BRUSSELS -- The European Council on Thursday imposed sanctions against six Russian individuals and one Russian entity allegedly involved in the "assassination attempt" on Russian oppositionist Alexei Navalny.

The six Russians, including Andrei Yarin, chief of the Presidential Domestic Policy Directorate in the Presidential Executive Office, are subject to travel ban and asset freeze. (EU-Russia-Sanctions)

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BRUSSELS -- European Union (EU) leaders on Thursday called on Britain to make necessary moves so that the two sides can reach an agreement on their future partnership supposed to start in 2021.

According to a press release issued following the first part of the EU summit in Brussels, the European Council "notes with concern that progress on the key issues of interest to the Union is still not sufficient for an agreement to be reached" before the transition period ends on Dec. 31. (EU-Britain-Summit)

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TRIPOLI -- The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Thursday welcomed the arrest of a Libyan human and fuel smuggler by Libya's UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA).

"UNSMIL welcomes yesterday's arrest of Abd Al-Rahman Milad, commonly known as 'al-Bija' by GNA law enforcement agencies. Mr Milad has been on the UN Security Council's Sanctions Committee list since June 2018 for his involvement in human trafficking and fuel smuggling," UNSMIL said in a statement. (Libya-UN-Arrest)

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MEXICO CITY -- Mexico's former Defense Minister Salvador Cienfuegos Zepeda has been detained at the Los Angeles International Airport in the U.S. state of California, Mexican Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard said Thursday.

Ebrard wrote in his official Twitter account that he was informed of the detention by U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Christopher Landau, adding Mexico's Consul in Los Angeles will be informing him of the charges "in the next few hours." (Mexico-Ex-Defense Minister)