Jacob Kopnick

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York last week charged Russian oligarch Andrey Kostin, along with Russian national Vadim Wolfson of Austin, Texas, and U.S. citizen Gannon Bond of Edgewater, New Jersey, with conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions on Russia by providing "funds, goods, and services" to Kostin, a sanctioned party, it said in a news release. (U.S. v. Andrey Kostin, S.D.N.Y. # 24-00091).

The World Trade Organization extended the 13th Ministerial Conference by one day to "facilitate outcomes," the WTO announced. The conference, which was set to end Feb. 29, was extended to March 1 following consultations by WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, MC13 Chair Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi and minister facilitators.

The U.K. issued a new general license under its Russia sanctions regime authorizing certain payments by people who "owe monies to a designated person as a result of a Court Order." The license took effect Feb. 29.

Forty-eight World Trade Organization members adopted a "comprehensive plan" at the 13th Ministerial Conference to try to phase out or eliminate harmful fossil fuel subsidies, the WTO announced Feb. 27. The members, including countries in South America, Europe and the Pacific Islands, hope to make progress on the effort this year and next ahead of the next ministerial conference, the WTO said. The effort, called the Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform initiative, aims to boost transparency surrounding fossil fuel subsidies, "tackle crisis support measures," and identify key fossil fuel subsidy types and different ways to "reform, reduce and eliminate them."

Marcus Nussbaum settled an attorney misconduct proceeding before the Federal Maritime Commission earlier this month, agreeing not to practice before the FMC for one year. If Nussbaum tries to practice before the commission before the one-year period or violates the settlement agreement, the FMC said it may "re-institute" the misconduct proceeding.

The EU General Court last week rejected Belarusian nitrogen compound producer Grodno Azot's application for delisting from the EU's sanctions regime on Belarus.

The six co-cordinators of the World Trade Organization's Dialogue on Plastics Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade outlined several "trade-related actions" countries should take to address the environmental, health and economic impacts of plastics pollution, the WTO announced Feb. 27. The co-coordinators -- Australia, Barbados, China, Ecuador, Fiji and Morocco -- released the text as part of the 13th Ministerial Conference.

The Philippines accepted the World Trade Organization's agreement on fisheries subsidies, the WTO announced this week. Seventy members have accepted the deal, which is 40 shy of the two-thirds mark needed for full adoption.

Eight more World Trade Organization members accepted the fisheries subsidies agreement at the start of the 13th Ministerial Conference this week, the WTO said. Sixty-nine members have so far accepted the deal and 40 more are needed for ratification; the WTO said one more member is expected to accept the deal during MC13. The newest countries to adopt the agreement are Brunei, Chad, Malaysia, Norway, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Togo and Turkey. WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said negotiations also are ongoing on a second fisheries deal, adding that passing both agreements would "really put WTO members at the forefront of action on sustainability of our oceans and would safeguard the livelihoods of the 260 million people who depend on these oceans."

The U.S. Supreme Court on Feb. 26 said it won't review whether whistleblower Brutus Trading should've been granted a hearing by a lower court in its case accusing U.K.-based Standard Chartered Bank of violating sanctions against Iran.