Seoul Gazette - News from Seoul, the Dongan District, Manan District, Buk District, Busanjin District, South Korea and the world

Erotic chatbots, video-synced and voice-activated devices mesmerised visitors at a sex toy expo in Shanghai this weekend, as China's adult product firms join the global AI craze.

Paramount Skydance was on a charm offensive at CinemaCon this week, trying to convince theater owners that its megabucks deal to swallow Warner Bros. would be good for the industry.

Tehran threatened on Saturday to shut the Strait of Hormuz once more if the United States continues its blockade of Iranian ports, hours after Iran announced it had reopened the strategic waterway in the wake of a ceasefire in Lebanon.

It's a bitter pill for video gamers: a growing number of older but still-popular titles are being dropped by publishers -- with servers going dark overnight -- in a practice the EU is being urged to outlaw.

In communist Cuba, where priests were once persecuted, churches are acting as a lifeline for the needy during a severe economic crisis aggravated by a crippling US oil blockade.

In a wooded area outside Virginia's state capital Richmond, the sounds of gunshots resonate. Collin is learning how to use a firearm.

Pope Leo XIV arrives on Saturday in Angola, the third leg of a landmark African tour marked by a war of words with US President Donald Trump over the Middle East conflict.

Tehran on Saturday threatened to shut the Strait of Hormuz once more if the United States continues its blockade of Iranian ports, hours after the key waterway was reopened in the wake of a ceasefire deal in Lebanon.

Former champion Matt Fitzpatrick fired a bogey-free eight-under-par 63 on Friday to surge to a one-stroke lead over Victor Hovland at the US PGA Tour RBC Heritage.

Top seed Elena Rybakina saved two match points against unseeded Canadian Leylah Fernandez to advance to the semi-finals of the WTA Stuttgart tournament on Friday where she will meet Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva.

Michael Carrick has refused to rule out the prospect of Marcus Rashford returning to Manchester United once his loan spell with Barcelona comes to an end.

Frank Lampard has silenced his critics by leading Coventry into the Premier League for the first time in 25 years, masterminding a promotion-winning campaign that rehabilitated the former Chelsea star's managerial reputation.

World Cup fans will have to pay $150 -- more than 10 times the normal price -- for the quick round-trip train between New York and Meadowlands stadium when it hosts the tournament's final and seven earlier matches, local officials said Friday, drawing outrage.

Lens came back from two goals down to find a late winner to beat Toulouse 3-2 on Friday and move to within one point of Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain, who have two games in hand.

Inter Milan took another step towards the Serie A title on Friday by comfortably beating Cagliari 3-0 and taking a provisional 12-point lead at the top of the table.

World Cup fans will have to pay $150 for the 36-mile roundtrip train trip between New York and Meadowlands stadium when it hosts eight matches including the final, local officials said Friday, drawing condemnation from supporters.

The NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder say they can't afford to look too far ahead -- or back -- as they chase the league's first title repeat since 2018.

US President Donald Trump told AFP on Friday that a peace deal with Iran was "very close" and had "no sticking points," as Tehran declared the Strait of Hormuz open to commercial shipping.

Donald Trump's war of words with Pope Leo has angered some American Catholics, a key voting bloc, who say the US president has gone too far in his criticism of the pontiff.

The US Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of oil giant Chevron on Friday in a case that could impact environmental damage lawsuits.

World Cup fans will have to pay $150 for the 36-mile (58-km) roundtrip train trip between New York and Meadowlands stadium when it hosts eight matches including the final, local officials said Friday.

Skipper Shubman Gill led the way with 86 off 50 balls as Gujarat Titans beat Kolkata Knight Riders by five wickets in the IPL, consigning the three-time champions to a fifth loss in six games this season.

Hollywood's major studios brought their biggest movies to Las Vegas this week for CinemaCon, the annual industry summit that offers insiders a sneak peek at what's coming soon to theaters.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Friday that his country was on the verge of a "new phase" of "permanent agreements", after the 10-day ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war went into force.

US President Donald Trump told AFP on Friday there were "no sticking points" left for a peace deal with Iran, which he said was "very close" as Tehran declared the Strait of Hormuz open to commercial shipping.

Detroit are tuning out the naysayers who tip the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks or even fourth-seeded Cleveland to beat the top-seeded Pistons to the NBA Eastern Conference crown.

Teenage Mirra Andreeva came from a set down to stun Iga Swiatek and reach the semi-finals of the WTA clay-court tournament in Stuttgart on Friday.

Pope Leo XIV on Friday warned that the AI boom could fuel "conflict, fear and violence" while on a trip to Cameroon marked by his ongoing spat with US President Donald Trump.

Alejandrina Guasorna did not discover until adulthood that she had been subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM) the day she was born in a remote Indigenous community in Colombia's coffee-growing region.

UEFA on Friday opened disciplinary proceedings after several photographers were injured when fans stormed over barriers at the end of Wednesday's quarter-final between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in Germany.

US President Donald Trump told AFP on Friday there were "no sticking points" left for a peace deal with Iran, which he said was "very close" as Tehran declared the Strait of Hormuz open to commercial shipping.

US President Donald Trump signaled Friday that an Iran peace deal was all but done, telling AFP there were "no sticking points" left between Washington and Tehran.