North Korea: UN imposes fresh sanctions over missile tests

The United Nations Security Council has voted unanimously to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea in response to its recent ballistic missile tests.

The US-drafted resolution includes measures to reduce the nation's petrol imports by up to 90%.

China and Russia, North Korea's main trading partners, voted in favour of the resolution.

The country is already subject to a raft of sanctions from the US, the UN and the EU.

Tensions have risen this year over North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes, which it has pursued despite pressure from world powers to stop.

The Trump administration says it is seeking a diplomatic solution to the issue, and drafted this new set of sanctions:

• Deliveries of petrol products will be capped at 500,000 barrels a year, and crude oil at 4 million barrels a year
•  All North Korean nationals working abroad will have to return home within 24 months under the proposals, restricting a vital source of foreign currency
•  There will also be a ban on exports of North Korean goods, such as machinery and electrical equipment

 Source : BBC