Malian soldiers who led coup promise elections

The Malian soldiers who led a coup ousting President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita promised on Wednesday to hold new elections and a transition to civil political rule. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- In the news today Soldiers who led Mali coup promise new elections [A crowd of people cheer Malian army soldiers at the Independence Square after a coup, in Bamako, Mali August 18, 2020.]( Credit: Moussa Kalapo/Reuters The Malian soldiers who [led a coup ousting President Ibrahim Boubacar]([Keïta]( on Tuesday have promised to [hold new elections]( and a transition to civil political rule. The coup, led by Col. Maj. Ismael Wagué and a group calling themselves the National Committee for the Salvation of the People, detained Keïta at gunpoint, forcing his resignation and the dissolution of parliament. “With you, standing as one, we can restore this country to its former greatness," Wagué said. The military takeover was met with cheers from anti-government demonstrators in the capital, Bamako. But it was condemned by the international community amid fears the unrest [could ripple across West Africa](. The UN Security Council is scheduled to meet Wednesday to address the situation in Mali. What The World is following The European Union [stepped up pressure]( on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Wednesday by announcing support for the ongoing protests in the country [following a controversial election on Aug. 9](. European Council President Charles Michel called for a “peaceful and inclusive dialogue.” The presidents of neighboring Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia jointly said in a statement that authorities “open the way for a political solution … while refraining from the use of violence against the peaceful demonstrators.” Russian President Vladimir Putin [weighed in on Tuesday, warning Western leaders]( from intervening in Belarus. And, prosecutors in Germany said on Wednesday they are investigating [a series of crashes on the Berlin autobahn]( as a possible terrorist attack. A 30-year-old man has been arrested with the crashes, which left several people injured. A spokesperson for the public prosecutor in Berlin [called the incident]( a possible "Islamist-motivated attack,'' but added the suspect appeared to have mental health problems. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [The DNC touted a diverse lineup. But some Latino leaders feel left out.]( [In this image from video, Eva Longoria, serving as moderator, speaks during the first night of the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 17, 2020.]( Credit: Democratic National Convention via AP With a record 32 million Latinos eligible to vote this year, many political observers expected to see lots of Latino politicians and representatives at the virtual Democratic National Convention. But [Latino activists argue]( the programming missed the mark. [Elusive Somali sengi documented in Djibouti by scientists after 50 years]( [A Somali sengi, which had not been seen by scientists for 50 years, pictured in the Assamo area of Djibouti.]( Credit: Courtesy of Steven Heritage The Somali sengi, commonly called an elephant shrew, had been spotted by locals but not by scientists for at least 50 years — [until now](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Bright spot 2020 Isn't all bad — at least for the residents of this town in Switzerland. The Lindt & Sprüngli company [had a minor defect in a ventilation system]( for a line for roasted cocoa nibs in its factory in Olten. As a result, it was snowing chocolate. Sweet! [A screen grab of a tweet from the Switzerland Embassy in the UK.]( [Credit: Screen grab from Twitter]( Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this newsletter. --------------------------------------------------------------- In case you missed it on The World - [At 21, J-pop boy band Arashi is still going strong]( - [Tiny mammal rediscovered in Africa]( - [Militants attack port in Cabo Delgado]( - [Latinos in the DNC]( - [Could German protesters upset Merkel’s virus strategy?]( - [UK program to boost restaurants has been effective]( - [Prepping ballots for voters abroad]( - [Connecting mask buyers and sellers in China]( - [Catalonians struggle with housing amid pandemic]( - [Verdict delivered in Hariri assassination]( Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. [The World]( is produced by [PRX]( and [WGBH](.