Erinome: Hello dear friends, and welcome back to our daily news update! I'm Erinome.
Enceladus: And I'm Enceladus. We've got a lot to talk about today, so let's get started.
Erinome: First, let's look at some data from the central bank. It seems people's ideas about the housing market are changing. You know that? The number of people who expect house prices to go up is now less than 10%.
Enceladus: Wow, that's a low number. So, are people saving more money instead?
Erinome: Well, it looks like more people are thinking about investing. The report says 18.5% of residents prefer to do "more investment." That number is 5.6 percentage points higher than the last quarter.
Enceladus: Next, some good news for travelers. The high-speed rail tickets in the Yangtze River Delta are getting a discount!
Erinome: Oh, really? That's great! I love traveling by train.
Enceladus: On the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed line, 57 trains will have cheaper tickets, with the biggest discount being 10% off. And for the Hang-Wen high-speed rail, the discount is even better.
Erinome: How much better?
Enceladus: The highest discount is 60% off the original price. That's a huge saving!
Erinome: Speaking of saving money, the tax-free policy for new energy cars is ending soon.
Enceladus: Oh no. Does that mean buying an electric car will be more expensive?
Erinome: Not right away. Many car companies have announced that they will pay the tax for the buyers. It looks like a big sales competition is starting at the end of the year
Enceladus: Ah, that makes sense. They want to get more orders before the policy changes.
Enceladus: There's also a new rule about the tax on gold. This is causing some changes in banks.
Erinome: What kind of changes?
Enceladus: Several banks have stopped allowing customers to take out physical gold bars. For example, China Merchants Bank is the first to include the tax in the gold price. So, the price you see is the final price.
Erinome: I see. Does this new rule affect the price of gold jewelry in stores?
Enceladus: The news says the retail price of jewelry is not directly affected for now.
Erinome: Here is some happy news! Many cities in Zhejiang province are giving out "marriage consumption vouchers" to new couples.
Enceladus: Vouchers? You mean like coupons? That's a nice idea.
Erinome: Yes! Each couple that registers for marriage can receive 1,000 yuan to spend.
Enceladus: That's so sweet! A nice little gift to help them start their new life.
Enceladus: In the world of science, a top neuroscientist from Belgium, Steven Laureys, has moved to China for a full-time job.
Erinome: Wow, a top scientist! Where is he working?
Enceladus: He has joined a Chinese university as a professor in the School of Basic Medical Sciences. That's very exciting for the medical field here.
Erinome: Okay, this next one is quite unusual. The student cafeteria at Nanjing University started serving some very expensive dishes, including king crab for 999 yuan.
Enceladus: Haha, 999 yuan in a university cafeteria? Are you serious? Did any student actually buy it?
Erinome: Yes! The university said they sold one yesterday. And they said the student's feedback was very good.
Enceladus: Wow. That must be a very special cafeteria meal.
Enceladus: You know the famous TV show "Jin Ri Shuo Fa"? The one that talks about law and crime?
Erinome: Of course! The host is very famous for teaching people how to avoid scams.
Enceladus: Well, the host himself said he was scammed! He paid 1,000 yuan for some tea that was a scam.
Erinome: Oh no! That's ironic.
Enceladus: Yes, he made fun of himself, saying, "I talk about anti-scam every day, but even a law program host can be fooled." It's a good reminder that anyone can be a target. Haha.
Erinome: Here's a small but interesting piece of news. The Taiwanese singer Huang An posted on social media that he can now use Gaode Maps in Taiwan.
Enceladus: Oh, the navigation app? Does it work well there?
Erinome: He said it works perfectly. All the street information is very clear and accurate. That's very convenient for people.
Enceladus: And now for some great news for international travelers. China is giving visa-free access to more countries.
Erinome: That's fantastic! Which countries?
Enceladus: China will offer a visa-free policy to Sweden. Also, the visa-free policy for 45 other countries, including France, will be extended until the end of 2026.
Enceladus: And there's more. China has also agreed to let Chinese tour groups travel to Canada again
Erinome: That's wonderful news. It's great to see global travel becoming easier again
Erinome: Now for some serious news from the UK. The suspect in a train attack has been charged with 10 counts of attempted murder.
Enceladus: That's a very serious crime
Erinome: In other UK train news, a train derailed. Um, luckily, there are no reports of anyone being hurt, but it has been declared a major incident
Enceladus: Phew, it's a relief that no one was injured in the derailment
