Erinome: Hello everyone, welcome back to our daily news chat! I'm Erinome.
Enceladus: And I'm Enceladus. Let's see what's happening in the world today.
Erinome: Okay, first, let's look at some economic news from China. The 2025 report cards for the top 10 economic provinces are out.
Enceladus: Oh? How did they do?
Erinome: Well, seven provinces had a GDP growth rate faster than the national average. But, the growth rates for Hunan and Guangdong were lower than the national rate. You know that?
Enceladus: Hmm, interesting. So most are doing well, but those two big provinces are a bit slower.
Erinome: Next, the 2025 report for China's central state-owned enterprises is also released.
Enceladus: Wow, what are the numbers?
Erinome: Their total assets have broken through 95 trillion yuan. And their total profit reached 2.5 trillion yuan. That's a lot of money!
Enceladus: That is a huge amount. They are very big and important for the economy.
Erinome: Now, about electricity prices. In nine places across the country, they have canceled the fixed time-of-use electricity pricing.
Enceladus: What does that mean?
Erinome: It means the price for electricity at different times of day will now be decided mainly by the market, not set by the government anymore.
Enceladus: I see. So the market will have more say. Let's see how that works.
Erinome: Moving to Guangxi. They are asking for public opinion on new population rules.
Enceladus: What kind of rules?
Erinome: They plan to add 15 days of marriage leave. And for having a third child, they plan to add 80 days of maternity leave.
Enceladus: Oh, that's quite a long leave. It's to encourage families, I think.
Erinome: In Jiangsu province, they have canceled all government service apps at the county level and below.
Enceladus: All of them? Why?
Erinome: Yes. And the State Council also said that people should not be forced to download or use government apps.
Enceladus: That's good. Sometimes too many apps are not convenient.
Erinome: For the Spring Festival travel this year, many train rides have very cheap tickets again, like 1 yuan tickets.
Enceladus: 1 yuan? That's almost free! Haha.
Erinome: Yes, they cover provinces like Zhejiang and Jiangxi. And some trains are already sold out!
Enceladus: Wow, people really like those cheap tickets.
Erinome: In Ganzi Prefecture, they announced a lifetime ticket policy.
Enceladus: A lifetime ticket? For what?
Erinome: For just over 300 yuan, you can get lifetime unlimited free entry to 14 scenic spots there.
Enceladus: That sounds like a very good deal for people who love to travel there!
Erinome: Now, a not-so-good story from Hunan. In Xiangtan, a man took his Mali dog into a KTV and didn't use a leash.
Enceladus: Oh no.
Erinome: Yes. The dog bit four people, and they were sent to the hospital. The dog owner was detained for 7 days.
Enceladus: Sad. People should always control their pets, especially in public places.
Erinome: In Shuibei, a gold pre-order pricing platform called "Jie Wo Rui" is having problems with payments.
Enceladus: Problems? What kind?
Erinome: They are having difficulty giving people their money. The officials said a special work team has been formed to deal with it.
Enceladus: That's serious for the people who used that platform.
Erinome: Also, the price of spot gold touched a high of 5300 dollars for the first time on the 28th.
Enceladus: Wow, gold price is really high now.
Erinome: Now for some international news. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Beijing on the 28th.
Enceladus: He's visiting China?
Erinome: Yes, for a four-day trip. Many ministers and over 50 companies are with him.
Enceladus: That's a big group. It's an important visit.
Erinome: Foreign media report that Amazon says it will cut nearly 16,000 jobs.
Enceladus: 16,000? That's a lot of people.
Erinome: Yes. They already cut 14,000 jobs last October. But they also said they will keep investing in important strategic areas.
Enceladus: Um, it's tough for the workers, but companies sometimes have to change.
Erinome: Korean media report that the wife of the former South Korean president, Kim Keon-hee, was sentenced to 1 year and 8 months in prison in her first case.
Enceladus: What about other charges?
Erinome: She was found not guilty on several other charges. But the special investigation team said they cannot accept this and will appeal.
Enceladus: So the legal process is not over yet.
Erinome: Foreign media also report that India showed many of its own made weapons for the first time.
Enceladus: First time? Why?
Erinome: American media say India hopes to show it has joined the "elite club" of weapon makers. But sadly, in central India, a plane crashed.
Enceladus: Oh no. Was anyone hurt?
Erinome: All five people on the plane died. Very sad.
Erinome: In Afghanistan, the Education Minister announced a permanent ban on girls going to school.
Enceladus: A permanent ban? For all female students?
