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

The excited fans had come to the chic Italian mountain resort of Cortina d'Ampezzo on Sunday hoping to see Lindsey Vonn make Olympic history.

Portugal, which is reeling from fatal storms, voted on Sunday in the second round of a presidential election in which the moderate favourite is expected to trounce his far-right rival.

Breezy Johnson won the gold medal in the alpine skiing downhill at the Winter Olympics on Sunday after Lindsey Vonn's comeback ended with a horror crash.

Lindsey Vonn's Winter Olympic dream ended in screams of pain on Sunday after she crashed out of the women's downhill, failing in her audacious bid to medal in her favoured discipline at the Milan-Cortina Games.

French authorities have arrested five suspects after a magistrate and her mother were held captive last week for around 30 hours in a cryptocurrency ransom plot, prosecutors told AFP on Sunday.

Jacob Bethell and Harry Brook scored quick fifties but Nepal took regular wickets as England made 184-7 on Sunday in their opening Group C match of the T20 World Cup in Mumbai.

Lindsey Vonn crashed out of the Winter Olympics downhill on Sunday, ending the American skiing great's improbable dream of winning a medal despite competing with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.

Hyundai is preparing to launch the Ioniq 3, a compact EV that will slot below the Ioniq 5. Inspired by the Concept Three unveiled in 2025, the production car will ride on a 400‑volt version of the E‑GMP platform and feature pixelated LED lighting, active aero shutters and a lounge‑like cabin. Two battery options are expected: a 58.3 kWh pack yielding around 270 miles of range and an 81.4 kWh pack delivering roughly 375 miles (WLTP). A front‑mounted motor producing about 201 hp should propel the car to 60 mph in roughly 7.5 seconds with a top speed near 105 mph. Vehicle‑to‑load bidirectional charging will be included.Hyundai is also reportedly developing a high‑performance Ioniq 3 N with dual motors and 288 bhp for a sub‑six‑second 0–60 mph time. The infotainment system will debut the new Pleos software, enabling over‑the‑air updates and Apple CarPlay Ultra. Designers intend to create a “living room” interior with flexible seating and sustainable materials.

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was projected Sunday to have won a thumping victory in snap elections, in a result that could however rile China and worry financial markets.

Renault has reimagined its iconic Twingo as a purely electric city car. Built on the AmpR Small platform, the new model uses a lithium‑iron‑phosphate battery with 27.5 kWh of usable capacity and an 80 hp motor. This combination gives a WLTP range of about 163 miles (approximately 263 km). Standard charging is via a 6.6 kW AC charger, with options for 11 kW AC and 50 kW DC; the latter takes the battery from 10 to 80 percent in 30 minutes. A one‑pedal mode delivers strong regeneration for urban driving.The Twingo E‑Tech is slated to hit the European market in early 2026 with a target price below €20,000. Early adopters can secure an R Pass from December 2025, gaining priority ordering and perks such as a 1:43 scale model and early test drives. Inside, a seven‑inch digital instrument cluster is paired with a ten‑inch infotainment screen running Google services and voice control. Sliding rear seats allow the boot to expand to 360 litres, and up to 24 driver‑assistance systems—including automated emergency braking and lane‑keeping—make this tiny EV surprisingly sophisticated.

Lancia’s revival begins with an all‑new Ypsilon supermini. Built on Stellantis’s CMP platform, it comes as a battery‑electric or 48‑volt mild‑hybrid. The electric Ypsilon uses a 51 kWh battery and a front‑mounted motor rated at 115 kW (156 hp), delivering up to 403 km of WLTP range and more than 500 km in urban use. DC fast charging takes the battery from 20 to 80 percent in 24 minutes, or adds 100 km of range in 10 minutes, while consumption is rated at 14.3–14.6 kWh/100 km. The mild‑hybrid pairs a 1.2‑litre three‑cylinder with a 48‑V system to produce 100 hp and achieve 0–100 km/h in 9 seconds.The cabin is co‑created with furniture maker Cassina, combining sustainable textiles with a minimalist design. Lancia’s SALA (Sound Air Light Augmentation) interface manages lighting, climate and media across dual displays. Half of the surfaces passengers touch are made from recycled or eco‑friendly materials. Outside, the Ypsilon wears a reinterpretation of Lancia’s grille, round Stratos‑inspired rear lights and clean lines.

The Cupra Raval translates Cupra’s rebellious spirit into an urban electric hatch. Derived from the UrbanRebel concept, it rides on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB+ architecture and will be built in Martorell. Launching in early 2026, the Dynamic and Dynamic Plus versions deliver 210 hp and up to 450 km of range, while the VZ Extreme pushes output to 226 hp and adds an electronic limited‑slip differential and adaptive chassis tuning.Two battery sizes—expected around 38 kWh and 56 kWh—will enable sub‑7‑second 0–62 mph acceleration. Styling borrows from the edgy UrbanRebel with angular headlamps, bold creases and copper‑coloured details. Inside, a driver‑focused cockpit features configurable digital instruments, a large infotainment screen and an optional 12‑speaker Sennheiser audio system.

Volkswagen’s ID.Polo ushers the iconic Polo name into the electric age. Pre‑sales begin at the end of April 2026. Built at the Martorell plant in Spain, the compact five‑door model is the first production car on VW’s updated MEB+ platform. Pricing will start below €25,000.Customers can choose between 37 kWh and 52 kWh batteries powering 85 kW, 99 kW or 155 kW motors; the GTI variant with 166 kW arrives later. The larger battery delivers up to 450 km of range and supports DC charging at up to 130 kW. New assistance systems include Travel Assist with traffic‑light and stop‑sign recognition.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday ruled out Tehran ever giving up uranium enrichment in its negotiations with Washington, insisting it will not be intimidated by the threat of war with the United States.

Opener Tim Seifert struck a blistering 65 off 42 balls to lead New Zealand's highest-ever run in a T20 World Cup as they beat Afghanistan by five wickets on Sunday.

Gulbadin Naib struck a rapid half-century to guide Afghanistan to 182-6 after an early wobble against New Zealand in the T20 World Cup on Sunday.

"One Battle After Another" director Paul Thomas Anderson won top honors at the Directors Guild of America Awards in Los Angeles on Saturday, solidifying his film's position as a strong favorite for the Oscars.

Even with its legendary image of glitz and glamour, diamond icon De Beers has struggled to attract a buyer after nearly two years on a market dulled by falling prices and the allure of lab-grown gems.

It has become a staple of every NFL game's pre-show coverage -- footage of players strutting their way to stadium locker rooms wearing the latest daring sartorial choices.

Indian farmers have expressed concern that New Delhi has made too many concessions to Washington after the two countries brokered a new trade deal that would lower tariffs.

India's wicket-taking hero Mohammed Siraj said "it felt like a dream" after a whirlwind 24 hours that saw him called into the T20 World Cup squad and force him to change holiday plans to watch Real Madrid

Stephon Castle's 40-point triple-double propelled the San Antonio Spurs to a fourth straight NBA victory on Saturday with a 138-125 win over the reeling Dallas Mavericks.

Japan voted in snow-hit snap elections Sunday with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hoping to turn a honeymoon start into a resounding ballot box victory that could rile China and rattle financial markets.

Pakistan's capital Islamabad was once known for its lush greenery, but the felling of trees across the city for infrastructure and military monuments has prompted local anger and even lawsuits.

The thorny issue of what to do with Russian assets has not only stumped Western leaders but also officials in Berlin who are saddled with three crumbling buildings belonging to Moscow.

For nearly a year, repeated misdiagnoses of the deadly kala-azar disease left 60-year-old Harada Hussein Abdirahman's health deteriorating, as an outbreak in Kenya's arid regions claimed a record number of lives.

The biggest event in American sports kicks off Sunday as the New England Patriots take on the Seattle Seahawks at a Super Bowl tinged by controversy over Bad Bunny's half-time show.

The Houston Rockets, fueled by Alperen Sengun's triple-double and some timely baskets from superstar Kevin Durant, rallied to beat the short-handed NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder 112-106 on Saturday.

Hideki Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion, fired a three-under par 68 to seize a one-stroke lead after Saturday's third round of the PGA Phoenix Open.

The Washington Post said Saturday its CEO and publisher Will Lewis was leaving effective immediately, just days after the storied newspaper owned by billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos made drastic job cuts that angered readers.

Haiti's presidential transitional council, which has run the impoverished Caribbean nation for nearly two years, on Saturday handed power to US-backed Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime, after failing to rein in rampant gang violence.

North Korea's leadership will hold a party congress later this month, state media announced Sunday, in what will be the first such major gathering since 2021.