List of All Articles with Tag 'europe'

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North Korea has shipped more than a million artillery shells to Russia since August to aid Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine, according to a lawmaker in South Korea. The artillery shells were sent to Russia through ships and other transport means since early August, said lawmaker Yoo Sang-bum, citing an intelligence briefing. The short-range arms will last for about two months, he said. The South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS), which held the briefing, also believes the Kim Jong-un regime is operating its munitions factories at full capacity to meet Moscow’s arms demands. The hermit kingdom is also mobilising its citizens to increase production, the South Korean lawmaker said. North Korea also likely dispatched weapons experts to Russia in October to counsel Moscow’s officials on how to use the weapons. The signs of increased partnership come shortly after Mr Putin and Mr Kim met in east Russia in September, igniting speculation that North Korea will soon assist Moscow in its continuing invasion of Ukraine. The US and South Korea have speculated that the two nations have entered an arms arrangement to provide Russia with badly needed munitions in exchange for advanced Russian technologies that can strengthen North Korea’s nuclear-armed military. Experts also pointed out that the two leaders’ much-publicised meeting at Russia’s Vostochny Cosmodrome, a major satellite launch facility, was a sign that Mr Kim seeks Russian technology assistance for its spy satellite programme. They said such a quid pro quo arrangement between the countries can help Russia rebuild its artillery stock without facing a lull on the battlefield in Ukraine. Pyongyang and Moscow have, however, rejected claims by the US and South Korea. Officials in South Korea are concerned the arrangement could benefit North Korea with sensitive Russian technologies and boost Mr Kim’s nuclear weapons and missiles programme. The NIS believes it is more likely that Russia’s help will be limited to conventional capabilities, possibly to help North Korea improve its ageing fighter aircraft fleet, Mr Yoo said. He said North Korea is possibly getting Russia’s technological help for a military reconnaissance satellite after consecutive launch failures. The North’s latest attempt at launching a spy satellite in October had failed to materialise. Mr Yoo said the South Korean spy agency believes North Korea is now in its final phase of preparations for the third launch of the spy satellite which is more likely to be successful. In a joint statement, the US, South Korea and Japan strongly condemned what they described as North Korea’s supply of munitions and military equipment to Russia, saying such weapons shipments sharply increase the human toll of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. It came days after Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov rejected US claims that his country received munitions from North Korea as he returned from a two-day trip to Pyongyang. Read More North Korea has likely sent missiles as well as ammunition and shells to Russia, Seoul says Putin’s warplanes ‘drop bombs’ on civilian shipping lanes as Kyiv advances - live Putin is expected to seek reelection in Russia, but who would run if he doesn't? Israeli envoy to Russia says Tel Aviv passengers hid from weekend airport riot in terminal South Korea's spy agency says North Korea shipped more than a million artillery shells to Russia If Putin dies, this is what would happen in Russia

Vladimir Putin’s warplanes have dropped “explosive objects” into the paths of civilian shipping lanes in the Black Sea, the region’s military command said. “The occupiers are continuing to terrorise the paths of civilian shipping in the Black Sea with tactical aviation, dropping explosive objects into the likely paths of civilian vessel traffic,” it said. “There were three such drops registered in the last 24 hours. However, the navigation corridor continues to function under the watch of the defence forces.” Ukraine is trying to build up a new shipping lane without Russian approval to revive its vital seaborne exports. But Russia said it would consider any vessel a potential military target after it quit UN-brokered deal allowing Ukrainian goods to pass through. It comes as Ukrainian troops have made confirmed advances against Russia on two fronts, according to the Institute for the Study of War. “Geolocated footage posted on 30 October shows that Ukrainian forces have advanced northeast of Kurdyumivka (10km southwest of Bakhmut),” it said. Ukrainian forces have also “marginally advanced” west of Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia, according to geolocated footage seen by the think tank. Read More Ukraine suffers most intense bombardment of Russian shelling in a single day this year, Kyiv says North Korea likely sent more than million artillery shells to Russia, says South Korea’s spy agency Putin is expected to seek reelection in Russia, but who would run if he doesn't?

In the Western Balkans, smuggler gangs are engaging in deadly shootouts as migrant numbers keep rising.

Ukraine has suffered its most intense bombardment of Russian shelling so far this year as Putin’s troops hit 118 settlements in just 24 hours, Ukraine’s interior minister has said. Moscow fired millions of shells on cities, towns and villages on Wednesday - more than in any single day so far this year, reducing several to rubble across the east and southern parts of the country, Ihor Klymenko said in a post on social media. “Over the last 24 hours, the enemy shelled 118 settlements in 10 regions. This is the highest number of cities and villages that have come under attack since the start of the year,” he wrote on Telegram. The bombardments came as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky lamented the world’s expectation of a speedy victory on the battlefield. In response to growing criticism over Kyiv’s counteroffensive, he said: “The modern world is set up in such a way that it becomes accustomed to success quickly. When the full-scale aggression began, many in the world did not think Ukraine would endure.” It comes as Kyiv reported a Russian attack on Black Sea shipping lanes, saying warplanes had dropped “explosive objects” in an area used by civilian vessels three times over the past 24 hours. “There were three such drops registered in the last 24 hours. However, the navigation corridor continues to function under the watch of the defence forces,” the southern military command said. Ukraine is trying to build a new shipping lane without Russian approval to revive its seaborne exports. But Russia said it would consider any vessel a potential military target after it quit a UN-brokered deal allowing Ukrainian goods to pass through. Elsewhere, Russian forces carried out attacks against 13 of Ukraine’s oblasts, killing at least three and injuring at least 15, according to local officials. In the east, in Donetsk, one person was killed and two were wounded during Russian attacks on the region, the local military administration said. In Kharkiv, a Russian strike killed a man in his 50s and injured a 52-year-old woman, while one person was killed and eight were injured in a blast in the southern city of Kherson, governor’s in the areas reported. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military reported that over 260 civilians have been killed after stepping on landmines or other explosives during the 20-month-old war with Russia. Kyiv estimates that 174,000 sq km of the country - about a third of its territory - is potentially strewn with mines or dangerous debris. At least 571 people have received injuries during more than 560 incidents involving mines or explosive objects left behind by the fighting, a military spokesperson said on Telegram. Whilst Ukraine recuperated from Russian shelling, Moscow failed to regain lost ground on two fronts. Putin’s forces failed to make gains near Klishchiivka and Andriivka south of Bakhmut and near Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine’s Armed Forces general said, as Ukraine forces engaged in 68 clashes with Russian troops. The clashes come as Ukraine prepares for a new wave of attacks near the besieged town of Avdiivka in the eastern region of Donetsk. It comes as Ukrainian troops advanced against Russia on two fronts, according to the military think tank, the Institute for the Study of War. “Geolacted footage posted on 30 October shows that Ukrainian forces have advanced northeast of Kurdyumivka (10km southwest of Bakhmut),” it said. And in an overnight drone and missile attack, Russia struck a Ukrainian oil refinery in the city of Poltava, central Ukraine. The Kremenchuk oil refinery burst into flames after the strike which targeted military and criticial infrastructure, the head of the region’s military administration, Filip Pronin said. Pronin added the situation was under control and the fire had been extinguished via the Telegram messaging app. Read More BBC News Arabic launches emergency radio service for Gaza Mike Johnson’s Israel test – few allies and fewer options Israeli envoy to Russia says Tel Aviv passengers hid from weekend airport riot in terminal European Commission's chief tells Bosnia to unite in seeking EU membership South Korea's spy agency says North Korea shipped more than a million artillery shells to Russia Researchers hope tracking senior Myanmar army officers can ascertain blame for human rights abuses

A second-hand deader in France is facing a lawsuit for allegedly deceiving a couple by selling an African mask at almost a 2,800,000 per cent markup. An unnamed pensioner couple, who live in Eure-et-Loir, south-west of Paris, sold the rare mask to the dealer at €150 (£130) who further sold it at €4.2m (£3.7m). As the case brought by the French couple opened on Tuesday, the dealer appeared in court. But the Gabon government and campaigners have said that the rare artefact should instead be returned to its country of origin. The rare 19th-Century "Ngi" mask which was made by the Fang people of Gabon was lying in dust in the attic of the couple’s holiday home in Gard, southern France. The couple had called the dealer as they had decided to sell their home. The wooden mask was found in a cupboard in the house that belonged to the man’s grandfather, René-Victor Fournier, who had been a colonial administrator in Africa in the early 20th Century. The dealer bought several items from the couple, including the wooden mask. It was six months later that the couple while reading a newspaper found out that the mask had been in action in Montpellier and that it was an artefact even rarer than Leonardo da Vinci’s painting. The couple said they had “almost fallen off their chairs” when they recognised the photo and the auction catalogue said it was collected around 1917, in unknown circumstances by the French colonial governor René-Victor Edward Maurice Fournier (1873-1931), probably during a tour in Gabon”. The discovery prompted excitement among art dealers and media, with one expert telling a French TV that only 10 such items were made by Fang masters. “This type of mask is even rarer than a Leonardo da Vinci painting – we know of 22 paintings by the great master, but we only know of 10 to 12 masks created by the different Fang masters in Gabon,” the expert said. At an auction in March 2022, the mask was bought for £3.7m by an unnamed person bidding by phone after being initially valued at £2,60,860. The couple later filed a civil suit against the dealer for giving them an unfair price and demanded the sale be annulled. During the hearing in an Ales court, the lawyers for the couple contended that the couple should receive the profits from action fairly after they unknowingly sold it at £130. “One has to be in good faith and honest; my clients would never have given up this mask at that price if they knew it was an extremely rare object,” their lawyer, Frédéric Mansat Jaffré, said this month to French outlets. Representatives of the Gabon government however said that the mask was stolen in the first place and should be returned. Solange Bizeau of the Collectif Gabon Occitanie said: “That mask was stolen at the time of colonisation … All these works of art – and so many that we see in museums – were taken, and the people who made them were told they were the devil’s work and they should instead believe in the Bible. And from that point on, these artefacts have appeared in Europe, enriching people who have made money from them for decades.” “This mask has a soul, it was used to establish justice in our villages. The discussion in court has been about morality, but what about the morality of the spoliation of works of art and our dignity? Where is the morality in that?” A decision by the court is expected in December. Read More US removes four African countries from trade deal for ‘gross human rights violation’ UN Security Council fails again to address Israel-Hamas war, rejecting US and Russian resolutions Kyiv preparing for ‘new wave’ of attacks on Avdiivka’ - latest Kyiv preparing for ‘new wave’ of attacks on Avdiivka’ - latest Nato chief says Russia must not be allowed ‘to take pieces of Ukraine’ Family of nine shot dead as they slept in Russian-occupied Ukrainian town

Ukraine is preparing for a “new wave” of Russian attacks on the besieged eastern town of Avdiivka, according to the region’s military chief. “Our boys are preparing for a new wave,” head of the region’s military administration Vitaliy Barabash said. On Monday, Kyiv claimed Russia was preparing to conduct “meat assaults” in the area by throwing troops at the front line without artillery cover. It comes as Russia struck Ukraine’s Kremenchuk oil refinery in Poltava after launching scores of drones and a missile overnight, military officials said. The refinery was set ablaze during a broader attack which targeted military and critical infrastructure, Filip Pronin, head of the region’s military administration, said. “The fire has been extinguished. The situation is under control,” he said on Telegram, adding that there were no reports yet of casualties as officials sought to gather more details of the destruction. The air force said 18 of the 20 Russian-launched kamikaze Shahed drones were destroyed before reaching their targets, as was the missile. Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops have made confirmed advances near Bakhmut, Donetsk, and Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia, according to the Institute for the Study of War. Read More Russian soldiers accused of killing family of nine as they slept in Russian-occupied Ukrainian town More than 40% of Ukrainians need humanitarian help under horrendous war conditions, UN says A UN report urges Russia to investigate an attack on a Ukrainian village that killed 59 civilians Moscow succession: What would happen if Putin dies?

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Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said Russia must not be allowed to “continue to take pieces of Ukraine” as he backed arming Kyiv to give it an upperhand during negotiations. “The stronger Ukraine is on the battlefield, the stronger they will be at the negotiating table. And when the war does end, we must ensure that history does not repeat itself. That Russia does not continue to take pieces of Ukraine,” the Nato chief said on Tuesday at the 75th Nordic Council in Oslo. “Russia has lost. It has lost tens of thousands of soldiers. It has lost large amounts of military material. And it has lost political influence and is increasingly isolated,” Mr Stoltenberg said. “The invasion of Ukraine is a strategic defeat for Russia.” He said the world feared Kyiv would fall in just a few days after Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year. “Instead, the Ukrainians have liberated their land. Reclaiming half of the land that Russian forces took when they invaded last year,” he said. The war is now nearing its second winter as Ukraine launched a months-long counteroffensive. In a renewed confirmation of Kyiv’s place in the military alliance, Mr Stoltenberg said “all Nato countries agree that Ukraine should become a member of Nato”. The top official has constantly batted for Ukraine’s security and protection by means of military and financial aid during the war. Last month, Mr Stoltenberg said Russia’s invasion was a reminder of the important role Nato’s nuclear weapons played in deterring aggression. He had also clapped back against recent criticism of the “slow” counteroffensive action from Ukrainian troops and pointed out that the number of mines Ukraine has encountered on the battlefield are at a historic high. “The starting point is that the Russian army used to be the second strongest in the world. And now the Russian army is the second strongest in Ukraine. That’s quite impressive by Ukrainians,” he said. “No one ever said that this was going to be easy,” Mr Stoltenberg had told lawmakers at the European parliament earlier in August. “Hardly any time in history we have seen more mines on the battlefield than we are seeing in Ukraine today. So it was obvious that this was going to be extremely difficult.” The frontline in the 20-month-old war has remained largely unchanged, barring a few Ukrainian reclamations of villages and settlements after Kyiv’s counteroffensive went into action in June this year. Russian forces have geared up for fresh attacks in different sections of the front, but are suffering heavy losses. A majority of the fighting is concentrated in eastern and southern Ukraine, with Russian forces trying to reclaim Avdiivka town that was captured by Kyiv recently. Read More How much money does the US give to Israel, and is there more to come? Live updates | Gaza is plunged back into a communication blackout Family of nine shot dead as they slept in Russian-occupied Ukrainian town If Putin dies, this is what would happen in Russia Zelensky says Ukraine’s Black Sea assault ‘will go down in history’ Ukrainian troops advance as Putin air defences ‘struck in Crimea’ - latest