Following is a summary of current world news briefs. UK eases COVID-19 lockdown in parts of Northern England

Britain’s health ministry said on Friday coronavirus-related restrictions on two households mixing would be lifted in parts of Greater Manchester, Lancashire and West Yorkshire from Sept. 2. A tight lockdown would remain in place in Leicester for a further two weeks as cases remain high, the ministry said in a statement https://bit.ly/3gID83f. Mali’s neighbours tell junta to transfer power to transitional government

Mali’s West African neighbours on Friday told the military junta which seized control 10 days ago that it must transfer power to a civilian-led transitional government immediately and hold elections within a year. In exchange, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) committed to gradually lifting sanctions as the coup leaders complied with its demands, the bloc’s chairman said. UK head teachers concerned about COVID test and trace scheme: survey

Almost 70% of head teachers do not have confidence in the UK government’s test, trace and isolate system ahead of the return of millions of school children next week, a new survey of over 4,000 school leaders has shown. England’s nearly 25,000 schools are set to return full time next week after many saw only a fraction of pupils return for the end of the last academic year. Violence erupts in Swedish town of Malmo after anti-Islam actions, police say

A riot broke out on Friday in the southern Swedish town of Malmo, where at least 300 people had gathered to protest against anti-Islam activities, police said. Protesters were throwing objects at police officers and car tyres had been set on fire, a police spokesman said. Earlier in the day, a copy of the Quran had been burned in Malmo by right-wing extremists. No serious threat to Kremlin critic Navalny’s life, symptoms improving: spokeswoman

Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who remains in a medically-induced coma after what his supporters suspect was a poisoning, is facing no serious threat to his life and his condition is improving, his spokeswoman said on Friday. Navalny, 44, was airlifted to Germany on Saturday after collapsing during a flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow. He is in a medically-induced coma in a Berlin hospital. Ailing Abe quits as Japan PM as COVID-19 slams economy, key goals unmet

Japan’s Shinzo Abe on Friday said he was resigning because of poor health, ending a tenure as the country’s longest-serving prime minister in which he sought to revive an economy stricken by deflation and push for a stronger military. His abrupt departure triggers a leadership battle in his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) over the next few weeks. The winner will likely stick to Abe’s reflationary “Abenomics” policies that had mixed results in resuscitating the world’s third-largest economy. France’s Macron says he set red lines with Turkey in eastern Mediterranean

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that he had taken a tough stance over the summer with regard to Turkey’s actions in the eastern Mediterranean, setting red lines because Ankara respects actions not words. Relations between France and Turkey have soured in recent months over Ankara’s role in NATO, Libya and the Mediterranean. Chile will not let striking truckers block main highways: president

Chile’s president Sebastian Pinera on Friday insisted that truck drivers will not be allowed to block major highways while they strike to protest attacks on them in the country’s restive Arauncania province. “We are not going to allow the taking of the highways or the interruption of the supply of food, medicine, ambulances, medical personnel or other goods,” said Pinera. Belarus will shut transit routes if sanctions imposed, Lukashenko says

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, facing a nearly three-week popular uprising since a disputed election, threatened on Friday to cut off European transit routes across his country if sanctions are imposed. Speaking during a visit to a dairy factory in the country’s east, Lukashenko said he would block European neighbours from shipping goods to Russia over Belarusian territory, and divert exports now shipped through ports in EU member Lithuania. Special Report: One Brazilian farmer tried – and failed – to ranch more responsibly in the Amazon

Mauro Lucio Costa wanted to do the right thing for the world’s largest rainforest. For decades, the third-generation rancher in northern Brazil watched guiltily as his industry, feeding soaring global appetite for beef, razed ever more jungle. So, gradually he experimented with grasses and grazing techniques that today make his ranch one of the most efficient in Brazil. Costa became a model for those who believe beef can be raised profitably and sustainably – even in the Amazon.