US expands travel ban to include N Korea



Donald Trump issued a presidential proclamation late on Sunday.



Mr Trump’s original ban was highly controversial, as it affected six majority-Muslim countries, and was widely labelled a “Muslim ban”.
It was subject to a range of legal challenges and the subject of several large-scale protests, and is due to be considered by the US Supreme Court in October, having been partly reinstated in July.
Only “certain Venezuelan government officials and their immediate family members” have been banned – its government was recently been hit with economic sanctions by the US, who now say it does not co-operate “in verifying whether its citizens pose national security or public-safety threats” and does not receive deported nationals willingly
Most of the restrictions come in the form of suspension of B-1 and B-2 business and tourist visas.
In a fact sheet accompanying Mr Trump’s proclamation, the White House said that while Iraq also falls short of the required criteria, the country was not included in the the new restrictions “because of the close cooperative relationship between the United States” and their part in fighting so-called Islamic State.
The restrictions come into effect on 18 October, but will not apply to those already in possession of a valid visa, the White House said.