Erinome: Hello dear friends! Welcome to today's news chat. I'm Erinome, and sitting next to me is Enceladus. Let's see what's happening around us today, okay?
Enceladus: Yeah, let's start! First, some economic news. Did you hear about the consumer prices?
Erinome: Oh right! In February 2026, the price index for daily things went up 1.3% compared to last year. That's the biggest increase in nearly three years! Wow, that's a noticeable jump, right?
Enceladus: Yeah, maybe we need to watch our spending a bit more. Next, something about food and health. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Han Jun, said people use 40% more cooking oil than recommended. He suggests we reduce oil, eat more beans, and drink more milk.
Erinome: Oh, really? I didn't know we use that much oil. Um, maybe I should put less oil when cooking from now on. You know that? Health is important!
Enceladus: Totally! Now, let's talk about education. Communication University of China cut 16 majors, like translation, photography, and art management. The school said in the AI era, classes need to be completely rebuilt.
Erinome: Wow, AI is changing so much! Even universities are adjusting. I wonder what new majors they will add?
Enceladus: Maybe AI-related ones! Next, a fun policy. Wuxi High-tech Zone released 12 rules for lobster farming, with a maximum subsidy of 5 million yuan. That's a lot of money for lobsters!
Erinome: Haha, lobsters are popular, I guess. But there's some bad news for tech fans: AI pushed memory chip prices up nearly 700% in a year. So phones and computers will get more expensive. Oh no, I was planning to buy a new laptop!
Enceladus: Sad, right? Maybe wait a bit. Now, a strange story: a hospital in Anhui made 4 banners to promote itself and was punished. The market监管 said it's false advertising.
Erinome: Sigh, that's not honest. Hospitals should tell the truth to patients.
Enceladus: Exactly. Next, about a writer. Jia Pingwa's early works are said to be very similar to foreign works, some even the same. He hasn't responded yet.
Erinome: Hmm, that's interesting. I hope he explains soon. Now, sports news! Women's Asian Cup group match: China beat North Korea 2-1, won all three games, and advanced to quarterfinals as group first.
Enceladus: Wow, go China! That's amazing! So proud of our women's team!
Erinome: Me too! Now, energy news: international oil price broke $100 per barrel, a new high in over three years. Iran's speaker said it might stay above $100 for a long time.
Enceladus: Oh no, gas will be more expensive then. Driving might cost more.
Erinome: Yeah, and finally, stock markets. Asia-Pacific stock markets had a Black Monday: Nikkei 225 fell 5.2%, South Korea's KOSPI fell 5.96% and triggered a circuit breaker.
Enceladus: Sad, that's a big drop. Hope the markets get better soon.
Erinome: Okay, that's it for today. Thanks for listening, everyone. Let's talk again next time! Bye!
Enceladus: Bye!
