1.The National Assembly held a plenary session on Thursday and passed 77 key livelihood bills, including measures for punishing deepfake sexual exploitation crimes and extending parental leave.

2.Interior Minister Lee Sang-min on Friday announced government plans to invest 3.3 trillion won, or roughly 2.5 billion U.S. dollars, of its health insurance funding annually over the next five years to reform tertiary care hospitals to better prioritize the treatment of critically ill patients.

3.Japan's former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba won the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election on Friday, defeating economic security minister Sanae Takaichi in a runoff vote, and is set to be named prime minister next week after a parliamentary vote.

1.President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday pledged to support South Korea's ascent to the ranks of the world's top three artificial intelligence powerhouses by 2027 at the inaugural meeting of a presidential committee on the AI industry.

2.The Ministry of Economy and Finance said Thursday that South Korea is expected to face a tax shortfall of nearly 30 trillion won, or about 22-point-6 billion U.S. dollars, this year. The government expects to collect 337-point-7 trillion won in taxes, which is 8-point-1 percent less than the forecast made in the 2024 budget planning.

3.Hezbollah on Wednesday said it launched a ballistic missile toward the headquarters of Israel’s intelligence service Mossad near Tel Aviv, shortly after the Israeli military said it intercepted the attack.

1.President Yoon Suk Yeol hosted a dinner meeting with the leadership of the ruling People Power Party on Tuesday. President Yoon discussed the outcome of his recent visit to the Czech Republic, but there is said to be no meaningful discussions on sensitive issues about the medical reform and first lady Kim Keon Hee.

2.South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday that the 8th round of negotiations for the 12th Special Measures Agreement between South Korea and the United States, which will determine South Korea's defense cost-sharing for U.S. Forces Korea from 2026 onward, is set to take place in Seoul from September 25th to 27th.

3.An Israeli airstrike on Beirut killed a senior Hezbollah commander on Tuesday as cross-border rocket attacks by both sides increased fears of a full-fledged war in the Middle East. Hezbollah early on Wednesday confirmed senior commander Ibrahim Qubaisi was killed. Israel said Qubaisi headed the group's missile and rocket force.