Iran seizes tanker, arrests 12 foreign crew

TEHRAN—Iran’s Revolutionary Guards seized a Togo-flagged oil tanker on Monday and arrested its 12 foreign crew members over alleged fuel smuggling, the Guards’ news website said. “The Revolutionary Guards’ navy captured an oil tanker flying the Togolese flag and carrying over 1.5 million liters of smuggled oil,” the Sepahnews website said. “The vessel was brought to the port of Bushehr, along with its 12 crew members, who are of Indian and Sri Lankan nationality,” it added. Iranian naval forces frequently announce the detention of vessels transporting fuel in the Gulf. —AFP

Blinken to reaffirm ties with Southeast Asian allies

WASHINGTON—US Secretary of State Antony Blinken heads to Southeast Asia this week to deepen ties with his country’s strategic allies, an official said Monday, with the United States seeking to bolster its regional stance against an increasingly assertive China. On a 10-day trip that will see him visit Vietnam, Laos, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and Mongolia, Blinken will carry a message of US commitment to its allies in the region, said Daniel Kritenbrink, a senior US State Department official. “We’re deepening our bilateral relationships, we’re expanding our allied and partner relationships, which have reached unprecedented heights, and we are creating a latticework of mutually reinforcing partnerships together,” he said. —AFP

Assange reappears in smiling beachside photo

SYDNEY—The wife of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has offered a rare glimpse into his postprison life, releasing a candid family photo showing him basking in freedom on a deserted beach. Assange, 53, returned to his native Australia in June after a deal was struck to end his 14-year legal struggle with the US Department of Justice. He has shunned the spotlight since his reunion with wife Stella at Canberra Airport in Australia’s capital. Simply captioned “Family photo!”, Stella released a picture on social media overnight showing a smiling Assange on a beach with young sons Gabriel and Max. —AFP

AFP

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