Russian sanctions bill enters Senate

WASHINGTON— Led by Republicans Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Cory Gardner of Colorado, a group of senators introduced legislation late Wednesday to impose new Russian sanctions. The bill would also cut President Donald Trump’s ability to remove the U.S. from NATO without Senate support.

The legislation, which counts Sen. John McCain, RAriz., and three prominent Democrats as supporters, is one of the biggest efforts by Congress to wrestle back authority on foreign policy. Its authors said senators from both parties were asking to sponsor the measure.

Whether it could actually become law is another question. Republican leaders on Capitol Hill have been averse to intervening in Mr. Trump’s decisions. The House’s recess, a booked legislative agenda for the fall and the impending midterm elections will not help.

Turkey sanctions applied

WASHINGTON— The Trump administration levied sanctions against two top Turkish government officials Wednesday, fulfilling its pledge to punish Turkey for not releasing a detained American pastor and sending relations between the NATO allies to a new low.

The Treasury Department said Turkish Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul and Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu had “played leading roles in the organizations responsible for the arrest and detention of Pastor Andrew Brunson.”

Those organizations, it said, were responsible for “serious human rights abuses,” including Mr. Brunson’s arrest in 2016 and continued detention on terrorism charges.

The measures came after President Donald Trump promised to “impose large sanctions” on Turkey if Mr. Brunson was not freed.

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry registered a “strong protest” against actions it called inexplicable and illegal. The sanctions, it said in a statement, will “seriously damage” efforts to put U.S.-Turkey relations back on track.

Testing economic ties

WASHINGTON— Preparing for a trade war with China, the U.S. appears to be patching things up with friends.

U.S. and Mexican negotiators are meeting in Washington Thursday and Friday to work on a rewrite of the North American Free Trade Agreement. And last week President Donald Trump announced a cease-fire in a dispute with the European Union over trade in cars, trucks and auto parts.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration ratcheted up pressure on China this week by proposing a doubling in tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports. Beijing has vowed to counterpunch with trade sanctions of its own.

Bank of England rate up

LONDON— The Bank of England raised its benchmark interest rate to the highest since 2009, with policy makers saying further hikes will be needed to counter inflation.

While the increase was anticipated, few economists predicted the Monetary Policy Committee would be unanimous with Brexit on the horizon. The vote to lift the rate to 0.75 percent was the second quarter-point increase since November. The pound pared its earlier decline to trade little changed at $1.3119. The action backs Governor Mark Carney’s view in May — when the BOE held off from tightening — that a slump in growth in the first quarter would prove temporary. But increased uncertainty about Britain’s future relationship with the European Union and ongoing global trade tensions could mean that further hikes prove risky.