2 - White House News in Chinese (weebly.com)
How Belarus 'hijacking' has redrawn Europe's air map
May 31- CNN) -- In the week since Ryanair flight FR4978 from Athens to Vilnius was forcibly diverted to Minsk, travel in Europe already looks very different.
Three days after the incident -- in which Belarusian fighter jets escorted the airplane to land in the capital citing security concerns, before arresting opposition activist Roman Protasevich and his Russian companion Sofia Sapega -- European airlines were formally stopped from flying over Belarusian airspace.
The directive, issued Wednesday by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) under the form of a Safety Information Bulletin (SIB), called on all airlines "with their principle place of business in one of the EASA member states" to avoid Belarusian airspace. They advised that all other airlines should do the same, wherever they are based.
The directive came a day after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the bloc was "closing our airspace to planes from Belarus," calling on EU airlines not to fly over the country after the "outrageous behavior" shown on Sunday.
It's not just the EU. Other major carriers including Singapore Airlines have also vowed to bypass Belarusian airspace.
There were other impliations, with Russia -- an ally of Belarus -- taking several days to grant Air France and Austrian Airlines flights to Moscow the clearance to use Russian airspace to divert around Belarus, prompting cancelations.
So how big a deal is this? Huge, say industry insiders -- big enough to have already shaken the aviation map of Europe, and big enough to have knock-on effects beyond the continent -- particularly if the situation escalates further.
If it did, passengers could see their flight times increased, a rise in fares across the networks, and even long-haul, nonstop flights needing to make refueling stops along the way... more
May 31- CNN) -- In the week since Ryanair flight FR4978 from Athens to Vilnius was forcibly diverted to Minsk, travel in Europe already looks very different.
Three days after the incident -- in which Belarusian fighter jets escorted the airplane to land in the capital citing security concerns, before arresting opposition activist Roman Protasevich and his Russian companion Sofia Sapega -- European airlines were formally stopped from flying over Belarusian airspace.
The directive, issued Wednesday by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) under the form of a Safety Information Bulletin (SIB), called on all airlines "with their principle place of business in one of the EASA member states" to avoid Belarusian airspace. They advised that all other airlines should do the same, wherever they are based.
The directive came a day after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the bloc was "closing our airspace to planes from Belarus," calling on EU airlines not to fly over the country after the "outrageous behavior" shown on Sunday.
It's not just the EU. Other major carriers including Singapore Airlines have also vowed to bypass Belarusian airspace.
There were other impliations, with Russia -- an ally of Belarus -- taking several days to grant Air France and Austrian Airlines flights to Moscow the clearance to use Russian airspace to divert around Belarus, prompting cancelations.
So how big a deal is this? Huge, say industry insiders -- big enough to have already shaken the aviation map of Europe, and big enough to have knock-on effects beyond the continent -- particularly if the situation escalates further.
If it did, passengers could see their flight times increased, a rise in fares across the networks, and even long-haul, nonstop flights needing to make refueling stops along the way... more
US sanctions on Belarus include petrochemicals, Treasury says
May 31 - WASHINGTON — Nine state-owned enterprises in Belarus cited on a White House sanctions list include industrial plants and an oil trading platform, a Treasury spokesperson said.
President Joe Biden’s administration said Friday it was working on penalties to target Belarusian government officials over the forced landing of a Ryanair passenger jet and the arrest of a dissident journalist a week ago.
The U.S. also is reinstating sanctions against companies including Belarusian Oil Trade House and the petrochemical conglomerate Belneftekhim and its U.S. unit, the spokesperson said Sunday.
Others based in Belarus include a tire maker, a fertilizer plant and a paint manufacturer, according to a Treasury list. The sanctions will be reimposed as of Thursday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday without naming the companies,
European Union officials have signaled that sanctions against Belarus would hit economic sectors close to President Alexander Lukashenko, including the country’s potash industry. U.S. trade with Belarus amounted to only about $112 million in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. source from
May 31 - WASHINGTON — Nine state-owned enterprises in Belarus cited on a White House sanctions list include industrial plants and an oil trading platform, a Treasury spokesperson said.
President Joe Biden’s administration said Friday it was working on penalties to target Belarusian government officials over the forced landing of a Ryanair passenger jet and the arrest of a dissident journalist a week ago.
The U.S. also is reinstating sanctions against companies including Belarusian Oil Trade House and the petrochemical conglomerate Belneftekhim and its U.S. unit, the spokesperson said Sunday.
Others based in Belarus include a tire maker, a fertilizer plant and a paint manufacturer, according to a Treasury list. The sanctions will be reimposed as of Thursday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday without naming the companies,
European Union officials have signaled that sanctions against Belarus would hit economic sectors close to President Alexander Lukashenko, including the country’s potash industry. U.S. trade with Belarus amounted to only about $112 million in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. source from
Belneftekhim (full name: Belarusian state concern for oil and chemistry; Russian: Белнефтехим, Белорусский государственный концерн по нефти и химии; Belarusian: Белнафтахім — Беларускі дзяржаўны канцэрн па нафце і хіміі) is an association of petrochemical companies in Belarus, subordinated to the Council of Ministers. It manages these companies and regulates several aspects of the petrochemical sector, including setting retail prices for gasoline.
U.S. Sanctions
Belneftekhim has been subject to United States sanctions following waves of political repressions and human rights abuse by the regime of Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus.
In 2007, the U.S. Treasury has imposed sanctions against Belneftekhim and its affiliated companies because of the conglomerate "being controlled by oppressive Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko". On 13 November 2007,[14] the United States issued sanctions on Belneftekhim for violating human rights by Alexander Lukashenko during and after 2006 Belarusian presidential election. The sanctions included asset freeze and a ban on U.S. persons transacting or doing business with Belneftekhim.[15]
In 2011, following the violent crackdown of opposition protests after the falsified 2010 Belarusian presidential election, U.S. citizens were prohibited from doing business with several companies of the Belneftekhim conglomerate: Naftan oil refinery, Grodno Azot fertilizer manufacturer, Grodno Khimvolokno fiber manufacturer and Belshina tire factory.[16]
Belneftekhim was additionally sanctioned for making several deals with Iran. In 2011, Belneftekhim's company Belorusneft was sanctioned by the United States Department of State for doing business with Iran.[17] In 2017, three USA states listed Belneftekhim in their lists of companies doing business with the Iranian Petroleum/Natural Gas, Nuclear and Military Sectors.[18] Belneftekhim is also active in Ecuador, Indonesia, Russia and Venezuela.[19]
The sanctions against Belneftekhim were temporarily suspended in 2015.[20][21]
In April 2021, full-scale sanctions against Belneftekhim were renewed following brutal political repressions against the opposition after another rigged presidential election that took place in August 2020 and was accompanied by mass protests across Belarus. from Wikipedia
U.S. Sanctions
Belneftekhim has been subject to United States sanctions following waves of political repressions and human rights abuse by the regime of Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus.
In 2007, the U.S. Treasury has imposed sanctions against Belneftekhim and its affiliated companies because of the conglomerate "being controlled by oppressive Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko". On 13 November 2007,[14] the United States issued sanctions on Belneftekhim for violating human rights by Alexander Lukashenko during and after 2006 Belarusian presidential election. The sanctions included asset freeze and a ban on U.S. persons transacting or doing business with Belneftekhim.[15]
In 2011, following the violent crackdown of opposition protests after the falsified 2010 Belarusian presidential election, U.S. citizens were prohibited from doing business with several companies of the Belneftekhim conglomerate: Naftan oil refinery, Grodno Azot fertilizer manufacturer, Grodno Khimvolokno fiber manufacturer and Belshina tire factory.[16]
Belneftekhim was additionally sanctioned for making several deals with Iran. In 2011, Belneftekhim's company Belorusneft was sanctioned by the United States Department of State for doing business with Iran.[17] In 2017, three USA states listed Belneftekhim in their lists of companies doing business with the Iranian Petroleum/Natural Gas, Nuclear and Military Sectors.[18] Belneftekhim is also active in Ecuador, Indonesia, Russia and Venezuela.[19]
The sanctions against Belneftekhim were temporarily suspended in 2015.[20][21]
In April 2021, full-scale sanctions against Belneftekhim were renewed following brutal political repressions against the opposition after another rigged presidential election that took place in August 2020 and was accompanied by mass protests across Belarus. from Wikipedia
Putin in Belgrade, January 17, 2019
Biden’s Summit with ‘Killer’ Putin
The Geneva meeting is over before it even begins.
May 31 - Three months after calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a “killer,” President Biden has sought and obtained a meeting with him. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that the meeting, which will take place on June 16 in Geneva, is aimed to “restore predictability and stability” to U.S.–Russian relations.
If that’s the goal, the meeting needn’t be held. If we set aside Biden’s name-calling episode in March, we can’t find any unpredictability or instability in that unfortunate relationship. Biden is enabling Putin to eat his lunch so often that Putin — like Chinese President Xi Jinping — can afford to be picky about what’s on the menu.
should be on the menu would be several topics that Putin would find unappetizing, beginning with the Belarusian hijacking of a Ryanair flight from Greece to Lithuania by a Belarusian fighter forcing it down in Belarus when it flew through Belarusian airspace. Roman Protasevitch, a prominent journalist and opponent of Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, was arrested (along with his girlfriend) when the plane landed.
Lukashenko, sometimes called Europe’s last dictator, is undeserving of that title. Both Putin and Turkey’s Recep Erdoğan can aptly be described the same way. Lukashenko, who sometimes — entirely for home consumption — objects to Putin’s actions, cannot hold, try, or punish Protasevitch without Putin’s consent... more
Biden’s Summit with ‘Killer’ Putin
The Geneva meeting is over before it even begins.
May 31 - Three months after calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a “killer,” President Biden has sought and obtained a meeting with him. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that the meeting, which will take place on June 16 in Geneva, is aimed to “restore predictability and stability” to U.S.–Russian relations.
If that’s the goal, the meeting needn’t be held. If we set aside Biden’s name-calling episode in March, we can’t find any unpredictability or instability in that unfortunate relationship. Biden is enabling Putin to eat his lunch so often that Putin — like Chinese President Xi Jinping — can afford to be picky about what’s on the menu.
should be on the menu would be several topics that Putin would find unappetizing, beginning with the Belarusian hijacking of a Ryanair flight from Greece to Lithuania by a Belarusian fighter forcing it down in Belarus when it flew through Belarusian airspace. Roman Protasevitch, a prominent journalist and opponent of Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, was arrested (along with his girlfriend) when the plane landed.
Lukashenko, sometimes called Europe’s last dictator, is undeserving of that title. Both Putin and Turkey’s Recep Erdoğan can aptly be described the same way. Lukashenko, who sometimes — entirely for home consumption — objects to Putin’s actions, cannot hold, try, or punish Protasevitch without Putin’s consent... more
俄白总统会谈将揭更多真相？美制裁加码对峙升级 20210529 |《今日关注》CCTV中文国际
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May 30, 2021
