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Justice Department challenges efforts to sanction Trump administration lawyers in new lawsuit
The Justice Department is challenging efforts to sanction attorneys from the first and second Trump administrations, asserting in a lawsuit that the District of Columbia Bar is unfairly playing politics with the legal disciplinary process.
Is Trump about to launch a war with Cuba?
Washington is ramping up surveillance flights and sanctions on Havana
In Thailand, Buddhism Is Twinned With Political Power
In Thailand, where it’s the state-sanctioned religion, practices have proved to be surprisingly mutable.
GOP centrists defy Trump and force future House vote on major Russian sanctions bill
A small bloc of GOP lawmakers defied their leadership — and President Donald Trump — by forcing the House to soon take up a major bill to deliver US military support to Ukraine while imposing steep sanctions on Russia.
NEW: 8 Doctors Sanctioned by the RI Department of Health
Eight licensed physicians face a sweeping array of discipline actions by the Rhode Island Department of Health.
Iranian politician’s Australian links revealed; how One Nation won in Farrer; the mystery of ‘gaping’ whales
Australia’s handling of Iran sanctions in spotlight; voter shifts to One Nation seen across Farrer; research sheds new light on whale behaviour
Chiefs' campaign leads to Kansas sanctioning girls' flag football
Kansas City Chiefs' campaign leads to Kansas sanctioning girls' flag football | @EdEastonJr
Science diplomacy lessons from a North Korean volcano
Mount Paektu, a mythic, active volcano on the border between North Korea and China, is almost the epitome of a scientific challenge that crosses political lines. In 946 CE, it erupted in one of the five biggest volcanic events of the past 10,000 years, kicking up huge quantities of ash and sending destructive mud flows down river channels for hundreds of kilometres. Should this happen again, the entire region, including easternmost Russia, South Korea and even Japan could be hit. “It’s definitely got the potential to be big,” said James Hammond, a professor of geophysics at Birkbeck, University of London. An eruption on the scale of 946 would have “huge regional impact.” For the past 15 years, Hammond has helped lead a groundbreaking collaboration with North Korean scientists to study the volcano, navigating scientific sanctions, tough export controls on scientific equipment and a long, pandemic-enforced exodus from the country. Although he seems more at home on far-flung research expeditions – before speaking to Science|Business, Hammond was camping out on a Greenland ice sheet – he has also advised the European Commission on its changing science diplomacy strategy. His long experience with North Korea has made Hammond sceptical of blanket bans on science collaboration, no matter the country.This is a live question in Europe, where in the wake of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, institutional ties with Russian universities were almost entirely severed, although some scientists fear this could undermine our understanding of climate change’s impact on the Arctic. Here, Hammond tells the story of the Mount Paektu mission and the policy lessons he takes from it. Ominous rumblingsThe genesis of Hammond’s collaboration came in 2002, when Mount Paektu began to rumble ominously. Earthquake activity picked up and the volcano began to emit unusual gases. North Korean scientists took notice. “People felt we need to know more about this volcano,” said Hammond. In 2011, North Korean vulcanologists put out a request for international expertise to help them learn more. At the time, Hammond and his collaborator, Clive Oppenheimer, were working on a vulcanology project in another sanctioned country, Eritrea, and so decided to answer the call. Within a month, they had flown into Pyongyang. “It was pretty incredible,” recalls Hammond (left). “We were made to feel like honoured guests, and invited to official celebrations.” The scientific opportunity was huge. Paektu is unusually positioned, a thousand kilometres from where tectonic plates rub against each other in the Pacific. “It was an incredibly interesting volcano, but not much research had been done, at least not in the international community,” he said. “There was so much we felt we could do. And we had these partners that were super keen to engage.”The mission received an unusual visitor in the form of volcano-obsessed filmmaker Werner Herzog, who accompanied Hammond and Oppenheimer while directing his 2016 film Into the Inferno about volcanos across the world. Four days into the trip, the German director delivered a long speech about reunification to his North Korean hosts, recalls Hammond. “He got to the heart of the Koreans and how they felt, and how they thought, in a way that I'm not sure I ever will,” he said. UN sanctionsHowever, Hammond realised he’d been “naïve” about how difficult it would be to collaborate with North Korea, which was sanctioned far more heavily than Eritrea. “We didn’t fully appreciate the all-encompassing nature of restrictions,” he said. In 2016, as tensions escalated over Pyongyang’s nuclear tests, a United Nations resolution banned all joint scientific work with North Korea. However, the UN sanctions did allow countries to request carve outs, and the UK successfully requested an exemption for Hammond’s work. Related articlesEU pushes for joint science diplomacy, but care needed to avoid gridlock, experts sayRussia severs its last ties with German scienceAnchor Greenlanders in Arctic climate research, experts tell EU ahead of policy updateExport controls have also delayed Hammond’s work. In one case, it took 18 months to get approval from the UK government to take seismometers, which measure earthquakes, to North Korea. “It was frustrating,” he said. “But they didn’t just say no.” However, one instrument, called an induction coil, used to measure how the earth conducts electricity, was blocked entirely because it can in theory be used to detect submarines. Karaoke bondingSince the collaboration started in 2011, Hammond has visited the country around 15 times, although the pandemic closed off North Korea for more than five years. A trip last November was Hammond’s first since the outbreak. Despite this lengthy interlude, Hammond has deep bonds in the country. The North Korean scientists Hammond works with are somewhat isolated, as they struggle to access the latest research papers and travel to international conferences. That said, they are “excellent geophysicists” and are “very well trained in the field,” he said. Over karaoke and chats about their families, “we’ve made friendships, for sure,” he said. The authorities have to sign-off things like the placement of seismometers, for example, but Hammond said these requests have been approved. “Everything that we've asked for within a scientific context has been delivered.”Scientific backchannels? These kind of personal links between scientists across political lines are one purported benefit of science diplomacy. During the Cold War, some historians argue, scientific contact between the US and Soviet Union laid a groundwork of trust for other cooperation, such as on arms control. Hammond agrees that backchannel contacts to North Korean geophysicists are hardly likely to defuse a military crisis on the Korean peninsula, but the simple fact of the scientific collaboration makes contacts between diplomats that little bit easier. “It creates opportunities to understand each other a little bit better,” he said. “When maybe you have those more difficult discussions as diplomats, it's coming from a slightly better place.” Cutting tiesDrawing lessons from the Mount Paektu mission for today’s links with Russian science isn’t simple. The analogy is far from exact, Hammond said, “because one is essentially a Cold War, versus a pretty hot war in the case of Russia.” But Hammond’s broader argument is that the challenges we face, such as climate change, pandemics, biodiversity loss, pollution and so on, have globalised in an unprecedented way, making blanket shutdowns in collaboration with any country unwise.He’s somewhat critical of the UN scientific sanctions imposed on North Korea in 2016, even though they did allow for exceptions. “I think a blanket halt to some of these things, when we face big global challenges [. . .] that’s quite a risky thing to do,” he said.Institutional endorsement?European academics are still by and large free to work individually with Russian counterparts. However, official, institutional partnerships have largely ended. Shortly following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian university rectors wrote a public letter endorsing the war, meaning European universities fear official collaboration could also be seen as a kind of endorsement. Hammond acknowledges there is a risk of legitimising regimes, and state-controlled universities, through scientific cooperation. “That’s the trade off you have to make,” he said. Strategic projectsWith Russia, instead of giving a green light to restart all Arctic science, a middle ground might be firing up a few carefully selected “strategic” projects, said Hammond. After all, European countries are still collaborating with Russia on the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, an experimental nuclear fusion plant in the south of France. However, even if Europe did try to revive Arctic science with Russia, there’s no guarantee Russian scientists would play ball. A series of high-profile arrests of physicists in Russia accused of sharing their findings with the outside world has made collaboration fraught. Even before the invasion of 2022, “the Russian regime made it increasingly difficult, and this sort of discouraged people,” Dag Rune Olsen, rector of the Arctic University of Norway, told Science|Business last year.
UN resolution proposal would hit Iran with sanctions for halting freedom of navigation
The draft resolution, co-sponsored by the United States and Gulf nations and obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press, also demands that Iran “immediately participate in and enable” United Nations efforts to establish a humanitarian corridor in the strait to enable the delivery of vital aid, fertilizer and other goods.
New Jersey adds flag football as sanctioned sport for high school girls
Flag football approved as sanctioned sport for high school girls in New Jersey
New Jersey sanctions girls flag football as a high school sport
After four years in pilot program status, girls flag football became New Jersey's newest high school sport on Monday.
Apple Plans to Let Users Build Their Own Passes in iOS 27 Wallet App
(Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc. is preparing a new “Create a Pass” feature for its next major iPhone software update, allowing users to build and customize their own digital tickets and gift cards within the Wallet app.Most Read from BloombergChina’s Unprecedented Defiance of US Sanctions Triggers ShowdownFormer NYC Mayor Giuliani in Critical Condition, Trump SaysBeijing Tells China Firms to Ignore US Sanctions on RefinersSupertanker Appears to Have Crossed the Strait of HormuzUS Denies Iran Report Th
U.S. Warns China Over Iranian Oil as Sanctions Fight Intensifies
China told its independent refineries to disregard U.S. sanctions over their purchases of Iranian crude.
Jets Celebrate as Girls Flag Football Becomes a Sanctioned Sport in New Jersey
Chairman Woody Johnson: ‘To See New Jersey Embrace Girls Flag Football Is Truly Rewarding’
China blocks US sanctions against five ‘teapot’ refineries
Ministry of Commerce says sanctions against refineries accused of importing Iranian oil violate international law.
U.S. warns shipping firms over paying Iran to transit the Strait of Hormuz
The United States is warning shipping companies about potential sanctions for paying Iran to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump hits Cuba with new sanctions, singling out ties with Iran
President Donald Trump imposed new sanctions on Cuba as he threatens the communist-run Caribbean nation with military action.
Palestinian football body appeals to sports court over FIFA Israel ruling
The Palestinian Football Association has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against FIFA's decision not to sanction Israel over clubs based in West Bank settlements, a senior PFA official said on Tuesday, as visa issues affecting several delegations added to tensions ahead of the FIFA Congress.
Businesses Working With Iranian Airlines Risk Sanctions, Warns U.S. Treasury Secretary
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that the U.S. will place sanctions on anyone conducting business with sanctioned Iranian airlines as commercial flights resume from Tehran. “Doing business with sanctioned Iranian airlines risks exposure to U.S. sanctions. Foreign governments should take all
Maryland becomes 18th state to sanction girls flag football
Maryland has sanctioned girls flag football as a varsity sport, becoming the 18th state to do so. The season begins August 12.
It's Official: Girls' Flag Football is a sanctioned sports for Maryland high schools
Maryland is adding another championship sports to high schools. The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) officially sanctioned girls'
It's Official: Girls' Flag Football is a sanctioned sports for Maryland high schools
Maryland is adding another championship sports to high schools. The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) officially sanctioned girls'
Trump blasted Obama’s Iran deal. Now he faces similar tradeoffs.
As U.S. envoys pursue peace talks, the president confronts persistent sticking points: sanctions relief, enrichment limits and the risk of empowering Tehran.
Texas Medical Board sanctions three doctors for delayed care that led to the deaths of two pregnant women
The Texas Medical Board has disciplined three doctors ProPublica previously investigated whose patients died after receiving delayed or inappropriate pregnancy care under the state’s strict abortion ban.
Russia spent extra $130 billion for goods while sanctioned: Latvia
The Latvian analysts said intelligence showed Russia's own forecasts warn it may lose another $136 billion just in trade by 2030 due to the sanctions.
House Ethics Committee to consider sanctions for Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick on April 21
The meeting on punishment, up to expulsion, will happen as Florida lawmakers consider a map that already could end her career.
Iran reveals 10-point plan for peace with the US – here's what's in it
The U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire as Iran shares a 10-point plan demanding sanctions relief and the right to enrich uranium.
Viewpoint: FP10 should remain open, excellent and secure
Europe is right to worry about research security. Foreign interference is real. So is the misuse of sensitive knowledge. Universities working in sensitive areas such as AI, quantum, semiconductors and advanced materials cannot afford to ignore the geopolitical environment around them.But Europe is in danger of drawing the wrong conclusion, one that would increase, not reduce, its strategic vulnerabilities.If the EU applies an “EU preference” logic to the next Framework Programme for research and innovation (FP10), it will weaken one of its greatest strategic assets: a research system built on openness, excellence and international collaboration. In the name of security, Europe could end up advancing science more slowly, innovating less effectively and making itself less attractive to global talent and partners in advanced science and technology.That would be a serious mistake.The EU preference included in Article 10 of the proposed European Competitiveness Fund may make sense in some industrial or deployment contexts, but is far harder to justify when applied to collaborative research in advanced science and technology, where excellence and global connectivity are crucial. Research is not procurement. It does not thrive when isolated. It advances through access to the best ideas, the best people, the best facilities and the best data, wherever they are found. This is why FP10 should not simply absorb industrial policy logic by default. Doing so would risk importing instruments that are ill-suited to research and that ultimately increase vulnerability rather than resilience.For universities of science and technology, the issue is especially acute. These institutions sit at the frontier of knowledge and technology creation in the very fields Europe sees as critical for its future competitiveness and resilience. They know better than most that security risks are real. But they also know that openness and security are not opposites. In practice, they have to be made to work together. Research security is not about closing doors. It is about building resilience through collective responsibility, trust, proportionate safeguards and better governance. That is a fundamentally different approach from default restriction.The risks of non-collaborationThe real danger in the current debate is that Europe talks too much about the risks of collaboration and not enough about the risks of non-collaboration. Those risks are strategic too. Cut researchers off from international networks and Europe loses access to knowledge, data, infrastructures and talent. Slow down global collaboration in critical technologies and Europe slows down its own progress on cutting-edge science. Make participation rules unpredictable and Europe weakens its attractiveness to researchers and investors alike.In other words, over-restricting collaboration will create strategic vulnerabilities, particularly in advanced science and technologies.This point is often underestimated in policy discussions that frame openness mainly as a value to be defended. Europe’s scientific strength, technological development and long-term competitiveness depend on remaining connected to the best research ecosystems in the world. For a continent that wants to accelerate deep tech, strengthen industrial capacity and reduce strategic dependencies, weakening the excellence base would be self-defeating. That does not mean ignoring risk. Quite the opposite. Universities are already strengthening due diligence, internal governance, awareness-raising, screening procedures and compliance support. Across Europe, institutions are working to manage risks linked to foreign interference, sanctions, export controls and the misuse of research. The right response is not complacency. It is better risk management. But that means targeted, evidence-based and proportionate measures, not blunt top-down restrictions with wide spillover effects. In the daily reality of universities, openness and restriction often coexist. The real challenge is how to apply safeguards without sliding into securitisation that damages academic freedom, open science and international cooperation. Restrict partners, not nationsMore restrictive treatment of collaborators from European Economic Area members Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, or from Switzerland and the UK, is strategically very difficult to justify. These are deeply embedded partners in Europe’s research and innovation ecosystem. Beyond that, Europe should still resist default exclusion and instead rely on case-by-case assessment. The relevant question is not nationality in the abstract. It is the actual risk profile of a collaboration: the institution, the affiliations, the field, the knowledge involved, the intended use and the safeguards available. Screening should focus on institutions and affiliations rather than nationality alone. Related articlesParliament ‘misreads’ link between Horizon Europe and ECF, Commission official saysFrustration grows at governance gap in next Horizon EuropeIf EU preference logic is imported into research without careful calibration, the likely result is a chilling effect. Researchers may step back from legitimate and beneficial collaboration, even where risks are manageable. International partners may see Europe as less predictable. And Europe may end up undermining the very excellence base it needs to compete, scale up and lead in strategic technologies, thereby increasing its dependence on others.FP10 should do the opposite. It should remain open by default, with restrictions used only exceptionally, and then on the basis of clear evidence. It should integrate research security into open science and research integrity frameworks, not set them against each other. And it should recognise that academic freedom, scientific excellence and responsible international collaboration are not obstacles to Europe’s security, they are part of it. Europe needs stronger tools to protect itself. But it also needs the discipline to avoid measures that would weaken it and increase its strategic vulnerabilities in the process. In FP10, that means staying open, excellent and secure.Louise Drogoul is senior advisor for innovation and sustainability at the Cesaer university association.
High school dance, cheer and lacrosse could become sanctioned sports in Louisiana
Representative Roger Wilder III, R-Denham Springs, introduced a resolution that could bring high school dance, cheer and lacrosse under the Louisiana High School Athletic Association's jurisdiction. The move could bring more oversight and structure to the sports.
High school dance, cheer and lacrosse could become sanctioned sports in Louisiana
Representative Roger Wilder III, R-Denham Springs, introduced a resolution that could bring high school dance, cheer and lacrosse under the Louisiana High School Athletic Association's jurisdiction. The move could bring more oversight and structure to the sports.
Russia's oil is beating global prices, padding the Kremlin's war chest
The shift marks a turnaround for Russia, which had been forced to sell oil at steep discounts following Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine.
Trump Draws Bipartisan Backlash for Easing Oil Sanctions on Russia and Iran
Republicans and Democrats alike have criticized the Trump administration’s moves, taken to stabilize oil markets rocked by the war with Iran, warning that it is benefiting two U.S. adversaries.
Far-left activists stay in 5-star Cuban hotel as island suffers total blackout
CodePink sponsored flights to Cuba to protest President Donald Trump's sanctions, but the group faced backlash for staying in luxury hotels.
Europe’s trade with Iran: Which countries do the most business with Tehran?
EU–Iran trade fell to its lowest level in two decades in 2025 due to sanctions. Trade continues on a limited scale, with Germany accounting for the largest share.View on euronews
Trump’s UN Ambassador on the US easing sanctions on Iranian oil: “It’s very temporary”
Why the Trump administration is easing sanctions on certain Iranian oil stockpiles
Trump administration officials are making a desperate push to secure every available barrel of oil amid a worsening energy crisis — even if it means lifting sanctions on the very country that they’re fighting against.
Hegseth Invokes Divine Purpose to Justify Military Might
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has imbued U.S. military actions with a Christian moral underpinning that suggests they are divinely sanctioned.
Rep. Perry fact-checked on impact of lifting oil sanctions on Iran
Judge upholds Apple delisting of free Musi app that streams songs from YouTube
Judge tosses Musi case against Apple, sanctions lawyers for "mak[ing] up facts."
As Iran war knocks Trump back on his political heels, he lashes out a news coverage while taking flak from top MAGA figures
Meanwhile, Moscow is getting a boost from the war's early days after Trump eased sanctions on some Russian oil shipments.
U.S. Sanctions Pause Adds Political Win to Russia’s Economic Gain From Iran War
Kremlin officials said the American move, which Europe opposes, showed that Moscow could not be dislodged from the center of global energy markets.
Trump Removes Sanctions on Russian Oil, and Chatbots Want Your Health Records
Plus, the Friday news quiz.
Trump Removes Sanctions on Russia to Help Oil Flow Amid Iran Conflict
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said it was “unfortunate” that the move could benefit Russia, but maintained that it was only for the short term.
Treasury’s FinCEN Whistleblower Portal Presents Business Risks
The Treasury Department’s new whistleblower portal is likely to increase enforcement risks for companies that must comply with the Bank Secrecy Act, US sanctions, and beyond.
Exclusive | Trump Ordered Justice Department Reversal on Law Firm Sanctions
‘I never signed off on that,’ the president told aides in the Oval Office, expressing displeasure with Justice Department leadership.
Trump’s Actions in Iran and Venezuela Show Limits of U.S. Sanctions
America’s vast economic powers are able to wear down an adversary’s economy but are insufficient to topple leaders on their own.
Trump 'disappointed' by the selection of Mojtaba Khamenei in Iran
The U.S. sanctioned Mojtaba Khamenei for representing his father to advance his \
Trump said he ended a war in Africa. U.S. sanctions say otherwise.
The administration says Rwandan-backed militants violated a Trump-brokered peace accord within days.
CMS set to suspend enrollment in Elevance Health's Medicare Advantage plans
The Trump administration has threatened to sanction Elevance Health's Medicare Advantage plans if the insurer does not address concerns around compliance with requirements for submitting risk adjus | The Trump administration has threatened to sanction Elevance Health's Medicare Advantage plans if the insurer does not address compliance concerns regarding the submission of risk adjustment data.
Kennedy is funding dangerous science to validate his anti-vaccine agenda
The fact that the U.S. actually sanctioned the study is deeply troubling.
In Ukraine, Senators See War’s Impact and Press for Stronger U.S. Support
Senate Democrats traveled to Kyiv and Odessa to show solidarity with the war-torn nation and make the case that the United States should do more, including imposing harsh sanctions on Russia.
Olympics Officials Signal Sanctions on Russia in Sports May End
In Milan this week, Olympics officials signaled a willingness to ease years of restrictions imposed on the country over its state-backed doping program and invasion of Ukraine.
Top consulting firms test boundaries with China workarounds
Faced with a fraught geopolitical environment, global consultancies are turning to riskier ways to do business in China that some industry and legal experts say test the boundaries of Western sanctions and Beijing's drive to curb foreign involvement in sensitive sectors.
Chiefs Drive Momentum for Girls Flag Football During Week of National Girls & Women in Sports Day
Wichita Sports Commission Panel, Super Bowl Week Participation, and Upcoming Kansas Sanctioning Vote Highlight Pivotal Support for the Sport
Cheifs Drive Momentum for Girls Flag Football During Week of National Girls & Women in Sports Day
Wichita Sports Commission Panel, Super Bowl Week Participation, and Upcoming Kansas Sanctioning Vote Highlight Pivotal Support for the Sport
Gossip: Magpies reject £20m bid for Willock
Fulham have had a £20m offer for Joe Willock rejected by Newcastle United, who will not sanction a move for the 26-year-old English midfielder unless they find a replacement. (Talksport)
Iran delegates import powers as US war threats keep economy unstable
Iranian governors gain new powers as country prepares for possible war amid sanctions and looming geopolitical tensions.
HUD orders citizenship verification after audit reveals ineligible tenants in taxpayer-funded housing
Trump administration orders public housing authorities to verify tenant citizenship within 30 days or face federal sanctions following HUD audit findings.
Iran on the Brink: Trump's Pressure Politics
As mass protests in Iran enter a decisive phase and are met with escalating violence from a regime fighting for survival, the country is approaching a tipping point. With US President Donald Trump publicly floating options ranging from diplomatic pressure and sanctions to the use of military force, we examine the stakes for Iran, the choices facing US policymakers, and the wider regional and global ramifications.
UK announces ‘full and further sanctions’ amid Iran killings and arrests
Sanctions to target finance, energy, transport, software and other significant industries, Yvette Cooper tells MPs
Crossroads students begin push to make pickleball a varsity sport
Their vision has birthed the L.A. High School Pickleball League, the first of its kind in California. It's the beginning of something that could be a sanctioned sport.
Kontigo: Y Combinator's Venezuelan Sanctions Evasion Startup
JPMorgan Served as On-Ramp For Users of Maduro Regime-Linked Crypto Company
What happens when the US decides to seize an oil ship?
Since early December the US Coast Guard and other military branches have boarded and taken control of five oil ships that had previously been sanctioned, all either accused of being in the process of transporting Venezuelan oil or on their way to take on oil that has been subject to US sanctions since President Donald Trump began a pressure campaign against the leadership of the country during his first term.
Trump has 'greenlit' sanctions bill punishing Russia for war in Ukraine, Sen. Graham says
The bill, co-written by Graham and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, allows tariffs and secondary sanctions on countries buying Russia's oil, gas, and other exports.
US seizes another sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean
The US has seized another sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea, US Southern Command said on Friday.
Sen. Graham says Trump 'greenlit' his bipartisan Russia sanctions bill
Several Trump administration officials this week have sent positive signals about ongoing talks to bring an end to the war in Ukraine.
Politics is being 'completely redefined': Harold Ford Jr
'The Five' discusses the U.S. military seizing two sanctioned vessels in the Atlantic as Democrats tear into President Donald Trump for capturing the former Venezuelan president.
US forces caught dark fleet tanker after chasing it across Atlantic
The tanker, originally called Bella 1, evaded a US naval blockade of sanctioned vessels near Venezuela last month.
Rep. Greg Smith admits ethics violation, fails to disclose business client
AROUND OREGON: A state legislator facing multiple ethics investigations in the past year agreed to a state sanction in a second case. State Rep. Greg Smith, R-Heppner, still has two other ethics cases pending at the Oregon Government Ethics Commission.
US capture of Maduro divides Latin America, thrilling Trump's allies and threatening his foes
Through a combination of tariffs, sanctions and military force, he has pressured Latin American leaders to advance his administration's goals of combating drug trafficking, halting immigration, securing strategic natural resources and countering the influence of Russia and China.
U.S. sanctions 4 companies, oil tankers with ties to Venezuela
Amid low flu vaccination rates, rising morbidity, health officials clash over inoculation policies
Only 17% of Israelis have been vaccinated; health fund CEOs are divided over sanctions versus accessibility.
USDA imposes sanctions on Reedley produce business
USDA imposed sanctions against Integral Fresh LLC, which operates out of Reedley, along with four other produce businesses in California,
Two British anti-hate speech campaigners sanctioned by US state department
Imran Ahmed and Clare Melford among five Europeans hit with visa bans over claims they wish to ‘suppress American viewpoints they oppose’
State Department imposes sanctions on former EU official, disinformation group leaders for ‘censorship’
The US State Department on Tuesday imposed visa sanctions on a former top European Union official and employees of organizations that combat disinformation for alleged censorship – sharply ratcheting up the Trump administration’s fight against European regulations that have impacted digital platforms, far-right politicians and Trump allies, including Elon Musk.
Venezuela condemns ‘warmongering threats’ as Trump orders oil blockade
Trump has ordered a ‘total and complete’ blockade of sanctioned oil tankers to and from the country
Russia's wartime economic relationship with China is critical, but an 'embarrassing reversal': think tank
China buys Russian oil and gas at steep discounts while supplying Moscow with machinery and electronics as Western sanctions tighten.
Trump orders ‘total and complete blockade’ of sanctioned oil tankers coming to and leaving Venezuela
President Donald Trump said Tuesday he was ordering a “total and complete blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers coming to and leaving from Venezuela, ratcheting up pressure against leader Nicolás Maduro’s regime and suggesting an economic motive to the US’ military campaign in the region.
Belarus frees prominent political prisoners as U.S. lifts sanctions on country's potash exports
Belarusian authorities on Saturday freed Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, key opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova and other prominent political prisoners, a human rights group confirmed.
Belarus releases political prisoners including Nobel winner
Authorities in Minsk released Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski from jail Saturday along with another 122 political prisoners. The move comes as Belarus seeks to mend ties with Washington and the US lifts some sanctions.
Belarus Pardons 123 Prisoners as US Lifts Potash Sanctions
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko pardoned 123 prisoners in response to the US lifting its sanctions on his country’s potash exports, the state-owned news agency Belta reported, citing Lukashenko’s press service.
A Seized Oil Tanker Off Venezuela and the Big Business of Dark Fleet Smuggling
The U.S. seizure of a vessel off Venezuela is likely to squeeze the country’s government, but do little to counter the tankers that secretively move oil from sanctioned countries.
Russia's wartime consumer boom is cracking as shoppers tighten their wallets
Russia saw a surge in consumer spending after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, even as sweeping sanctions hit the economy.
The New WHO Pandemic Treaty and Global Health Governance: Incorporating Common but Differentiated Responsibilities into PABS - Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
On May 20, 2025, the World Health Assembly unanimously adopted the World Health Organization (WHO) Pandemic Agreement, an international treaty designed to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. The product of three years of arduous negotiations, the treaty marks a new era of global cooperation in public health. However, core aspects of the agreement remain unresolved—notably the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) System, which is intended to ensure equitable access to pandemic-related materials and benefits. To support the successful implementation of the WHO Pandemic Agreement, the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities” should be formally incorporated into the negotiating agenda of the PABS annex. Introduction For the first time, an international treaty has enshrined the principle of “One Health,” the compelling idea that the health of animals, humans, and the environment all contribute to pandemic risks. SARS (2003), H1N1 (2009–10), Ebola (2014–16), and COVID-19 all emerged through zoonotic spillover from animal hosts—respectively, civets, hogs, and bats. Together, they underscore the need for a coordinated, cross-sectoral approach. The Pandemic Agreement responds to this call, requiring state parties to acknowledge the ecological interplay and commit to a comprehensive “One Health” strategy. Specifically, Article 5 charges governments to address “the drivers of pandemics and the emergence and re-emergence of infectious disease at the human-animal-environment interface,” including wild animal markets, deforestation, and antibiotic overuse. Yet the effectiveness of this “One Health” vision depends equally on the free flow of scientific information and data among countries and institutions. Just as environmental and animal health factors have been neglected in past global frameworks, so too has data sharing been marginalized, despite its centrality to timely detection and response. The Pandemic Agreement takes an important step by requiring governments to enhance data collection and cooperate with the World Health Organization (WHO). However, these provisions will remain aspirational without a robust Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) annex. The PABS system will determine whether countries and researchers can rapidly exchange pathogen samples and genetic data while ensuring equitable access to resulting research and development, including diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines. Without such mechanisms, the treaty’s promise to operationalize “One Health” and strengthen global preparedness will risk becoming largely symbolic, echoing earlier failures to translate shared principles into coordinated action. Equity Concerns When the 2025 Health Assembly adopted the Pandemic Agreement, it left the difficult question of access to pathogens and the sharing of resulting benefits to be addressed in a separate agreement. Negotiations on this separate agreement, PABS, are now underway in Geneva. Yet governments remain divided over fundamental questions of equity between the countries that primarily contribute to the system and those that primarily draw from it—and consequently benefit. For example, wildlife in countries bordering the equator is likely to produce PABS materials, but companies in Europe are likely to use them to develop lucrative products. The most likely contributor countries are likely to be those biodiverse countries around the equator, such as Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Indonesia, where the number of human-mammalian viral host interactions is large. Conversely, countries most likely to benefit from this material are those with the technology, investors, and infrastructure to capitalize on genomic data, such as the United States, EU member states, and Japan. This imbalance reflects a broader pattern seen in prior international frameworks. Now, as in the past, the wealthiest countries in the world (a useful heuristic is membership of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)) disproportionately benefit from systems in which pathogens and genomic sequencing data are contributed to a common source. Under the International Agreement on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (the “Plant Treaty” or “Seed Treaty”) and the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework, companies from Europe and North America disproportionately withdraw biological samples and data for development into lucrative medical products. Their governments and companies have both statutory and contractual claims to the products that those companies correspondingly produce. PABS appears poised to follow the same pattern. The text calls for strong language on access to pathogens and associated data, but the corresponding benefits that should flow to poorer countries are couched in equivocal or non-binding language. Common but Differentiated Responsibilities To address these inequities, the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities” should be formally incorporated into the negotiating agenda of the PABS annex. Common but differentiated responsibilities are often a feature of climate change negotiations. The basic principle is that, even though all countries should reduce carbon emissions, governments that became rich and powerful through massive carbon emissions (e.g., France, the United Kingdom, the United States) should have a greater obligation to address the resulting crises. Applied to PABS, it would require that governments hosting and supporting companies developing lucrative products carry greater obligations toward the cost of running the PABS system; share benefits or final medical products; and transfer technology to help countries worldwide develop their own capacities to innovate and manufacture vaccines during an emergency. For example, an annex could mandate that any company based in an OECD country that withdraws PABS material would be obligated to donate the resulting diagnostics, therapeutics, or vaccines to the WHO during a public health emergency or pandemic. Questions remain about how robust those donations would be, but the principle is that they should deliver highly significant lifesaving benefits to be equitably shared. Theoretically, this approach mirrors the PIP Framework, in which companies withdrawing influenza samples are required to pay half of the operating costs. In practice, however, the framework has fallen short. The PIP Framework Secretariat has struggled to secure payments from companies, with companies often disagreeing over how much is owed. Additionally, without another pandemic influenza to test the strength of the agreement during a public health emergency, corporate compliance with sharing mechanisms remains unknown. Even if these limitations did not characterize the PIP Framework, partially paying for operating expenses does not address the inequity in access to genetic data and pathogen samples that left less developed countries last in line for COVID-19 vaccines (and, before them, H1N1). Common but differentiated responsibilities would go further, addressing governments’ legitimate grievances regarding information sharing. It would make withdrawals of PABS material and resulting products more transparent, building trust across the board. Enforcement and Enduring Success A key implication of this approach is that the governing mechanism of the PABS must have real enforcement authority. The WHO Pandemic Agreement delegates its core governance responsibilities to a Conference of the Parties (COP)—a governing body composed of one representative from each participating government, similar to those established under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The proposed WHO Pandemic Agreement COP is charged with oversight functions but ultimately possesses no real authority to compel a government to take any action it does not wish to take. The text does not give the COP the ability to, for example, sanction a party that does not comply with either textual obligations or PABS provisions. In other words, there are no effective mechanisms in place to ensure compliance. Perhaps just as significant, establishing a meaningful enforcement mechanism within the PABS system would strengthen the WHO’s credibility and its ability to ensure compliance across global health governance. By setting a precedent for accountability, such a mechanism could enhance the organization’s authority not only within the Pandemic Agreement but also in enforcing the revised International Health Regulations and other frameworks for public health emergencies. Conclusion The PABS annex can—and should—be different. It should establish clear responsibilities for funding as well as for sharing the diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines that result from contributions to the system. The system, in turn, must include a dedicated body empowered to hold governments and the corporations they sponsor accountable for their responsibilities before, during, and after pandemics. Doing so would restore trust in the broader agreement, which was eroded as commitments were repeatedly diluted while parties scrambled to meet their own self-imposed deadlines during the Pandemic Agreement negotiations. A robust PABS Annex would cement a grand social bargain. Wealthier countries and their corporations would gain unimpeded access to scientific information essential for developing and manufacturing lifesaving medical products. As such, they would stand to gain considerable economic benefit. Yet that privilege must be matched with responsibility. The grand bargain must include not only the right to innovate, but also the duty to ensure that innovation serves all. As medical products are developed and produced through collective contributions, every person must have equal access. All human beings deserve an equitable chance to survive—to save their own life, the lives of their families, and the well-being of their communities. … Sam Halabi, JD, MPhil, is the Bette Jacobs Endowed Professor at Georgetown University’s School of Health and the Director of the Center for Transformational Health Law at Georgetown Law. He serves as the co-lead for the WHO’s Working Group on Regulatory Consideration on AI and Health’s training workstream. He earned his JD from Harvard, his MPhil from Oxford, and undergraduate degrees from Kansas State University. Lawrence Gostin, LLD (Hon.), JD, BA, is University Distinguished Professor and Founding Director and Timothy and Linda O’Neill Professor of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law. He is the author of Global Health Security: A Blueprint for the Future (Harvard University Press, 2021); Global Health Law (Harvard University Press, 2014); Public Health Law: Power, Duty, Restraint (University of California Press, 3rd ed., 2016); Public Health Law and Ethics: A Reader (University of California Press, 3rd ed., 2018); Law and the Health System (Foundation Press, 2014); Principles of Mental Health Law & Practice (Oxford University Press, 2010). He also directs the WHO Collaborating Center at Georgetown University. Image Credit: United States Mission Geneva, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons