Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Venezuela pardons dozens of opposition politicians as election nears

Venezuela said on Monday it had pardoned more than 100 opposition politicians, including more than 20 legislators who had been accused of conspiring against President Nicolas Maduro, as the country heads toward parliamentary elections in December. The effort signals that the ruling Socialist Party is seeking to boost participation in the upcoming vote, which part of the opposition had vowed to boycott on the grounds that it is rigged. Macron reassures protesters after meeting Lebanon’s symbol of unity, singer Fairouz

French President Emmanuel Macron began his trip to Beirut on Monday by visiting Fairouz, one of the Arab world’s most famous singers whose haunting voice has been Lebanon’s soundtrack from its glamorous heyday through its conflicts and latest trauma. Anger at Lebanon’s political elite over an economic meltdown and this month’s devastating port blast was evident as Macron arrived at the home of the 85-year old artist, feted as a national treasure and symbol of peace, transcending factional and sectarian divides in Lebanon and beyond. English schools reopen with pressure on PM Johnson after COVID-19 closure

Schools in England and Wales will finally reopen on Tuesday to all students for a new term after the COVID-19 pandemic forced their closure, leading to cancelled exams and throwing student grades into chaos. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had promised to get schools back up and running before the summer break, but was forced to shelve those plans, contributing to criticism over how his government has handled education during the crisis. Israel, Hamas agree to restore calm along Gaza border

Palestinian militant groups and Israel agreed to end a weeks-long escalation of unrest along the Israel-Gaza border, Gaza’s ruling Islamist group Hamas and Israel said on Monday. Under the deal, brokered by a Qatari envoy, Hamas would end the launching of incendiary balloons, and Israel would end air strikes, said a Palestinian official close to the mediation. London financial district asks if it should remove statues linked to slavery

The governing body in charge of London’s financial district is asking for views on whether to take down statues and other landmarks with historic links to slavery and racism, as part of its response to the Black Lives Matter movement. The City of London Corporation, which runs the area that is home to some of the world’s biggest banks, has launched a three-month consultation. U.S. announces Taiwan initiative, declassifies documents, citing China pressure

The United States said on Monday it was establishing a new bilateral economic dialogue with Taiwan, an initiative it said was aimed at strengthening ties with Taipei and supporting it in the face of increasing pressure from Beijing. Washington also said it had declassified six Reagan-era security assurances given to Taiwan, a move analysts said appeared intended to show further support for Taipei. Syria says two killed, seven wounded in Israeli missile attack

A Syrian military source said that an Israeli missile attack on Syria killed two people, injured seven others and caused damage on Monday, state media reported. The state news agency SANA cited the source as saying that Syrian air defences had intercepted most of the Israeli missiles launched from the direction of the Golan Heights toward military sites south of Damascus. Largest faction of Japan’s ruling party backs Suga in leadership race: NHK

The largest faction of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has backed Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga to become the party’s leader, giving him overwhelming support among its top brass to become the next prime minister. The leader of the LDP will almost certainly become prime minister because of its majority in the lower house of parliament, replacing Shinzo Abe who on Friday said he was stepping down for health reasons. Scientists see downsides to top COVID-19 vaccines from Russia, China

High-profile COVID-19 vaccines developed in Russia and China share a potential shortcoming: They are based on a common cold virus that many people have been exposed to, potentially limiting their effectiveness, some experts say. CanSino Biologics’ vaccine, approved for military use in China, is a modified form of adenovirus type 5, or Ad5. The company is in talks to get emergency approval in several countries before completing large-scale trials, the Wall Street Journal reported last week. Israeli, U.S. officials land in UAE, Kushner urges Palestinians to negotiate

Senior U.S. and Israeli officials landed in the United Arab Emirates on Monday on a historic trip to finalise a pact marking open relations between Israel and the Gulf state, and they told Palestinians it was now time for them to negotiate peace. White House senior adviser Jared Kushner also said on arrival that Washington could help maintain Israel’s military edge while advancing its ties to the UAE, the Arab world’s second largest economy and a regional power.