World News Roundup: NATO allies may lift target to spend 2% of output on defence - Stoltenberg; 'Close call' in shelling near nuclear reactor on Ukraine's frontline and more

"I expect that, in one way or another, even though perhaps the 2% will be kept, it will be kept more as a kind of floor than a ceiling for defence spending," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said during a visit to Spain. 'Close call' in shelling near nuclear reactor on Ukraine's frontline Ukraine narrowly escaped disaster during fighting at the weekend that rocked Europe's largest atomic power plant with a barrage of shells, some falling near reactors and damaging a radioactive waste storage building, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

NATO allies may lift target to spend 2% of output on defence - Stoltenberg

NATO allies may decide to aim to spend more on defence than their current target of 2% of national output when they meet for their next summit in Vilnius in July 2023, the chief of the alliance said on Monday. "I expect that, in one way or another, even though perhaps the 2% will be kept, it will be kept more as a kind of floor than a ceiling for defence spending," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said during a visit to Spain.

'Close call' in shelling near nuclear reactor on Ukraine's frontline

Ukraine narrowly escaped disaster during fighting at the weekend that rocked Europe's largest atomic power plant with a barrage of shells, some falling near reactors and damaging a radioactive waste storage building, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said. It was not clear which side was responsible for at least a dozen explosions at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, which has been under Russian control since soon after it invaded the country on Feb. 24 but is across the Dnipro river from areas controlled by Kyiv.

Colorado Springs police probe motive in LGBTQ nightclub shooting

Police in Colorado Springs on Monday were expected to release more details about the weekend shooting at an LGBTQ nightclub that killed five people and injured 25 more in what rights advocates suspect was a hate crime. Further details could also emerge about the patrons whom police called heroes for rushing the gunman and halting the attack late Saturday night at Club Q in Colorado's second-largest city.

Buses set on fire in South Africa's Cape Town as taxi strike starts

Two buses were set on fire on Monday in South Africa's Cape Town as local taxi associations embarked on a two-day strike to protest against termination of an incentive program.

The Western Cape provincial government, home to the legislative capital Cape Town, recently announced it would terminate an incentive scheme for taxi drivers which encouraged safe driving practices and curtailed illegal operations.

EU holds emergency meeting with Serbia and Kosovo over rising tensions

The European Union on Monday will hold an emergency meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and the Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti to discuss the rising tension between the two countries. "I am convening an emergency meeting of the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue tomorrow with Prime Minister @albinkurti and President @predsednikrs," the EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell said in a tweet late on Sunday.

On Europe's new frontlines, red tape, politics and potholes hamper defence

Europe is waking up to a new need to defend itself since Russia invaded Ukraine. As children in Lithuania headed back to class this autumn, some of their schools were marked with new stickers: Hundreds have been designated as bomb shelters. In Finland, defence forces have been assembling modular military fortifications and practicing landing jets on the highways.

New Zealand court rules voting age of 18 is discriminatory

New Zealand's highest court ruled on Monday that the country's current voting age of 18 was discriminatory, forcing parliament to discuss whether it should be lowered. The case, which has been going through the courts since 2020, was bought by advocacy group Make It 16, which wants the age lowered to include 16 and 17-year-olds.

Explainer-'Close call' at Ukrainian nuclear plant

Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is under Russian control, was rocked by shelling on Sunday, drawing condemnation from the U.N. nuclear watchdog which said such attacks risked a major disaster. Repeated shelling of the plant in southern Ukraine has raised concern about the potential for a grave accident just 500 km (300 miles) from the site of the world's worst nuclear accident, the 1986 Chornobyl disaster.

Indonesia quake kills more than 50, injures hundreds and destroys homes

A 5.6-magnitude earthquake killed more than 50 people and injured hundreds in Indonesia's West Java province on Monday, with rescuers trying to reach survivors trapped under the rubble amid a series of aftershocks as night fell. West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil confirmed 56 deaths from the quake, whose epicenter was the town of Cianjur, about 75 km (45 miles) southeast of the capital, Jakarta, where some buildings shook and some offices were evacuated.

China denies using force to retrieve rocket debris in South China Sea

China denied on Monday that one of its coastguard ships used force to retrieve a piece of a rocket floating in the ocean that was being towed by a Philippine vessel in the South China Sea. A Philippine military commander said earlier the Chinese coastguard ship "forcefully retrieved" the object by cutting a line attaching it to a Philippine boat.