Reuters World News Summary

Putin says Russian police force ready to help Belarus leader, but not needed yet Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday the Kremlin has set up a reserve police force to support Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko but it would not be used unless the unrest there got out of control, Interfax news agency reported.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. U.S., China trade jibes as military tensions worsen

The United States and China traded jibes as military tensions grow between the world's two largest economies, with the U.S. defence chief vowing not to "cede an inch" in the Pacific and China saying Washington was risking soldiers' lives. Both are at loggerheads over issues from technology and human rights to Chinese military activities in the disputed South China Sea, with each accusing the other of deliberately provocative behaviour. From golden age to war and ruin: Lebanon in turmoil as it hits 100

Looking back on his childhood in the newly declared state of Lebanon nearly a century ago, Salah Tizani says the country was set on course for calamity from the start by colonial powers and sectarian overlords. Tizani, better known in Lebanon as Abou Salim, was one of Lebanon's first TV celebrities. He shot to fame in the 1960s with a weekly comedy show that offered a political and social critique of the nascent state. Russian prosecutors say no need for criminal investigation in Navalny affair

Russian prosecutors said on Thursday they saw no need for a criminal investigation into the sudden illness of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who his supporters suspect was poisoned, and they had found no sign that any crime had been committed. The Interior Ministry said it had started a preliminary investigation into the case, but this was routine. Ousted Mali president Keita has been freed by coup leaders, says junta spokesman

Coup leaders in Mali have released ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita from detention, a spokesman for the junta Djibrilla Maiga said on Thursday. "He was freed this morning, (and) he has returned to his home," he said, without giving further details. Taiwan warns of accidental conflict as regional tensions rise

The risk of accidental conflict is rising because of tension in the South China Sea and around Taiwan and communication must be maintained to reduce the risk of miscalculation, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said on Thursday. Democratic Taiwan, claimed by Beijing as "sacred" Chinese territory, has complained of Chinese military activities near the island, in what it says in an attempt to force Taiwan to accept Chinese sovereignty. Study sheds light on Continental's role as pillar of Nazi war machine

Germany's Continental, the world's third-biggest auto parts supplier, played a big part in the Nazi's armaments and war economy, using forced labourers to make products such as gas masks, a study presented by the company showed on Thursday. Conti commissioned the independent research by historian Paul Erker to explore the darkest chapter of the company's history. It provides an opportunity to learn from the past to create a better future, the company said. Putin says Russian police force ready to help Belarus leader, but not needed yet

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday the Kremlin has set up a reserve police force to support Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko but it would not be used unless the unrest there got out of control, Interfax news agency reported. Putin said Russia saw no need for now to use Russian forces in Belarus over the political crisis that followed a disputed Aug. 9 presidential election. Moscow felt the situation was normalising, the RIA news agency reported. EU mulls Belarus sanctions as opposition calls for Merkel's aid

European Union foreign ministers on Thursday sought sanctions against Belarus to pressure President Alexander Lukashenko to hold new elections as the country's opposition appealed to German Chancellor Angela Merkel for help. Eager to support mass protests against Lukashenko's 26-year iron rule, EU ministers are considering travel bans and asset freezes on up to 20 people responsible for a crackdown on demonstrators two weeks after an election they say was rigged. Libya's Tripoli government imposes COVID-19 curfew after protests escalate

Libya's Tripoli-based government has announced a 24-hour curfew to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus as it struggles to contain protests over deteriorating living conditions and corruption. The curfew, which took effect on Wednesday night, was imposed by the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) three days after protests in the capital and the nearby town of Zawiya began to escalate. New Zealand mosque shooter given life in prison for 'wicked' crimes

A New Zealand judge sentenced white supremacist Brenton Tarrant to life in prison without parole on Thursday for killing 51 Muslim worshippers in the country's deadliest shooting, saying the sentence was not enough punishment for the "wicked" crimes. It was the first time a court in New Zealand had sentenced a person to prison for the rest of their life.