All flights over Belarus have been suspended in the fallout from the alleged hijacking of a Ryanair flight, which resulted in the arrest of journalist and activist Roman Protasevich by Belarusian authorities.

Leaders of the 27 EU member states also voted on further economic sanctions, which have yet to be announced.

A video has emerged of Mr Protasevich since his detention, stating he is in good health, and confessing to various charges which have been levelled at him by the Belarusian state.

But fellow activists have expressed concerns that this footage was filmed under duress, and his father Dmitri Protasevich has said he is “really afraid” of how his son may be treated in custody.

UN calls for release of Mali President

The UN mission in Mali has called for the immediate release of President Bah Ndaw and PM Moctar Ouane in a tweet published earlier today.

They have reportedly been detained by military forces in the West African nation, alongside Defence Minister Souleymane Doucouré.

These developments have raised fears amongst international observers about a second coup within the space of a year, and many have echoed the UN’s call for an end to their detention.

Mali has suffered from a long period of political upheaval, stemming from a previous military coup in 2012 which allowed Islamic militants to seize territory in the north of the country.

US to help rebuild Gaza following ceasefire

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has pledged to help repair damage done in Gaza by fighting between Israel and Palestinian military groups earlier this month.

The hope is that this will help to consolidate a somewhat uneasy truce, which was brokered by Egypt on Friday.

Mr Blinken promised to ensure that Palestinian militant group Hamas would not benefit from any financial support, and also underlined Israel’s right to defend themselves.

Over 250 people were killed over 11 days of intense fighting in the region, the majority of them in Gaza.

Tributes to George Floyd on anniversary of death

Activists across the globe have organised events today to mark one year since George Floyd was killed unlawfully by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin while in police custody.

President Joe Biden will meet with members of Mr Floyd’s family at the White House to commemorate the occasion.

His former girlfriend Courteney Ross has spoken at a press conference outside the State Capitol building in St Paul, Minnesota:

“As you all can see, this pain is like no other for all of us,” Ross said. “We all share it. All these families, we all feel this every day.”

Many from the Black Lives Matter movement argue that little has changed with regards to race relations and systemic racism in the US and elsewhere since Mr Floyd’s death, despite the unprecedented public outcry.

Mr Chauvin was found guilty of Mr Floyd’s murder in April this year and is due to be sentenced next month.