Hello and thanks for joining us as we present this latest edition of The Neopian News Brief, your weekly summary of everything that's going on in the world of Neopia.
 Our lead story this week is the arrival of Usuki Frenzy, a new game with a familiar premise, but a uniquely Neopian twist. Meet Sally the Usul, a messy young lady in quite a hurry. Her parents are tired of waiting, so they've given Sally two minutes to grab her things. Insisting her beloved Usukis travel in style, it's your mission to help Sally pick up her ten favourite Usuki kits, which are scattered throughout the house. Hurry Sally, there's not a moment to spare...
 Another big news item is the latest batch of artifacts to hit the shelves of the Hidden Tower. Last Friday saw the arrival of Jhudora's Crystal Ball, a stunning new weapon that gives those who possess it the power to view what items their opponents are holding.
 However, all is not lost... thanks to the equally potent Faerie Fog, it's still possible to protect your arsenal of weapons from the prying eyes of Battledome foes. Oh, and for those who might have missed it, the much-maligned Eraser of the Dark Faerie has been pulled from the shelves. If you were lucky enough to pick one up, congratulations! It should earn you a tidy sum...
 Speaking of the Hidden Tower, Fyora also struck a deal this week with the evil Chia warlord, Hubrid Nox. Wednesday marked the arrival of Hubrid's Noxious Blade, a weapon forged with the express purpose of slaying Lupes in the field of battle. But Lupe owners, fear not; due to the Blade's noxious price tag (a whopping five and a half million NP), the chance of running into an opponent with one of these is rather slim.
 Thursday saw the debut of an enigmatic cube known as Hubrid's Puzzle Box. What exactly does this bizarre little contraption do? Well, let's just say that you have to see it to believe it...
 Also in the news this week is the appearance of three more Back to School items. Who needs a boring old pencil, when you can make writing fun with a Bendy Yellow Pencil? And hey, once the lead on your Bendy Yellow Pencil starts getting dull, you can sharpen it right up with an Aisha Pencil Sharpener!
 However, if graphite just isn't your thing, then be sure to pick up one of these cool new Funny Pens. Tired of everyone reading your secret notes and thumbing through your diary? Well, Funny Pens are guaranteed to make your writing virtually unreadable! From now on, no one will have any idea what you meant; they'll just pull a funny face and say things like, "Hmm..." and "Interesting..."
 Now, let's check out today's financial headlines. The economy continues to struggle, as the Neodaq tumbled a disturbing forty-two points. Among those taking the biggest loss was Dice-A-Roo Industries, which posted its third consecutive decline, closing at twelve NPs a share. It's been all downhill for DROO since the eigth day of Running, when shares peaked at fifty-five NP.
Dice-A-Roo is just one of five companies that fell under the dreaded fifteen NP mark this week. Others joining them in financial limbo included Confederation of Fish Lovers, Korbat Cricket Supplies, Mynci Banana Imports, and Shoyrux, whose stock value fell from twenty to twelve NPs a share.
 In happier news, four companies managed to climb back over fifteen NPs and resume trading. Led by Lupe Consolidated, who rebounded from last week's fourteen point drop by posting an eight point gain and closing at twenty NPs a share, others bouncing back included Buzz-A-Way Insect Removal, Kau Kau Farm, and The Neopian Bank. So, as the economy continues to falter, many investors are left to ponder... is now the time to jump in and grab a bargain? Or is this latest downturn only the beginning of a larger recession?
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