World News Roundup: Israel's Netanyahu denies report of weapons for Palestinians; Putin and North Korea's Kim discuss military matters, Ukraine war and satellites and more

EU countries are due to decide in December whether to allow Ukraine to begin accession negotiations - a move that would require unanimous backing of all the 27 countries in the bloc. Taliban say Chinese envoy appointed to Kabul in first ambassadorial appointment since takeover A new Chinese ambassador presented his credentials to the Taliban's prime minister in Kabul on Wednesday, Afghan officials said, adding it was the first appointment of a foreign envoy at the ambassadorial level since the Taliban took power in 2021.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Israel's Netanyahu denies report of weapons for Palestinians

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was forced on Wednesday to deny a report his government had approved a shipment of weapons to Palestinian security forces after hard-right ministers in his coalition expressed outrage. Israel's Army Radio reported that the United States had supplied 1,500 assault rifles to Palestinian security services in the occupied West Bank with Israel approving the deal on condition the weapons be used against the militant Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups.

Putin and North Korea's Kim discuss military matters, Ukraine war and satellites

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for a rare summit on Wednesday at which they discussed military matters, the war in Ukraine and possible Russian help for the secretive Communist state's satellite programme. Putin showed Kim around Russia's most advanced space rocket launch site in Russia's Far East after Kim arrived by train from North Korea. Kim asked numerous detailed questions about rockets as Putin showed him around the Vostochny Cosmodrome.

Serbian police step up migration patrols on border with Hungary

Serbia has sent special forces to the border with Hungary as hundreds of migrants a day try to reach the European Union. With Serbia on the main route for refugees from Asia, Africa and the Middle East, mainly coming through Turkey, the police have long been at the border.

Moroccan quake survivors struggle even as response appears to scale up

Some Moroccan villagers who lost everything in last week's earthquake were fending for themselves in the ruins of their homes on Wednesday, with roads still blocked by landslides and a dearth of essential supplies such as tents. The 6.8 magnitude quake that struck the High Atlas Mountains late on Friday killed at least 2,901 people and injured 5,530, according to the latest official figures, making it Morocco's deadliest since 1960 and most powerful since at least 1900.

Thirty years after Oslo, bleak outlook for Israel Palestinian peace

Across the occupied West Bank, concrete checkpoints, separation walls and soldiers are reminders of the failure to build peace between Israelis and Palestinians since the historic Oslo Accords were signed 30 years ago this week. The accord, intended as a temporary measure to build confidence and create space for a permanent peace agreement, has long since frozen into a system for managing a conflict with no apparent end in sight.

Analysis-Von der Leyen talks up Ukraine's EU prospects but Hungary seen as stumbling block

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen set out a vision on Wednesday of an enlarged European Union that would include Ukraine - but Kyiv still has a way to go to get the green light for membership talks, with Hungary seen as a potential block. EU countries are due to decide in December whether to allow Ukraine to begin accession negotiations - a move that would require unanimous backing of all the 27 countries in the bloc.

Taliban say Chinese envoy appointed to Kabul in first ambassadorial appointment since takeover

A new Chinese ambassador presented his credentials to the Taliban's prime minister in Kabul on Wednesday, Afghan officials said, adding it was the first appointment of a foreign envoy at the ambassadorial level since the Taliban took power in 2021. The Taliban have not been officially recognised by any foreign government. It was not immediately clear if Wednesday's appointment signalled any steps by Beijing towards formal recognition of the Taliban.

Ukraine says it hit Russian naval targets in attack on Crimea

Ukraine said it struck Russian naval targets and port infrastructure early on Wednesday in the Crimean city of Sevastopol, in what appeared to the biggest attack of the war on the home of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. The attack on Crimea, which was seized and annexed by Russia in 2014, was confirmed by Moscow. It highlighted Kyiv's growing missile capabilities as Russia continues to bombard Ukraine from afar with long-range missiles and assault drones.

Libya storm death toll expected to swell as sea washes bodies ashore

Bodies were washing ashore in eastern Libya on Wednesday, swelling the death toll from a storm that swept whole neighbourhoods out to sea, with thousands already confirmed dead and many thousands more still missing. Swathes of the Mediterranean city of Derna were obliterated by the flood torrent, unleashed after rains from a powerful storm burst dams above the city on Sunday night. Whole multi-storey buildings were swept away with sleeping families inside.

Factbox-What lies behind Italy's immigration crisis?

A huge number of migrants have reached Italy by sea from North Africa, causing problems for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing government after it promised tighter controls. Here is an overview of the situation.