The Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) has lifted the punitive sanctions imposed on Mali following a coup by the Military which overthrew the civilian leadership of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in August. In a statement by the Chairman of ECOWAS and President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo on Tuesday disclosed that the West African leaders have decided lift the sanctions after Mali announced a 25-member Transition Government which will lead the country to elections as well as the appointment of former Foreign Minister Moctar Ouane as Prime Minister. ECOWAS had earlier said it was only going to lift the sanctions after a PM was appointed in efforts of returning to civilian rule.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has on Friday said it will uphold sanctions placed on Mali until the country appoints a civilian prime minister. The sanctions "will be lifted when a civilian prime minister is named", ECOWAS Commission President Jean-Claude Kassi Brou said. The West African bloc slapped sanctions on Mali after a military coup led by Colonel Assimi Goita overthrew President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita's government last month. The sanctions include a ban on commercial trade as well as financial flows except for necessities like drugs, fuel, electricity, and equipment used in curbing the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following the coup that Mali's ex-president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, Mali has on Monday announced Ba N'Daou, former defence minister as president of the new transition government, Colonel Assimi Goita, leader of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP) said.

The Saudi Arabian Government has announced its plans to resume Umrah Pilgrimage from October 4th after a seven-month pause due to COVID 19 pandemic. In March, the kingdom halted the Umrah, which is an Islamic minor pilgrimage to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina and can be undertaken at any time of the year.

Shinzo Abe and his Cabinet have resigned following health problems and Yoshihide Suga has been elected as Japan's new Prime Minister following a vote in the country's Parliament on Wednesday. The former cardboard factory worker and head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) replace outgoing leader Shinzo Abe, Japan's longest-serving Prime Minister, who announced his intention to resign in August due to health problems related to colitis a non-curable inflammatory bowel disease that he was able to manage for most of his tenure.

The central Chinese city of Wuhan seems to have moved on from the coronavirus pandemic, as thousands of partygoers congregated in an open-air water park for an electronic music festival, without any form of social distancing measures or face masks insight. Over the weekend, the Wuhan Maya Beach Water Park was filled with revelers in swimsuits crammed together shoulder to shoulder, waving to the beat of the music and cooling down in hip-high water. Others relaxed on inflatable rubbers tubes that filled the pool to the brim, with little space to float around.

Following announcements of President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump testing positive for the Coronavirus, President Muhammadu Buhari has on Friday wished the American president and his wife a quick recovery. In a statement by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President said Buhari noted that the incident was an indication of challenges faced in curbing the spread of the pandemic across the world. Buhari also urged Nigerians to adhere to the COVID-19 prevention guidelines, ensuring compliance with the protocols and advice by health professionals.

United States President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania have tested positive to COVID-19. They will begin quarantining immediately, he said. Trump, who announced this in a tweet on his Twitter page on Friday, said they will be quarantined and recovery process will begin immediately. "we will get through this together," he wrote. The President and first lady are "both well," and Trump is expected to continue his duties while recovering, a statement from the White House doctor said. Trump's diagnosis came just hours after his top aide Hope Hicks tested positive for the virus.

President Donald Trump of the United States has on Wednesday been nominated by a Norwegian MP, Christian Tybring-Gjedde of the populist party for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, commending his role in the agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

A wild protest broke out in Sweden which has led to riots after Far-right activists burned a Quran in the southern Swedish city of Malmo. More than 300 people gathered to protest after an anti-Muslim Danish politician, Rasmus Paludan who was banned from entering Sweden for two years after he burned a Quran was about entering the country the same day as the Muslim weekly Friday prayers.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has on Tuesday said the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Moscow's Gamaleya Institute has been registered for use, "This morning, for the first time in the world, a vaccine against the new coronavirus was registered," Putin said in a televised conference. "One of my daughters had this vaccine. I think in this sense she took part in the experiment," he added saying his daughter has been inoculated and is doing well.

Following Russia's completion on the human trial of the world's first Coronavirus vaccine, the country has set plans to register the vaccine by August 12, making it the first official approved cure against the virus. The Gamaleya vaccine, produced by the Gamaleya Institute and the Russian Direct Investment Fund in Moscow is expected to get a conditional registration as well as to be approved for use by civilians between three to seven days after registration.