Category: Russia

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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

Islamabad, February 17 (Xinhua) — Seven security personnel and eight terrorists were killed in an attack on a checkpoint in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said on Monday.

The terrorists' target was a checkpoint in the Bajaur district of the province, police officials in the district told the media.

A group of terrorists attempted to enter the checkpoint, police said, adding that they rammed a vehicle packed with explosives into the checkpoint wall.

Following the attack, security forces launched a full-scale operation against the terrorists, killing eight terrorists and injuring several others, police said.

The operation is being expanded to surrounding areas with the aim of eliminating other terrorists.

No group or individual 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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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

Kabul, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) — Some 22.9 million people in Afghanistan, including approximately 12 million children, representing almost half the country's population, were in need of humanitarian assistance in 2025, Tolo News reported on Monday, citing the latest report by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

According to the report, the combination of climate shocks, ongoing economic stagnation and rising unemployment has significantly increased humanitarian needs across the country.

Extreme weather events, including recurring droughts and floods, have exacerbated existing vulnerabilities, increasing food insecurity and putting further pressure on limited public services in both urban and rural areas, the report says.

UNICEF also highlighted severe funding constraints, particularly in the water and sanitation, health, and nutrition sectors. These shortages have impacted service delivery and heightened concerns about potential disruptions to the supply of vital supplies.

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

Tokyo, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) — Japan's TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company) has resumed power generation and transmission from its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in central Japan's Niigata Prefecture.

Reactor No. 6 at the plant restarted earlier this year and began supplying power to the Tokyo metropolitan area at 10 p.m. Monday local time for the first time in about 14 years, since Japan shut down nuclear power following the meltdown at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in March 2011.

TEPCO plans to increase the reactor's 1.35 million kilowatt capacity to 50 percent before temporarily shutting it down on or after Friday to inspect the power-generating equipment. If progress meets expectations, the company plans to increase power generation to 100 percent and resume commercial operations on March 18.

The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant, located approximately 220 kilometers northwest of Tokyo, is the world's largest nuclear power plant by potential capacity. The restart of Reactor No. 6 at this seven-unit complex marked the first start-up of a TEPCO-operated unit since the Fukushima Daiichi accident. This sparked local resistance amid criticism that the plant is located on an active seismic fault zone.

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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A child plays in a square in Jingning County, Gansu Province, northwest China, on February 13, 2026. China is filled with vibrant celebrations during the Spring Festival. /Photo: Xinhua/

Hangzhou/Shenzhen, February 17 (Xinhua) — In China, which celebrated the Year of the Horse today, the millennia-old traditions of the Spring Festival (Chinese Spring Festival, the traditional Chinese Lunar New Year) seamlessly intertwine with cutting-edge technology. This blend of tradition and innovation expresses the enduring aspirations of the holiday, emphasizing the importance of both heritage and innovation.

In anticipation of the 2026 Chinese New Year, a tourist pier on the banks of Qiandao Lake in Chun'an County, Zhejiang Province, eastern China, was filled with excitement as over 200 performers in traditional costumes, appearing from afar, performed a dance on colorful "bamboo horses." These stylized horses, decorated with colorful fabric and attached to bamboo frames, were tied around the performers' waists, creating the illusion of movement.

In the Chinese zodiac, the horse symbolizes speed, endurance, and an adventurous spirit. To the sounds of jubilant music, the colorful herd leaped and galloped, forming a lively and joyful procession that left spectators with a fresh and exhilarating experience.

Pan Yongxia, director of the Chun'an County Cultural Center, explained that all the county's bamboo horse dance troupes participated in this performance, creating a truly unprecedented spectacle. Hundreds more similar performances are expected to be seen in several towns, townships, and villages throughout the holiday season.

The origins of the Chunan "bamboo horse" dance date back to the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), and it has long served as an important folk tradition during local festivals such as the Spring Festival and the Lantern Festival. In 2014, the dance was inscribed on the National Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of China.

"Performances have evolved from small groups of five to large-scale square dances with dozens or even hundreds of participants, actively engaging all age groups. The inclusion of modern elements, such as street dance, has made this art form more accessible and appealing to the younger generation," said Pan Yunxia.

"It's crucial to preserve traditional performance methods while innovatively combining them with modern dance to attract a wider audience," said 86-year-old Fan Bingkun, the former representative heir to the Chun'an Bamboo Horse Dance. Over the course of 70 years of creative work, he systematized and catalogued the footwork, dance composition, chants, and melodies while preserving the essence of the tradition, making the art more accessible for both teaching and performing.

While this intangible heritage graced celebrations in an ancient county in eastern China, in the south of the country, high-tech celebrations for the Year of the Horse lit up the skies over Shenzhen, a major tech hub in Guangdong province.

At the Window of the World theme park, approximately 200,000 spectators watched a stunning New Year's drone show. Thousands of drones formed a dynamic herd of horses racing across the night sky, accompanied by the thrilling rhythms of Chinese drums and sound effects imitating the clatter of hooves, adding a special majesty to the spectacle. The drones depicted complex scenes with stunning precision: flowing manes, hoofprints, and the character "ma" (horse), the symbol for 2026 in the Chinese zodiac.

"The technology we use allows each drone to achieve centimeter- or even millimeter-level accuracy, synchronizing the positions of tens of thousands of drones on the same time scale with incredible precision. Advanced algorithms calculate and fill in any missing parts of the image in real time," noted drone show organizer Huang Xing, brand manager of Shenzhen DAMODA Intelligent Control Technology Co., Ltd.

Young audiences highly praised this technologically immersive spectacle, with many filming short videos and livestreaming them on-site. "I found the 3D dynamic effects and the smooth movement of the herd of horses more visually stunning and environmentally friendly than traditional fireworks displays." "The festive yet futuristic show is perfect for a social media post," added one viewer.

The technologically advanced celebration in Shenzhen has also won the hearts of the older generation. "Seeing familiar cultural symbols, including the lion dance and the character 'fu' (happiness) during the drone show, I immediately felt a real New Year's atmosphere. The format is certainly new, but the roots of the celebration remain deeply rooted in cultural traditions," noted a 70-year-old local resident.

Furthermore, the silent, smokeless, and vibrant drone show allows seniors to comfortably enjoy the entire program. Many seniors openly stated that "this dynamic and lively spectacle is quiet, easy to see, and extremely enjoyable."

This high-tech celebration format is spreading across the country and beyond. DAMODA reported that its drone shows have been presented in over 100 cities across China and over 50 countries and regions worldwide. The company also continues to improve image clarity, show duration, and stage variety, and is integrating drone shows with cultural tourism and the nightlife sector.

Today's Spring Festival celebrations in China are a harmonious blend of millennia-old agricultural customs, such as pasting paired "chunlian" signs with New Year's wishes, visiting temple fairs, and solving riddles on traditional lanterns, and AI-powered festivities, including robots delivering New Year's greetings on stage at Spring Festival gala concerts and robotic hands brewing coffee at temple fairs.

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

Recently, a traditional folk event—a dragon procession on a bench—was held in Zhaojia Township, Zhuji City, Zhejiang Province, to celebrate the Spring Festival. Over 80 lantern benches, decorated with the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac and opera characters, were joined together to form a 100-meter-long dragon. It paraded through the township streets and square, adding vibrant traditional color and a lively atmosphere to the upcoming Spring Festival. The Zhuji dragon on a bench appears primarily during New Year and temple festivals. The dragon's body is composed of numerous interconnected benches decorated with lanterns shaped like various animals and figures.

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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Lhasa is in a festive mood for the Spring Festival and the Tibetan New Year (Losar). Butter flower sculptures, a staple of Tibetan New Year's decorations, are becoming increasingly popular in markets.

The sculptures are made from brightly colored ghee. The artisans knead it repeatedly in cold water to shape and cool it, then carefully use wooden knives to carve the sun, moon, stars, leaves, stems, and animal figures. These pieces are then assembled and glued to a shield-shaped wooden base, creating lifelike works of art.

These artfully crafted flowers carry good wishes for the New Year.

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The Jiaodai Fair is held in Jiaodai Township, Lantian County, at the northern foot of the Qinling Mountains. Due to its location on an important route through the Qinling Mountains, it has historically been a hub for the trade of forest products. Every third, sixth, and ninth day of the lunar month, villagers flock here for the fair.

As the largest fair in Lantian County, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, the Jiaodai Fair currently boasts over 1,500 permanent and temporary vendors. It features forest and local produce, daily necessities, agricultural equipment, livestock, and local cuisine. Its authentic atmosphere attracts numerous tourists.

In recent years, the Jiaodai Fair has gradually transformed from a traditional rural market into a destination for tourists from Xi'an and other regions seeking to immerse themselves in folk culture. During the pre-New Year period, the daily flow of visitors reaches 100,000, and total trade turnover by 2025 is expected to approach 120 million yuan.

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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BEIJING, February 17 (Xinhua) — When Xu Jian from Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, shook the mechanical hand of a Fuxing robot on a train, he suddenly realized he was witnessing history. "I work in robotics and have been familiar with humanoid robots for quite some time, but meeting one on a train during Chunyun—that's the first time!" he exclaimed, filming the scene on his phone.

During the Chunyun period (a special season for the country's transportation system during the mass migration of Chinese people before, during, and after the Spring Festival) in 2026, a group of "special guides" – humanoid robots – began working at stations, airports, and trains across China, becoming a new highlight of this, the world's largest annual human migration.

From high-speed train carriages to airport terminals, humanoid robots are becoming an unexpected part of Chinese travel experiences, adding a vibrant technological twist to traditional holiday trips.

At Hangzhou East Railway Station, one of the main transportation hubs in the Yangtze River Delta region, a humanoid robot called "Fuxing," dressed as a railway worker, stood at the door of a high-speed train, greeting passengers with a wave. This is the first robot conductor to join the Hangzhou Passenger Transportation Service team this year.

After boarding train G7511, "Fuxing" walked through the carriage, interacting with passengers on both sides, shaking hands and waving back. Many passengers took out their phones to capture this "pleasant surprise" of their journey. According to train manager Che Feifei, in addition to simple interactions, "Fuxing" can also answer questions about train stop times, transfers, the weather, and much more.

In the north of the country, on the T48 train traveling from Qiqihar (Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China) to Beijing, two special performers appeared at the "New Year's concert," which has been held for 20 years in a row. Android robots took center stage, actively interacting with young passengers and allowing travelers to experience the pulse of technology in the atmosphere of the upcoming Chinese New Year.

On the first day of the Chunyun holiday, a unique technological New Year's show took place at the Lishe Airport terminal in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, eastern China. A red-suited Unitree robot transformed into a mechanical "God of Wealth," and a nearby robotic dog transformed into a living "dancing lion," treating arriving and departing passengers to a remarkable performance.

"I was already really excited to go home for the holidays, but I never expected to see such a wonderful robot show at the airport. It's both fun and unique, and you can really feel the innovative energy of Ningbo," said a passenger surnamed Hong, who was heading home to celebrate the New Year.

In Shanghai, China Eastern Airlines introduced multifunctional service robots at its main airports – Pudong and Hongqiao – that are used for check-in, baggage handling, consultation, and navigation.

"The digital economy in Zhejiang Province is very developed, and in 2025, humanoid robots were often the hottest trend. As railway employees, we wanted to use high-speed train rolling stock as a mobile platform to give more people the opportunity to experience the charm of technology," Che Feifei explained the motivation for introducing robot conductors.

The introduction of robots "to replace" humans isn't a replacement for human workers, but rather a service upgrade based on human-machine collaboration. At the Hangzhou Passenger Transportation Service, the robot "Fuxing" takes on basic tasks: consultation and navigation, patrolling, and cultural interaction, freeing attendants from repetitive tasks and allowing them to focus more on serving mothers with children, assisting passengers with special needs, responding to emergency situations, and other more complex services.

"Although the robot guide's functions are still being refined, the very presence of humanoid robots during the Chunyun period is already a significant event," says Chen, a passenger traveling with two children. "It represents the deep integration of technology into everyday life."

The widespread deployment of humanoid robots during the 2026 "chunyun" period marks a rapid rise in China's robotics industry. According to data, global shipments of humanoid robots in 2025 will reach 15,000 units, with Chinese companies accounting for nearly 90 percent. Combined shipments of two Chinese companies—Uniteree and AgiBot—will exceed 10,000 units.

Morgan Stanley raised its forecast for sales of humanoid robots in the Chinese market in 2026 from 18,000 to 28,000 units. Currently, China has over 140 companies specializing in humanoid robots, a complete domestic industry chain—from gearboxes to dexterous hands—has been established, and a $26 billion fund has been established.

In 2026, robots, acting as "freelance conductors," along with Chinese railway and airline workers, guard the journey home for hundreds of millions of people, creating some of the most moving scenes of the 2026 Chunyun period. -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.