The Australian Sanctions Office released eight advisory notes Nov. 6 to "assist the regulated community understand their sanctions risks," the agency said in a press release. Topics include the risks associated with exporting drones to Russia and the cyber risks of North Korean IT workers to Australian businesses.
A bipartisan group of 12 senators led by Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., introduced a resolution Nov. 6 welcoming the Trump administration’s recent decision to sanction two major Russian oil companies to pressure Moscow to seek peace with Ukraine (see 2510220050).
Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del., and Tom Cotton, R-Ark., introduced a resolution Nov. 6 calling for the U.S. government to continue denying China access to advanced chips and chipmaking equipment to maintain the American advantage in AI.
Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., introduced a bill Nov. 6 that would create a program to identify and sanction foreign traffickers and manufacturers of counterfeit drugs and drug ingredients.
The U.K. on Nov. 7 removed two individuals from its ISIL (Da'esh) and al-Qaida sanctions regime. The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation delisted Ahmad Hussain Al-Sharaa, the president of Syria and former leader of the al-Nusra Front, and Anas Hasan Khattab, the Syrian minister of interior.
President Donald Trump said Nov. 7 that he’s considering giving Hungary an exemption from sanctions that his administration recently imposed on two major Russian energy companies.
The Treasury Department won’t issue a license to Gunvor Corp. to operate Lukoil’s international energy business in the event of its sale, the agency said on social media last week. “As long as [Russian President Vladimir] Putin continues the senseless killings, the Kremlin’s puppet, Gunvor, will never get a license to operate and profit,” Treasury said.
Australia last week sanctioned four entities and one individual with ties to North Korea's nuclear weapons program. The designations, added to the country’s consolidated sanctions list Nov. 6, target an alleged computer hacker and four hacking groups associated with North Korean intelligence programs.
The Defense Department will transfer oversight of its defense export functions from its policy head to its acquisition chief as part of a broader bureaucracy streamlining effort, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Nov. 7.
The Australian Sanctions Office this month published a new format for its consolidated sanctions list to include "several significant changes that we believe will enhance its usability and clarity," the agency said in a Nov. 5. email to industry. The changes include standardized formats for dates of birth, nationalities and other information on the sanctions measures applicable to each listing, "such as targeted financial sanctions, travel bans, arms embargoes, or maritime sanctions," the agency said. The list now also includes vessels designated under Australia's maritime sanctions powers.