North Korea refuses dialogue with South Korea; US orders seizure of Iranian supertanker

North Korea refuses dialogue with South Korea

Since July 25, North Korea has launched six flying objects believed to be missiles. Photo: Reuters

On August 17, North Korea announced that it would continue to develop weapons, while continuing to criticize the joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States. A day earlier, Pyongyang said it had no intention of continuing negotiations with Seoul. "We have nothing more to say to the South Korean authorities and have no intention of sitting down with them," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted an official from the committee as saying. KCNA affirmed that developing weapons is the right solution to eliminate potential and direct threats to the country's security.

KCNA commented that the joint military exercise served the purpose of invading the country. According to the news agency, the US and South Korea have improved their combat skills and gradually revised and supplemented their operational plans for all scenarios of a sudden, active attack on North Korea. North Korea has long criticized the joint South Korea-US military exercises as “invasion rehearsals”.

US orders seizure of Iranian supertanker after UK releases

• The Grace 1 oil tanker appeared in the Strait of Gibraltar, southern Spain on August 16. Photo: Reuters

The US Justice Department has issued a warrant to seize the Iranian supertanker Grace 1 for links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), after a Gibraltar court allowed the ship to be released. According to AFP, the US Justice Department said the "supertanker" Grace 1 was part of a plot to "illegally access the US financial system to support the IRGC's illicit shipments from Iran to Syria". The IRGC has previously been labeled a foreign terrorist organization by the US. The warrant said the tanker and all oil on board were subject to seizure for violations of the US International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) as well as bank fraud, money laundering and terrorism financing.

The tanker is currently anchored in Gibraltar, a British overseas territory. The UK or the Gibraltar government have yet to officially say whether they will act on the warrant. It is unclear how the US will proceed with the warrant.

Putin awards the title "Hero of Russia" to the pilot who landed in a cornfield

Captain Damir Yusupov (left) and co-pilot Georgy Murzin. Sputnik screenshot

Russian President Vladimir Putin has just awarded the title "Hero of Russia", the highest honor, to Captain Damir Yusupov (41 years old) and co-pilot Georgy Murzin (23 years old) of Ural Airlines (Russia) for the emergency landing of the plane in a cornfield, saving the lives of all passengers.

"I have signed a decree to award medals to the flight crew that made an emergency landing near Zhukovsky airport. The captain and co-pilot were awarded the titles of "Hero of Russia", while the remaining crew members received the "Courage" medal - Tass news agency quoted President Putin.

India eases curfew in Kashmir

Security forces stand guard on a street in Srinagar, Kashmir state, India on August 17. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

Authorities in Indian-controlled Kashmir began restoring landline telephone services on August 17, nearly two weeks after a security crackdown following a decision to curtail the Muslim-majority region's autonomy. Restrictions have been lifted in most areas and government offices will reopen from August 17, regional administrator Shahid Choudhary said, according to the Associated Press. Food and other supplies have been "adequately" provided.

Police in Kashmir said that in some parts of the region, restrictions on movement have been eased and “the situation remains peaceful”. However, security forces across the region remain on high alert after hundreds of people took to the streets in anti-government protests after prayers on 16 August in Srinagar, the largest city in Jammu and Kashmir.

US will extend license to sell components to Huawei

The US government is planning to extend a temporary license that allows US companies to continue doing business with China's Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. related to the company's network support products and mobile device software, according to a news agency.Reuters, citing sources, said yesterday, August 16.

According to the information posted, the temporary general license, granted to Huawei last May, is expected to expire next Monday, August 19. At the same time, the US government plans to extend the license for another 90 days.