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EU envoys will meet on Wednesday to discuss a 15th round of sanctions targeting Russian oil tankers and Chinese firms involved in drone production for Moscow. The new measures aim to further restrict Russia’s access to financial assets and tighten pressure on its oil revenue.
European Union envoys are set to meet on Wednesday to discuss a 15th round of sanctions against Russia in response to its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Among the proposed measures are sanctions targeting tankers transporting Russian oil and Chinese companies involved in the production of drones for Moscow, according to EU diplomats.
The new sanctions would add 29 entities and 54 individuals to the EU’s existing list, which already includes over 2,200 individuals and organisations. Those added to the list would face travel bans and asset freezes within the 27-member bloc, with little expectation of significant opposition, the diplomats noted.
A more substantial sanctions package is expected to be proposed in January, after Poland takes over the EU's rotating presidency from Hungary. Hungary’s Russia-friendly leader has previously delayed or blocked measures aimed at assisting Ukraine.
In September, Reuters revealed that Russia had established a weapons programme in China to develop and produce long-range attack drones. The proposed inclusion of 48 tankers in the sanctions list is part of ongoing efforts by Western allies to curb Russia’s oil revenues by reinforcing the G7 price cap on Russian oil, although Western officials acknowledge that the effectiveness of the cap is expected to wane over time.
The 16th sanctions package, anticipated later, is expected to impose tighter restrictions on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) flows and expand the use of the “No Russia” clause. This would require subsidiaries of EU companies based in third countries to prevent the re-export of certain goods to Russia.
The EU is also looking to target financial institutions that help Russia bypass Western sanctions, in a move similar to actions already taken by the United States earlier this year.
The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran loomed over U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to China, as signs emerged that the conflict is causing a shift in alliances across the Middle East.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has “no trust” in the United States and will only consider negotiations if Washington shows seriousness. His remarks came as talks on Iran’s nuclear programme continued, with Trump and Xi also opposing Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
When Donald Trump boarded Air Force One for Beijing on Tuesday, he brought two cabinet members whose presence in China would have seemed unlikely a year ago, highlighting an unusual moment in U.S.–China relations.
The Eurovision Song Contest opened in Vienna on Tuesday amid heightened political tensions, as Israel competed in the first semi-final despite a boycott by five European broadcasters over the war in Gaza.
The Spanish government has issued a defiant message to Silicon Valley, confirming it will push ahead with stringent new legislation designed to make social networks and Artificial Intelligence (AI) demonstrably safer.
China has launched the world’s first experiment to study how artificial human embryos develop in space, marking a major step in understanding whether humans could one day reproduce beyond Earth.
Every day, an elderly woman in China’s Shandong province looks forward to a video call from her son. He asks about her health, tells her he has been busy with work, and promises he will come home once he has saved enough money. She tells him she misses him. He tells her to take care of herself.
Deep in the ancient forests of southern China, researchers have discovered a small, shy snake with an extraordinary survival trick: when threatened, it creates the illusion that it has two heads.
A U.S. Department of Justice official said Washington was preparing to indict former Cuban president Raúl Castro in connection with the 1996 downing of aircraft operated by "Brothers to the Rescue", a Miami-based exile group that conducted search-and-rescue flights for Cuban migrants.
Australian citizens evacuated from a Dutch-flagged cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak have returned home after two weeks overseas. The passengers will now undergo quarantine and further testing in Western Australia.
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