ferries to carry its soldiers and equipment across, the Central Red Army was under imminent threat from a vast, rapidly-approaching enemy force. To open up an alternative route across the river, the Red Army's 4th Regiment was ordered to capture the Luding Bridge, 120 kilometers away.

In late May 1935, the Central Red Army reached the banks of the Dadu River in Sichuan Province. However, their attempts to cross were severely hampered by the limited number of boats available and the river's swift, turbulent current.

In late May 1935, the Central Red Army reached the banks of the Dadu River in Sichuan. However, the possibility of crossing it was complicated by a severe shortage of available ferries.

Police have released CCTV footage after the Anzac Memorial in Sydney's Hyde Park was vandalised last week.

Augustus Minerals is set to roll the rig onto a target at its Music Well gold project near WA’s Leonora that returned high-grade rock chips of up to 30.4g/t gold.

Huawei Technologies on Thursday unveiled its latest Atlas 960 SuperPoD computing cluster and an upgraded version of its UnifiedBus interconnect technology, key components of the Chinese tech giant’s strategy to build advanced artificial intelligence systems despite US semiconductor-related restrictions. At the Huawei Connect 2026 conference in Shanghai, the Shenzhen-based firm introduced near-packaged optics (NPOs) – a placement structure enabling higher speeds and lower energy use – to the...

Intl. media outlets highlight China's role in BRICS cooperation

Marco Tapia was shot dead at his Sydney home. Two boys, aged 14 and 16, have now been arrested over the alleged botched organised crime killing.

Bowen Hills has been circled as a priority development area for almost two decades.

The Royal Australian Mint has unveiled a brand new coin inspired by one of Bluey’s most popular episodes.

The victim later died from unrelated causes.

The numbers are mind-boggling. If true, or even close to true, it would have made a bloke from Perth the highest-paid employee in the history of the technology industry.