Russian firms among targets for sanctions
WASHINGTON — The State Department on Friday listed 39 Russian companies and government organizations tied to the defense and intelligence sectors, and warned that anyone in the United States or elsewhere doing significant business with them could be hit with sanctions starting early next year.
The list was a belated response to legislation, which President Donald Trump reluctantly signed in August, giving him until Oct. 1 to produce a roster of targets for new sanctions.
Designed to punish Moscow for its actions in Ukraine and its interference in the 2016 U.S. election, the bill was seen at the time as a way of forcing Mr. Trump’s hand.
The bill, which had broad bipartisan support, included new sanctions on Iran and North Korea.
The Russia list was published Friday on the State Department website, along with guidance for those who might be affected.
Nicaragua flooding kills 7
MANAGUA, Nicaragua — Flooding sparked by heavy rains has left seven people dead in Nicaragua this week, the government said Friday.
Three people also were reported to be missing, while about 2,000 people were evacuated in the west and center of the Central American country.
More than 430 schools remained closed, while 12,517 families had no electricity, Vice President Rosario Murillo said in comments quoted by the website El 19.
Movement suspended
BAGHDAD— Iraq’s Prime Minister on Friday issued a 24-hour suspension of the movement of troops who are deployed in Iraq’s north to bring territory held by Kurdish forces back under federal control.
The order was given to “prevent clashes and bloodshed between the sons of one nation,” Haider al-Abadi said in a written statement.
The announcement follows conflicting reports from the U.S.-led coalition that a cease-fire had been reached between Kurdish forces and troops deployed by Iraq’s central government.
Britain blames N. Korea
Britain believes “quite strongly” that North Korea was behind the “WannaCry” cyberattack in May that wreaked havoc on the National Health Service’s computer systems and spread to more than 150 countries, a senior official said on Friday.
Ministerof security Ben Wallace told the BBC that severalother countries had concludedthe same thing: NorthKorea unleashed “ransomware”that buffeted institutions including universities in China, rail systems in Germany and the RussianInterior Ministry.
“Thisattack, we believe quitestrongly, came from a foreign state,” he said. “NorthKorea was the state thatwe believe was involvedthis worldwide attack.”
Economy trumps scandal
The economy may end up trumping political scandal in Iceland.
After trailing behind the opposition Left Green Movement for much of a very short election campaign, voters are again coming home to the ruling Independence Party ahead of Saturday’s vote.
An economy expanding more than 5 percent, led by a booming tourism industry, soaring wages and improved financial stability following the end of capital controls have played a role in giving Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson an unexpected lifeline.