Officials organising a NATO summit in The Hague this month are expected to keep it short, restrict discussion of Ukraine, and choreograph meetings so that Volodymyr Zelenskiy can somehow be in town without provoking Donald Trump.
Though the Ukrainian president is widely expected to attend the summit in some form, NATO has yet to confirm whether he is actually invited. Diplomats say he may attend a pre-summit dinner but be kept away from the main summit meeting.
Whether the brief summit statement will even identify Russia as a threat or express support for Ukraine is still up in the air.
The careful steps are all being taken to avoid angering Washington, much less provoking any repeat of February’s White House blow-up between Trump and Zelenskiy that almost torpedoed the international coalition supporting Kyiv.
NATO’s European members, who see Russia as an existential threat and NATO as the principal means of countering it, want to signal their continued strong support for Ukraine. But they are also desperate to avoid upsetting a volatile Trump, who stunned them at a summit seven years ago by threatening to quit the alliance altogether.
If Zelenskiy does not attend in some form, it would be “at least a PR disaster”, acknowledged a senior NATO diplomat.
Since Russia’s invasion three years ago, Zelenskiy has regularly attended NATO summits as the guest of honour, where alliance members pledged billions in weapons and condemned Russia for an illegal war of conquest. Leaders repeatedly promised that Ukraine would one day join NATO.
But since Washington’s shift under Trump towards partly accepting Russia’s justifications for the war and disparaging Zelenskiy, the 32-member alliance no longer speaks with a single voice about Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War Two. Trump has taken Ukraine’s NATO membership off the table, unilaterally granting Moscow one of its main demands.
After dressing down Zelenskiy in the Oval Office in February, Trump cut vital U.S. military and intelligence support for Ukraine for days.
Since then, the two men publicly mended fences in a meeting in St Peter’s Basilica for the funeral of Pope Francis. But mostly they have spoken remotely, with Zelenskiy twice phoning the White House on speakerphone while surrounded by four friendly Europeans — Britain’s Keir Starmer, France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Friedrich Merz and Poland’s Donald Tusk.
SPENDING BOOST
Trump is expected to come away from The Hague with a big diplomatic victory as NATO members heed his longstanding complaints that they do not spend enough on defence and agree a much higher target.
They are expected to boost their goal for traditional military spending to 3.5% of economic output from 2%. A further pledge to spend 1.5% on related expenses such as infrastructure and cyber defence would raise the total to 5% demanded by Trump.
But the summit itself and its accompanying written statement are expected to be unusually short, minimising the chances of flare-ups or disagreements. A pledge to develop recommendations for a new Russia strategy has been kicked into the long grass.
Meanwhile, Zelenskiy may have to be content with an invitation to a pre-summit dinner, hosted by Dutch King Willem-Alexander, diplomats say.
Unlike at NATO’s previous two annual summits, the leaders do not plan to hold a formal meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, the official venue for talks between the alliance and Kyiv. The senior NATO diplomat said a working dinner with either foreign ministers or defence ministers could instead serve as an NUC.
‘PROPERLY REPRESENTED’
On Wednesday, NATO boss Mark Rutte said he had invited Ukraine to the summit, but sidestepped a question on whether the invitation included Zelenskiy himself.
After meeting Rutte on Monday, Zelenskiy said on X that it was “important that Ukraine is properly represented” at the summit. “That would send the right signal to Russia,” he said.
U.S. and Ukrainian officials did not reply to questions about the nature of any invitation to Ukraine.
Some European countries are still willing to say in public that they hope to see Zelenskiy invited as the head of the Ukrainian delegation.
Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said he would like to see a “delegation led by President Zelenskiy”. Asked about an invitation for Zelenskiy, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said “I, for my part, strongly welcome the invitation” without giving further details.
But diplomats have tried to play down the importance of the formal status of Zelenskiy’s role: “Many allies want to have Zelenskiy at the summit, but there is flexibility on the precise format that would allow his presence,” said a second senior NATO diplomat.
A senior European diplomat said: “We should not get stuck on ‘NUC or no NUC’. If he comes to the leaders’ dinner, that would be the minimum.”
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
HANGZHOU, June 6 (Xinhua) — Young representatives of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries visited Yucun Village in Anji County, east China’s Zhejiang Province, on Wednesday.
This small mountain village, widely known for its concept of “emerald waters and green mountains are priceless treasures”, is now becoming an important window for the exchange of eco-civilization construction experiences between China and foreign countries.
Young representatives of political, academic and media circles from Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan and other countries gathered together to participate in the event organized by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAF) and entitled “Exploring the Path of Common Prosperity”.
At the entrance to Yucun Village, they stopped to capture the clean, quiet streets and picturesquely located rural houses.
Yucun used to live off stone mining, which led to the exposure of the mountain slopes and soil erosion. Guided by the concept of “emerald waters and green mountains are priceless treasures,” the villagers voluntarily abandoned the old way of “digging mountains and selling stone” and embarked on a new path that prioritizes ecology and green development.
Since 2005, Yucun has been actively developing new forms of economy such as rural tourism and creative agriculture.
In 2024, the total operating income of the village reached 11.316 million yuan. Anji County also established a county-level platform for purchasing and trading bamboo forest carbon credits, which increased the annual trading volume of carbon credits to 350 thousand tons, bringing long-term benefits to farmers.
The guide, using an old photograph and a new panorama of the village as a basis, told the young guests in detail about the path of transformation of the village. At the foot of the green mountains, surrounded by greenery, the youth listened, asked questions, trying to catch the pulse of green development.
“This path has similarities with the development of some mountainous areas in our country,” said the young man from Uzbekistan. In recent years, Uzbekistan has also been exploring new models for integrating ecotourism and traditional agriculture, and Yucun’s experience here could not have come at a better time.
Entering the Anji County Exhibition Center of “Replacing Plastic with Bamboo”, young people looked closely at the exquisite bamboo products: disposable straws, biodegradable chopsticks, bamboo fiber clothing… Everywhere, greenery and ingenious design made people linger, tradition intertwined with modernity, and the green concept organically intertwined with daily life.
The delegation also visited green industry projects such as local guest houses, residential complexes for young highly qualified personnel, and a tourist center.
In recent years, China’s cooperation with SCO countries in areas such as ecological agriculture, clean energy and environmental management has been expanding. From green industry to green finance, from environmental training to policy dialogue, “green” has become an important link in the exchange of experience and mutual learning between China and other countries. -0-
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday called on the 11th Panchen Lama, Ertnyi Choelkyi Kyalbo, to make greater contributions to promoting ethnic unity and religious harmony and ensuring stability, development and progress in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region.
Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the call while receiving the 11th Panchen Lama, Ertnyi Choelkyi Kyalbo, at the Zhongnanhai Palace in Beijing. -0-
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) — A 40-day fishing ban was officially imposed on Lake Xingkai (Khanka), located on the China-Russia border, on Friday.
According to the Zhongxinshe news agency, more than 200 Chinese fishing vessels have already left their fishing areas.
According to the study, there are 65 species of fish in Lake Xingkai. In order to ensure biodiversity and promote sustainable fisheries development, a seasonal ban on fishing in the lake has been in place since 1952.
From June 6 to July 15, all fishing on the lake will be prohibited, the local public safety department reminded.
In order to tighten the fight against poaching and ensure security, border control officers have increased patrols in the lake area. -0-
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) — China is willing to work with Canada in the spirit of looking to the future to push forward the steady improvement of bilateral relations, lead them to the track of healthy and sustainable development, and pursue win-win cooperation, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said Friday.
In a telephone conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, initiated by the latter, Li Qiang noted that Canada was one of the first Western countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. For a long time, these bilateral relations were at the forefront of China’s relations with Western countries, but in recent years they have encountered serious difficulties, he added.
The development of China and Canada presents opportunities rather than threats to each other, Li Qiang said, noting that there is no fundamental conflict of interest between the countries, only a tradition of friendship and mutual benefit.
The Premier expressed hope that the Canadian side will make joint efforts with China, objectively and rationally assess China’s development, and work together to achieve common success and prosperity.
According to Li Qiang, China-Canada cooperation has great potential as the two countries’ economies complement each other to a great extent. He called on both sides to deepen cooperation in traditional areas, expand cooperation in new areas such as green energy, climate change and scientific and technological innovation, and strengthen people-to-people, economic and trade exchanges.
The Chinese Premier called on the governments of both countries to listen to the opinions of their peoples, respond to their concerns and do more to strengthen bilateral friendly cooperation, mutual understanding and trust.
China is willing to cooperate with Canada on the basis of equality and mutual respect, seek and expand common ground while eliminating and narrowing differences, strengthen exchanges and dialogue in various fields, and give due consideration to each other’s concerns, Li Qiang said.
He also noted that China is willing to work with Canada to jointly safeguard multilateralism and free trade, promote economic globalization and the development of the multilateral trading system in the right direction, and bring greater stability to the world and development of the planet.
In turn, M. Carney said that Canada and China are linked by deep traditional friendship, and China is Canada’s second largest trading partner. According to him, although bilateral relations have experienced some difficulties in recent years, Canada is ready to resume ties with China.
The Canadian side looks forward to resuming high-level exchanges and dialogue mechanisms in areas such as diplomacy, economics and trade, as well as strengthening pragmatic cooperation in trade, agriculture, energy and environmental protection, the Canadian prime minister added.
In light of the current international situation, Canada stands ready to strengthen ties and coordination with China, jointly safeguard the international financial and trading system, and contribute to global sustainable development, said M. Carney. –0–
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday sent a congratulatory message to Karol Nawrocki on his election as president of Poland.
In his message, Xi Jinping noted that Poland was one of the first countries to recognize and establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. The two countries are linked by traditional friendship and are comprehensive strategic partners.
The Chinese leader stressed that in the 76 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have adhered to the principle of mutual respect, treated each other as equals and achieved fruitful results in various areas of mutually beneficial cooperation.
According to the Chinese President, in the context of the turbulent and changing international situation, China and Poland, as friendly partners, should further deepen political mutual trust and strengthen strategic communications.
Xi Jinping noted that he attaches great importance to the development of China-Poland relations and is willing to cooperate with K. Nawrocki to promote the sustainable development of the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, benefit the peoples of both countries, and make further contributions to global stability and certainty. –0–
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) — China’s railway passenger traffic reached 4.31 billion in 2024, up 11.9 percent year on year, according to the 2024 statistics released by the State Railway Administration (SRA).
According to the agency, in 2024 the total volume of freight traffic increased by 2.8 percent year-on-year and amounted to 5.18 billion tons.
Fixed asset investment in the railway sector reached 850.6 billion yuan (about 118.4 billion US dollars). During the year, 3,113 km of new railway lines were put into operation, including 2,457 km of high-speed lines.
As of the end of 2024, the total length of China’s railways in operation reached 162,000 km, including 48,000 km of high-speed railways.
During 2024, the railway system operated reliably, stably and orderly, and no major accidents were recorded, the state administration emphasized. -0-
President Donald Trump’s idea of a “Golden Dome” missile defense system carries a range of potential strategic dangers for the United States.
Golden Dome is meant to protect the U.S. from ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missiles, and missiles launched from space. Trump has called for the missile defense to be fully operational before the end of his term in three years.
Trump’s goals for Golden Dome are likely beyond reach. A wide range of studies makes clear that even defenses far more limited than what Trump envisions would be far more expensive and less effective than Trump expects, especially against enemy missiles equipped with modern countermeasures. Countermeasures include multiple warheads per missile, decoy warheads and warheads that can maneuver or are difficult to track, among others.
Regardless of Golden Dome’s feasibility, there is a long history of scholarship about strategic missile defenses, and the weight of evidence points to the defenses making their host country less safe from nuclear attack.
I’m a national security and foreign policy professor at Harvard University, where I lead “Managing the Atom,” the university’s main research group on nuclear weapons and nuclear energy policies. For decades, I’ve been participating in dialogues with Russian and Chinese nuclear experts – and their fears about U.S. missile defenses have been a consistent theme throughout.
Russian President Vladmir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have already warned that Golden Dome is destabilizing. Along with U.S. offensive capabilities, Golden Dome poses a threat of “directly undermining global strategic stability, spurring an arms race and increasing conflict potential both among nuclear-weapon states and in the international arena as a whole,” a joint statement from China and Russia said. While that is a propaganda statement, it reflects real concerns broadly held in both countries.
Golden Dome explained.
History lessons
Experience going back half a century makes clear that if the administration pursues Golden Dome, it is likely to provoke even larger arms buildups, derail already-dim prospects for any negotiated nuclear arms restraint, and perhaps even increase the chances of nuclear war.
My first book, 35 years ago, made the case that it would be in the U.S. national security interest to remain within the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which strictly limited U.S. and Soviet – and later Russian – missile defenses. The United States and the Soviet Union negotiated the ABM Treaty as part of SALT I, the first agreements limiting the nuclear arms race. It was approved in the Senate 98-2.
The ABM Treaty experience is instructive for the implications of Golden Dome today.
Why did the two countries agree to limit defenses? First and foremost, because they understood that unless each side’s defenses were limited, they would not be able to stop an offensive nuclear arms race. If each side wants to maintain the ability to retaliate if the other attacks – “don’t nuke me, or I’ll nuke you” – then an obvious answer to one side building up more defenses is for the other to build up more nuclear warheads.
For example, in the 1960s and 1970s, the Soviets installed 100 interceptors to defend Moscow – so the United States targeted still more warheads on Moscow to overwhelm the defense. Had it ever come to a nuclear war, Moscow would have been even more thoroughly obliterated than if there had been no defense at all. Both sides came to realize that unlimited missile defenses would just mean more offense on both sides, leaving both less secure than before.
In addition, nations viewed an adversary’s shield as going hand in hand with a nuclear sword. A nuclear first strike might destroy a major part of a country’s nuclear forces. Missile defenses would inevitably be more effective against the reduced, disorganized retaliation that they knew would be coming than they would be against a massive, well-planned surprise attack. That potential advantage to whoever struck first could make nuclear crises even more dangerous.
Post-ABM Treaty world
Unfortunately, President George W. Bush pulled the United States out of the ABM Treaty in 2002, seeking to free U.S. development of defenses against potential missile attacks from small states such as North Korea. But even now, decades later, the U.S. has fewer missile interceptors deployed (44) than the treaty permitted (100).
The U.S. pullout did not lead to an immediate arms buildup or the end of nuclear arms control. But Putin has complained bitterly about U.S. missile defenses and the U.S. refusal to accept any limitation at all on them. He views the U.S. stance as an effort to achieve military superiority by negating Russia’s nuclear deterrent.
Russia is investing heavily in new types of strategic nuclear weapons intended to avoid U.S. missile defenses, from an intercontinental nuclear torpedo to a missile that can go around the world and attack from the south, while U.S. defenses are mainly pointed north toward Russia.
Similarly, much of China’s nuclear buildup appears to be driven by wanting a reliable nuclear deterrent in the face of the United States’ capability to strike its nuclear forces and use missile defenses to mop up the remainder. Indeed, China was so angered by South Korea’s deployment of U.S.-provided regional defenses – which they saw as aiding the U.S. ability to intercept their missiles – that they imposed stiff sanctions on South Korea.
Fuel to the fire
Now, Trump wants to go much further, with a defense “forever ending the missile threat to the American homeland,” with a success rate “very close to 100%.” I believe that this effort is highly likely to lead to still larger nuclear buildups in Russia and China. The Putin-Xi joint statement pledges to “counter” defenses “aimed at achieving military superiority.”
Given the ease of developing countermeasures that are extraordinarily difficult for defenses to overcome, odds are the resulting offense-defense competition will leave the United States worse off than before – and a good bit poorer.
Putin and Xi made clear that they are particularly concerned about the thousands of space-based interceptors Trump envisions. These interceptors are designed to hit missiles while their rockets are still burning during launch.
Most countries are likely to oppose the idea of deploying huge numbers of weapons in space – and these interceptors would be both expensive and vulnerable. China and Russia could focus on further developing anti-satellite weapons to blow a hole in the defense, increasing the risk of space war.
Already, there is a real danger that the whole effort of negotiated limits to temper nuclear arms racing may be coming to an end. The last remaining treaty limiting U.S. and Russian nuclear forces, the New START Treaty, expires in February 2026. China’s rapid nuclear buildup is making many defense officials and experts in Washington call for a U.S. buildup in response.
Intense hostility all around means that for now, neither Russia nor China is even willing to sit down to discuss nuclear restraints, in treaty form or otherwise.
A way forward
In my view, adding Golden Dome to this combustible mix would likely end any prospect of avoiding a future of unrestrained and unpredictable nuclear arms competition. But paths away from these dangers are available.
It would be quite plausible to design defenses that would provide some protection against attacks from a handful of missiles from North Korea or others that would not seriously threaten Russian or Chinese deterrent forces – and design restraints that would allow all parties to plan their offensive forces knowing what missile defenses they would be facing in the years to come.
I believe that Trump should temper his Golden Dome ambitions to achieve his other dream – of negotiating a deal to reduce nuclear dangers.
Matthew Bunn is a member of the National Academies Committee on International Security and Arms Control and a board member of the Arms Control Association. He is a member of the Academic Alliance of the United States Strategic Command and a consultant to Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Document
Resolution of May 31, 2025 No. 829
Commercial and government organizations may enter into agreements with regulatory authorities on the proper elimination of identified violations. From the moment the agreement is concluded, the order to eliminate the identified violation is suspended. The corresponding resolution was signed by the Government. This instrument is aimed at reducing the administrative burden on business as part of improving control and supervisory activities under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister – Head of the Government Staff Dmitry Grigorenko.
The organizations that may apply for the conclusion of an agreement include government agencies, local government bodies, state and municipal institutions, as well as city-forming and strategic enterprises, defense industry organizations, enterprises in the housing and utilities sector, energy, communications, transport, agriculture, and pharmaceutical production.
Applications from organizations will be considered only for those types of supervision where the controlled entities are primarily organizations of strategic or high socio-economic importance. The effect of the resolution extends to eight types of control:
— federal state supervision in the field of industrial safety,
— Federal State Energy Supervision,
— federal state supervision in the field of safety of hydraulic structures,
— Federal State Mining Supervision,
— federal state environmental control (supervision),
— federal state geological control (supervision),
— federal state land control (supervision);
— federal state licensing control of activities related to the production of medicines.
“The mechanism of agreements will prevent situations when administrative liability for a detected violation may lead to a halt in production, staff reductions, or a reduction in the output of socially significant products. Control authorities must accommodate organizations and build partnerships with them. Especially if eliminating violations requires significant financial and time costs, or the allocation of additional budget funds,” commented Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Government Staff Dmitry Grigorenko.
To conclude an agreement, organizations develop a draft program for eliminating the identified violations and provide documents confirming that significant time, material costs and capital investments are needed to eliminate the violations. This must be done within 10 working days from the date of receipt of the order.
The signed agreement is being coordinated with the prosecutor’s office.
If an agreement is concluded and comes into force, the order regarding the identified violations of mandatory requirements is suspended; after their elimination, the controlled person is not subject to administrative liability.
Applications can be submitted for violations identified since June 1, 2025. Applications will be denied for those that pose a direct threat to human life and health. For example, if we are talking about corrosion or partial destruction of power line supports, which can lead to collapse, line breakage and, as a result, mass power outages.
This resolution was developed by the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia and adopted in pursuance of the amendments to the Federal Law “On State Control (Supervision) and Municipal Control in the Russian Federation” that came into force in 2025.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
The All-Russian Society of the Blind (VOS) today unites more than 185 thousand people and helps them overcome difficulties, protect their rights and live interesting, fulfilling lives.
On June 9, 2025, the Bank of Russia will issue into circulation a commemorative silver coin of 3 rubles denomination “100th Anniversary of the All-Russian Society of the Blind” from the “Historical Events” series (catalog No. 5111-0520).
The silver coin with a face value of 3 rubles (pure precious metal weight – 31.1 g, alloy fineness – 925) has the shape of a circle with a diameter of 39.0 mm.
There is a raised edge around the circumference of both the front and back sides of the coin.
On the obverse of the coin there is a relief image of the State Emblem of the Russian Federation, the inscriptions “RUSSIAN FEDERATION”, “BANK OF RUSSIA”, the coin denomination “3 RUBLES”, the date “2025”, the designation of the metal according to the Periodic Table of Elements of D.I. Mendeleyev, the alloy fineness, the trademark of the St. Petersburg Mint and the pure mass of the precious metal.
On the reverse side of the coin there is a colored relief logo of the All-Russian Society of the Blind; a relief inscription “100 years” in Braille; at the bottom there is a relief inscription in two lines “100 YEARS”. Above the VOS logo there is a QR code made using the laser matting technique. When you point the smartphone camera at it, the official VOS website opens, where you can get information about the coin using audio description.
The side surface of the coin is ribbed.
The coin is made in proof quality.
The mintage of the coin is 5.0 thousand pieces.
The issued coin is a legal tender in the territory of the Russian Federation and must be accepted at face value for all types of payments without restrictions.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a resolution approving the rules for preparing project documentation for repeated use (standard project documentation), which establishes, among other things, the specifics of the composition of its sections and the requirements for its content, as well as the specifics of the examination of such documentation.
“Standard design is an important tool for high-quality construction. The adoption of the relevant resolution will create an effective system for the development and use of standard design documentation. The use of standard designs allows us to reduce construction time by at least six months, since there is no need to develop design and working documentation from scratch. Thus, people receive the necessary schools, kindergartens, hospitals and other socially significant facilities faster. In addition, the use of proven solutions ensures cost savings, a high level of reliability of facilities, minimizes errors and simplifies the approval process. The development of a series of standard designs is planned to begin in 2026, and it will begin with schools. This will be the first step in a large-scale program for the typification of social infrastructure throughout the country,” said Marat Khusnullin.
The Deputy Prime Minister recalled that changes providing for the procedure for developing standard design documentation were introduced into the Urban Development Code in 2024.
Series of standard projects will provide up-to-date technical solutions that comply with all established sanitary-epidemiological, fire and other mandatory safety requirements, as well as the most advantageous in terms of functional, technical and economic indicators.
In addition, such series of standard projects of social facilities will be created for all climatic and seismic regions of the country.
“The standard design documentation provides for the most relevant technical solutions that allow achieving the functional, technical and economic indicators of capital construction projects at the lowest cost. The Ministry of Construction of Russia pays special attention to the development of this area as part of the implementation of the national project “Infrastructure for Life”, aimed at fulfilling the tasks of socio-economic development of Russia set by the President. The use of design solutions that have already passed the assessment of the state examination of design documentation helps to reduce the construction time of facilities, as well as reduce the financial costs of participants in the investment and construction process,” noted Minister of Construction and Housing and Public Utilities Irek Fayzullin.
In addition, the Government has defined federal executive bodies and their subordinate institutions authorized to develop standard design documentation. These are the Ministry of Construction of Russia (Federal Autonomous Institution “FCS”), the Ministry of Transport of Russia (Federal State Institution “Rostransmodernizatsiya”, Federal State Institution “Rosgranstroy”), the Ministry of Defense of Russia, and the Federal Protective Service of Russia.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Tatyana Golikova presented the award in the special nomination “Family Year Project” of the IV National Internet Content Award.
Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova presented the award in the special nomination “Project of the Year of the Family” of the IV National Internet Content Award, established by the Internet Development Institute. The best projects in 22 nominations were announced on June 5 at a ceremony in the Mosfilm cinema and concert complex.
As Tatyana Golikova noted at the ceremony, most Russians believe that a large family is the embodiment of cohesion.
“Our President declared 2024 the Year of the Family. And it has become the most recognizable among thematic years. This became possible thanks to the efforts of the state, society, the media, and the Internet,” said the Deputy Prime Minister. “Based on the results of 2024, we have good results from sociological surveys. Three quarters of Russians develop and strengthen their values after having children. The number of young people who do not want to have children has decreased threefold. And 88% of Russians believe that a large family is the embodiment of cohesion.”
Tatyana Golikova expressed hope that these trends will continue to be supported.
In the special nomination “Family Year Project”, the campaign for promoting family values within the framework of the Year of the Family was named the best. Tatyana Golikova presented the award to the general director of the ANO “National Priorities” Sofia Malyavina and the creative director, author of the popular video “Freckle” Ruslana Kharitonova.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
UEFA must use their platform to condemn human rights violators.
More in External Affairs
Belarus should not be allowed to compete in UEFA competitions while enabling war and violating human rights, say the Scottish Greens.
Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie MSP has written to UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin urging the football body to ban Belarus from all competitions. His call comes ahead of upcoming World Cup qualifiers, including two fixtures between Scotland’s Men’s National Team and Belarus.
In his letter, Mr Harvie highlights serious concerns over Belarus’ support for Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. He describes Belarus as a key enabler of the war, pointing to its role in allowing Russian forces to use Belarusian territory to launch attacks on Ukraine.
The Green MSP also draws attention to the human rights crisis within Belarus itself. Since leader Alexander Lukashenko claimed to win 80% of the vote in the widely disputed 2020 presidential elections, the country has seen a steep decline in civil liberties, with reports of political prisoners, torture, and violent crackdowns on peaceful protests.
“Belarus is not just failing to uphold basic human rights at home – it is actively participating in a senseless war abroad. Lukashenko is a brutal authoritarian leader, he must be held to account, not given the platform to sports-wash his horrific humanitarian crimes.
“UEFA rightly banned Russia for their criminal domestic and international record. As a close ally helping to wage the same wars at home and abroad, why should Belarus be treated any differently?
“The continued participation of Belarusian sports teams in UEFA competitions flies in the face of the organisation’s own supposed values, particularly its RESPECT campaign, which promotes fairness, dignity and human rights in football.
“Football doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It sends a message to the world. Now is the time for UEFA to show leadership and ensure that the message is one of peace, an end to complicity and an adherence to human rights.
“Now is the time to take a stand, Belarus must follow Russia, as well as other nations committing unspeakable crimes, and be made a sporting pariah state until international law is restored.”
Text of Letter from Patrick Harvie to UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin
Dear Mr. Čeferin,
I hope this letter finds you well.
I write today as a concerned citizen and Member of the Scottish Parliament with significant concerns relating to continued Belarusian involvement in UEFA football competitions and the subsequent threat that their inclusion poses to UEFA’s values of unity, fair play and respect within football.
In light of Scotland’s Men’s team drawing Belarus in the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers, I believe it is imperative for Scotland’s political representatives to speak out about the hugely problematic inclusion of Belarus given its complicity in Russian aggression and its troubling human rights record.
I urge UEFA to reconsider Belarus’s participation in its competitions, in light of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and Belarus’s complicity in Russia’s unlawful war of aggression.
As I am sure you are aware, Belarus has become a key enabler of Russia’s military actions in Ukraine. The Belarusian regime, under President Alexander Lukashenko, has allowed its territory to be used as a launchpad for Russian forces, contributing directly to the suffering and destruction in Ukraine. This ongoing support for Russia’s aggression is a clear and unacceptable violation of international law and the fundamental principles of peace and human rights.
Furthermore, Belarus’s domestic human rights record continues to be appalling. Since the contested presidential elections of 2020, the Belarusian government has consistently violated the rights of its citizens, including the suppression of peaceful protest, arbitrary detention, and the torture of political opponents and dissidents. Numerous international organisations, including the United Nations and the European Union, have condemned the actions of the Belarusian government in the strongest terms.
The ongoing abuse of human rights in Belarus must force a re-evaluation of the country’s eligibility to participate in international sporting events, where respect for human dignity should be paramount.
Indeed, a month after Russia resumed its invasion of Ukraine, in March 2022, UEFA announced it was imposing specific restrictions on Belarus with immediate effect. UEFA banned the nation from hosting any international matches, either at club or national team level, as well as barring any spectators from attending games. It does not seem logical that UEFA are willing to take decisive action to remove Russia entirely from its competitions yet invite a key Russian ally which is complicit in the ongoing murder of innocent Ukrainians to continue as a UEFA member nation. It is morally incomprehensible that UEFA continues to promote its very laudable RESPECT campaign whilst allowing a nation that is stationing Putin’s ballistic missiles to compete.
In this context, I urge UEFA to take a strong and decisive stance by excluding Belarus from its competitions until such time as the country ceases its support for Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine and takes substantial steps to address its widespread human rights violations. Belarus’s continued participation not only tarnishes the credibility of UEFA but also undermines the organisation’s commitment to promoting peace and respect in the footballing community.
We have already seen the importance of sports sending a message about human rights and justice. UEFA’s previous decision to suspend Russian teams and clubs from its competitions in response to the war in Ukraine was a positive and necessary step in aligning sports with ethical values. It is crucial that Belarus, which shares complicity in these actions, is held to the same standards.
UEFA must, as an organisation committed to the values of peace, respect and fairness, take this opportunity to demonstrate leadership in the face of global crises and ensure that its competitions strive to be a platform for moral integrity.
Thank you for your time and consideration of this important matter. I look forward to your response and hope that UEFA will take meaningful action in this regard.
Yours sincerely, Patrick Harvie Member of the Scottish Parliament Co-Leader of the Scottish Green Party
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Beijing, June 6 (Xinhua) — Belarusbank was approved as a full member of the Interbank Association of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (IBA) following the 21st meeting of the Council.
Speaking at the meeting held at the China Development Bank headquarters in Beijing on Thursday, participants expressed their willingness to provide high-quality financial services to jointly build a more beautiful SCO common home.
As an important platform for regional financial cooperation, the SCO IBC should further intensify cooperation between its member banks in the areas of infrastructure connectivity, scientific and technological innovation, industrial modernization, green and low-carbon development, and digital economy, continuously deepen humanitarian exchanges, and strengthen mutual trust and understanding, the meeting participants said.
The SCO Interbank Association was established in October 2005. Its activities are aimed at supporting economic cooperation in the SCO region. -0-
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) — A river cargo route linking Tongjiang City in northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province with Russia’s Khabarovsk was launched this week, the Zhongxinshe News Agency reported.
On Tuesday, two barges pulled by the tugboat Luntui-610 left the Tongjiang River port and headed to Khabarovsk along the Songhuajiang (Sungari) and Heilongjiang (Amur) rivers, marking the beginning of the navigation period along the specified route.
The barges carried 1,130 tons of cargo worth a total of 20 million yuan. The goods included building stone, elevator accessories, and non-ferrous steel rolls.
It is reported that during the current navigation period along the Songhuajiang and Heilongjiang rivers, cement is mainly supplied from China to Russia, and organic fertilizers and copper are supplied from Russia to China.
Songhuajiang is a large right tributary of the Heilongjiang River. Currently, river traffic connects such Chinese and Russian cities located on the banks of these rivers as Harbin, Jiamusi, Khabarovsk and Nikolaevsk-on-Amur. -0-
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
ULAN BATOR, June 6 (Xinhua) — Mongolia received a record 66,360 foreign tourists in May 2025, local media reported on Friday, citing data from the country’s Professional Tourism Association.
This figure increased by 5,462 people compared to the same period of the previous year.
Currently, Mongolia’s economy relies heavily on mineral resource exports. Tourism promotion is considered a priority for diversifying the country’s economy and increasing the competitiveness of its tourism sector in the global competitive environment.
By 2028, Mongolia plans to welcome a total of 2 million foreign tourists as part of its policy to support the tourism sector under the official slogan “Go Mongolia”.
According to the country’s National Statistical Committee, more than 727.4 thousand foreign tourists visited Mongolia in 2024. –0–
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
KABUL, June 6 (Xinhua) — Afghanistan’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation has signed four memorandums of understanding with leading humanitarian organizations to provide assistance to returning refugees and internally displaced families, a statement to this effect was released on Thursday.
According to the memorandums, the aid, which totals approximately US$1.1 million, will support 18,360 returnees and displaced persons, as well as 3,665 local families, the statement said.
In May, the country’s Ministry of Trade and Industry signed five memorandums of understanding worth US$2.5 million with five humanitarian organizations to improve living conditions in eight provinces.
The Afghan interim government continues to call on local and international organisations to invest in the country to help address current economic challenges and create jobs. –0–
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
KABUL, June 6 (Xinhua) — Afghan police have rescued a kidnapped man and arrested three suspected kidnappers in northern Afghanistan’s Takhar province, the Interior Ministry said on Friday.
According to the statement, the suspects kidnapped the man in Takhar’s neighboring Kunduz province and demanded a ransom of US$50,000 for his release. Police tracked the victim to Takhar’s Darqad district and carried out a rescue operation, the statement said.
The ministry said the kidnappers had been handed over to judicial authorities for further investigation. The identity of the victim was not disclosed. No further details of the rescue operation were given. –0–
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) — The 9th China-South Asia Expo will be held from June 19 to 24 in Kunming, capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, an official with China’s Ministry of Commerce announced Friday.
Jointly organized by the aforementioned department and the people’s government of Yunnan Province, the exhibition will be one of the most important events this year in the field of economic and trade exchanges between China and South Asian countries, Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Yan Dong said at a press conference.
According to him, in 2024, trade turnover between China and South Asian countries will approach US$200 billion, doubling over the past decade.
He noted that investment cooperation had also yielded fruitful results, noting that flagship projects had become the main drivers of regional growth.
China will work closely with South Asian countries to align development strategies, expand cooperation in new areas such as the digital economy, low-carbon development and smart manufacturing, and support the region’s industrialization.
Li Chaowei, director of the Yunnan Provincial Bureau of Commerce, said this year’s expo will be more international, professional and market-oriented, adding that more than 1,400 enterprises from 54 countries and regions have confirmed their participation.
The expo will feature 11 themed pavilions covering key industries such as advanced manufacturing, clean energy and modern agriculture. About 1,000 professional buyers are expected to attend the event, Li Chaowei added. -0-
Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –
The team of the Civil Engineering Institute has developed a unique software package “IMPULSE” for automated classification of elements of digital information models (DIM) based on artificial intelligence technologies. The use of a PC allows to significantly reduce labor costs at the stages of classification and coding of data in DIM, as well as to speed up and simplify the process of assigning codes and attributes to elements of the information model.
The project is interdisciplinary. The development was carried out by the Civil Engineering and Physics and Mechanical Institutes of SPbPU, whose specialists combined engineering competencies in the field of construction modeling and computational methods. Technical manager – Pavel Nedviga.
Students from two institutes took part in the project. This collaboration provided a unique opportunity not only to develop the technical aspects of the product, but also to develop skills in working with modern digital technologies in young specialists. The PhysMech team was led by Vyacheslav Chukanov, a senior lecturer at the Higher School of Applied Mathematics and Computational Physics.
The work lasted for two and a half years. The final stage was the inclusion of the PC “IMPULSE” in the Unified Register of Russian programs for electronic computers and databases with a special mark indicating that the software belongs to the field of artificial intelligence. The registration of the program confirms its compliance with the requirements for domestic software and its importance for the construction industry.
The project partners were GC Pioneer, a development company implementing large-scale housing and infrastructure projects, and the State Expertise Center, an organization that carries out an independent assessment of the quality of project documentation.
The IMPULSE PC is actively used in the educational process within the Digital Departments project. ISI students master the software package as part of their practical training and apply artificial intelligence mechanisms. The total number of such students has exceeded 350 people.
Currently, “IMPULSE” is successfully used by design organizations that turn to BIM modeling technologies. The program has proven highly effective in the educational process and project practice.
The use of artificial intelligence technologies allows to significantly reduce labor costs of certain types of work and operations in the process of developing design documentation and to increase the efficiency of design work. Thanks to the use of the software package “IMPULSE”, design engineers will be more focused on expert work, eliminating the need to perform routine tasks, such as manual classification of elements of the information model and assigning codes and classes to them. At the moment, the product is unique and has no analogues in the world, – noted the director of the Civil Engineering Institute Marina Petrochenko.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
This report is provided by Earth Negotiations Bulletin/International Institute for Sustainable Development. View the original reporthere.
Finance is critical to implementation of the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), but investments have not kept pace with rising demands, and aid budgets are shrinking worldwide. In many sessions through the day, delegates focused attention on financing a wide range of needs, including school safety, measures to deal with extreme heat, and nature-based solutions (NbS).
High-level dialogue
What will it take to scale DRR financing solutions at the national and local level?
Journalist Mayowa Adegoke moderated the session.
Stine Renate Håheim, State Secretary to Minister of International Development, Norway, emphasized DRR financing as a high priority, saying, “it is better to prevent than repair afterwards.” She noted that one in three people globally-most in cities or highly vulnerable areas-are not covered by Early Warning Systems (EWS).
Hans Sy, CEO, SM Prime Holdings, explained his company’s investment in resilient building construction, such as building on concrete pillars to allow free flow of floodwaters. He stressed that risk-informed decisions based on science and technology “makes good business sense.”
Fatima Yasmin, Asian Development Bank (ADB), said the Bank regards DRR as a critical priority investment, particularly through supporting policy making, planning, advising on innovative investments, and incentivizing preparedness. On scaling DRR investments, she said financing should be fast, flexible and forward-looking.
Rob Wesseling, CEO, Co-operators Group, said no path to net zero emissions is possible without investment in both prevention and recovery. He encouraged governments to utilize the risk information gathered by insurance companies over decades to assist with decision making.
On mobilizing private sector investment, Velenkosini Fiki Hlabisa, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, South Africa, stressed that every cent invested in resilience and preparedness saves lives and livelihoods.
View of the panel during the Multi-Stakeholder Plenary. Source: IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou.
Ministerial roundtable
Inclusive comprehensive school safety-strengthening resilience for children and youth in all hazards
The event, which convened 36 ministries, was co-chaired by Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head, UNDRR, and Paul Steffen, Deputy Director, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland.
In opening remarks, Kishore encouraged delegates to endorse the Comprehensive School Safety Framework 2017 (CSSF), noting only 80 countries have done so, and for countries to make schools heat-resilient.
On school safety policies, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Mongolia, Pakistan, and Saint Lucia recognized the CSSF. Portugal highlighted its DRR working group on children and youth. Brunei Darussalam, Kenya, and Portugal recognized the fundamental rights of children to safe school environments. Colombia highlighted its Law on Teaching for Sustainability, Climate Change, and Disaster Risk Management. Republic of Korea described its 2020 Child Safety Management Act.
Many countries identified education programming as fundamental to reducing risk and developing children as agents of change in their homes and communities. Malaysia, Uganda, Russia, Algeria and others described homegrown examples of such programmes, for example, student leadership groups and First Aid skills training.
Leaders from around the globe express their shared commitment to making schools safer and more resilient to disasters. Source: IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou.
Several countries, including Greece, Kenya and Cuba, recognized the importance of social support to children experiencing disaster and loss, and the ensuing mental and emotional health impacts. The Holy See flagged the need for spiritual care of those “who have seen whole lives swept away.”
Most countries discussed sustainable and resilient school infrastructure, including standards for new or retrofitted buildings. Belgium, Republic of Moldova, and Singapore highlighted energy efficiency and climate resilience. On heat stress in schools, Singapore flagged cooling strategies and energy-efficient fans. Tunisia described its sustainable school network that integrates climate change, disaster risk, and biodiversity objectives. Spain said new schools need to be “climate shelters.” Bangladesh noted the construction of more than 5,000 cyclone-resistant schools.
Multistakeholder plenary
Investments in reducing risk and building resilience to accelerate investments in sustainable development
Kishore introduced the session, which was co-chaired by Paul Steffen, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland, and Paola Albrito, UNDRR. Kishore noted less than 1% of national budgets is allocated to DRR.
Countries presented their national commitments, such as Australia’s Disaster-Ready Fund, which is providing up to AUD 1 billion (USD 648 million) over five years for locally-identified needs, and Switzerland’s DRR commitment of more than CHF 2 billion (USD 2.5 billion) annually. Many expressed appreciation for international support, including for Moldova’s local adaptation plans in 38 communities, and Samoa’s community-based disaster risk management activities. Peru highlighted its introduction of budget flexibility for regional and local authorities, enabling rapid response to imminent hazards.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) reported that only 3% of all development assistance is allocated to agricultural DRR measures, even while these deliver significant returns in ensuring food security. Swiss Re highlighted the role of insurance in informing risk and mitigation measures, noting the availaility of parametric insurance, for example, against extreme heat events and flooding. The Resilience Action Fund showcased the work of the International Finance Corporation in developing the Building Resilience Index as a world-first metric for assessing the safety and risk of buildings for insurers and construction developers. The Latin America and the Caribbean Development Bank (CAF), India, and the UK welcomed innovative initiatives, such as a new center on extreme events, establishment of risk pools, and the use of AI to identify flood threats.
Delegates affirmed regional solidarity, demonstrated in Tunisia’s hosting of the Africa-Arab Platform for DRR in 2023, and Iran’s hosting of three regional organizations, including a Regional Center for Urban Water Management. Albania welcomed its responsibilities under the EU Civil Protection Code for cooperation among EU countries and other partners, which, he noted, enables access to advanced DRR solutions.
The International Organization for Migration highlighted its 2024 launch of Climate Mobility Innovation Labs for the Africa and Asia regions to develop solutions to climate-related mobility.
Steffen urged all present to accelerate investment in DRR, and to engage the private sector as key partners.
Moderator, Juli Trtanj, Co-Chair, Gobal Heat Health Information Network, opened the session. Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), called heat a “silent killer” because it is the least managed of all climate hazards. She said 50% of countries have heat warning systems in place but only 26 have dedicated Heat Health EWS. She identified three priorities: integrating heat risk into climate and DRR governance, heat EWS, and implementation using risk information and data.
In his keynote, Pramod Kumar Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, India, said heat threatened public health, economic stability, and the ecological resilience of cities and communities. He underscored UNDRR’s Common Framework on Extreme Heat Risk Governance and drew attention to India’s national guidelines on heat wave management, which decentralized more than 250 heat action plans in 23 states. He called for scaling hospital and primary health care preparedness and resilience and noted India is adopting a long-term heat wave mitigation strategy, including roof-cooling technologies, passive cooling centers, revival of traditional water bodies, and improved thermal comfort and livability of informal settlements.
In a panel discussion, Benoît Faraco, Ambassador, Climate Negotiations for Decarbonized Energies and for the Prevention of Climate Risks, France, urged being modest since we are still discovering impacts and avoiding maladaptation. Ousmane Ndiaye, Director General, African Center for Meteorological Application for Development, stressed the links between heat waves, energy crises, and health care demand. Rosa Galvez, Senator, Canada, spoke about lived experience saying, “We cannot adapt forever – we must work on the causes.” Jagan Chapagain, Secretary-General, International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said extreme heat is a humanitarian crisis. On involving the financial sector, Mia Seppo, Assistant Director General, International Labour Organization, discussed climate risk insurance, just transition principles, and access to essential services. Mishra advised that industry protect labor from heat risk.
Source: IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou.
Special session
Comprehensive approaches to reduce loss and damage-bridging climate action and DRR
Fatou Jeng, Former Climate Advisor to the UN Secretary-General and Member of the Early Warnings for All Advisory Panel, moderated the session.
Ralph Regenvanu, Minister for Climate Change, Adaptation, Meteorology and Geo Hazards, Energy, Environment and Disaster Management, Vanuatu, appreciated the support from the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) and the Santiago Network, which combined forces to launch the inaugural integrated loss and damage and DRR initiative in Vanuatu.
Kishore noted that, while many DRR practices are now in place, these need to be updated to deal with climate system changes and the associated risks, uncertainty, and volatility.
Benoît Faraco, argued that the distinction between loss and damage, and DRR, is theoretical, and remains irrelevant to people on the ground who want response, prevention, action, and solidarity to alleviate their situation.
Ibrahima Cheikh Diong, Executive Director, FRLD, emphasized the need to look at how interventions can be most impactful, stressing that solutions must be country-led, and recognize Indigenous groups and civil society participants. He expressed awareness that the FRLD must be “nimble, accessible, flexible and built on partnerships, always ensuring no one is left behind.”
Carolina Fuentes Castellanos, Director, Santiago Network Secretariat, elaborated on how the network is supporting countries to accelerate loss and damage, using Vanuatu’s experience to demonstrate how the Network can accelerate fund distribution and support with bold and transformative support.
Jagan Chapagain, Secretary-General, IFRC, cautioned that the terms loss and damage represent different meanings to communities, but the bottom line is to ensure the funds really reach the local level.
Thematic Sessions
Catalyzing governance solutions for disaster and climate-related displacement
Irwin Loy, The New Humanitarian, moderated this session.
John Mussington, activist and displaced person, Antigua & Barbuda, described his work of founding the community network, Stronger Caribbean Together, with others displaced by “disaster capitalism”, as storm-damaged sites are cleared for tourism development.
Sakiasi Ditoka, Minister of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management, Fiji, highlighted the 2023 Pacific Regional Mobility Framework and Fiji’s own planned relocation guidelines.
Zahra Abdi Mohamed, Director-General, National Center for Rural Development and Durable Solutions, Somalia, described Somalia’s National Transformation Plan that prioritizes anticipatory action and climate-smart livelihoods, responding to the needs of long-term displaced communities.
Fatimah Zannah Mustapha, community representative, Nigeria, called for centering the voices of local women in decision making by removing barriers, “whether digital, linguistic, or cultural.” Claudinne Ogaldes Cruz, Executive Secretary, National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED), Guatemala, noted that many Guatemalan households are women-led and have the knowledge to inform decision making.
Robert Piper, former UN Secretary-General’s Advisor on Solutions to Internal Displacement, said line ministries responsible for decisions on land use and building codes-“those who are responsible for dealing with the failure to prevent”-must become deeply involved in the governance of disaster displacement.
Leveraging Values of Nature for Resilience: Moderated by Cecilia Aipira, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the session addressed the role of nature-based solutions (NbS) in DRR.
In his keynote, Mohammed-Yahya Lafdal, General Director, National Environment and Coastline Observatory, Mauritania, highlighted the increase in tree cover through reforestation and restoration, taking into account Indigenous knowledge and solutions, and the development of barrier systems for water distribution and management in desert areas. He emphasized how addressing land degradation and rehabilitation has been Mauritania’s best solution for increasing resilience.
Rodrigo Hernández Escobar, Representative of the Latin American and Caribbean Indigenous Knowledge & DRR Network, highlighted political will and respect for Indigenous cosmovision and territories as key elements for leveraging traditional knowledge into programmes supporting NbS. Isaac Luwaga Mugumbule, Head of Landscaping, Kampala Capital City Authority, Uganda, stated that NbS are context-specific and require community involvement to be sustained.
Professor Satoru Nishikawa, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), stressed the need for scientific numerical quantification, analysis, and testing on the strengths and durability of NbS. Swenja Surminski, London School of Economics, noting that NbS “are not silver bullets,” stressed the need to work with nature, drawing attention to NbS co-benefits. Oliver Schelske, Swiss Re Institute, noting the absence of standardized values for nature, emphasized that even if “not everything is insurable,” investing in nature makes sense from an insurance perspective, as it reduces risks to the asset being insured.
On the prerequisites for NbS to be viable, speakers mentioned common sense, co-benefit considerations, identifying the number of protected lives, and conducting independent auditing.
Thematic Sessions as visual summaries capturing key messages and insights. Source: IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou.
Side event
Inclusive comprehensive school safety—Strengthening resilience for children and youth in all hazards
This side event, organized and facilitated by the Global Alliance for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience in the Education Sector (GADRRRES), showcased school safety and resilience programmes from Central Asia, the Pacific region and the Caribbean.
Anja Nielsen, Co-Chair, GADRRRES, gave an overview of CSSF, noting the all-hazards, all-risks approach that includes environmental, climate change, and biological health risks, technical threats, and other everyday risks. She elaborated on the global school safety survey, representing 350 million school-aged children, and highlighted, among other concerns, that significant infrastructure investment is needed to better protect children and teachers from natural hazards, with most suffering from funding constraints.
Education administrators from Saint Lucia, Tonga, and Kyrgyzstan described CSSF activities and outcomes from their regions, and emphasized: involving the children actively in school safety is a game changer; collaboration is the essence of resilience, requiring whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches; and building capacity at all levels, particularly teachers, for comprehensive school safety is key.
IISD’s summary
The summary report of the meeting will be available on Monday, 9 June 2025, here.
The internal market is an area that fosters prosperity and enables the free movement of goods, services, people and capital. As the world’s largest single market, it leverages its scale to create jobs, drive business opportunities and promote European standards globally. It also tackles ongoing global challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which have led to restrictions of free movement and shortages of goods and services.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, will attend the ministerial meeting of the coordinators for the implementation of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FCAC) and the opening ceremony of the 4th China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo in Changsha, central China’s Hunan Province, from June 10 to 12, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced Friday. -0-
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 (Xinhua) — Malaysia and China’s openness to dialogue plays a key role in strengthening civilizational exchanges and people-to-people relations by overcoming differences, scholars and experts said Thursday at a forum titled “Youth’s Responsibility for a Common Future: Islamic-Confucian Dialogue and New Horizons of Malaysia-China Cooperation.”
Shao Liang, Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia, who attended the event, said that the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by China has important theoretical and practical significance for promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, building a fair international order and strengthening mutual understanding.
“We are living in an era of great global uncertainty,” said Malaysia-China Friendship Association President Abdul Majid Ahmad Khan, noting that there is an urgent need for dialogue among civilizations in response to global challenges.
Abdul Majid Ahmad Khan also called on the youth to boldly shoulder the responsibilities dictated by the times, promote the ideals of peace and dedicate themselves to building an inclusive and harmonious global future.
International Islamic University Malaysia Rector Osman Bakar noted that in today’s increasingly diverse world, cultural exchange and understanding between Malaysia and China is more important than ever.
In his opinion, through dialogue and cooperation, young people can become bridges between different civilizations, resolve differences and promote common values.
The youth representatives who attended the forum generally agreed that young people should contribute to cultural exchanges and dialogue between the civilizations of Malaysia and China. –0–
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
UNITED NATIONS, June 6 (Xinhua) — UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday expressed disappointment over the United States’ veto of a draft UN Security Council resolution on Gaza a day earlier.
A draft resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and lifting restrictions on humanitarian aid received the support of 14 of the 15 Security Council members. The United States was the only UN Security Council member to veto the draft.
Asked on Thursday if he was disappointed with the outcome, Guterres said: “Of course.”
“We are always disappointed when a ceasefire fails, hostages are not released, and humanitarian aid is not distributed or is distributed in a way that puts the lives of many Palestinians at risk,” the UN secretary-general told reporters.
A. Guterres said the UN would do everything possible to help the people of Gaza. However, he stressed that the work of the world organization will be effective only if there is a permanent ceasefire, the unconditional and immediate release of all hostages and unlimited access for humanitarian aid.
According to him, it is important to maintain the prospect of resolving the conflict based on the principle of “two states for two peoples.” –0–
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Tashkent, June 6 (Xinhua) — Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held a telephone conversation, the press service of the Uzbek leader reported on Thursday.
“During a telephone conversation on June 5, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian warmly congratulated each other and the friendly peoples of the two countries on the holy holiday of Eid al-Adha, sincerely wishing them peace, well-being and prosperity,” the statement said.
Current issues of further development of Uzbek-Iranian multifaceted relations were also discussed.
It is noted that active contacts and exchanges at the level of governments, ministries and departments were noted with satisfaction. The indicators of mutual trade and cargo transportation, as well as the number of joint ventures, are growing.
“In May of this year, the next meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission, a business forum and an industrial exhibition were fruitfully held in the city of Tehran. A “road map” of cooperation for 2025-2027 was adopted,” the statement said.
The presidents of the two countries noted the importance of further promoting cooperation projects in the fields of trade, investment, transport and logistics, industry and agriculture. The leaders of Uzbekistan and Iran also exchanged views on the regional agenda and the schedule of upcoming events. –0–
Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –
On June 5 and 6, the Polytechnic University is hosting the All-Russian Conference “Labor Protection and Personnel Work in Organizations Subordinate to the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia.” The event is organized by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. More than 650 specialists are participating in it, discussing current issues in the field of labor protection and personnel policy.
Participants meet with representatives of relevant government agencies and consider various topics: compliance with labor legislation, holding competitions for positions of professors and teachers, research fellows, certification and selection of managers, anti-corruption policy, labor protection, and social partnership. The work takes place in the format of expert sessions, master classes, and discussion platforms. The experts were also able to get acquainted with the exhibition stands.
State Secretary – Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Anastasia Bondarenko addressed the participants in a video format: The topics that are raised annually at the conference are the most relevant. Issues of safety and comfortable conditions are a priority. The strategic potential of any organization is people. We must preserve the best traditions that have developed and share experience on the problems that arise.
The words of greeting from the Chairman of the Committee on Science and Higher Education of the St. Petersburg Administration Andrey Maksimov were read by his deputy Vladimir Gaidei: I am confident that the Polytechnic University will once again become a unifying discussion platform for the conference participants. You will have the opportunity to exchange experience and relevant information on issues important for the sustainable and stable functioning of educational and scientific organizations.
The guests were greeted by the rector of SPbPU, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Andrey Rudskoy: At the federal level, programs for increasing competitiveness and academic leadership are consistently implemented, which have significantly changed the landscape of higher education, setting, among other things, new requirements for management culture. Personnel policy cannot be formulated in isolation from the university strategy, and it should be built with a focus on creating mechanisms for attracting the best teachers and staff, ensuring an effective contract and consistent integration of teachers’ activities into the implementation of work for industry.
The participants of the plenary session discussed new challenges and solutions in personnel work and labor protection. The discussion was moderated by the President of the Southern Federal University Marina Borovskaya. Director of the Department of Personnel Policy of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia Alexey Svistunov made a report “Personnel Policy of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation: Main Development Trends”. Director of the Department of Legal Support, Administration and Civil Service of the Ministry of Education of Russia Andrey Sobolev spoke about how to improve the efficiency of labor protection services in educational organizations.
Deputy Director of the Department of Working Conditions and Occupational Safety Tatyana Zhigastova devoted her speech to changes and prospects for the development of regulatory frameworks in the field of occupational safety. Chairperson of the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers of the Russian Federation Larisa Solodilova spoke in detail about the implementation of social partnership in solving problems of protecting social and labor rights and the effectiveness of monitoring compliance with labor safety legislation. Chairperson of the All-Russian Trade Union of RAS Workers Galina Chucheva gave a report on “Development of Social Partnership: Proposals of the Trade Union of RAS Workers”.
Acting Head of the Department for Supervision of Compliance with Anti-Corruption Legislation of the St. Petersburg Prosecutor’s Office Yegor Pavlov spoke about the organization’s anti-corruption policy, legislative requirements, their implementation and responsibility. Deputy Head of the Department of the Department of Permit and Visa Work and External Labor Migration of the Main Directorate for Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, Police Colonel Elena Klimova emphasized the specifics of attracting foreign citizens to work in the Russian Federation. Deputy Director for Research at the Izmerov Research Institute of Occupational Medicine Evgeny Zibarev presented regulatory and legal changes in the field of health protection in his speech. Head of the Department of Acquisition, Departmental Archives and Records Management of the Central State Archive of St. Petersburg Yulia Arslanova spoke about the storage of personnel documents and labor protection documents.
The moderator of the expert session “State supervision, departmental control: typical mistakes in personnel work. Ambiguous trends in law enforcement practice in labor disputes” was the head of the Directorate for Work with Personnel of SPbPU Maria Pakhomova. The participants discussed changes in supervisory activities and risk indicators, recruitment and registration of labor relations with foreign scientific and pedagogical workers, trends in law enforcement practice in labor disputes and other issues.
The moderators of the discussion platform “Improving approaches to remuneration and motivation of personnel” were Deputy Chief Accountant of SPbPU Irina Tomshinskaya and Director of the Department of Economics and Finance of SPbPU Elena Vinogradova. The experts considered the automation of HR processes of the university, the use of IT services to optimize the activities of employees, the system of accounting for the achievements of university-forming personnel, modification of the algorithm for forming the staffing schedule and other topics. Head of the Department of Corporate and Information Systems of SPbPU Denis Varenikov presented the report “Personal account of an employee as a tool for the digital transformation of an institution”. Head of the Labor Protection and Safety Department of SPbPU Yulia Shadrina spoke about the modification of the algorithm for forming the staffing schedule.
The round table “The Role of the Psychological Service in Ensuring Psychological Safety at the University” was moderated by Maxim Pasholikov, Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Communication Technologies at SPbPU. The participants discussed the activities of psychological services at universities, student support, and aspects of the work of the tutoring service. Anna Kalugina, Director of the Center for Psychological Support at SPbPU, presented a report on “Psychological Aspects of Training First-Year Group Curators.”
The discussion platform “Assessment and development of personnel: current trends and effective mechanisms” was attended by the director of the Higher School of Industrial Management of SPbPU, secretary of the Competition Committee Olga Kalinina, who spoke about the assessment and development of the teaching staff within the framework of competition procedures.
At the discussion platform “Current issues of organizing labor protection in scientific and educational organizations of higher education,” Nikolai Chumakov, associate professor of the Higher School of Technosphere Safety of SPbPU, spoke and presented the specifics of conducting first aid training.
The debate “Experience is no obstacle to mastery. How to find the “golden mean”: professional standards vs. competencies / youth vs. “silver age”” was moderated by Vice-Rector for HR Policy of SPbPU Maria Vrublevskaya. The experts exchanged opinions on strategic issues of human capital management, discussed the age balance of the NPR, ways to attract and retain young people, professional standards and competencies.
The moderator of the round table “Educational and methodological support for training specialists in labor protection” was the director of the Higher School of Technosphere Safety of SPbPU Andrey Andreev. The first vice-president of MANEB, associate professor of SPbPU Vitaly Tsaplin made a report “Artificial intelligence in labor protection management systems”. Senior lecturers of the Polytechnic University Yulia Logvinova and Maxim Polyukhovich spoke about the methodological foundations of the laboratory practical course on labor protection.
Also planned today is a discussion platform “Mentoring as an element of developing human resources potential” together with the UNESCO Department at SPbPU and other activities.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –
As part of the corporate program “Key Reserve: Broad Development Horizons,” the heads of TMH enterprises prepared to solve the company’s strategic tasks. Training in Higher School of Business The HSE University aimed to develop key competencies among TMH employees, which are necessary for the effective management of a modern business.
The training was aimed at developing key competencies in TMH employees, necessary for effective management of a modern business. Over the course of a year, 47 program participants mastered strategic financial management, operational efficiency, change management and team development. The program also covered such areas as B2B and B2G marketing, making management decisions in conditions of uncertainty, conducting negotiations and implementing changes in the company.
The educational trajectory included five modules, midterm tests and final defense of individual projects. Each participant demonstrated how he or she applies new knowledge in his or her management activities.
The program combined the knowledge of the HSE professors and practitioners and the expertise of TMH top managers. The leading teachers were Natalia Shishlakova, Deputy General Director for Corporate Development and Project Activities — Member of the TMH Management Board, Andrey Vasiliev, Deputy General Director for Operations — Member of the TMH Management Board, Oleg Domsky, Deputy General Director for Economics and Finance — Member of the TMH Management Board, Andrey Sheremetyev, Deputy General Director for Commercial Activities — Member of the Management Board, and Vladimir Chekalin, General Director of DMZ JSC.
The results of the training were summed up on May 16: the program participants presented their work to a committee that included top managers of TMH and teachers of the Higher School of Business of the National Research University Higher School of Economics.
Natalia Shumkova, Deputy Director for Corporate Training at the Higher School of Business, National Research University Higher School of Economics
“The partnership with TMH is a shining example of successful interaction between business and education. Joint work on the program allowed us to create a unique educational product that not only forms the management competencies of the participants, but also directly influences the strategic development of the company. We see the high practical value of the training and the willingness of the participants to apply the knowledge they have gained in their work.”
Natalia Shishlakova, Deputy General Director for Corporate Development and Project Activities – Member of the Management Board of TMH
“The Key Reserve: Broad Development Horizons program, implemented in partnership with the HSE Graduate School of Business, has become an important stage in TMH’s systematic work on developing its management reserve. Thanks to its practical focus, the participants mastered the tools of operational efficiency, strategic financial management, and teamwork. This knowledge is already being applied in projects, improving the quality of management decisions, transparency of processes, and coordination of actions. A comprehensive understanding of interrelated production and management factors helps to formulate mature and sustainable solutions. Inclusion in the teaching staff of the TMH senior management program in cooperation with the HSE Graduate School of Business played a key role in achieving these results: the expertise of the business school, the flexibility of the format, and deep immersion in the specifics of TMH’s business made it possible to make the program as practical as possible and focused on real tasks.”
The program covered the best practices of senior management development. This allowed its participants not only to develop important management skills, but also to contribute to the further development of the holding, which is the leading manufacturer of rolling stock in Russia.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
HEFEI, June 6 (Xinhua) — Regions in China and five other countries of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) where World Heritage sites are located have joined together in a new alliance to build a platform for exchanges and cooperation. The alliance was announced Thursday at the RCEP 2025 Regional Government and Sister City Cooperation Forum held in Huangshan City, east China’s Anhui Province.
There are a total of 171 World Heritage sites in RCEP member countries, said Thes Sothy, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Culture Development of Cambodia, speaking at the forum.
During the forum, the Huangshan Initiative for the establishment of a cooperation alliance between World Heritage sites in RCEP member countries was unveiled. The document outlines the goals of the alliance, including promoting dialogue, branding, and facilitating interactions between the relevant sites in the fields of culture and art, tourism, sports, education, and scientific research. The new association will seek to ensure the effective flow of technology, capital, and human resources.
The Huangshan Forum brought together about 300 participants from 15 countries that have joined RCEP. Twenty-seven agreements were signed, covering areas such as trade, technology and sister city relations. Thailand was the honorary guest country of this year’s event. -0-
Headline: Analysis of the latest Mirai wave exploiting TBK DVR devices with CVE-2024-3721
The abuse of known security flaws to deploy bots on vulnerable systems is a widely recognized problem. Many automated bots constantly search the web for known vulnerabilities in servers and devices connected to the internet, especially those running popular services. These bots often carry Remote Code Execution (RCE) exploits targeting HTTP services, allowing attackers to embed Linux commands within GET or POST requests.
We recently observed the use of CVE-2024-3721 in attempts to deploy a bot in one of our honeypot services. This bot variant turned out to be part of the infamous Mirai botnet, targeting DVR-based monitoring systems. DVR devices are designed to record data from cameras, widely used by many manufacturers and can be managed remotely. In this article, we describe the new Mirai bot features and its revamped infection vector.
Exploitation
During a review of the logs in our Linux honeypot system, we noticed an unusual request line linked to a CVE-2024-3721. This vulnerability allows for the execution of system commands on TBK DVR devices without proper authorization as an entry point, using a specific POST request:
The POST request contains a malicious command that is a single-line shell script which downloads and executes an ARM32 binary on the compromised machine.
Typically, bot infections involve shell scripts that initially survey the target machine to determine its architecture and select the corresponding binary. However, in this case, since the attack is specifically targeted at devices that only support ARM32 binaries, the reconnaissance stage is unnecessary.
Malware implant – Mirai variant
The source code of the Mirai botnet was published on the internet nearly a decade ago, and since then, it has been adapted and modified by various cybercriminal groups to create large-scale botnets mostly focused on DDoS and resource hijacking.
The DVR bot is also based on the Mirai source code but it includes different features as well, such as string encryption using RC4, anti-VM checks, and anti-emulation techniques. We’ve already covered Mirai in many posts, so we’ll focus on the new features of this specific variant.
Data decryption
The data decryption routine in this variant is implemented as a simple RC4 algorithm.
The RC4 key is encrypted with XOR. After the key decryption, we were able to obtain its value: 6e7976666525a97639777d2d7f303177.
The decrypted RC4 key is used to decrypt the strings. After each piece of data is decrypted, it is inserted into a vector of a custom DataDecrypted structure, which is a simple string list:
Data decryption routine
The global linked list with decrypted data is accessed whenever the malware needs particular strings.
Adding decrypted strings to the global list
Anti-VM and anti-emulation
To detect if it is currently running inside a virtual machine or QEMU, the malware lists all processes until it finds any mention of VMware or QEMU-arm. Listing running processes is simply a matter of opening the /proc directory, which is the proc filesystem on Linux.
Each process ID (PID) has its own folder containing useful information, such as cmdline, which describes the command used to start the process. Using this information, the malware verifies if there are any processes with VMware or QEMU-arm in their command line.
Process check
The implant also verifies if the bot process is running outside an expected directory, based on a hardcoded list of allowed ones:
Allowed directories
Once those checks are successfully completed, Mirai will continue normal execution, preparing the vulnerable device for receiving commands from the operator.
Infection statistics
According to our telemetry data, the majority of infected victims are located in countries such as China, India, Egypt, Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and Brazil. It’s challenging to ascertain the exact number of vulnerable and infected devices globally. However, by analyzing public sources, we’ve identified over 50,000 exposed DVR devices online, indicating that attackers have numerous opportunities to target unpatched, vulnerable devices.
Conclusion
Exploiting known security flaws in IoT devices and servers that haven’t been patched, along with the widespread use of malware targeting Linux-based systems, leads to a significant number of bots constantly searching the internet for devices to infect.
The main goal of such bots is to carry out attacks that overwhelm websites and services (DDoS attacks). Most of these bots don’t stay active after the device restarts because some device firmware doesn’t allow changes to the file system. To protect against infections like these, we recommend updating vulnerable devices as soon as security patches become available. Another thing to consider is a factory reset if your device is indeed vulnerable and exposed.
All Kaspersky products detect the threat as HEUR:Backdoor.Linux.Mirai and HEUR:Backdoor.Linux.Gafgyt.
