Briefly

MALI

Ousted president released by military

The current governing body of Mali, the National Committee for the Salvation of the People, announced on Thursday that it had released ousted president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. Keita had been "secured" in a military camp outside the capital Bamako. On its Twitter account, the CNSP confirmed that Keita had been released and is at his residence. According to the weekly magazine Jeune Afrique, citing family sources, Keita was brought back by the special forces to his home in the capital where he had been "arrested" last week with then-prime minister Boubou Cisse. Keita's release was agreed upon by the CNSP and mediators from the Economic Community of West African States that were visiting from Aug 22-24.

SOUTH KOREA

Stricter Seoul rules amid doctors' strike

The government ramped up efforts to end a strike by thousands of the country's doctors on Friday, as Seoul took the unprecedented step of restricting eateries in the capital in a bid to blunt a surge in coronavirus cases. The Health Ministry extended a back－to-work order for doctors to the entire country and filed a complaint with police against at least 10 doctors it said have not abided by an order that has been in place in Seoul since Wednesday. The escalation in the dispute between doctors and the government came as officials grapple with a fresh wave of COVID-19 infections. After containing an outbreak earlier this year, the country suffered a setback this month, with 371 new cases being reported on Thursday.

SPAIN

Schools reopen with smaller classes

European nations are pushing ahead with the reopening of primary schools despite a rise in coronavirus cases, with smaller classes, shorter lessons and mask－wearing among the steps adopted to curb infections. But many parents and teachers worry the measures are not enough, or have been adopted too close to the start of classes to be put in place properly, leading some parents to decide to keep their children at home. But the Spanish government insists children, who have not seen a classroom since March when online learning replaced in-person teaching due to the pandemic, must attend classes when schools reopen in September. It announced on Thursday that all children above the age of six will be required to wear masks at all times while in school.

NEW ZEALAND

US envoy avoids quarantine on return

United States Ambassador Scott Brown's diplomatic status has allowed him and his wife to avoid going into quarantine at New Zealand's border after the couple returned from a trip to their home country this past week. Just about everybody who arrives in New Zealand is required to spend 14 days isolated in a government-run hotel that is guarded by the military. But the Browns said on Friday that they're isolating themselves at home. The Ministry of Health said that since June 8,118 diplomats have arrived in the country, including the Browns. Of those, 112 have agreed to go into the government-run hotels.

FRANCE

Cyclists steer clear of mask order in Paris

Paris police said on Friday that people doing outdoors exercise and cyclists will not have to wear face masks outdoors after authorities made masks mandatory everywhere in Paris. The police department said in a statement that children under the age of 11 would also not have to wear masks. The country made compulsory the wearing of masks in Paris in order to curb a surge in coronavirus infections.

Xinhua - Agencies