World News Roundup: Thai party apologizes as sexual misconduct cases mount against executive; At least three dead, 16 wounded in shelling of Ukraine's Kharkiv - governor and more

The slump in tourism - which includes travel, accommodation and catering - has persisted into 2022 because of wider COVID-related curbs on inter-province travel, lockdowns and endless mass testing, official data shows. Ukraine receives 76 Ukrainan prisoners of war in swap with Russia Russia handed over 60 soldiers and 16 civilians to Ukraine in an exchange of prisoners of war, the Ukrainian deputy prime minister said on Tuesday.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Thai party apologizes as sexual misconduct cases mount against executive

The leader of one of Thailand's biggest political parties apologized on Tuesday over the conduct of a former executive accused by more than a dozen women of sexual abuse in what some activists have called the country's first "MeToo" moment. Prinn Panitchpakdi, 44, resigned as deputy leader of the Democrat Party last week and was charged on Saturday with sexual abuse and rape after complaints were filed against him by five women separately.

At least three dead, 16 wounded in shelling of Ukraine's Kharkiv - governor

At least three people were killed and 16 wounded on Tuesday in the shelling of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, Oleh Synehubov, the regional governor, said on the Telegram messaging app.

U.S. seeks to seize superyacht in Fiji from suspected Russian owner

The United States seeks to seize a superyacht that is suspected of belonging to a Russian oligarch and is docked in the Pacific island nation of Fiji, according to an application for a restraining order filed on Tuesday by Fiji's public prosecutor. The luxury vessel the Amadea is widely believed to be owned by Russian tycoon Suleiman Kerimov, who has been sanctioned by the United States and European Union. The vessel arrived in Fiji a week ago after leaving Mexico 18 days earlier and crossing the Pacific. Police are investigating.

UK's Johnson to apologize to parliament over lockdown fine

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will apologize to parliament on Tuesday as he faces lawmakers for the first time since he was fined by police for breaking his own COVID-19 lockdown rules, a government official said. Johnson, who will address parliament at around 1430 GMT, was fined last week by the police for attending a birthday party thrown in his honor in June 2020 when people from different households were not allowed to meet indoors.

Poland ready to take in at least 10,000 injured Ukrainian soldiers

Poland's health service has capacity to treat at least 10,000 injured Ukrainian soldiers, the Polish prime minister said on Tuesday, as Russia launches a new offensive in eastern Ukraine. Mateusz Morawiecki told reporters during a visit to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv that Poland was already treating "several dozen" soldiers and was prepared to take in more.

Lynching of Sri Lankan manager by Pakistani mob was anti-Islam -court

A Pakistani mob lynching of a Sri Lankan manager of a garment factory who was accused of blasphemy was an act against the Islamic religion, a court said in a detailed ruling on Tuesday. The anti-terrorism court had on Monday sentenced six men to death, nine to life in prison, one to five years' jail and another 72 to two years each in a mass trial over the crime. Eight of those sentenced were juveniles.

Indonesia launches corruption case over palm oil exports

Indonesian authorities have opened a corruption case linked to the issuance of palm oil export permits, naming four suspects including a trade ministry official and palm oil company executives, the attorney general said on Tuesday. The move comes as the government in Indonesia, which is the world's top palm oil producer, has faced pressure to control soaring cooking oil prices. Authorities between late January and the middle of March restricted exports of palm oil and its derivatives, requiring companies to meet demand at home before they were allowed to export.

As China's travel chill deepens, tourist-starved regions struggle to get by

As China's domestic tourism unravels, desperate provinces are slashing ticket prices, offering tax breaks and even begging locals to help save plummeting tourist earnings in a sector that employs tens of millions of people. The slump in tourism - which includes travel, accommodation and catering - has persisted into 2022 because of wider COVID-related curbs on inter-province travel, lockdowns and endless mass testing, official data shows.

Ukraine receives 76 Ukrainan prisoners of war in swap with Russia

Russia handed over 60 soldiers and 16 civilians to Ukraine in an exchange of prisoners of war, the Ukrainian deputy prime minister said on Tuesday. "This was the fifth exchange of prisoners of war. A total of 76 people," Iryna Vereshchuk said in a statement.

Russia launches 'Battle of Donbas' all-out assault on east Ukraine

Russia launched its long-awaited all-out assault on east Ukraine on Tuesday, unleashing thousands of troops in what Ukraine described as the Battle of the Donbas, a campaign to seize two provinces and salvage a battlefield victory. Ukrainian officials insisted their troops would withstand the new assault, which they said began overnight with massive Russian artillery and rocket barrages and attempts to advance across almost the entire stretch of the eastern front.

(With inputs from agencies.)