Passengers and crew on a Ryanair flight forced to land in Minsk on Sunday were frightened, and were held under armed guard, Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary said on Monday.
Belarus scrambled a fighter jet and flagged what turned out to be a false bomb alert to force a Ryanair plane to land on Sunday, then detained a dissident journalist who was on board, drawing condemnation from Europe and the United States.
"I think it was very frightening for the crew, for the passengers who were held under armed guard, had their bags searched, when it was clear it appears that the intent ... was to remove a journalist and his travelling companion," O'Leary told Irish Newstalk radio.
"We believe there was also some KGB agents offloaded off the aircraft as well."
O’Leary described the diversion as "state-sponsored hijacking".
He said his airline would take guidance from European authorities on flying in Belarusian airspace, but that Ryanair had few flights crossing Belarus, and it would be a "very minor adjustment" to fly over Poland instead.
Rescuers rushed to evacuate people stranded by devastating floods across the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul on Tuesday, with at least 90 dead, thousands left homeless, and desperate survivors seeking food and basic supplies.
Long queues were building at British airports on Tuesday night after the country's Border Force suffered a nationwide technical issue that affected passport control.
Two Palestinians were killed and others were injured early on Wednesday, as a result of Israeli bombing south of the city of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi voted early on Tuesday as India held the third phase of a massive general election, when seats in his home state Gujarat and 10 other regions will be decided.
The Israeli military said on Tuesday it had taken operational control of the Palestinian side of Gaza's southern Rafah Crossing, which borders Egypt and has been pivotal for the delivery of aid and exit of injured people in the Gaza war.
An Indian city court extended on Tuesday the pre-trial detention of opposition leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal until May 20, legal news website Live Law reported, weeks before the capital votes in national elections.
President Vladimir Putin was sworn in for a new six-year term on Tuesday at a Kremlin ceremony that was boycotted by the United States and a number of other Western countries due to Russia's war in Ukraine.
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Welcome to Pinoy Bulletin, your go-to source for staying informed about important announcements, exciting group activities, community events, and job opportunities!
Welcome to Pinoy Bulletin, your go-to source for staying informed about important announcements, exciting group activities, community events, and job opportunities!