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Polytechnic University in the top five: results of the National Student Chess League Cup final

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

The Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University team was among the top five teams in Russia following the National Student Chess League Cup final. The tournament, held at the M. M. Botvinnik Central Chess House in Moscow, brought together the winners of regional qualifiers from across the country.

The NSHL Cup is the largest student chess competition in Russia. In 2025, 283 teams from 179 universities participated in the qualifying rounds, setting a project record. The format included online regional qualifiers and an in-person final, where the strongest student chess clubs met.

The final took place from November 14th to 17th at one of the country's main chess venues. The Russian Championship Superfinal had concluded there a month earlier, and for the student tournament participants, playing on this stage provided valuable sporting experience and an opportunity to compete in a truly professional tournament.

To reach the final, the SPbPU team had to win the regional qualifying round. Thirty-four teams from the city's leading universities competed at the start in St. Petersburg. The selection process took place online on the ChessOpen platform.

Each player made a significant contribution to the team's success: Dmitry Mochalov completed the entire tournament undefeated, Ilya Oborin maintained the team's momentum in key matches, and Olga Karmanova won every critical game on her board. The Polytechnic team demonstrated confident and consistent play: six wins, one draw, 13 points out of a possible 14, and zero losses.

This result allowed SPbPU to take first place among all teams in the city and receive the only St. Petersburg ticket to the final of the NSHL Cup.

The following teams played for Polytechnic in the final:

Dmitry Mochalov, Candidate Master of Sports, first-year student at the Institute of Economics and Transport; Iskander Nasibullin, Candidate Master of Sports, second-year postgraduate student at the Institute of Economics and Transport; Olga Karmanova, International Master of Sports among women, first-year student at the Institute of Physics and Mechanics.

The team boasted a balanced lineup: a strong first board, an experienced second board, and a very productive women's board. Olga Karmanova stood out in particular, scoring 7.5 points out of 9—one of the best individual results in her category.

The Moscow final featured ten teams, winners of the district qualifiers. All matches were played in a round-robin format, with each team playing every other team.

The final table looked like this:

USMU – 17 points, Moscow State University – 16 points, KSU – 15 points, NNSU – 11 points, SPbPU – 10 points

Among the competitors were some of the true leaders of student chess. For example, the Ural State Mining University (USMU) team included two grandmasters—Sergei Lobanov and the current Russian chess champion, Arseniy Nesterov. Teams from Moscow State University, Kazan State University, and Lobachevsky State University also fielded strong teams, including masters of sports and leaders from their regions.

Despite the high level of the opponents, the SPbPU team performed confidently in the tournament:

5 wins, 10 match points, 16.5 points in games, 5th overall place.

Polytechnic University left behind teams from Rostov-on-Don, Novosibirsk, Khabarovsk, Dagestan, and Syktyvkar, losing only to the traditional favorites: USMU, MSU, KSU, and NNSU.

The team demonstrated a mature and confident performance. It's important that we not only competed in every round but also proved that we can consistently compete with the country's strongest student teams. The final in Moscow was a major step forward for the entire Polytechnic University team," noted Ruslan Barseghyan, strategic coach of the SPbPU team.

Ultimately, the SPbPU team finished the season with a strong result and a confident performance at the country's premier student tournament. New challenges and the opportunity to compete for prizes in the future lie ahead.

This year, our chess players demonstrated remarkable growth in skill, with one victory literally following another. For example, in October, the Polytechnic team went undefeated. won the Higher League of the St. Petersburg Student Sports League in chessAnd in November won gold medals in the team chess tournament in the blitz of the St. Petersburg Student League.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Chinese and foreign researchers in the Chinese city of Urumqi discussed issues of preventing and combating desertification.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, November 24 (Xinhua) — Around 50 academic researchers, experts, and scientists from China, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, and other countries and regions recently gathered in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, to participate in the International Symposium on Desertification Prevention and Control within the Belt and Road Initiative, where they exchanged experiences and discussed expanding cooperation in this area, according to the Zhongguo Xinwenwang news portal.

Desertification is a serious global environmental problem, impacting human survival and sustainable development. Yi Zhijun, Deputy Director of the Secretariat of the Belt and Road Alliance of Scientific Organizations (ANSO), noted that desertification is linked to the environment, the economy, and human well-being, and must be addressed from an interdisciplinary perspective. This is inseparable from international exchanges and cooperation, and all parties must work together, he emphasized.

Symposium participants shared scientific knowledge and practical experience in preventing and combating desertification. Duan Weili, Deputy Director of the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), spoke about the institute's collaboration with Mongolia and Kazakhstan in combating desertification.

“We look forward to establishing close partnerships with more research institutions around the world and helping all parties achieve sustainable development by establishing joint laboratories, sharing field observation networks, and cultivating young scientific and technological talent,” said Duan Weili.

The symposium discussed the "Scientific Report on Preventing and Combating Desertification within the Belt and Road Initiative." It outlines the current challenges in combating desertification in Belt and Road countries and assesses the applicability and effectiveness of various management programs with the goal of developing a set of science-based management models and knowledge systems that can be widely understood and adopted by the international community.

The current symposium was organized by the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Belt and Road International Alliance of Scientific Organizations. -0-

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Brazil is "very concerned" about the deployment of US troops in the Caribbean.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

SAO PAULO, November 24 (Xinhua) — Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Sunday that he is "very concerned" about the deployment of U.S. troops in the Caribbean and plans to talk to his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump to prevent a conflict with Venezuela.

South America is considered a "zone of peace" free of nuclear weapons, and "there is nothing to justify conflict," L.I. Lula da Silva told Brazilian media after the G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.

"War is pointless. Starting a war is easy; you just have to give them the opportunity… It's important that we try to find a solution before we start," he said.

Brazil has an important responsibility in South America because it shares a border with Venezuela, added L.I. Lula da Silva.

The US military has increased its presence in the Caribbean in recent weeks after Washington announced a decision to combat drug trafficking in the region, which allegedly leads to the deaths of millions of Americans.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Three people were killed and five were injured in an attack on the federal police headquarters in Peshawar, Pakistan.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

ISLAMABAD, November 24 (Xinhua) — At least three security personnel were killed and five others wounded on Monday morning in an attack on the federal police headquarters in Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hamid told media that a suicide bomber detonated his jacket at the main gate of the headquarters of the Federal Police, formerly known as the Frontier Constabulary.

As it became known, two terrorists entered the headquarters grounds, but the security guards on duty shot both of them on the spot, the police chief said.

He added that one of the two killed terrorists was a suicide bomber and his jacket, packed with explosives, exploded after being fired.

Eyewitnesses told Xinhua they heard intense gunfire after two explosions in the area.

Police, security forces and rescuers arrived at the scene and took the injured to the nearest hospital.

Police have closed roads leading to the area and urged citizens to be vigilant and avoid unnecessary travel in the region.

Security forces launched a search and rescue operation in the area and inside the headquarters.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. –0–

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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The text of Xi Jinping's speech at the symposium commemorating the 110th anniversary of Comrade Hu Yaobang's birth has been published.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, November 24 (Xinhua) — The text of Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech at the symposium marking the 110th anniversary of Comrade Hu Yaobang's birth has been released by People's Daily.

Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivered the speech on November 20.

A separate booklet containing the text of Xi Jinping's speech is available in all Xinhua bookstores in China. -0-

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Chinese State Council Premier Li Qiang returned to Beijing after attending the G20 summit.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, November 24 (Xinhua) — Chinese Premier Li Qiang returned to Beijing on a charter flight on Monday after attending the 20th Group of Twenty (G20) summit in South Africa.

At the airport in Johannesburg, Li Qiang was seen off by South African Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi and Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Wu Peng. -0-

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Students from the Faculty of Automobile and Road Engineering won prizes in competitions during Russian Robotics Week.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

During the competition

From November 18th to 21st, Russian Robotics Week took place in St. Petersburg, including the international Robotics Skills competition. Students from the Automobile and Road Construction Faculty of St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering demonstrated a high level of professional training and won prizes in two categories.

First-year master's students Daniil Parfeni, Mark Druzhinin, Ornella Tskhovrebova, and Eva Boglaeva took second place in the "Digital Manufacturing" category. The team's preparation was supervised by Roman Litvin, PhD, Associate Professor of the Department of Ground Transport and Technological Machines. A total of 10 teams competed in this category.

First-year student Amir Shakhbanov took third place in the Additive Technologies category. During the competition, participants had to model a gearbox housing based on the specified dimensions of a digital model, create a functional workstation object consisting of three or more interconnected parts with fastening mechanisms, and design and manufacture gripping fingers for a robotic arm capable of holding cylindrical objects. The winner was trained by Alena Kolomeets, senior lecturer in the Department of Ground Transport and Technological Machines.

"Our students' victories confirm the effectiveness of the university's educational programs in digital technology and additive manufacturing," Roman Litvin said. "And the Robotics Skills competition provided the students with the opportunity to apply their acquired knowledge in practice, demonstrate their professional skills, and, most importantly, establish contacts with leading experts in the field of robotics."

SPbGASU congratulates the winners and thanks the teachers for preparing the teams!

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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NSU teams won prizes at the third all-Russian competition for formal program verification, VeHa-2025.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Novosibirsk State University –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

The third All-Russian competition in formal program verification, VeHa-2025, took place from November 4–8 as a satellite event of the 26th Open All-Siberian Programming Olympiad named after I.V. Pottosin. Representatives from leading Russian companies, universities, and research institutes participated in the competition.

The competition's problems focused on verifying the correctness of software systems—from algorithms for solving Diophantine equations using the Indian "chakravala" method and searching for substrings in a text string to control models for Chinese high-speed trains and static program analysis. Participants had to delve into their chosen domain and prove the correctness of their algorithms using formal verification methods.

VeHa-2025 featured teams from Novosibirsk State University, Astra Group, Kaspersky Lab, the Ivannikov Institute for System Programming of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Steklov Mathematical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Neapolis Paphos University, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, ITMO University, MISIS University, and the Institute of Automation and Electrometry of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The NSU teams demonstrated strong results. In the "Step-by-Step Property Inference in Isabelle/HOL" category (Kaspersky Lab), second place was shared by:

— Artem Ishchenko, a postgraduate student at the Faculty of Information Technology (FIT); Lev Boyandin, a third-year student at the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics (MMF).

First place was taken by FIT graduate and now PhD student at the Institute of Architecture and Economics, Ivan Chernenko.

"I'm interested in formal methods and interactive theorem proving systems, so the competition topic was very relatable to me. I participated remotely and discussed the issues with my mentor in a group discussion. Due to my workload, I only chose one category—Isabelle/HOL. There were a couple of challenging moments, but overall, everything went smoothly. I was pleased with the level of difficulty. I'm very happy to have won a prize," said Lev Boyandin.

The team led by fourth-year FIT student Margarita Shabanova was particularly noteworthy, becoming the only nominee for a problem that closely approximated a real-world industrial setting, modeling the control system of Chinese high-speed trains. Also competing were Faculty of Mathematics and Mechanics (FMM) student Alexander Kharkov and Faculty of Mathematics and Mechanics Master's student Yulia Razbitnova.

"The Olympiad's theme coincided with the focus of my thesis, and I wanted to gain useful skills and broaden my horizons. It was interesting to test my skills on problems beyond the curriculum. The competition was very dynamic: we had to quickly understand the problem and come up with a solution within a limited time. The atmosphere was professional yet friendly—the organizers responded promptly to questions," Margarita Shabanova shared her impressions.

We congratulate the participants and wish them continued success in their research and project work!

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Japan's flu cases reach warning levels at fastest pace in 10 years

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

TOKYO, November 24 (Xinhua) — The average number of influenza infections in medical facilities across Japan has reached the alert level at the fastest rate in 10 years, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare reported.

During the week of November 10–16, 145,526 cases of influenza were registered in approximately 3,000 institutions. Each institution averaged 37.73 cases, exceeding the warning level of 30 cases, the agency reported.

This means the alert level was reached five weeks earlier than last season.

The warning level was exceeded in 24 of Japan's 47 prefectures.

The highest rate was recorded in Miyagi Prefecture in northeastern Japan, where each hospital averaged 80.02 cases, followed by Saitama Prefecture (70.01 cases).

Influenza outbreaks typically occur in Japan in winter and late spring. –0–

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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At least five people were killed and 25 were wounded in an Israeli strike on Beirut.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, November 24 (Xinhua) — At least five people were killed and 25 others wounded on Sunday in an Israeli airstrike on a residential area in Haret Hreik, a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon's Health Ministry said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the strike, saying it was an attempt to kill Haitham Ali Tabatabai, who Netanyahu said was Hezbollah's de facto chief of staff and "directed the buildup and armament of the organization."

"Israel is determined to achieve its goals anywhere and anytime," the Israeli prime minister said.

Neither Israel nor Hezbollah said whether H.A. Tabatabai was killed in the strike.

According to Lebanese television channel Al-Jadeed, the strike also caused significant damage to buildings and parked cars in a densely populated area. Hezbollah stated that there were no military centers in the area.

Following the strike, Israeli warplanes continued to fly at low altitude over the Dahiya area in the southern suburbs.

Earlier in the day, Netanyahu told his weekly cabinet meeting that Israel "will continue to do everything necessary to prevent Hezbollah from regaining its ability to threaten Israel."

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the strike, calling it "yet another sign of disregard for repeated calls to stop attacks and implement international resolutions." He called on the international community to act decisively to stop the strikes, prevent tensions in the region, and avoid further bloodshed.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.