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A30 world news
Diamars 19 OctOber 2021

EU mulling ways to end jet lease to Belarus’ airline

Lukashenko’s government tinction between sanctions
over the August 2020 presi- Landsbergis asked for sanc- that would involve no fur-
dential election, which the tions on Lukashenko for ex- ther, or future, aircraft leas-
West views as rigged, and the ploiting vulnerable people, ing to Belavia, in contrast to
security crackdown on the and against Belavia. He also existing contracts that are in
Belarusian opposition and urged the bloc to send a clear place where there are legal
peaceful protesters that fol- message to companies car- obligations.”
lowed. rying people to Belarus who
have the intention to migrate German Foreign Minister
“Even though the situation that they are on the EU’s ra- Heiko Maas said Lukashenko
seems under control, the dar. “is nothing other than the
flows are actually not dimin- boss of a state-run people-
ishing,” Lithuanian foreign Borrell said there “is a long smuggling ring, and we are
affairs minister Gabrielius list of countries” from where no longer prepared to watch
Landsbergis said. “What tools people are transported to as companies, such as air-
do countries like Lithuania, Minsk via other airlines than lines, also make money from
Latvia and Poland need to Belavia. He said the EU will bringing refugees to Germa-
use, or can use, in order to contact them all in a bid to ny or other European coun-
stop the weaponized migra- cut the numbers. tries.”
(AP) — European Union encouraged to cross into Po- tion that is being forced on
foreign ministers looked land, Lithuania and to a lesser the European Union?” Irish Foreign Affairs Minis- German Chancellor Angela
at ways on Monday to stop extent Latvia — all three of ter Simon Coveney, whose Merkel’s spokesperson, Stef-
the illegal migration into which are EU nations that Landsbergis said the EU country is a hub for aircraft fen Seibert, said separately
the 27-nation bloc from border Belarus. needs to find an efficient leasing, said he is open to a in Berlin that Germany has
neighboring Belarus, in- way to stop new flights from new round of sanctions tar- noticed an increase of illegal
cluding stopping compa- EU foreign policy chief Josep North Africa and Middle geting individuals in Belarus. entries along the German-
nies from leasing jets to Borrell said after the meeting East from flying to Minsk. Coveney, however, insisted Polish border since August
Belarusian airline Belavia. that the bloc is ready to adopt that ending existing leasing and that the country’s in-
sanctions against Belavia. “The European Union did contracts could be difficult terior minister will present
The EU has accused the gov- take some steps that proved from a legal standpoint. various options to respond to
ernment of Belarusian Presi- “Using migrants for political to be quite useful: stopping this at Wednesday’s Cabinet
dent Alexander Lukashenko purposes is not acceptable,” the flights from Iraq, and “How we actually increase meeting. A spokesperson for
of facilitating migration into Borrell said. stopping the flights from Jor- the pressure through sanc- Germany’s Interior Ministry,
the bloc in retaliation for dan and Lebanon. But there tions is something that Ire- Alina Vick, said about 4,500
EU sanctions. Thousands of The migration numbers be- are a number new flights that land is very much open to,” illegal entries from Poland
migrants have been lured to gan increasing a year ago after are being opened up to fly to Coveney said. “But I think have been registered since
Belarus on tourist visas and the EU slapped sanctions on Minsk.” we would also make a dis- August.

Top German tabloid editor ousted over misconduct claims

(AP) — The powerful chief editor from publishing their findings. never included allegations of sexual
of Germany’s best-selling news- harassment or abuse against Reichelt, It separately announced legal steps
paper has been removed from In a letter dated Friday, four senior re- but rather centered around “con- against “third parties” for releasing
his post following revelations of porters at the Ippen media group ac- sensual romantic relationships with confidential business information
misconduct, publishing company cused their company and its publish- Bild staffers and evidence of abuse of and private communication with the
Axel Springer SE said Monday. er, Dirk Ippen, of a “breach of trust” power in connection with this.” aim of trying to harm the company
for deciding to halt the report, which and having Reichelt removed.
Julian Reichelt was axed from the had been months in the making and At the time, the company said, a deci-
helm of the Bild tabloid “with im- was due to be published Sunday. sion was made to give Reichelt a sec- Axel Springer has successfully ex-
mediate effect,” the company said ond chance. panded its business in the United
in a statement. The 41-year-old was The Ippen media group said it had States in recent years. It owns online
suspended earlier this year as part nixed the story to “avoid the impres- “In the context of the latest media re- media company Insider and the busi-
of company-ordered probe into his sion we might want to economically port, the company has obtained fur- ness-oriented Morning Brew, and in
management style, but later reinstat- harm a competitor.” It denied that ther indications of ongoing miscon- August it announced a deal to buy the
ed. there had been any pressure from duct by Julian Reichelt,” it said. “That U.S.-based political news company
Axel Springer executives over the is why the board now considers it un- Politico and the tech news site Pro-
Axel Springer said it had gained new matter. avoidable to end (Reichelt’s) role.” tocol.
information about Reichelt’s current
behavior “as a result of press reports” Reichelt, one of the mightiest fig-
that it had followed up on, revealing ures in German media, was briefly
that he had failed to “clearly separate suspended earlier this year amid an
personal and private matters” even af- investigation into allegations that in-
ter being required to do so following cluded bullying and abusing his posi-
the internal investigation. tion of power toward female staff. He
was later reinstated after the company
Reichelt had also lied to the board said his actions didn’t warrant dis-
about this, the company added. missal.

Axel Springer said it would appoint While Ippen held back on its story, the
Johannes Boie, 37, as the new chair of New York Times published a report
Bild’s three-member editorial board. Sunday containing new details from
the internal probe into Reichelt’s al-
The announcement came after it leged affair with a trainee.
emerged over the weekend that jour-
nalists at a rival German media group In its statement, Axel Springer said
had been investigating allegations the internal investigation, which was
against Reichelt but were prevented handled by an independent law firm,