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On October 15, during a press conference in Taiyuan, Liu Junyi, the Secretary of the Party Group and Director of the Shanxi Provincial Department of Science and Technology, highlighted significant advancements in key technological breakthroughs, innovative platform construction, and enhanced capabilities for transferring scientific achievements into practical applications. Liu emphasized that in recent years, the department has focused on promoting a deep integration of technological and industrial innovation, resulting in notable progress in the province’s overall innovation system.

The press conference was organized by the Publicity Department of the Shanxi Provincial Committee of the Communist Party and the Information Office of the Shanxi Provincial Government. Representatives from the Shanxi Provincial Department of Science and Technology provided insights and addressed questions from the media.

In terms of tackling critical core technologies, the department has concentrated its efforts on enhancing original and leading scientific research, using high-quality technological solutions to support the construction of key industrial chains. This has included the implementation of 71 major provincial science and technology special projects and 400 provincial key research and development programs. As a result, the province has achieved over 80% of advanced coal production capacity, a 3% actual load change rate for traditional coal-fired units, and significant advancements in technologies such as the YE5 series three-phase asynchronous motors, which have filled a domestic gap in first-level energy-efficient products. Notably, single wells for coal bed methane have reached gas production levels exceeding 15,000 cubic meters per day.

Furthermore, the Shanxi Provincial Department of Science and Technology has viewed the construction of innovative platforms as essential to addressing the province’s weak scientific innovation resource base. They have tapped into local resources and advantages, aligning innovation chains with industrial chains to better integrate scientific resources and improve overall effectiveness. To date, 12 national major innovation platforms, 173 provincial key laboratories, 133 provincial technology innovation centers, and 155 new research and development institutions at both provincial and municipal levels have been established, forming a diverse and comprehensive innovation platform system.

The department has also emphasized using technological innovation to lead industrial innovation, working to eliminate barriers in translating scientific achievements into market-ready products. With initiatives like the “Jinchuang Valley” innovation-driven platform, efforts are underway to establish a hub for transforming scientific achievements into tangible productivity. A provincial working group has been formed, along with policies that are reportedly the first of their kind in the nation. Both “Jinchuang Valley – Taiyuan” and “Jinchuang Valley – Datong” have begun operations, while “Jinchuang Valley – Jinzhong” is set to follow suit.

Currently, “Jinchuang Valley – Taiyuan” has welcomed 154 technology-based enterprises, achieving a total sales and technology contract value of 227 million yuan. An innovative funding model disbursed 28 million yuan in startup funding for enterprises. “Jinchuang Valley – Datong” has admitted 19 companies, with industrial investments totaling 13 million yuan. The establishment of six national and six provincial technology transfer organizations, along with multiple pilot bases, has trained 357 technology managers, thus improving the system for transferring and transforming scientific achievements. In 2023, the provincial total for technology contract transactions reached 59.386 billion yuan, with high-value invention patents per ten thousand people reaching 2.55, marking increases of 69.5% and 97.7% respectively since the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan.

Shanxi’s reform of its science and technology system has sparked new vitality, implementing regulations such as the Detailed Implementation Rules for Major Science and Technology Special Projects. Initiatives like the “list-driven leadership” and “milestone system” have created a project generation mechanism involving collaboration among enterprises, government, and research institutions. Six departments in Shanxi have jointly launched a pilot implementation plan for three key reforms aimed at tech transfer, starting with Shanxi University, Taiyuan University of Technology, North University of China, and Shanxi Agricultural University. These reforms are targeted at addressing challenges that researchers face regarding the transition of their findings to market applications. A comprehensive evaluation system for technological achievements is being established to facilitate better value assessment, further improving the province’s innovative environment.

In the realm of aiding farmers and enhancing public welfare, the department is aggressively promoting four key scientific projects aimed at comprehensive rural revitalization, including organic dry farming and top-quality agriculture. The implementation of the “three zones” talent support plan and widespread adoption of “technology commissioners” has seen the dispatch of 2,667 professionals over three years, overcoming numerous agricultural challenges and bringing high-quality products like hairy crabs, salmon, dragon fruit, and Yulu pears to the market.

Looking ahead, Liu Junyi affirmed that the Shanxi Provincial Department of Science and Technology will continue to intensify reforms in the scientific and technological system, working to accelerate the establishment of a supportive framework for comprehensive innovation and fostering new forms of productive capacity.

AYODELE OKUNFOLAMI argues that
electoral reforms without developmental governance are meaningless
As the declared winner of the just concluded EdoState elections, Senator Monday Okpebholo, is going about town flaunting his certificate of return he received from the Independent National Electoral Commission, his PDP counterpart, Asue Ighodalo, is heading to the tribunal to challenge the results of the election. Ighodalo is not the only person probing the integrity and legitimacy of the elections, civil society organisations and election observers majorly condemned the overall conduct of the elections. Although, there were no apocalyptic reports of violence nor ballot box snatchings typical with Nigerian elections, the Edo governorship race experienced pockets of late arrival of election personnel and materials to polling stations that led to delays in accreditation and voting, dubious use of the BVAS machine, contradicting accreditation as against number of votes cast, and questionable result collation process.
Unfortunately, a quarter of a century into our journey of uninterrupted democracy, elections in Nigeria appear not to be improving. People are now calling again for another amendment to the electoral act as if the Petroleum Industry Act and Dangote has stopped the fuel queues or that local government autonomy changed voting patterns. As much as our elections are naggingly irritating with obvious infractions that oughtn’t be overlooked, I don’t think electoral reforms would make any difference.
Aside the appropriation act that is annually sent to the national assembly with accompanying supplementary budgets, the electoral act is the law we have tweaked the most in Nigeria. We have so frequentlyused the law to amend how we elect our leaders and representatives, so attempting to again give the rogues that continuously maneuver the system to amend it in my opinion will be futile. If our politicians are not reformed, we will just have another Eneke the bird who learnt to fly without perching because men had learnt to shoot without missing their mark.
As the world advances, humans adopt easier and faster ways of doing things, therefore we can’t separate technology from 21stcentury elections. Disappointingly, former President Goodluck Jonathan remarked days after the Edo election at a programme organised by the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution that technology can’t solve our electoral challenges. This concurs with a 2019 article in which I compared elections as done in the UK with what obtained in Nigeria. In that piece, I emphasized that UK elections are manual from start to finish proselytising that electronic voting is overrated and not a silver bullet to credible elections. I am in no way against technology, but if trust deficit persists in Nigerian institutions and overall development remains lagging, no amount of technology will make us satisfied with Nigerian elections. I always say, if you have any reason to doubt the traffic light, you will have reasons to doubt election results.
Some have even said we should return to the option A4 system as used in 1993 that produced Chief MKO Abiola. Although that election remains a benchmark, I won’t subscribe to voters crudely coming together and lining up behind their preferred candidate and counted in view of all to see for the following reasons. One, the 1993 elections were what they were because those in power had no stake in them so we had no incumbent saying it was a do-or-die or an opposition threatening to make the nation ungovernable if they lost. Two, Abiola was far better and more popular than Bashir Tofa for there to have been any contentions whom Nigerians preferred in the first place. Thirdly, as we later found out, the then military President, Ibrahim Babangida had no plans of handing over. He had dribbled us with his unending transition exercises and did us another leg over. Had General Adbulsalami Abubakar toed IBB’s path, 1999 elections would have been accorded the martyrological awe of June 12.
Fourthly, we should be in the business of the future not taking us 30 years backwards. Fifthly, we see how party primaries go in today’s Nigeria. Despite using option A4, they are still wrought with irregularities. In fact, people trust INEC’s open-secret ballot of the general elections than the charade of party primaries. Sixthly, we have more than one election in one day. Does it mean voters will queue and get counted as many times as the number of elections for the day? How would forensics for possible litigation be designated? Seven, electoral violence, ethnic profiling, voter intimidation and vote trading will make nonsense of anybody openly trying to vote his conscience. Finally, elections are determined more by what happens in collation centres where the votes are summed up, swelled up or stitched up than at the polling units where voters line up in the glare of cameras to vote. Moreover, electoral malpractices are technical and conspiratorial these days that even after INEC has flagged discrepancies through its control mechanisms the courts can’t prove otherwise.
I think the open-secret system of INEC is okay. It is a hybrid of the secret ballot and the open ballot where the voter’s choice is secret but his vote is open. Moreover, there is more to election than INEC. INEC depends on ad hoc personnel who are primarily youth corps members some of whom won’t show up on election day forcing urgent replacements that will need crash training. These ad hoc staff are at the mercy of transport unions to move them around on election day who in turn need to be accompanied by security personnel for their safety and that of election materials that would ferry along unmotorable roads or dangerous waterways. Truth inelections in Nigeria is herculean that involves a lot of stakeholders.
Increasing insecurity, poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, infrastructural decrepitude and other
imprints of failed governance are the
triggers of electoral malpractice and if diagnosis is wrong treatment can’t be right. Electoral reforms without developmental governance are meaningless. The societies that vote remotely have working post offices. They don’t need a curfew on election days because movement is predictable and security of lives and properties is guaranteed. Not Nigeria.
Most carefully, we should not make our democracy only about quadrennial elections. Endless electoral reforms only make us voters not citizens. We should avoid being pawns used by the political elite to earn political capital for themselves. Politicians who campaigned on fractioned and weak party structures or failed godfathers will turn
around to blame the system for their loss. Well, let them go to court. Really and truly, it is more about sore losers than about a defective system.
See how much money and resources we are spending on elections. If the hundreds of billions spent on elections were funneled into fixing our roads, election materials will arrive on schedule. Had we fixed electricity instead of always providing generators for INEC to power collation centres, unemployment won’t be as high as it is easy to recruit political thugs used to disrupt elections.
It is because we have made our democracy election centric that almost 50,000 security personnel would be sent to Edo for elections while less than 32 police officers are patrolling over 200 villages in Katsina. Do we realise that the only contact majority of Nigerians have with government is when that youth corps member comes with his team of election staff? The electoral reforms we need is one that primary schools and healthcare will find a way of getting to the citizen and not polling unit to the voter.
And this grownup discussion on electoral reforms is not about the middle class pushing for debates and manifestoes to be mandatory in a quest to get the best out of our leadership selections. Besides debates being more of show than substance and a cheap advertisement for the media house organizing the event as we are seeing in America, the Nigerian electorate is too impoverished and ignorant that ideas don’t move the needle. Okpebholo and Ighodalo knew this and dodged the debate organized for the candidates. They would rather use sentiments of zoning and share N10,000 to get votes which proves more successful. Electoral reform minus intellectual and economic upliftment equals stomach infrastructure. Those climbing themselves for 2k bread now, will by 2027 sell their votes cheaper than 5k.
Okunfolamiwrites from
Festac, Lagos

During an interview, we discussed the latest developments in the lending and employment landscape. According to recent updates, the mortgage rates saw an increase of approximately 0.25 percentage points across all terms during the week of October 7, with the 30-year fixed mortgage rate currently at 6.125%.

On October 4, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released the latest employment report, revealing that nonfarm jobs rose by 254,000 in September, a significant jump compared to the revised increase of 159,000 in August. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate dipped slightly to 4.1%, and wage growth reached 4%, exceeding expectations. Following these announcements, mortgage rates surged at their fastest pace in recent months.

Experts suggest that the current interest rates are nearing their lowest point in over a year. The unexpectedly strong employment report from last week is identified as the primary catalyst for this rapid increase in rates. A similar situation occurred in April of this year, when it was inflation data—not employment statistics—that sparked a rise in rates.

Looking back to April, it was observed that the bond market was more focused on inflation than on employment data. Now, the emphasis has shifted toward employment conditions. However, it’s important to note that if the upcoming inflation figures significantly deviate from predictions, they could still moderately influence the market.

While fluctuations in rates are anticipated in the coming weeks, most experts maintain a positive outlook on long-term rate trends. Lisa Sturtevant, Chief Economist at Bright MLS, predicts that rates will stabilize around 6.2% by the end of the year.

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has renewed its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Lagos (UNILAG) on the deployment of its metallurgical science laboratory at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.
The MoU signed with the University of Lagos at that time entailed relocation of some of the equipment in the laboratory to UNILAG.
Due to some logistics, the equipment had not been moved since the MoU was signed, prompting the new leadership of NSIB to renew the pact.
During the MoU signing ceremony at the Unilag Senate Building, the NSIB DG stated that the bureau would fast-track the relocation of some of the equipment in the laboratory for the use of the institution.
He stated that the initial agreement was not followed up due to some logistics reasons, disclosing that on assumption of office he met the MoU on ground, which required renewal.
“Well, the initial one was signed in 2018, like you said. And between then and now, I know there have been subsequent meetings between UNILAG and the NSIB, but there was no real follow through for whatever reasons, you know, logistics or political reasons. And when I took over, I met the MoU there needing a renewal, and I saw the lack of movement with the last MoU. So we discussed internally. We need University of Lagos expertise and other academia in Nigeria with the NSIB,” he said.

Located in El Monte, the Good Fortune Market has reopened after a remodel, showcasing a focus on wholesale discounts. During its opening week, the market introduced special low-price promotions and a gift-with-purchase event.

The Good Fortune Market officially opened its doors on Saturday, October 12, at 11850 Valley Blvd. While the limited-time 15% discount from October 12 and 13 has ended, shoppers can still take advantage of the gift-with-purchase promotion running until October 18. Customers spending $28 will receive a reusable non-woven shopping bag, those spending $48 will get a pack of five Jin Mai Lang beef noodles, and shoppers who spend $88 will receive a gift box of Happy Time cookies. Supplies are limited for these promotions, so it’s first come, first served.

In addition to the gift-with-purchase event, the opening festivities include a variety of popular products available for tasting, along with a claw machine and a cotton candy machine. Until October 18, many selected items are being offered at incredibly low prices. Some of the highlights include AA baby bok choy at $0.48 per pound, Japanese sweet potatoes at $0.58 per pound, frozen durian at $1.98 per pound, pork ribs at $1.98 per pound, salmon fillets at $5.98 per pound, and Lee Kum Kee soy sauce at $3.58 for a 59oz bottle, as well as oyster sauce for $3.98. Additionally, boxes of Kongfu Jasmine tea are $7.68, Da Wu Long tea is $10.98, and there are buy-one-get-one offers on various items in the Hai Tian wholesale zone. Also available is 50-pound bags of Huang Guo Bao rice for $26.98 and 44-pound bags of high-quality Korean flour for $26.98.

Jacob, the supply chain manager and store manager of the El Monte location, stated that Good Fortune Market aims to provide wholesale prices even for single items, making it an ideal place for everyday grocery shopping. The wholesale produce section offers box pricing to cater to small and medium-sized restaurants looking to purchase fresh ingredients and seasonings. Moreover, this store is the largest among the five Good Fortune Market locations in the Los Angeles area, boasting over 20,000 products with a more diverse selection, allowing customers to enjoy competitive wholesale prices while having a rich variety of choices.

According to recent NYPD data, the number of assaults on police officers in the city has reached “unprecedented levels,” with incidents rising by 41% compared to last year. This alarming trend was highlighted by a recent shooting incident involving two police officers in Chinatown.

The statistics indicate a continuous rise in such incidents over the past five years, with a staggering 1975 assaults reported this year alone, compared to 1763 during the same period in 2023. This represents a 60% increase since 2019, when there were only 1253 recorded assaults.

Police officials believe this increase reflects a growing societal disrespect for law enforcement and a concerning attitude among criminals that attacking police officers carries little risk of punishment. Patrick Hendry, the president of the police union, expressed concern that many suspects feel emboldened to assault officers, believing “the justice system is on their side.” He advocates for swifter penalties for assaults on police officers to deter such incidents.

Michael LiPetri, the NYPD’s chief of crime strategy, noted that assaults on police are driving an overall rise in violent incidents throughout the city. Current data shows that there have been 22,806 assaults citywide this year, up 5% from 21,712 during the same period in 2023.

LiPetri emphasized that although officers are more actively engaged in their duties than ever, the rate of crimes against the police has reached “unprecedented levels.” He cited a January incident where two officers attempting to disperse an unruly crowd of undocumented immigrants were surrounded and attacked, resulting in minor injuries for Officer Ben Kurian and Officer Zunxu Tian.

George Winkler, a representative of the police union in Lower Manhattan, pointed out that this disdain for law enforcement is not just a New York City issue, as similar sentiments are surfacing nationwide. He warned that movements to defund police departments could further compromise community safety, referencing an incident in August where two officers from the 7th and 5th precincts were shot while pursuing a suspect in East Broadway, Chinatown.

On October 15th, the China National Textile and Apparel Council released data indicating a decline in textile and apparel exports. In September, exports dropped by 3.8% year-on-year, while the total export value for the first three quarters of 2024 reached $222.41 billion, marking a slight increase of 0.5% compared to the previous year.

From January to September 2024, China’s cumulative textile and apparel exports were $222.41 billion, reflecting a 0.5% growth year-on-year. Of this, textile exports amounted to $104.3 billion, up by 2.9%, whereas apparel exports totaled $118.11 billion, showing a decline of 1.6%. In September alone, textile and apparel exports stood at $24.78 billion, which was a 3.8% decrease compared to the previous year and an 11.3% decline from the previous month. Specifically, textile exports were $11.25 billion, down 2.1% year-on-year and 8% month-on-month, while apparel exports reached $13.53 billion, down 5.1% year-on-year and 14% month-on-month.

Analysts note that while China’s textile and apparel exports stabilized in August with a record monthly high nearing $28 billion, adverse factors such as weak overseas demand, a downturn in global manufacturing, and the appreciation of the renminbi have contributed to the decline in September. Looking ahead to the fourth quarter, the sustainability of overseas demand recovery appears insufficient, and issues such as trade protectionism and geopolitical tensions are expected to persist, posing significant challenges to the growth of China’s textile and apparel exports as the base effect further weakens.

On October 18, following more than a month of intensive testing and coordination, the newly constructed Nanning-Zhuhai High-Speed Railway reached a significant milestone. The Nanning to Yulin section of this project, known as the Nanzhu High-Speed Railway South Yulin segment, officially commenced its speed upgrade tests, achieving a remarkable trial speed of 385 kilometers per hour with its high-speed comprehensive testing train.

This speed is the maximum set for the line during the commissioning and testing phase. The South Yulin segment spans 193.31 kilometers, extending from Nanning East Station in the capital of Guangxi to Yulin North Station. It’s designed for a maximum speed of 350 kilometers per hour and includes five stations: Nanning East, Luancheng, Hengzhou, Xingye South, and Yulin North.

This line not only connects the Beibu Gulf Economic Zone with the urban clusters in southeastern Guangxi but also extends towards Guangdong Province. Once operational, it will significantly enhance the connectivity between the Beibu Gulf Economic Zone and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, promoting collaborative development within the Pearl River-Xijiang Economic Belt.

The speed upgrade tests involve gradually increasing the trial speeds in accordance with the defined testing protocols. To achieve this goal of 385 kilometers per hour, railway operations selected skilled drivers and meticulously gathered data to ensure precision in calculations. Safety control points were established to guarantee the safety of the trials.

During this phase, China Railway Nanning Group Co., Ltd. reinforced its leadership and operational organization, clearly defining responsibilities in alignment with the directives from the national railway corporation. Their primary focus was on safety, with an emphasis on effective test organization and site control to ensure the successful completion of the testing objectives.

Once the Nanzhu High-Speed Railway South Yulin segment opens to the public, it is expected to reduce the travel time between Nanning and Yulin from the current fastest journey of 1 hour and 44 minutes to approximately 50 minutes, significantly closing the gap between these two locations. Stay tuned for more updates!

The harvest season is in full swing in Yuncheng, Shanxi, with 4.35 million acres of autumn grain at a crucial collection stage. With over 70% of the harvest completed, local farmers are taking advantage of optimal weather conditions to gather corn.

In the corn planting base located in Donglu Township, Ruicheng County, farmer Hu Tianni is busy in the fields. Harvesters are moving back and forth as corn kernels are collected, creating a bustling scene of productivity. Once harvested, the corn is sent directly to drying centers for storage.

Hu Tianni, a resident of Xupo Village, has been working with the land since graduating from high school. Initially, he worked as a machinery operator but later transitioned into contracting grain production, founding the Yuanpeng Smart Farm. From managing a few hundred acres, he now oversees 2,000 acres, fully utilizing smart technology, allowing just three people to manage the entire operation with an impressive yield of 2,000 pounds of corn per acre.

“Previously, we relied on manual drying, which could lead to mold if it was rainy, impacting prices,” Hu explained. This year, he aims to tackle these challenges by constructing a drying facility. “By implementing drying processes, we can effectively reduce moisture content, ensuring safe storage standards, shortening the time from harvest to storage, and maintaining corn quality. This also allows us to sell at almost double the previous price.”

To support Hu in this endeavor, the State Grid Yuncheng Power Supply Company stepped in to help install a 200-kilovolt transformer using a non-stop operation method and assisted in checking the electrical equipment to ensure the drying facility could launch on schedule.

After four months of hard work, the drying plant was completed, capable of storing around 8,000 tons of grain. In the drying facility, a towering grain drying machine hums as it processes the corn through an automated system. “My drying plant is quite smart. The entire process from drying to storage is automated. One person can control the operations via the computer system, monitoring all indicators in real time,” Hu added.

With automation increasing the demand for reliable electricity, the State Grid established a regular outreach system, providing dedicated power support, which has been a great reassurance for Hu.

Throughout the autumn harvest, the State Grid implemented a dedicated green electricity channel, forming 131 ‘Electricity Assistance Teams’ and establishing 3,302 foundational service grids to create a ’15-minute power support circle’ for farmers. They intensified inspections of electrical facilities to fully meet the power needs of the harvest season.

On October 20th, a medical team from Zhejiang University School of Medicine conducted congenital heart disease screenings for children in Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai Province, demonstrating their commitment to children’s health.

“Can you tell me when you first noticed anything was wrong with your heart, young one?” asked a member of the Zhejiang Children’s Hospital’s cardiac center team, as they began their assessments at the Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture People’s Hospital.

The team’s efforts, which also involved local medical staff, led to successful interventional surgeries for seven children the following day, giving them a new lease on life.

In this high-altitude region, many parents lack awareness about the dangers of congenital heart disease, and insufficient medical resources mean that some children do not receive timely treatment, impacting their long-term health.

Shu Qiang, the party secretary and director of the cardiac center at Zhejiang Children’s Hospital, took the health of local children to heart, sending a skilled team to Haixi at the request of the Qinghai Aid Command and the local hospital. This team included Wang Wei, the director of the medical department and a senior physician in cardiovascular medicine; Fan Xiangming, the director of cardiac surgery; Ye Jingjing, the head of the ultrasound department; and anesthesiologist Jiang Yilei.

In the screening room, the Zhejiang team carefully examined the children while patiently explaining treatment options and surgical timing to worried parents. They performed ultrasound assessments to gather necessary information for further treatment.

“It’s a privilege to be here in Haixi, participating in this screening and treatment initiative. Some cases are quite complex and will require further treatment back at our hospital,” Wang Wei noted.

One prevalent condition they encountered was atrial septal defect, which can significantly affect a patient’s long-term health. Over a year ago, a seven-year-old boy named Xiaoyu (pseudonym) was diagnosed with this condition, causing distress for his family. Recently, he underwent a successful catheterization procedure at the Haixi hospital.

Similarly, Xiaobin (pseudonym) faced a diagnosis of atrial septal defect. His family had planned to seek treatment elsewhere, but with Zhejiang experts visiting their area, they received improved care and alleviated some of the financial burdens.

When Xiaobin was seen post-surgery, he was happily exercising in the hospital corridor with his mother. “I’m so happy today, it’s my birthday!” he exclaimed.

His mother added, “The successful surgery is the best birthday gift we could ask for!”

To further enhance the “Zhejiang-Qinghai Family” initiative, the Zhejiang Aid Command partnered with the Haixi Prefecture People’s Hospital to launch a proactive congenital heart disease screening project this year. Special funding was allocated to ensure treatment for patients, addressing urgent community needs.

“In recent years, Zhejiang’s medical aid efforts have focused on talent development, discipline construction, telemedicine, and hospital management,” said Shi Hu, party secretary and vice president of the Haixi People’s Hospital. “From the ‘Five Recovery’ initiative to early screening and treatment for strokes, and now this screening campaign for congenital heart disease, we are demonstrating the spirit of ‘Zhejiang and Qinghai as one family, working together for a new Haixi.'”