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The UK has banned Belarus’ national airline from its airspace, in response to the diversion of a Ryanair flight to enable the arrest of an opponent of the country’s regime.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has also instructed the Civil Aviation Authority to request UK airlines avoid Belarusian airspace in order to keep passengers safe.

Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, told MPs the Belarus government “must be held to account for such reckless and dangerous behaviour”.

On Sunday a Ryanair flight from Athens, Greece, to the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius was ordered to change course to head for the Belarusian capital of Minsk.

The opposition in Belarus and western officials have denounced the incident on Sunday, which led to the arrest of journalist Raman Pratasevich.

Pratasevich is a prominent opponent of Belarus’ authoritarian president Alexander Lukashenko and could face 15 years in jail if convicted of several charges.

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary said it was a “state-sponsored hijacking” and claimed agents from Russia’s KGB were also on board the flight.

Ireland’s foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney has said the forced landing of the Ryanair flight was state-sponsored “aviation piracy”.

Raab also said further sanctions were being considered against the Lukashenko administration and Belarus’ ambassador in London had been summoned for a dressing down.

“We are urgently seeking full details of precisely what took place in relation to Flight FR4978 but the scenario as reported is a shocking assault on civil aviation and an assault on international law,” he said.

“It represents a danger to civilian flights everywhere and it is an egregious and extraordinary departure from the international law and the international practice that guides international civil aviation under the Chicago Convention.”

Mr Raab called for the release of Mr Protasevich from the “spurious charges” he faces.

“Mr Lukashenko’s regime must be held to account for such reckless and dangerous behaviour,” he added.

The UK was working to explore “every potential diplomatic option” and was “actively considering and co-ordinating with our allies on further sanctions on those responsible for this outlandish conduct”.

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Labour will trigger a Commons vote on Monday designed to force the government to back Joe Biden’s plan for a global minimum rate of corporation tax.

Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, said the the global pact proposed by the US president would “bring in extra tax benefitting Britain”.

But the UK has not agreed to the plan, which is likely to be discussed at the G7 summit in Cornwall next month.

Biden initially proposed a minimum global rate of 21%. The US has now put forward a plan for a “floor” of 15%.

And has called for discussions to continue to “push that rate higher”.

Labour has tabled an amendment to the Finance Bill which backs the plan. 

The government has insisted that it wants an international solution to the “tax challenges” posed by the rise of the tech giants and the digital economy.

But it has argued that reform should focus on making multinationals pay more tax in the countries where they make sales and operate.

Reeves said: “The Conservatives have a choice: they can join Labour in tackling large-scale tax avoidance or they can allow billions of pounds to leave Britain.

“This global pact will bring in extra tax benefitting Britain, while stopping huge multinationals and online giants from undercutting our businesses.

“By making sure they pay their fair share in Britain, we can level the playing field for our brilliant businesses, and build an economic recovery with thriving industries, strong public services and good, secure jobs for all.”

Labour pointed out Germany, France, Canada, Italy and Japan have all expressed support for Biden’s proposal. 

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Thousands of volunteers will receive a Covid vaccine booster in a new “world-first” clinical trial, Matt Hancock has announced.

The health secretary said seven vaccines will be tested to see the impact of a third dose on patients’ immune responses.

It will include a total of 2,886 patients and participants are to begin being vaccinated from early June. The initial findings are expected in September.

“The UK vaccination programme has been a phenomenal national effort, with seven in 10 UK adults now having had their first Covid-19 jab,” Hancock said.

“We will do everything we can to future-proof this country from pandemics and other threats to our health security, and the data from this world-first clinical trial will help shape the plans for our booster programme later this year.”

It comes as Boris Johnson said the government had “increasing confidence” that Covid vaccines are effective against “all variants” of the illness. 

But the prime minister admitted the spread of the Indian variant was “one of the issues” that could stop the June 21 unlocking date being met.

Vaccines being trialled include Oxford/AstraZeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, Novavax, Valneva, Janssen and Curevac.

The Cov-Boost study, led by University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and backed by £19.3 million of government funding

Professor Saul Faust, the chief investigator and director of the NIHR Southampton clinical research facility, said it would give Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) data on “how to protect the population against any future wave”.

“It is fantastic that so many people across the country have taken part in vaccine trials up to now so that we can be in a position to study the effects of boosters,” he said.

“We hope that as many people as possible over the age of 30 who received their first dose early in the NHS programme will be able to take part.”

Three of the vaccines will also be tested at a half dose, with experts expecting an adequate immune response at this level.

The half doses will inform whether side-effects are reduced at a lower dose, and could offer useful information to countries where vaccine supply may be more scarce.