No gain for nationalists in Scotland
Scotland’s nationalists failed to gain ground in local elections Thursday as U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservatives cemented themselves as the biggest threat to the nationalists’ dominance after campaigning against another independence referendum.
With ballots in all of Scotland’s 32 regions counted, the Scottish National Party lost seven council seats and the Conservatives gained 164. The SNP also lost control of the city of Dundee, one of the few places that backed breaking away from the U.K. in a 2014 plebiscite.
The vote in Scotland was framed as a chance to protest Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s plan for another independence referendum following the decision to leave the European Union. In reality, it was a preview to the June 8 general election.
Ortega dismisses effort
MANAGUA, Nicaragua — President Daniel Ortega on Thursday played down the possible impact of a U.S. legislative effort that would make international lending to Nicaragua dependent on democracy and rights issues, saying it’s more of a political than an economic threat.
The bill before the House and Senate calls for the U.S. to oppose most loans to Nicaragua’s government through organizations such as the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and InterAmerican Development Bank, except for funds for humanitarian purposes or to promote democracy.
That would be the official U.S. position unless the secretary of state certifies that Nicaragua is taking steps to hold fair elections, safeguard political rights, strengthen the rule of law and fight corruption, among other conditions. Similar legislation last year failed to advance in Congress.
Nearly 3,000 rescued
ROME — Almost 3,000 people have been rescued in a large-scale operation in the central Mediterranean after the discovery of more than 20 boats carrying migrants, a spokesman for the Italian coast guard said late Friday.
At least seven deaths had been reported by nongovernmental organizations operating in the area, with the bodies arriving in Italy by boat.
Earlier Friday, SOS Mediterranee, a FrancoGerman-Italian rescue group, wrote on Twitter that one of its boats had intercepted 20 migrant vessels. Such vessels usually carry about 100 passengers each.
A spokeswoman for the group said rescue operations were difficult and the Italian coast guard and Doctors Without Borders, or MSF, were assisting. Another MSF boat docked in Sicily carring six bodies, the first time the charity arrived in a port with no survivors, MSF said.
Estonia airspace issue
HELSINKI — Estonia said Friday that a Russian IL-96 passenger plane, believed to be carrying Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to neighboring Finland, briefly violated Estonian airspace Wednesday evening.
The incident was the first air violation of NATO member Estonia this year compared to seven similar air intrusions in 2016, according to the military.
Estonia’s military later said the plane had its transponders turned on but there was no radio contact and it hadn’t filed a flight plan. It didn’t confirm whether Mr. Lavrov was on the plane.