All the Key BRICS+ News of the Week
China Launches BRICS Global Express Platform to Help Its Companies Enter BRICS+ Markets
The BRICS Global Express platform has launched in Xiamen (Fujian Province). It is a new tool to support Chinese companies planning to enter the markets of BRICS and BRICS+ countries. The initiative involves regular thematic sessions dedicated to each individual country: briefings on foreign regulations, meetings with specialized service providers, and the exchange of practical experience in entering overseas markets.
Russia Conducts Test Flight of the First Serial Fully Import-Substituted MC-21-310 Aircraft
The first fully import-substituted MC-21-310 aircraft has taken to the skies in Russia for the first time. The airliner took off from the airfield of the Irkutsk Aviation Plant and stayed airborne for more than an hour. The aircraft climbed to an altitude of up to 6,000 meters at speeds of up to 600 km/h, as test pilots checked the plane’s stability and controllability, as well as the performance of domestic onboard systems. Serial production of the airliner is planned to begin in 2027.
Indonesia Launches We Buy From Indonesia Digital Export Platform to Connect Foreign Buyers with Indonesian Producers
The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) presented President Prabowo Subianto with the export platform We Buy From Indonesia, designed to combine technology and trade tools to boost Indonesian products’ reach in global markets. The initiative targets the country’s non-commodity export segment: of roughly $300 billion in annual exports, about $240 billion comes from goods outside traditional categories such as coal, stainless steel, and palm oil.
Russia Discovers a Rare-Earth Mineral Previously Unknown to Science
Scientists at the Kirovsky mine in the Khibiny Mountains have discovered a mineral previously unknown to science — kola ashcroftine — which contains the rare-earth element yttrium. According to Russia’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Russian specimen differs from classic ashcroftine in that it contains calcium, manganese, and fluorine, and its structure is among the most complex known to mineralogy. The value of just the crust of this mineral on rock can reach $145 per millimeter, significantly higher than the price of gold.
Ebola Outbreak in the DRC Declared the Largest and Deadliest in the Country’s History
The Ebola outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo ebolavirus, has become the largest in the history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the second-largest ever recorded globally. According to the latest data from local authorities, confirmed cases have reached 4,053, including 1,850 deaths. Experts will investigate whether the acceleration of the outbreak is linked to possible mutations of the virus. No licensed vaccine against this strain currently exists
