NewzIntel.com

Category: Russian Federation

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Experts: Mutual assistance and unity of the peoples of Russia and China have become important factors in the fight against fascism and militarism

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    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, May 6 (Xinhua) — “The USSR has provided China with valuable assistance, including weapons and military equipment, as well as military advisory support,” said Zhang Jianhua, vice chairman of the All-China Society for the Study of the History of the USSR and Eastern Europe and a professor at Beijing Normal University.

    80 years ago, the dawn of justice broke through the fog of war and the bell of peace echoed across the Eurasian continent.

    The year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese people in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the victory of the Soviet Union in the Great Patriotic War, and the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War.

    As the main theaters of war in Asia and Europe, in the brutal war between good and evil, China and Russia were the main forces in the joint fight against fascism and militarism.

    “China has encountered the vicious Japanese militaristic forces and the most brutal forces in the fascist camp,” said Wang Lei, a professor at the School of Public Administration at Beijing Normal University.

    “The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression started earlier and lasted longer than all other battles,” Zhang Jianhua said.

    Zhang Jianhua noted that during the anti-Japanese war, the USSR sent its military advisers and pilots to China, who participated in air battles in the skies over Nanjing, Beijing, Chongqing and other Chinese cities, and among them, more than 200 dead pilots were buried in China.

    According to Sun Yanling, a research fellow at the Institute for the Study of Party History and Documentation under the CPC Central Committee, during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the medical assistance provided by the USSR was very important. It mainly included the supply of medicines and medical equipment, as well as the dispatch of medical personnel.

    “Mutual assistance and unity between the peoples of Russia and China during the Second World War became an important factor in the fight against fascism and militarism,” noted the head of Rossotrudnichestvo, Yevgeny Primakov.

    It is worth noting that the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression played an important role in winning the World Anti-Fascist War.

    According to Zhang Jianhua, the 14-year anti-Japanese war of the Chinese people contained the Japanese army on the Chinese mainland, preventing their main force from attacking the USSR from northeast China or sending troops to strengthen their military power on the battlefield in Southeast Asia.

    “The European theatre of military operations is certainly not the only one in this tragic history; the millions of victims suffered by the Chinese people should not be forgotten,” noted E. Primakov.

    This year also marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. As founding members of the UN and permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and Russia bear a particularly important responsibility for maintaining world peace and development.

    E. Primakov emphasized that the joint efforts of the two countries to counter the falsification of history and strengthen cooperation in the humanitarian sphere play a key role in maintaining stability in the world.

    80 years later, the smoke of war has long cleared, but the echoes of history are still clear.

    “History teaches us that peace must be defended, and only cooperation can lead to mutual benefit,” Zhang Jianhua said, adding that China and Russia suffered great sacrifices in the World Anti-Fascist War, so the two countries’ desire for peace is particularly deep. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese Institute Launches AI Research Platform “ScienceOne” Based on Large Scientific Foundation Model

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    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, May 6 (Xinhua) — The Institute of Automation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has unveiled a scientific research intelligence platform “ScienceOne” based on a large scientific foundation model, marking a major step in transforming traditional scientific research methods with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) automation.

    The ScienceOne platform was developed to overcome the limitations of general-purpose AI models in scientific research and integrates cutting-edge technologies in data processing, computational optimization, and analytical evaluation.

    The presentation featured two key modules of the platform:

    S1-Literature is an intelligent assistant for working with scientific literature that can analyze thousands of research papers, generate structured reviews and provide in-depth analysis tools, including mind mapping and citation tracking.

    S1-ToolChain is a research process management system that automatically coordinates the work of more than 300 specialized scientific instruments.

    Developed jointly with other ANC institutes, including the Computer Networks Information Centre and the National Science Library, the ScienceOne platform leverages extensive scientific literature databases and interdisciplinary expertise to support research in areas such as mathematics, physics and materials science. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Breaking: Romanian Interior Minister Appointed Acting Prime Minister

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    Xinhua | 06. 05. 2025

    Keywords: duties of the prime minister, affairs of romania, minister, ministers, temporarily, urgently, resignation of marcel ciolacu, countries, I will, announced

    BUCHAREST, May 6 (Xinhua) — Romanian Interior Minister Catalin Predoiu has been appointed acting prime minister following the resignation of Marcel Ciolacu, the country’s presidential office announced on Tuesday. -0-

    Source: Xinhua

    Breaking News: Romanian Interior Minister Appointed Acting Prime Minister Breaking News: Romanian Interior Minister Appointed Acting Prime Minister

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Trading on Chinese stock exchanges ends with growth in quotes

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    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, May 6 (Xinhua) — Trading on Chinese stock exchanges ended with a rise in quotations today. The Shanghai Composite, which reflects the situation on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, rose by 1.13 percent compared to the results of the previous trading day and amounted to 3316.11 points.

    The Shenzhen Component, a gauge of business activity on the Shenzhen trading floor, rose 1.84 percent to 10,082.34 points. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Victory in the Ministry of Education and Science competition: Polytechnic students win a grant

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    The competition of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, aimed at supporting student scientific associations of universities, accepted 266 applications. As a result, only 40 projects became winners, including the project “SNO – my path to science” of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University.

    The Polytechnic University project received high marks from experts and scored more than 77 points. Thus, SPbPU became one of 20 universities that will be provided grants of up to one million rubles for the implementation of projects.

    The project of our student scientific society is aimed not only at popularizing science among schoolchildren and university students, but also at developing network interaction. I also consider the decision of our students to increase awareness of young people about federal national projects to be very relevant. For our part, we will help them to fulfill all their plans, – commented Vice-Rector for Research at SPbPU Yuri Fomin.

    The key event of the project will be an interdisciplinary forum, including a strategic session “The Future of the World with Artificial Intelligence through the Eyes of Students” and a set of popular science events on cybersecurity to promote education of schoolchildren and students in the field of information security.

    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.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Stepping up in a changing global environment

    Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

    Good evening.

    Thank you to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs for organising this event, and for your efforts to foster New Zealand’s understanding of international affairs. I am grateful for the opportunity to speak here today. 

    As keen observers and practitioners of international relations, you will all be aware of the degree to which the global environment has changed, even in the past two years.  

    We in New Zealand have enjoyed for a long time the benefits of a strategic environment in which we could focus heavily on growing our economy, seeking trading relationships and pursuing our interests safe in the knowledge that the stable post-war, liberal, international rules-based order provided the guardrails.  

    We believe in that order, and we will act to preserve it. But it is not enough on its own. We rely on our ally, our friends and our partners to help make us more secure, and they rely on us for support. Few countries can go it alone, and we are no exception.  

    We are no longer in a world – and I would argue that maybe we never were – where prosperity and security are mutually exclusive. There is no economic security without national security.  

    As Minister of Defence, I am keenly aware that our Defence Force needs to be acknowledged for its core functions. It plays a vital in contributing to national defence and resilience, and helping deliver whole-of government security objectives.  

    But we have a Defence Force with military capabilities for a reason. We choose to hold at readiness a credible force of highly trained and capable men and women who are prepared and ready to act with force if needed, to defend our country. 

    Unfortunately 35 years of underinvestment has allowed this capability to deteriorate.  

    Defence Capability Plan 

    I was therefore very proud to last month launch with the Prime Minister, the Chief of Defence Force and the Secretary of Defence our new Defence Capability Plan – or, given the military’s fondness for acronyms, the DCP. 

    This plan sets out $12 billion of planned commitments over the next four years, including $9 billion of new spending, with a path to reaching 2 percent of GDP in the next eight years. 

    The release of the DCP represents the culmination of several years of focused work by the Defence agencies to ensure our defence policy settings and our defence capability investments best support New Zealand’s interests in a changed and changing world through to 2040. 

    As you can imagine, the content of the DCP was the subject of some intense discussions with my Cabinet colleagues. We know the critical importance of getting this right, of having a plan that is both appropriately ambitious and achievable, and firmly focused on what is in New Zealand’s best interests. 

    I am proud of the DCP, and I welcome the very positive reactions to it, both domestically and internationally. 

    New Zealanders understand that our world has changed, and the highly skilled and professional personnel of the New Zealand Defence Force need to be ready to do what the New Zealand Government and people ask of it, often at short notice. 

    Defence is not something that can be mothballed until you need it. Because when the chips are down, you need a force that is ready and equipped to do whatever is asked of it – and it needs to be able about to do it immediately.  

    That means it must be empowered and equipped appropriately. 

    I have been particularly pleased with the broad support the DCP has received from across Parliament. National security is one area of public policy that benefits strongly from a bipartisan approach, and I welcome the support for a more capable Defence Force. 

    I have been able to discuss the DCP with a number of my international counterparts, and I can tell you it has been received very positively by New Zealand’s security partners. Our partners have welcomed our updated approach and our intention to invest more in New Zealand’s defence capabilities. 

    The first step to turning the DCP into action was taken on Sunday, when I announced the Government is putting aside $2 billion plus to replace the Defence Force’s ageing maritime helicopters. Alongside that, we are investing $957 million over four years in Defence Force activities, personnel and estate in Budget 25. I will have more to say on Budget Day on additional defence investment. 

    The increase in defence investment has generated quite a range of questions about elements of New Zealand’s defence policy, both long-standing and newly introduced, that could usefully be explained in greater detail. And that is what I would like to do this evening. 

    I will talk in particular to our assessment of New Zealand’s strategic environment, our alliance with Australia, our approach to deterrence, the importance of combat capability, and opportunities for innovation. 

    New Zealand’s strategic environment 

    The first line in the first chapter of the DCP sets the scene well for the policy settings that follow: “New Zealand is facing its most challenging and dangerous strategic environment for decades.” 

    Security challenges that we are familiar with remain with us. At home and in our immediate region these include ongoing risks of natural disasters and maritime security challenges of all kinds. And some of these are becoming worse – for example, we are seeing increasing use of the Pacific as a transhipment route for illegal drugs. 

    And for our Pacific partners in particular, climate change and its wide-ranging security impacts continue to represent the primary security concern.  

    Increasingly, however, the defining character of our strategic environment is strategic competition. 

    Globally, in the wider Indo-Pacific and in our immediate region, we are seeing some states increasingly acting in ways that undermine existing international rules and norms, and seeking to reshape both regional orders and the global order as a whole.  

    Recent events in our immediate region – including the PRC Task Group operating in the Tasman Sea and last year’s Intercontinental Ballistic Missile test – have demonstrated that New Zealand’s geographic location no longer shelters us from threats to the extent that it once did. Our region is of increasing strategic significance, and global challenges and tensions are having direct impacts on our security. 

    And the wider Indo Pacific contains a number of potential security flashpoints – be that cross-Strait tensions, the Korean Peninsula or competing claims in the South China Sea. 

    Perhaps the most acute – and still shocking – example of the deteriorating strategic environment is Russia’s ongoing illegal war against Ukraine. 

    New Zealand remains fully committed to supporting Ukraine’s self-defence and national resilience. The Prime Minister announced last month during his trip to the United Kingdom and Türkiye that New Zealand is extending its military assistance in support of Ukraine’s self-defence through to December 2026. 

    New Zealand welcomes efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace, and is following the negotiations on a potential ceasefire very closely. 

    Overview of DCP policy settings 

    As a government, we need to ensure we are employing our full range of tools of statecraft to best effect in service of New Zealand’s national interests.  

    We are a small island nation that relies on trade for its economic growth and – as I have previously said, we cannot have economic security without national security. 

    A compromised supply chain can lead to disruptions, financial losses, reputational damage and compromised products or services. And our supply chains rely on the security of maritime, air, land, space and cyber domains.  

    As Defence Minister, I need to ensure the Defence Force has the right capabilities, is using those capabilities to support peace and security, and is prepared for scenarios in which competition tips into confrontation and conflict. 

    That is why the DCP has three new defence policy objectives. These aren’t a radical shift in our policy, but they provide a sharper focus.  

    The first is to protect and promote New Zealand’s security, and that of our immediate region. New Zealand’s security is indivisible from the strategic situation our region is facing. 

    Defence plays a key part in ensuring the security, stability, and resilience of our immediate region by deterring actions contrary to the security of New Zealand and our regional partners and helping sustain wider regional conditions favourable to New Zealand’s security interests. An important part of this is delivering our defence and security constitutional responsibilities to the Realm.  

    Second is enhancing our alliance and other key security partnerships, which I’ll expand on shortly.  

    And third is to contribute to achieving our global interests, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. Defence will continue its pattern of operations in support of maritime security and the existing liberal international rules-based order, and we will work closely with our international security partners to promote collective security approaches in accordance with international law, in particular the United National Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), including freedom of navigation and oversight. 

    But Defence’s activities are truly global as well, as demonstrated by NZDF’s ongoing support to Ukraine and operations in the Middle East. Just last month, the Royal New Zealand Navy deployed the frigate HMNZS Te Kaha to conduct anti-smuggling operations in the Indian Ocean as part of the New Zealand-led Combined Task Force 150. The taskforce has already had very real impact, disrupting the trade of $600 million worth of illegal drugs so far. 

    Taken together, these three new objectives set the direction for Defence, as part of an all-of-Government approach, to promote and protect our national interests.  

    Our Alliance and security partnerships 

    But I want to expand specifically on our security partnerships. New Zealand has always valued the importance of collective security and supporting international mechanisms that enable collective action and support sovereign equality of states. 

    This is reflected in the policy settings in the DCP. We have always worked with others that share our values and our interests to shape the world as we would wish it to be, and to prepare together should the worst happen.  

    Indeed, since becoming the Minister of Defence, I have taken every opportunity to meet with my international defence counterparts, to demonstrate that New Zealand is internationally engaged and willing to step up to respond to new opportunities and emerging threats.  

    But within that, we will always maintain our independent foreign policy, making our own decisions about what is in New Zealand’s interests – just as other countries do.  

    It is worth saying more about our relationship with our closest friend and only ally Australia. For this Government, it was essential that the DCP reinforce the importance we place on our alliance with Australia, and the importance in our evolving strategic environment to speak directly about these issues.  

    I’ve been in touch with my Australian defence counterpart Richard Marles, who is also their Deputy Prime Minister, to offer my congratulations following the weekend’s election. Minister Marles and I both look forward to continuing to work together on a range of issues, including our shared security. 

    We have specifically referenced the ANZUS Treaty in the DCP, as it continues to underpin the strategic relationship between New Zealand and Australia and formalises the commitments that we have to each other as allies.   

    It has done so since 1951, and the DCP does not represent any change in its interpretation. And as the Prime Minister stated, our nuclear free policy has not, and will not, change. 

    We are working to create an increasingly integrated Anzac force, which means we will be better prepared, exercised and equipped to combine our Defence Forces to defend our shared interests. To enhance our interoperability, we have committed to removing tactical, technical and procedural information-sharing barriers where they restrict our ability to operate as an integrated force.  

    Of course, this Government is also committed to maintaining and investing in a range of other security partnerships, including with our Pacific partners and our Five Eyes partners. As the Prime Minister has indicated, we are also focused on strengthening our relationships across Asia.  

    Recently, we have signed a number of agreements with partner countries. These include the India-New Zealand Defence Cooperation Arrangement, which is a milestone bilateral arrangement facilitating closer defence relations – including the establishment of regular bilateral defence engagements and opening new areas for collaboration such as deploying and training together.  

    I was in the Philippines last week to sign a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement, which sets out the legal conditions for military cooperation between our countries. 

    And as part of the NATO Indo-Pacific 4 grouping, we’re working with NATO and Indo-Pacific partners to uphold the international rules-based order and democratic values that are fundamental to our security and prosperity.  

    Deterrence and combat capability 

    We’ve also observed commentary on the much more explicit inclusion of, and focus on, deterrence in the DCP. 

    Deterrence is a normal part of how states operate and what defence forces do. At its core it is about influencing behaviour, or denying opportunities, by making other actors aware of the risks and consequences of undertaking those unwanted activities. Deterrence can be delivered through various tools. But having a credible and capable military force is a key way states deter activities and behaviours they don’t want.  

    As the DCP itself points out, deterrence is underpinned by having the necessary tools to act. In that respect the DCP recognises the increasing importance of building greater lethality into the force to be able to achieve deterrent effects.  

    It’s also important here to be clear on what the purpose of a military is. And I referred earlier to the core functions of a Defence Force.  

    Of course, modern militaries carry out a range of functions. But with the challenging world we now face, we need to reinforce the primary purpose of the military. There is no opting out from today’s strategic realities.  

    That is why the DCP signals increased strike capabilities which will increase our ability to use force if needed to protect our interests. This will be achieved through the procurement of new missile systems, which will provide an ability to respond to hostile vessels at a greater range.  

    Options for this include arming existing air and maritime platforms with missiles, such as the P-8A Poseidon fleet and the Anzac frigates, or options such as land-based strike. 

    Opportunities for innovation 

    I’m very aware of the importance of innovation and new technologies in defence.  

    Experience in Ukraine shows that conventional systems are still needed, but we’ve also seen the use of new technologies in new ways. Tanks and drones in the same battlefield are a reality.  

    New technologies and innovations will help the NZDF with intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance activities. In the short and medium term, Defence will focus on uncrewed technology, including long-range uncrewed aerial vehicles to provide more persistent maritime surveillance. The DCP also describes uncrewed surface and subsurface vessels to help monitor and protect our Exclusive Economic Zone, and support our Pacific partners.  

    There will also be a focus on strengthened cyber and information capabilities to protect the NZDF’s networks and systems, and provide defensive cyber, electronic and information warfare effects. 

    A two-yearly review cycle of this DCP will provide greater flexibility by adopting technologies earlier in their lifecycle, and by incorporating new but proven technologies. Defence is also exploring joint procurement opportunities with Australia, where it makes sense to do so. 

    A technology accelerator as part of the DCP will enable New Zealand’s high technology sector to quickly develop advanced platforms and systems specifically focused on New Zealand defence problems, and the ability to deliver these rapidly. It would help transition technology from the prototype phase to ‘service ready’ capabilities that could be readily acquired by the NZDF, albeit at limited scale.  

    We have an opportunity to partner in a better way with industry, and particularly New Zealand industry. How we intend to do this will be set out in a Defence Industry Strategy that will support implementation of the DCP. 

    One area we see innovation and scope to adapt is in the space industry. As you may know, I am also the Minister for Space.  

    I believe that here we have an opportunity to harness the incredible innovation across the New Zealand space industry to make contributions across all applications of space.  

    The world’s reliance on space technologies means that irresponsible behaviour in space has global impacts, and New Zealand has no protection from those effects.  

    Guaranteeing access to satellite communications and other systems that rely on space is critical to a range of new and existing technologies and systems used by the NZDF.  

    Part of supporting that access is ensuring we take broader action to support New Zealand’s interest in the safe, secure and responsible use of space. We are developing a new regulatory regime to ensure that operators of ground-based space infrastructure register their operations to deter foreign interference in New Zealand’s space infrastructure.  

    With partners and allies, New Zealand’s Defence agencies and our innovative space industry can contribute to international efforts to preserve and protect freedom of access to space and all the space-based services we need to prosper.   

     Closing remarks 

    I believe this DCP represents change. It is a change to a more deliberate defence policy and is a significant change in the level of investment in our defence.  

    It is a message to New Zealanders that we are prepared to invest in their security. It is a message to our partners and ally that we will contribute what we need to. And it is a message to the NZDF that we believe in them and what they do.  

    Change can be hard, and deciding to invest this amount of funding was difficult. We did not, and won’t ever, take that decision lightly.  

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Esports Chess: Online Battles, Dynamic Formats, and Hundreds of Thousands of Moves

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    Online battles, dynamic formats, streams and hundreds of thousands of moves – this is how the INTER series of eSports chess tournaments, organized by students of the Polytechnic University, took place.

    The tournaments were organized by the INTER team. This project was founded at the Polytechnic University, but has already gone far beyond its borders and become part of the international student chess arena.

    From February to April, several large-scale online competitions in different formats were held under the auspices of INTER. These were the standard Interuniversity Team Battles game and the Hunger Games, where participants played new types of chess at each stage.

    More than a thousand people from 18 countries participated in the tournaments. Representatives from Russia, Bangladesh, Turkey, Fiji, Mexico, Peru, Kenya, Brazil, India, Algeria, the Republic of Congo, Kazakhstan, Ghana, the Republic of South Africa, Turkmenistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Argentina fought for victory. The total number of moves made exceeded half a million. This was not just a game, but a real test of endurance, strategic thinking and psychological fortitude.

    Participants trained weekly, followed game analysis, learned from professionals, and found out what was happening in the world of chess and what helps them win.

    The winners and prize winners of the series were:

    8th Interuniversity Team Battle

    1st place – MTUCI chess club; 2nd place – Voenmekh chess club; 3rd place – TUSUR chess club.

    9th Interuniversity Team Battle

    1st place — VolSU Chess Club (SSC “Kogorta”); 2nd place — Voenmekh Chess Club; 3rd place — Polytechnic Chess Club (SPbPU).

    10th Interuniversity Team Battle

    1st place — VolSU Chess Club (SSC “Kogorta”); 2nd place — MTUCI Chess Club; 3rd place — BSU Chess Club.

    The INTER project is an example of how friendship and rivalry do not need borders. All that is needed are people who believe in the game and in each other, noted organizer Ruslan Barseghyan.

    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.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: From ‘Trash’ to ‘Treasure’: How Chinese Youth Are Turning Environmental Concern into a Trend

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    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, May 6 (Xinhua) — When Shanghai resident Tomato Sisi donated her ex-boyfriend’s hoodie to a Shanghai second-hand clothing store with a “Wardrobe Resuscitation for Used Clothes” service, she wasn’t just getting rid of unwanted clothes.

    “It felt like a new beginning – for the item and for me,” shared the girl, who swapped her hoodie for a trendy crop top.

    This approach – giving things a second life, reducing waste and helping others – has become a characteristic feature of the youth eco-movement in China. For today’s youth, caring for the environment is not an obligation, but a stylish way of life.

    From redistributing surplus food in “mystery bags” to vermicomposting in city apartments, young innovators are turning eco-friendly living into a fun daily routine.

    The flagship of this movement is the “Sishi Magic Pack” project, which fights food waste by selling kits with unsold but high-quality food from bakeries, cafes and stores.

    Since 2021, the initiative has expanded to more than 100 cities, saving a total of over 10,000 tons of food from being thrown away. Through a special app, users can track the reduction of their carbon footprint, combining ecology with game elements.

    “It’s like being a magician: you take a bag, save the food, and now you’ve performed a small miracle,” says the project’s 32-year-old co-founder, Cai Lona.

    More than 80 percent of users are women aged 18 to 40, attracted by the element of surprise and the opportunity to reduce their ecological footprint. The unknown contents of each package turns conscious consumption into an exciting adventure.

    The project’s impact goes beyond ecology. The motto “Magic Gives New Life” was inspired by the story of a user who found emotional support and financial help in the project during a difficult period of career changes. Some participants even met their significant others while picking up packages.

    “When sustainability is convenient and fun, people are more likely to embrace it,” says Cai Lona.

    It’s an approach that resonates with bloggers like 27-year-old Su Yige, a sustainable and vegan lifestyle content creator with over 110,000 followers on Chinese platforms Bilibili and Xiaohongshu.

    Having started her green journey in college, Su Yige promotes eco-living as “hedonism, not deprivation,” sharing tips on buying used cosmetics, vegan recipes, and DIY decor for rental homes.

    “Green living is a style, not a mission,” stresses Su Yige, who rejects the pressure of radical eco-activism. “It’s important not to demand perfection, but to start small – even small choices matter.”

    Businesses are also catching on to the trend. In Beijing, restaurateur Li Emi, co-founder of Susu

    “We don’t let popular dishes run out, but the prepared ingredients shouldn’t go to waste. They now become a culinary experience for guests,” she explains.

    Some are taking more radical steps. Zhang Ying, who gave up her career as an English teacher, has dedicated herself full-time to environmental education under the name Sandalwood.

    She teaches urban children about composting through a home-based worm farm. The “black gold” fertilizer obtained from food waste nourishes not only plants, but also the minds of the younger generation.

    “We are not only producers and consumers, but also important participants in the natural cycle,” she says. “Even a small worm can change the way we experience the world.”

    Statistics confirm this cultural shift: a survey conducted by the Chinese newspaper Zhongguo qingnian bao /China Youth Daily/ in 2023 showed that over 90 percent of university students are concerned about environmental issues, actively practicing resource conservation and plant-based eating.

    The trend is driving platforms like the 600 million-user second-hand marketplace Xianyu. Restaurants are seeing a rise in demand for “mini” portions, while apps are encouraging eco-friendly habits with subway discounts or the opportunity to plant a tree.

    “The older generation was frugal out of necessity, but today’s youth are looking for deeper meaning in their relationship with nature,” analyzes Cai Lona.

    She and her team plan to engage restaurants, hotel buffets and suppliers to combat food waste at every stage.

    Whether it’s bidding farewell to an ex’s hoodie or saving a croissant, Chinese youth are writing new rules for sustainable living through their everyday fashion choices.

    “Perfection is not the most important thing,” concludes Su Yige. “What is important is to do what you can in your own way.”

    “Taking care of yourself,” she adds, “can go hand in hand with taking care of the planet.” -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Beijing welcomed over 17.9 million tourists during May Day holidays

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    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, May 6 (Xinhua) — Beijing received more than 17.9 million tourists during the five-day May Day holiday, up 5.6 percent from the same period in 2024, according to the city’s Bureau of Culture and Tourism.

    The capital’s tourism revenue during the period reached 20.98 billion yuan (about 2.9 billion US dollars), up 6.9 percent year-on-year.

    Wangfujing Shopping Street, Beijing Olympic Park, Xidan Commercial District, Nanluoguxiang Alley, famous for its well-preserved siheyuan (traditional Beijing courtyards), and Yiheyuan Park were among the top 10 most visited places in Beijing during the May Day holiday.

    In the performing arts sector, Beijing’s stages also flourished during the reporting period. The city hosted 1,664 commercial performances, attracting about 668,000 spectators and generating box office revenue of 242 million yuan. These figures increased year-on-year by 10 percent, 10.9 percent and 29 percent, respectively.

    Thanks to simplified customs clearance procedures, payment systems and tax refund services, the flow of foreign tourists to the Chinese capital increased by 42.4 percent year-on-year to reach 104,000 person-times. Inbound tourism expenditure by foreign travelers amounted to 1.13 billion yuan, up 48 percent from the previous year.

    Meanwhile, rural areas adjacent to Beijing have offered tourists a variety of cultural and tourism activities, such as eco-tours, parent-child education programs, and intangible cultural heritage activities for those interested in short-distance travel that combines leisure and learning. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Eternal Memory: China Does Not Forget Soviet Volunteer Pilots Who Died in the Anti-Japanese War

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    NANJING, May 6 (Xinhua) — “The Chinese people will always cherish the memory of the Russians who helped China in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression,” said Xue Lian, director of the Nanjing Anti-Japanese War Airmen’s Martyrs’ Memorial Museum.

    As she reported, soon this museum will once again publish additional information about the Soviet hero pilots who died on Chinese territory.

    HISTORICAL MEMORY

    Established in 2009, the Nanjing Anti-Japanese War Airmen’s Martyrs’ Memorial Museum is China’s first memorial museum for international airmen who died in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. Its collection contains rich historical materials about the air forces of China, the Soviet Union, the United States and other countries that fought together against Japanese aggression in China during World War II.

    Since 1995, the names of 4,299 Chinese and foreign fallen heroes, including 236 Soviets, have been engraved on marble memorial steles at this museum in Nanjing, East China’s Jiangsu Province.

    After the start of China’s nationwide war against Japanese aggression, the Soviet Union was the first to provide China with air support. During these difficult years, more than 200 Soviet volunteer air forces perished in China.

    Sergei Dmitrievich Smirnov was one of them. He died in an air battle over Nanchang in 1938 and was buried in the same Chinese city. It is noteworthy that he became the first of all Soviet hero pilots who died in China whose relatives the above-mentioned museum managed to contact.

    On July 7, 2024, on the anniversary of the beginning of China’s nationwide war against Japanese aggression, S. Smirnov’s great-grandson Alexander Vikman, who was in Nanjing on business and had spent a long time searching for information about the burial of his great-grandfather and had visited China many times, visited the above-mentioned museum and finally found his name on one of the memorial steles.

    Let us recall that shortly before this, the museum published a list of Chinese pilots who died in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, which inspired A. Wickman to appeal for help. In September and November 2024, lists of American and Soviet hero pilots were also published, respectively. In particular, the list of Soviet hero pilots was published in full by the museum for the first time.

    “The idea to clarify and publish the lists of Chinese and foreign heroic pilots who died in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression arose because I was deeply moved by the search for information about the fallen Chinese pilot by his relatives, which lasted for more than 80 years,” Xue Lian said.

    She also realized that there could be many more such relatives of fallen heroes. Because of the geographical uncertainty of Air Force operations, their relatives do not even know where their loved ones died, let alone obtain other detailed information.

    “It is still difficult for the relatives of fallen Chinese heroes to find information about them, let alone the relatives of fallen foreign pilots,” Xue Lian said.

    “We have a responsibility to disclose accurate information about these fallen aviators to the public so that more people know about their heroism. It is necessary to urgently search for their families and forever preserve the precious memory of this story.”

    RESPECT FOR HEROES

    Due to the limited historical sources and the lack of language specialists, the museum’s work on collecting information about Soviet heroes progressed slowly at the time.

    Miao Lei, who studied in Russia for many years and speaks Russian, started this job in 2020.

    “Most of the heroes have information about their identities, years of birth and dates of death, but there are no photographs of them, no information about their combat actions in China and no information about their places of death and burial. In addition, some of the Soviet volunteer pilots took part in the war under pseudonyms, which made it difficult to find genuine information about their identities,” he noted.

    To overcome the many difficulties, the museum sought support from universities and commissioned their experts and researchers, including a team of teachers and students from Nanjing University, to carry out part of the work of collecting relevant information. At the same time, through interdepartmental coordination, experts in the field of Russian language and cultural and historical research were found to carry out the joint work.

    In September 2024, the museum’s working team visited Russia and Belarus to collect information about Soviet hero pilots. During the trip, museum representatives in Moscow met with a local resident, Dmitry Pugachev, and received photographs of S. Smirnov from him for the first time.

    “Sergey Dmitrievich is my great-uncle. When they told me that they had found his name in the museum in Nanjing, I burst into tears,” D. Pugachev recalled.

    “When I saw the photograph with my grandfather’s name on the wall of the memorial in Nanjing, I felt some inexplicable connection with Sergei Dmitrievich, whom, unfortunately, I had never met. I was extremely touched by such care and respect on the part of the Chinese people and the Chinese state for the memory of the Soviet volunteer pilots,” he added.

    “We gave D. Pugachev a book of contacts with relatives of fallen heroes, which records the heroes’ deeds and our museum’s contacts, to help them contact us,” Miao Lei explained, noting that the museum also created archives for Soviet hero pilots, including Grigory Akimovich Kulishenko.

    The museum has also established cooperation with the Central Museum of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation /CMAF RF/. Thanks to this, more and more information about the Soviet hero pilots who died in the anti-Japanese war is becoming available.

    According to Miao Lei, additional information that will be released soon includes specific positions of aviation technicians, such as a tinsmith, and the dates of death of some heroes, confirmed through research.

    “In the future, we will continue to publish more information about adjustments and amendments to the list of Soviet heroes, as well as other additional information as we collect and research materials,” he said.

    “These characters are the ‘most familiar strangers’ to us. We have never met them, but we mention their names every day when telling the story to museum visitors,” Miao Lei said.

    “We are doing our utmost to restore the true image of each of the fallen heroes, and this is the respect we should show them,” Miao Lei said.

    JUSTICE AND PEACE

    The current year is marked by the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the Great Patriotic War and the World Anti-Fascist War. China and Russia made enormous national sacrifices for the sake of victory, and also made an indelible historical contribution to the cause of peace and human progress.

    The efforts of the Nanjing Anti-Japanese War Airmen’s Memorial Museum have received support from the Russian side.

    In September 2024, Advisor to the Governor of the Moscow Region, member of the Public Council of Rossotrudnichestvo Artem Semenov visited the museum and presented it with precious copies of documentaries from the 1930s, telling about the heroic struggle of the Chinese people against the Japanese invaders.

    “It is a great honor for me to serve the common cause in this way – preserving the historical memory of the joint struggle of the peoples of our countries with the Japanese and Nazi invaders for the freedom of not only our Motherland, but also of humanity as a whole,” shared A. Semenov, expressing gratitude to the museum for so carefully preserving the memory of the Soviet heroes who gave their lives for the freedom of China and brought the main victory closer at a great cost.

    On the museum grounds, in addition to the memorial steles of famous heroes whose names have already been carved, space was also left to perpetuate the memory of those heroes whose names are still unknown.

    “We hope that the names of all Soviet heroes will deservedly appear here,” commented A. Semenov.

    Now, the Nanjing Anti-Japanese War Martyrs’ Memorial Museum is holding an exhibition on the theme “Heroes forged immortality together” dedicated to the Soviet pilots who died in China on a permanent basis. This exhibition, jointly organized by the museum and the Central Military and Military Council of the Russian Federation, tells more people the story of the joint struggle of Chinese and Soviet pilots against the Japanese invaders.

    “More than 80 years have passed, there are fewer and fewer people who survived World War II, and those who know about the heroic deeds of the war heroes continue to grow old. There are also fewer and fewer people who can provide clear and reliable historical memory. Since most of the archives at that time were paper, they were not easy to preserve during wars and turmoil, and finding relevant materials can be very difficult,” said Xue Lian.

    “The Russian people provided valuable support to the Chinese people in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression,” she said. “In the future, we look forward to cooperating with relevant departments, institutions and non-governmental organizations on the Russian side to find more historical materials about Soviet hero pilots, so that the feats of these young people who gave their lives for justice and peace will forever remain in the annals of history.” -0- /Authors of the article: Xinhua Correspondent Zheng Dongrui, Zhang Chenguang, Darya Karakash, Lu Huadong, Xia Peng/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese agricultural investment and technology are continuously flowing into ASEAN countries

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    In recent years, with the steady development of economic and trade relations between China and ASEAN, agricultural trade between China and ASEAN countries has seen favorable dynamics. ASEAN has been China’s largest trading partner in agricultural products for eight consecutive years.

    While a wide range of high-quality agricultural products from ASEAN countries are becoming increasingly popular with Chinese consumers, Chinese investment and technology in agriculture have also been continuously flowing into ASEAN countries. In recent years, China and ASEAN countries have jointly carried out hundreds of agricultural cooperation and technical exchange projects, including pest prevention and control, rice yield enhancement methods and rice management. Agricultural technology demonstration bases and experimental stations for breeding promising crop varieties have been established.

    For example, in Cambodia, under Chinese-Cambodian cooperation, demonstration bases for growing rubber, coconuts, peppers and other crops are being consistently created, which helps to increase the yield and efficiency of local crop production. The Chinese side holds training seminars on standardized banana production technologies, transferring experience in the industrialization of fruit cultivation. Together with Cambodia, the construction of a center for the selection of valuable tree species has been completed, which contributes to the sustainable development of forestry.

    Hu Bingchuan, a research fellow at the Institute of Rural Development of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and director of the Agricultural Trade and Policy Research Department, noted that in recent years, in addition to trade, China and ASEAN countries have actively cooperated in agricultural technology and experience sharing, achieving significant results.

    This cooperation helps ASEAN countries improve the yield and quality of agricultural products, expand the range and increase the volume of exports, which in turn promotes further growth of agricultural trade between China and ASEAN countries, improves the living standards of people and promotes agricultural modernization in the region.

    Liu Amin, deputy director and research fellow of the Institute of International Studies, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, stressed that China and ASEAN countries have strong complementarities in agricultural technology, scientific research cooperation and environmentally sustainable development.

    China has been disseminating advanced hybrid rice cultivation technology to ASEAN countries such as Thailand, which has effectively improved rice yield and quality. The exchange of experiences between China and ASEAN countries in agricultural mechanization and pest control has given new impetus to the development of agriculture in these countries.

    The negative list management model under RCEP further simplifies investment in agriculture and lowers the threshold for foreign investment. The successful hosting of international exhibitions such as the China International Consumer Goods Expo has created an effective platform for China-ASEAN agricultural trade networking.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Greater attention to boreal forests needed, says UN Study

    Source: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

    Representing 27% of all forests worldwide, boreal forests are the planet’s terrestrial “second lung” after tropical forests. Encircling the North Pole, they span North America, Europe, and Asia, playing a vital role in global carbon sequestration and storage, biodiversity, and supporting societies and economies. 

    Despite their importance, boreal forests do not receive the same visibility and attention among policymakers and the public as their tropical forest counterparts. A new study published by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), presented today at the United Nations Forum on Forests in New York, highlights the urgent need to increase the understanding of this global “treasure trove” and to safeguard its important contributions.  

    The comprehensive study on boreal forests and accompanying series of national overviews (for Canada, Finland, Norway, Russian Federation, Sweden, USA) finds that despite the importance of the boreal biome, there are significant gaps in knowledge about its forests, their role in sustainable development, and their future. This can be attributed to fragmented research, based on national, site-specific conditions, and the lack of a harmonized and agreed definition and monitoring framework across the boreal region. 

    Call for Action 

    The study highlights the need to place greater focus on boreal forests in global discussions on sustainable development, biodiversity conservation, sustainability indicators and climate change adaptation and mitigation.  

    A commonly agreed definition of boreal forests would help to delineate the area they occupy as a precondition for a consistent monitoring of the boreal forest biome. This could be achieved through the development of a set of dedicated criteria and indicators for monitoring long-term effects of forest management activities, natural and human-caused landscape disturbance, as well as climate change, including fires and insect infestations. 

    Such assessment instruments, resulting from the joint efforts of countries with boreal forests, would generate evidence on the state of the biome for improved policymaking for the sustainable management of boreal forests and help raise their overall profile.  

    The UNECE Committee on Forests and the Forest Industry offers a platform and tools to facilitate the exchange of information and cooperation in this regard. 

    Key Facts

    • Carbon storage: These forests contain about 32% of global terrestrial carbon stocks, with boreal soils holding vast amounts of carbon, significantly impacting atmospheric carbon levels. 

    • Economic importance: They contribute substantially to sustainable livelihoods, including to rural, remote and Indigenous communities, and economic growth, providing 37% of the world’s stock of growing timber. Activities such as berry or mushroom picking, hunting, and recreation/tourism also make important contributions. 

    • Rising threats: Boreal forests face increasing threats from climate change, including wildfires, pest outbreaks, and thawing permafrost. 

    Boreal forests are characterized by short, moist, and moderately warm summers and long, cold, and dry winters. Their flora consists mostly of cold-tolerant evergreen conifer trees, such as spruce, larch, pine and fir, with some broadleaf species such as birch, poplar and alder. The world’s boreal regions are among the least densely populated on earth. 

    Boreal forests contain approximately 48% of global primary forests and are vital for the conservation of biodiversity and climate regulation. They play an important role in global carbon sequestration and storage, and therefore, are key to climate change mitigation. In addition to providing significant ecosystem services, for example, the protection of freshwater resources, boreal forests play a substantial role in contributing to the sustainable economic development of countries in the boreal zone, and provide a sustainable supply of wood and energy to world markets. 

    Boreal forests, like other forest biomes, are important to global goals such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 8, 12, 13 and 15, the six Global Forest Goals and the Targets of the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2030. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Students and scientists discussed modern technologies and energy economics

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    Students, postgraduates, young scientists and researchers from leading technical universities took part in the VIII annual international scientific and practical conference “Modern Technologies and Energy Economics” (STEE). The event was held remotely. The organizers were Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, the Belarusian National Technical University and the Kazan State Power Engineering University.

    In order to develop import substitution and localization of technologies in the energy sector, it is extremely important to maintain professional contacts and exchange experience at various scientific sites in Russia and friendly countries, noted Viktor Barskov, Director of the Institute of Energy, in his welcoming speech.

    The event was attended by over 130 representatives from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Iran and other countries. Along with traditional participants – SPbPU, BNTU and KSPEU – this year specialists from industrial enterprises and organizations of Russia and the Republic of Belarus spoke.

    The conference was devoted to five thematic areas: “Economics and Management in Energy”, “Modern Aspects of Thermal and Nuclear Energy”, “Energy-Efficient Technologies”, “IT Technologies in Energy” and “Hydrogen Energy”. The moderator was Olga Novikova, Associate Professor of the Higher School of Nuclear and Thermal Energy of SPbPU.

    The scientists discussed key issues of increasing energy efficiency in mechanical engineering, implementing innovative solutions in renewable energy sources and power engineering. In addition, they considered the assessment of the environmental and economic efficiency of technologies, energy balance analysis, demand management and digitalization of energy data.

    Summing up the event, Olga Novikova suggested that the participants strengthen joint research in promising areas of energy, paying special attention to bioenergy.

    The joint work of KSPEU and SPbPU on modernization of engineering and economic education has proven its effectiveness, and we intend to intensify this cooperation, emphasized Irina Akhmetova, Vice-Rector for Development and Innovations at KSPEU.

    The Belarusian education system has preserved a unique experience in training engineers and economists, which we are ready to share. Of particular interest to us is cooperation in the field of resource-saving technologies and waste recycling, – shared the head of the BNTU department Tatyana Mantserova.

    Following the conference, about one hundred scientific articles were accepted for publication.

    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.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Mutually beneficial partnership: GUU and the Moscow City Economy Complex Management Center discussed joint projects

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    On May 5, a delegation from the Moscow City Economy Complex Management Center (MCCMC) visited the State University of Management.

    Representatives of the Central University of the KGH, headed by the head of the organization, Evgeny Balashov, discussed the main areas of further cooperation with the rector of the State University of Management, Vladimir Stroyev, vice-rectors Maria Karelina and Dmitry Bryukhanov, as well as university staff.

    “We have a lot in common, this is not the first time we have communicated and we have already discussed options for cooperation before. This is not only the educational sphere, but also science. GUU is involved in the implementation of several projects, including in the scientific and technical sphere, which could be interesting,” Vladimir Stroyev opened the meeting.

    “Today, the Control Center turns three years old. It is incredibly pleasant to visit the State University of Management on this day, as it was with them that one of the first framework agreements was concluded. We value it. We were tasked with recruiting the best personnel for the best control center, and the State University of Management is a leader both historically and in terms of status. We are grateful that the State University of Management believed in our readiness to work with students at the time,” noted Evgeny Balashov.

    Vice-Rector of the State University of Management Maria Karelina, Head of the Department of Scientific Research Coordination Maxim Pletnev and Director of the Engineering Project Management Center Vladimir Filatov told the guests about the scientific activities of the university, the scientific projects and R&D being implemented: the development of a rating assessment for the heads of Management Companies of the Moscow Region, projects for Mercator Kaluga and TMH-Engineering.

    Vice-Rector Dmitry Bryukhanov suggested that the Center for Project-Based Education join as a partner and mentor in the implementation of project-based learning at the State University of Management, which will allow students to be selected starting from the first year, and also spoke about the modern system of additional professional education at the State University of Management, which is one of the best among universities.

    “We could show what a platform for any resource management center should look like, so that it is not just a call center, but a single system. We have established a certain standard of digital management 2.0, which has moved from analog management to digital,” shared the head of the Central Control Center of the KGH.

    At the end of the meeting, the parties exchanged contacts and agreed to continue work on individual issues in working groups.

    Let us recall that last week a working meeting was held between the Vice-Rector of the State University of Management Maria Karelina and the team of the Central Management Department of the KGH.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 05/06/2025

    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.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Participants of the federal stage of the All-Russian competition “My Good Business” have been determined

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    The results of the interregional stage of the All-Russian competition of socially responsible initiatives of entrepreneurs and NPOs “My Good Business”, organized by the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, have been summed up. The federal operator of the competition is the State University of Management.

    This year, 2,292 applications were submitted to the competition, of which 1,079 made it to the interregional stage. 101 projects from 51 regions of the country were admitted to the federal stage.

    The leaders in terms of the number of participants in the federal stage are the Leningrad Region (six projects), the Saratov Region (five projects), as well as Moscow, the Republic of Buryatia, the Volgograd, Kaliningrad, Nizhny Novgorod and Tyumen Regions (four projects each).

    “The presence of social entrepreneurship in the country is an indicator of the maturity of society. And the fact that this year 20 times more applications were submitted than reached the federal stage is an indicator of the presence of active members in our society who are ready to solve problems on their own initiative. The competition, in addition to its direct task – encouraging caring citizens, also serves as a platform for consolidating like-minded people, a place where they can meet, create common projects, exchange experience, including interregional experience,” said Vladimir Stroyev, Rector of the State University of Management.

    The final stage of the competition will last until June 1. The award ceremony for the winners will also take place in June.

    “Social entrepreneurship in Russia is showing significant quantitative and qualitative growth. According to the results of 2024, the register of social business of the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia increased by 11%, exceeding the mark of 12 thousand participants. And one of the markers of qualitative changes in the sector is the My Good Business competition. This year, 101 initiatives passed to the federal stage, which is almost twice as many as last year. This indicates a more in-depth study of projects that offer comprehensive solutions to urgent social problems,” said Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Russia, graduate of the State University of Management Tatyana Ilyushnikova.

    This year, My Good Business is being held for the 10th time. Small business entities, self-employed individuals and NPOs are participating in seven main nominations of the Help with Meaning track, covering youth entrepreneurship, employment of socially vulnerable groups, development of folk crafts and social startups, initiatives of mothers-entrepreneurs and other areas.

    There are also special nominations: “Good Guy” – for the best social practices in small towns and villages, and “Cultural Code” – for projects and programs in the cultural and educational sphere, as well as in the sphere of healthy lifestyle, physical education, sports and social tourism.

    The competition has been held since 2015 and is designed to identify and support the best practices of social entrepreneurship. Over the entire period, more than 10 thousand entrepreneurs and non-profit organizations have taken part in it. The winners receive special prizes and information support. The project consists of several stages: collection of applications, regional selection, transition to the interregional level and the final.

    The organizer of the All-Russian competition of socially responsible initiatives of entrepreneurs and NGOs “My Good Business” is the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, the federal operator of the competition is the State University of Management, the partner is the “Our Future” foundation.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 05/06/2025

    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.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Seminar on China’s Economic Development and Cooperation with Central Asian Countries Held

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    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, May 6 (Xinhua) — A seminar on China’s (Sichuan Province’s) economic development and cooperation with Central Asian countries was held online late last month, the Sichuan Zaixian (Sichuan Online) news portal reported.

    More than 60 representatives from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan took part in the event, dedicated to the analysis of the experience of developing county-level economy and new-type urbanization in Sichuan Province (Southwest China).

    At the seminar, Qi Yiming, spokesperson for the Sichuan Provincial Development and Reform Commission, and Li Jiangbo, deputy mayor of Deyang City in the province, shared their views on urbanization, innovation in economic development and cooperation between China and Central Asia with their foreign counterparts, according to the Foreign Affairs Office of the Sichuan Provincial People’s Government.

    According to Qi Yiming, in recent years, Sichuan Provincial Government has deeply implemented the new-type urbanization strategy, made great efforts to develop public services in a balanced manner, accelerated the construction of comfortable, sustainable and smart cities, and significantly improved the urbanization rate in the province, with the urbanization rate rising from 43.4 percent to 60 percent.

    The seminar was organized in accordance with the agreement reached at the 5th meeting of the foreign ministers of China and Central Asian countries, which took place from November 30 to December 1 last year in Chengdu, the capital of this province. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China attaches great importance to maintaining control over fentanyl-related substances

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    Russians. Ori.org.KN | 06. 05. 2025

    Keywords:

    Source: russian.china.org.cn

    China attaches great importance to maintaining control over fentanyl-related substances. According to the white paper, the country has strictly supervised fentanyl-related substances, taken strict measures to prevent their abuse, and launched a crackdown on smuggling, production and trafficking of such substances and related chemical precursors, with remarkable results.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: During May Day, the flow of people at Chinese checkpoints increased by 28.7 percent.

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    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, May 6 (Xinhua) — During the five-day holiday to mark International Workers’ Day on May 1, China’s checkpoints saw about 10.9 million inbound and outbound travelers, up 28.7 percent from a year earlier, data from the National Immigration Administration showed Tuesday.

    During the period, residents of mainland China crossed the border in both directions about 5.78 million times, up 21.2 percent year-on-year. And the number of entries and exits through checkpoints among residents of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan exceeded 4 million person-times, up 37.1 percent year-on-year.

    According to the agency, the number of foreigners crossing the Chinese border during the reporting period increased by 43.1 percent year-on-year, amounting to about 1.12 million people-times.

    The number of visa-free entries to China was 380,000, up 72.7 percent from a year earlier, demonstrating the growing appeal and effectiveness of the expanded visa-free entry policy aimed at attracting foreign tourists. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Problems in relations between Pakistan and India cannot be resolved by military means: UN Secretary General

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    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, May 6 (Xinhua) — The problems between Pakistan and India cannot be resolved militarily, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters on Monday.

    “Make no mistake: a military solution is not a solution,” he said. “Tensions between India and Pakistan are at their highest level in years,” Guterres said. “And so it pains me to see the relationship reaching a boiling point,” the secretary-general added.

    A. Guterres once again strongly condemned the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam and expressed condolences to the families of the victims. “Attacks on civilians are unacceptable and those responsible must be held accountable through credible and legal means,” he said.

    The UN Secretary-General stressed that it is important, “especially at this critical hour, to avoid a military confrontation that could easily spiral out of control.” “Now is the time to exercise maximum restraint and step back from the brink,” he added.

    “I have spoken about this in my ongoing contacts with both countries,” said A. Guterres.

    He again offered his services to India and Pakistan for the sake of peace. “The UN is ready to support any initiative that promotes de-escalation, diplomacy and a return to a commitment to peace,” the secretary-general said.

    Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated following a deadly attack on tourists in Pahalgam in Indian-controlled Kashmir on April 22. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Czech Republic to Continue Training Ukrainian Pilots – Prime Minister

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    PRAGUE, May 6 (Xinhua) — The Czech Republic will continue training Ukrainian pilots and supplying ammunition and heavy equipment to the country, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Monday.

    “Today we agreed that together with our coalition partners we will focus on training Ukrainian pilots on L-39 and F-16 aircraft in the Czech Republic. Ukraine is already training helicopter and fighter pilots on Czech-made simulators,” he said following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

    The Prime Minister noted that since the beginning of the year, 500 thousand large-caliber shells have been delivered to Ukraine.

    Czech President Petr Pavel said Sunday that Ukraine could receive up to 1.8 million large-caliber shells by the end of the year if everything goes according to the agreement. The Czech Republic supplied Kyiv with about 1.5 million large-caliber shells last year.

    The parties also discussed strengthening economic cooperation. “Skoda Transportation and other companies are planning deliveries in the transport sector. We discussed the possibility of strengthening cooperation in the field of nuclear energy. Czech companies are ready to play an active role in the reconstruction of key infrastructure,” said P. Fiala. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: International Petroleum Corporation Announces First Quarter 2025 Financial and Operational Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, May 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — William Lundin, IPC’s President and Chief Executive Officer, comments: “We are pleased to announce another strong quarter of operational and financial performance for Q1 2025. IPC achieved an average net daily production during the quarter of 44,400 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd). Our results during the quarter were in line with the 2025 guidance announced at our Capital Markets Day in February as we continue to execute according to plan across our operations in Canada, Malaysia and France. Notably, the transformational Blackrod Phase 1 development project in Canada has progressed substantially during the quarter and forecast first oil is maintained with the original project sanction guidance for late 2026. We also continued with purchases of IPC common shares under the normal course issuer bid, having completed approximately 60% of the current 2024/2025 program between December 2024 to March 2025.”

    Q1 2025 Business Highlights

    • Average net production of approximately 44,400 boepd for the first quarter of 2025, within the guidance range for the period (52% heavy crude oil, 15% light and medium crude oil and 33% natural gas).(1)
    • Continued progressing Phase 1 development activity as well as future phase resource maturation works at the Blackrod asset.
    • At Onion Lake Thermal, all four planned production infill wells and the final Pad L well pair have been successfully drilled.
    • 3.9 million IPC common shares purchased and cancelled during Q1 2025 and continuing with target to complete the full 2024/2025 NCIB this year.

    Q1 2025 Financial Highlights

    • Operating costs per boe of USD 17.3 for Q1 2025, in line with guidance.(3)
    • Operating cash flow (OCF) generation of MUSD 75 for Q1 2025, in line with guidance.(3)
    • Capital and decommissioning expenditures of MUSD 99 for Q1 2025, in line with guidance.
    • Free cash flow (FCF) generation for Q1 2025 amounted to MUSD -43 (MUSD 37 pre-Blackrod capital expenditure).(3)
    • Gross cash of MUSD 140 and net debt of MUSD 314 as at March 31, 2025.(3)
    • Net result of MUSD 16 for Q1 2025.

    Reserves and Resources

    • Total 2P reserves as at December 31, 2024 of 493 MMboe, with a reserve life index (RLI) of 31 years.(1)(2)
    • Contingent resources (best estimate, unrisked) as at December 31, 2024 of 1,107 MMboe.(1)(2)
    • 2P reserves net asset value (NAV) as at December 31, 2024 of MUSD 3,083 (10% discount rate).(1)(2)

    2025 Annual Guidance

    • Full year 2025 average net production guidance range forecast maintained at 43,000 to 45,000 boepd.(1)
    • Full year 2025 operating costs guidance range forecast maintained at USD 18 to 19 per boe.(3)
    • Full year 2025 OCF revised guidance estimated at between MUSD 240 and 270 (assuming Brent USD 60 to 75 per barrel for the remainder of 2025) from previous guidance of between MUSD 210 and 280 (assuming Brent USD 65 to 85 per barrel).(3)(4)
    • Full year 2025 capital and decommissioning expenditures guidance forecast maintained at MUSD 320.
    • Full year 2025 FCF revised guidance estimated at between MUSD -135 and -110 (assuming Brent USD 60 to 75 per barrel for the remainder of 2025) from previous guidance of between MUSD -150 and -80 (assuming Brent USD 65 to 85 per barrel), after taking into account MUSD 230 of forecast full year 2025 capital expenditures relating to the Blackrod asset.(3)(4)
      Three months ended March 31
    USD Thousands 2025 2024
    Revenue 178,492   206,419  
    Gross profit 44,149   55,184  
    Net result 16,231   33,719  
    Operating cash flow(3) 74,790   89,301  
    Free cash flow(3) (43,172)   (43,311)  
    EBITDA(3) 70,946   87,020  
    Net cash/(debt)(3) (314,255)   (60,572)  
             

    During the first quarter of 2025, oil prices were relatively stable, with Brent prices averaging just below USD 76 per barrel. Following the quarter, commodity prices pulled back with spot Brent rates falling to USD 60 per barrel in April 2025. The physical crude market remained tight throughout the first quarter, prompting OPEC and the OPEC+ group to increase supply ahead of expectations. The timing of the supply increases coincided with the United States proposing harsh tariffs to countries deemed in a trade surplus of US goods. These two events have impacted future crude supply and demand outlooks, in turn weighing on spot and future oil benchmark prices. Despite the poor market sentiment, global inventories remain below the 5-year average, high geopolitical tensions persist, non-OPEC 2025 oil production (namely, in the US) is unlikely to grow at current prices, and US Federal Reserve Bank rate cuts are likely to occur in the near future. IPC prudently supplemented downside protection measures at the beginning of the first quarter of 2025 through financial swap hedging arrangements which in total represent nearly 40% of our forecast 2025 oil production at around USD 76 and USD 71 per barrel for Dated Brent and West Texas Intermediate (WTI), respectively, for the remainder of 2025.

    In Canada, WTI to Western Canadian Select (WCS) crude price differentials during the first quarter of 2025 averaged just under USD 13 per barrel, with spot differentials decreasing to around USD 9 per barrel in April 2025. The Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) petroleum producers have greatly benefited from the TMX pipeline expansion with differentials tightening to levels not seen since 2020. There are currently no tariffs on Canadian crude exports to the United States, which remain covered by the US Mexico Canada free trade agreement. IPC has hedged the WTI/WCS differential for approximately 50% of our forecast 2025 Canadian oil production at USD 14 per barrel for 2025.

    Natural gas markets in Canada for the first quarter of 2025 remained weak, given the softer than average winter weather conditions and high natural gas storage levels. The average AECO gas price was CAD 2.1 per Mcf for the first quarter of 2025. The forward strip implies improved pricing for Canadian gas benchmark prices, driven by the pending startup of the West Coast LNG Canada project later this year. Approximately 50% of our net long exposure is hedged at CAD 2.4 per Mcf to end October 2025, dropping to around 15% for November and December at CAD 2.6 per mcf.

    First Quarter 2025 Highlights and Full Year 2025 Guidance

    During the first quarter of 2025, our portfolio delivered average net production of 44,400 boepd, in line with guidance. Operational performance from our producing assets was strong to start the year as high facility and well uptimes were achieved. Drilling activity commenced in the first quarter of 2025 at Onion Lake Thermal, which aims to sustain production levels at the asset for 2025. In Malaysia, drilling and well maintenance works are planned to start in the second quarter of 2025, in line with plan. We maintain the full year 2025 average net production guidance range of 43,000 to 45,000 boepd.(1)

    Our operating costs per boe for the first quarter of 2025 was USD 17.3, in line with guidance. Full year 2025 operating expenditure guidance of USD 18.0 to 19.0 per boe remains unchanged.(3)

    Operating cash flow (OCF) generation for the first quarter of 2025 was MUSD 75. Full year 2025 OCF guidance is tightened to MUSD 240 to 270 (assuming Brent USD 60 to 75 per barrel for the remainder of 2025).(3)(4)

    Capital and decommissioning expenditure for the first quarter of 2025 was MUSD 99 in line with guidance. Full year 2025 capital and decommissioning expenditure of MUSD 320 is maintained.

    Free cash flow (FCF) generation was MUSD -43 (MUSD 37 pre-Blackrod capital expenditure) during the first quarter of 2025. Full year 2025 FCF guidance is tightened to MUSD -135 to -110 (assuming Brent USD 60 to 75 per barrel for the remainder of 2025) after taking into account MUSD 320 of forecast full year 2025 capital expenditures (including MUSD 230 relating to the Blackrod asset).(3)(4)

    As at March 31, 2025, IPC’s net debt position was MUSD 314, from a net debt position of MUSD 209 as at December 31, 2024, mainly driven by the funding of forecast capital expenditures and the continuing share repurchase program (NCIB). Gross cash on the balance sheet as at March 31, 2025 amounts to MUSD 140 and IPC has access to an undrawn Canadian credit facility of greater than 130 MUSD. The access to liquidity supports IPC to follow through on its key strategic objectives of enhancing stakeholder value through organic growth, stakeholder returns, and pursuing value adding M&A.(3)

    Blackrod

    During the first quarter of 2025, IPC continued to advance the Phase 1 development of the Blackrod asset. Growth capital expenditure to first oil is maintained at MUSD 850. First oil of the Phase 1 development is estimated to be in late 2026, with forecast net production of 30,000 boepd by 2028. IPC forecasts capital expenditure in 2025 at the Blackrod asset of MUSD 230, of which MUSD 77 was invested in the Phase 1 development project during Q1 2025. Since the transformational organic growth project was sanctioned in early 2023, MUSD 669, or approximately 80% of the total multi-year project capital budget, has been incurred.(1)

    Project activities for the multi-year Blackrod Phase 1 development have progressed according to plan. Engineering, procurement and fabrication is substantially complete with greater than 90% of all facility modules delivered to site. Equipment installation, piping inter-connects, electrical and instrumentation are the key areas of focus for construction at the Central Processing Facility (CPF) and well pad facilities.

    Resource maturation drilling for future phase expansion considerations took place during Q1 2025. Commercial operational readiness planning has ramped up in line with our progressive turnover strategy to ensure a seamless transition from build to start-up. IPC intends to fund the remaining Blackrod capital expenditure with forecast cash flow generated by its operations, cash on hand and drawing under the existing Canadian credit facility if needed.(3)

    Stakeholder Returns: Normal Course Issuer Bid

    In Q4 2024, IPC announced the renewal of the NCIB, with the ability to repurchase up to approximately 7.5 million common shares over the period of December 5, 2024 to December 4, 2025. Under the 2024/2025 NCIB, IPC repurchased and cancelled approximately 0.8 million common shares in December 2024, 3.7 million common shares during Q1 2025, and a further 0.2 million common shares purchased under other exemptions in Canada. The average price of common shares purchased under the 2024/2025 NCIB during Q1 2025 was SEK 146 / CAD 20 per share.

    As at March 31, 2025, IPC had a total of 115,176,514 common shares issued and outstanding and IPC held no common shares in treasury. As at April 30, 2025, IPC had a total of 114,248,119 common shares issued and outstanding and IPC held no common shares in treasury.

    Notwithstanding the final major capital investment year at Blackrod in 2025, IPC had purchased and cancelled 73% of the maximum 7.5 million common shares allowed under the 2024/2025 NCIB by the end of April 2025 and intends to purchase and cancel the remaining 2.0 million common shares under that program in 2025. This would result in the cancellation of 6.2% of common shares outstanding as at the beginning of December 2024. IPC continues to believe that reducing the number of shares outstanding in combination with investing in long-life production growth at the Blackrod project will prove to be a winning formula for our stakeholders.

    Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Performance

    During the first quarter of 2025, IPC recorded no material safety or environmental incidents.

    As previously announced, IPC targets a reduction of our net GHG emissions intensity by the end of 2025 to 50% of IPC’s 2019 baseline and IPC remains on track to achieve this reduction. IPC has also made a commitment to maintain 2025 levels of 20 kg CO2/boe through to the end of 2028.(5)

    Notes:

      (1) See “Supplemental Information regarding Product Types” in “Reserves and Resources Advisory” below. See also the annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2024 (AIF) available on IPC’s website at www.international-petroleum.com and under IPC’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.
      (2) See “Reserves and Resources Advisory“ below. Further information with respect to IPC’s reserves, contingent resources and estimates of future net revenue, including assumptions relating to the calculation of net present value (NPV), are described in the AIF. NAV is calculated as NPV less net debt of USD 209 million as at December 31, 2024.
      (3) Non-IFRS measures, see “Non-IFRS Measures” below and in the MD&A.
      (4) OCF and FCF forecasts at Brent USD 60 and 70 per barrel assume Brent to WTI differential of USD 3 and 5 per barrel, respectively, and WTI to WCS differential of USD 10 and 15 per barrel, respectively, for the remainder of 2025. OCF and FCF forecasts assume gas price on average of CAD 2.25 per Mcf for the remainder of 2025.
      (5) Emissions intensity is the ratio between oil and gas production and the associated carbon emissions, and net emissions intensity reflects gross emissions less operational emission reductions and carbon offsets.
         

    International Petroleum Corp. (IPC) is an international oil and gas exploration and production company with a high quality portfolio of assets located in Canada, Malaysia and France, providing a solid foundation for organic and inorganic growth. IPC is a member of the Lundin Group of Companies. IPC is incorporated in Canada and IPC’s shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and the Nasdaq Stockholm exchange under the symbol “IPCO”.

    For further information, please contact:

    Rebecca Gordon
    SVP Corporate Planning and Investor Relations
    rebecca.gordon@international-petroleum.com
    Tel: +41 22 595 10 50    		 Or Robert Eriksson
    Media Manager
    reriksson@rive6.ch
    Tel: +46 701 11 26 15
         

    This information is information that International Petroleum Corporation is required to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and the Securities Markets Act. The information was submitted for publication, through the contact persons set out above, at 07:30 CEST on May 6, 2025. The Corporation’s unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements (Financial Statements) and management’s discussion and analysis (MD&A) for the three months ended March 31, 2025 have been filed on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) and are also available on the Corporation’s website (www.international-petroleum.com).

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release contains statements and information which constitute “forward-looking statements” or “forward-looking information” (within the meaning of applicable securities legislation). Such statements and information (together, “forward-looking statements”) relate to future events, including the Corporation’s future performance, business prospects or opportunities. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, unless otherwise indicated. IPC does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws.

    All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, forecasts, guidance, budgets, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as “seek”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “may”, “will”, “project”, “forecast”, “predict”, “potential”, “targeting”, “intend”, “could”, “might”, “should”, “believe”, “budget” and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be “forward-looking statements”.

    Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to:

    • 2025 production ranges (including total daily average production), production composition, cash flows, operating costs and capital and decommissioning expenditure estimates;
    • Estimates of future production, cash flows, operating costs and capital expenditures that are based on IPC’s current business plans and assumptions regarding the business environment, which are subject to change;
    • IPC’s financial and operational flexibility to navigate the Corporation through periods of volatile commodity prices;
    • The ability to fully fund future expenditures from cash flows and current borrowing capacity;
    • IPC’s intention and ability to continue to implement its strategies to build long-term shareholder value;
    • The ability of IPC’s portfolio of assets to provide a solid foundation for organic and inorganic growth;
    • The continued facility uptime and reservoir performance in IPC’s areas of operation;
    • Development of the Blackrod project in Canada, including estimates of resource volumes, future production, timing, regulatory approvals, third party commercial arrangements, breakeven oil prices and net present values;
    • Current and future production performance, operations and development potential of the Onion Lake Thermal, Suffield, Brooks, Ferguson and Mooney operations, including the timing and success of future oil and gas drilling and optimization programs;
    • The potential improvement in the Canadian oil egress situation and IPC’s ability to benefit from any such improvements;
    • The ability to maintain current and forecast production in France and Malaysia;
    • The intention and ability of IPC to acquire further Common Shares under the NCIB, including the timing of any such purchases;
    • The return of value to IPC’s shareholders as a result of the NCIB;
    • IPC’s ability to implement its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity and climate strategies and to achieve its net GHG emissions intensity reduction targets;
    • IPC’s ability to implement projects to reduce net emissions intensity, including potential carbon capture and storage;
    • Estimates of reserves and contingent resources;
    • The ability to generate free cash flows and use that cash to repay debt;
    • IPC’s continued access to its existing credit facilities, including current financial headroom, on terms acceptable to the Corporation;
    • IPC’s ability to identify and complete future acquisitions;
    • Expectations regarding the oil and gas industry in Canada, Malaysia and France, including assumptions regarding future royalty rates, regulatory approvals, legislative changes, tariffs, and ongoing projects and their expected completion; and
    • Future drilling and other exploration and development activities.

    Statements relating to “reserves” and “contingent resources” are also deemed to be forward-looking statements, as they involve the implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions, that the reserves and resources described exist in the quantities predicted or estimated and that the reserves and resources can be profitably produced in the future. Ultimate recovery of reserves or resources is based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management.

    The forward-looking statements are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by IPC, including expectations and assumptions concerning: the potential impact of tariffs implemented in 2025 by the U.S. and Canadian governments and that other than the tariffs that have been implemented, neither the U.S. nor Canada (i) increases the rate or scope of such tariffs, or imposes new tariffs, on the import of goods from one country to the other, including on oil and natural gas, and/or (ii) imposes any other form of tax, restriction or prohibition on the import or export of products from one country to the other, including on oil and natural gas; prevailing commodity prices and currency exchange rates; applicable royalty rates and tax laws; interest rates; future well production rates and reserve and contingent resource volumes; operating costs; our ability to maintain our existing credit ratings; our ability to achieve our performance targets; the timing of receipt of regulatory approvals; the performance of existing wells; the success obtained in drilling new wells; anticipated timing and results of capital expenditures; the sufficiency of budgeted capital expenditures in carrying out planned activities; the timing, location and extent of future drilling operations; the successful completion of acquisitions and dispositions and that we will be able to implement our standards, controls, procedures and policies in respect of any acquisitions and realize the expected synergies on the anticipated timeline or at all; the benefits of acquisitions; the state of the economy and the exploration and production business in the jurisdictions in which IPC operates and globally; the availability and cost of financing, labour and services; our intention to complete share repurchases under our normal course issuer bid program, including the funding of such share repurchases, existing and future market conditions, including with respect to the price of our common shares, and compliance with respect to applicable limitations under securities laws and regulations and stock exchange policies; and the ability to market crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids successfully.

    Although IPC believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because IPC can give no assurances that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks.

    These include, but are not limited to: general global economic, market and business conditions; the risks associated with the oil and gas industry in general such as operational risks in development, exploration and production; delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures; the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to reserves, resources, production, revenues, costs and expenses; health, safety and environmental risks; commodity price fluctuations; interest rate and exchange rate fluctuations; marketing and transportation; loss of markets; environmental and climate-related risks; competition; innovation and cybersecurity risks related to our systems, including our costs of addressing or mitigating such risks; the ability to attract, engage and retain skilled employees; incorrect assessment of the value of acquisitions; failure to complete or realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions or dispositions; the ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources; failure to obtain required regulatory and other approvals; geopolitical conflicts, including the war between Ukraine and Russia and the conflict in the Middle East, and their potential impact on, among other things, global market conditions; political or economic developments, including, without limitation, the risk that (i) one or both of the U.S. and Canadian governments increases the rate or scope of tariffs implemented in 2025, or imposes new tariffs on the import of goods from one country to the other, including on oil and natural gas, (ii) the U.S. and/or Canada imposes any other form of tax, restriction or prohibition on the import or export of products from one country to the other, including on oil and natural gas, and (iii) the tariffs imposed by the U.S. on other countries and responses thereto could have a material adverse effect on the Canadian, U.S. and global economies, and by extension the Canadian oil and natural gas industry and the Corporation; and changes in legislation, including but not limited to tax laws, royalties, environmental and abandonment regulations. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive.

    Additional information on these and other factors that could affect IPC, or its operations or financial results, are included in the MD&A (See “Risk Factors”, “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information” and “Reserves and Resources Advisory”), the Corporation’s Annual Information Form (AIF) for the year ended December 31, 2024, (See “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information”, “Reserves and Resources Advisory” and “Risk Factors”) and other reports on file with applicable securities regulatory authorities, including previous financial reports, management’s discussion and analysis and material change reports, which may be accessed through the SEDAR+ website (www.sedarplus.ca) or IPC’s website (www.international-petroleum.com).

    Management of IPC approved the production, operating costs, operating cash flow, capital and decommissioning expenditures and free cash flow guidance and estimates contained herein as of the date of this press release. The purpose of these guidance and estimates is to assist readers in understanding IPC’s expected and targeted financial results, and this information may not be appropriate for other purposes.

    Estimated production and FCF generation are based on IPC’s current business plans over the periods of 2025 to 2029 and 2030 to 2034, less net debt of USD 209 million as at December 31, 2024, with assumptions based on the reports of IPC’s independent reserves evaluators, and including certain corporate adjustments relating to estimated general and administration costs and hedging, and excluding shareholder distributions and financing costs. Assumptions include average net production of approximately 57 Mboepd over the period of 2025 to 2029, average net production of approximately 63 Mboepd over the period of 2030 to 2034, average Brent oil prices of USD 75 to 95 per bbl escalating by 2% per year, and average Brent to Western Canadian Select differentials and average gas prices as estimated by IPC’s independent reserves evaluator and as further described in the AIF. IPC’s current business plans and assumptions, and the business environment, are subject to change. Actual results may differ materially from forward-looking estimates and forecasts.

    Non-IFRS Measures
    References are made in this press release to “operating cash flow” (OCF), “free cash flow” (FCF), “Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortization” (EBITDA), “operating costs” and “net debt”/”net cash”, which are not generally accepted accounting measures under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and, therefore, may not be comparable with similar measures presented by other public companies. Non-IFRS measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures prepared in accordance with IFRS.

    The definition of each non-IFRS measure is presented in IPC’s MD&A (See “Non-IFRS Measures” therein).

    Operating cash flow
    The following table sets out how operating cash flow is calculated from figures shown in the Financial Statements:

      Three months ended March 31
    USD Thousands 2025   2024  
    Revenue 178,492   206,419  
    Production costs and net sales of diluent to third party 1 (103,188)   (115,745)  
    Current tax (514)   (1,373)  
    Operating cash flow 74,790   89,301  

    1Includes net sales of diluent to third party amounting to USD 191 thousand for the first quarter of 2025.

    Free cash flow
    The following table sets out how free cash flow is calculated from figures shown in the Financial Statements:

      Three months ended March 31
    USD Thousands 2025   2024  
    Operating cash flow – see above 74,790   89,301  
    Capital expenditures (98,886)   (125,256)  
    Abandonment and farm-in expenditures1 (321)   (122)  
    General, administration and depreciation expenses before depreciation2 (4,358)   (3,653)  
    Cash financial items3 (14,397)   (3,581)  
    Free cash flow (43,172)   (43,311)  

    1 See note 16 to the Financial Statements
    2 Depreciation is not specifically disclosed in the Financial Statements
    3 See notes 4 and 5 to the Financial Statements

    EBITDA
    The following table sets out the reconciliation from net result from the consolidated statement of operations to EBITDA:

      Three months ended March 31
    USD Thousands 2025   2024  
    Net result 16,231   33,719  
    Net financial items 18,855   9,770  
    Income tax 4,679   7,746  
    Depletion and decommissioning costs 29,016   33,153  
    Depreciation of other tangible fixed assets 1,917   2,262  
    Exploration and business development costs 31   75  
    Sale of assets 1 (94)   –  
    Depreciation included in general, administration and depreciation expenses 2 311   295  
    EBITDA 70,946   87,020  

    1 Sale of assets is included under “Other income/(expense)” but not specifically disclosed in the Financial Statements
    2 Item is not shown in the Financial Statements

    Operating costs
    The following table sets out how operating costs is calculated:

      Three months ended March 31
    USD Thousands 2025   2024  
    Production costs 103,379   115,745  
    Cost of blending (37,726)   (45,206)  
    Change in inventory position 3,500   5,277  
    Operating costs 69,153   75,816  
             

    Net cash/(debt)
    The following table sets out how net cash / (debt) is calculated from figures shown in the Financial Statements:

    USD Thousands March 31, 2025   December 31, 2024
    Bank loans (4,449)   (5,121)  
    Bonds1 (450,000)   (450,000)  
    Cash and cash equivalents 140,194   246,593  
    Net cash/(debt) (314,255)   (208,528)  

    1 The bond amount represents the redeemable value at maturity (February 2027).

    Reserves and Resources Advisory
    This press release contains references to estimates of gross and net reserves and resources attributed to the Corporation’s oil and gas assets. For additional information with respect to such reserves and resources, refer to “Reserves and Resources Advisory” in the MD&A. Light, medium and heavy crude oil reserves/resources disclosed in this press release include solution gas and other by-products. Also see “Supplemental Information regarding Product Types” below.

    Reserve estimates, contingent resource estimates and estimates of future net revenue in respect of IPC’s oil and gas assets in Canada are effective as of December 31, 2024, and are included in the reports prepared by Sproule Associates Limited (Sproule), an independent qualified reserves evaluator, in accordance with National Instrument 51-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Oil and Gas Activities (NI 51-101) and the Canadian Oil and Gas Evaluation Handbook (the COGE Handbook) and using Sproule’s December 31, 2024 price forecasts.

    Reserve estimates, contingent resource estimates and estimates of future net revenue in respect of IPC’s oil and gas assets in France and Malaysia are effective as of December 31, 2024, and are included in the report prepared by ERC Equipoise Ltd. (ERCE), an independent qualified reserves auditor, in accordance with NI 51-101 and the COGE Handbook, and using Sproule’s December 31, 2024 price forecasts.

    The price forecasts used in the Sproule and ERCE reports are available on the website of Sproule (sproule.com) and are contained in the AIF. These price forecasts are as at December 31, 2024 and may not be reflective of current and future forecast commodity prices.

    The reserve life index (RLI) is calculated by dividing the 2P reserves of 493 MMboe as at December 31, 2024 by the mid-point of the 2025 CMD production guidance of 43,000 to 45,000 boepd.

    IPC uses the industry-accepted standard conversion of six thousand cubic feet of natural gas to one barrel of oil (6 Mcf = 1 bbl). A BOE conversion ratio of 6:1 is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead. As the value ratio between natural gas and crude oil based on the current prices of natural gas and crude oil is significantly different from the energy equivalency of 6:1, utilizing a 6:1 conversion basis may be misleading as an indication of value.

    Supplemental Information regarding Product Types

    The following table is intended to provide supplemental information about the product type composition of IPC’s net average daily production figures provided in this press release:

             
      Heavy Crude Oil
    (Mbopd)    		 Light and Medium Crude
    Oil (Mbopd)    		 Conventional Natural Gas
    (per day)    		 Total
    (Mboepd)
    Three months ended        
    March 31, 2025 23.2 6.5 88.2 MMcf
    (14.7 Mboe)    		 44.4
    March 31, 2024 24.9 7.9 96.0 MMcf
    (16.0 Mboe)    		 48.8
    Year ended        
    December 31, 2024 23.9 7.7 95.1 MMcf
    (15.8 Mboe)    		 47.4
             

    This press release also makes reference to IPC’s forecast total average daily production of 43,000 to 45,000 boepd for 2025. IPC estimates that approximately 52% of that production will be comprised of heavy oil, approximately 15% will be comprised of light and medium crude oil and approximately 33% will be comprised of conventional natural gas.

    Currency
    All dollar amounts in this press release are expressed in United States dollars, except where otherwise noted. References herein to USD mean United States dollars and to MUSD mean millions of United States dollars. References herein to CAD mean Canadian dollars.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why Zelensky – not Trump – may have ‘won’ the US-Ukraine minerals deal

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Eve Warburton, Research Fellow, Department of Political and Social Change, and Director, Indonesia Institute, Australian National University

    Last week, the Trump administration signed a deal with Ukraine that gives it privileged access to Ukraine’s natural resources.

    Some news outlets described the deal as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “caving” to US President Donald Trump’s demands.

    But we see the agreement as the result of clever bargaining on the part of Ukraine’s war-time president.

    So, what does the deal mean for Ukraine? And will this be help strengthen America’s mineral supply chains?

    Ukraine’s natural resource wealth

    Ukraine is home to 5% of the world’s critical mineral wealth, including 22 of the 34 minerals identified by the European Union as vital for defence, construction and high-tech manufacturing.

    However, there’s a big difference between resources (what’s in the ground) and reserves (what can be commercially exploited). Ukraine’s proven mineral reserves are limited.

    Further, Ukraine has an estimated mineral wealth of around US$14.8 trillion (A$23 trillion), but more than half of this is in territories currently occupied by Russia.

    What does the new deal mean for Ukraine?

    American support for overseas conflict is usually about securing US economic interests — often in the form of resource exploitation. From the Middle East to Asia, US interventions abroad have enabled access for American firms to other countries’ oil, gas and minerals.

    But the first iteration of the Ukraine mineral deal, which Zelensky rejected in February, had been an especially brazen resource grab by Trump’s government. It required Ukraine to cede sovereignty over its land and resources to one country (the US), in order to defend itself from attacks by another (Russia).

    These terms were highly exploitative of a country fighting against a years-long military occupation. In addition, they violated Ukraine’s constitution, which puts the ownership of Ukraine’s natural resources in the hands of the Ukrainian people. Were Zelensky to accept this, he would have faced a tremendous backlash from the public.

    In comparison, the new deal sounds like a strategic and (potentially) commercial win for Ukraine.

    First, this agreement is more just, and it’s aligned with Ukraine’s short- and medium-term interests. Zelenksy describes it as an “equal partnership” that will modernise Ukraine.

    Under the terms, Ukraine will set up a United States–Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund for foreign investments into the country’s economy, which will be jointly governed by both countries.

    Ukraine will contribute 50% of the income from royalties and licenses to develop critical minerals, oil and gas reserves, while the US can make its contributions in-kind, such as through military assistance or technology transfers.

    Ukraine maintains ownership over its natural resources and state enterprises. And the licensing agreements will not require substantial changes to the country’s laws, or disrupt its future integration with Europe.

    Importantly, there is no mention of retroactive debts for the US military assistance already received by Ukraine. This would have created a dangerous precedent, allowing other nations to seek to claim similar debts from Ukraine.

    Finally, the deal also signals the Trump administration’s commitment to “a free, sovereign and prosperous Ukraine” – albeit, still without any security guarantees.

    Profits may be a long time coming

    Unsurprisingly, the Trump administration and conservative media in the US are framing the deal as a win.

    For too long, Trump argues, Ukraine has enjoyed US taxpayer-funded military assistance, and such assistance now has a price tag. The administration has described the deal to Americans as a profit-making endeavour that can recoup monies spent defending Ukrainian interests.

    But in reality, profits are a long way off.

    The terms of the agreement clearly state the fund’s investment will be directed at new resource projects. Existing operations and state-owned projects will fall outside the terms of the agreement.

    Mining projects typically work within long time frames. The move from exploration to production is a slow, high-risk and enormously expensive process. It can often take over a decade.

    Add to this complexity the fact that some experts are sceptical Ukraine even has enormously valuable reserves. And to bring any promising deposits to market will require major investments.

    What’s perhaps more important

    It’s possible, however, that profits are a secondary calculation for the US. Boxing out China is likely to be as – if not more – important.

    Like other Western nations, the US is desperate to diversify its critical mineral supply chains.

    China controls not just a large proportion of the world’s known rare earths deposits, it also has a monopoly on the processing of most critical minerals used in green energy and defence technologies.

    The US fears China will weaponise its market dominance against strategic rivals. This is why Western governments increasingly make mineral supply chain resilience central to their foreign policy and defence strategies.

    Given Beijing’s closeness to Moscow and their deepening cooperation on natural resources, the US-Ukraine deal may prevent Russia — and, by extension, China — from accessing Ukrainian minerals. The terms of the agreement are explicit: “states and persons who have acted adversely towards Ukraine must not benefit from its reconstruction”.

    Finally, the performance of “the deal” matters just as much to Trump. Getting Zelensky to sign on the dotted line is progress in itself, plays well to Trump’s base at home, and puts pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to come to the table.

    So, the deal is a win for Zelensky because it gives the US a stake in an independent Ukraine. But even if Ukraine’s critical mineral reserves turn out to be less valuable than expected, it may not matter to Trump.

    Eve Warburton receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Westpac Scholars Trust.

    Olga Boichak is a director of the Foundation of Ukrainian Studies in Australia. She receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Westpac Scholars Trust.

    – ref. Why Zelensky – not Trump – may have ‘won’ the US-Ukraine minerals deal – https://theconversation.com/why-zelensky-not-trump-may-have-won-the-us-ukraine-minerals-deal-255875

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Meeks Issues Statement on Ukraine Minerals Deal

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)

    Washington, D.C. – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today issued the following statement on the economic agreement signed by the United States and Ukraine.  

    “With the signing of Donald Trump’s extortion of Ukraine deal, even as Ukraine continues to defend itself from Russia’s illegal invasion, I hope the administration can now turn to the real roadblock for peace: Vladimir Putin. President Zelenskyy has shown time and again that he is willing to negotiate to work towards a sustainable peace; now is the time for Trump to put the pressure on Putin where it belongs.  

    “President Trump should work with Congress to put pressure on Putin and make clear that unless Russia is willing to make real concessions and engage in a peace process, the U.S. will work with its partners and allies to impose significant consequences. That includes holding Russia accountable for its war crimes, additional security support to Ukraine, increased sanctions on Russia, and funding Ukraine’s reconstruction by leveraging gains from Russia’s frozen assets. Both the comprehensive Ukraine assistance bill I introduced last month and the Graham-Blumenthal bill in the Senate are avenues through which the U.S. can make clear that Russia cannot simply wait out international support for Ukraine, and push Putin to the negotiating table.  

    “Unfortunately, Donald Trump has so far demonstrated nothing but weakness by capitulating to Putin every step of the way, with nothing to show for it in return, while fixating his attacks on Zelensky and Ukraine. It should be news to no one that Vladimir Putin is a bully and will only respond to strength, not groveling.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Meeks Opening Remarks at Full Committee Hearing on Authorizing the State Department

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)

    Washington, D.C. – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, delivered the following opening remarks – as prepared – before the full House Foreign Affairs Committee for a hearing on “The Need for an Authorized State Department”: 

    Thank you, Chairman Mast, and thank you to our witnesses for joining us today.  

    As members of this Committee, it is our duty to reauthorize the State Department regularly, just as Congress does with respect to the Department of Defense. As Chairman in the 117th Congress, I made it a priority to pass the first State Department reauthorization in 18 years, doing so in a bipartisan way with then-Chairman McCaul. That’s because both Democrats and Republicans believed that it was in the best interest of the American people and U.S. national security for Congress to ensure our diplomatic and development professionals have all the tools they need to succeed. 

    So, while I appreciate that this hearing was called and agree with the need for Congress to regularly authorize the State Department, Mr. Chairman, I am afraid this committee’s actions this Congress have run counter to that goal. Afterall, how can we engage in a serious, bipartisan conversation about strengthening the State Department and other agencies when Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Secretary Rubio have eviscerated the very Department and instruments of national security we’re supposed to support, while not being called even once for a hearing before this Committee?  

    You can’t remodel a home after burning it to the ground. And Congress’ legislative role should not be to simply rubber-stamp the arsonists’ work. 

    This is a profound moment of shame for the Republican party, as its Members sit silently while Secretary Rubio allows Elon Musk and his army of teenagers – who have no foreign policy or even government expertise – to dismantle the very agencies they have supported in the past. The United States Agency for International Development, the US Agency for Global Media, the Millenium Challenge Corporation, just to name a few, have all been met with a hatchet job FOR NO REASON. Meanwhile Secretary Rubio and my Republican colleagues – who’ve in the past understood their value – fail to speak up or, worse, contort themselves to justify this administration’s actions. There is no greater demonstration of this incredible cowardice than Marco Rubio, who knows this is wrong, but would rather sit atop a kingdom of ash than defend the work he once praised.  

    I had hoped that Secretary Rubio would at least try to protect the Department, USAID and their workforces who’ve dedicated their lives to serving the American people. Instead, he stood by while Musk, Pete Marocco, and DOGE illegally gutted USAID – a statutory agency – and condemned millions of people around the world to disease, starvation, and death by slashing foreign assistance, forfeiting U.S. global leadership in the process. 

    The wanton destruction didn’t end with USAID or Pete Marocco’s exit. Most recently, Secretary Rubio gave this Committee just 25-minutes’ notice before announcing a sweeping dismantling of our soft power tools in the name of a State “reorganization.”  

    This is not reform, it’s abandoning decades of bipartisan support for centering human rights and democracy in our foreign policy – without consultation, without engagement, and without any regard for Congress’ constitutional role as a co-equal branch of government.  

    To this day, Secretary Rubio refuses to follow the law and consult with Congress. And we have no reason to believe that will change. In the weeks ahead, we fully expect him to endorse the next chapter of Project 2025: closing hundreds of critical offices and potentially dozens of overseas posts, gutting the Department’s workforce, and slashing the budget –all of which will leave America weaker and more isolated. China and Russia will continue to celebrate, as they have done every day of Donald Trump’s first 100 days.   

    So, while I am grateful to our witnesses for joining us today and for their many years of dedicated service to our country, I have to ask: why are we talking to private witnesses instead of demanding Secretary Rubio come before this Committee to defend his reckless actions?   

    And how can we expect any meaningful authorization process when my Republican colleagues have refused to speak out—even as this Administration destroys programs and policies they once championed?   

    I have a long track record of working with any Administration that wants to strengthen our national security and works in good faith towards that end. But this is not business as usual. Donald Trump has taken a wrecking ball to our foreign policy, treated our allies as adversaries and our adversaries as allies, threatened to invade some of those allies, and launched a trade war that is hurting our economy and constituents.  

    And in placating their would-be-king, my colleagues have abandoned all they’ve held sacred, whether for political expedience, fear of Donald Trump, or both.  

    I would love nothing more than a good-faith effort to reauthorize the State Department and I welcome discussions to that end. But to my Republican colleagues, you all must choose. Will you—as an independent branch of government—stand up to Donald Trump, Elon Musk and Marco Rubio? Or will you enable and support the most rapid, intentional dismantling of American soft power and influence in the history of this country? 

    If it’s the latter, then I fear this entire endeavor is meaningless. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: May Day tourism boom shows China’s robust consumer activity

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    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, May 6 (Xinhua) — Chinese travelers made 314 million domestic tours during the five-day holiday to mark International Workers’ Day on May 1, up 6.4 percent year on year, data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed Tuesday.

    Overall domestic tourism spending by Chinese people during the period rose 8 percent year-on-year to 180.27 billion yuan (about $25 billion), reflecting robust consumer activity.

    The May Day holiday, which runs from May 1 to 5, is typically one of the busiest travel periods of the year, with millions of Chinese traveling to visit relatives, explore domestic attractions, or travel abroad. The surge in travel boosts industries such as transportation, tourism, and retail. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Since the beginning of this year, more than 2,000 freight trains have passed through Xi’an on China-Europe routes.

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    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, May 6 (Xinhua) — Xi’an, capital of northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, has received and dispatched more than 2,000 freight trains running on China-Europe/Central Asia routes since the beginning of this year.

    Train number X9043, loaded with cars, household appliances and other goods, left the Xi’an International Port station on the morning of April 29 and headed to the Tajik city of Danghara, becoming the 2,000th freight train to pass through the Shaanxi city on the China-Europe/Central Asia route since the beginning of this year, the provincial people’s government press service reported.

    In the first four months, the number of trains running on the above-mentioned routes and passing through Xi’an, as well as the volume of freight traffic, increased by more than 30 percent year-on-year, statistics show.

    The stable development of regular railway transportation between China and Europe and China and Central Asia brings benefits to both foreign and domestic consumers.

    According to the deputy general director of the Shaanxi company “Aiju”, last year the company implemented a number of projects in the field of processing agricultural products in the North Kazakhstan region of Kazakhstan. On the way back, these freight trains delivered more grain, oils and food products to the country.

    “We plan to gradually increase the range of agricultural products and supply more high-quality food products produced in Kazakhstan to the domestic market,” the entrepreneur summed up. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: More than 40 people killed in road accident in Uganda

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    KAMPALA, May 6 (Xinhua) — More than 40 people are believed to have been killed in a road accident in Uganda on Monday, local media reported.

    The accident occurred at around 5pm local time in the central Buikwe district of the country, when a passenger bus lost control, collided with a motorcycle and caught fire, leaving many dead, local police said in a statement.

    The victims were taken to nearby hospitals. Police and rescue services continue to work at the scene. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The Trump administration has promised to pay illegal immigrants $1,000 to voluntarily leave the US

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    WASHINGTON, May 6 (Xinhua) — The Donald Trump administration announced Monday that it will give illegal immigrants $1,000 and pay for their travel expenses if they leave the country voluntarily.

    “Today, the Department of Homeland Security announced a historic opportunity for undocumented immigrants to make it easier for them to return home by receiving assistance with funding and travel arrangements through the CBP/Customs app.

    “Any undocumented migrant who uses the CBP Home app to self-deport will also receive a one-time payment of $1,000. The payment will be made once their return to their home country is confirmed through the app,” the statement said.

    Even taking into account the payments, independent travel using the app should reduce deportation costs by about 70 percent, the ministry noted. Currently, the average cost of arresting, detaining, and deporting an illegal immigrant is $17,121.

    “If you are here illegally, self-deportation is the best, safest, and most cost-effective way to leave the United States and avoid arrest,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Trade turnover between Shanghai and ASEAN countries continues to grow

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    SHANGHAI, May 6 (Xinhua) — In the first quarter of 2025, trade between Shanghai and ASEAN countries increased by 7.1 percent year on year, significantly exceeding the average foreign trade figures of the Chinese metropolis. By the end of 2024, the city’s foreign trade growth was 6.9 percent, according to Shanghai Customs.

    Customs officials attribute the continued growth in trade turnover between Shanghai and ASEAN not only to geographical proximity, but also to the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the work of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA).

    Customs statistics show growth in trade between Shanghai and ASEAN in all three main forms: regular, duty-free and tolling. In 2024, foreign-invested enterprises and private companies, actively relying on the opportunities of RCEP and CAFTA, played the leading role in the metropolis’s foreign trade.

    The complementary production structure and the fact that Shanghai and ASEAN differ in the division of labor have also had a positive impact on bilateral trade and have been recognized as the internal driving force behind its growth. For example, in 2024, Shanghai exported 162.63 billion yuan (US$1 is about 7.2 yuan) worth of machinery and electronics products to ASEAN countries, while importing 166.55 billion yuan worth of similar products. However, while the bulk of exports were microchips, mobile phones, and electrical control equipment, significant growth was observed in imports of semiconductor machinery equipment and flat-panel displays. Machinery and electronics products accounted for over 60 percent of the trade turnover between Shanghai and ASEAN.

    Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia were Shanghai’s largest trading partners among ASEAN countries. As of 2024, their share in trade turnover between the parties reached 62.5 percent.

    The total bilateral trade volume last year was 582.79 billion yuan, accounting for 13.7 percent of Shanghai’s total foreign trade, up 0.7 percentage points from 2023 and making ASEAN the city’s second-largest trading partner after the EU. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU hosted the first hackathon “Church’s Thesis” dedicated to the application of mathematical logic in IT

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    The hackathon “Church’s Thesis” was held for the first time at Novosibirsk State University. It is aimed at everyone interested in mathematical logic and its application in information technology. Both students of all courses of the Faculty of Information Technology (FIT) and the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics (MMF) of NSU, as well as schoolchildren, took part in the pilot competition. In total, more than 20 teams registered.

    Welcoming remarks were given by Gulnara Erkinovna Yakhyaeva, Associate Professor of the Department of General Computer Science at the NSU Institute of Information Technologies, Lecturer of the course “Logical Foundations of Programming”, and Alexander Aleksandrovich Vlasov, Head of the Laboratory of Software Development and Systems on a Chip, Associate Professor of the Department of Computer Systems at the NSU Institute of Information Technologies. They shared modern challenges faced by specialists in the field of logic and programming.

    The hackathon consisted of two stages: a theoretical one, which gave participants the opportunity to explore how logic is applied in everyday life; and a practical one, during which the guys solved applied problems: from program verification to optimizing compiler algorithms. The competition was high, and all teams demonstrated a high level of preparation.

    Anton Chumak, the hackathon organizer, “Mathematical Logic Lover,” a 3rd-year student at the NSU Faculty of Information Technology, told us how the idea of holding the hackathon came about:

    — When I was a first-year student, I heard my classmates complaining, “Why do we need mathematical logic?” or “Matlog is a subject that is disconnected from the rest of mathematics and any real-world problems.” In my second year, I taught additional classes on this subject and noticed that the general mood of first-year students was about the same. “An incomprehensible and useless subject,” some of them thought. And although the course in mathematical logic and the theory of algorithms is more abstract than linal or matan, it also has many practical applications, especially in IT. These areas include parsers, program verification, knowledge bases, artificial intelligence, expert systems, optimizing compilers, and much more. The problem is that first-year students do not see these applications when they need to study the proof of a model existence theorem (METH), and not many are motivated to complete the course well. Therefore, it seemed to me the right decision to introduce the students to problems that appear in leading companies and require knowledge of mathematical logic to solve. I hope this will change their attitude towards the course and the discipline in general.

    As the organizers note, the main difficulty in preparing the hackathon was in compiling the tasks. Since the competition format is limited to one day, a team, even one consisting of three people, has little time to solve a complex problem. At the same time, it was important to show the versatility of applications, so it was necessary to offer the teams as many different tasks as possible. The final list included theoretical and practical tasks. Theoretical tasks were devoted to the application of mathematical logic in the daily life of a programmer. In the practical round, teams were asked to write their own Turing machine, an optimization algorithm for a compiler, specifications for verifying algorithms in distributed systems, and even their own knowledge base.

    — I am pleased to note that almost all tasks were solved by at least one team! — added Anton Chumak.

    The finale was a ceremonial awarding of the best teams. The winners received memorable prizes thanks to the support of partners: the organizers expressed special gratitude to the Dean’s Office of the NSU FIT, the NSU Department of Youth Policy and Educational Work, as well as the partner companies of the Faculty of Information Technology – Postgres Professional, YADRO, Ledas and the School of Data Analysis – for their contribution to the organization and holding of the hackathon.

    The competition had 2 categories: for schoolchildren and first-year students, as well as a general category. There were 3 winning teams in each category.

    Bulat Nazarov, captain of the winning team “Barebushki”, a fourth-year student of the Faculty of Information Technology of NSU, shared his impressions:

    — Yes, we are so great — we won the hackathon! To be honest, we didn’t expect to perform so well, but we are very happy that we ended up taking 1st place. We were a little nervous at the start — we solved just enough in the theoretical part to not lose face. But then the practical part began, and everything went more fun: the first were tasks in C, then we switched to TLA (coding experience in this language: it was as if aliens were being taught human language, but in the end it worked). But the knowledge base is our pride! We beat everyone there in points. Our data search worked so clearly that even we ourselves are proud of it. It was especially nice to see how our solutions received a high rating. Many thanks to Anton for the recommendation, we are sincerely glad to have the opportunity to share our experience.

    Denis Yeldov, a first-year student at the Faculty of Information Technology and a member of the winning team “Hotdog Master” in the first-year competition, spoke about how the hackathon went:

    — At the first, theoretical stage, it was actually possible to solve almost all the tasks if we divided them between the team members, which is what we did. So it wasn’t that difficult. In the second round, there were practical tasks, some of which were created by FIT students, and some by leading IT companies. We again divided the tasks among the team, but when something didn’t work out, we asked each other for help. It was fun, the atmosphere was not tense. However, we were constantly encouraged to do the tasks faster, since the rating was displayed on the screen, which was updated online. The tasks were of medium difficulty, as well as complex, some of them had to be written in a completely new programming language, which was one of the main problems.

    Both the organizers and the participants noted that the competitions had a friendly atmosphere. In addition to the tournament itself, there were breaks during which the teams communicated in an informal setting.

    — I am extremely glad that students from the FIT and MMF, as well as schoolchildren, took part. The atmosphere at the competition was very kind and homely. I think that is how it should be when people who are close in spirit gather. I hope that next year even more participants and partners will join us, — Anton Chumak summed up.

    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.

    MIL OSI Russia News –