Subject: Morning Brief: Trump Administration Slaps New Sanctions on Russia
From: "Foreign Policy" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2018 07:19:38 -0500 (CDT)

Trump Administration Slaps New Sanctions on Russia

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MORNING BRIEF

Today's Global News from Foreign Policy

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08/09/2018

08/09/2018

TOP NEWS

Trump Administration Slaps New Sanctions on Russia

Top News: The Trump administration announced Wednesday that it will levy additional sanctions on Russia over a chemical weapons attack on a former Russian intelligence officer. The attack, which used the deadly nerve agent Novichok, took place in Salisbury, U.K., in March.

The sanctions represent a gradual increase in the U.S. sanctions regime on Russia and come amid intensifying questions about President Donald Trump’s willingness to counter increasingly belligerent Russian behavior.

Wednesday’s sanctions will be imposed as part of the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991, which requires the imposition of sanctions on countries found to have used chemical weapons. The sanctions are phased, and while the first set of measures will only gradually increase American restrictions on economic activity, the next phase could impose severe penalties on Moscow.

If Moscow does not provide adequate assurances that it is no longer using chemical weapons and allows inspectors into the country to verify its commitment, Washington may impose even tougher measures.

The Russian ruble plunged on the news, dropping 5.1 percent against the dollar over two days.

Israel: The Israeli military traded fire with Palestinian militants in Gaza overnight, according to the New York Times. The Israeli military says it struck more than 150 targets after Hamas fired rockets across the Gaza border into southern Israel, wounding several Israelisl. Three Palestinians died in the strike.

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Asia

•  The Chinese government’s handling of a growing trade war with the United States has exposed a rift within the ruling Communist Party, Reuters reports.

•  The death toll following a 6.9 magnitude earthquake on the Indonesian island of Lombok rose to 347.

•  Three stateless teenage soccer players trapped for weeks in a cave in Thailand were granted Thai citizenship, as was their coach.

Middle East

•  An attack on a bus in northern Yemen left several children dead or wounded.

•  Iran’s foreign minister claimed that renewed U.S. sanctions on the country will not halt its oil exports.

•  Saudi Arabia escalated its diplomatic row with Canada by banning its citizens from receiving medical treatment there.

Europe

•  The British pound experienced heavy losses on renewed fears that the United Kingdom will exit the European Union without a trade deal in place.

•  Germany and Spain reached an agreement to return migrants to Spain who have already registered as refugees there.

•  Authorities in Belarus detained 18 journalists and raided offices and apartments belonging to members of the media.

Americas

•  The Trump administration drafted a measure that would authorize the president to sanction countries found to have meddled in a U.S. election, the Washington Post reports.

•  The Argentinian Senate voted down a measure that would have legalized abortion during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.

•  Venezuelan authorities blamed two opposition lawmakers for the recent drone attack on President Nicolas Maduro.

Africa

•  Police in Zimbabwe arrested opposition leader Tendai Biti after Zambia turned down his request for asylum.

•  Joseph Kabila, the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said he will not seek a third term in office and will step down.

•  South Sudanese President Salva Kiir granted amnesty to the country’s rebel groups and his former deputy, Riek Machar.

- By Elias Groll

YURI KADOBNOV/AFP/Getty Images

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