- Mali singer Traore child custody case postponed
- France mourns Mayotte victims amid uncertainy over government
- UK economy stagnant in third quarter in fresh setback
- African players in Europe: Salah leads Golden Boot race after brace
- German far-right AfD to march in city hit by Christmas market attack
- Ireland centre Henshaw signs IRFU contract extension
- Bangladesh launches $5bn graft probe into Hasina's family
- US probes China chip industry on 'anticompetitive' concerns
- Biden commutes sentences for 37 of 40 federal death row inmates
- Clock ticks down on France government nomination
- Mozambique on edge as judges rule on disputed election
- Mobile cinema brings Tunisians big screen experience
- Honda and Nissan to launch merger talks
- Police arrest suspect who set woman on fire in New York subway
- China vows 'cooperation' over ship linked to severed Baltic Sea cables
- Australian tennis star Purcell provisionally suspended for doping
- Luxury Western goods line Russian stores, three years into sanctions
- Wallace and Gromit return with comic warning about AI dystopia
- Philippine military says will acquire US Typhon missile system
- Afghan bread, the humble centrepiece of every meal
- Honda and Nissan expected to begin merger talks
- 'Draconian' Vietnam internet law heightens free speech fears
- Israeli women mobilise against ultra-Orthodox military exemptions
- Asian markets track Wall St rally as US inflation eases rate worries
- Tens of thousands protest in Serbian capital over fatal train station accident
- Trump vows to 'stop transgender lunacy' as a top priority
- 'Who's next?': Misinformation and online threats after US CEO slaying
- Only 12 trucks delivered food, water in North Gaza Governorate since October: Oxfam
- Beyond Work Unveils Next-Generation Memory-Augmented AI Agent (MATRIX) for Enterprise Document Intelligence
- Langers edge Tiger and son Charlie in PNC Championship playoff
- Explosive batsman Jacobs gets New Zealand call-up for Sri Lanka series
- Holders PSG edge through on penalties in French Cup
- Daniels throw five TDs as Commanders down Eagles
- Atalanta fight back to take top spot in Serie A, Roma hit five
- Mancini admits regrets over leaving Italy for Saudi Arabia
- Run machine Ayub shines as Pakistan sweep South Africa
- Slovak PM Fico on surprise visit to Kremlin
- 'Incredible' Liverpool must stay focused: Slot
- Maresca 'absolutely happy' as title-chasing Chelsea drop points in Everton draw
- Salah happy wherever career ends after inspiring Liverpool rout
- Three and easy as Dortmund move into Bundesliga top six
- Liverpool hit Spurs for six, Man Utd embarrassed by Bournemouth
- Netanyahu vows to act with 'force, determination' against Yemen's Huthis
- Ali hat-trick helps champions Ahly crush Belouizdad
- Salah stars as rampant Liverpool hit Spurs for six
- Syria's new leader says all weapons to come under 'state control'
- 'Sonic 3' zips to top of N.America box office
- Rome's Trevi Fountain reopens to limited crowds
- Mbappe strikes as Real Madrid down Sevilla
- Pope again condemns 'cruelty' of Israeli strikes on Gaza
At UN, Russia, China call out 'unilateral' sanctions
Russia, facing the threat of Western penalties over Ukraine, and China on Monday spoke out against what they called "unilateral" sanctions imposed by countries without the backing of the United Nations Security Council.
"Only Security Council sanctions are legal," said Russia's Deputy Ambassador to the UN Dmitry Polyanskiy. He added that such sanctions are "an important tool for reacting to global challenges."
Without mentioning Ukraine, which the West fears Russia may be planning to invade, Polyanskiy denounced "unilateral" measures that hurt peace efforts and interfere with the sovereignty of nations, such as in Syria, Belarus, Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, Afghanistan, Burma and Mali.
For his part, China's ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun said that "coercive unilateral sanctions were a major source of concern."
Zhang added that countries initiating them get hooked up on them like "a drug" and urged them to stop them immediately.
As for sanctions that do receive the support of the UN Security Council, Zhang said they should not be applied "excessively."
Referring to UN sanctions against Beijing's ally North Korea, Zhang said they have "serious humanitarian consequences."
But Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, insisted that North Korea's dire economic situation was the country's own fault.
"The number one barrier to sending humanitarian assistance into the DPRK is the DPRK self-imposed border closures, not international sanctions," Thomas-Greenfield said.
North Korea is living under a self-imposed coronavirus blockade -- a far more comprehensive measure than any of the international sanctions it is under for its nuclear program.
Russia and China have long sought to get to ease UN sanctions on North Korea, mostly recently blocking attempts to sanction a group of North Koreans after a series of brazen missile launches by DPRK.
UN sanctions are currently in place against 14 regimes around the world, affecting countries such as Libya, Yemen, Sudan and militant groups such as Al-Qaida and the Islamic State.
A.S.Diogo--PC