U.S SPY SATELLITES CATCH CHINESE SHIPS ILLEGALLY SELLING OIL TO NORTH KOREA.

According to South Korea’s chosun llbo,

U.S. recon satellites have photographed around 30 illegal transactions involving Chinese vessels selling oil to North Korea on the West Sea in October.

The images allegedly showed large Chinese and North Korean ships transacting in oil in a part of the West Sea closer to China than South Korea. The satellite pictures even showed the names of the ships.

A government source said,

“We need to focus on the fact that the illicit trade started after a UN Security Council resolution in September drastically capped North Korea’s imports of refined petroleum products.”

Meanwhile, on paper, China’s trade with North has recently collapsed after U.S. President Donald Trump unleashed a barrage of sanctions in September targeting North Korea’s imports of refined petroleum products.

Back in November, the US. Treasury Department sanctioned an additional six North Korean shipping and trading companies and 20 of their ships after the satellite pictures surfaced. In the above picture, the North Korean ship named Ryesonggang 1, was easily identified and connected to the illegal sale of oil from China.

According to Chosun Media,

“the department noted that the two ships appeared to be illegally trading in oil from ship to ship to bypass sanctions.”

SHIP-TO-SHIP TRADE WITH NORTH KOREA ON THE HIGH SEAS IS FORBIDDEN IN UNSC RESOLUTION 2375 ADOPTED IN SEPTEMBER, BUT SUCH VIOLATIONS ARE NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DETECT UNLESS CHINA AGGRESSIVELY CRACKS DOWN ON SMUGGLING.

Last month, the Communist Party spokespeople slammed new US sanctions targeting Chinese traders doing business with North Koreans, calling them “wrong”.

At this point, it’s still unknown if the Chinese government is turning a blind eye to the illegal open sea transactions with North Korea, but as of today it seems as a blatant snub to the Trump administration.

Meanwhile, as President Trump and the US celebrate last week’s latest round of new sanctions for North Korea at the UN, the likelihood of illegal smuggling routes between the two countries will surely expand.

The question then is with all diplomatic avenues exhausted and China violating a UNSC resolution, what happens next?

SOURCES:

english.chosun.com

wikileaksnews.com

Comments

CUBA CLAIMS CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER IS FIDEL CASTRO'S SON.

The suicide note left by Fidel Castro’s eldest son has rocked the Cuban nation this week, with the most astonishing revelation being the claim that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was his half-brother and the son of the late Fidel Castro. The handwritten note left by Fidel Castro Diaz-Balart, 68, the eldest of Fidel Castro’s children, appears to confirm the longstanding rumor in Cuba that Fidel Castro fathered Justin Trudeau after a public tryst with Margaret Trudeau in 1970. “ Castro Diaz-Balart, who had been attended by a group of doctors for several months due to a state of profound depression, committed suicide this morning ,” Cubadebate website reported. The death of the high-profile government nuclear scientist, also known as “Fidelito”, or Little Fidel, because of how much he looked like his father, stunned the nation, however it is his “ explosive ” suicide note that has set tongues wagging in Havana. Amid a wide-ranging barrage of compl...

PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA'S SON TO MARRY UGANDAN EX-PRIME MINISTER'S DAUGHTER.

Kampala, UGANDA: Former Uganda Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi is set to become an in-law at the Mahlamba Ndlopfu, the home of the new President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa. John Patrick Amama Mbabazi, SC (simply known as Amama Mbabazi , born 16 January 1949) is a Ugandan politician who served as the ninth Prime Minister of Uganda from 24 May 2011 to 19 September 2014. Image: NP. Mbabazi’s niece, Ms. Bridget Birungi Rwakairu who he raised after her father was killed in the 1980s, will soon be exchanging vows with the South African First Son Mr. Andile Ramaphosa, Mbabazi’s family announced yesterday. The wedding will be preceded by a traditional function known as “Okushaba” which will be held this weekend at Mbabazi’s home on Saturday. 36 year old Bridget Birungi Rwakairu is daughter to Shadrack Rwakairu and Peace Ruhindi. Rwakairu was murdered in 1983 by the UNLA soldiers just five years into his marriage with Mrs Ruhindi. In a statement, Mbab...

A 26-YEARS-OLD WOMAN ADOPTS 14 AFRICAN ORPHANS.

London, ENGLAND: A young British woman has become mum to a staggering 14 Tanzanian children she met after volunteering in an orphanage on her gap year. Letty McMaster, 26, was just 18 years old when a month-long trip volunteering at an orphanage in Africa changed her life forever. She ended up staying for three years to support the children she had met, and when the orphanage shut down, Letty took in nine youngsters who would have been left homeless. Seven years on, she lives with the children after becoming legal guardian to them ALL - as well as five more kids she met on the streets or at a safe house she runs. Letty McMaster. Letty, from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, said: "These children are my whole life, I raise them all on my own and they keep me going through the long hours of juggling everything. "I'd always had in mind that I wanted to help street children so my family and friends weren't surprised but I never expected to end up doing all this. " I am the pa...

JOSE MOURINHO ANNOUNCED NEW TOTTENHAM HOTSPURS COACH.

London, ENGLAND: Former Chelsea and Manchester United boss Mourinho has signed a contract until the end of the 2022-23 season. "The quality in both the squad and the academy excites me," said the 56-year-old Portuguese. "Working with these players is what has attracted me." Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said: "In Jose we have one of the most successful managers in football." Tottenham reached the Champions League final last season under Pochettino but lost to Liverpool in Madrid. The Argentine, who was appointed in May 2014, failed to win a trophy in his time in charge of the north London club with Spurs' last silverware being the League Cup in 2008. Levy added: "He (Mourinho) has a wealth of experience, can inspire teams and is a great tactician. "He has won honours at every club he has coached. We believe he will bring energy and belief to the dressing room." Mourinho still lives in London and won three Premier League...

MALARIA VACCINE PROVES HIGHLY EFFECTIVE IN BURKINA FASO.

A vaccine against malaria has been shown to be highly effective in trials in Africa, holding out the real possibility of slashing the death toll of a disease that kills 400,000 mostly small children every year. The vaccine, developed by scientists at the Jenner Institute of Oxford University, showed up to 77% efficacy in a trial of 450 children in Burkina Faso over 12 months. The hunt for a malaria vaccine has been going on the best part of a century. One, the Mosquirix vaccine developed by GlaxoSmithKline, has been through lengthy clinical trials but is only partially effective, preventing 39% of malaria cases and 29% of severe malaria cases among small children in Africa over four years. It is being piloted by the World Health Organization in parts of Kenya, Ghana and Malawi. The Oxford vaccine is the first to meet the WHO goal of 75% efficacy against the mosquito-borne parasite disease. Larger trials are now beginning, involving 4,800 children in four countries. Prof ...

CAR STOLEN BY KENYAN EX-MINISTER FOUND ABANDONED.

Nairobi, KENYA: A classic Mercedes Benz stolen from a showroom in Nairobi by former minister Paul Ngei has been found in a deplorable state. Photos of the car which were shared on social media showed it mounted on stones and without wheels, its bonnet wide open and its paint cracking up. The Mercedes Benz 300SEL registration number KNM 190 was a premium car in its heyday. Paul Joseph Ngei (18 October 1923 – 15 August 2004) was a Kenyan politician who was imprisoned for his role in the anti-colonial movement, but who went on to hold several government ministerial positions after Kenya became independent. Paul Ngei walked into the famous car showroom in Nairobi (DT Dobie) in the 1970s and drove away with the vehicle never to return or pay for it. At the time of its release, it was the world's fastest four-door car and when Ngei was pushed to pay for the vehicle, he would always refer the agents to State House and ask them to send the bill there. The rogue minister drove the car for m...

BEES 'ARRESTS' SUSPECTED THIEVES IN UGANDA.

Bees 'handcuffed' one of the suspects around the wrist, while another had the TV set reportedly stuck on his hands. Image: Daily Monitor. Kampala, UGANDA: Two burglars who are suspected to have stolen a television set in Sofiia village, Busia Town in eastern Uganda are in police custody after they were attacked by a swarm of bees. Like police would handcuff a suspect, a swarm of bees mobbed the hands of one of the suspects, while another reportedly had the TV set stuck on his hands as they returned the stolen items to where they had been picked from. Ms Rashida Jowelia, the owner of the property, said her TV set was stolen from her house last Friday, but she decided to seek the services of a medicine man in Sofia Village rather than report the matter to police. The suspects were identified as Wycliffe Kinara and Richard Duki, both Kenyan nationals from Nakuru. Bees 'handcuffed' one of them around the wrist, while another had the TV set reportedly stuck on his hands...

MOHAMMED SALAH PRAISED FOR SAVING A HOMELESS MAN FROM YOBS.

London, ENGLAND: A Liverpool city Homeless man, Daniel Craig has hailed Mohamed Salah a hero after the Liverpool forward ticked off a group of yobs harassing him shortly after beating Arsenal. Mohamed Salah has been hailed a 'real-life hero' after stepping in to fend off yobs hassling a homeless man. The Liverpool star spotted the altercation as he pulled into a petrol station. The incident happened on September 28 - the same day the Reds beat Arsenal 3-1 in the Premier League at Anfield. The gas station is near the Liverpool ground and is usually frequented by homeless man Daniel Craig. It was here where a group of yobs started hassling the 50-year-old, taunting him over his living situation. Salah had pulled up in his Bentley and witnessed what was going on. The Egyptian got out of his car and gave the gang a scolding, telling them that they could be in the same situation. It was enough to see the group disperse and at this point, Salah went to a cash machine to withdraw £100...

VERY DIFFICULT CHRISTMAS IN ZIMBABWE.

Harare, ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa said his country will have a difficult Christmas in the wake of deep seated economic challenges. The country is experiencing its worst inflation since 2008, which peaked to a 10 year high of 31% last month. The health sector is in crisis with doctors on strike for close to a month, while there is critical shortage of medicines. Commodities such as fuel, beverages and basic foods are also in short supply with many industries unable to produce due to foreign currency shortages. At the weekend yet another outbreak of cholera claimed three lives. In a Christmas message to Zimbabweans on Sunday, Mnangagwa said: “there will be further bumps along the road”. “I am aware that many will have a difficult Christmas. I encourage all of us to be patient, resilient and to work harder in collective unity, as we create a better, democratic and prosperous Zimbabwe for all. From my family to yours, I wish you a Merry ...

85% OF SOUTH SUDAN POLICE CAN'T READ OR WRITE.

Juba, SOUTH SUDAN: The South Sudan Director General of Police for Administration and Finance says a high rate of illiteracy in the police force is impeding criminal investigations. According to his statistics, over 80 percent of police personnel are not qualified. And South Sudan has the highest illiteracy rate due to years of conflict, lack of infrastructure, and quality education. Part of the country is still using Sudanese curriculum while other parts either used the newly developed South Sudan Curriculum or the Ugandan one. Lieutenant General, Abraham Majok said most the officers cannot read or write in English, while others can only speak and not write in Arabic. “We need people from great 8 upward. But now we get people who don’t know how to write and read. 85 percent of them. So, it is difficult also to train them on how to conduct investigations,” Lt. Gen. Majok lamented. He said this is affecting the performance of police in the country, especially du...

Kioo17 Journal

Search This Blog