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September
N.Korea fires two ballistic missiles ahead of Harris visit to South
Written by Nur Yasmin
North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast on Wednesday, South Korea's military said, a day before U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is set to arrive in Seoul.
The launch came two days after South Korea and U.S. forces conducted a military drill in waters off the South's east coast involving an aircraft carrier. On Sunday, North Korea fired another ballistic missile towards the sea off its east coast.
Wednesday's missiles were launched from the Sunan area of Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, between 6:10 and 6:20 p.m. 0910-0920 GMT), South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
They flew about 360 km (225 miles), reaching an altitude of 30 km (19 miles) and a maximum velocity of Mach 6 (4,600 mph or 7,450 kmh), they said, adding a detailed analysis was underway.
"North Korea's provocations will further strengthen the South Korean-U.S. deterrence and response capability, and only deepen North Korea's isolation from the international community," the Joint Chiefs said in a statement.
South Korea's national security council held an emergency meeting and condemned the test, vowing to continue building "overwhelming" capacity to deter North Korea, President Yoon Suk-yeol's office said in a separate statement.
North Korean state media did not mention the reports of the latest launches, but its leader Kim Jong Un has said its development of nuclear weapons and missiles are meant to defend North Korea against U.S. threats.
Japan's coast guard also reported a suspected ballistic missile test, which its minister of state for defence, Toshiro Ino, condemned as "unacceptable". He said Pyongyang's repeated missile launches imperilled Japanese and international security.
Following a stop in Japan, Harris will land in the South Korean capital and visit the heavily fortified Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) between the neighbours on Thursday.
In a speech hours earlier aboard the destroyer USS Howard in the Japanese city of Yokosuka, Harris called Sunday's missile launch part of an "illicit weapons programme which threatens regional stability and violates multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions".
The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said the latest launch highlights "destabilising impact" of the North's unlawful weapons programmes.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson also condemned the test as a regional threat, but said Washington remained committed to a diplomatic approach and urged Pyongyang to engage in dialogue.
North Korea has tested missiles at an unprecedented pace this year, while this week's joint drill is a show of force intended to warn against what could be Pyongyang's first nuclear test since 2017.
The isolated country has completed preparations for a nuclear test, a window for which could open between China's party congress in October and the U.S. mid-term elections in November, South Korean lawmakers said on Wednesday. (Reuters)
September
EU executive proposes eighth batch of sanctions against Russia
Written by Nur Yasmin
The European Union executive proposed on Wednesday an eighth round of sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, including tighter trade restrictions, more individual blacklistings and an oil price cap for third countries.
The proposal will now go to the bloc's 27 member countries, which will need to overcome their differences to implement the new sanctions on top of seven sets of punitive measures imposed on Russia since its forces swept into Ukraine on Feb. 24.
That may take time despite the EU being spurred into action by Russia's military mobilisation last week, nuclear threats and steps to annex a swathe of Ukraine, after invading the former Soviet republic that aspires to join the EU.
"We do not accept the sham referenda (in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine) nor any kind of annexation...And we are determined to make the Kremlin pay the price for this further escalation," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters.
"We are proposing a new package of biting sanctions."
The Group of Seven major industrialised countries - which includes EU countries Italy, France and Germany - have already agreed to put an oil price cap in place via insurers.
Earlier on Wednesday, a senior economic adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on the EU to further cut money flows to Russia from fossil fuel sales.
"If you are doing nothing it means you are just prolonging this war with Ukraine. This is just ridiculous. The whole civilised world has to be united on that," said Oleg Ustenko.
While the EU already agreed to stop importing Russian oil starting later this year, Ustenko said "blood money" would keep on flowing to Moscow unless European companies were banned from insuring Russia's seaborne shipments to other countries.
UNANIMITY
The proposed sanctions fall short of harder-hitting measures, including a ban on importing Russian diamonds, sought by Russia hawks Poland and the three Baltic countries.
But EU states need unanimity to impose sanctions and the oil cap might be too much for Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who cultivates close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been a vocal critic of economic restrictions.
Ustenko hoped Hungary would eventually agree, and that EU countries with large shipping fleets - Greece, Malta and Cyprus - would also back more measures hitting Russian oil revenues.
Speaking next to von der Leyen, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the bloc was also blacklisting more individuals from Russia's defence sector, those involved in ad hoc votes organised by Moscow in occupied Ukrainian territories, those the West blames for spreading Russian propaganda and those helping to circumvent sanctions against Moscow.
Poland's EU ambassador said the proposed individual sanctions would include Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church and a close Kremlin ally, after previous attempts to blacklist him in the EU were blocked by Hungary.
Von der Leyen said a new imports ban would cost Russia 7 billion euros in lost revenues and that the EU would also expand the list of prohibited exports "to deprive the Kremlin's war machine of key technologies".
Under the proposal, European companies would be barred from providing more services to Russia and European citizens would not be allowed to sit on boards of Russian state companies.
This would be a nod to popular outrage over the cases of Gerhard Schroeder and Francois Fillon - former top European politicians who subsequently took jobs on Russian boards.
The Commission was due to present details of the proposal to member states at a closed-door meeting later on Wednesday and the 27 were expected to have a first discussion on Friday before national EU leaders meet in Prague on Oct. 6-7. (Reuters)
September
U.S. pace of sanctions on Russia to continue, focus on finance, technology
Written by Nur Yasmin
The United States is working with allies and partners to quickly impose severe economic costs on Moscow over "sham" referendums held by Russia in occupied regions of Ukraine, according to prepared remarks from the U.S. State Department's head of sanctions coordination on Wednesday.
James O'Brien, in testimony prepared for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he expects that the Biden administration's pace of announcing sanctions on Russia on average every six weeks will continue, as Washington continues to focus on choke points in the Russian economy and its military supply chains.
"There will be more packages. We are working on more sanctions," O'Brien told the committee.
"Everything is on the table," he said, adding that Washington would look to the financial sector and high technology, especially for energy exploitation, and human rights violators.
Moscow was poised on Wednesday to annex a swath of Ukraine, releasing what it called vote tallies showing support in four partially occupied provinces to join Russia, after what Kyiv and the West denounced as illegal sham referendums held at gunpoint.
Russian-backed authorities claim to have carried out the referendums over five days on territory that makes up around 15% of Ukraine.
The United States has imposed several tranches of sanctions targeting Moscow following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, which has reduced cities to rubble and killed or wounded thousands.
But senators pressed O'Brien and Elizabeth Rosenberg, Treasury Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes, on U.S. sanctions on Russia's energy sector.
Washington and its G7 partners have said they will put a price cap on Russian oil in place, but has held back from directly targeting major Russian energy companies over concerns about energy prices and supply.
"The largest source of hard currency that Russia has now is from energy sales," Rosenberg said.
"It's in energy where we must focus our attention in order to deny Russia that revenue."
O'Brien warned that it was time for India, which has been buying large amounts of Russian oil, more than it did before the Feb. 24 invasion, to reconsider where it's positioning itself geopolitically.
While India's purchases have been at discounts, the heavy volumes have been helping Moscow's economy. The United States and other G7 countries hope India will join a plan to place a price cap on Russian oil by December to further decrease Moscow's revenues from oil exports, which help fund its war machine.
O'Brien also said Washington will continue working with China to ensure it understands U.S. sanctions and the effect they have on China's engagement with Russia.
As Western nations have shunned Russia, it has put emphasis on cooperation with China. The two nations have increased their trade and Russian companies have started issuing debt in yuan. (Reuters)
September
U.S. pushes for 'constructive' India-Pakistan relations
Written by Nur Yasmin
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said late on Monday he had discussed with his Pakistani counterpart what he called managing a responsible relationship with neighbouring India.
Blinken's comments came after India's defence and foreign ministers opposed a U.S. decision to provide a support package of about $450 million for Pakistan's fleet of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets.
"In our discussions today, we talked about the importance of managing a responsible relationship with India," Blinken said after meeting Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, without elaborating.
Asked about the F-16 deal, U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that the United States had independent relations with India and Pakistan.
"The relationship we have with India stands on its own; the relationship we have with Pakistan stands on its own," Price told a news conference. "We also want to do everything we can to see to it that these neighbours have relations with one another that are as constructive as can be possible."
Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan have fought three wars, mainly over the Muslim-majority Himalayan region of Kashmir.
In 2019, they engaged in an aerial battle during which India said it had shot down a Pakistani F-16 after one of its own jets was brought down. Pakistan denied that one of its F-16s was downed.
People-to-people contact between the countries, formed by a split of British India in 1947, virtually ended after the 2019 clashes. (Reuters)
September
Sri Lanka looks to revive free trade deal with Singapore
Written by Nur Yasmin
Sri Lanka will step up efforts to revive a stalled free trade pact with Singapore, President Ranil Wickremesinghe told the city state's premier on Tuesday, his office said in a statement.
The leader of the crisis-hit Indian Ocean nation met Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Japan on the sidelines of a state funeral for Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister assassinated in July.
The free trade pact signed in January 2018 was suspended because of objections from Sri Lankan opposition parties and professional bodies. Sri Lanka proposed more than a dozen amendments in May 2021 but talks have largely stalled. (Reuters)
September
U.S. VP Harris set to visit Korean DMZ after Kim's missile test
Written by Nur Yasmin
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the Koreas on Thursday in a bid to show Washington's commitment to the South's security, according to U.S. and South Korean officials.
The visit, announced on Tuesday, comes days after North Korea fired a ballistic missile towards the sea and amid fears of a possible nuclear test as the Biden administration's attempts at outreach to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have failed.
Harris' visit, which would be the first by a senior Biden administration official, was publicly announced by South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo during a meeting with the U.S. vice president in Tokyo and was later confirmed by a U.S. official.
On Monday in New York, the North Korean ambassador to the United Nations, Kim Song, accused Washington of pursuing hostile policies that were causing a "vicious cycle of tension and confrontation."
A U.S. aircraft carrier is in the area for joint drills with the South Korean navy this week in what Kim called an "extremely dangerous act" that could drive the peninsula to the brink of war.
Harris is in the region to lead a U.S. presidential delegation to the funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday.
The DMZ visit will underscore the strength of the alliance between Seoul and Washington "in the face of any threats posed" by North Korea, said the U.S. official, who asked not to be named discussing a trip that Harris has not officially announced.
Harris will tour the DMZ, meet with service members, receive an operational briefing from U.S. commanders, reflect on the shared sacrifice of American and South Korean soldiers and reaffirm the "ironclad" commitment to South Korean security, the official added.
"Your visit to the DMZ and Seoul will be very symbolic demonstrations of your strong commitments to security and peace on the Korean Peninsula," Han said.
Several former U.S. presidents, and Biden himself before he became president, have visited the DMZ, but former President Donald Trump became the first to have met a North Korean leader there when he held a third meeting with Kim Jong Un in 2019 as part of his unsuccessful effort to persuade Kim to give up his nuclear and missile programs.
The DMZ is often described as the world's last Cold War frontier and has existed since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a armistice rather than a peace treaty. (Reuters)
September
EU urges Italy to stick to programme as approves more funding
Written by Nur Yasmin
The European Commission urged the new Italian government to stick to reform plans as it cleared the way on Tuesday for the payment of an additional 21 billion euros ($20.2 billion) in post-COVID recovery funds.
The Commission said Italy had met a series of 45 landmarks and targets in reform of areas such as public employment, procurement, tax administration, teaching and healthcare to qualify for another part of a 192 billion euro programme.
"So congratulations, Italia, and keep up the good work! The Commission stands by you on your way to recovery," European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement.
A right-wing alliance led by Giorgia Meloni won the Italian national election on Sunday, raising concerns in Brussels that relations with the new government would be more difficult than under Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said the funding offered a unique chance to transform the Italian economy.
"I urge the next Italian government to ensure that this opportunity is seized," Gentiloni, a former Italian prime minister, said in a statement.
Meloni said before the election that there should be scope to amend the programme to reflect the impact of the energy crisis.
The latest funding, still subject to final EU sign-off, will be invested in areas such as 5G telecoms, tourism and reforms to the justice system.
Italy has already received some 46 billion euros of funding which is paid in the form of grants and loans. (Reuters)
September
Russian forces and their armed affiliates have subjected Ukrainian prisoners to extrajudicial executions, sexual violence and other abuses, the U.N. human rights office said in a report on Tuesday.
The report, issued by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), found some rights violations by both sides in the conflict but expressed particular concern about the ill treatment of civilians and prisoners of war by Russian forces and affiliated armed groups.
Russia and Ukraine did not immediately comment on the report, compiled between Feb. 1 and July 31 and based on work by the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU). Both countries have denied allegations of human rights abuses.
"The ongoing armed attack by the Russian Federation against Ukraine and associated hostilities have resulted in a dire human rights situation across the country. The armed conflict has led to a wide range of human rights violations affecting both civilians and combatants," the report said.
Matilda Bogner, the head of the HRMMU, said Ukrainian prisoners of war faced serious risks to their health and safety from Russian and pro-Russian captors.
"They have been subject to cruel and degrading treatment by Russian security forces and those of the affiliated armed groups which appeared to be systematic," she said, introducing the report at a news conference in Kyiv.
UNLAWFUL KILLINGS
The OHCHR released its report days after the head of a U.N.-mandated investigation body said Russia had committed war crimes including rape, torture, executions, and confinement of children in areas it occupied in Ukraine.
The OHCHR said it was continuing to document and verify allegations of unlawful killings of hundreds of civilians by Russian armed forces in the Kyiv, Sumy and Kharkiv regions, areas occupied earlier by Russian forces and now back under Ukrainian control.
It said rights violations against Ukrainian servicemen included extrajudicial executions, sexual violence, denial of a fair trial and a lack of food, water and medical assistance.
"Some of these violations may amount to war crimes," the report said.
The OHCHR also said it had documented at least six killings of civilians perceived as traitors for alleged collaboration with Russia in occupied areas. (Reuters)
September
Ukraine urges EU to impose economic sanctions on Russia over annexation votes
Written by Nur Yasmin
Ukraine urged the European Union on Tuesday to impose economic sanctions on Russia to punish it for staging annexation votes in four occupied regions, and said the moves by Moscow would not change Ukraine's actions on the battlefield.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, after talks in Kyiv with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, said personal sanctions would not suffice as punishment for the referendums, billed by Russia as a prelude to it annexing four Ukrainian regions.
"It won't be enough to limit oneself to cosmetic measures... the softer the reaction to the so-called referendums, the greater the motivation for Russia to escalate and annex further territories," Kuleba told reporters.
"In the content of the eighth (EU) sanctions package, we will see just how seriously the EU takes the problem of referendums."
Russia, which invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, was holding votes for a fifth and final day on Tuesday in four Ukrainian regions partly controlled by Moscow -- Kherson, Luhansk, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia -- on whether or not to secede to Russia.
The West and Kyiv say the referendums are illegal and a sham.
"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin's actions won't have any influence on Ukraine's politics, diplomacy and actions on the field of battle," Kuleba told a joint news conference.
Colonna said that French support for Ukraine was "massive" and included humanitarian aid, financial aid and military or diplomatic assistance totalling more than $2 billion.
"Russia is more and more isolated. No one has supported its presentation at the U.N. Security Council. Its narrative is incoherent," she said. "So much so that we can even wonder whether our Russian colleague believed what he was saying. Everybody can see Russia is sinking further into an impasse, whether militarily or vis-a-vis its own people." (Reuters)
September
Russia's digital ministry scrambles to help key workers avoid mobilisation
Written by Nur Yasmin
Russia's digital ministry is scrambling to help key tech workers avoid being called up by the army after President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial mobilisation to bolster Russian forces in Ukraine.
The ministry issued guidelines late on Monday detailing how specific workers can avoid the draft. It published a list of 195 IT and communications professions - including jobs in science energy, transport and the media - for which it recommended workers should be exempt from mobilisation.
However, just working at an accredited IT company is not enough by itself to entitle a person to exemption - they need to fulfil "critical functions", the ministry said. Higher education qualifications and full-time contracts may also be required.
The ministry said it would launch a service on Tuesday to gather information about workers who should not be involved in military service. It urged people to act immediately.
"There is practically no time for testing - it is being launched 'off the cuff'," the ministry said.
"We suggest that you don't wait for the service to be launched and start filling this form out now in order to sign it with your employer as soon as possible."
The haste was a sign of the havoc wrought by Putin's sudden order last Wednesday, which reversed previous Kremlin statements that no mobilisation was planned. Since then, many Russian men have rushed to flee the country, and Putin allies have voiced rare criticism on state television of how the draft order has been carried out.
Russian officials have sought to play down the economic impact mobilisation may have. More than 70,000 IT sector workers left Russia soon after Moscow sent its troops into Ukraine in February, although some have since returned.
The Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) said the list of professions granted deferment from partial mobilisation needed to be expanded.
"The short-term departure in the workforce of a number of key personnel cannot be efficiently compensated by rapid recruitment in the market, when it comes to technological production with a high level of demands for workers' qualifications," RSPP said in a statement.
It said key staff at backbone organisations of the economy, critical infrastructure, and those in the defence sectors should be granted deferment. (Reuters)