Erinome: Hello everyone! Welcome to today's news roundup. I'm Erinome, and sitting next to me is Enceladus. Let's dive into the latest updates, shall we?
Enceladus: Yeah, let's start! First, what's new from the agriculture side?
Erinome: Oh, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs released a plan on October 21st. It's called *Agricultural Modernization Development Plan (2026-2030)*. By 2030, China's total grain production capacity will stay above 1.3 trillion jin. Also, the mechanization rate for farming will reach 75%, and we'll培育 100 leading agricultural companies with annual output over 10 billion yuan.
Enceladus: Wow, that's a big plan! 1.3 trillion jin is a lot of grain. Mechanization at 75% means more machines, less hard work for farmers, right?
Erinome: Exactly! Now, moving to travel news. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism said in the first three quarters, Chinese people traveled 4.998 billion times. That's an 18% increase from last year. And they spent 4.85 trillion yuan, up 11.5%.
Enceladus: Oh, people are traveling more! After maybe staying home before, now everyone wants to go out. That's good for hotels and restaurants, haha.
Erinome: Totally! Next, space news! China's reusable rocket Zhuque-3 is getting ready for its first flight. It can help build large satellite networks. And guess what? Chang'e-6 found meteorite remains in moon soil. Scientists say this might explain where the moon's water comes from.
Enceladus: Wow, space is so cool! Zhuque-3 is reusable, so it can save money for more rocket trips. And moon water—maybe we can live on the moon one day?
Erinome: Maybe! Now, movies. China's overseas box office in 2025 has reached 1 billion yuan. That's already more than the whole year of 2024.
Enceladus: Oh, our movies are getting popular abroad! Like *Wolf Warrior* or *Hi, Mom*—maybe they're showing in more countries now. That's a big win for Chinese culture.
Erinome: For sure. Next, Jiangsu province released a report on elderly care. Last year, there were 8,811 people over 100 years old there. That's 128 more than the year before.
Enceladus: Sad but nice, you know? More centenarians means people are living longer. They must have good healthcare and happy lives.
Erinome: Yeah. Now, Yunnan province has a new rule for official trips. People should choose public transport first. And they can't rent imported luxury cars like Mercedes, BMW, Audi, or Land Rover.
Enceladus: That makes sense. Saving money for public use instead of expensive cars. Good for reducing waste, right?
Erinome: Exactly. Now, banks are cutting deposit interest rates. Some banks dropped rates by 80 basis points. And here's a surprise: saving for three years might give less money than saving for one year now.
Enceladus: Oh no! My grandma saves money in the bank for three years. She might be upset, haha. Maybe people will start saving for shorter times now.
Erinome: Probably. Let's talk about gold. Spot gold prices dropped really fast! They once fell below $4,100 per ounce. That's a more than 6% drop—the biggest in four years.
Enceladus: Wow, that's a big fall! People who bought gold as investment must be worried. I heard gold is usually "safe," but not today, um?
Erinome: Right. Now, a fun one: a post-2000s person in Guangdong won 100,000 yuan by matching a couplet. The upper line was "From Nanyang to Nanyang, roots deep and leaves lush." The lower line they wrote was "From Jingbi to Jingbi, Jiaokang Xingzhang"—it's about stars in Chinese astronomy.
Enceladus: That's amazing! Young people still love traditional culture. 100,000 yuan is a lot—they must be super smart, you know that?
Erinome: For sure! Now, sports news: the 2027 FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup will be in Chengdu. It's from July 17th to 25th, 2027. And it's the first time this event comes to China.
Enceladus: Basketball! I love watching U19 games—young players are so energetic. Chengdu is a great city for sports events. I hope our team wins!
Erinome: Me too. Last news today: French media said the Louvre Museum robbery might be done by an international crime group called "Pink Panthers." They have about 200 members and have done over 150 cases worldwide, totaling more than 250 million euros.
Enceladus: Oh, that's scary! The Louvre has so many famous things, like the Mona Lisa. I hope the police catch them soon.
Erinome: Yeah, me too. Okay, that's all the news for today. Thanks for listening, everyone! We'll be back with more updates next time.
Enceladus: Bye, and stay tuned!
