Boris Johnson offers ‘wholehearted apology’ over Downing Street ‘partygate’

British MPs to vote on Boris Johnson’s ‘partygate’ scandal on Thursday

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in trouble with MPs over the ‘partygate’ scandal, will face a crucial House of Commons vote on Thursday to determine whether he should be referred for further investigation over his ‘misleading’ statements to Parliament in connection with the episode. Speaking on the issue, opposition leader Keir Starmer of the Labour Party lashed out at the 57-year-old premier for his conduct.

Russia’s war to slow global growth, cause inflation: IMF

The IMF in a report released on Tuesday concluded that Russia’s war in Ukraine will severely set back global economic recovery, slow growth, increase inflation, cause grave risks to the financial system, and potentially permanently fragment the world economy into geopolitical blocs, and as a result revised its global growth projection for 2022 from 4.4% to 3.6%. For 2023, it revised its growth projections from 3.8% to 3.6%.

Sri Lanka protester shot dead by cops, first killing during anti-govt agitation

The Sri Lanka police on Tuesday shot dead one man and wounded 10 others, news agency AFP reported, quoting officials. This is reportedly the first killing of a protester in weeks of anti-government demonstrations over the island’s crisis. Police used live ammunition against a group who were blocking a highway in Rambukkana to protest acute oil shortages and high prices, hospital and police the report added.

Russia will not use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, says foreign minister

Russia will use only conventional weapons in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in response to a question about the possible use of nuclear arms in the war. The comments, in an interview Tuesday to India Today television, are among the most categorical from a senior Russian official on the issue, although Lavrov isn’t directly responsible for military decision-making. In the interview, Lavrov said Russia’s military operation has entered a new phase and will continue.

China signs pact with Solomon Islands. What does it mean? Is India affected? 

China on Tuesday said it had signed a wide-ranging security pact with the Solomon Islands, an agreement Western governments fear could give Beijing a military foothold in the South Pacific. “Foreign ministers of China and Solomon Islands officially signed the framework agreement on security cooperation recently,” Chinese spokesman Wang Wenbin said. Where is Solomon Islands? The Solomons are an archipelago of hundreds of small islands in the southern part of Pacific Ocean.