Foreign ministers from the European Union have approved new sanctions against seven individuals and seven entities linked to Iran after Kyiv's Western allies accused Tehran of sending ballistic missiles to Russia to aid in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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The sanctions, reported in an exclusive by Radio Farda last week, target companies and individuals accused of being involved in the transfer of the weapons to Russia, including the country's flagship carrier Iran Air, as well as airlines Saha Airlines and Mahan Air.

Individuals sanctioned include the deputy defense minister of Iran, Seyed Hamzeh Ghalandari; prominent officials of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps's Quds Force (IRGC-QF); IRGC Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters; and IRGC Aerospace Force Space Division, as well as the managing directors of the EU-listed companies Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industries (HESA) and Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO).

The United States, Britain, France, and Germany accused Iran of sending ballistic missiles and related technology to Russia for use against Ukraine more than a month ago, sparking consultations among European allies on the matter.

"Today’s designation includes individuals and entities responsible for the development and transfer of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), missiles, and related technology to Russia in support of its war of aggression against Ukraine, and to armed groups and entities undermining peace and security in the Middle East and the Red Sea region," the council said in a statement on October 14 .

Those targeted are subject to an asset freeze and travel ban to the European Union. Additionally, the provision of funds or economic resources, directly or indirectly, with those listed is prohibited.

Iran Air has direct flights to several cities in Europe, including Frankfurt, Hamburg, Cologne, Paris, and Milan.

The new EU sanctions come just a few days after Peter Stano, the EU's chief foreign policy spokesman, told RFE/RL that he was "optimistic" about the EU's relationship with Iran.

Stano stressed that EU relations with Iran "have been at an all-time low for a long time" and noted that the most recent reason is Iran's support for Russia in its illegal invasion of Ukraine by supplying drones and more recently missiles.

Domestic repression in Iran, arbitrary detention of EU citizens, and uranium enrichment are other factors that have caused the Islamic republic's relations with the EU to become "complicated" and "sensitive," according to Stano.

Afghanistan's Taliban morality ministry pledged on October 14 to implement a law banning news media from publishing images of all living things, with journalists told the rule will be gradually enforced. "The law applies to all Afghanistan...and it will be implemented gradually" by persuading people images of living things are against Islamic law, a spokesman for the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, Saiful Islam Khyber, told the AFP news agency. The Taliban government's judiciary recently announced legislation formalizing its strict interpretations of Islamic law. Aspects of the new law have not yet been strictly enforced, however, and Taliban officials continue to regularly post photos of people on social media.

Human Rights Watch has condemned Iran’s controversial new law that increases prison terms and fines for women and girls who breach the country's strict dress code in the wake of the mass Women, Life, Freedom protests that followed the death of a young woman while in police custody for an alleged head-scarf violation.

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The Hijab and Chastity law mandates sentences of up to 10 years in prison for those who are deemed to be dressed “inappropriately” in public.

The law, which was approved by parliament in September 2023, came into force after its approval by the Guardians Council, a conservative legal body.

“Rather than responding to the Woman, Life, Freedom movement with fundamental reforms, the autocratic government is trying to silence women with even more repressive dress laws,” said Nahid Naghshandi, acting Iran researcher at Human Rights Watch.

The hijab became compulsory for women and girls over the age of 9 in 1981, two years after the Islamic Revolution in Iran.

For women, unacceptable coverings are defined as “revealing or tight clothing, or clothing that shows parts of the body lower than the neck or above the ankles or above the forearms,” according to the new law.

For men, it has been defined as “revealing clothing that shows parts of the body lower than the chest or above the ankles, or shoulders.”

Naghshandi warned that the new law “will only breed fierce resistance and defiance among women in and outside Iran.”

The renewed focus on the mandatory hijab came after Iran was swept by monthslong mass protests triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the morality police in 2022 for an alleged hijab violation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy claims that North Korea has sent soldiers and weapons to Russia to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine in a sign of the increasing alliance between the Kremlin and Pyongyang.

Ukrainian media recently reported that six North Korean military personnel were killed in a Ukrainian missile strike in the Russian-occupied eastern Donetsk region on October 3.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine

RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.

The reports could not be independently verified, but in his regular nightly address published on social media late on October 13, Zelenskiy reiterated the claims, the first time the Ukrainian leader has done so.

"This is no longer just about transferring weapons. It is actually about transferring people from North Korea to the occupying military forces,” he said.

Zelenskiy did not provide evidence to back up his claim, but speculation over North Korea's role in the conflict has grown amid signs of tightening relations between Moscow and countries such as North Korea and Iran almost 32 months after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine was launched.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a Washington-based U.S. military think tank, recently reported that several thousand North Korean troops had arrived in Russia and were being prepared for deployment in Ukraine.

North Korea has reportedly been providing Moscow with weapons and ammunition to support its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022.

The South Korean intelligence service has claimed that Pyongyang supplies artillery shells and short-range missiles to Moscow. The Kremlin has dismissed those claims, but has not commented on Zelenskiy's assertions.

Zelenskiy said the development highlights Ukraine’s need for “more support” from its Western partners to “increase the pressure” on Russia and prevent “a bigger war.”

“When we talk about more long-range capability for Ukraine and more decisive supplies for our forces, it is not just a list of military equipment. It is about increasing the pressure on the aggressor," Zelenskiy said.

Zelenskiy visited Britain, Germany, France, and Italy last week to ask Kyiv's partners for sustained military assistance.

The situation in Ukraine and the Middle East is expected to be high on the agenda of a meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and German leaders when Biden visits Germany later this week.

According to a government source in Berlin, Biden is set to visit Germany on October 18 for one day after a previously planned trip was canceled due to Hurricane Milton.

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Biden's original visit was to have taken place between October 10-12, during which he had planned to hold a meeting of more than 50 of Ukraine's allies -- known as the the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, or the Ramstein group -- to discuss further support for Kyiv.

In frontline news, Ukrainian authorities said on October 14 that five people were killed and eight were wounded in Russian attacks during the past day. The casualties were reported by local officials in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions, which were hit by Russian shelling.

Russia claimed on October 13 that it had captured the town of Mykhaylivka, at the gates of the town of Selydove, and south of Pokrovsk, where its forces have been advancing for weeks.

Russian troops have been trying to capture Pokrovsk, a mining city that was home to around 60,000 people before Moscow launched its offensive.

Russia also said it has evacuated some 30,415 people, including nearly 8,000 children, from areas bordering Ukraine due to shelling and attacks.

Tatyana Moskalkova, Russia’s human rights commissioner, told Russian media in an interview published on October 14 that the evacuees have been placed in nearly 1,000 temporary accommodations across Russia.

With reporting by AFP, dpa, and Reuters

French President Emmanuel Macron told Iranian counterpart Masud Pezeshkian that it was Tehran's "responsibility" to help ease tensions in the Middle East, where the Iran-allied Hezbollah and Hamas militant groups are engaged in fighting Israeli forces. Macron underlined "the responsibility of Iran to support a general de-escalation and to use its influence in this direction with the destabilizing actors that enjoy its support." Hezbollah is an armed group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon and has been targeted with a massive Israeli air and ground campaign over recent weeks. It is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the EU blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. Hamas is deemed a terror organization by the United States and the EU. The Iranian presidency also reported on the call, mentioning efforts to reach a cease-fire but using belligerent language toward Israel.

Amirhossein Maghsoudloo, a popular and controversial Iranian rapper known by his stage name Tataloo, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison on a variety of charges, a judiciary spokesman said on October 13.

Court spokesman Asghar Jahangir told a news conference that the performer had been sentenced to five years on charges of insulting sanctities and 10 years for encouraging corruption and prostitution.

It was not immediately clear if the sentences would run concurrently or consecutively. Jahangir said he would be required to begin his sentence immediately.

Tataloo's works -- considered provocative and Western in style -- are not officially permitted in the country, with authorities saying he lacks pertinent certificates from the Culture Ministry.

Hard-liners in Iran often condemn performers who they accuse of offending the conservative Islamic nation's moral standards and corrupting the youth.

Tataloo, 36, who at times has used his music to criticize Iran's human rights record, had lived in Istanbul since 2018 but was extradited to Iran by Turkish authorities in December 2023. He has been detained in Iran since his extradition.

Tataloo's trial began in March on charges of promoting obscenity, publishing propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran, and disseminating obscene content.

In a statement last month, the case investigator cited Tataloo's expression of regret, stating the rapper had written a repentance letter while also expressing his desire to marry, start a family, and pursue music in a more accepted manner.

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The information could not be verified, but the admission, if true, likely saved the performer from a much harsher potential sentence.

The rapper, known for blending rap, pop, and R&B and for his distinctive tattoos, has been a polarizing figure in Iran.

He previously released a song in support of Iran's nuclear rights, which coincided with the breakdown of a nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

In 2020, Instagram shut down the rapper's account after activists and Instagram users reported him for inappropriate posts asking underage girls to join his "team" for sex.

Tataloo had been briefly jailed in 2013 for distribution of his banned music to foreign-based satellite channels and for two months in 2016 for insulting a judge during a court hearing.

Iranian media reported in December 2023 that Turkish police had arrested Tataloo on charges of insulting members and staff of the consulate in Istanbul over a complaint by the Iranian consulate.

Fars News Agency reported that Tatlou was charged with setting up a gambling house; encouraging, enticing or threatening people to obtain or facilitate pornographic content; inciting and persuading people, especially the younger generation, to commit crimes against chastity and sexual deviance; and encouraging people to commit corruption and prostitution.

With reporting from ISNA and dpa

Ukrainian officials have accused Russian forces of executing nine captured troops in the Kursk border region, denouncing Moscow for violating "all the rules and customs of war," while Kyiv said at least two people were killed and 22 others injured in Russian attacks in Ukraine over the past 24 hours.

Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's commissioner for human rights, said he had written to the United Nations and the Red Cross concerning the allegations, which officials said are the result of Ukrainian battlefield analysis site DeepState, which published drone footage purporting to show the dead troops.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine

RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.

Russia has not commented on the reports, which could not immediately be verified.

The allegations are the latest in a long list of reports by Kyiv outlining incidents of alleged executions of Ukrainian prisoners by Russian forces.

Kyiv said it has documented evidence related to the execution of a total of 93 Ukrainian prisoners of war, according to a law enforcement official tasked with investigating war crimes related to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Yuriy Belousov, who heads the Prosecutor-General's Office department in charge of investigating crimes committed in armed conflict, provided the figure during a live television appearance on October 4.

Cases of the alleged execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war fall under the mandate of the International Criminal Court (ICC), and the court is entitled to try such cases, ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan said on October 9, without referring to specific cases.

"Each of the provisions of the Rome Statute [the founding treaty of the ICC]...can be applied. They all matter. Our duty is to apply a methodological approach and put together an investigation strategy," Khan told a roundtable at The Hague attended by journalists from Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service.

In the latest incident, images published by DeepState showed the apparently dead Ukrainian troops stripped to their underwear and lying face down in the Kursk region following a rapid offensive by Russian forces.

"These actions must not go unpunished, and the enemy must bear full responsibility," Lubinets wrote in a post on Telegram. "Russia is a terrorist country that violates all the rules and customs of war."

The accuracy of the videos could not independently be verified.

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The accusations come amid reports that at least two people were killed and 22 others were injured in Russian attacks over the past 24 hours in Ukraine.

The two fatalities were reported in the settlements of Kurakhivka and Ulakla in the eastern Donetsk region, which came under came under intense shelling.

Eleven others were injured in the attack, according to regional Governor Vadym Filashkin.

Separately, Russian state-run TASS news agency quoted the Defense Ministry as saying that Russian glide bombs hit a concentration of Ukrainian soldiers in the Kursk region on October 13. Kyiv has not commented and there is no report on casualties yet.

Russian forces also targeted the Kharkiv, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhya regions, injuring at least 11 people and damaging residential buildings and infrastructure, regional officials said.

In Kherson, the Russian military "targeted a critical infrastructure facility and a cellular tower," as well as "populated residential quarters," regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported on Telegram.

"A high-rise residential building and three private houses were damaged," Prokudin added.

Russia launched 68 drones and four missiles on Ukrainian territory overnight, according to the latest update by Ukraine's air force.

The air force said its defense units destroyed 31 of the Russian drones, while 36 were unaccounted for, most likely intercepted by Ukraine's electronic warfare. The remaining drone was still in the air, it said early on October 13.

Two Iskander-M ballistic missiles struck Poltava and Odesa regions, and two Kh-59 guided air missiles targeted the Chernihiv and Sumy regions, it added.

There were no immediate reports of casualties from the latest air strikes.

Russia claimed its air-defense units downed 13 Ukrainian drones overnight over three regions bordering Ukraine.

Russia's Defense Ministry said on October 13 that six drones each were shot down over the Belgorod and Kursk regions. One drone was destroyed over Bryansk, the ministry said on Telegram.

The claims cannot be independently verified.

With reporting by Reuters and the BBC

Pakistan's capital was under strict security lockdown starting October 14 ahead of the arrival of Chinese Premier Li Qiang for a four-day bilateral visit and a heads-of-government gathering of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) this week.

The government has announced a three-day public holiday in Islamabad, with schools and businesses shut, and large contingents of police and paramilitary forces deployed.

Pakistan Army troops will be responsible for the security of the capital's Red Zone, which will house most of the meetings and is also home to parliament and a diplomatic enclave, according to the Interior Ministry.

The threat alert has been high in the South Asian nation ahead of the SCO summit meeting, especially after the killing of two Chinese engineers and the shooting deaths of 21 miners.

Four Israeli soldiers were killed and dozens were injured, seven critically, when a "swarm" of Hezbollah drones hit an army base near the northern Israeli town of Binyamina in one of the bloodiest attacks on the country since October 2023.

Hezbollah is an armed group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon.

The Israeli military early on October 14 said the attack took place at an army base some 60 kilometers north of Tel Aviv. It did not immediately provide further details.

CNN had earlier reported that the United Hatzalah rescue service said it had "provided assistance to over 60 wounded people in various conditions -- some of them in critical, serious, moderate, and light condition."

National emergency service Magen David Adom (AFMDA) said at least 67 people were injured in the attack in Israel's Haifa district.

Hezbollah -- which is considered a terrorist group by the United States, although the EU has only blacklisted its armed wing -- claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it had launched a "swarm of attack drones" at a military training camp in Binyamina.

Iran-allied Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets and drones into Israel but, because of Israel's sophisticated air-defense systems, most have been shot down or have caused little damage and few casualties.

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Earlier in the day, angry UN peacekeepers said Israeli forces had smashed into a gate of one of their bases in Lebanon, causing about 15 minor injuries.

"At around 4:30 a.m., while peacekeepers were in shelters, two IDF Merkava tanks destroyed the position's main gate and forcibly entered the position in the Ramia area," said the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), adding that the Israeli forces left after about 45 minutes.

Israel later claimed the tanks had come under fire when they crashed into the base gate.

The action came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said UN peacekeepers must "immediately" pull out of the combat zone in southern Lebanon and directly addressed Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

"The time has come for you to withdraw UNIFIL from Hezbollah strongholds and from the combat zones," Netanyahu said, accusing Guterres of making UNIFIL soldiers "human shields" and "hostages of Hezbollah."

"Mr. Secretary-General, get the UNIFIL forces out of harm's way. It should be done right now, immediately," he said.

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UNIFIL is a 9,500-strong mission created in 1978 tasked with monitoring a cease-fire that ended a 33-day war in 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah.

Forty nations that contribute to UNIFIL said in a joint statement on October 12 that they "strongly condemn recent attacks" on the peacekeepers. The United States and European leaders have demanded Israel stop firing at the peacekeepers, with U.S. President Joe Biden on October 12 saying he was "absolutely, positively" telling Israel to stop.

Fears of an all-out regional war grew as signs indicated Israel could be preparing to launch a direct strike on Iran in retaliation for Tehran's massive missile strike on Israel on October 1.

Biden on October 13 said he had ordered the Pentagon to send a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and troops to Israel as part of U.S. efforts "to defend Israel."

Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder said the system will help bolster Israel's air defenses following Iran's missile attacks. The THAADs are similar to Patriot missile systems but can cover wider areas and require about 95 soldiers to operate, analysts say.

"It is part of the broader adjustments the U.S. military has made in recent months, to support the defense of Israel and protect Americans from attacks by Iran and Iranian-aligned militias," Ryder said.

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The French presidency on October 13 said President Emmanuel Macron, in a phone call, told his Iranian counterpart, Masud Pezeshkian, it was Tehran's "responsibility" to back efforts to lower tensions in the Middle East. The Iranian presidency also reported the call, saying the sides discuss ways to end the conflict but also using heavily belligerent language toward Israel.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on October 13 said Tehran was prepared for a "war situation," although he stated his government desired peace.

"We are fully prepared for a war situation. We are not afraid of war, but we do not want war. We want peace, and we will work for a just peace in Gaza and Lebanon," he said while on a visit to the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

Israeli warplanes hit a 100-year-old mosque in a village of Lebanon near the border early on October 13, a day after a marketplace was hit in the southern city of Nabatiyeh, according to Lebanon's official National News Agency.

Lebanon's Health Ministry reported deadly strikes in other areas of the country, including one on a Shi'ite Muslim village in a mostly Christian mountainous area.

Hezbollah said it launched rockets at Israeli forces inside Lebanese territory on October 13 as ground troops conducted incursions into the country's south.

A Hezbollah statement claimed it targeted a "gathering" of Israeli forces in the village of Maroun al-Ras "with artillery shells."

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Hezbollah fired hundreds of projectiles from Lebanon into Israel on October 12 as Israelis celebrated Yom Kippur, an important holiday on the Jewish religious calendar.

The escalation comes as Israel is also conducting fresh attacks in Gaza and is expected to strike Iran in retaliation for a missile attack earlier this month.

Palestinian medical officials said on October 13 that an Israeli strike killed a family of eight and wounded seven others in the central Gaza Strip.

The attack late on October 12 hit a home in the Nuseirat refugee camp, killing a couple and their six children, who ranged in age from 8 to 23, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where the bodies were taken.

Israel continues to strike what it says are militant targets in Gaza nearly every day for more than a year into the war with Hamas, which is designated a terrorist group by the United States and European Union.

The Israeli Army said in a statement on October 13 that forces operating throughout the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours had attacked about 40 targets and killed dozens of militants.

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Both Hamas and Hezbollah are allies of Iran. Israel has repeatedly said it will respond to Iran's missile attack on October 1, which Tehran said was launched in retaliation for Israel's military operations in Gaza and Lebanon and the killings of a string of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.

Washington believes Israel has narrowed down targets in its potential response to military and energy infrastructure, NBC reported on October 12, citing unnamed U.S. officials.

There is no indication that Israel will target Iran’s nuclear facilities or carry out assassinations, the NBC report said, adding that Israel has not made final decisions about how and when to act.

Araghchi said there would be "no red line" for Iran in defending its citizens from the potential strikes.

"While we have made tremendous efforts in recent days to contain an all-out war in our region, I say it clearly that we have no red lines in defending our people and interests," Araghchi wrote in a post on X on October 13.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP

Iran has banned passengers from carrying pagers and walkie-talkies on all flights, after near-simultaneous attacks last month in which the communication devices exploded across Lebanon and Syria. The new regulation applies to both cabin and hold luggage, a spokesman for the Iranian aviation authority told the ISNA news agency on October 12. Passengers are still allowed to take their mobile phones on board. Thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia exploded in September. Hezbollah, an armed group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon, is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the EU blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. Hezbollah and Iran blamed the brazen attacks on Israel. At least 39 people were killed and around 3,000 were injured, some seriously. Most were Hezbollah members.

Tehran has delivered two Iranian-made satellites to Russia for launch into orbit, according to the Tasnim news agency, which is linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The report on October 12 said the satellites were "developed by a private-sector company," but it is a continuing sign of close cooperation on technical, scientific, and military matters by Moscow and Tehran. The report said the Kowsar satellite was designed for precision agriculture and mapping, while Hodhod is an Internet-related communications satellite. No launch date was specified. Russia sent Iranian satellites into orbit in February and in 2022, sparking concerns from Washington. A Washington Post report citing anonymous Western intelligence officials claimed Russia "plans to use the satellite for several months or longer" to assist its war efforts in Ukraine before allowing Iran to take control of it. Iran denied the allegations and said it would maintain control of the craft at all times.

A series of shooting incidents believed to be linked to a tribal land feud in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province have left at least 15 people dead and 12 injured, local elders and district officials told RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal on October 12.

A senior district official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the first incident occurred when unidentified gunmen opened fire on three people who had traveled to Kunj Alizu mountain, causing injuries.

Local elder Imran Maqbal told Radio Mashaal that 14 people were killed and nine injured in a second attack in the Kurram District. The clashes -- believed to be related -- resulted in the closure of public offices, schools, and roads, while authorities also shut down mobile Internet in the district.

The Af-Pak Monitor group, activists, and locals posted photos and videos on social media showing the victims of the shooting.

Dozens of people in recent weeks have been killed in clashes between armed Shi’ite and Sunni Muslim groups over land disputes. Sunnis and Shi’a have lived in close proximity for decades in the area, but armed clashes have occasionally broken out over land, forests, and other properties and religious differences.

The latest violence comes after a nine-day cease-fire that had been agreed to by Sunnis and Shi'ite leaders on September 28.

Health officials, police, and local leaders say 44 people have been killed and more than 130 injured in clashes in the area since September 20.

In 2008 a peace deal was reached between Shi'a and Sunnis. The agreement stipulated that both sides would keep all roads open, prevent the deterioration of security, allow the displaced to return to their villages, and resolve land disputes based on ancient documents and Pashtun tradition in the name of paper property.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, in Pakistan's northwest, has been the site of sectarian violence over the years, including attacks by the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan.

The Iranian Supreme Court has lifted the death sentence against imprisoned labor activist Sharifeh Mohammadi and referred her case "for reconsideration," her lawyer said on October 12. Mohammadi, 45, was sentenced to death in July, accused of membership in an independent labor union and a banned Kurdish separatist group based in neighboring Iraq's semiautonomous Kurdish region. Her family has said she was not affiliated with any political organization inside or outside the country. The sentence sparked widespread condemnation from civil and political activists. Lawyer Amir Raeesian told the Sharq news outlet that the Supreme Court "overturned the sentence of my client...and referred the case to the same branch for reconsideration." To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, click here.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on October 15 will announce a temporary suspension of the right to asylum as part of a new strategy to combat illegal migration amid tensions with neighboring Belarus. "One of the elements of the migration strategy will be the temporary territorial suspension of the right to asylum," Prime Minister Donald Tusk told a Civic Platform party congress on October 12. "I will demand this, I will demand recognition in Europe for this decision." Poland claims that the right to asylum is being used by Belarusian strongman ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and by people smugglers in a way that goes against the principle of the right to asylum and to punish Warsaw for its support of Ukraine following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of February 2022. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Belarus Service, click here.

Tatar activists Galishan Nuriakhmet and Rafik Karimullin were detained by police in Kazan, capital of Russia's Tatarstan region, for about an hour before being released on October 12, the Tatar youth group Azatlyk reported, after several other activists had been detained in order to prevent them from attending a prayer in the Kol-Sharif mosque. The prayer to commemorate Tatars fallen during the 16th-century siege of Kazan by Russian troops was organized after the Kazan mayor's office banned a public rally. Azatlyk said it had lost contact with some of the detained activists. The then-capital of the Kazan Khanate fell to Moscow on October 15, 1552, when Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible conquered it after two weeks of resistance. The event has been marked in the city since the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, Kazan authorities in recent years have been reluctant to allow activists to hold such events. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Idel.Realities click here.

The European Commission has dismissed as "false" media reports that it is considering opening deportation camps for illegal migrants in EU candidate countries such as Moldova.

Recent reports in international media claimed that a number of European Union countries would encourage the hosting of migrants who are intercepted in international waters in candidate states outside the borders of the 27-member bloc in so-called "deportation hubs," citing the model of such a center opened by EU member Italy in Albania this week.

The reports claimed that EU home affairs ministers discussed the issue at a meeting in Luxembourg on October 10 ahead of a summit of the bloc's leaders later this month.

However, the center in Albania has come under scathing criticism from human rights watchdogs, prompting Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who inked the deal with his Italian counterpart, Georgia Meloni, to make it clear that there will be no new such centers in his country.

After the Luxembourg meeting, EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson told a news conference that there was currently no proposal to establish deportation hubs.

"Claims that the EU intends to create deportation camps for migrants in the Republic of Moldova and other countries that want to join the EU are false," Anita Hipper, a spokeswoman on internal affairs for the commission, said in response to a request for comment from RFE/RL.

"There is no such proposal in relation to the Republic of Moldova or any other country," Hipper added.

The Moldovan government has also strongly denied the reports, which have been picked up by the Russian press, saying it was a "fake" invented by the Kremlin.

The government has been grappling with a Russian-backed disinformation campaign before a make-or-break double election on October 20, when pro-Western President Maia Sandu is running for a second term in parallel with a referendum on EU membership.

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"A new fabrication has appeared claiming that Moldova would host a hub for rejected asylum seekers subject to deportation procedures," government spokesman Daniel Voda told The Times of London. "Let it be clear: the government is not discussing such a proposal and will not accept such ideas."

Sandu steered Moldova firmly toward the West after defeating a Moscow-backed incumbent in 2020 and moved to curb Russia's influence in one of Europe's poorest countries more than three decades after it declared independence from the Soviet Union.

Under Sandu's government, Moldova secured EU candidate status in June 2022 and opened membership negotiations with the bloc earlier this year.

The moves prompted Russia to step up a disinformation campaign to undermine the credibility of Moldova's government and portray Moscow as a better alternative for Chisinau's future.

The U.S. Embassy in Bucharest has issued a security alert for its citizens for the weekend regarding religious institutions on the territory of Romania. In a statement on its website, the embassy says that it "has been made aware of threats potentially targeting a synagogue, temple, or mosque in Romania for the October 11-13 weekend. The embassy urges U.S. citizens to exercise increased caution near religious institutions in Romania for this period." It recommends increased caution, keeping a low profile, and avoiding religious sites while paying increased attention to one's surroundings. Romania's Intelligence Service (SRI) said in response that it had no information justifying raising the terror-alert level. However, the SRI said it would act with increased attention to defend Romania's security. Israel, whose military is engaged in conflicts with U.S-designated Islamist terrorist groups Hezbollah and Hamas, observes the Yom Kippur religious holiday on October 12. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Romanian Service, click here.

Six Russian soldiers who sought to escape mobilization for the war in Ukraine have arrived in France after first fleeing to Kazakhstan, according to media reports. The six have begun the process of obtaining political asylum, BBC Russian reported. It appears that this is the first instance when a European Union country agreed to issue entry documents to a group of Russian individuals who fled the war. Previously, human rights activists say there was only one case in which a Russian deserter who fled to Kazakhstan was able to obtain a visa to an EU country. According to Mediazona, since the beginning of the year until August, about 5,200 criminal cases of desertion have been filed with Russian military courts, a figure hugher than for all of last year. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukrainian forces were holding off attempts by Russian troops to expel them from the Kursk region, following a 24-hour period in which Russian shelling killed at least five Ukrainian civilians.

"As for the Kursk operation, there were attempts by Russia to push back our positions, but we are holding the defined lines," Zelenskiy said on October 12 in his nightly video address following Russian claims of advances in the area.

Ukrainian troops made quick and shocking gains after they launched a surprise incursion into Russia's Kursk region in August, but Russia has announced the recapture of several villages, including the latest two on October 11.

Reports on the ground cannot be independently verified.

In other areas, including in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhya regions, Zelenskiy said following a meeting with military commander General Oleksandr Syrskiy, Ukrainian forces were "facing very difficult conditions and fierce enemy actions."

Officials said earlier that Russian shelling had killed five Ukrainian civilians over the past 24 hours in the eastern Donetsk and Kharkiv regions.

In Donetsk, three people were killed -- two in Bohoyavlenka and one in Ivanopil, regional Governor Vadym Filashkin said on Telegram, adding that another eight people were wounded across the region.

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In the northeastern region of Kharkiv, a 38-year-old man was killed by Russian shelling in Kozachia Lopan and a 67-year-old man was killed in Kupyansk, regional authorities reported.

Russian troops also shelled populated areas of the Kherson region, including Kherson city, regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported, adding that a medical facility, an administrative building, a cellular tower and residential buildings were damaged in the city.

Ukrainian forces liberated Kherson in November 2022, forcing Russian troops to retreat east of the Dnieper River, but Moscow's forces continue to strike the city and its surrounding region from across the river, causing casualties and damage to civilian and energy infrastructure.

In the southeastern Zaporizhzhya region, two women and an 11-year-old girl were wounded by Russian shelling early on October 12, regional Governor Ivan Fedorov said.

Separately, Ukraine's air force said that air defenses shot down 24 out of the 28 drones launched by Russia at the Sumy, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolayiv, and Kherson regions.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones attacked the Russian regions of Belgorod and Krasnodar, wounding three people early on October 12, Russian officials said.

Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram that a woman and two men wounded in a strike on Ustinka were hospitalized in moderate condition.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine

RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.

In Krasnodar, three houses and one vehicle were destroyed by Ukrainian drones, regional chief Veniamin Kondratyev said on Telegram, adding that no injuries were reported.

In the Russian-occupied part of Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region, a fuel depot was on fire in Rovenky, local Telegram channels reported, posting a video of the purported fire.

There was no official confirmation of the Rovenky strike, which was the second one after an attack on the fuel depot in May which killed several people.

Separately, Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces shot down 17 drones over Krasnodar, 12 over Kursk, 2 over Belgorod, while another 16 were downed off the Sea of Azov coast.

Ukraine, whose infrastructure has been battered by incessant Russian drone and missile strikes that also caused numerous victims among civilians, has in turn resorted lately to striking Russian military targets -- mainly fuel depots -- with its own drones.

Zelenskiy, who concluded a whirlwind tour of Ukraine's main European allies on October 11, has been pressing for approval to use modern long-range weapons systems donated by the West to strike deeper inside Russia -- a request that so far has been declined by most Western leaders.

Zelenskiy said during his visit to Berlin on October 11 that it was important that Ukraine's allies do not decrease their assistance next year.

In his latest video address, Zelenskiy said that "there are many partners, who for objective reasons, cannot help with arms supplies. They do not have [enough of] their own weapons."

"But they can us help with financing. And some partners have special technologies that can be used right now in Ukraine -- in our defense," he added.

Kyiv faces difficult months ahead in its fight to stop a slow but continuous Russian advance in the east.

Hezbollah on October 12 said it had fired a number of missiles and drones at an Israeli military base south of Haifa and at the outskirts of Tel Aviv as Israelis celebrated Yom Kippur, the most important holiday on the Jewish religious calendar.

Hezbollah -- an armed group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon -- said its forces targeted "the explosives factory there with a salvo of...missiles" in the Haifa region, while it said it sent a swarm of drones toward Tel Aviv, the economic center of the country.

The Israeli military confirmed that Hezbollah fired hundreds of projectiles from Lebanon into Israel over Yom Kippur, which ended at sundown on October 12.

"Throughout the weekend of Yom Kippur, approximately 320 projectiles that were fired by the Hezbollah terrorist organization crossed from Lebanon into Israel," the military said in a statement.

Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the EU blacklists its armed wing but not its political party.

Israel has meanwhiile faced a of barrage of diplomatic criticism over a second strike at a United Nations peacekeeping position in Lebanon.

Two Sri Lankan peacekeepers were hurt in the incident, the UNIFIL mission said on October 11.

The Israeli military said it had fired at "an immediate threat" around 50 meters from the UNIFIL post.

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On October 10, two Indonesian soldiers were hurt when Israeli tank fire hit a watchtower.

The UN peacekeeping force said in a statement that the incident occurred at its headquarters in the town of Naqoura, adding that Israeli forces also fired on a nearby bunker where peacekeepers were sheltering, damaging vehicles and a communication system.

The incidents sparked condemnation from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Israel's Western allies, prompting the Israeli military to pledge to carry out a "thorough review."

Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it hit some 280 "terror targets" in Lebanon and in the Gaza Strip over the weekend.

"Among these targets were underground terror infrastructure sites, weapons storage facilities, military command centers, terrorist cells, and additional terrorist infrastructure sites," a statement read.

Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf on October 12 traveled to Beirut, condemning what he called Israel's "crimes."

He met Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who said his government's priority was "to work toward a cease-fire," according to Lebanon's official National News Agency.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on October 11 that Washington was still working to prevent a larger war in the Middle East and urged Israel to protect civilians after 22 people were killed in strikes on two buildings in central Beirut.

"We continue to engage intensely to prevent broader conflict in the region," Blinken told reporters after an East Asia summit in Laos, adding that it was "vitally important" for Israel to ensure that civilians are protected during the conflict.

Lebanese sources said at least one senior Hezbollah figure was targeted in the attacks, which were the third on Beirut since Israel started a military campaign in southern Lebanon last month against the Iran-allied Hezbollah militia, sparking fears of an all-out regional war.

Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV reported after the strikes that an attempt to kill Wafiq Safa, a top security official with the group, had failed. It said that Safa had not been inside either of the targeted buildings.

Safa heads Hezbollah's liaison and coordination unit responsible for working with Lebanese security agencies, security sources said.

With reporting by AFP

The United States on October 11 issued additional sanctions targeting Iran's oil industry in response to its October 1 attack on Israel, the Treasury Department said.

The new sanctions are designed to increase financial pressure on Iran and limit the ability of its regime to earn money from oil sales that can be used to undermine stability in the region and attack U.S. partners and allies, the Treasury Department said in a news release.

"In response to Iran's attack on Israel, the United States is taking decisive action to further disrupt the Iranian regime's ability to fund and carry out its destabilizing activity," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.

The sanctions target Iranian efforts to channel revenues from its energy industry into deadly and disruptive activity, including development of its nuclear program, the proliferation of ballistic missiles and drones, and support to "regional terrorist proxies with dangerous consequences for the region and the world," Yellen said.

"We will not hesitate to take further action to hold Iran accountable," she added.

The department said its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating 10 entities in multiple jurisdictions and identifying 17 vessels as blocked property for their involvement in shipments of Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products in support of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and Triliance Petrochemical Company.

In addition, the U.S. State Department is designating six entities and identifying six vessels as blocked property for transporting or trading petroleum products from Iran.

"Collectively, these actions target a significant portion of the shadow fleet of tankers and illicit operators that move the Iranian regime's petroleum exports," the Treasury said.

NIOC was designated in October 2020 for its financial support to the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Triliance was designated in January 2020 for facilitating the sale of Iranian petroleum products from NIOC.

The sanctions freeze any assets the targeted entities and ships hold within U.S. jurisdiction and bar U.S. persons from any dealings with them.

A U.S. diplomat said on October 11 that a decision on lithium mining is up to Serbia's people but pointed out that a proposed project to exploit the mineral in the west of the country is expected to bring economic benefits.

Jose Fernandez, undersecretary for economic growth, energy, and environment, told a news conference in Belgrade that the question of whether to go ahead with the Jadar project was a sovereign decision and he supports the debate over the project.

The British-Australian mining company Rio Tinto plans to create Europe's biggest lithium mine in Serbia’s Jadar Valley. Rio Tinto says the project could provide nearly 60,000 tons of lithium annually and thus meet about one-fifth of the needs for Europe's electric-vehicle production.

The company has said that experts have confirmed that the Jadar project can be implemented safely and in accordance with the highest environmental standards. But numerous experts and activist oppose the project, claiming that it would have negative effects on environment.

"No country wants to trade the environment for economic growth," Fernandez said at the news conference. "That's a false choice that no country wants to make."

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Fernandez said he believes that the mine project will create jobs and bring Serbia closer to the European Union.

He noted that by 2050 the world will need 42 times more lithium than is used today, and that this critical raw material was currently controlled by "one or two countries."

Speaking on October 10, the same day that the Serbian parliament rejected a bill to ban the exploitation of lithium in western Serbia, Fernandez said that the Jadar project is a great opportunity for Serbia that "doesn't come around that often."

During his visit, Fernandez also announced projects that Serbia will implement in cooperation with U.S. companies in the field of green energy.

He said a solar energy agreement will be signed next week and noted that the Energy Ministry is studying the feasibility of a hydroelectric power plant on the Danube River.

Fernandez said that the United States sees that Serbia wants to diversify its sources of energy in order to reduce its dependence on Russia.

"Serbia has long relied on coal, as well as gas from Russia. It is in the interest of every country to achieve energy independence," he said. "Some countries have learned the hard way that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is arming himself with dependence on Russian gas."

The leaders of Turkey and Serbia said their countries might begin jointly producing military drones.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on October 11 during a visit to Belgrade that he and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic discussed the capabilities that the Turkish industry has in air assets, adding that could be a basis for cooperation in the defense industries of the two countries.

Asked whether the joint military industry cooperation would include the production of Bayraktar drones, Erdogan said: "Serbia has certain capacities…and as friendly countries we can develop our capacities together."

Speaking at a joint news conference with Vucic, he said that cooperation in a dedicated industry is necessary to protect peace.

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Serbia had planned to purchase Bayraktar military drones from Turkey, but it announced in 2023 that it had abandoned the plan in response to the delivery of drones from Turkey to Kosovo, a former Serbian province whose independence Serbia does not recognize.

Vucic said last year that the delivery of the drones to Kosovo was "neither easy nor good news for us and it will affect our relations" with Turkey. But while hosting Erdogan in Belgrade on October 11, he said the Turkish military industry "is significantly stronger than ours" and he saw "room for great cooperation" with it.

Vucic said he had "great confidence" in Erdogan and his "attitude toward peace and stability," and noted that Serbia recently renewed export licenses for Turkey and subsequently exported a significant portion of shells to the Turkish market.

During Erdogan's visit, Serbia and Turkey signed agreements in various areas, including trade, energy, and emergency situations.

The two leaders also discussed regional and geopolitical issues, underscoring the importance of peace and stability in the Balkans and a common-sense approach when it comes to the tensions between Serbia and Kosovo.

Turkey again confirmed its determination to protect stability in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Erdogan said, while Vucic reiterated that Serbia supported the not only the territorial integrity of Bosnia, but also the integrity of Republika Srpska within it.

Asked what concrete steps Serbia and Turkey intend to take to ensure the stability of the Balkans, Vucic said that Erdogan had many ideas.

"Accordingly, we will try to spread and show somewhat different signs and signals toward Bosnia and Herzegovina, and vice versa to guarantee those who come after us security, peace, and commitment to solving problems, especially economic development," Vucic said.

With reporting by AP

A U.S. businessman whose extravagant claims about supposed projects in Ukraine were exposed in an RFE/RL investigation has been charged with stock manipulation by financial regulators in the United States.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said that Benjamin Ballout, the CEO of Enerkon Solar International, "authored, approved, and issued" at least three false press releases designed to drive up the price of the company's stock so that he and his associates could sell shares for a profit.

The charges stem from what the SEC said were false claims about purported U.K. and U.S. deals in press releases published between March and May 2021, at least two months after the initial Ukraine project claims.

This kind of scheme, known as "pump and dump," is not uncommon in the world of public companies that are valued at well under $1 billion and trade on the over-the-counter market as opposed to regulated exchanges.

Two of Ballout's associates, Mohamed Zayed and William Fielding, were also charged, the SEC said in a September 23 statement.

The government watchdog said it was seeking to force the return of the trio's allegedly illegal gains, impose civil penalties, and bar them from trading what are known as "penny stocks."

It said Fielding had agreed to settle with the SEC, giving up $311,000 in profits and $53,230 in interest and paying a $195,000 fine.

RFE/RL exposed Ballout's activities in a March 2021 article after he published a press release claiming that Enerkon had been "awarded" the right to create a massive solar-power project in Ukraine and build out a next-generation wireless-technology network around the country.

Enerkon's stock price jumped in the days and weeks following the press release, making Ballout overnight a multimillionaire on paper.

Ballout also claimed, in a filing with the Justice Department under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), that he would be setting up meetings for a Ukrainian deputy prime minister with leading U.S. companies during the official’s upcoming visit to the United States.

An RFE/RL investigation showed that no such rights had been awarded to Enerkon. The Ukrainian government also denied that Ballout had been tapped to set up business meetings.

The investigation also showed that Ballout had no record of developing major projects and had struggled financially, filing for personal bankruptcy twice.

In phone calls and written messages, Ballout harassed and threatened RFE/RL reporters in an attempt to stop the article's publication.

"You and your crew under big scrutiny now. U can’t ever spy on me to a foreign gov and get away with it," he wrote in a March 22, 2021, text message.

Ballout did not answer his phone when RFE/RL tried to reach him for comment following the SEC charges.

The European Union will move ahead early next week with new sanctions against individuals and entities linked to Iran, sources told RFE/RL on October 11.

According to three European sources who spoke with RFE/RL on condition of anonymity, the sanctions are expected to be agreed on October 14 and likely will include Iran Air.

One source noted that EU ambassadors had already given the package a preliminary green light on October 9.

"Yes, sanctions on Monday in response to the shipment and more sectoral sanctions likely after that," another source told RFE/RL, referring to the transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia.

"I have zero indication that there is any reluctance," the source said.

After the United States, Britain, France, and Germany accused Iran of sending missiles to Russia more than a month ago, the three European countries announced their plans to place sanctions on Iran Air, the state-owned airline.

At the time, the German Foreign Ministry told RFE/RL that work had begun to consult with European allies on the matter.

Iran Air has direct flights to several cities in Europe, including Frankfurt, Hamburg, Cologne, Paris, and Milan.

The possibility of new EU sanctions comes just a few days after Peter Stano, the EU's chief foreign policy spokesman, told RFE/RL that he was "optimistic" about the EU's relationship with Iran.

Stano stressed that EU relations with Iran "have been at an all-time low for a long time" and noted that the most recent reason is Iran's support for Russia in its illegal invasion of Ukraine by supplying drones and more recently missiles.

Domestic repression in Iran, arbitrary detention of EU citizens, and uranium enrichment are other factors that have caused the Islamic republic's relations with the EU to become "complicated" and "sensitive," according to Stano.