North Korea denies arms dealing with Russia
North Korea denied providing arms to Moscow after the United States said the nuclear-armed state supplied rockets and missiles to Russia's private military group Wagner.
Washington earlier this month designated the Wagner group as a "transnational criminal organisation", citing its weapons dealings with Pyongyang in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
The White House showed US intelligence photographs of Russian rail cars entering North Korea, picking up a load of infantry rockets and missiles, and returning to Russia, according to national security spokesman John Kirby.
In a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, a senior North Korean official rejected the accusations, warning that the US would face a "really undesirable result" if it persisted in spreading the "selfmade rumour".
"Trying to tarnish the image of (North Korea) by fabricating a non-existent thing is a grave provocation that can never be allowed and that cannot but trigger its reaction," said Kwon Jong Gun, director general of the Department of US Affairs.
He also called it "a foolish attempt to justify its offer of weapons to Ukraine".
Earlier this week, US President Joe Biden promised 31 Abrams tanks, one of the most powerful and sophisticated weapons in the US army, to help Kyiv fight off Moscow's invasion.
The move drew a rebuke Friday from Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who accused Washington of "further crossing the red line" by sending the tanks into Ukraine.
During a meeting with South Korean foreign minister Park Jin in Seoul on Sunday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg acknowledged concerns about Pyongyang's "reckless missile tests and nuclear programmes" and the ramifications of the Ukraine war in South Korea.
"We also know that North Korea is providing military support to the Russian war efforts with the rockets and missiles," he added. European and US stocks seesawed on Tuesday as investors weighed the chances of a global recession this year and more companies report earnings.
Equities have performed strongly since the start of the year as China's economy reopens from strict lockdowns and markets bet on a policy shift from central banks that have been aggressively hiking interest rates to counter inflation.
"There is a twinge of nervousness setting in that the stock market has gotten ahead of itself and is due for a pullback," said market analyst Patrick O'Hare at Briefing.com.
Wall Street finished mixed after a choppy session, with the S&P 500 down a slight 0.1 percent. The S&P Global Flash US Composite PMI rose from 45.0 points last month to 46.6 in January, remaining in contraction and pointing to subdued activity.
European indices failed to gain much traction from the comparable eurozone index, which rose to 50.2 in January from 49.3 in December. While the overall result bolsters hopes that Europe will avoid a recession this winter, on a national level the data was less rosy.
"Although the latest European PMI numbers beat expectations, the upside surprise was minimal and there were some downside surprises on a country level, with French and UK services, and German manufacturing all disappointing expectations," said.