MOSCOW, Nov. 14 — Russia and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Friday discussed issues related to nuclear and physical security at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), said Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom.

During consultations in Kaliningrad, delegations from the two sides focused on efforts to restore the plant’s external power supply following repairs to two high-voltage transmission lines completed in late October and early November, respectively, Rosatom said.

Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev briefed IAEA chief Rafael Grossi on the plant’s current condition and measures taken to ensure its safe operation, while both sides agreed to continue contacts, according to the statement.

The ZNPP lost its connection to the grid on Sept. 23 for the 10th time since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began, after its last remaining 750 kilovolt power line was cut. Since then, the plant has been powered by backup diesel generators. (Xinhua)

TRIPOLI, Nov. 14 — Libya’s western city of Zawiya, 60 km west of the capital Tripoli, has come under consecutive shellings in recent nights, according to a statement by the Security Threats Control Agency in the city late Thursday.

The attack targeted several patrol boats of the agency, which were tasked with combating maritime infiltration, smuggling, and human trafficking, as well as conducting search-and-rescue operations for irregular migrants.

In the statement, the agency condemned the attack, noting that the shelling constitutes a dangerous and unjustified precedent and has direct implications for Libya’s national security.

It called for an urgent and transparent investigation to determine the circumstances of the incident and hold the perpetrators fully accountable for the damages and security repercussions.

The statement neither revealed the casualties nor directly identified the party responsible for the attack. The incident comes after a series of strikes targeting boats and sites in the ports of Zuwara and Zawiya in recent days.

The internationally recognized government in Tripoli had stated in previous announcements that it launched a military operation involving airstrikes targeting boats and locations used for smuggling, illegal migration and human trafficking in ports and cities west of Tripoli. (Xinhua)

PYONGYANG, Nov. 14 — The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Thursday denounced a joint statement issued recently by G7 foreign ministers in Canada about the DPRK’s “complete denuclearization,” the official Korean Central News Agency reported Friday.

“The present position of the DPRK does not change according to the rhetorical assertion of the outsiders, and in the present grim geopolitical environment, the possession of nukes is the most correct option to deter the most dangerous and hostile states,” Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui was quoted as saying.

A substantial nuclear threat to global peace and security is coming from the G7, said the foreign minister, adding that the group has no right to tell independent sovereign states how to defend their security.

“Steadfast is the will of the DPRK to guarantee the present and future of the state and the people and realize international justice by remaining faithful to the Constitution which perpetuates the possession of nukes as long as outside nuclear threat is not terminated and there exist forces seeking absolute hegemony, regarding nuclear weapons as a means of tyranny,” Choe said. (Xinhua