The volume of online trade in Russia grew by 36 percent in the first half of the year

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 8 (Xinhua) — The volume of online trade in Russia reached 5.3 trillion rubles in the first half of 2025, which is 36 percent more than in the same period last year, TASS reported on Friday, citing the Association of Internet Trade Companies (AKIT).

According to AKIT, the share of online trade in the total volume of retail trade for the specified period was 22.4%. Of the total amount of online sales, 97% were purchases in Russian online stores and platforms.

The top five products by sales volume in the first half of the year were food products, digital goods, and beauty and health products.

Among the regions, the leaders in terms of online trade volumes are Moscow, Moscow Region, St. Petersburg, Krasnodar Region, Rostov Region and Sverdlovsk Region. –0–

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Student Dong Yiqun from China: “Polytech is an ideal choice”

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

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Dong Yiqun came to St. Petersburg from China, entered the Polytechnic University, this year completed her bachelor's degree in the program "World Economy and International Economic Relations" and decided to continue her studies in the master's program.

Sometimes I even dream in Russian! Now, after several years of such efforts, I look back at the time when I first came to Russia and knew nothing, and I understand what a huge path I have come, – said Yiqun in an interview with the university newspaper "Polytechnic".

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Polytechnic University is among the top three in St. Petersburg for training AI specialists

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

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The Alliance in the field of artificial intelligence published an updated rating, which included 203 Russian universities from 68 regions. Polytechnic University retained its position, entering Group "B", and took 3rd place among universities of St. Petersburg.

Artificial intelligence is no longer just a trend, it has become a necessity, a tool used not only by scientists and engineers, but also by administrative staff and creative professionals. In this regard, starting from the 2025–2026 academic year, Polytechnic University is launching new educational programs aimed at training highly qualified specialists in the field of AI, such as ML Engineer, AI Architect, Data Engineer, Data Analyst, AI Security Engineer. We are seeing a clear demand for specialists in this field from our partners and are convinced that graduates of these programs will become drivers of the country's technological leadership, comments SPbPU Rector Andrey Rudskoy.

The AI Alliance's university ranking is being published for the third time, with universities divided into groups based on the quality of their training. The universities participating are those offering undergraduate and specialist programs in artificial intelligence.

The universities were assessed using open data and independent research from the Alliance.

Surveys of over 150 employers on the demand for graduates. Questioning of over 12,000 students on the quality of the educational environment. Data verification through personal accounts of universities, which increased the transparency and reliability of analytics.

More detailed information about the rating results can be found atlink.

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Polytechnic's sporting achievements in July

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

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July was a truly bright month for the Polytechnic sports club. Our athletes and coaches showed outstanding results at city, all-Russian and even world competitions. About the triumph of the famous swimmer, Honored Master of Sports of Russia, assistant of the Higher School of Sports Education of the Institute of Physical Culture and Sport, Kirill Prigoda at the World Championship in Singapore we already told youBut there are also successes in other sports.

The tennis team finished the performance in the championship of universities of St. Petersburg with bronze medals! In a tense final match, our athletes defeated the ITMO team, becoming bronze medalists of the championship of St. Petersburg

The final competitions of the 6th Summer Spartakiad of Russian Youth in Boxing have ended in Moscow. The St. Petersburg team, which included girls from the Polytechnic University, took 4th place in the overall team standings.

Our champions

Maria Bolyshkanova (75 kg) – silver Sofia Karyakina (48 kg) – bronze Evgenia Frolova (54 kg), Ksenia Chistyakova (60 kg), Sofia Argandeikina (63 kg) – entered the top eight

We thank coaches Yan Kulkov and Andrey Skorokhodov for preparing the athletes!

Anton Novikov, member of the executive committee of the All-Russian Sambo Federation and coach of the Polytechnic team, received the medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" of the 2nd degree. This state award is recognition of Anton Vladimirovich's long-term contribution to the development of sports. Under his leadership, dozens of athletes have achieved the highest results, and we are proud that such a specialist works at our university.

The Polytechnic team debuted at the Russian Mini-Golf Championship, and this experience was successful. Special congratulations to Polina Kukhta, who achieved the third adult category. We are sure that our golfers have many more achievements ahead!

Photo: sportiverezerv.rf

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Ghana's President hands over responsibilities of ministers killed in plane crash to other cabinet members

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

ACCRA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) — Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama on Thursday gave two serving cabinet ministers additional powers following a helicopter crash that killed Defence Minister Edward Kofi Omane Boamah and Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed.

A press release from the Office of the President said that Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson will serve as acting Minister of Defence, while Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah will serve as acting Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation.

A helicopter carrying government officials crashed in the Ashanti region of southern Ghana on Wednesday, killing all eight people on board.

The government has declared three days of mourning from August 7 to 9. The presidential office said the mourning would end on Saturday evening with memorial events and reflections. –0–

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DRC forms new government amid crisis in eastern part of country

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

KINSHASA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) — The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Friday reshuffled its government amid a worsening security crisis in the country's east.

Presidential spokeswoman Tina Salama told state television that the new cabinet was formed after nationwide consultations to ensure efficiency and credibility, as well as political, geographic and socio-cultural balance.

Initially, it was announced that the government would be smaller than the one formed in May 2024, but the cabinet size has only decreased by one person, to 54 members. Judith Suminwa Tuluka remains prime minister.

Opposition figure Adolphe Muzito, who served as prime minister under former President Joseph Kabila, has joined the new inclusive cabinet as deputy prime minister in charge of the budget.

In late February, DRC President Felix Tshisekedi announced sweeping political changes, including plans to create a “government of national unity” to prevent the security crisis in the eastern part of the country from escalating into a wider regional conflict.

The situation in eastern DRC has been tense for decades due to ethnic tensions, local militias and foreign rebel groups operating across porous borders. The biggest threat is the March 23 Movement, which re-emerged in the region in late 2021. –0–

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Six killed in Kenya plane crash

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

NAIROBI, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) — At least six people were killed and two others injured when a light air ambulance plane crashed in a residential area on the outskirts of Kenya's capital Nairobi, Kiambu County Commissioner Henry Wafula said.

"We have six people killed. Four were on board, two were on the ground. Two more were injured on the ground," he said.

Four medical workers who were on board the Cessna Citation 560 ambulance plane were killed, as were two local residents who happened to be at the crash site, the official said. The injured, including an elderly woman, were rushed to hospital.

The plane, belonging to AMREF Flying Doctors, took off from Wilson Airport in Nairobi at 2:14 p.m. local time and was bound for the northern Somali city of Hargeisa. It crashed in Mwihoko district three minutes into the flight, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority Director General Emil Arao said.

"We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident involving an air ambulance. Our first priority is to support the rescue efforts and provide all necessary assistance to the families of the victims," said E. Arao.

The statement said search and rescue operations at the crash site were being led by the Kenya Defence Forces and the National Police Service. A team from the Air Accident Investigation Department has been dispatched to determine the cause of the crash.

AMREF also confirmed the crash, saying it was fully cooperating with aviation authorities and emergency services to establish the circumstances of the crash.

Footage from the crash site shows the wreckage engulfed in flames and bystanders watching from afar. –0–

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L.I. Lula da Silva and N.Modi discussed expanding cooperation

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

BRASILIA/NEW DELHI, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) — Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephone conversation on Thursday, during which the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to bilateral cooperation and multilateralism amid rising global trade tensions.

The two leaders exchanged views on various regional and global issues of mutual interest. “They recalled the goal of increasing bilateral trade to more than US$20 billion by 2030. They also agreed to expand the scope of the agreement between the countries of the Common Market of the South (Mercosur) and India,” the Brazilian presidential office said in a statement.

On his page on the social network X, the Indian prime minister called the conversation “good.”

“We are committed to deepening our strategic partnerships in areas such as trade, energy, technology, defense and health. Strong, people-centered partnerships among countries of the Global South benefit everyone,” he wrote.

L.I. Lula da Silva has confirmed that he will visit India on a state visit in early 2026. In preparation, Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin will visit India in October to attend a meeting of the Trade Monitoring Mechanism, accompanied by ministers and business leaders.

The telephone conversation also touched on cooperation within BRICS. The leaders of the two countries reviewed the results of the recent BRICS summit in Brazil and discussed coordination of actions in connection with India's upcoming chairmanship of the bloc.

The conversation between the leaders of Brazil and India came shortly after the United States announced a sharp increase in tariffs on goods from the two countries. –0–

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NSU student team showed the best result in 10 years at the 32nd International Mathematical Olympiad IMC-2025

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Novosibirsk State University –

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The International Mathematical Olympiad is the most important student competition in mathematics in the world. IMC-2025 was held from July 28 to August 3 in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria. More than 430 students from leading universities around the world took part in it. For NSU, this is the 12th Olympiad, and every year the university students take honorable places in it.

This year, Novosibirsk State University was represented at IMC by: Valery Pyatkin, Stanislav Yelovatsky, Timofey Vasiliev with Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics and Ivan Frolov with Faculty of Natural Sciences.

The tasks for the mathematical Olympiad are selected at a jury meeting. Students' work is assessed according to the presented criteria by team leaders, professors and associate professors of universities.

Based on the results of the individual competition, the NSU team received four medals: two gold, one silver and one bronze. The team leaders are Anatoly Albertovich Ruban, associate professor of the Department of Mathematical Analysis of the Mechanics and Mathematics Faculty of NSU, and three-time IMC participant Danila Sergeevich Belousov.

– I have been participating in IMC since my first year, this was my third trip. The Olympiad was held in the IMO format. We solved 5 problems every day for two days. The problems are non-standard and quite different from those we solve in Russia. The Olympiad is taking place in a somewhat familiar place, the city of Blagoevgrad, which is located in Bulgaria. Students from all over the world, from South America to China, come there. I was surprised by the number of Russian students, about 15% were from Russia: they represented Moscow universities, St. Petersburg State University and NSU. In my free time from solving problems, it was nice to talk to everyone and take a walk, – shared my impressions Stanislav Yelovatsky, a 4th-year student of the Mechanics and Mathematics Faculty of NSU.

In the team competition, NSU students beat the teams from HSE and MSU, taking 15th place – this is the best result in the last 10 years of the university's participation in the International Mathematical Olympiad.

Congratulations to the guys on their excellent result!

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The government has expanded the opportunities for Russian manufacturers to participate in government procurement and to receive government support measures

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –

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The validity period of an entry in the register of Russian industrial products, which confirms their domestic origin, has been increased from three to five years. The decree on this was signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

Extending the validity period of the record will reduce the costs of companies for localization level examination, and will also significantly reduce the administrative burden on domestic manufacturers. Thus, participation in government procurement will become possible without regularly reissuing the documentation required for admission to the auction.

In addition, the decision taken will give producers the opportunity to apply for government support measures that are designed for a period of more than three years.

The three-year validity period of the registry entry was established by the Government in 2022.

The document will be published.

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