World News Roundup: Japan bids sombre farewell to slain Shinzo Abe, its longest-serving premier; Ex-finance minister Sunak launches bid to be UK PM as rival backs him and more

An initial 11 candidates put their names forward to become leader of the governing Conservative Party and Britain's next premier after Johnson was forced to say he would step down when support drained from him over a series of scandals. Seething Sri Lanka stops president's brother flying out of the country Sri Lankan immigration officials stopped the president's brother and former finance minister Basil Rajapaksa from flying out of the country on Tuesday, as anger mounted over the island's worst economic crisis in decades.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Japan bids sombre farewell to slain Shinzo Abe, its longest-serving premier

With prayers, flowers and flags draped in black ribbons, Japan on Tuesday said farewell to Shinzo Abe, a polarising figure who dominated politics as the country's longest-serving premier, before being gunned down at a campaign rally last week.

Crowds packed pavements lined with a heavy police presence as the hearse carrying Abe, who died at age 67, departed from a central Tokyo temple on a procession through the city.

Ex-finance minister Sunak launches bid to be UK PM as rival backs him

Ex-finance minister Rishi Sunak, the favorite to become Britain's next prime minister, kicked off his campaign on Tuesday promising "honesty", in an increasingly testy and divisive battle to succeed Boris Johnson. An initial 11 candidates put their names forward to become the leader of the governing Conservative Party and Britain's next premier after Johnson was forced to say he would step down when support drained from him over a series of scandals.

Seething Sri Lanka stops the president's brother from flying out of the country

Sri Lankan immigration officials stopped the president's brother and former finance minister Basil Rajapaksa from flying out of the country on Tuesday, as anger mounted over the island's worst economic crisis in decades. It was not clear where Rajapaksa, who also holds U.S. citizenship, was trying to go. He resigned as finance minister in early April as street protests surged against shortages of fuel, food and other necessities, and quit his seat in parliament in June.

Thailand on verge of using voluntary chemical castration for sex offenders

Thailand is close to introducing chemical castration as a means of tackling sex crime after lawmakers approved a bill that will give some offenders the right to choose the procedure in return for a reduced prison sentence. The bill, which the lower house passed in March, was approved late on Monday by 145 senators, with two abstentions. It still requires another house vote, then royal endorsement.

EU has frozen 13.8 billion euros of Russian assets over Ukraine war, official says

The European Union has so far frozen 13.8 billion euros ($13.83 billion) worth of assets held by Russian oligarchs, other individuals and entities sanctioned for Moscow's war against Ukraine, the bloc's top justice official said on Tuesday. The official said the vast majority of that comes from five of the EU's 27 member states only, calling on others to step up. The bloc currently has 98 entities and nearly 1,160 individuals blacklisted for Russia's role in Ukraine.

Saudi Arabia's powerful prince unbowed by the Western uproar

Saudi Arabia's powerful crown prince Mohammed bin Salman has emerged unbowed from the international outrage over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi four years ago, as Western leaders who once tried to isolate him now seek his support. U.S. President Joe Biden, who has accused the prince of ordering Khashoggi's murder and said Saudi Arabia should be made a pariah, will visit the oil-producing kingdom on Friday hoping for a respite from soaring global petroleum prices.

EU formally accepts Croatia as the 20th eurozone member

European Union finance ministers on Tuesday formally approved Croatia becoming the 20th member of the euro common currency at the start of 2023. The European Council, the grouping of 27 EU governments, adopted three legal acts required to allow Croatia - an EU member since 2013 - to introduce the euro on Jan. 1.

'Award is final' - the Philippines asserts sovereignty on arbitration anniversary

The Philippines reaffirmed on Tuesday that it had the legal high ground over China in a long-running maritime row, marking the anniversary of an arbitration ruling that concluded Beijing's claim to almost the entire South China Sea was groundless. Following a heated standoff with China, the Philippines took the bold step in 2013 of lodging a case with the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague seeking clarification of its sovereign entitlements under international law.

Ukraine prepares for fresh Russian assault, West braces for worsening energy crisis

Ukraine expects a fresh assault by Russian ground forces, following widespread shelling which killed more than 30 people, as Kyiv's Western allies brace for a worsening of the global energy crisis if Russia cuts its supply of oil and gas. Ukraine's general staff said the shelling across the country amounted to preparations for an intensification of hostilities as Russia seeks to seize Donetsk province and control the whole of Ukraine's Donbas industrial heartland.

EU seeks to make airport slot rule more flexible for airlines

The European Commission proposed on Tuesday to make the bloc's "use-it-or-lose-it" airport slot rule more flexible in order to respond to unexpected developments in the future, such as pandemics or war. Airlines normally have to use 80% of their prescribed airport slots to avoid losing them to rivals, but the EU executive suspended the rule during the COVID-19 crisis and set the threshold at 64% for the 2022 summer season.