Real-time News

June 20th - According to Russian media reports, starting September 1st, the Russian government will impose an 8% export tax on certain diamonds in an effort to protect its domestic diamond cutting and processing industry. The policy stipulates that the Russian government will levy an 8% export tax on uncut and partially cut diamonds weighing between 0.45 carats and 10.8 carats, as well as diamonds of special sizes exceeding 10.8 carats. However, this measure will not apply to member states of the Eurasian Economic Union.

On June 20, the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Mandalay issued a statement saying that recently, several Chinese citizens were arrested by Myanmar police after entering Myanmar through Mandalay Airport for illegally traveling to areas prohibited or restricted to foreigners. Simultaneously, several Chinese citizens using entry and exit permits to enter northern Myanmar through relevant land border crossings were also arrested by Myanmar police for suspected illegal entry while en route to other inland areas. The Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Mandalay reminds Chinese citizens traveling to Myanmar to fully understand Myanmar's national conditions and laws and regulations, and not to travel to areas prohibited or restricted to foreigners. They should also strictly abide by the scope of use of their travel documents, especially those entering Myanmar through China-Myanmar border crossings with entry and exit permits, who are limited to activities in relevant border cities on the Myanmar side and should not cross the border into inland areas to avoid violating Myanmar law.

According to Syrian state television, the Syrian Ministry of Defense stated that an attack by unidentified gunmen in northeastern Aleppo resulted in the deaths of two soldiers.

On June 20th, Tencent customer service stated that WeChat Xiaowei (intelligent assistant) is a native AI assistant being tested on a small scale by the WeChat team and is currently still in the testing phase. The customer service representative stated that WeChat Xiaowei supports operating native WeChat functions via text or voice dialogue, such as adjusting settings, sending messages, and making phone calls. Xiaowei currently uses multiple AI models, including Tencent's self-developed and high-quality open-source models. "Currently, WeChat Xiaowei's gray-scale testing covers multiple systems; please refer to the actual page display for specific participation eligibility," the customer service representative said.

Israeli military officials: Following the attack, the military has launched strikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.

Ryanair CEO O'Leary: If oil prices fall below or around $80 a barrel, we will definitely consider starting to hedge in the summer of 2027.

Iranian Interior Ministry spokesman: On the issue of negotiations, we do not distinguish between "radicals" and "moderates".

Iranian Interior Ministry spokesman: We will witness a grand funeral to bid farewell to the historically renowned and prestigious Iranian leader, Khamenei.

Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, stated that the only remaining constraint in the conflict with Ukraine is the prohibition against the deliberate targeting of civilians. The Hague Convention on the Laws and Customs of War is no longer necessary.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: Somaliland possesses abundant natural resources, including promising rare earth minerals, oil and gas resources, and an untapped extraction industry. Israel's leading position in innovation and technology is a natural partner to Somaliland's untapped potential and strategic geographical location.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard: Iran's international standing and prestige have been enhanced in this war. The rights of the Iranian people and the resistance must be consolidated.

Iranian Revolutionary Guard: Iranian armed forces have severely damaged the most advanced technological equipment in the United States.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that negotiations are progressing through mediators, and an announcement will be made when the conditions for initiating talks are met.

June 20 – According to the Iranian Students' News Agency, the deputy head of international affairs at the Iranian Judicial Center's Lawyers Center stated: "Those claiming that 'Iran is not qualified to levy service fees on the Straits' typically cite the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). However, Iran is not a member state of UNCLOS and therefore is not bound by the 'transit' regime stipulated in the Convention. In international maritime law, charging fees for actual and clearly defined services is a recognized legal practice. Iran can charge fees for the services it provides, provided that the fees are consideration for the services provided and not simply taxes or tolls."

June 20th - Several European countries have recently experienced high temperatures. The French meteorological service announced on the 19th that starting from the 20th, the number of provinces under an orange heatwave warning will increase to 60, representing approximately two-thirds of all French provinces.

On June 20th, the Russian Ministry of Defense released a weekly combat report showing that from June 13th to 19th, the Russian military carried out multiple large-scale strikes against targets including Ukrainian defense industrial complexes, fuel and energy facilities, transportation and port facilities used by the Ukrainian military, and Ukrainian military airfields. In addition, Russian air defense systems shot down a total of 3,909 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones.

According to RIA Novosti, Slovakia will meet most of its natural gas needs through supplies from Russia.

World Bank: In March, the World Bank's natural gas price index rose by 24%, while the benchmark price of LNG in Asia surged by about 94% and the benchmark price in Europe rose by 59%.

June 20 - The Australian government confirmed on the 20th that a migratory bird found in Western Australia tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus. This is the first confirmed case of the highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza virus on the Australian mainland.