North Korea continues to launch ballistic missiles; Russia still leaves open the opportunity to negotiate the INF treaty with the US
(Baonghean.vn) - Russia still leaves open the opportunity to negotiate the INF treaty with the US; North Korea continues to launch ballistic missiles; Dozens of "oil smugglers" burned to death in a tanker truck explosion in Tanzania; Iran considers all foreign warships in the Persian Gulf a "threat"... are the world's outstanding news in the past 24 hours.
Russia still leaves open the opportunity to negotiate the INF treaty with the US
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| Russia still leaves open the opportunity to negotiate the INF with the US fairly. |
According to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, the US has long planned to withdraw from the treaty, with the aim of expanding its military power and strategic advantages, and at the same time abandoning its international obligations. Accusing Russia of violating the treaty and saying that the US was forced to withdraw from the treaty is the clearest evidence of the US's baseless accusations against Russia in international affairs. The US's invalidation of the treaty will give the US the opportunity to deploy long-range missiles around the world, and Russia will have to consider this issue and plan its military development. Russia will take practical actions to respond to the risks if necessary.
Ms. Maria Zakharova also emphasized that Russia still leaves open the opportunity to negotiate with the US in a fair and constructive manner on the content of the treaty as well as other issues related to strategic stability in case the US respects Russia and its interests.
North Korea continues to launch ballistic missiles
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North Korean missile leaves launch pad on August 6. Photo:KCNA |
South Korea says North Korea has fired a short-range ballistic missile from its northeastern coast into the sea. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the projectile was launched from the city of Hamhung, home to a solid-fuel rocket engine factory, into the Sea of Japan. A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said North Korea fired at least one missile and that, based on initial information, it appeared similar to short-range missiles previously fired by Pyongyang.
This is the fifth time Pyongyang has launched a missile in the past two weeks - a move that is believed to be a way for North Korea to show off its strength and protest the joint US-South Korea military exercise called Dong Maeng (Allies) 19-2 which began on August 5.
Dozens of "oil smugglers" burned to death in tanker explosion in Tanzania
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Scene of tanker explosion in Tanzania. Photo:EATV. |
An oil tanker exploded in Tanzania on August 10, killing dozens of people as the fire spread quickly into a crowd gathered at the scene to “steal the oil.” Tanzania National TelevisionTBC Taifa57 people were killed and 65 injured in the incident, it said.
Videos from the scene of the accident circulating on social media showed the charred bodies of dozens of young men. Meanwhile, some images from before the explosion showed large crowds gathering to collect liquid from the puddles of oil left behind by the tanker. “The situation was really bad. Many people died, even those who did not ‘snatch oil’ because the area where the accident happened was very busy,” a witness named Daniel Ngogo told the newspaper.Reuters.
Indian Prime Minister Pledges to Hold Early Elections in Kashmir
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Indian army moves in to block Kashmir streets. |
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to hold early elections in Indian-administered Kashmir to boost the economy and curb terrorism. The move comes after India stripped Kashmir of its autonomy and turned it into two states under direct federal control. India's Election Commission has scheduled elections in Kashmir for later this year.
Under the new status, the Indian part of Kashmir will have an elected parliament, but will be under the control of the federal government in New Delhi. The right to have a separate constitution in Kashmir will also be eliminated, the right to make decisions will be limited and people from outside the state will be allowed to buy property and settle in Kashmir.
Iran considers all foreign warships in the Persian Gulf a "threat"
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| A patrol boat of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the Persian Gulf. Photo: Tasnim News Agency |
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has just declared that the presence of extra-regional military forces in the Gulf region is a "source of instability". Mr. Zarif affirmed that Iran will not hesitate to protect its security against the risk of instability caused by the presence of extra-regional military forces.
The Iranian Foreign Minister's statement is seen as a warning to countries participating in the US-initiated maritime security coalition in the Gulf. Iran has specifically named Israel and affirmed that it will oppose any presence of this country in the coalition.