Axios

Six months after a ceasefire ended the most recent civil war, the UN and U.S. have been expressing a rare sentiment: optimism about events in Libya.

The state of play: Libya achieved an unexpected breakthrough in March by forming a national unity government that was recognized by all the major players from opposing sides of the barricades.

The European Council adopted a series of conclusions Monday that "strongly condemned" Belarus' diversion of a commercial plane and subsequent arrest of an opposition leader and outlined a series of next steps.

State of play: Among their conclusions, the Council called for the immediate release of Raman Pratasevich and Sofia Sapega, and for an independent investigation into the episode. It also called for the submission of sanctions proposals and advised EU-based airlines not to fly over Belarus.

A global human rights group has filed a petition in Scotland's highest civil court seeking a judicial review of the government's refusal to investigate former President Trump's all-cash purchases of two golf courses, Reuters reports.

Why it matters: The probe would've sought details on the source of the money used to buy the golf courses in 2006 and 2014. The Scottish Parliament is facing increasing calls to investigate Trump as the New York attorney general's office pursues a criminal investigation into the Trump Organization.

British Black Lives Matter activist Sasha Johnson is in critical condition after she was shot in the head early Sunday morning, according to a political party affiliated with her.

Why it matters: Police say there is no evidence the London shooting is connected to her activism, per the BBC. But the prominent figure, who is known for "actively fighting for black people and the injustices that surround the black community," has received "numerous death threats" related to her work, Britain’s Taking the Initiative party said.

Bulgaria's National Security and Technical Operations agencies eavesdropped on opposition politicians in the run-up to last month's parliamentary elections, caretaker Interior Minister Boyko Rashkov said on Friday.

Why it matters: Rashkov was echoing echoing claims from a leading opposition politician, who said 32 politicians from three parties had been wiretapped. All three parties are opponents of the long-term ruling party, GERB, and former prime minister Boyko Borissov, who dominated Bulgarian politics for the past decade.

More than 500 former Biden campaign and Democratic Party staffers signed an open letter released Monday urging President Biden to do more to protect Palestinians and "hold Israel accountable for its actions."

Why it matters: Progressives have ramped up pressure on Biden in recent weeks to confront Israel on what they've described as human rights abuses in Gaza, where Israel's government carried out a military offensive in response to rocket attacks by Hamas.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to the Middle East to meet with Israeli leaders this week as part of the Biden administration's attempt to solidify the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the White House confirmed Monday.

Why it matters: Biden's strategy to deal with the crisis — which left nearly 250 Palestinians dead over 11 days of fighting — is intense but quiet diplomacy with Israel and Egypt. The current ceasefire held over the weekend.

Iran has reached a deal with the UN's nuclear watchdog to continue inspections of its nuclear sites for another month.

Why it matters: While unstated, the reason for the extension is to allow for more time to negotiate a return to the 2015 nuclear deal.

The forced landing of a Ryanair passenger airplane by Belarusian officials was “a state-sponsored hijacking" meant to target a journalist and dissident on board, Michael O’Leary, the airline's CEO, told Politico.

Why it matters: The diversion of the plane was an attempt by Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko to "remove" journalist Roman Protasevich, a prominent opposition figure living in exile, O'Leary said.

As more colleges and universities announce COVID vaccine requirements for the fall, they are facing additional logistical challenges figuring out what that will look like for international students.

Why it matters: Ensuring international students can get their vaccines is one big piece of safely reopening campuses — which, in turn, could also help reverse some of the dramatic enrollment declines U.S. colleges saw due to COVID-19.

European Union leaders were due to meet Monday to discuss possible sanctions against Belarus after a Ryanair flight from Greece to Lithuania carrying an opposition activist was diverted to Minsk over a supposed bomb threat.

Why it matters: Raman Pratasevich, a journalist and opposition leader wanted by the Belarusian government, was detained at the Minsk airport once the plane landed. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted, "Those responsible for the Ryanair hijacking must be sanctioned."

Health officials in India are scrambling to contain a potentially fatal fungal infection affecting people being treated for or who've recovered from COVID-19, as the official coronavirus death toll surpassed 300,000 on Monday.

Why it matters: Mucormycosis, the "black fungus" infection, is still quite rare, with some 9,000 cases as of Saturday, per NDTV. But Indian health services are overstretched treating COVID-19 patients, with oxygen and other supplies running out in many places amid sluggish vaccine deliveries, AP notes.

Chinese government-backed disinformation flooded Taiwan in 2020, amplifying discord prior to Taiwan's elections and spreading COVID-19-related disinformation aimed at delegitimizing Taiwan's democratic government and improving Beijing's image, a new report finds.

Why it matters: The Chinese government has developed a sophisticated set of disinformation tools that it is deploying inside liberal democracies. Beijing's information operations in Taiwan follow a set pattern also deployed elsewhere, suggesting other governments might emulate Taiwan's largely successful response.

A COVID-19 breath test designed to return accurate results within one minute has received provisional authorization from Singapore health regulators Monday, per a statement from the National University of Singapore (NUS).

Why it matters: An accurate test like this breathalyzer, developed by NUS startup Breathonix, could play a key role in reviving the pandemic-hit travel industry, per Bloomberg.