Global

Proposed European Union tariffs on Chinese goods are not a "punishment", German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck assured Chinese officials in Beijing on Saturday (22 June). The visit is the first by a senior European official since Brussels proposed significant tariffs on imports of Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs) in response to what the EU sees as excessive subsidies. Ahead of Habeck's arrival, China warned that rising tensions over EVs could spark a trade war. "It is important to understand that these are not punitive tariffs," Habeck told the opening session of a dialogue on climate and transformation. He stressed that unlike the US, Brazil and Turkey, which have used punitive tariffs, the EU is taking a different approach.

The United States is moving Ukraine to the top of the list to receive air defence interceptors to protect its cities from the onslaught of Russian missile attacks. The policy decision applies to interceptors used by the Patriot and other air defence systems to shoot down incoming missiles and drones. As a result, the US will give priority to Ukraine for Patriot surface-to-air missiles. Deliveries to other countries will be delayed to allow Ukraine to build up a sufficient stockpile.

North Korean soldiers have briefly crossed the heavily guarded border with South Korea. It was the second time in two weeks. When the South Korean army fired warning shots, the soldiers withdrew. The South Korean army said it was a misunderstanding.

An explosion has claimed the lives of several North Korean soldiers in the Demilitarised Zone between North and South Korea. The incident fits a pattern of rising tensions between the countries.

The UN Security Council, at the initiative of the United Kingdom, recently adopted a resolution on Thursday (13 June) calling for an immediate end to the siege of Al Fasher, the capital of Sudan's North Darfur state. The city, some 800 kilometres west of Khartoum, remains a key conflict zone as it is the last major western city not yet in the hands of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The RSF, a former elite unit made up of ethnic Arab militias and once part of the regime of dictator Omar Hassan al Bashir, is now led by General Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo. Daglo, a military leader and wealthy businessman from Darfur, plays a central role in the current power struggle in Sudan. The violence has killed at least 14,000 people and displaced more than 10 million others, according to UN estimates.

On Tuesday (11 June), climate change envoys and representatives from 23 Allied nations met for the first time in Reykjavik, Iceland, to discuss how to further enhance cooperation in understanding and adapting to climate change's security implications.