The European Union agreed to higher import levels for more than a dozen trading partners, including Britain, according to the Guardian. The EU’s existing steel safeguard measure was set to expire on 30 June 2026, as reported by milasourcing.com, and the European Parliament approved a replacement steel safeguard on 19 May 2026 by a vote of 606 to 16, also reported by milasourcing.com.

The U.S. State Department fired a diplomat after he admitted a romantic relationship with a Chinese woman alleged to have ties to the Chinese Communist Party, according to the Los Angeles Times. The dismissal was described by the Los Angeles Times as the first of its kind for violating a ban on romantic relationships between U.S. staff in China and Chinese citizens that was introduced late last year under the Biden administration.

Chinese President Xi Jinping was joined by leaders from 26 nations and other foreign delegates at a military parade in Beijing on a Wednesday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of World War II’s conclusion, reported by internewscast.com. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stood beside Xi Jinping at the parade, according to internewscast.com. The parade was described as a show of unity among countries friendly with China and as evidence of China’s expanding influence over the Global South, also reported by internewscast.com.