IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Venezuela

US sanctions could deepen crisis, UN says

The United Nations' high commissioner for human rights said on Wednesday that recent US sanctions aimed at toppling Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro threaten to deepen the nation's crisis. Commissioner Michelle Bachelet told the UN Human Rights Council that Venezuela's "pervasive and devastating economic and social crisis" started before the US first levied sanctions. But more recent sanctions hitting the state-run oil company PDVSA could "contribute to aggravating the economic crisis, with possible repercussions on people's basic rights and well-being", Bachelet said.

Japan

PM Abe may meet Trump in April

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may meet President Donald Trump in the United States in late April for talks about Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Japan-US trade, two government officials and Japanese media said on Thursday. The meeting was requested by the Japanese side and arrangements were being made for the end of April, the Asahi Shimbun daily said, without giving a specific date. Two government officials familiar with the matter said that planning for Abe's visit was under way. A Foreign Ministry spokesman said an overseas trip by Abe had not been decided.

Ap - Reuters

(China Daily 03/22/2019 page12)