71.   The United States has takent he first step toward slapping sanctions on Italian and Turkish pasta, officials said Wednesday.

72.   The United States is alone in slapping economic sanctions on Cuba, and Havana frequently rallies criticism of Washington at the United Nations for the embargo.

73.   The United States on Thursday slapped sanctions on three Chinese entities for violating US regulations restricting the transfer of weapons and related technology to Iran.

74.   The United States has twice slapped sanctions on Chinese firms in recent months on an issue which has taken on extra importance with the new US focus on terrorism.

75.   The US Retail Federation has strongly condemned US plans to slap trade sanctions on China, describing the move as both hypocritical and harmful to low-income American families.

76.   The United States announced Thursday it would slap sanctions on Chinese, Armenian and Moldovan firms for transferred sensitive technology and equipment to Iran.

77.   The United States began a diplomatic drive to slap sanctions on North Korea last week after Pyongyang announced it was pulling out of the IAEA.

78.   The United States last month slapped sanctions on two Chinese firms and one individual accused of sending chemical and biological weapons technology to Iran.

79.   US officials have threatened to slap punitive sanctions on a range of Japanese imports.

80.   Washington has twice come close to slapping sanctions on Beijing for allegedly selling nuclear technology to Pakistan and for failing to crack down on piracy of US products.