Hundreds of Drones Light Up Seoul’s Night Sky

Three hundred unmanned aerial vehicles were programmed to form images above the Han river. South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport/AFP
Three hundred unmanned aerial vehicles were programmed to form images above the Han river. South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport/AFP
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Hundreds of Drones Light Up Seoul’s Night Sky

Three hundred unmanned aerial vehicles were programmed to form images above the Han river. South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport/AFP
Three hundred unmanned aerial vehicles were programmed to form images above the Han river. South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport/AFP

Hundreds of drones lit up the night sky in Seoul for a spectacular showcase of motivational and awareness messages as the world battles the coronavirus pandemic.

Three hundred unmanned aerial vehicles were programmed to form images above the Han river -- which runs through the South Korean capital -- for the eyecatching flash mob.

The show began with messages reminding people of key precautionary measures, including wearing masks, washing hands and keeping a two-meter distance from others.

The drones created images of a mask surrounded by coronavirus particles, quickly shuffling to form two hands and water droplets against the dark night sky.

The 10-minute show shifted to messages of gratitude for medical personnel in the frontlines of the pandemic as well as all South Koreans for their collective efforts.

"THANKS TO YOU," the drones wrote in the sky next to a heart shape, then formed a silhouette of the Korean peninsula with the message: "Cheer up, Republic of Korea."

The government-organized event on Saturday night was not advertised in advance in consideration of social distancing rules, the transport ministry said.



Iran Releases Oil Carried by Tanker It Seized Earlier This Year

The St. Nikolas oil tanker that Iran seized earlier this year. (file/Reuters)
The St. Nikolas oil tanker that Iran seized earlier this year. (file/Reuters)
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Iran Releases Oil Carried by Tanker It Seized Earlier This Year

The St. Nikolas oil tanker that Iran seized earlier this year. (file/Reuters)
The St. Nikolas oil tanker that Iran seized earlier this year. (file/Reuters)

Iran has released the oil cargo of a Greek-owned, Marshall-Islands-flagged tanker it seized in the Gulf of Oman earlier this year, a shipping source told Reuters on Thursday.

Iran seized the St. Nikolas in January in retaliation for the confiscation last year of the same vessel and its oil by the US, Iranian state media had reported at the time.

The vessel, M/T St. Nikolas, is still being held by Iran, the source added. It was laden with 1 million barrels of Iraqi crude oil destined for Türkiye when it was seized.

“The cargo was released earlier this week after negotiations,” the source said.

In August 2023, a cargo of Iranian oil carrying one million barrels was unloaded off the coast of Texas from the Suez Rajan, a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker seized by the US.

There was no immediate comment from both the Iranian foreign and oil ministries.

The release of the oil cargo on Thursday came few days after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intercepted a Togo-flagged, UAE-managed products tanker carrying 1,500 tons of marine gas oil.

British security firm Ambrey said last Monday the vessel had loaded marine gas oil off the coast of Iraq and was destined for UAE's Sharjah when it was intercepted on Sunday, 61 nautical miles southwest of Iran's port of Bushehr.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards' Navy confirmed seizure in a statement quoted by Iran's state news agency, saying: “The tanker was systematically engaged in fuel smuggling ... and was seized in the depths of Bushehr's coast by judicial order.”

“The vessel, along with its 12 crew members of Indian and Sri Lankan nationals, has been transferred to Bushehr anchorage and is under supervision,” it added.

Earlier this month, ship tracking data from the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) showed that a Chevron-chartered oil tanker seized by Iran more than a year ago is heading toward the Sohar port in Oman.

The data showed the vessel moving to international waters, with the destination showing as Khor Fakkan in the UAE.

The Marshall Islands-flagged Advantage Sweet was boarded by IRGC in the Gulf of Oman in April 2023 after an alleged collision with an Iranian boat.