World News Roundup: Biden presidency for Turkey would mean tougher U.S. stance but chance to repair ties; Meghan Markle wins bid to delay court battle with UK newspaper and more

Three dead as woman beheaded in France, gunman killed in second incident A knife-wielding attacker shouting "Allahu Akbar" beheaded a woman and killed two other people in a suspected terrorist act at a church in the French city of Nice on Thursday, while a man waving a gun was shot dead by police in a separate incident.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

With ropes and wooden guns, returning Armenians train for war

When conflict broke out in Nagorno-Karabakh last month, Aghasi Asatryan was thousands of kilometres away in Germany, embarking on a career as an IT specialist. The 29-year-old Armenian national immediately applied for vacation, citing a family matter, and flew back to Yerevan, his home town.

Analysis: Biden presidency for Turkey would mean tougher U.S. stance but chance to repair ties

Days after Turkey took delivery of Russian missile defense systems in July 2019, top security officials in the Trump administration were in full agreement that Washington should deliver on its threat to impose sanctions on its NATO ally. The U.S. State Department had sent its recommendations to the National Security Council calling for prompt sanctions on Turkish individuals and entities and the measures were going to be rolled out once President Donald Trump approved.

Meghan Markle wins bid to delay court battle with UK newspaper

Meghan, the wife of Britain's Prince Harry, won her bid to have a privacy action against a tabloid newspaper postponed by about nine months until next Autumn after a judge heard a confidential reason from her lawyers for seeking a delay. Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, is suing Associated Newspapers over articles in the Mail on Sunday that included parts of a handwritten letter she had sent to her estranged father, Thomas Markle, in August 2018.

UK Labour leader Starmer apologises for anti-semitism failings on 'day of shame'

British Labour leader Keir Starmer on Thursday apologised for his party's failure to deal with anti-semitism in its ranks after an official report said it was responsible for unlawful harassment and discrimination. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) found serious failings in the party's leadership in addressing anti-Semitism, and an inadequate process for handling complaints, after launching an investigation into allegations made under the previous leadership of left-wing veteran Jeremy Corbyn.

West Bank Palestinians' olive trees burn as U.N. urges protection for harvest

For many West Bank Palestinians, the olive tree is both a revered cultural emblem and an economic necessity - but it has also become a focal point of a struggle between them and Israeli settlers for a land they both claim. More than 1,000 trees owned by Palestinian farmers have been burned or damaged in the Israeli-occupied territory since the harvest began three weeks ago, according to a United Nations report.

Scarred by war but home at last, two Libyan families pray for peace

Libya's warring armies have agreed a ceasefire and, years after being forced to flee for their lives, the Bouzids and the Alis are finally back at home. Like many on opposite sides of the front lines, the two families have lost loved ones and seen their livelihoods and dreams destroyed by nearly a decade of conflict.

Chinese, U.S. military chiefs hold crisis communication, says China defence ministry

Chinese and U.S. military chiefs held talks on crisis communication this week, amid heightened tensions between the two military superpowers this year in the South China Sea, with the United States denying a report on a possible drone attack. The exchange, days ahead of the U.S. elections, came as U.S. Defence Secretary Mark Esper toured Asia with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo where they had urged countries to cooperate with the United States to confront the security threats posed by China, a position China has criticised as a Cold War mentality and zero-sum mindset.

Greenland 'proud' its role in U.S. security recognised as air base sore point resolved

The United States and Greenland have agreed to strengthen economic and trade ties after resolving a dispute over a service contract to a U.S. air base in the north of the Arctic island. The Thule Air Base has been a sore point between the United States, Greenland and Denmark since the Pentagon in 2014 awarded a service contract to a U.S. company, breaking a decade-long agreement of keeping it in Danish-Greenlandic hands.

Three dead as woman beheaded in France, gunman killed in second incident

A knife-wielding attacker shouting "Allahu Akbar" beheaded a woman and killed two other people in a suspected terrorist act at a church in the French city of Nice on Thursday, while a man waving a gun was shot dead by police in a separate incident. Within hours of the Nice attack, police killed a man who had threatened passersby with a handgun in Montfavet, near the southern French city of Avignon. He was also shouting "Allahu Akbar" (God is Greatest), according to radio station Europe 1.

Lukashenko shakes up security team to stamp out Belarus protests

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko replaced his interior minister and named three security hawks to new roles on Thursday in an attempt to tighten his grip on the country after nearly 12 weeks of mass protests. Ivan Kubrakov, who as head of police in the capital Minsk has led the crackdown on the biggest demonstrations, was appointed interior minister.