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The Department of State has announced that they have added new individuals and entities to the Department of Treasury's Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List. This decision was made due to their involvement in harmful activities linked to the Russian government. As a result, the property and financial assets of these individuals and entities within U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. citizens are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them. Two main companies, GOTIK SHIPPING CO and PLIO ENERGY CARGO SHIPPING OPC PRIVATE LIMITED, along with their vessels, are mentioned in the sanctions for providing support to Russian entities subject to these restrictions.

The Department of State has identified individuals who have been added to the Treasury Department's Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, due to their involvement in harmful activities linked to the Russian government. As a result, the property and interests of these individuals in the U.S. are blocked, and U.S. citizens are generally banned from conducting transactions with them. The full list can be accessed through the Office of Foreign Asset Control's website.

The Department of State has released the names of individuals added to the Department of Treasury's List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN List), due to their involvement in harmful activities related to the Russian government. This action was taken under an Executive Order, and as a result, any property these individuals have in the U.S. is now blocked. Additionally, U.S. citizens are not allowed to conduct any transactions with them. More information about the sanctions can be found on the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) website.

The Department of State has made decisions regarding additional culturally significant objects being brought to the U.S. from abroad for temporary display in an exhibition called "The First Homosexuals." These items will be showcased by the Alphawood Foundation at the Wrightwood 659 Gallery in Chicago and could be displayed at other locations as well. The determination emphasizes that these objects hold cultural importance and that their exhibition is in the national interest of the United States. Information about these determinations is published in the Federal Register, and individuals can contact Reed Liriano at the U.S. Department of State for further details.

The Department of State is seeking public comments on its proposal to continue collecting data from overseas schools grantees through the Overseas Schools Grant Status Report. This information helps ensure proper monitoring and compliance with grant terms. Comments will be accepted until March 22, 2021, and can be submitted via the Regulations.gov website, email, regular mail, or fax. The collected data assists in evaluating overseas educational opportunities for dependents of U.S. government personnel and reducing the burden on respondents using technology.

The Department of State has determined that certain culturally important objects are being brought into the United States from abroad for a temporary exhibition titled “Routes and Roots: The Wyvern Collection at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art” in Brunswick, Maine. These objects are of cultural significance and their exhibition is considered to be in the national interest. Mary C. Miner, the Managing Director for Professional and Cultural Exchanges at the Department of State, authorized this decision, and it will be documented in the Federal Register.

The Department of State has updated the list of countries and regions eligible to trade rough diamonds with the United States under the Clean Diamond Trade Act. This update, effective as of March 6, 2025, includes the addition of Uzbekistan as a new participant in the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme. The list specifies the importing and exporting authorities for each participating country or region, which are responsible for overseeing diamond trade compliance. This change ensures that all trade occurs with countries that comply with the diamond trade standards designed to prevent conflict diamonds from entering the market.

The Department of State has added one or more individuals to the Treasury's Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List because they meet the legal criteria set by an Executive Order targeting harmful activities by the Russian government. As a result, their assets in the U.S. are frozen, and American citizens are generally not allowed to do business with them. For more information, individuals can check the SDN List on the Office of Foreign Asset Control's website.

The Department of State announced an update to its Cuba Restricted List, which includes entities and subentities in Cuba with which financial transactions are discouraged, as they might benefit the Cuban military or government at the expense of the Cuban people. This update, which took effect on January 8, 2021, includes one additional subentity and is part of ongoing measures outlined in a 2017 policy directive to strengthen U.S. policy towards Cuba. More information about the updated list can be found on the State Department's website.

The Department of State issued a final rule to update the civil monetary penalties (CMP) it imposes due to inflation, following guidance from the Office of Management and Budget. This adjustment is based on the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act and requires annual modifications. The new penalties will affect various parts of the department's regulations, such as fraud, chemical weapons, arms exports, and lobbying activities and will apply to offenses assessed from February 2, 2021, onward.