HOMEMAKERS IN OUTER SPACE

Zhai Zhigang （center）， Wang Yaping （right） and Ye Guangfu， the three astronauts participating in the Shenzhou-13 mission， meet with the press at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on October 14， two days ahead of their scheduled takeoff.

The trio will stay in orbit aboard Chinas space station for six months.

Digital Payment

A visitor uses his mobile wallet to pay for his purchase at the 2021 Global Digital Trade Conference and Wuhan （Hankoubei） Commodities Fair in Wuhan， capital of Hubei Province， on October 12.

Inclusive Universities

The China Disabled PersonsFederation said on October 11 that 57，477 students with disabilities gained admission to colleges and universities in the 2016-20 period， up 50.11 percent from the 2011-15 period.

A further 9，966 students with disabilities were enrolled at institutions of special higher education between 2016 and 2020， an increase of 47.54 percent from the previous five-year period.

China has seen a steady rise in employment among college graduates with disabilities， with one-on-one services provided by more than 2，700 employment institutions readily available， according to the federation.

Flood in Shanxi

Continuous rainstorms have left 15 people dead and three others missing in Shanxi Province， according to a press conference held on October 12 by the provincial government. Peoples basic needs are being guaranteed and daily production and order are being restored quickly， officials said at the conference.

From October 2 to 7， Shanxi experienced the strongest autumn flood on record. Continuous rainfall has affected nearly 1.76 million residents across the province， and 120，100 people have been relocated.

About 238，460 hectares of crops have been damaged， 37，700 houses collapsed or seriously damaged， causing direct economic losses of 5.03 billion yuan （$780 million）.

Relevant departments in Shanxi quickly responded. As of October 11， 30 blocked sections of expressways across the province had resumed traffic， while 19 sections of highway and 2，800 sections of rural road reopened.

Fewer Telecom Frauds

The Ministry of Public Security said on October 11 that China saw fewer cases involving fraudulent activities committed via telecommunications or the Internet in the months of June， July and August compared to the same three months last year.