Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks in Gaza rises to 44,976

The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has risen to 44,976, with 106,759 others reported injured, according to a statement released on Sunday by Gaza-based health authorities.

The latest round of Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been going on for more than a year since it broke out in October 2023.

China's equipment trade-in subsidy policy introduced earlier this year has played a significant role in encouraging consumers to purchase smarter and more energy-efficient products, particularly home appliances.

China's State Council released an action plan in March to initiate large-scale equipment upgrades and trade-ins of consumer goods -- nearly 15 years since the last such round of renewals.

This policy, part of the Chinese government's green transition strategy, aims to encourage consumers to choose energy-efficient products.

During this year's Double Twelve (December 12) shopping festival, massive discounts coupled with the government's trade-in subsidy policy, have motivated many people to upgrade their home appliances.

"[We've come here] because we heard about the government subsidies. [The appliances] at home are old, so [we've decided] to replace them with new ones," said a resident.

"[I prefer purchasing home appliances] from physical stores. I just like to see the actual products -- things I can see and touch. And I don't want to buy [these kinds of items] online," said another resident.

Again in the second half of this year, the Chinese government introduced a trade-in policy allowing consumers to trade in old home appliances for new ones, offering subsidies for eight categories of products, including refrigerators, air conditioners, and washing machines.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, as of December 7, nearly 3 million customers have purchased related products, driving sales to more than 200 billion yuan (about 27.5 billion U.S. dollars).

The greener and more energy-efficient the home appliances are, the greater discount consumers will enjoy. Besides, Jiangsu Province in east China's and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China have expanded the subsidy policy to include 3C digital products, such as computers and mobile phones.

"So far, nearly 300,000 residents in Beijing have already obtained eligibility for the country's trade-in subsidies through the Beijing Suning.com channel. In December, we anticipate that with the support of government subsidies and Suning's own discount and subsidy incentives, sales are expected to achieve a year-on-year growth of over 300 percent," said Wang Zhaotong, director of the Suning Consumer Electronics Sales and Procurement in Beijing.

With the continuous development of artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, more and more consumers are willing to upgrade their home appliances to live a smarter life.