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NATO's future
US halts deployment of troops to Poland

The US Department of Defense has abruptly halted the deployment of 4,000 troops to Poland, sources told the New York Times.

According to the sources, the halted deployment is part of the US's restructuring of forces in Europe.

Two weeks ago, the Pentagon announced its intention to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany. At the same time, it also halted planned deployments of missile systems in Europe.

The decisions came after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized Donald Trump for the war in Iran. Why the decision to halt the deployment of troops to Poland was made is unclear, however.
 

US-China relations
Analysis: Xi does not want Trump to emerge from the debacle as a victor

Donald Trump flattered Xi Jinping while the Chinese president himself took a much harder line. This is what New York Times journalist David Sanger writes in an analysis.

Trump began the state visit by praising Xi Jinping and his control over a country of over a billion people.

“Xi, unsurprisingly, spent very little time flattering. When the salutes were over, the disciplined Chinese leader went straight to setting the boundaries of the relationship between the countries,” writes Sanger.

China’s strategy in its relationship with the United States is to not budge, negotiate hard and play the long game. This is what Sky News correspondent Helen-Ann Smith writes in an analysis.

During the meeting, Trump asked for help in opening the Strait of Hormuz, something Xi, according to the president, has agreed to.

“But Trump is deluding himself if he thinks China will hand him a breakthrough on a platter, despite positive tones from the White House after today’s talks,” writes Smith and continues:

“It’s not wrong to say that China wants to see the strait reopened – they too have been hit economically by the closure – but they don’t want Trump to emerge from this whole debacle as a victor.”

The war in Sudan
Over 40 percent of Sudan's population threatened by famine

Over 40 percent of Sudan's population is facing acute hunger. The IPC stated in a report on Thursday, according to the AP.

This concerns about 19.5 million people, of whom 135,000 are in category five. This includes people who are starving and suffering from severe malnutrition and a greatly increased risk of dying from disease or acute malnutrition.

"The situation is expected to worsen further during the upcoming famine period between June and September," the IPC writes in the report.

The hunger crisis follows the civil war that broke out in 2023, which has led to about 59,000 people being killed and 13 million being forced to flee their homes. More than 30 million people in the country are in need of humanitarian assistance.