Real-time News

Russian Presidential Aide Ushakov: Moscow maintains close contact with Kyiv.

On June 7th, Christodoros Pazalides, a member of the European Central Bank's Governing Council and Governor of the Central Bank of Cyprus, stated that it is time for Europe to abandon its long-standing political resistance to joint debt issuance, as large-scale "safe assets" would help enhance the EU's sovereignty and stability. Europe has long discussed creating a benchmark financial instrument through joint borrowing to challenge the status of US Treasury bonds, but some countries, particularly Germany and the Netherlands, have opposed it, fearing that their taxpayers would ultimately foot the bill for the fiscal irresponsibility of other countries. This lack of common safe assets has left the EU's financial architecture incomplete, leading to higher borrowing costs and reduced competitiveness, thus prompting the ECB to increasingly push for this policy shift. In a commentary, Pazalides stated, "The current economic, geopolitical, and institutional conditions are unusually synchronized, providing a strong justification for issuing European common safe assets." He also pointed out that such instruments could not only reduce financing costs but also provide the necessary funding for joint projects in areas such as green and digital transformation, artificial intelligence projects, defense, public health preparedness, and energy security.

Ukrainian President Zelensky: Russia's deliberate attack on nuclear fuel storage facilities was an "extremely despicable" attack.

June 7 – Armenia held its National Assembly (parliamentary) elections on June 7, with voters casting their ballots for at least 101 members of parliament from candidates representing 18 political parties and coalitions. A total of 2,005 polling stations were set up, with over 2.48 million registered voters. Voting took place from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM local time on June 7. The Armenian Central Election Commission will release preliminary vote counts within 24 hours of the polls closing, with final results announced one week later. The parliament elected in this election will elect a new prime minister.

Ukraine claims that a Russian drone attacked a nuclear waste storage facility, but radiation levels are currently stable.

South Korean Finance Minister: We will investigate any illegal transactions by importers and exporters.

Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po announced today (June 7) that the "AI+ and Industrial Development Strategy Committee," established as announced in the budget, has been successfully formed. Members include experts, academics, and representatives from chambers of commerce, businesses, and industrial parks. The committee will hold its first meeting this month. Given the broad scope of AI's potential applications, the committee will initially focus not only on life sciences and empathic intelligence but also on strategies for applying AI to various sectors, such as transportation, culture and creative industries, and sustainable development.

On June 7, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Iranian First Vice President Ariff stated that all senior officials are completely aligned on Iran's negotiating strategy and refuted any claims of disagreement regarding the negotiating text or agenda. Ariff stated that Tehran has adopted a clear and coordinated approach in the negotiations. He said, "Iran has developed a clear strategy in the negotiations, and all officials are implementing it in a fully coordinated manner." He added that officials "have no disagreement on the negotiating text and agenda." He was referring to the ongoing indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States, aimed at permanently ending the war waged by the United States and Israel against Iran. Ariff also emphasized Iran's experience in dealing with two wars, stating that Iran has drawn valuable crisis management experience from them.

June 7th - According to Nikkei, while major cities worldwide are expanding their tree cover to curb rising summer temperatures related to climate change, the number of street trees in Japan has plummeted from its peak, with a shift towards planting species with limited canopy growth. According to statistics from the University of Tokyo, Tokyo's canopy cover (the percentage of land area covered by branches, trunks, and leaves) has decreased from 9.2% in 2013 to 7.3% in 2022. This means that approximately 12 square kilometers of shaded area disappeared during this period, roughly equivalent to 250 large baseball fields. Even Phoenix, the capital of Arizona, a desert-surrounded city, has a higher tree cover than Tokyo, reaching 11% in 2024.

British Airways' CEO said that if fuel costs remain high, airfares will rise again.

June 7th - According to recent news from Japan, due to the deteriorating situation in the Middle East, aviation fuel prices continue to rise. All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL) have basically decided to significantly increase fuel surcharges for international routes booked in July and August. The one-way fuel surcharge for North American and European routes booked in May and June has already reached 56,000 yen (approximately 2,363 yuan), and is expected to increase further, potentially breaking the record and reaching 65,000 to 70,000 yen (approximately 2,743 to 2,954 yuan). The specific increase is currently being coordinated with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and other departments, and will be finalized soon. It is understood that ANA and JAL have already significantly increased their international fuel surcharges for June, with an increase of over 70% compared to April and May.

APK-Inform has revised its 2026 wheat production forecast for Ukraine upward to 21.7 million tons from 19.9 million tons. It has also revised its 2026 grain production forecast for Ukraine upward to 58.7 million tons from 56.9 million tons.

June 7th - A new Israeli study shows that B cells with "immune memory" against tumor cells exist long-term in ovarian cancer patients. When encountering invading tumor cells again, these cells can quickly deploy targeted "defense weapons," namely, producing effective antibodies that can specifically bind to tumor cells. This discovery provides new insights for developing cancer immunotherapy and preventing cancer recurrence.

June 7th - Yesterday (June 6th), the world's first prefabricated computing center base was officially put into use in Qingdao, Shandong. Compared to traditional computing centers, it saves nearly 70% of the construction time, providing a more efficient and lower-carbon solution for current computing infrastructure construction. Simply put, the computing center base is the energy hub and power fortress of the computing center, also known as the "heart" of the center, providing a continuous and stable power supply. The stability of the base's power supply and its energy efficiency directly affect the overall working capacity of the computing center.

June 7th - The price of household liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in Delhi, India, has increased by 29 rupees per can (approximately US$0.3054). According to the website of Indian Oil Corporation, India's largest state-owned refiner and fuel retailer, the company has raised the price of a 14.2 kg can of household LPG in Delhi from 913 rupees to 942 rupees, effective June 7th. India's three major state-owned fuel retailers typically adjust fuel retail prices in tandem.

On June 7th, AstraZeneca CEO Robert Soriot warned that, given the terms of its agreement with the Trump administration to reduce drug costs for US patients, the pharmaceutical giant may be forced to suspend the launch of new drugs in the UK and Europe if it cannot secure higher drug prices. Soriot stated that European countries must increase investment in innovative drugs, otherwise the Anglo-Swiss joint venture will have no choice but to focus almost entirely on the US market, as nearly half of its revenue comes from the US.

On June 7th, Eli Lilly (LLY.N) announced the results of a trial of its next-generation weight-loss drug, Retatrutide, to medical experts. The results showed that in addition to promoting weight loss and relieving knee pain, the drug can also reduce the severity of sleep apnea. In a phase 3 clinical trial, Eli Lilly found that once-weekly injections of Retatrutide reduced symptoms of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea by 60.6% in obese adult patients. In the same trial, Eli Lilly also found that the drug reduced pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis by up to 73.1%.

On June 7th, the Nansha District Government and Bao'an District Government of Guangzhou signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement. The two districts will promote comprehensive cooperation in multiple areas, including industrial collaboration, technological innovation, talent exchange, infrastructure, and a high-quality living environment, jointly creating a new model of coordinated development in the Greater Bay Area and supporting the high-quality development of the "Golden Inner Bay." In the area of people's livelihood, the two districts will pilot projects in areas such as sharing high-quality educational resources, cross-regional medical cooperation, mutual recognition and interoperability of social security rights, and cross-regional use of housing provident funds.