IN BRIEF (Page 11)

Russia

Government expands sanctions on Ukraine

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has signed a decree expanding the list of Ukrainian individuals and entities subject to sanctions, the government said on Tuesday. Moscow will add over 200 Ukrainian citizens and legal entities to the list that already has 322 individuals and 68 entities, according to a Russian government statement. "This was done to protect the interests of the Russian state, companies and citizens," Medvedev tweeted following his signing of the decree. On Nov 1, Russia published the initial blacklist, targeting Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's son Olexiy, Ukrainian Parliament Speaker Andriy Parubiy, key ministers and important businessmen.

United Kingdom

Puppy and kitten sales banned by pet shops

The country is forbidding puppies and kittens from being sold by pet shops in a bid to crack down on animal exploitation and abuse. The government said it will roll out the legislation next year after holding public consultations that showed 95 percent support for the ban. "This will mean that anyone looking to buy or adopt a puppy or kitten under six months must either deal directly with the breeder or with an animal re-homing center," officials said on Sunday as part of its Christmas animal welfare push. The measure is commonly called Lucy's Law in honor of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel that was rescued from a puppy farm in Wales in 2013.

Xinhua - Afp

(China Daily 12/27/2018 page11)