HEAD OF THE UN’S TOP AUDITING BODY

HEAD OF THE UNS TOP AUDITING BODY

Hou Kai， Auditor General of the National Audit Office， will hold the chairmanship of the United Nations Board of Auditors for two years starting on January 1， 2023， the board decided at its 52nd Special Session held in Santiago， Chile， on November 29.

Hou， 60， was appointed to his current post in June 2020. He is also a member of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China（CPC） and a member of the Standing Committee of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC.

The Board of Auditors was established in 1946 to independently audit the accounts and performance of the UN organization， as well as its funds and programs， and to report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly.

AI Job Interviews

Qianjiang Evening News November 25

Today， a new form of job interview， known as an artificial intelligence （AI） job interview， is becoming increasingly popular. The system requires each candidate to answer a number of preset questions in the absence of an interviewer.

The ultimate question is： Will AI interviews fully replace human interviewers？

A lack of personal interaction is just one among many features of virtual interviews that unnerve job applicants. Countdowns leading up to and during the recording process constantly remind the candidates of the daunting passage of time， which adds to the natural feelings of discomfort and shyness when the camera is turned on.

For employers， AI-powered interviews present a cost-effective method， unlimited by space and time， to efficiently source and locate top talent without the interference of an interviewers judgment. Yet its unhuman impartiality is both a strength and a weakness， as personal judgment surpasses computers in detecting subtle qualities and hidden potentials.

Therefore， AI interviews are in essence a form of big data collection to help narrow the talent pipelines. The final decisions should always be made by a human recruiter.

Pet Industry Expansion

China Newsweek November 28

People are replacing children with pets， according to a Forbes article written in 2018. Meant as a jocular exaggeration， this remark nevertheless reveals an enduring grain of truth： Pets have become essential members of modern families. According to statistics released by the e-commerce platform JD.com， Chinas pet-keeping households are estimated to reach 100 million in 2022.

These strong numbers bespeak the growth of Chinas pet market into an integrated industry with branches in breeding， training， food， beauty， vet care， insurance， accessories and even pet funeral services.

The birth of Chinas pet industry dates back to the late 1980s， during which the countrys reform and opening up allowed a budding of diverse lifestyles and a more open cultural attitude toward keeping house pets. The trend of pet-keeping first began to take off in earnest in the 2000s， with the emergence of domestic pet brands and animal healthcare services.

Despite the astounding speed of growth， the domestic pet industry has not yet reached a state of maturity. Pet owners complaints of high healthcare expenses， nonstandard medical procedures， and a shortage of pet vaccines all beset the growth of the industry. Many domestic pet brands currently are mere manufacturers for multinational brands outsourced production， which denies them the possession of core technologies.

These setbacks constitute a natural obstacle that the industry must overcome. Powered by innovative marketing means， including online stores and live-streaming on e-commerce platforms， domestic brands are gaining popularity among younger generations. Yet the emphasis should always be on research and technology.

Healthcare Chaperones

Rednet.cn November 28

Recent years have seen the rise of professional hospital escorts， a nascent occupation that helps the sick navigate the hurdles of seeing a doctor by providing services such as making appointments， completing registrations， and fetching prescribed medicines and medical test results. In 2021， the total number of registered hospital escort service companies on Taobao， Chinas largest e-commerce platform， reportedly exceeded 500.

Yet surprisingly， the major clientele for this type of service is not the elderly， but the younger generations. On the one hand， their lack of experience with intricate medical procedures results in a feeling of bewilderment. On the other hand， many young adults， trying to set foot in strange cities， often have to confront an overwhelming loneliness during solitary hospital visits.

However， the hospital escort service is currently in dire need of governmental supervision to eliminate unprofessional elements.

Therefore， all related parties should work in tandem to establish a system that integrates a clear qualification framework， uniform pricing， a set of professional standards based on customer feedback， and a content review system for online platforms.

FORMER NATIONAL HEAD COACH UNDER INVESTIGATION

Li Tie， former head coach of the Chinese mens soccer team， is under investigation for suspected serious violations of the law， according to an announcement by the Communist Party of China Hubei Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and the Hubei Provincial Supervisory Commission on November 26.

As a former star midfielder on the national team， Li， 45， took the reins from Marcello Lippi in January 2020. The Italian World Cup-winning coach was at the helm for the start of Chinas Qatar World Cup qualifying campaign but resigned after a disappointing defeat to Syria in November 2019.

Li enjoyed some initial success as the team secured a place in the final phase of Asian zone qualifying in June 2021. He was then engulfed in a series of disappointing results and controversies that culminated in his resignation as Team Chinas head coach at the end of 2021.

“Everyone needs respect and to be welcomed. And better sharing of technology to enable equal access to the best HIV science， especially between the Global South and North.”

António Guterres， UN Secretary General， in his message for World AIDS Day， observed on December 1

“China and Kenya are good friends， good partners， good brothers and sisters. We are working together to build a China-Kenya， China-Africa community with a shared future.”

Miao Miao， a counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Kenya， as the embassy donated an assortment of items to a charity dedicated to assisting vulnerable single mothers and children on November 29

“The multiple global crises we are facing have led to a decline in real wages. This has placed tens of millions of workers in a dire situation as they face increasing uncertainties.”

Gilbert F. Houngbo， Director General of the International Labor Organization， in a recent statement at the UN Office at Geneva

“The U.S. should carefully listen to domestic rational voices， stop politicizing， weaponizing， and ideologizing economic， trade and sci-tech issues.”

Mao Ning， Foreign Ministry spokesperson， at a regular news conference on November 25