Washington, United States | AFP |The United States imposed restrictions Wednesday on exports of US technical support to the South Sudanese oil industry, warning that it is fuelling the bloody civil war there. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said exporters will henceforth need a license to export, re-export or transfer …
Read More »White House says Xi agrees to keep sanctions pressure on N. Korea
Washington, United States | AFP | The White House on Friday said that Chinese leader Xi Jinping had agreed to keep up sanctions pressure on North Korea, amid fears a diplomatic gambit could lead to backsliding. After a call between Xi and President Donald Trump, the White House said the …
Read More »US pushes UN to consider arms embargo on South Sudan
United Nations, United States | AFP | The United States on Wednesday circulated a draft UN Security Council resolution that threatens to impose an arms embargo on South Sudan and to take “all appropriate measures” against those blocking peace efforts. The draft text obtained by AFP demands an end to …
Read More »US finds North Korea killed Kim brother with VX agent
Washington, United States | AFP | The United States formally concluded Tuesday that North Korea murdered Kim Jong Un’s half-brother with the banned VX nerve agent, blasting Pyongyang for deploying a chemical weapon in a packed international airport. Kim Jong Nam died in February last year, shortly after two women …
Read More »UN agrees sanctioned N.Korea official to attend Olympics
United Nations, United States | AFP | The UN Security Council on Thursday gave permission for a North Korean official under international sanctions to travel to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics along with Kim Jong Un’s sister, diplomats said. South Korea presented on Wednesday a request to the council’s sanctions committee …
Read More »France freezes assets of DR Congo general over civilian ‘massacres’
Paris, France | AFP | France has frozen the financial assets of a Congolese general placed on the UN’s sanctions list for supporting a massacre of civilians by a suspected militia in 2014 and 2015, according to a notice published Sunday. The government will freeze the “funds and financial resources” in …
Read More »US mulling sanctions on Venezuela oil: Tillerson
Buenos Aires, Argentina | AFP | The United States said Sunday it has not ruled out sanctions on Venezuelan oil as it turns the screw on President Nicolas Maduro, but is wary of hurting the country’s people. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is in Argentina as he tours Latin American to …
Read More »UN to slap sanctions for hate speech in C. Africa
United Nations, United States | AFP | The UN Security Council on Tuesday maintained an arms embargo on the Central African Republic and added incitement to hatred as well as attacks on aid workers as criteria for sanctions. The council unanimously adopted a French-drafted resolution that would pave the way to …
Read More »Putin laughs off Washington’s ‘Kremlin list’
Moscow, Russia | AFP | President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday laughed off a US list of Russians tapped for possible sanctions, joking that he was offended his name was not on it, but nevertheless branded it an “unfriendly act”. The 65-year-old Russian leader — who spoke before the US Treasury said …
Read More »Kremlin says will analyse US ‘Putin list’ without ‘giving into emotions’
Moscow, Russia | AFP | The Kremlin on Tuesday said it would take its time to study a new US Treasury list of Russian officials and business leaders eligible for sanctions, while refraining from giving into “emotions”. “We have to analyse this publication, analyse specifically this list that includes members …
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