Over 14 million tons of import and export cargo transported via China-Laos railway

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

KUNMING, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) — The China-Laos Railway has carried more than 14 million tonnes of import and export cargo with a total value of over 60 billion yuan (about 8.4 billion U.S. dollars) since it was put into operation in December 2021, Kunming Customs said Wednesday.

In the first seven months of 2025, the volume of foreign trade cargo transported via the China-Laos Railway exceeded 3.43 million tons, and its value exceeded 15.4 billion yuan. Both figures increased by 6 percent and 41 percent year-on-year, respectively, while each reached new highs for the reporting period.

At present, the China-Laos Railway serves as a vital trade corridor, covering 19 countries including Laos, Thailand and Singapore. At the same time, the structure of transported goods is constantly optimized, and the range of imported and exported goods has expanded from more than 500 to over 3,600 items, and the dynamics of transportation remains high.

The China-Laos Railway, one of the flagship high-quality cooperation projects under the Belt and Road Initiative, was put into operation in December 2021. The 1,035-km railway connects the Chinese city of Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province, and the Lao capital of Vientiane. -0-

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Addressed to children and adults

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

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Library No. 233 will conduct a review of Albert Likhanov’s books, timed to coincide with the writer’s 90th birthday.

The event will introduce visitors to the author's biography and his works about growing up teenagers, childhood during wartime, and moral values. Guests will see excerpts from film adaptations and a book trailer for the story "The Last Cold". The library will present a selection of Albert Likhanov's books from the independent reading collection.

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Nuclear Science and Nuclear Security Infrastructure to Protect Rare Rhinos: An Innovative Project Supported by the IAEA

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency –

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Members of the Rhisotope Project tag rhinoceros horns with radioactive isotopes. Martin Klinenböck/IAEA

With support from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a South African university has launched a pioneering project to combat the illegal wildlife trade in endangered rhinos. The project uses existing nuclear security infrastructure to safely inject radioactive isotopes into rhino horns to prevent and detect poaching.

With more than 10,000 rhinos killed by poaching in the last decade, South Africa – home to the world’s largest rhino population – remains an attractive destination for criminals involved in the illegal trade in rhino horn. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, the South African Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries reported 103 incidents of rhino poaching. To support conservation and law enforcement efforts, the University of the Witwatersrand has turned to radiation for this project.

In 2021, after two years of initial testing, Project Nosotope began to be implemented, tagging rhino horns with radioactive material. This makes the horns detectable by radiation portal monitors (RPMs) already installed at border crossings, seaports and airports around the world. These RPMs, which are typically used to detect nuclear and other radioactive material, can now be used to combat wildlife crime.

The IAEA’s support for the Nosotope project is part of the Agency’s critical work to strengthen global nuclear security. With millions of people and vehicles crossing borders every day, the use of RPMs – some 10,000 devices worldwide – has become a key tool for detecting unauthorized cross-border movement of nuclear and other radioactive material.

“Project Nosotope is an example of how nuclear science and nuclear security infrastructure can be used in innovative ways to address global challenges,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. “The IAEA helps countries get the most out of nuclear technology. By using existing nuclear security infrastructure in innovative ways, we can help protect one of the world’s most iconic animals, which is on the brink of extinction.”

Last week, at an event at the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve in Limpopo Province, about 250 kilometres north of Johannesburg, the University of the Witwatersrand announced the results of a thorough safety assessment of the pilot phase of the project. Radioisotopes were injected into 20 rhinos last June. Ghent University, Belgium, compared health monitoring and cytology results in a group of 15 tagged animals with a group of five rhinos that were not injected. The tests showed that the method was non-invasive and posed no risk to the rhinos’ health.

“This is an international group of like-minded people trying to make a real difference to the poaching crisis,” explains James Larkin, director of the Radiation and Medical Physics Unit at the University of the Witwatersrand. “We started by asking: what if radiation could protect rather than harm? What if rhino horns could be tagged so they could be tracked, and thus preventative action taken against illegal trade? After two years of digital modelling, safety testing and detection simulations, we are now ready to begin implementing the technology to actually protect rhinos from poachers.”

Furthermore, the success of the project opens up the possibility of using this method in the future on other endangered species.

"The technique could be adapted to protect other endangered species, such as elephants or pangolins," Larkin said.

The IAEA provides technical and financial support for these efforts through its coordinated research project "Promoting Trade Safety and Security Using Nuclear Material Detection Technologies – Detecting Contraband of Radioactive, Nuclear and Other Materials"In addition, as part of this work, the Agency assists countries in their efforts to optimize radiation detection through its minimum detectable quantity and alarm thresholds tool, which enables the detection of isotopically labeled rhino horns.

“Project Nosotope leverages the entire global nuclear security network,” said Elena Buglova, Director of the IAEA’s Division of Nuclear Security. “The nuclear security infrastructure that exists in many countries around the world to detect smuggling of nuclear and other radioactive material can be used to detect trafficking in rhino horn and any other contraband that may be transported with it. Commitment to nuclear security pays off in many ways.”

The original video footage and photographs can be viewed Here.

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Polytechnic University Rector Andrey Rudskoy spoke to TASS about the 2025 admissions campaign

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

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SPbPU Rector Andrey Rudskoy took part in a press conference at TASS dedicated to summing up the results of the 2025 admissions campaign. The press conference was also attended by MGIMO Rector Anatoly Torkunov, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology Rector Dmitry Livanov, Bauman Moscow State Technical University Rector Mikhail Gordin, Plekhanov Russian University of Economics Acting Rector Alexey Nikulin, ITMO National Research University Rector Vladimir Vasiliev, and Yeltsin Ural Federal University Acting Rector Ilya Obabkov.

Andrey Rudskoy joined the press conference at TASS online. He said that this year, Polytechnic University received 6,595 budget places — the most in the Northwestern Federal District. More than 145 thousand applications were submitted for the budget for bachelor's and specialist's degrees. As in the previous year, applicants sent 99% of documents through the State Services portal, including for master's and postgraduate studies.

The most popular areas of study this year were nuclear power engineering and thermal physics – 59 applications per place, thermal power engineering and thermal engineering – 44 applications, automation of technological processes and production – 36 applications. Demand for IT specialties remains at the level of 60 applications. In general, the competition for the budget was 33 applications per place.

252 students were enrolled under a separate quota for participants and children of participants of the SVO – 1.7 times more than last year. In this indicator, Polytechnic University ranks fifth among Russian universities.

The number of winners and prize winners of Olympiads among Polytechnic University applicants has increased by one and a half times this year. Probably, the fact that the university revised its support measures for talented students played a role in this.

In his speech, Andrey Rudskoy touched upon the specifics of targeted admission: Unfortunately, as in the previous year, the customers of targeted training posted their proposals on the portal “Work in Russia”, but did not participate in the approval of candidates, or even, perhaps, meetings with them. This affected the number of students accepted. By the way, most of them responded to the proposals of those industrial partners who worked with applicants – Rosatom and the Petersburg Tractor Plant.

The average USE score for the general competition has increased this year and is 84.2. The passing score for all areas of training has exceeded 200. Andrey Rudskoy noted an increase in the passing score for engineering areas such as technosphere safety, technical physics, metallurgy, mechatronics and robotics.

A major role was played by the “Petrovskaya Wave” system, introduced for the first time in the Polytechnic’s admissions campaign, which guarantees admission to applicants who have achieved the passing score set by the admissions committee.

Speaking about the admission campaign for foreign students, the rector of SPbPU specified that more than 2,000 applications for training in the main programs and another 650 for the preparatory faculty were received. Of these, 430 applications from foreign citizens were selected under the quota of the Government of the Russian Federation, the rest will study under a contract. Among the foreign applicants, there are 240 winners of the Open Doors Olympiad. It is planned to enroll about 1,600 foreign students from 70 countries in the first year.

"The work of the Polytechnic representative office in Shanghai and our two joint institutes with Xi'an Technological University and Jiangsu Normal University help attract applicants from China," says Andrey Rudskoy. "And cooperation with Slavic universities in Belarus, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and coordination of the work of the Russian-African Network University consortium allow us to cover these countries as well. Therefore, the Polytechnic expects to maintain the share of foreign students at 18%, which is equal to five thousand people."

Admission to fee-based education continues until August 15, with 47,000 applications already received (13,000 more than a year ago). At the same time, as Andrey Rudskoy said, the Polytechnic University has reduced admission to fee-based education in the humanities and closed distance learning, meaning that the increase is due to engineering areas of training.

Admission to the Master's program also continues until August 11; 25 thousand applications have now been submitted by 5 thousand applicants.

And on September 1, the Polytechnic expects an increase of 12,000 students.

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Vladimir Putin received US Presidential Special Envoy Steven Witkoff in the Kremlin

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

Moscow, August 6 /Xinhua/ — Russian President Vladimir Putin received US Presidential Special Envoy Steven Witkoff in the Kremlin, the Russian leader's press service reported.

The negotiations are attended by Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov and head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund Kirill Dmitriev.

The American diplomat arrived in Moscow early Wednesday morning. This is his fifth visit to Russia since the beginning of the year. –0–

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China unveils plan to boost digital transformation of machinery industry

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) — China has unveiled a new plan to promote digital transformation of the machinery industry, which will see a series of smart factories built and a wide range of intelligent technologies being used.

The document, jointly compiled and released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and six other departments, sets out a roadmap for upgrading the machinery sector with digital technologies.

According to the plan, by 2027, smart technologies are expected to be widely integrated into all areas such as research, product development and design, production, management and maintenance.

A round of digital reconstruction will be completed in large enterprises in the mechanical engineering industry by 2030. By 2030, the country will have formed an improved, safe and well-controlled supply system for products and services, including 500 new high-level intelligent factories.

In China, smart factories are divided into four levels according to technological maturity and depth of integration, including basic level, advanced level, “perfection” level and “pioneer” level.

A spokesperson for China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology stressed the fundamental role of the machinery industry in economic development, saying accelerating the digital transformation of the industry is of great significance to supporting the widespread digitalization of the economy and promoting new industrialization.

To achieve these goals, the plan sets out 12 tasks, which include developing fundamental industrial potential, accelerating the development of industrial software, promoting the sharing of production capacities among leading enterprises, and advancing the establishment of a standards system. -0-

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Karol Nawrocki sworn in as President of Poland

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

WARSAW, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) — Karol Nawrocki was sworn in as President of the Republic of Poland on Wednesday.

In his inauguration speech, the politician announced that his administration would focus on a program of balanced and sustainable development for the country, known as “Plan 21.” He promised to make Poland a country of transformative projects, including the creation of the Central Communication Port with a new international airport, as well as the development of national highways and ports.

K. Nawrocki firmly opposed illegal migration and the introduction of the euro in Poland, and also reiterated his disagreement with raising the retirement age.

Later Wednesday, he will take part in other ceremonies, including a midday Mass at the Church of St. John the Baptist and a public appearance outside the Presidential Palace. –0–

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China issues new rules to ease burden on grassroots

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

BEIJING, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) — China on Wednesday issued a new set of rules ordering officials and cadres of departments across the country to hold fewer meetings and conferences, make short speeches, strictly control the number of documents compiled, and minimize the number of checks, inspections and assessments at grassroots levels.

The document, titled “Some Rules on Strictly Regulating Formality to Reduce the Burden on Grassroots,” was jointly distributed by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council. It aims to free grassroots cadres from bureaucracy and meaningless formalities, and is aimed at improving the long-term mechanism for reducing the burden on grassroots structures. -0-

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China Exceeds Target for Restoring Manchurian Tiger Population

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) — China is among countries working to restore tiger populations in the wild, according to the Manchurian (Amur) Tiger and Far Eastern Leopard National Park in northeast China.

Efforts over the past eight years since the park's trial operation began in 2017 have led to the stabilization and restoration of wild Manchurian tiger and Far Eastern leopard populations, with about 70 tigers and 80 leopards currently living in the park, said Duan Zhaogan, head of the park, speaking at an event to mark International Tiger Day recently.

“With regard to the Manchurian tiger population, all the targets for the restoration of the population of these predators, formulated at the Tiger Summit in 2010, have already been exceeded,” he noted, calling this “an important achievement” of China in the formation of an eco-culture and “China’s contribution” to global efforts to preserve biodiversity.

Measures to protect endangered species have been significantly strengthened in China in recent years. The construction of a reserve system based on the national park has created favorable conditions for the existence and reproduction of Manchurian tigers in the wild. Within the national park, a system of integrated space, aviation and ground monitoring has been effectively established, regular patrols are also carried out here to protect the territory from poachers, and work is underway to ensure the interconnectedness of tiger and leopard habitats.

In addition, the procedure and standards for rescue, the system of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the most common diseases are being improved, a germplasm bank has been created, and poaching of tigers, smuggling and illegal trade in products made from these rare animals are being strictly intercepted.

As it became known, in addition to China, the restoration of tiger populations in the wild is underway in Bhutan, India, Nepal, Russia and Thailand. However, in most regions of Southeast Asia, the opposite situation is observed; in the last 20 years, tigers have disappeared forever in three more countries. -0-

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Dam in the area of Klyuchevskoy volcano in Kamchatka is destroyed

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

Vladivostok, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) — The dam in the area of Klyuchevskoy volcano in Kamchatka, built in 2023 to cut off the water flow between the right and left reaches of the Studenaya River, has been destroyed, the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IVS FEB RAS) reported on its Telegram channel on Wednesday.

"The dam in the area of the Klyuchevskoy volcano has been destroyed. Field work conducted by the staff of the IVS FEB RAS in the area of the Studenaya River from July 30 to August 2, 2025, showed that the dam, built in 2023 to cut off the water flow between the right and left reaches of the river, has been destroyed. Water flows along both branches of the river," the post says.

Activity in Klyuchevskoy has increased following the strong earthquake of July 30. A lava flow is descending towards the Bogdanovich Glacier. Melting ice is releasing huge masses of water that are rushing down the slope, producing large mudflows. The report also notes that if significant mudflows descend, there could be a threat to tourists in the Tolbachinsky Valley. –0–

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