World News Roundup: Analysis-Peru's president plays musical chairs with ministers as turmoil persists; UK government looks 'distinctly shifty' under Johnson, says former PM Major and more

But he has since struggled to form a consistent team, stoking fears of further volatility in a country that has seen chronic political instability in recent years. UK government looks 'distinctly shifty' under Johnson, says former PM Major Former British Prime Minister John Major accused Boris Johnson on Thursday of making government look "distinctly shifty" and ultimately undermining democracy by dreaming up "brazen excuses" to explain away reports of COVID-19 lockdown-breaking events.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Analysis-Peru's president plays musical chairs with ministers as turmoil persists

Halfway into his first year as Peru's unlikely president, Pedro Castillo has overseen dizzying turnover in his Cabinet and mounting doubts over his ability to survive a sense of chaos that former officials and analysts chalk up to inexperience. Castillo, the surprise winner in last year's election, rode to victory on a wave of discontent with established politicians. But he has since struggled to form a consistent team, stoking fears of further volatility in a country that has seen chronic political instability in recent years.

UK government looks 'distinctly shifty' under Johnson, says former PM Major

Former British Prime Minister John Major accused Boris Johnson on Thursday of making the government look "distinctly shifty" and ultimately undermining democracy by dreaming up "brazen excuses" to explain away reports of COVID-19 lockdown-breaking events. Johnson is facing the gravest crisis yet since becoming prime minister in 2019 over a steady drip of reports of boozy events in his Downing Street office and residence when Britain was under strict coronavirus restrictions.

Car bomb targeting Somalia election delegates kills six

A suicide bomber targeting a minibus full of delegates involved in Somalia's parliamentary elections killed at least six people in Mogadishu on Thursday, the ambulance service said, while Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack The blast occurred early on Thursday while the vehicle was passing a busy junction on a road heading to the president's office in the capital of the East African nation.

As U.S.-Canada border closures risk trade, more govt action is likely

The business impact from U.S.-Canada border closures is bringing fresh urgency to Canadian authorities' efforts to quell the two-week-old protests against the government's pandemic measures, even as the national capital Ottawa sees early signs of a return to normalcy. The protests started as a "Freedom Convoy" occupying downtown Ottawa, opposing a vaccinate-or-quarantine mandate for cross-border truckers mirrored by the U.S. government. But they have also aired grievances about a carbon tax and other legislation, and recently spread to border crossings, including the Ambassador Bridge, a key supply route for Detroit's carmakers and agricultural products, drawing the attention of U.S. and Canadian officials.

West warns of 'dangerous moment' as Russia holds drills in Belarus

Britain said on Thursday the West could face the "most dangerous moment" in its standoff with Moscow in the next few days, as Russia held military exercises in Belarus and the Black Sea following its troop buildup near Ukraine. Tensions remained high, with Ukraine also staging war games, but leaders on all sides signalled they hoped diplomacy could still prevail in what British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called Europe's biggest security crisis for decades.

Fate of Belarusian skier banned over political views in hands of ski body, IOC says

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Thursday it was up to the International Ski Federation (FIS) to decide whether to take action in the case of a Belarusian cross-country skier who was barred from competition over what her family said were its political views. Belarusian cross-country skier Darya Dolidovich told Reuters on Tuesday that she and her family had left Belarus because of fears of reprisals by authorities after she was banned from competition, a move her family saw as retribution for their support of the political opposition.

Holocaust memorial says it's unlikely purported 'Auschwitz tattoo kit' was used on Jews

A partial tattoo kit offered at auction in Israel as an Auschwitz artefact is highly unlikely to have been used on Jews at the Nazi concentration camp, a court-ordered investigation has found following outcry from Holocaust survivors. The eight fingernail-sized steel dies, each lined with pins to form numerals, were offered last year by a Jerusalem auctioneer who described them as "the most shocking of Holocaust items" with a projected $30,000 to $40,000 price.

Imagery shows N.Korea preparing for possible military parade - report

Commercial satellite imagery shows possible preparations for a military parade in North Korea, a Washington think-tank said on Thursday, amid expectations that the country could display new military advances or launch more missiles on upcoming holidays. Several hundred personnel were seen in formation at the Mirim Parade Training Ground in Pyongyang, which is designed to be a replica of the city's Kim Il Sung Square, where parades are usually held, 38 North, which monitors North Korea, said in a report.

Sudan export highway blockaded as protests stoked by trade woes

Hundreds of truck drivers are stuck in a blockade of a major export route out of Sudan into Egypt, hampering exports of camels and other livestock as opposition to a military takeover has fuelled festering grievances over trade. The blockade of the route known as the Northern Artery by the protesters, using waves of rocks and other barriers to barricade the road, began last month after Sudan sharply raised electricity prices for farmers.

Libyan parliament spokesman declares Bashagha new PM after rival withdraws

Libya's parliament spokesman on Thursday declared Fathi Bashagha as the new interim prime minister after a rival candidate withdrew, but it was not clear if the chamber had held a vote. The incumbent, Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, has said he does not recognise the parliament's attempt to remove him, that his government remains valid and that he will not step down.

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