EV Safety & Trade Tensions: U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy urged Ford to end technology ties with China’s CATL, citing national security risks, as China warned Washington against politicizing trade. Energy & Climate Policy: A new China industrial plan for intelligent connected new-energy vehicles sets targets through 2030 and includes a major legal shift: automakers, not drivers, would be liable for fully autonomous traffic violations. Heat & Water Risks: El Niño is strengthening, with a 75% chance it becomes the strongest on record, raising odds of low snowpacks across the Pacific Northwest. Himalayan Disaster Warning: Environmentalist Tikender Panwar urged decommissioning vulnerable hydropower projects in the Himalayas after Nepal’s glacier-related disaster highlighted rising glacial lake outburst flood risks. Regional Health Security: ASEAN and the U.S. agreed to boost early detection and genomic surveillance under One Health to strengthen health security. Circular Economy & Industry: The EU dropped an aluminium scrap export duty after India pushed back, shifting toward environmental regulation instead of a tax. Urban Heritage: Manchester began a two-year restoration of its Chinatown archway using materials and artisans from China.