In the spotlight: migration crisis, tension mounts between the EU and Belarus

Audio 05:06

Migrants from Middle Eastern countries and others gather at the Poland-Belarus border near de Grdono, Belarusian side, on November 8, 2021. © AP / Leonid Shcheglov

By: Véronique Rigolet Follow

4 min

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Images of hundreds of desperate migrants trapped in freezing cold in forests on the Polish border appear on the front page of much of the press, from the

New York Times

to the

Financial Times

, all of whom are now dreading "

 A possible escalation

 ", while the Belarusian forces and the Polish military are massed on both sides of the border. " 

Poland accuses Putin of orchestrating this migratory crisis with his Belarusian ally Lukashenko 

", explains the Swiss daily

Le Temps

, the Russian president seeks to " 

destabilize the European Union 

", while Lukashenko intends to take revenge on him " 

European sanctions taken against his country, 

”comments the

Guardian

.

"

 Cynical and despicable actions

 ", condemns the British daily, which also points to "

 a share of the responsibility of the European bloc which has proved incapable of developing a collective strategy on immigration

 ". " 

In the short term

, he adds,

the EU is right to take new sanctions against Minsk, in particular to pressure the airlines to stop their flights to Belarus 

", but that will not solve the problem, warns the

Guardian

, that " 

wars and insecurity will always drive people to flee their country 

". " 

This is only the beginning 

", also analyzes the

Süddeutsche Zeitung

, for whom Europe cannot " 

stand idly by 

", while " 

10,000 migrants find themselves in Belarus 

", ready to cross the border " 

a humanitarian solution must be found within the EU 

" .

Boris Johnson overwhelmed by Tory corruption scandal

While the debate rages in Parliament, the British press multiplies the revelations on the policies and their lucrative "

 lobbying activities

 ", "

 these consulting activities

 ", practiced in violation of all the rules. In the turmoil "

 the Conservative MP Geoffrey Cox is thus forced to resign

 ", explains the

Guardian

for having "

 used his office in Parliament as a real law firm

 ". He would have been paid "

 to give legal advice to the Virgin Islands, a Caribbean tax haven

 ", underlines

the Times

for its part

.

Also targeted, the former Conservative leader Sir Ian Duncan Smith, adds the

Guardian,

which in addition to his duties as a deputy "

 is paid 25,000 pounds per year as an adviser to a manufacturer of hand sanitizers

 ", reveals the daily. And the British Prime Minister is accused "

of having given the green light to corruption

 ", reports for its part the

Sun

which wonders about the holidays in the sun that Boris Johnson is increasing "

 thanks to his billionaire friends

 ". The

Sun

 also accuses the Prime Minister "

 to dodge questions about his failed attempt to protect another MP, Owen Paterson, after the latter was found guilty of breaking parliamentary rules

 ”.

Covid-19: Singapore will charge patients who refused vaccination

As of December 8, “

 patients with Covid-19 who have chosen not to be vaccinated will have to pay their own medical bills,

 ” headlines the

Straits Times

, the city-state of Singapore daily. Information widely repeated in the world press, "no 

more reimbursement for anti-vaccines 

", notes

La Repubblica

, the correspondent of the New York Times explains that the Singapore health care system is "

 strained

 ", even if " 

more than 80% of its population has been vaccinated 

”. " 

Unvaccinated patients will now have to rely on government subsidies and private insurance 

", To pay their medical expenses, specifies for its part the

Guardian.

NASA postpones mission to the moon for one year

NASA "

 postponed by one year from 2024 to 2025 the return of American astronauts to the Moon

 ", reports the entire American press, and it is "

 partly the fault of the delays linked to the health crisis

 ", which upset the preparations for the mission, reports the

Wall Street Journal

, delays also linked to quarrels between billionaires, specifies the daily, which highlights " 

the lawsuit brought by the space company of Jeff Bezos which challenges the decision of the Nasa to award Elon Musk's SpaceX rival with the contract for the moon landing system 

”. 

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