24.04.2025, 10:38 98176

China to launch Chang'e-8 lunar mission around 2029, collaborating with international partners

The China National Space Administration (CNSA) revealed Thursday that the Chang'e-8 lunar probe is scheduled for launch around 2029, and will carry payloads from 11 countries and regions and one international organization as part of international cooperation, Xinhua reports.

The announcement was made at the opening ceremony for 2025 Space Day of China, which is celebrated annually on April 24.

The Chang'e-8 mission will target the Leibnitz-Beta Plateau near the lunar south pole region, working with the earlier Chang'e-7 mission to conduct scientific exploration and in-situ resource utilization experiments. These efforts will lay the groundwork for the future International Lunar Research Station.

According to CNSA, the 10 selected collaborative projects include a multi-functional robot designed by researchers in Hong Kong, a lunar rover developed by Pakistan and the International Society for Terrain-Vehicle Systems (ISTVS), an exploration rover made by Türkiye, and radio astronomical instruments by South Africa and Peru.

The projects also include Italy's laser retroreflector arrays, Russia's plasma and dust analyzer and high-energy particle detector, Thailand's neutron analyzer, Bahrain and Egypt's lunar surface imaging system, and Iran's lunar potential monitor.

Shan Zhongde, head of CNSA, said China will work closely with international partners to achieve new scientific discoveries and technological breakthroughs that will ultimately benefit all of humanity.

CNSA announced in October 2023 international cooperation opportunities for Chang'e-8 lunar mission, which offered 200 kilograms of payload resources for global partners. A total of 41 cooperation proposals were received.
 

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04.06.2025, 20:26 21876

III International Bishkek Film Festival to be held in Kyrgyz capital

The III International Bishkek Film Festival will be held in the capital from June 11 to 15, the Ministry of Culture, Information and Youth Policy reported, Kabar reports.

The opening of the festival will take place on June 11 at the Kyrgyz National Philharmonic and the closing on June 15 at 18:00 at the Kyrgyz National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater named after A. Maldybaev.

According to the festival program, several events are planned to be held at different venues in the city.
 

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04.06.2025, 13:21 21686

Canadian wildfire smoke reaches Europe

As the boreal wildfire season gets underway, Canada has seen a sharp rise in the number and intensity of wildfires, particularly in the provinces of Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario, resulting in large emissions of smoke and pollutants into the atmosphere, reports a Kazinform News Agency correspondent.

The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) has been closely tracking the fires, their emissions, and the transport of smoke across long distances. According to CAMS Senior Scientist Mark Parrington, "central regions of Canada have experienced a very intense few weeks in terms of wildfire emissions." He added that the presence of smoke over Europe reflects the scale of the fires and their broader atmospheric impact.

In recent weeks, satellite data has confirmed that smoke from Canadian wildfires has crossed the Atlantic, reaching Europe. An initial plume arrived over the Mediterranean in mid-May, with smoke reported in Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean. A larger plume followed at the end of May, reaching northwestern Europe on June 1, with further smoke transport expected in the coming days.

CAMS forecasts suggest that, while these plumes occur mostly at high altitudes and are unlikely to affect surface air quality significantly, they may still lead to hazier skies and more vivid sunsets.

At the same time, major wildfires continue to burn in Russia’s Far Eastern Federal District, with the most prominent fires occurring in the Republic of Buryatia and Zabaykalsky Krai, east of Lake Baikal. Carbon emissions in the region have reached their highest level for this period since 2018.
 

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03.06.2025, 20:06 35151

China calls for strengthening financial cooperation within SCO

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on Tuesday called for strengthening financial cooperation among member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to give strong impetus to the development of regional countries, Xinhua reports.

Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a group meeting with foreign representatives attending a meeting of the SCO member states' finance ministers and central bank chiefs.

Ding said that Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed a series of important suggestions and measures for jointly building a more beautiful home of the SCO at the "Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus" meeting last year in Astana.

China is willing to take its rotating presidency of the SCO as an opportunity and work with other member states to prioritize development, strengthen financial cooperation, expand the local currency settlement, promote digital inclusive finance, and actively work for the establishment of an SCO development bank, Ding said.

Speaking on behalf of the foreign side, SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev spoke highly of the work carried out by China as the rotating chair of the SCO, and expressed the willingness to collaborate with the Chinese side to uphold the "Shanghai Spirit" and promote regional prosperity and development.
 

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03.06.2025, 10:23 34761

UN General Assembly elects former German foreign minister as 80th session president

The United Nations General Assembly today elected former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock as President of its 80th session, which is scheduled to formally open on 9th September, WAM reports.

Baerbock secured 167 votes in the secret ballot held by the General Assembly, while her fellow German contender, Helga Schmid, received seven votes. Fourteen delegations abstained from voting.

At 44, Baerbock becomes one of the youngest individuals to assume this high-level international role. She is also the first woman from the Western European and Others Group (WEOG) to hold the position, and the fifth woman overall to preside over the General Assembly. The presidency rotates annually among the five regional groups of the United Nations.

In her acceptance speech following the vote, Baerbock acknowledged the significant global challenges ahead and pledged to serve as an impartial and unifying mediator for all 193 Member States, reaffirming her guiding theme, "Together for better."

She outlined three key priorities for her presidency: enhancing the UN’s efficiency and effectiveness, advancing the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, and transforming the General Assembly into a more inclusive forum.

Baerbock called for a United Nations that embraces all voices, describing the diversity within the General Assembly as a vital source of strength for the international community.

She also emphasised the importance of promoting gender equality, multilingualism, and engagement with civil society and youth. Addressing the UN 2.0 initiative launched by Secretary-General António Guterres in March, she stressed that the initiative should not merely be a cost-cutting exercise, but should reflect bold ambition and a readiness to make difficult decisions.

Our common goal is a strong, focused, agile and fit-for-purpose United Nations-one capable of fulfilling its core mission," Baerbock said. "We need a United Nations that delivers peace, development and justice."

 

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02.06.2025, 14:31 44706

EDB: Kyrgyzstan's economy is growing at rapid pace

Gross domestic product in Kyrgyzstan increased by 11.7% in the first four months of 2025 - such data are provided in the weekly macro review of the Eurasian Development Bank, Kabar reports.

According to analysts, the key drivers of economic growth were industry, which provided an increase of 2.6 percentage points in the GDP dynamics, as well as the construction sector and domestic trade, which contributed 2.5% and 2.0%, respectively.

Experts say that the data presented in the report indicate a sustainable and stable macroeconomic situation in Kyrgyzstan. It is important that stable growth is observed in key sectors. The real sector of the economy has started working, dozens of new industries are being launched, agricultural and livestock indicators are improving, prices for socially significant goods are stable, which restrains inflationary processes and maintains the stability of the national currency.
 

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02.06.2025, 13:32 44486

Natural disasters have cost Australia an estimated $2.2B in losses so far in 2025: Report

Natural disasters have cost Australia an estimated $2.2B in losses so far in 2025: Report
Images | aa.com.tr
Australia estimates that the immediate loss of economic activity from natural disasters so far in 2025 will be $2.2 billion, a report said Monday, Anadolu reports.

Partial data for the March quarter shows that natural disasters, including Cyclone Alfred and floods across New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland states, particularly impacted retail trade and household spending, said local broadcaster SBS News.

Massive flooding in NSW in late May has left 10,000 homes and businesses damaged or destroyed.

In early March, Tropical Cyclone Alfred caused widespread damage and flooding to communities across southeastern Queensland and northern NSW.

Prolonged downpours flooded a vast area in southwest and central Queensland in late March and early April.

The government's Disaster Assist website lists 27 separate natural disasters from January-May, consisting of flooding, storms, cyclones, and bushfires.

Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain said the government would provide another $200 million in 2025-26 to increase communities' resilience, adaptability, and preparedness to cope with the impacts of natural disasters.
 

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28.05.2025, 21:12 74511

SpaceX’s Starship rocket breaks up during 9th test flight

SpaceX’s Starship rocket blasted off Tuesday in its ninth test flight of the Elon Musk-led company’s efforts to demonstrate success after two failed missions earlier this year, Anadolu reports.

As if the flight test was not exciting enough, Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly. Teams will continue to review data and work toward our next flight test," SpaceX said on X.


With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s test will help us improve Starship’s reliability as SpaceX seeks to make life multiplanetary," it added.


The 400-foot-tall rocket lifted off at 7.37 pm Eastern time (2337GMT) from SpaceX’s Starbase site in Boca Chica, Texas, with approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The test followed upgrades made after upper-stage failures in January and March.
 

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23.05.2025, 18:43 111086

Floods kill four and devastate eastern Australia

Floods kill four and devastate eastern Australia
Images | aljazeera.com
Record-breaking floods in eastern Australia have killed four people and stranded tens of thousands after days of relentless rain, Al Jazeera reports.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New South Wales Premier Christopher Minns visited affected communities on Friday, some of which have experienced their worst flooding on record this week.

Minns praised emergency workers and volunteers, who have rescued 678 people in recent days - 177 of them in the past 24 hours.

It’s an amazing, heroic logistical effort where, in very difficult circumstances, many volunteers put themselves in harm’s way to rescue a complete stranger," Minns told reporters.


Without the volunteers, we would have had hundreds of deaths and we’re in deep, deep gratitude."


As well as the four victims killed, one person is reported missing.

About 50,000 people are still isolated across New South Wales, the country’s most populous state. Entire towns remain cut off and roads submerged after a powerful weather system dumped months of rain in three days.
 

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