Reuters World News Summary

Contested Mali lawmakers will not step down, says representative A group of lawmakers in Mali will not resign as recommended by West Africa's regional body, a representative said on Wednesday, dealing a further blow to efforts to find a peaceful resolution to Mali's months-long political crisis.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. U.S. slaps sanctions on Syria in push for Assad to end war

The United States on Wednesday imposed new sanctions aimed at cutting off funds for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government and warned that anyone doing business with Damascus was also at risk of being blacklisted. Assad's son, Hafez, was among four people and 10 entities, including a Syrian army unit, targeted by Washington over accusations they either aided government funding through luxury real estate construction - sometimes on land belonging to displaced civilians - or prolonged the nearly decade-long war. U.S. to withdraw about 12,000 troops from Germany but nearly half to stay in Europe

The U.S. military on Wednesday unveiled plans to withdraw about 12,000 troops from Germany, in fallout from President Donald Trump's long-simmering feud with Berlin but said it will keep nearly half of those forces in Europe to address tension with Russia. Trump announced his intention last month to cut by about a third the 36,000-strong U.S. troop contingent in Germany, faulting the close U.S. ally for failing to meet NATO's defense spending target and accusing it of taking advantage of the United States on trade. Hong Kong police arrest four under national security law

Hong Kong police have arrested four people aged 16-21 for suspected offences under the city's new national security law, the first such detentions outside of street protests since the legislation took effect a month ago. In a press conference shortly before midnight on Wednesday, a police spokesman said the three men and a woman, all students, were suspected of being involved in an online group that pledged to use every means to fight for an independent Hong Kong. Contested Mali lawmakers will not step down, says representative

A group of lawmakers in Mali will not resign as recommended by West Africa's regional body, a representative said on Wednesday, dealing a further blow to efforts to find a peaceful resolution to Mali's months-long political crisis. On Monday, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) suggested 31 members of parliament whose elections were contested step down, among a number of proposals intended to appease an opposition coalition that has held large-scale protests calling for the president's resignation. Trump says he never confronted Putin about Russia bounty reports: Axios

President Donald Trump said he never questioned Russian leader Vladimir Putin about U.S. intelligence reports that Moscow paid the Taliban to kill American troops in Afghanistan, casting doubt on the reports in an interview. Trump, who has sought to cultivate warmer relations with Moscow, has said he was not briefed on the matter before it emerged in news media in late June. He has called the reports a hoax and casts doubt on them. UK names new MI6 spy chief to tackle challenges from China, Russia

Britain on Wednesday named career diplomat and intelligence officer Richard Moore as the new chief of the MI6 spy service as the West seeks to bolster its defences against hostile espionage from China and Russia. Moore, 57, joined the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) in 1987, just four years before the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Jordanian police seal off central Amman to foil union protest

Jordanian security forces dispersed dozens of teachers trying to reach the seat of government on Wednesday to protest at the arrest of their union leaders and the closure of its offices across the country. The government raided the union's offices on Saturday and shut it down for two years, escalating a confrontation with a group that has become a leading source of dissent. U.S. Republicans worry China might use TikTok to meddle in election

A group of top Republican U.S. senators on Tuesday ramped up pressure on TikTok, asking the Trump administration to assess the threat that the popular Chinese-owned video sharing app might meddle in U.S. elections. In a letter dated Tuesday, Senators Marco Rubio and Tom Cotton and other lawmakers cited alleged censorship by TikTok of sensitive content, including a video critical of China's treatment of Uighur minorities, as well as alleged attempts by Beijing to manipulate political discussions on social media apps. 'Vaccine nationalism': Is it every country for itself?

It's dog eat dog in the world of COVID-19 vaccines. That's the fear of global health agencies planning a scheme to bulk-buy and equitably distribute vaccines around the world. They are watching with dismay as some wealthier countries have decided to go it alone, striking deals with drugmakers to secure millions of doses of promising candidates for their citizens. Kuwait allows citizens, residents to travel to and from the country starting Aug 1st

Kuwait will allow citizens and residents to travel to and from the country, starting August 1st, the government communication center tweeted on early Thursday, citing a cabinet decision. The decision excludes residents coming from Bangladesh, Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Iran, Nepal.