- UEFA tells Man City's owners to reduce stake in Champions League-bound Girona
- US consumer inflation eases slightly in April, in good news for Biden
- Van der Poel opts for road race at Olympics ahead of mountain bikes
- State of emergency set for France's New Caledonia after deadly riots
- Putin hails Russian advances, Blinken unveils aid in Kyiv
- Ireland to recognise Palestinian statehood 'this month': minister
- Swiss court jails Gambian ex-minister for crimes against humanity
- Sabalenka breezes past Ostapenko and into Rome Open semis
- German travel giant says takes overtourism 'very seriously'
- Lea Seydoux: 'I've witnessed the changes on set since #MeToo'
- Semenya hopes 'important day' at European rights court paves way for non-discrimination
- Taylor Swift tour hands UK economy £1 bn boost: study
- Queen Camilla pledges not to buy new fur, say activists
- Guitar-playing Blinken sparks criticism in Ukraine
- Stocks waver before US inflation but London hits record
- Western allies denounce Georgia 'foreign influence' law
- Palestinians flee Gaza battles on anniversary of 1948 'Nakba'
- Semenya faces 'important day' at European rights court
- Haaland tells Man City to 'relax' ahead of title race finale
- Raw sewage pumped into England's largest lake due to fault
- Albon signs new multi-year F1 contract with Williams
- French police hunt killers behind prison van ambush
- Mad Max, Meryl and #MeToo in strong day for women at Cannes
- Convict freed in French ambush has history of violent crime: prosecutor
- Qatar eyes more long-term gas supply deals this year
- EU cuts inflation forecast for 2024 despite uncertainty
- Child mascots and bun towers: Hong Kong keeps island traditions alive
- Indonesia floods kill 67 as rescuers race to find missing
- Ukraine says withdrew troops in parts of Kharkiv region
- Palestinian statehood key to Arab plans for post-war Gaza
- Taiwan drag queen performs for outgoing President Tsai
- Cannes gets rolling with strong day for women on screen
- Renault to pursue autonomous minibuses but not cars
- Knicks bounce back to crush Pacers, Jokic and Nuggets on a roll
- Clark struggles in WNBA debut defeat
- S. African communities terrorised by gold mining gangs
- Palestinians mark 'Nakba' anniversary as thousands flee Gaza's Rafah
- 'We will never register': Georgia NGOs vow to defy repressive law
- A-list stars, menstruating superheroes in Cannes VR competition
- France's Godreche says #MeToo allegations should not be theatre
- Brunson and Knicks bounce back to crush Pacers
- Indonesia floods kill 58 as rescuers race to find missing
- Chief of state oil company dismissed in Brazil
- Clark top scores but gives up 10 turnovers in WNBA debut defeat
- Asian markets mixed as focus turns to US inflation report
- Bus accident in Peru leaves at least 16 dead
- OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever announces departure
- Brazil government announces Petrobras chief dismissed
- Five years after 13-0 World Cup mauling, Thai women look to future
- Oleksandr Usyk: looking for heavyweight legacy on the Fury road
N. Korea animators may have worked on Amazon, Max cartoons: report
North Korean animators appear to have worked on upcoming Amazon and Max cartoons, without the knowledge of either US-based Hollywood studio and in violation of sanctions against Pyongyang, a new report has found.
The respected North Korea tracking website 38 North found evidence that animators from the isolated country may have been outsourced by third parties to provide images for Amazon Prime Video series "Invincible," and the Max streaming service's superhero anime "Iyanu, Child of Wonder."
Pyongyang is under multiple international sanctions over its banned nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, and human rights abuses.
North Korea has a well-established animation industry, on which it has relied in the past for much-needed revenue. Its giant government-run cartoon producer, SEK Studio, was specifically placed under US sanctions in 2021.
But 38 North earlier this year observed a North Korea-based internet cloud storage server onto which images related to multiple Western shows, instructions for animators, and feedback on their work, were uploaded daily.
"There is no evidence to suggest that the companies identified in the images had any knowledge that a part of their project had been subcontracted to North Korean animators," said the report.
The evidence highlights "the difficulty in enforcing current US sanctions in such a global industry" and "the need for US animation companies to be much better informed about all the companies that are involved in their projects," it said.
Amazon Studios did not respond to AFP request for comment.
Max, the streaming service formerly called HBO Max and owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, declined to comment.
A source familiar with the "Iyanu" project told AFP that a South Korean animation studio had been hired to work on the anime, but was no longer involved, after suspicions emerged that it was outsourcing some of the work.
North Korea has long had a significant animated film industry. For decades the country used cartoons to imbue its own children with socialist ethics.
Foreign cartoons such as "Tom and Jerry" have also been screened in the country.
In the early 21st century, and prior to today's sanction regime, SEK Studio -- formally known as the April 26 Children's Film Production House -- counted studios in France, Italy and China among its major clients.
SEK Studio is believed to have been subcontracted work related to Disney's "Lion King" and "Pocahontas" titles in the past.
North Korea relies on thousands of highly skilled IT workers around the world to earn revenue for the impoverished nation, according to a recent US government advisory.
They hide, disguise or misrepresent their identities in order to obtain freelance contracts and payments, in violation of sanctions, and are also linked to cyberattacks, it said.
US companies are encouraged to carefully verify the resumes and identities of freelancers, including the use of fingerprint or biometric log-in data.
O.Lorenz--BTB