World News Roundup: Dutch Prime Minister Rutte to update king on government collapse; Spain says cluster bombs should not be sent to Ukraine and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

NATO flexes muscle to protect Vilnius summit near Russia, Belarus

NATO has turned Vilnius into a fortress defended by advanced weaponry to protect U.S. President Joe Biden and other alliance leaders meeting next week only 32 km (20 miles) from Lithuania's razor-wire topped border fence with Russian ally Belarus. Sixteen NATO allies have sent a total of about 1,000 troops to safeguard the July 11-12 summit, which will take place only 151 km (94 miles) from Russia itself. Many are also providing advanced air defence systems which the Baltic states lack.

Dutch Prime Minister Rutte to update king on government collapse

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is due to meet King Willem-Alexander on Saturday, to discuss a caretaker administration the day after his centre-right government collapsed following a row on migration policies. The resignation of the coalition government means parliament will most likely be dissolved and the Dutch will go to the polls in a general election, expected to be held in November.

Spain says cluster bombs should not be sent to Ukraine

Cluster bombs should not be sent to help Ukraine, the Spanish defence minister said on Saturday, a day after the United States announced the weapons would be sent to Kyiv to help with its counter-offensive against Russian forces. Cluster munitions are prohibited by more than 100 countries, including Spain. They typically release large numbers of smaller bomblets that can kill indiscriminately over a wide area. Those that fail to explode pose a danger for decades.

Japan marks a year since former PM Abe was gunned down

Japan on Saturday marked one year since former prime minister Shinzo Abe was gunned down during an election speech by a man angry at his links to the Unification Church. The death of Japan's longest-serving prime minister, which was caught on video, rattled a nation unused to gun violence.

Yellen urges US-China cooperation on economy, climate

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen urged closer communication between China and the United States on Saturday to improve economic decision-making and challenged China to join global initiatives to help poorer nations address climate change. Despite bilateral tensions, record high U.S.-Chinese trade last year showed there was "ample room" to engage in trade and investment, and it was critical to focus on areas of common interest and address disagreements through dialogue, Yellen told Chinese Premier He Lifeng at the start of a meeting that a Treasury official said would last for more than three hours.

Ukraine vows to use cluster bombs to de-occupy only-defence minister

Ukraine's Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov welcomed the U.S. decision to send cluster bombs to Kyiv, saying it would help to de-occupy the Ukrainian territory but vowed that the munitions would be not used in Russia. The U.S. announced on Friday that it would supply Ukraine with widely banned cluster munitions for its counteroffensive against occupying Russian forces.

Ukraine's Zelenskiy visits symbolic Snake Island to mark 500 days of war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited Snake Island, a rocky outcrop on the Black Sea, to mark 500 days since Russia's invasion, a video issued by his office on Saturday showed. The tiny island became a symbol of Ukrainian defiance on the war's first day after Ukrainian guards famously refused to surrender to Russian forces.

US to send Ukraine cluster munitions, NATO makes membership pledge

The United States announced on Friday that it would supply Ukraine with widely banned cluster munitions for its counteroffensive against occupying Russian forces, and NATO's leader said the military alliance would unite at a summit next week on how to bring Ukraine closer to joining. Rights groups and the United Nations secretary-general questioned Washington's decision on the munitions, part of an $800 million security package that brings total U.S. military aid to more than $40 billion since Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Paris protest over police violence banned in aftermath of riots

Paris police banned a protest on Saturday against violence by the force, a week after France was rocked by riots sparked by the killing of a teenager in a suburb of the French capital. The Paris police department said in a decision published on its website that it had banned the planned demonstration on the Place de la Republique over risks to public order, citing a "context of tensions".

Wagner fighters preparing to move to Belarus - commander cited

Mercenary fighters of Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner group are preparing to move to Belarus under the terms of a deal that defused their mutiny against Russia's military leadership, a senior commander of the group was quoted as saying. Since the June 23-24 mutiny, which saw Wagner fighters briefly seize a southern Russian city and march towards Moscow, the exact whereabouts of Prigozhin and his mercenaries have been unclear.

(With inputs from agencies.)