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taipei, taiwan — Taiwan's annual war games this year will be as close as possible to actual combat, no longer just putting on a show to score points but aiming to simulate real fighting given a rapidly rising "enemy threat" from China, a senior official said.  China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its territory, has been staging regular exercises around the island for four years to pressure Taipei to accept Beijing's claim of sovereignty, despite Taiwan's strong objections.  Taiwan starts its five-day Han Kuang exercises on July 22.     A senior Taiwan defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity to be able to speak more freely, said there was an urgent need to rethink how the drills were conducted.  "In recent years, the enemy threat has changed rapidly," the official said. "Our defense combat plan must also be continuously revised on a rolling basis, and the urgency of comprehensive combat training is becoming more and more important."  Elements that were mostly for show, like rehearsal drills, have been canceled, while this year there will be nighttime exercises and, unusually, the capital Taipei will be included too, the official said.  "It's not about scoring points," the official said. "We want the soldiers to wonder whether this is for real."  Things may go wrong — such as vehicle breakdowns — and that is fine, the official added. "These are problems that may be faced in actual combat."  The exercises will be a continuous experience, the official said. "War does not distinguish between night and day."  China's defense ministry did not answer calls seeking comment about the exercises outside of office hours at the weekend. It has previously said it is futile for Taiwan to think it can use arms to prevent "reunification."  Announcing the drills in April, Taiwan's defense ministry said the war games would practice "kill" zones at sea to break a blockade and simulate a scenario where China suddenly turns one of its regular drills around the island into an attack.  "Only with real-time, on-the-ground verification can we truly understand the capabilities and limitations of our troops," the official said.  China held two days of its own war games around the island shortly after President Lai Ching-te took office last month, saying it was "punishment" for his inauguration speech, which Beijing denounced as being full of separatist content.  But China has also been using gray zone warfare against Taiwan, wielding irregular tactics to exhaust a foe by keeping them continually on alert without resorting to open combat. This includes sending balloons over the island and almost daily air force missions into the skies near Taiwan.  China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. Lai, who says only the Taiwanese people can decide their future, has repeatedly offered talks but been rebuffed.  The official declined to comment on which parts of the war games Lai would attend, as is customary for the president as commander-in-chief, or whether there would be U.S. observers. 

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Shanghai, China — The German vice-chancellor assured China on Saturday that the "doors" remained "open" to discuss EU surcharges on Chinese electric vehicles, without reassuring Beijing which promised to "firmly defend" its manufacturers. Also, the Minister of Economy and Climate, Robert Habeck is making a visit that seems like a last chance to avoid a trade war between the Old Continent and the second world power, an important economic partner of Germany. A task further complicated by the political context, the German leader reproached China on Saturday for its economic support for Russia against a backdrop of the invasion of Ukraine, stressing it was "harming" relations between Beijing and Brussels. China regularly denounces these upcoming surcharges on electric vehicles as being "purely protectionist." "These are not punitive customs duties," Habeck assured Zheng Shanjie, director of the Chinese Economic Planning Agency (NDRC) Saturday, according to a recording sent to AFP by the Chinese Embassy in Germany. "This is not a punishment," he insisted. Up to 28% increase Without compromise by July 4, the European Commission will impose up to 28% increase in customs duties on imports of Chinese electric vehicles, accusing Beijing of having, according to it, distorted competition by massively subsidizing this sector. These surcharges would become definitive from November. "For Europe, I can say that the doors are open and the invitation or offer for discussion has been made several times. Now it must be accepted," Habeck said at a news conference in Shanghai. From Brussels, Olof Gill, the EU spokesperson, assured that European Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis and Chinese Trade Minister Wang Wentao "had a frank and constructive call on Saturday regarding the anti-subsidy investigation of the EU on electric cars produced in China." "Both sides will continue to engage at all levels in the coming weeks," he added. China vows to defend 'rights' Earlier Saturday, the tone had been firm on the Chinese side. "If the EU shows sincerity, China wants to start negotiations as soon as possible" on the surcharges, Trade Minister Wang told him, according to the English-speaking state television CGTN. "But if the EU persists in this course, we will take all necessary measures to defend our interests. This will include lodging a complaint with the dispute settlement mechanism of the World Trade Organization (WTO). We will firmly defend the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises." Beijing had already announced Monday that it had launched an anti-dumping investigation into imports of pork and pork products from the European Union. German and European manufacturers are strongly affected by cheaper Chinese competition. Imports of Chinese electric vehicles into Germany increased tenfold between 2020 and 2023. China argues that the success of its electricity sector is due to innovation and efficient supply chains, not subsidies. "(EU) protectionism will not protect (its manufacturers') competitiveness and will only slow down the global fight against climate change and the promotion of a green transition," Zheng told Habeck. "We expect Germany to show leadership within the EU and take the right measures," implying the cancellation of surcharges, he insisted, according to the New China agency. Habeck blames Beijing Such an epilogue seems improbable, with Habeck again blaming Beijing on Saturday for the surge in its trade with Moscow. "The Russian war of aggression and Chinese support for the Russian government are already harming trade and economic relations between Europe and China," he said he told his Chinese interlocutors. China has pledged not to supply weapons to Russia and calls for respect for the territorial integrity of all countries — including Ukraine. But China has never condemned Moscow for its invasion. Habeck assured Saturday that many "dual-use" goods (both civil and military) were used by Russia after passing through "third countries" — implying China. "We therefore cannot accept" that the Russian invasion is supported with these products, insisted the German vice-chancellor, calling on Beijing to ban their export to its Russian neighbor. German car manufacturers still fear a major trade conflict with Beijing, which would undermine their activity in this crucial market. For Mercedes, Volkswagen or BMW, China represents up to 36% of sales volumes.

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Jerusalem — Thousands of Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Saturday to mark the 20th birthday of Naama Levy, who has been held hostage in Gaza since October 7, and to call for an immediate cease-fire in the war with Palestinian militant group Hamas.  Releasing balloons and chanting to the beat of drums, protesters shared bite-sized cupcakes decorated with birthday candles while demanding the release of all hostages taken by Hamas following its deadly raid on Israel eight months ago.  "She needs to be here with her family, with her friends, said Yoni Levy, 52, Naama's father, wearing a shirt emblazoned with his daughter's image.  On Thursday, Naama's elder brother Amit shared memories of his sister with Reuters, pointing to her smiling face in a magazine picture with the headline: "Bring Her Home."  "I really can't wait to see this smile when she comes back soon," he said.  A video of Naama posted by Hamas militants on October 7 — showing her with hands tied behind her back, dressed in tattered pajamas and visibly injured — went viral on social media.   She had just begun her duties in the Israeli Defense Force when she was seized, along with four other female army conscripts, in the raid that triggered Israel's war on Gaza.  Hamas killed around 1,200 people in the raid and seized more than 250 hostages. Israel's response has left Gaza in ruins and killed more than 37,400 people, including 101 in the past 24 hours, according to Palestinian health authorities. 

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — An attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels targeted a commercial ship traveling through the Gulf of Aden but apparently caused no damage, authorities said Saturday, in the latest strike on the shipping lane by the group.  The Houthi attack comes after the sinking this week of the ship Tutor, which marked what appears to be a new escalation by the Iranian-backed Houthis in their campaign of strikes on ships in the vital maritime corridor over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.  Meanwhile, U.S. officials ordered the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, the aircraft carrier leading America's response to the Houthi attacks, to return home after a twice-extended tour.  The captain of the ship targeted late Friday saw "explosions in the vicinity of the vessel," the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said. A later briefing by the U.S.-overseen Joint Maritime Information Center said the vessel initially reported two explosions off its port side and a third one later.  "The vessel was not hit and sustained no damage," the center said. "The vessel and crew are reported to be safe and are proceeding to their next port of call."  The Houthis, who have held Yemen's capital, Sanaa, since 2014, claimed the attack Saturday night. Brigadier General Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesman, identified the vessel targeted as the bulk carrier Transworld Navigator.  The Houthis have launched more than 60 attacks targeting specific vessels and fired off other missiles and drones in their campaign that has killed a total of four sailors. They have seized one vessel and sunk two since November. A U.S.-led airstrike campaign has targeted the Houthis since January, with a series of strikes May 30 killing at least 16 people and wounding 42 others, the rebels say.  In March, the Belize-flagged Rubymar carrying fertilizer became the first to sink in the Red Sea after taking on water for days following a rebel attack.  The Houthis have maintained that their attacks target ships linked to Israel, the United States or Britain. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the Israel-Hamas war.  Meanwhile, the U.S. Naval Institute's news service reported, citing an anonymous official, that the Eisenhower would be returning home to Norfolk, Virginia, after an over eight-month deployment in combat that the Navy says is its most intense since World War II. The report said an aircraft carrier operating in the Pacific would be taking the Eisenhower's place.  Two U.S. officials, later speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss ship movements, confirmed the Eisenhower had been ordered home and already had reached the Mediterranean Sea.  Flight-tracking data analyzed by the AP showed a Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk helicopter associated with the Eisenhower flying above the Mediterranean Sea just off the coast of Port Said, Egypt, on Saturday night.  The closest American aircraft carrier known to be operating in Asia is the USS Theodore Roosevelt. The Roosevelt anchored Saturday in Busan, South Korea, amid Seoul's ongoing tensions with North Korea. The U.S. officials said the Roosevelt would replace the Eisenhower.  The Eisenhower had repeatedly been targeted by false attack claims by the Houthis during its time in the Red Sea. Saree on Saturday night claimed another attack on the carrier — but again provided no evidence to support it as the ship already had left the area. 

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taipei, taiwan — Taiwan's defense ministry said Saturday it had detected 41 Chinese military aircraft around the island in a 24-hour window, a day after Beijing said "diehard" advocates of Taiwan's independence could face the death penalty.   China claims self-ruled democratic Taiwan as part of its territory and has said it would never renounce the use of force to bring it under Beijing's control.  It has stepped up pressure on Taipei in recent years and held war games around the island following last month's inauguration of new Taiwanese leader Lai Ching-te.  On Saturday, Taipei's defense ministry said it had detected 41 Chinese military aircraft and seven naval vessels operating around Taiwan during the 24-hour period leading up to 6 a.m. (2200 GMT).  "Thirty-two of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait," the ministry said in a statement, referring to a line bisecting the 180-kilometer (110-mile) waterway that separates Taiwan from China.  The ministry added that it had "monitored the situation and responded accordingly."  The latest incursion came after China published judicial guidelines Friday that included the death penalty for "particularly serious" cases of "diehard" supporters of Taiwanese independence, state media reported.  On May 25, Taiwan detected 62 Chinese military aircraft around the island in a 24-hour window, the highest single-day total this year, as China staged military drills following the inauguration of Lai, who Beijing regards as a "dangerous separatist." 

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Amman, Jordan — Fears are growing of the Gaza conflict widening to engulf Israel and its northern foe, the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah militia, after both sides claimed this week to be ready to go to war following an intensification of their cross-border attacks. Israel’s military said it has approved plans for an attack in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah has threatened to carry out a war with "no red lines," although it said it would halt attacks if the Gaza war stopped. Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the U.K., Prince Khalid Bin Bandar Al Saud, warned this week that failure to end the Gaza war and the broader Israel-Palestinian conflict would risk serious escalation not easily contained. “At some stage we will hit a point where the conflict will spread, and it will become regional,” he said at London’s Chatham House. “It’s very important for everyone to recognize the danger that lies ahead,” he said. “A regional conflict will not remain regional; it will become international very quickly. The reality is that if it continues along the path that it is going, [it] is much worse than what is happening on the ground today or any scenario from what will come from a deal.” U.S. President Joe Biden’s envoy, Amos Hochstein, has tried to defuse tensions, warning that a “miscalculation, accident or errant missile” could cause the situation to spiral out of control. Analyst Nicholas Heras of the Washington-based New Lines Institute told VOA that Israel and Hezbollah are currently “on a knife’s edge of conflict,” which could lead to an all-out war. “Israel’s objective is to eliminate Hamas control from Gaza and to force Hezbollah off of the Israeli border north of the Litani River in Lebanon,” Heras said. “Hezbollah’s goal, which is set by Iran, is to continue to apply increasing military pressure on Israel until the conflict in Gaza ends.” Hussein Ibish, an analyst with Washington’s Arab Gulf States Institute, told the France24 satellite TV channel that “neither Hezbollah nor Iran want a war under current circumstances.” “The purpose of Hezbollah in the Iranian alliance is to be a deterrent against and a strategic response to an Israeli or American assault on the Iranian homeland, specifically on their nuclear facilities,” Ibish said. Still, should a war ignite between Israel and Hezbollah, Heras told VOA that there would be widespread ramifications. “If there is a war between Hezbollah, and by extension Iran, in Israel, it would draw the United States in that war because the United States is so committed in terms of military assets to Israel’s defense,” he said. “And Iran is so committed to Hezbollah’s defense because Hezbollah represents for Iran a key means to apply strategic pressure on Israel.” Heras predicts that the entire region would be drawn in and “that type of war could have shattering effects on global society.”

BANGUI, Central African Republic — Authorities in the Central African Republic charged a European aid worker who was arrested last month with terrorism and undermining state security, the public prosecutor’s office said. Martin Joseph Figueira, a Belgian-Portuguese consultant for the American nongovernmental organization FHI360, has been accused of being in communication with armed groups to plot a coup, thereby jeopardizing national security. On Friday, the prosecutor charged him with six crimes, including undermining the internal and external state security, as well as terrorism. If found guilty, he faces a sentence of forced labor for life. Among Figueira's alleged crimes, the prosecutor's office listed “the existence of several contracts with the leaders of armed groups, supply of strategic information on the different positions of the Central African Armed Forces, money and weapons, being identified as an alleged employee of an American nongovernmental organization carrying out research on Fulani herders.” Figueira also allegedly “defended war crimes and crimes against humanity; the propaganda of armed groups while encouraging them to create an international terrorist branch like the Islamic State,” the statement said. Figueira holds Belgian and Portuguese passports. On his Belgian passport he goes under the name of Martin Joseph Edouard. FHI360, a public health organization that manages projects related to family planning and reproductive health, confirmed that one of its workers is in custody in the Central African Republic. Figueira was arrested last month in Zemio, a town in southeastern Central African Republic that has been plagued by fighting between local ethnic militias and anti-government rebels for over a decade. “We are working to secure our consultant’s immediate release,” FHI360's spokesperson Jennifer Garcia told The Associated Press immediately after his arrest. So far, The Associated Press has not been able to contact Figueira, and none of his lawyers commented on Friday’s statement. Mohamed Ag Ayoya, deputy special representative of the U.N. secretary-general in charge of humanitarian action, told the AP he was monitoring the situation. “We learned of the news and the prosecutor’s press release through the press," Ayoya said. “We have no comment to make. But what I can tell you at this level it is his embassy in Bangui which is managing the file.” Authorities have warned foreign charity workers against taking part in activities that could jeopardize national security or they could face judicial proceedings. Following Figueira's arrest, the military was deployed to Zemio, after more than six years of absence from the town. The Russian mercenary group Wagner, which for years has had a significant a presence in the Central African Republic, was also deployed there at the same time to train local militias and recruit them for the army. It wasn't immediately clear whether Wagner forces were still present in the city. The Central African Republic has been in conflict since 2013, when predominantly Muslim rebels seized power and forced then-president Francois Bozize from office. Mostly Christian militias fought back. A 2019 peace deal helped slow the fighting, but six of the 14 armed groups that signed later left the agreement. A U.N. peacekeeping mission and Rwandan troops are currently deployed in the Central African Republic to try to quell the violence and protect civilians.

Nairobi, Kenya — A 21-year-old man died after being hit by a tear gas canister during protests in Kenya this week, a human rights official and the victim's relative said Saturday, in the second fatality in connection with the youth-led demonstrations.  Led largely by Gen-Z Kenyans who have livestreamed the demonstrations against tax increases, the protests have been galvanized by widespread anger over President William Ruto's economic policies.  Thursday's demonstrations in Nairobi were mostly peaceful, but officers fired tear gas and water cannons throughout the day to disperse protesters near parliament.  According to a Kenya Human Rights Commission official, 21-year-old Evans Kiratu was "hit by a tear gas canister" during the demonstrations.  "He was rushed to hospital around 6 p.m. on Thursday ... and died there," Ernest Cornel, a spokesperson at the Kenya Human Rights Commission, told AFP. "It is tragic that a young person can lose his life simply for agitating against the high cost of living."  The victim's aunt told national broadcaster Citizen TV that her nephew had died in the hospital before she was able to see him.  "We are demanding justice for my nephew," she said.  The rallies began in Nairobi on Tuesday before spreading across the country, with protesters calling for a national strike on Tuesday.  Kiratu's death comes on the heels of another fatality reported Friday, when a police watchdog group said it was investigating allegations that a 29-year-old man was shot by officers in Nairobi after the demonstrations.  The Independent Policing Oversight Authority said it had "documented the death ... allegedly as a result of [a] police shooting" Thursday.  According to a police report seen by AFP, a 29-year-old man was taken to the hospital in Nairobi around 7 p.m. Thursday, "unconscious with a thigh injury" before "succumbing" to his injuries, without giving further details.  Several organizations, including Amnesty International Kenya, said that at least 200 people were injured in Nairobi after Thursday's protests, which saw thousands of people take to the streets across the country. Following smaller-scale demonstrations in Nairobi earlier in the week, the cash-strapped government agreed to roll back several tax increases laid out in a new bill.  But Ruto's administration still intends to increase some taxes, defending the proposed levies as necessary for filling its coffers and cutting reliance on external borrowing.  The tax increases will pile further pressure on Kenyans, with many already struggling to survive as the cost of living surges and well-paid jobs remain out of reach for young people.  Organized largely through social media, the protests have caught the government by surprise, with demonstrators now calling for a nationwide shutdown.  "Tuesday 25th June: #OccupyParliament and Total Shutdown Kenya. A national strike," read a poster shared widely online, adding that "Gen Z are granting all hard-working Kenyans a day off. Parents keep your children at home in solidarity."  After the government agreed to scrap levies on bread purchases and car ownership as well as financial and mobile services, the treasury warned of a 200 billion shilling ($1.5 billion) shortfall.  The proposed taxes were projected to raise 346.7 billion shillings ($2.7 billion), equivalent to 1.9% of GDP, and reduce the budget deficit from 5.7% to 3.3% of GDP.  The government has now targeted an increase in fuel prices and export taxes to fill the void left by the changes, a move critics say will make life more expensive in a country battling high inflation.  Kenya is one of the most dynamic economies in East Africa, but a third of its 51.5 million people live in poverty. 

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Lome, Togo — Togo authorities said they will lift a suspension on accreditations for foreign journalists imposed in April after a highly contested constitutional reform.  The High Authority for Audiovisual and Communication, or HAAC, suspended accreditations before legislative elections that saw President Faure Gnassingbe's ruling party extend his family's political dynasty.  HAAC had said the suspension was because of "serious failures" in the coverage of Togo's politics by French media and issues with a French journalist who was expelled from Togo.  “The suspension of the accreditation of foreign press organizations for the coverage of news and demonstrations in Togo is lifted as of Wednesday, June 26," HAAC said in a statement issued late Friday.   Reporters Without Borders had denounced the suspension as a violation of freedom of information.  Gnassingbe's Union for the Republic, or UNIR, party won 108 of the 113 parliament seats in the election in the small West African state.  Under the constitutional reform, the presidency becomes a largely ceremonial post elected by lawmakers. Power shifts to a new president of the council of ministers. That position will automatically be taken by the head of the ruling party, in this case Gnassingbe as the UNIR leader.  It means Gnassingbe can regain the post every six years if his party maintains a parliamentary majority. Critics called the reform an "institutional coup" tailored for Gnassingbe to evade term limits on his presidency.