EU places new sanctions on entities facilitating migration to Belarus

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Belarus
The EU has agreed to slap new sanctions on airlines, travel agents and others accused of facilitating the transport of migrants from Middle Eastern countries to Belarus, as the border crisis in Poland and Lithuania deepens. Nearly 4,000 migrants are living in makeshift camps on the Poland-Belarus border with Poland stepping up border security and accusing Belarusian authorities of leading groups of migrants to cross the border. With this wider scope of sanctions, the bloc will now target individuals and entities organizing or contributing to what the EU says is an organized plan by President Lukashenko to lure immigrants and destabilize Europe. In 2015, a refugee crisis that saw 1 million people entering European countries created deep divisions within the bloc over the management of migrants.

Myanmar
American journalist Danny Fenster has been released from a Myanmar prison and is on his way back to the US, via Qatar, after spending nearly six months in jail. Fenster, the managing editor of the online magazine Frontier Myanmar, was handed an 11-year sentence by a military court last week on charges of spreading false or inflammatory information, contacting illegal organizations and violating visa regulations. His release has been reportedly brokered by US ambassador and former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, who is in Myanmar. Six other journalists have also been convicted in Myanmar since February this year, when the country’s military ousted the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Austria
In a new measure to control the COVID-19 surge, Austria has imposed a lockdown for those who have not been fully vaccinated against the virus, which consists of nearly 2 million people. With this new regulation that took effect at midnight on Sunday, initially for 10 days, those over 12 years of age who cannot prove they are fully vaccinated or who have recovered from COVID-19 will only be allowed to leave home for essential activities, such as going to the doctor, grocery shopping or going to get vaccinated. Increased police patrols will enforce the rules and hand over fines of $1,600 for noncompliance. Unvaccinated people had already been banned from visiting restaurants, hair salons and cinemas, but will now be expected to stay at home. In Austria, 65% of the population of 8.9 million people have been vaccinated, but the country, like several other European nations, is seeing an uptick in cases.

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Bright Spot

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