Erinome: Hello everyone! Welcome to today's news chat. I'm Erinome.
Enceladus: And I'm Enceladus. Let's see what's happening around the world lately!
Erinome: First up, China has entered a La Niña state. Experts say East China and South China may have drought from winter to next spring. Oh no, that's sad for the people there, right?
Enceladus: Yeah, drought is never good. Hope they can prepare for it.
Erinome: Next, November housing prices in 70 cities: prices of commercial homes in all city levels went down a bit month-on-month, and the year-on-year drop got bigger. Also, the number of unsold homes in China has been falling for 9 months in a row. Hmm, the housing market is still changing.
Enceladus: Maybe it's better for people wanting to buy homes? Not sure yet.
Erinome: Then, the National Bureau of Statistics said the national urban survey unemployment rate in November was 5.1%, same as last month. So employment is generally stable. That's good news!
Enceladus: Yeah, stable jobs make life easier for everyone.
Erinome: Shanghai has started a "family-friendly job" test. They support working from home, flexible work hours, and 3 more paid leave days each year. Wow, that sounds helpful for parents!
Enceladus: You know that? Flexible work can really balance work and family. Nice move!
Erinome: Next, the 2025-style police uniforms are now being used. It's the first time the police have changed all their uniforms in over 20 years. New look for them!
Enceladus: Haha, maybe they look more modern now. I wonder what they look like.
Erinome: China's first L3 self-driving cars got permission to be tested. They will run tests in special areas in Beijing and Chongqing. Oh, self-driving is getting real!
Enceladus: So cool! Maybe one day we can just sit and let the car drive.
Erinome: McDonald's confirmed price increases: some burgers, snacks and sets are 0.5 to 1 yuan more expensive. Netizens joke "happiness is gone". Hahaha, my favorite fries might cost more now.
Enceladus: A little more, but still affordable, right? But I get why people are sad.
Erinome: Henan has new post rules starting March next year: if couriers put packages in lockers without asking, they could be fined up to 30,000 yuan. And Tianjin now bans setting off fireworks everywhere, all the time. Strict for couriers!
Enceladus: Yeah, but maybe good for people who don't like loud noises from fireworks.
Erinome: An Asian Games triple gold medalist reported the training base director for asking for competition奖金 (jiangjin, bonuses). Yunnan Sports Bureau said they are fully checking. Oh no, that's not fair to the athlete.
Enceladus: Hope they find out the truth soon. Athletes work so hard for those bonuses.
Erinome: Japanese media say Japan's last two giant pandas will go back to China in late January next year. Then Japan will have no pandas for the first time since 1972. Aww, panda fans there must be sad.
Enceladus: Pandas are so cute! I hope Japan can get pandas again soon.
Erinome: The Thai-Cambodian conflict is still going on: 12 Cambodian civilians died, 400,000 people had to leave their homes. Thailand's military said the Gulf of Thailand is a high-risk area. China is trying hard to help them stop fighting. War is terrible.
Enceladus: So sad. I hope they can make peace soon.
Erinome: Australian media: a shooting at a Sydney beach killed 16 people and hurt many. The shooters are a father and son. Australia is flying flags half-mast to mourn. That's so tragic.
Enceladus: My heart hurts for the families. Violence is never the answer.
Erinome: US media: a NASA Mars robot lost contact suddenly; it worked for over ten years. Also, US college tuition went up a lot: getting a bachelor's degree there costs about 2.8 million yuan. Wow, college is so expensive there!
Enceladus: Yeah, 2.8 million is so much. And the robot—hope they can fix the contact. It did a great job for so long.
Erinome: Okay, that's all for today's news. Thanks for listening!
Enceladus: See you next time! Bye!
