🇺🇦🇲🇩 Ukraine and Moldova are set to begin the first formal stage of EU accession talks after Hungary dropped its veto on Kyiv. The breakthrough came after Ukraine and Hungary reached an agreement on the rights of Ukraine’s Hungarian minority. There are about 100,000 ethnic Hungarians living in Ukraine, and their rights have long been a source of tension between both countries. Under the new deal, the linguistic, educational, cultural, and political rights of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine would be expanded.
Montenegro is also aiming to join the EU by 2028.
Bigger picture: This would be the first EU enlargement since 2013 and reflects the bloc’s ambition to position itself as a geopolitical power.
🇨🇳🇳🇿 China banned four New Zealand lawmakers for one year after they visited Taiwan. The MPs were told the ban could be lifted if they apologised. New Zealand’s government said it was an unusual move, as MPs have visited Taiwan for decades without issues.
Bigger picture: Taiwan considers itself a sovereign nation, while China considers it part of its territory. The move highlights China becoming increasingly assertive in defending its position publicly.
🇮🇱🇦🇿 CNN reports, citing four sources, that Israel secretly deployed military units to Azerbaijan during the war with Iran. Israeli forces allegedly helped gather intelligence and support operations against Iranian targets. Azerbaijan denied that its territory was used for attacks on third countries and described the report as “fabricated claims.”
Bigger picture: If true, the report adds to growing evidence that the war is bigger than originally thought. I previously reported on the UAE’s alleged extensive involvement and Saudi Arabia’s more limited attacks on Iran.
🇨🇳🇰🇵 China’s President Xi Jinping is visiting North Korea on June 8-9 for his first trip there since 2019. China and North Korea have a defence pact that guarantees mutual support if either country is attacked. North Korea is the only country with which China has such an agreement.
Bigger picture: China is looking to reassert its influence over North Korea, which has moved closer to Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine.
🇦🇲 Pro-West Civil Contract party secured nearly 50% of the vote, defeating pro-Russian opposition parties. The election was widely seen as a test of Armenia’s efforts to deepen ties with the West while facing growing threats from Russia.
Bigger picture: Armenia has long been one of Russia’s closest allies. The relationship shifted after its 2023 war with Azerbaijan, when Russia didn’t step in to help. However, Armenia still relies on Russia for trade and discounted energy.
🇬🇧 A “universal vaccine” has shown promising results in its first human trial. Researchers at the University of Cambridge used AI to design a vaccine component intended to protect against a broad range of coronaviruses. The early trial involved 39 people and was primarily designed to test safety.
How does it work? Instead of developing a vaccine against one coronavirus, researchers fed genetic data from many different coronaviruses into an AI system. The AI analysed what those viruses had in common and designed a new “super-antigen” - the part of a vaccine that trains the immune system what to attack. The goal is to teach the immune system to recognise features shared across the entire coronavirus family, rather than just one strain.
🇦🇱 Protests have erupted in Albania over a proposed luxury resort project backed by Jared Kushner’s (Trump’s son-in-law) investment firm. Demonstrators say the development would threaten protected wildlife habitats, including flamingos, on Albania’s coast. More than 1% of the world’s flamingo population can be found in Albania. Prime Minister Edi Rama has defended the development, arguing it will bring billions of euros in investment and create jobs.
Bigger picture: The Albanian government approved the project in December 2024, just eight weeks after Donald Trump won the US election. That decision is now part of an investigation by Albanian anti-corruption authorities. There are concerns that the Trump family may be using its political influence to secure favourable business deals with foreign governments.
🌐 Global annual meat supply increased from 25kg per capita in 1961 to 47kg per capita in 2022, a 94% increase. The biggest driver was poultry (mostly chicken), which increased by 492% to 17kg per capita. Pig meat increased by 90% to 9kg per capita. Beef supply didn’t change, remaining at 9kg per capita.
FYI:
Brazil is the biggest exporter of chicken and beef.
The US is the biggest exporter of pig meat.
New Zealand is the biggest exporter of milk and dairy products.
The Netherlands is the biggest egg exporter.
Bigger picture: Meat production is expected to expand fastest in lower- and middle-income countries.
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