China will sanction four people for promoting democracy in Hong Kong in retaliation for U.S. sanctions against officials responsible for implementing Hong Kong’s so-called national security law (see 2011090044). China’s sanctions target John Knaus, an Asia expert at the National Endowment for Democracy, National Democratic Institute official Manpreet Anand and former NDI employees Kelvin Sit and Crystal Rosario, China’s Foreign Ministry said Nov. 30. All four people will be banned from coming to China, Reuters reported Nov. 30.

The United Kingdom issued a guidance for its Mali sanctions Nov. 30, detailing the prohibitions, record-keeping requirements, enforcement measures and license exceptions. The guidance also clarifies how the sanctions will be imposed once the U.K. has left the European Union Jan. 1, 2021.

The United Kingdom amended 15 entries under its Afghanistan sanctions regime, a Nov. 27 notice said. The changes update identifying information for the entries.

The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation amended two entries under its cyberattacks sanctions regime, according to a Nov. 24 notice. The notice updated identifying information for Gao Qiang and Zhang Shilong, two Chinese nationals involved in cyberattacks on multinational companies in the European Union (see 2007310007).

The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned the Kaniyat militia and its leader, Mohamed al-Kani, for serious human rights abuses, according to a Nov. 25 press release. Al-Kani and the militia are responsible for numerous civilian executions and other human rights violations in Libya, OFAC said.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control published a notice Nov. 30 listing three previously issued Venezuela-related general licenses that contain authorizations related to Petroleos de Venezuela. In addition to the current General License 5E, the notice contains general licenses 5C and 5D, both of which were superseded by GL 5E, which was issued in October (see 2010060036). The authorizations in GL 5E will become effective Jan. 19, 2021.

The U.S. extended by one year the national emergency authorizing sanctions against Nicaragua, the White House said Nov. 24. President Daniel Ortega’s regime continues to undermine democratic institutions and abuse human rights in the country, the notice said. The emergency would have ended Nov. 27.

Russia announced sanctions on 25 United Kingdom officials in retaliation for U.K. sanctions against Russia earlier this year (see 2007060025). “We once again call on the British leadership to abandon an unfounded confrontational line with regard to our country,” Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Nov. 21, according to an unofficial translation. “Any unfriendly steps will not be left without an inevitable proportionate response.”

The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation corrected an entry under its Mali sanctions regime, it said in a Nov. 19 notice. The change corrects and updates identifying information for the entry for Houka Houka Ag Alhousseini.

The U.S. plans to impose new sanctions on Iran in the “coming weeks and months,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, warning of the “dangerous” consequences if the restrictions are lifted. In a Nov. 18 statement, Pompeo touted the U.S. sanctions regime against Iran and called on other countries to not give in to Iranian demands for sanctions relief.