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North Korea Leader Kim Discusses Military Cooperation with Russian Official

This picture taken on July 18, 2024 and released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on July 19 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (R) meeting with Russia's Vice Minister of Defense Aleksey Krivoruchko at the headquarters building of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang. (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)
This picture taken on July 18, 2024 and released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on July 19 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (R) meeting with Russia's Vice Minister of Defense Aleksey Krivoruchko at the headquarters building of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang. (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)
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North Korea Leader Kim Discusses Military Cooperation with Russian Official

This picture taken on July 18, 2024 and released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on July 19 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (R) meeting with Russia's Vice Minister of Defense Aleksey Krivoruchko at the headquarters building of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang. (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)
This picture taken on July 18, 2024 and released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on July 19 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (R) meeting with Russia's Vice Minister of Defense Aleksey Krivoruchko at the headquarters building of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang. (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un received Russian vice minister of defense Aleksey Krivoruchko and discussed the importance of the two countries' militaries to unite more firmly to defend world peace and justice, KCNA news agency said on Friday.
Kim and Krivoruchko shared the need for military cooperation between the two countries to defend mutual security interests, KCNA said.
Krivoruchko conveyed greetings from Russian President Vladimir Putin to Kim, who expressed deep thanks in the meeting, held on Thursday.
The report did not provide any other details of Krivoruchko's delegation or the purpose of the visit to North Korea, said Reuters.
North Korea and Russia have deepened military cooperation since their leaders held a summit in the Russian Far East last year and signed a treaty on strategic partnership that includes a mutual defense agreement struck in June when Putin visited Pyongyang.
The two countries have been accused of conducting arms trade by Seoul and Washington to help Russia's stock of missiles and artillery for its war with Ukraine. The two countries deny such trade.

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Oil Tankers on Fire after Colliding Off Singapore, Crew Members Rescued

A handout photo taken and released by Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency on July 19, 2024 shows the Singapore-flagged tanker Hafnia Nile on fire in Tanjung Sedili, near Singapore. (Photo by Handout / Malaysian Maritime Enforcement A / AFP)
A handout photo taken and released by Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency on July 19, 2024 shows the Singapore-flagged tanker Hafnia Nile on fire in Tanjung Sedili, near Singapore. (Photo by Handout / Malaysian Maritime Enforcement A / AFP)
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Oil Tankers on Fire after Colliding Off Singapore, Crew Members Rescued

A handout photo taken and released by Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency on July 19, 2024 shows the Singapore-flagged tanker Hafnia Nile on fire in Tanjung Sedili, near Singapore. (Photo by Handout / Malaysian Maritime Enforcement A / AFP)
A handout photo taken and released by Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency on July 19, 2024 shows the Singapore-flagged tanker Hafnia Nile on fire in Tanjung Sedili, near Singapore. (Photo by Handout / Malaysian Maritime Enforcement A / AFP)

Two large oil tankers were on fire on Friday after colliding in waters near Singapore, the world's biggest refueling port, with two crew members airlifted to hospital and others rescued from life rafts, authorities and one of the companies said.

The Singapore-flagged tanker Hafnia Nile and the Sao Tome and Principe-flagged tanker Ceres I were about 55 km northeast of the Singaporean island of Pedra Branca on the eastern approach to the Singapore Straits, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said.
The owner of the Hafnia Nile said the vessel was involved in a collision with the Ceres I.
The 22 crew of the Hafnia Nile and the 40 on the Ceres I were all accounted for, said the MPA, which was alerted to the fire at 6:15 a.m. (2215 GMT)
Photographs released by the Singapore Navy showed thick black smoke billowing from one tanker and crew being rescued from life rafts and flown to hospital, Reuters reported
The environmental authorities in neighboring Malaysia said they had been informed to prepare for further action in case of oil spills.
The 74,000 deadweight-tons capacity Panamax tanker Hafnia Nile (IMO 9766217) was carrying about 300,000 barrels of naphtha, according to ship-tracking data from Kpler and LSEG.
It was not immediately clear what fuel Ceres I (IMO 9229439) was carrying. The tanker is a very-large-crude-carrier (VLCC) of 300,000 deadweight-tons capacity and was last marked as carrying Iranian crude between March to April, ship-tracking data showed.
Before the fire, the Ceres I had been at the same location since July 11, according to LSEG shipping data.
The area is known to be used by so-called dark fleet ships for the transfer of Iranian oil in contravention of US sanctions, said Michelle Wiese Bockmann, principal analyst at Lloyd's List Intelligence.
"The Ceres I has repeatedly been involved in transferring or shipping Iranian oil in breach of US sanctions," she said.
Shipping sources have said the tanker was also involved in transporting Venezuelan oil to China in recent years.
The China-based owner of the Ceres I could not immediately be reached for comment. China has repeatedly said it opposes unilateral sanctions.
Singapore is Asia's biggest oil trading hub and the world's largest bunkering port. Its surrounding waters are vital trade waterways between Asia and Europe and the Middle East.