British Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologised and vowed to "fix it" after a report on Monday into lockdown parties held at his Downing Street residence criticised serious failures at the heart of government.
A report by senior civil servant Sue Gray into lockdown-breaking gatherings at Downing Street under Johnson condemned some of the behaviour in government as being "difficult to justify".
"I want to say sorry," Johnson told parliament.
"Sorry for the things we simply did not get right and sorry for the way that this matter has been handled."
Johnson said the government had to learn from the criticisms raised, and that he would make changes to his Downing Street operation.
"I get it and I will fix it," he said.
"And I want to say to the people of this country. I know what the issue is, it is whether this government can be trusted to deliver and I say yes we can be trusted, yes we can be trusted to deliver."
The Republican-controlled US Senate passed President Donald Trump's tax and spending bill on Tuesday, signing off on a massive package that would enshrine many of his top domestic priorities into law while adding $3.3 trillion to the national debt.
More than a thousand schools were closed in France on Tuesday and the top floor of the Eiffel Tower was shut to tourists as a severe heatwave continued to grip Europe, triggering health alerts across the region.
Thailand's Constitutional Court on Tuesday suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from duty pending a case seeking her dismissal, in a major setback for a government under fire on multiple fronts and fighting for its survival.
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order terminating a US sanctions programme on Syria, allowing an end to the country's isolation from the international financial system and building on Washington's pledge to help it rebuild after a devastating civil war.