UN weighs new North Korea sanctions, vote expected today

United Nations: The United States presented a draft UN Security Council resolution ramping up sanctions on North Korea by cutting oil supplies vital for Pyongyang's military programs, according to the text.

The council is expected to vote on the new sanctions today, diplomats said. The measure would ban the supply of nearly 90 percent of refined oil products to North Korea and order the repatriation of all North Korean nationals working abroad within 12 months, according to reports.

The United States has been in negotiations with China, Pyongyang's ally, on slapping



new sanctions in response to the November 28 test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Since last year, North Korea has carried out a nuclear test - its sixth - and a series of advanced missile launches which are banned under UN resolutions.

The latest draft would build on previous sanctions that restrict crude and refined oil deliveries to North Korea, most of which are supplied by China. US President Donald Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping last month to cut off oil to North Korea, a move that would deal a crippling blow to its desperately struggling economy.