World News Roundup: Russian threatens broad Ukraine offensive as U.S. presses China over war stance; Abe's body returns to his Tokyo home as Japan mourns slain ex-PM and more

The country's political establishment called the killing an attack on democracy itself. Sri Lanka PM offers resignation after protesters storm president's house Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is willing to resign to make way for all-party government, his office said in a statement on Saturday, after thousands of protesters stormed the president's official residence in Colombo.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

The DIY gun used to kill Japan's Abe was simple to make, analysts say

The man suspected of killing former Japanese premier Shinzo Abe with a hand-made gun on Friday could have made the weapon in a day or two after obtaining readily available materials such as wood and metal pipes, analysts say. The attack showed gun violence cannot be totally eliminated even in a country where tough gun laws mean it is nearly unheard of for citizens to buy or own firearms.

Russian threatens broad Ukraine offensive as U.S. presses China over war stance

Ukrainian defenders battled on Saturday to contain Russian forces along several fronts, officials said, as the United States pressed China to align itself with the West in opposing the invasion following an ill-tempered G20 meeting. A missile strike on the northeastern city of Kharkiv wounded three civilians, its governor said, though Russia's main attacks appeared focused southeast of there in Luhansk and Donetsk.

IMF executive board approves $638 million for Benin

The International Monetary Fund's (IMF) executive board has approved a $638 million extended fund and extended credit facility for Benin under a 42-month arrangement to help the West African nation address pressing financing needs, the IMF said in a statement late on Friday. The decision will enable an immediate disbursement of $143 million, which Benin authorities intend to use for budget support, the IMF said.

Muslim pilgrims perform haj's symbolic stoning of the devil

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims threw pebbles on giant columns symbolising Satan on Saturday, part of annual haj rituals that mark the first day of Eid al-Adha feast celebrated by Muslims across the world. Helicopters hovered overhead while security officers organised the flow of worshippers in Jamarat, where the stoning ritual takes place, as Saudi authorities closely watched the crowds to ensure an incident-free haj, which has been marred in the past by deadly stampedes.

Abe's body returns to his Tokyo home as Japan mourns slain ex-PM

A motorcade carrying the body of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived at his home in the Japanese capital on Saturday, as police in the western city of Nara where he was assassinated said there had been security flaws. Mourners gathered at his residence and at the scene of Friday's attack in Nara, where Japan's longest-serving modern leader was gunned down in a rare act of political violence while making a campaign speech. The country's political establishment called the killing an attack on democracy itself.

Sri Lanka PM offers resignation after protesters storm president's house

Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is willing to resign to make way for all-party government, his office said in a statement on Saturday, after thousands of protesters stormed the president's official residence in Colombo. Soldiers and police were unable to hold back the crowd of chanting protesters demanding President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's resignation, as public anger grows over the country's worst economic crisis in seven decades.

UK's Conservative Party looking to speed up leadership contest -committee member

The Conservative Party committee overseeing the contest to select British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's replacement will look to whittle it down to two names by July 20, one of its members said on Saturday. The so-called 1922 Committee will set out the exact rules and timetable for the contest next week after Johnson was forced to quit by his own party. Many lawmakers are pushing for a fast-tracked process.

Abe killer wielded homemade gun, grudge over mother's bankruptcy, police say

The man who killed Shinzo Abe believed the former Japanese leader was linked to a religious group he blamed for his mother's financial ruin and spent months planning the attack with a homemade gun, police told local media on Saturday. Tetsuya Yamagami, an unemployed 41-year-old, identified as the suspect on suspicion of murder on Friday after a man was seen in videos repeatedly shown on Japanese television calmly approaching Japan's longest-serving prime minister from behind and firing.

UK defence minister Wallace rules himself out of leadership race

British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, one of the favourites to succeed Prime Minister Boris Johnson, said on Saturday he had decided not to run in the leadership contest. Wallace, 52, has risen in recent months to overtake Foreign Secretary Liz Truss as the most popular member of the government with Conservative Party members, according to Conservative Home, thanks to his handling of the Ukraine crisis.

Syria's Assad makes first visit to Aleppo since recapture

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad marked the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha on Saturday in Aleppo, his first visit to the northern city since his forces recaptured it in 2016 with help from Russia and other allied forces. A statement by Syrian state news agency SANA said Assad performed Eid al-Adha prayers at the Ibn Abbas mosque alongside other top government officials.

(With inputs from agencies.)