The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control amended a Venezuela-related general license, OFAC said in an Oct. 24 notice. General License No. 5A, replacing No. 5, authorizes certain transactions with certain bonds related to Petróleos de Venezuela, the country’s state-run oil company. OFAC also issued a Frequently Asked Question (No. 595) explaining that the license contains “a delay in effectiveness until January 22, 2020.”

The U.S. is extending a national emergency to continue sanctions on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the White House said in an Oct. 22 message to Congress. The emergency is being extended due to the continued “widespread violence and atrocities” in the Congo that “pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the” U.S. foreign policy, the White House said. The sanctions, introduced in a 2006 executive order, block property and transactions with certain people and entities in the Congo.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control extended the expiration date of a Belarus-related general license, OFAC said in a notice. General License No. 2G, replacing No. 2F, authorizes certain transactions with nine Belarusian entities until April 26, 2021.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a Venezuela-related general license extending certain permitted transactions with Petroleos de Venezuela, Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, according to an Oct. 21 OFAC notice. General License No. 8D, which replaces No. 8C, authorizes certain transactions by Chevron Corp., Haliburton, Schlumberger Limited, Baker Hughes and Weatherford International until Jan. 22, 2020.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control renewed a general license that authorizes certain transactions with Nynas AB, a joint venture between biofuel producer Neste and Petroleos de Venezuela, Venezuela's state-run oil company. General License No. 13D, which replaces No. 13C, authorizes transactions with Nynas AB and any of its subsidiaries until April 14, 2020. The license was scheduled to expire Oct. 25.

The European Union Council adopted a framework for sanctions against Nicaragua for human rights abuses, “repression of civil society” and the undermining of democracy, the council said in an Oct. 14 press release. The sanctions framework includes travel bans, asset freezes and block payments and loans to designated people or entities.

The European Union Council said Turkey should be sanctioned for its “illegal drilling activities” near Cyprus, calling on the EU’s High Representative and the European Commission to “swiftly present proposals.” The council said the Commission should adopt a “framework regime of restrictive measures” targeting those responsible for the drilling. Cyprus condemned Turkey's drilling in an Oct. 4 statement and backed the EU’s decision to consider sanctions.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned two South Sudan businessmen and six entities for involvement in corruption -- including bribes, kickbacks and procurement fraud -- with senior government officials, Treasury said in an Oct. 11 press release. The two men, Ashraf Seed Ahmed Al-Cardinal and Kur Ajing Ater, were designated under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. The sanctioned companies include five owned by Al-Cardinal and one owned by Ajing.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned four people involved in a South African corruption network, Treasury said in an Oct. 10 press release. The network “leveraged overpayments on government contracts, bribery, and other corrupt acts” to fund political payments to control government actions, Treasury said. The measures include sanctions on Ajay Gupta, Atul Gupta, Rajesh Gupta and Salim Essa.

Sigal Mandelker, the Treasury’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, is resigning to return to the private sector, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Oct. 2. In a statement. Mnuchin called Mandelker a “fierce advocate for effectively leveraging our powerful economic tools to make an impact for a safer world,” according to Reuters. Mnuchin said Mandelker made the decision to resign over the summer.