International Summer in Peterhof: Foreign Students Discover Russia's Pearl

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

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During the summer language and cultural camp, foreign students of our university went on an excursion to Peterhof, the famous residence of Russian emperors and one of the most impressive palace and park ensembles in the world. Students from nine countries took part in the trip: India, Zambia, Burundi, Kenya, Ethiopia, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Cameroon and Cambodia.

From the first minutes of visiting the Grand Peterhof Palace, the students were immersed in the era of luxury and grandeur of the Russian Empire. They saw the state rooms decorated with gold, crystal and paintings, and also learned about the lives of the Russian tsars.

After the tour of the palace, the students went to explore the famous parks of Peterhof. In the Upper Garden, they were greeted by well-kept alleys and symmetrical fountains, and in the Lower Park, a stunning view of the Gulf of Finland and the Chess Mountain cascade. The culmination was the legendary Samson fountain, symbolizing Russia's victory in the Northern War.

But the real surprise for the participants were the famous Peterhof joke fountains! Unprepared for such a fun challenge, the students all fell under the streams of water secretly beating from under the ground. Everyone got wet, but this only added to the laughter and joy.

With friends and our teacher Elizaveta, we went on an amazing excursion to Peterhof! It was my first encounter with this amazing place. It exceeded all expectations. Our guide took us around the palace and told us its history so fascinatingly that time flew by. I really enjoyed it — the excursion was truly interesting and memorable! — shared Dos Santos Pereira Danilson from Guinea-Bissau.

This trip is not just an excursion, but part of a larger summer camp program, where students study Russian, participate in master classes, and get acquainted with Russian culture. The university continues to organize such events, strengthening international ties and creating opportunities for intercultural dialogue.

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Polytechnicians completed a key stage of R&D with the company "UK "KER-Holding"

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

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The staff of the Research Laboratory "Laser and Additive Technologies" of the Institute of Metallurgy and Metallurgy of the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University completed a key stage of R&D within the framework of the delivery of a technological complex for laser powder cladding for the LLC "UK "KER-Holding".

Engineers from the Research Laboratory "LiAT" of the Institute of Metallurgy and Metallurgy of the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University completed the practical part of the project aimed at transferring laser surfacing technologies for the restoration of gas turbine engine components, and conducted acceptance tests of the previously delivered laser powder surfacing technological complex.

The work was carried out as part of the second stage of R & D. The main objective was to implement and test laser cladding modes on two types of parts and control samples, including components made of heat-resistant nickel superalloys. The focus of the project was the restoration of the SGT-300 first-stage nozzle blades and the first-stage working blades of the Taurus 60 gas turbine engine.

All stages were accompanied by a full technological cycle: coordination of sample geometry, fluorescent testing for cracks, development of technological instructions, design and manufacture of equipment.

Mikhail Kuznetsov, Head of the Research Laboratory "LiAT" of the SPbPU Institute of Metallurgy and Metallurgy, noted: The laboratory staff successfully carried out acceptance tests of the laser cladding complex and demonstrated the applicability of the developed technologies taking into account the specifics of real production conditions. At the next stage, it is planned to equip the complex with a sealed chamber.

Long-term cooperation with UK KER-Holding LLC is one of the examples of how scientific developments of the Scientific Research Laboratory LiAT of IMMiT SPbPU find real application in industry. This is an important step towards the introduction of import-substituting technologies in the field of aviation and power engineering.

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Nine killed in blast at Brazil explosives plant

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

SAO PAULO, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) — At least nine people were killed and seven others were injured on Tuesday in an explosion at an explosives factory in Quatro Barras, a municipality in the southern Brazilian state of Parana, local authorities said.

The explosion occurred this morning at a facility owned by Enaex Brasil in an industrial area near Curitiba, the state capital.

Enaex Brasil issued a statement listing nine victims, offering condolences and offering to cooperate with the investigation. Seven of the victims were given medical assistance at the scene, the company added.

Brazil's Labor Ministry has launched an investigation into safety conditions at the company's headquarters.

Parana state Public Security Minister Hudson Teixeira told a news conference that the victims' bodies were so badly damaged that DNA tests would be needed to confirm their identities.

According to the minister, the explosion occurred when a group of workers were loading explosive materials into a truck. –0–

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Death toll from malnutrition in Gaza rises to 227 – UN

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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

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) — Health authorities in Gaza said five people died of malnutrition and starvation in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 227, U.N. Secretary-General's spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a daily briefing on Tuesday.

He said 103 children had died of malnutrition in Gaza since October 2023, and the World Food Programme warned that hunger and malnutrition in Gaza had reached their highest levels since the conflict began that month.

Against this backdrop, humanitarian supplies to Gaza remain well below the minimum levels required to meet the needs of the population, he said, adding that “humanitarian deliveries continue to face significant delays and other obstacles that prevent the UN from delivering the assistance it needs.”

On Monday, the UN asked Israeli authorities to coordinate 16 missions, including collecting food, medicine and fuel, but only four were carried out and three were rejected. Another four were hampered but eventually completed, Dujarric said.

Of the remaining five missions, two were cancelled by the relevant organisations, two more were hampered and could not be completed, and one was hampered but work on it continues, he said.

The spokesman added that “efforts to coordinate humanitarian shipments are often delayed for hours due to unpredictable approvals from Israeli authorities, resulting in a loss of precious time.” –0–

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In January-July 2025, Shandong Province's foreign trade volume with Russia increased by 3.8 percent.

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. 13 (Xinhua) — East China's Shandong Province's foreign trade with Russia totaled 138.37 billion yuan in the first seven months of 2025, up 3.8 percent year on year, China's Dazhong Ribao newspaper reported, citing statistics from Qingdao Customs and Jinan Customs.

According to customs data, Shandong Province's total foreign trade turnover was 2.04 trillion yuan during the reporting period, up 7.3 percent year-on-year. The province's exports were 1.24 trillion yuan, up 6.6 percent year-on-year, while imports were 793.2 billion yuan, up 8.5 percent.

From January to July this year, the province's foreign trade with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative increased by 10.3 percent year on year to 1.31 trillion yuan, accounting for 64.3 percent of the province's total foreign trade during the reporting period.

In addition, in the first seven months of 2025, the trade turnover between the China-SCO Regional Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zone (hereinafter referred to as the “China-SCO Demonstration Zone”) located in Qingdao City, Shandong Province, and other member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) amounted to 53.26 billion yuan (about 7.41 billion US dollars), an increase of 26.1 percent year on year.

In particular, during the reporting period, exports from the China-SCO Demonstration Zone to other SCO member states amounted to 26.88 billion yuan, an increase of 21.5 percent, while imports into it grew by 31 percent to 26.38 billion yuan in value terms. -0-

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PLA forces drive US destroyer out of Chinese waters near Huangyan Island

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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

BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) — The People's Liberation Army Navy's Southern Zone Combat Command (SZCC) has dislodged the U.S. destroyer USS Higgins, which illegally entered China's territorial waters near Huangyan Island on Aug. 13, SZCC spokesperson He Tie-cheng said.

He Tie-cheng said that the PLA Southwest Coast Command, in accordance with laws and regulations, organized naval forces to escort, track, warn and expel the US destroyer that invaded China's territorial waters near Huangyan Dao Island without permission from the Chinese government. -0-

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US Treasury Secretary Calls on Fed to Cut Rate by 50 Basis Points in September

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

NEW YORK, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) — U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday urged the Federal Reserve to consider a 50 basis point interest rate cut at its next meeting in September, adding that the central bank could cut rates in June.

S. Bessent also expressed hope that the chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, Stephen Miran, will be confirmed by the Senate as a member of the Fed's board of directors before the meeting, several American media outlets reported, citing an interview with S. Bessent on the Fox Business channel.

The odds of a 25-basis-point Fed rate cut in September rose to 93.4 percent on Tuesday from 85.9 percent the day before, according to the CME FedWatch Tool.

Commenting on the race to become the next Fed chairman, Bessent said US President Donald Trump is “open” to considering candidates, adding that the next head of the central bank should be someone “able to reform this institution.”

In recent months, Trump has criticized Fed Chairman Jerome Powell for the Fed's monetary policy decisions and pressured the central bank to cut interest rates, although experts largely thought it unlikely Powell would relent.

Powell's term expires in May 2026, and he has repeatedly stated that he will not leave his post early.

The resignation of former Fed Chair Adriana Kugler in early August opened a vacancy on the Fed's board that Trump could fill.

The Fed's board of directors has seven members, and none of them plans to leave before Powell's term ends.

According to the Fed's website, board members are appointed by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate, while the chairman and vice chairmen of the board are appointed by the president from among the board members and also require confirmation by the Senate.

Brookings Institution senior fellow Darrell West told Xinhua: “/Jerome/ Powell will not cut rates until economic growth and employment data show it is necessary…/Donald/ Trump does not have much leverage other than to announce Powell’s successor well before his term ends to encourage Fed members to follow that person.” –0–

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One dead, 14 injured in Seoul apartment fire

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

SEOUL, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) — One person was killed and 14 others were injured in a fire at a residential building in South Korea, Renhap News Agency reported Wednesday.

The fire broke out around midnight in a parking lot on the first floor of a four-story apartment building in Seoul.

An elderly man and a young woman were taken to hospital with cardiac arrest. The man died.

Seven people suffered serious injuries, including burns all over their bodies. Another six suffered minor injuries, such as smoke inhalation.

Police and firefighters are investigating the exact cause of the incident. –0–

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Experts from China and Central Asian countries discussed issues related to the creation of a control system for electric vehicle chargers

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. 13 (Xinhua) — Experts from China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan recently discussed issues on jointly creating a system for recording and monitoring electric vehicle chargers adapted to regional conditions.

In the first ten days of this month, experts from the Kazakhstan Institute of Standardization and Metrology, the Uzbek National Institute of Metrology and the Center for Standardization and Metrology under the Ministry of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic visited the Shaanxi Institute of Metrology (SIM) to conduct exchanges in the field of testing technologies for electric vehicle charging columns, according to the website of SIM, which is located in Xi'an, the capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

Chinese specialists acquainted their Central Asian colleagues with the results of cooperation in the field of metrology within the framework of the “Belt and Road” and demonstrated methods for measuring the performance characteristics of electric vehicle chargers. Particular attention was paid to the issue related to the joint creation of a system for recording and monitoring such chargers.

According to experts from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, the meeting with their Chinese colleagues was useful and laid a solid foundation for creating a unified system for monitoring charging devices in Central Asia and promoting the coordinated development of the new energy vehicle manufacturing sector in the region. -0-

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China, Egypt launch poultry farming training programme for rural women

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

CAIRO, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) — The Chinese Embassy in Cairo, together with local partners, has launched a poultry farming training program in Egypt's Menufiyah Governorate to help local women in rural areas gain practical skills and improve their household income.

The programme, organised jointly with the Egyptian National Alliance for Civil Development and Chinese agribusiness New Hope Liuhe Company, is disseminating China's experience in effectively managing poultry production cycles.

At the launch ceremony on Monday, Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang said the program is “an innovative practice aimed at supporting Egypt’s efforts to alleviate poverty and empower rural women, as well as enhancing mutual understanding between the Chinese and Egyptian peoples.”

Sabah Mohammed Abdel-Salam, a 47-year-old widow and one of the project participants, stressed that the programme provides “a great opportunity to earn income at home while taking care of your family.” –0–

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