Orders North

• A Seoul court ordered North Korea to pay $32.5 million for the destruction of the Inter-Korean Liaison Office. • North Korean forces blew up the building in June 2020 following a period of rising tensions between the two nations. • The ruling highlights the collapse of diplomatic ties that peaked in 2018 during three summits between Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong Un.

• A South Korean court ordered North Korea to pay 44.6 billion won, or approximately $32.5 million, for destroying a joint liaison office in 2020. • The ruling follows the North's decision to blow up the shared facility during a period of heightened tension between the two nations. • This legal decision reinforces the financial accountability of North Korea for its aggressive actions against South Korean diplomatic infrastructure.

• Asia has overtaken North America and Europe as the leading region for streaming scripted series orders. • The APAC region now accounts for 36 percent of global greenlights across platforms including Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video. • This shift indicates a growing global market for Asian-produced content and a strategic pivot by major streaming services toward the region.

• Asia has overtaken North America and Europe as the global leader in streaming scripted series orders during the first half of 2026. • According to research from Ampere Analysis, Asia accounted for 36% of all "first-run scripted" greenlights between January and June. • This shift signals a major pivot in global content investment, reflecting the growing production capacity and demand for scripted storytelling within Asian markets.

President says move is based on ‘very good relationship with Kim Jong-un’ but US military officials have said Ukraine war is boosting regime’s combat capabilitiesDonald Trump has said he is scaling back joint US military drills with South Korea aimed at deterring North Korea, despite military officials from both countries warning that Kim Jong-un’s regime was learning new battlefield tactics from the Ukraine war.The drills under Ulchi Freedom Shield, one of two major annual exercises held by South Korea and the US, start on Monday and run until 27 August. Continue reading...