Erinome: Hello dear listeners! Welcome to today's "Daily News Chat". I'm Erinome.
Enceladus: And I'm Enceladus. Let's take a look at the latest news together, okay?
Erinome: Alright, first, some news from China. On the evening of the 25th, a deep earthquake happened in Hunchun, Jilin. It was magnitude 5.5, but people near the center felt almost no shaking. Emergency departments said there were no reports of building damage or people getting hurt.
Enceladus: Oh, that's good news! No one hurt, right? Earthquakes can be scary, but this one was safe.
Erinome: Yeah, lucky. Next, sad news from Jiangsu. A sightseeing train at a beach scenic spot fell into the sea, killing 4 people. At that time, the coastal gust of wind was level 9. Officials said the aftercare work has been done.
Enceladus: Oh no, that's so sad... 4 lives lost. The wind must have been really strong.
Erinome: Mm, terrible. Now, about exams. The number of applicants for the 2026 National Civil Service Exam hit a new high—over 3.5 million! The hottest position had more than 7,000 people competing for just 1 job. The National Bureau of Statistics and Railway Public Security Bureau were the hardest to get into, and 89 positions had no applicants.
Enceladus: Wow, 7000 people for one job? That's crazy! Why so many? Maybe everyone wants a stable job, you know?
Erinome: Probably. Next, data from the Ministry of Commerce: in the first 9 months of this year, China absorbed 573.75 billion yuan of foreign investment, down 10.4% year on year. But in September alone, the actual use of foreign investment grew 11.2% year on year.
Enceladus: Oh, September was better! Maybe things are getting better little by little.
Erinome: Let's hope so. Now, public health news: Jiangmen, Guangdong ended the level III public health emergency response. The prevention and control of Chikungunya re (a kind of mosquito-borne disease) has turned to regular work.
Enceladus: Chikungunya re? I heard it's from mosquitoes. Good that it's under control now, right?
Erinome: Yep. Next, a rumor about property tax in Dengfeng, Henan. Some said a town there planned to collect property tax, but a source said self-owned houses have always been tax-free. The related link is gone now. Actually, only Shanghai and Chongqing have personal property tax trials.
Enceladus: Oh, so it was just a rumor, haha! That's a relief for people.
Erinome: Right. Now, a school story: in Shaoyang, Hunan, a technical secondary school's "campus smart system" charged 240 yuan per student. The total might be over 1 million yuan for the whole school. The school said: the devices at classroom doors are video call tools, and students paid voluntarily.
Enceladus: Video call tools? Like to call parents? But 240 yuan per student... that's a lot, you know?
Erinome: Maybe. Now, good sports news! The 2025 Gymnastics World Championships ended. The Chinese team got 3 gold, 1 silver, and 3 bronze medals, ranking first in the medal table!
Enceladus: Wow! That's amazing! So proud of them! 3 golds, top of the medals—haha, great job!
Erinome: They did so well. Next, international meeting: the signing ceremony and high-level meeting of the UN Convention against Cybercrime opened in Vietnam. Nearly 100 countries and over 100 organizations attended.
Enceladus: Cybercrime is a big problem now, so this meeting is important. More countries working together, right?
Erinome: Exactly. Then, East Timor officially became the 11th member of ASEAN. They tried for 14 years and finally made it!
Enceladus: Oh, 14 years! That's a long time. Congratulations to them!
Erinome: Yep. Now, news from Thailand: Thai media said 93-year-old Queen Mother Sirikit passed away. The Thai Prime Minister canceled the APEC meeting, announced national mourning for 30 days. Government buildings will fly flags at half-mast, and civil servants must wear black clothes for a year.
Enceladus: Sad... 93 years old, that's a long life, but still sad. National mourning for 30 days, that's a big deal.
Erinome: Last news today: about space! Foreign media said the third "interstellar visitor" in the solar system is expected to reach its closest point to the sun on the 29th. A Harvard astronomer guessed it might be an alien mothership, or maybe doing small actions behind the sun.
Enceladus: Wow! Alien mothership? That sounds like a movie, haha! Is it real? Maybe just a space rock, but fun to think about!
Erinome: Right, who knows? Space is full of surprises.
Enceladus: Okay, that's all for today's news. Thanks for listening!
Erinome: Yeah, we'll talk again next time. Bye, dear listeners!
Enceladus: Bye!
