PHNOM PENH -- Cambodia on Tuesday hit back at the United States for imposing sanctions on its senior official and businessman, saying that the U.S. is seriously violating the international principles of sovereign equality and non-interference in the domestic affairs of other states.

Cambodia expressed its strong dismay over the arbitrary designation of Cambodian nationals working in both public and private sectors under the Global Magnitsky Act, said a Cambodian foreign ministry's statement.

"It is very disturbing when public figures of a country have become subjects of punitive measures of another country based on groundless accounts and accusations in total disregard of the legal and judicial independence of the country," the statement said.

"This is a serious violation of the international principles of sovereign equality and non-interference in the domestic affairs of other states as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations as well as other international laws," it added.

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KABUL -- The war-weary Afghans have expressed anger at repeated abuses of human rights by militants and foreign troops, calling for bringing the perpetrators and violators to justice.

"The Taliban and Islamic State (IS) militants and the U.S. troops have been involved in human rights abuses within the past 18 years. They had committed scores of violations of ordinary Afghans rights but none of the perpetrators had been brought to justice," Kabul resident Ahmad Fahim told Xinhua on the occasion of the Human Rights Day which falls on Dec. 10.

"The militants bombed the cities by suicide car bombings and terrorist attacks, killing innocent civilians and U.S. forces bombed villages killing women and children," he said.

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WASHINGTON -- U.S. businesses and farmers recently expressed hope that the United States and China would soon reach a phase-one trade deal, urging the two sides to restore bilateral trading relations and remove existing additional tariffs.

American consumers and businesses "do not support the use of tariffs as a trade negotiating tool when diplomats should get to work and resolve issues over the negotiating table," said President of the U.S.-China Business Council Craig Allen, whose organization represents more than 200 U.S. companies that do business with China.

He expressed hope that a potential phase-one trade deal would "remove as many tariffs as possible."

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PARIS -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said here Monday the ruling by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to ban Russia from international sporting events for four years violates the Olympic charter and Russia has every reason to go to court.

"The fact that the (WADA's) decision applies collectively to all Russian athletes proves that it is politicized," said Putin when answering a question at a joint press conference with French, German and Ukrainian leaders following the Normandy Four summit on the eastern Ukraine conflict.

"Punishment cannot be of a collective nature and applies to people who have nothing to do with certain violations," he said. "WADA contradicts the Olympic charter and we have every reason to go to court." Enditem

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