4 Aug 2018; AFP; The Israeli navy intercepted a Swedish-flagged activist boat bent on breaching its more than decade-long blockade of Gaza, the second in less than a week, the military said on Saturday.

"The ship was monitored and was intercepted in accordance with international law," the military said in a statement, before the vessel, named Freedom for Gaza and carrying 12 people, was taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod.

Photo courtesy bernama images

Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail launches the first kind of Android satellite smartphone in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on August 2, 2018.

Whether you are deep in the jungle, up on a mountain or far out at sea, you can stay connected using just an Android smartphone.

The U.S.-Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act of 2018 was approved by US Senate on Wednesday will codify into law the $38 billion defense aid package for Israel.

The $38 billion deal, negotiated in the final days of the Obama administration in 2016 is the most generous ever to Israel. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) has been instrumental in securing this deal.

BEIJING, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- China's new countermeasures to impose additional tariffs on about 60 billion U.S. dollars worth of products from the United States are "rational and restrained," a spokesperson with the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Friday.

The Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council on Friday unveiled lists of 5,207 items of U.S. products to be subject to additional tariffs of four different rates -- 25 percent, 20 percent, 10 percent, and 5 percent.

WASHINGTON, August 3. /TASS/. The United States expanded its sanctions list related to North Korea, adding the Russian Agrosoyuz bank, a Russian individual and a company from each of China and North Korea, the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) reports on Friday.

Restrictions were introduced for alleged violations of the US sanctions regime and UN security resolutions by the said persons, an explanatory note to the document says.

Beijing, Aug 3 (AFP) Beijing warned today it was prepared to impose new tariffs on 60 billion worth of US goods if Washington ups the ante in the escalating US-China trade war.

The commerce ministry issued a statement saying the new duties would be applied if Washington pulled the trigger on President Donald Trump's threat to raise tariffs on 200 billion worth of Chinese goods.

The statement said China reserves the right to apply "other countermeasures".

BEIJING, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday announced its decision to impose additional tariffs of four different rates on 5,207 items of imported U.S. products worth 60 billion U.S. dollars.

The rates of additional tariffs on such products will be 25 percent, 20 percent, 10 percent, and 5 percent, according to the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council.

"China was forced to take the countermeasures" in response to a U.S. plan to raise tariffs to be imposed on 200 billion dollars of Chinese goods from 10 percent to 25 percent, the commission said in a statement.

Bengaluru, Aug 4 (PTI) Former India captain Kapil Dev today said he is yet to get a formal invite from Pakistan Prime Minister-in-waiting Imran Khan to attend his swearing-in ceremony though he has been informally communicated to be present at the event.

"I have been invited, but not in writing. I got a call from his team, but I haven't received any mail yet. I am waiting for a formal invite," Kapil told reporters on the sidelines of Lousi Phillepe Celebrity Pro Am, an international Professional Golf tournament, here.

New Delhi, Aug 4 (PTI) Three high court judges were today appointed to the Supreme Court, taking the total number of judges in the apex court to 25.

Notifications announcing the appointments of Uttarakhand High Court Chief Justice KM Joseph, Madras HC Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Orissa HC Chief Justice Vineet Saran to the Supreme Court were issued today.

Their warrants of appointment were signed by the President last night.

MOSCOW, August 3. /TASS/. Around 890,000 Syrian citizens can return to their home country in the coming months, Head of Russia’s National Defense Control Center Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev said on Friday.

"According to data provided by the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, about 890,000 civilians are expected to return to Syria in the coming months," Mizintsev said at a meeting of the interdepartmental coordination headquarters supervising the return of refugees to Syria.

4 Aug 2018; AFP; US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Saturday called on his Myanmar counterpart to release two Reuters journalists accused of breaking a draconian secrecy law during their reporting of a Rohingya massacre.

Myanmar nationals Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, have been detained since December and face up to 14 years in prison for possessing classified documents linked to security operations in crisis-hit Rakhine state.

SINGAPORE, Aug 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Saturday he hoped Americans detained in Turkey would be released "in coming days", following a meeting with his Turkish counterpart in Singapore which both sides said was constructive.

Washington earlier this week imposed sanctions on two Turkish ministers over the case of Andrew Brunson, a U.S. pastor
on trial in Turkey for backing terrorism.

The United States has also been seeking the release of three locally employed embassy staff detained in Turkey.