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

A destructive Tim Seifert ensured New Zealand made short work of their 129-run target to win the final Twenty20 against Pakistan by eight wickets on Wednesday and take the series 4-1.

Truck driver Lee Seung-joo was driving through South Korea's Andong mountains when the wildfires hit, engulfing the area in flames and turning it into "a literal hell".

An "unprecedented" mass bleaching event has been recorded off Australia's western coast, scientists said Wednesday, turning huge chunks of a celebrated reef system a sickly dull white.

One of South Korea's worst-ever wildfire outbreaks has killed at least 24 people, officials said Wednesday, with multiple raging blazes causing "unprecedented damage" and threatening two UNESCO-listed sites.

A South Korean official enquiry said Wednesday the government was responsible for abuse in international adoptions of local children, including record fabrication and inadequate consent, and recommended an official state apology.

China poses the top threat to American interests and security globally and is making "steady" progress towards having the ability to seize the self-ruled island of Taiwan, an annual US intelligence report warned Tuesday.

By 2030, Coca-Cola products will account for an estimated 1.33 billion pounds (602,000 metric tons) of plastic waste entering the world's oceans and waterways each year, according to a stark new analysis published Wednesday by the nonprofit Oceana.

Britain's finance minister Rachel Reeves is set to detail billions of pounds of spending cuts in her Spring Statement on Wednesday to address the country's ailing public finances.

The United States added dozens of entities to a trade blacklist Tuesday, its Commerce Department said, in part to disrupt Beijing's artificial intelligence and advanced computing capabilities.

Former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal has thanked fans for their support as he recovers from a serious heart attack he suffered during a match earlier this week.

The world's longest-serving death row prisoner, Iwao Hakamada, won compensation from Japan this week after almost five decades in jail -- and he owes his freedom to a judge with steely determination.

Alarming levels of coral bleaching have been recorded off Australia's western coast, scientists said Wednesday, turning huge chunks of a celebrated reef system a sickly dull white.

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called Wednesday for a trade deal between South America's Mercosur bloc and Japan to counter growing US protectionism.

Lingering hopes that Donald Trump's planned tariff blitz next week will not be as painful as feared lifted most Asian markets Wednesday, though uncertainty about the president's policies and the US economy tempered optimism.

Once the pride of Albania's communist regime, the giant Elbasan metals complex is now one of the most polluted sites in the Balkans, burdened with hundreds of thousands of tonnes of waste, much of it hazardous.

Polish guitar prodigy Marcin, whose virtuoso performances have won celebrity fans and been viewed millions of times online, has a technique so fast and complex that he is regularly accused of tricking listeners.

Huthi media in Yemen reported Wednesday at least 17 strikes in Saada and Amran, blaming the United States for the attacks.

At least 19 people have been killed in one of South Korea's worst wildfire outbreaks, with multiple raging blazes causing "unprecedented damage", the acting president said Wednesday.

Brazilian ex-president Jair Bolsonaro will learn on Wednesday whether he faces trial on charges of backing a coup bid after being voted out of office in 2022.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio heads Wednesday to the Caribbean looking for ways forward on violence-torn Haiti and to show support for oil-rich Guyana in its dispute with Venezuela.

The Miami Heat thrashed the Golden State Warriors 112-86 on Tuesday, handing Jimmy Butler a stinging loss in his first game against his old club since his acrimonious exit.

The NBA is to review a proposal to create a European basketball league, a spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday, after a report detailed a new competition that could feature up to 10 teams.

Japan have never gone beyond the last 16 at a World Cup but they have set themselves the ambitious target of winning next year's tournament after dominating in Asian qualifying.

European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde's recent remarks on a "digital euro" prompted a fresh wave of misinformation online, highlighting an uphill battle ahead to convince the public of the project's merits.

The European Central Bank has pushed back against calls to loosen rules for eurozone banks despite fears they could fall behind US rivals if President Donald Trump implements major deregulation.

Patrick Kluivert said it was "just the beginning" after his Indonesia side beat Bahrain 1-0 in front of nearly 70,000 in Jakarta to breathe new life into their World Cup qualifying hopes.

Lingering hopes that Donald Trump's planned tariff blitz next week will not be as painful as feared helped lift Asian markets Wednesday, though uncertainty about the president's policies and the US economy tempered optimism.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka battled back in the second set to blast her way into the semi-finals of the Miami Open with a 6-2, 7-5 win over China's Zheng Qinwen on Tuesday.

Nathalie Mago's work day begins after she's tucked her three daughters into bed and flicked off the lights in their house north of the Philippine capital Manila.

Argentina celebrated their 2026 World Cup qualification with a dazzling 4-1 thrashing of arch-rivals Brazil in Buenos Aires on Tuesday.

A Buddhist monastery in Bangladesh has found renown for opening its doors to the needy during Ramadan -- a beacon of interfaith harmony in a time of religious tension.

Son Heung-min blamed South Korea's shoddy pitches for their 2026 World Cup qualifying struggles after a 1-1 draw with Jordan left them sweating on an automatic place at the tournament.