WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday imposed sanctions on eight Venezuelan individuals involved in the creation of the controversial National Constituent Assembly.
The designations consist of seven current and former officials of the Venezuelan government and one individual who has participated in actions or policies that "undermine democratic processes or institutions" in Venezuela, the Treasury Department said in a statement. (US-Venezuela-Sanction)
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BAGHDAD -- Iraqi paramilitary Hashd Shaabi units on Wednesday killed nine Islamic State (IS) militants near the border with neighboring Syria, the units said.
The paramilitary units destroyed an IS truck and killed three IS militants aboard, while the truck tried to cross the border with Syria in western Iraq, the units said in a brief statement. (Iraq-IS-Paramilitary Units)
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WASHINGTON -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) must stand down its pursuit of nuclear weapons, U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said in a statement on Wednesday.
"The DPRK must choose to stop isolating itself and stand down its pursuit of nuclear weapons," Mattis said, urging Pyongyang to "cease any consideration of actions that will lead to the end of the regime and destruction of its people." (US-DPRK-Nuclear Weapon)
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SANAA -- Smugglers forced 120 Somali and Ethiopian migrants into rough seas off Yemen, leaving 29 dead and 22 missing, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Wednesday.
The IOM said it had found the shallow graves of 29 migrants on a beach in the southern province of Shabwa after they had been buried by survivors. (Yemen-Migration-Drown) Enditem
