Real-time News

July 5 - The European Parliament is considering a measure that could revoke the registration of the "Sovereign State Europe" group, led by the Alternative for Germany (AfD), and strip it of EU funding, as it is suspected of violating core EU values.

July 5th - According to Russian and Ukrainian sources, from the evening of July 3rd to the early morning of July 4th, Russian and Ukrainian forces launched a large-scale attack on each other's targets. The Russian military stated that four more settlements under its control in the Kharkiv region had been added. The Russian Ministry of Defense issued a statement on July 4th saying that in the past 24 hours, Russian forces attacked Ukrainian fuel, energy, and transportation infrastructure in 142 regions, as well as long-range drone production and storage facilities, and also struck temporary deployment sites of Ukrainian troops and foreign mercenaries. The statement said that Russian air defense forces also destroyed 10 Flamingo cruise missiles, 9 HIMARS rocket launchers, 16 guided aerial bombs, and 893 fixed-wing drones launched by Ukrainian forces.

July 5 - According to Sputnik News Agency, a Geranium-4 drone operator destroyed a fuel storage facility in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine. The warehouse had previously been used to supply the Ukrainian army.

Russian Ministry of Defense: Ukrainian army lost up to 1,350 soldiers in one day.

July 4th – “I believe that China’s assisted driving technology, whether in terms of corporate technology products or the formulation of relevant laws and regulations, is ahead of the world. Recently, the United Nations passed regulations on intelligent driving, with all relevant regulations for Level 2 approved. This means that starting this December, Level 2 driving assistance functions such as NGP and NOA can be used and implemented globally, which is a very important milestone,” said He Xiaopeng, Chairman and CEO of XPeng Motors, in a recent interview. He stated that in the past, only China and the United States had truly achieved large-scale implementation of Level 2 assisted driving, while most regions around the world, including the European Union, had not yet followed suit. XPeng is not only a Chinese intelligent vehicle manufacturer but also a member of the UN Transport Regulations Committee, actively following regulatory requirements and continuously improving its related capabilities.

July 4th - As the US and Iran reached a peace agreement, releasing a large supply, oil prices fell across the board. Demand was unable to absorb the supply, and the market is once again discussing the issue of oversupply of crude oil. This is a stunning reversal; less than three months ago, the world's major physical crude oil benchmark prices hit record highs; and just weeks ago, senior industry executives were warning that global inventories had fallen to extremely low levels due to the Iranian crisis. In addition to the immediate impact of the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, analysts from institutions such as Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs have warned this week that the market faces the risk of oversupply next year. Kit Haines, head of oil research at energy consultancy Energy Aspects, said, "The overwhelming sentiment in the market right now is bearish." Even before the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding in mid-June to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, suppliers in the Persian Gulf were already increasing shipments. In the weeks following the signing of the agreement, more than 60 million barrels of crude oil that had been trapped due to the outbreak of war flooded the market.

According to TASS, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that its troops are clearing Ukrainian forces from the town of Leman.

According to TASS, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that Russian troops have captured five settlements in eastern Ukraine.

July 4 - Ali Azmai, former deputy commander of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, has been appointed as the commander of the IRGC Navy. Azmai previously served for a long time in the IRGC Navy.

July 4th - According to the New York Times, four officials familiar with the details of the meeting revealed that in the final stages of negotiations, when Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei hesitated to approve the preliminary ceasefire agreement, Iranian President Pezechzian visited him. The Iranian president told the Supreme Leader that the economic situation was dire, the US naval blockade was strangling Iran, and he would resign if he rejected the agreement. Furthermore, the Governor of the Central Bank of Iran, Abdulnaser Hemmati, also wrote to Khamenei, stating that the country faced a severe budget crisis and that critical food and medical supplies would run out by the end of August if the naval blockade continued. Hemmati explained in the letter that Iran could not sell oil on the required scale or find alternative trade routes. These statements played a crucial role in Mojtaba's eventual decision to support the agreement. In a brief public statement, he stated that although he opposed the agreement "in principle," he instructed the president to proceed if he obtained the support of the Supreme National Security Council. Pezechzian stated that the council approved the agreement by 12 out of 13 votes.

July 4th - According to the China Earthquake Networks Center, a magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck Binchuan County, Dali Prefecture, Yunnan Province (25.95°N, 100.58°E) at 18:28 on July 4, 2026, with a focal depth of 10 kilometers. Following the earthquake, the China Earthquake Administration quickly activated a Level IV emergency response, coordinating with the China Earthquake Networks Center and the Yunnan Provincial Earthquake Administration to conduct emergency response, requiring relevant units to hold joint consultations, strengthen seismic monitoring and post-earthquake trend analysis, and promptly report relevant information.

July 4th - At 17:30 Beijing time on July 4, 2026, my country successfully launched the Qianfan Polar Orbit 13 satellite constellation into its predetermined orbit using a Long March 6A carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. The launch mission was a complete success.

On July 4th, European Central Bank (ECB) Governing Council member Mohelan stated on Saturday that following last month's interest rate hike, data shows inflation has fallen with the plunge in oil prices, placing the ECB in a "favorable position." The ECB does not provide forward guidance, so it will not reveal its plans for July. However, the rapid decline in oil prices has provided some relief and puts the ECB in a more advantageous position regarding interest rates. Mohelan also stated that the ECB's 2.25% interest rate is "very low" compared to other central banks, and the June rate hike was "reasonable" under any circumstances. He further pointed out that the ECB's communication at the time indicated that this rate hike was not the start of a new tightening cycle.

German Chancellor Merz spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Zelensky to discuss Russian airstrikes on Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine.

July 4 - From today (July 4) to the 6th, public farewell and memorial services for the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei will be held in Tehran, the capital of Iran. It is estimated that 15 to 20 million Iranians will come to bid farewell to Khamenei.

July 4 (Xinhua) -- The Malian Armed Forces issued a statement on July 4 saying that military positions in several parts of Mali were attacked early that morning, and the military is currently monitoring the situation. The statement said the attacked positions were located in Agailok, Anefisse, and Gao in the north, and Sevare in the central part of the country. The statement did not specify the identity of the attackers, the details of the attack, or whether there were any casualties. Mali has experienced a prolonged period of instability since 2012, with frequent terrorist attacks, armed conflicts, and ethnic violence. In recent years, the Malian military has repeatedly stated its commitment to continuing its fight against terrorism and armed groups within the country.