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New York Post
6 hours ago
- New York Post
‘Pregnancy robots' could give birth to human children in revolutionary breakthrough — and a game-changer for infertile couples
There's a robot for that. What a time to be alive — people are marrying AI bots, and now robots might soon be able to carry babies. Reportedly, China is working on designing a bot with an artificial womb — which will receive nutrients through a hose — in its abdomen that will soon be able to carry a fetus for approximately 10 months before giving birth, according to Chosun Biz. This will be a game changer for infertile couples, if all goes according to plan. globalmoments – The 'pregnancy robot' was conceptualized by Dr. Zhang Qifeng, founder of Kaiwa Technology, which is based in Guangzhou — a city in China. If all goes according to plan, the prototype will make its debut next year. For those struggling to conceive, hiring a humanoid to carry their baby will cost 100,000 yuan, $13,927.09 — a price significantly less than a human surrogate, which can cost someone in the US anywhere from $100,000 to $200,000. 'The artificial womb technology is already in a mature stage, and now it needs to be implanted in the robot's abdomen so that a real person and the robot can interact to achieve pregnancy, allowing the fetus to grow inside,' Qifeng told Chosun Biz. Many questions are still unanswered at this time, including how the egg and sperm will be fertilized and inserted into the womb and how the bot will give birth. The artificial womb will reportedly receive nutrients through a hose. H_Ko – Obviously, with this sort of technology comes a lot of questions and concerns regarding ethical and legal issues. 'We have held discussion forums with authorities in Guangdong Province and submitted related proposals while discussing policy and legislation,' the doctor said, addressing people's uneasiness towards this. Speaking of freaky bots — a humanoid was spotted walking around Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan earlier this month, doing everything from grabbing a hot dog to trying on sneakers. The intent behind this shocking scene of the KOID-branded bot acting like a human New Yorker was to promote global asset management firm KraneShares's Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF, which came out earlier this summer. 'I feel like I was witnessing firsthand . . . the first lightbulb or the first car,' said Joseph Dube, head of marketing at KraneShares. 'People were amazed. Some people were terrified. It was a major mixed bag of reactions.'
Time of India
08-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Le Sserafim's streaming soars with 'Hot'; surpasses 100 million streams
Le Sserafim Le Sserafim's 'Hot', which dropped on March 14 has scored over 100 million streams by August 6, per Kworb's analytics with exactly 100,114,548 plays. It's the cheeky end to the 'Easy'-'Crazy' trilogy, mixing bold love vibes with beats that turn boring bus rides into personal parties. 13 Tracks That Keep the Party Going Le Sserafim's turning streams into a hit factory - now with 13 tracks over 100 million each on Spotify, as Chosun Biz reports from platform data. 'Antifragile' tops the list at 500 million+, 'Perfect Night' comes in next at 400 million, and gems like 'Fearless', 'Unforgiven', 'Smart', and 'Crazy' cruise past 300 million, per Kworb. Chartmetric's 2023 report states that only 19% of artists snag 1,000 monthly listeners, so this streak is like spotting a shooting star during lunch. MIDiA Research pegs 2023 global subscribers at 700 million, creating a playground where Le Sserafim's empowering anthems thrive. Total streams? A wild 4.5 billion by August 2025, Kworb estimates - enough to soundtrack a planet-wide dance-off! More Surprises In Store? Le Sserafim's 'Hot' run is a riot, showing tunes can unite us in giggles and grooves, per Kworb's speedy milestone. GlobeNewswire forecasts the streaming market at 17.3% growth to 143.89 billion USD by 2032, with acts like them leading the fun charge. Will the next drop be even wilder? Bet on it - these stars keep the joy flowing!
The Independent
07-08-2025
- The Independent
Seoul to crack down on taxi drivers overcharging and refusing rides to foreign tourists
Authorities in Seoul have launched a crackdown on taxi drivers who unfairly treat foreign tourists during the vacation season. The Seoul municipal government on Wednesday announced a 100-day crackdown to target illegal taxi activities such as overcharging, demanding tips, and refusing to pick up passengers for short rides. The crackdown will mostly focus on airports and tourist attractions such as the Myeong-dong shopping district in the South Korean capital. The crackdown is designed to 'rectify illegal taxi activities ahead of the peak tourism season in South Korea ', said Yeo Jang Kwon, head of the transportation office at the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The base fare for a standard taxi ride up to 1.6km is 4,800 won (£2.6) after which 100 won (£0.05) is added every 131 metres. At night, the base fares increase, ranging from 5,800 to 6,700 won (£3.1-3.6), according to local media reports. Seoul authorities have been organising dedicated crackdowns to address illegal taxi activities since 2015, Chosun Biz reported. Despite these measures, taxi drivers allegedly continue their illegal activities by moving their locations to evade police. Authorities said this year's initiative had targeted 139 cases of overcharging at airports near Seoul and 109 cases of taxi drivers refusing to accept foreign passengers for short rides so far. The new measures involve deploying enforcement personnel for focused on-site crackdowns, expanding efforts based on QR code surveys from foreign tourists, enhancing systems such as taxi receipt labelling, and imposing stricter penalties. Millions of foreign tourists visit South Korea each year, lured by the rising popularity of Korean culture, music and film in mainstream media. Nearly 7.21 million foreign tourists visited South Korea until the end of May this year, up 14.7 per cent from the previous year, according to media reports. China, Japan, Taiwan, and the US were among the leading countries of origin for tourists visiting South Korea. The country is expected to receive a record 20 million foreign tourists this year, boosting sluggish domestic consumption, according to a report by the Hyundai Research Institute. In recent years, foreign travellers have frequently filed complaints about taxi drivers overcharging, refusing to use the meter, or taking unnecessarily long routes, the Korea Times reported. Last year, taxi-related grievances accounted for nearly 19 per cent of all complaints reported to the Korea Tourism Organisation. A taxi driver was caught overcharging a Chinese tourist for a ride from the Jeju international airport to a hotel near Hamdeok Beach, the Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Police Agency said in May 2024. The driver collected 200,000 won (£108) for a trip that should have cost 23,000 won (£12.4) and was ordered to refund the overcharged amount of 177,000 won (£95.8).
Indian Express
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Netflix's new K-drama facing boycott in South Korea turns global smash hit with 100% Rotten Tomatoes score
Netflix recently dropped a new dystopian K-drama set in a fictional South Korea where the country's strict gun laws go out the window. Starring Kim Nam Gil, Kim Young Kwang, Park Hoon and others, this new show titled Trigger sparked massive boycott calls even before its release. Many believed it was loosely inspired by the recent shooting incident in Songdo, Incheon. The director denied any such link, but that didn't stop the speculation. Trigger stayed a burning topic even after it hit screens. Meanwhile, globally, it's become one of Netflix's most-watched non-English shows, beating titles like Letters From the Past, Angela, and more. Also read: Trigger Ending Explained: Does Kim Nam Gil's Netflix thriller have a happy ending and who survives the rampage of gunplay? The K-drama dropped on July 25 and instantly shot to the second spot in Netflix's non-English global category. Now in its second week, the show, despite slipping a few positions, still holds strong at number 4, pulling in over 2.9 million views this week and securing its spot in the top 10 across 20 countries, including regions like Romania, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kuwait, Thailand, and, surprisingly, even South Korea. The number one spot is still being held by Squid Game 3 for five weeks straight, and with 28.5 million hours viewed. The animated series My Melody & Kuromi: Season 1 sits at number 2, while fan-favourite anime DAN DA DAN: Season 2 lands at number 3. Trigger imagines a South Korea where guns are easily available, and all hell breaks loose when a revenge-driven man, on the edge of death with a terminal illness, decides to flood the country with illegal firearms. It theme of the show alone serves as a warning and leans hard into the kind of turmoil South Korean screens rarely show. Even though the series didn't get much attention at first, it slowly became a critic's favourite too and one of the rare K-dramas to receive a Rotten Tomatoes score. For now, it has a 100% rating. The massive global reaction just proves how strong K-dramas still are for the platform. Netflix has already been stepping up its K-content game, moving beyond the usual rom-coms and exploring more psychological, thriller, and action-driven stories. Mercy for None dropped earlier this year, and Beyond the Bar is lined up for August 2. Also read: After Sydney Sweeney, Gavin Casalegno's Dunkin' ad faces heat over 'genetics'-obsessed campaigns At home, the series has sparked boycott calls. Some feel the show exaggerates or sensationalises gun violence in a way Koreans aren't ready to digest just yet. Others, though, appreciated its raw tone, especially given the world inching closer to real wars. Earlier, a Chosun Biz report revealed that a 62-year-old man was arrested for allegedly shooting his own son with a makeshift shotgun while prepping for a birthday celebration. In a country where getting a gun license is nothing like it is in the US, the case hit a nerve. Trigger's director Kwon Oh-seung later said, 'I feel heartbroken about the recent unfortunate incident. I regret it. I hope that such things do not happen in the future,' adding that 'the connection between this incident and Trigger is a different issue.' Still, despite the clarification, the show's fan event live broadcast was suddenly scrapped—no reason given.
Indian Express
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Lee Min Ho says he's considering marriage at 40 after personal loss: ‘Having a child feels like the most valuable thing
Lee Min Ho might just be ready to say 'I do' as he approaches 40. For years, the K-drama star has reigned as the heartthrob who kept his personal life under wraps. But after the recent loss of his beloved pet, Min Ho opened up about his feelings during the press conference for his upcoming movie Omniscient Reader. He spoke about wanting to get married, though he still sees it as a distant, vague concept. That said, at this point in life, he finds himself thinking about what really matters. In that same breath, he even said he's open to fatherhood, calling it one of the most valuable things. But for him, marriage has to start with falling in love, who it's with doesn't matter. Also read: S Line review: K-Drama that's freaking viewers out with its dark take on shame and surveillance The actor recently shared with fans that he is reeling from the loss of his beloved dog, 'I spent a few days crying for it. I realised how much I relied on him. I have never felt like that before.' During his Seoul conference, Lee said he is at an age where he's thinking, 'I should do it, (marriage)' and admitted, 'As I go through life, I find myself thinking more about what's important.' He said that when he really stops to think about it, building a family and having a kid feels like the most valuable thing to him, according to Chosun Biz. The Heirs star added, 'But it doesn't go as intended. It feels like a miracle needs to happen for that. Marriage still feels vague, but if a moment comes where I instinctively think, 'this is a miracle,' I think I could get married.' Also read: Lee Min Ho admits he 'could fall any moment,' says problems arise from personal desires, pins all hope on Omniscient Reader Lee has previously dated and was in publicly confirmed relationships with his K-drama co-stars, including Park Min Young (What's Wrong with Secretary Kim) and Bae Suzy (While You Were Sleeping). When asked whether he has a high standard which makes it harder to actually take a relationship to the wedding phase, the actor said, 'Personally, my standards for interacting with people and potential partners seem to differ.' Lee explained that he's lived a life where he never really learned how to cherish the little things, moments of quiet joy or simple happiness, probably because he's always been in the spotlight. But that's something he now looks for in a partner. 'I think about sharing life with someone who knows what that kind of happiness feels like, and I wonder what we'd be chasing together, someone who has qualities completely absent from me.' Further, the actor was questioned whether he would consider marrying a celebrity and Lee said, 'Of course, if I love someone, that doesn't matter.' During the same press briefing, Lee Min Ho also spoke about the burden of being a Hallyu star and the pressure that comes with it. Despite having a hard time cracking the OTT space with his recent K-dramas, Lee has continued to be labeled the top Hallyu star for 12 years straight, one of the most popular actors globally. The actor said he never chased stardom and doesn't take anything for granted, knowing well that he 'could fall anytime.' 'It all takes one simple misstep to end everything,' he said. Meanwhile, Omniscient Reader hits screens on July 23. The movie also stars BLACKPINK's Jisoo and Business Proposal lead Ahn Hyo Seop.
