Reuters World News Summary

The United States said on Friday it would supply Kyiv with the widely banned bombs as part of a new $800 million security package that brings total U.S. military aid to more than $40 billion since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Biden begins three-nation tour with stop in London U.S. President Joe Biden arrived in Britain on Sunday, starting a three-nation trip that will be dominated by a NATO summit in Lithuania aimed at showing solidarity with Ukraine in its fight against Russia while not yet accepting Kyiv as a member of the alliance.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Russian, Turkish ministers talk after Turkey sends Ukrainian commanders home

The foreign ministers of Russia and Turkey spoke by telephone on Sunday, a day after Ankara angered Moscow by sending five Ukrainian commanders home with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in what Russia called a violation of a prisoner exchange agreement. The Russian and Turkish foreign ministries said Sergei Lavrov and Hakan Fidan discussed the situation in Ukraine, as well as a Black Sea grain export agreement that lifted a Russian de facto blockade of Ukrainian ports last year.

Netanyahu bristles at protests as Israel's judicial reform edges ahead

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday summoned his attorney-general to explain the police's handling of resurgent demonstrations against his plan to overhaul the justice system, as the reform bill edges ahead. The bill that would limit "reasonableness" as a standard of judicial review - and which critics argue would open the door for abuses of power - is scheduled for the first of three ratification readings in parliament on Monday.

Yellen sees 'progress' in rocky US-China ties, expects more communication

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said 10 hours of meetings with senior Chinese officials in recent days were "direct" and "productive", helping stabilise the superpowers' often rocky relationship as her four-day Beijing trip ended. Before departing China on Sunday, Yellen said the United States and China remained at odds on a number of issues but expressed confidence that her visit had advanced efforts to put the relationship on "surer footing".

Ukrainian forces advance in south, hold 'initiative,' says Zelenskiy

Ukrainian troops pressed on with their campaign to recapture Russian-held areas in the southeast on Sunday as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in broadcast comments that his country's forces had "taken the initiative" after an earlier slowdown. Russian accounts said heavy fighting gripped areas outside the eastern city of Bakhmut, captured by Russian mercenary Wagner forces in May after months of battles. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said one of his units was deployed in the area.

At least 300 migrants missing at sea near Spanish Canary Islands, aid group says

At least 300 people who were travelling on three migrant boats from Senegal to Spain's Canary Islands have disappeared, migrant aid group Walking Borders said on Sunday. Two boats, one carrying about 65 people and the other with between 50 and 60 on board, have been missing for 15 days since they left Senegal to try to reach Spain, Helena Maleno of Walking Borders told Reuters.

One killed as heavy rain triggers landslides in Japan

Torrential rain triggered landslides that killed at least one person and prompted authorities to order tens of thousands of people to leave their homes on Japan's southwestern island of Kyushu on Monday. One woman in her 70s was killed when a landslide hit her house in Fukuoka prefecture, public broadcaster NHK said.

Biden arrives in Britain to meet King Charles, PM Sunak

U.S President Joe Biden arrived in London late on Sunday for the start of a three-nation tour that will include meetings with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and a discussion on climate change with King Charles at Windsor Castle on Monday. The White House had said the trip was designed "to further strengthen the close relationship between our nations".

Ukraine, Poland leaders jointly mark WWII massacres that strained ties

The Ukrainian and Polish presidents jointly marked the anniversary on Sunday of World War Two-era massacres of Poles by Ukrainian nationalists, killings that have caused tension for generations between countries that are now close allies. Warsaw has positioned itself as one of Kyiv's staunchest supporters since Russia invaded the country in 2022.

US congressional Democrats raise concerns on cluster bombs for Ukraine

Democratic U.S. Senator Tim Kaine and Representative Barbara Lee raised concerns on Sunday over the decision by President Joe Biden's administration to send cluster bombs to Ukraine to combat the Russian invasion. The United States said on Friday it would supply Kyiv with the widely banned bombs as part of a new $800 million security package that brings total U.S. military aid to more than $40 billion since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.

Biden begins three-nation tour with stop in London

U.S. President Joe Biden arrived in Britain on Sunday, starting a three-nation trip that will be dominated by a NATO summit in Lithuania aimed at showing solidarity with Ukraine in its fight against Russia while not yet accepting Kyiv as a member of the alliance. But the challenges of forging solidarity among NATO's 31 member countries were highlighted in a call between Biden and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan before the alliance summit in Lithuania this week, with Sweden's bid for membership in the Western alliance a continued point of contention.

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