Topic Reading-Vol.5100-4/11/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

You can hire house help in 15 minutes in India. But is the system fair?

Domestic workers perform a variety of household services, such as cleaning and household maintenance, cooking, laundry, and caring for children and elderly dependents. In India, domestic work is traditionally low-paid, insecure, and unregulated. Now, online, on-demand home services are becoming popular in large cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, where there are a lot of house owners who are often too busy doing other things (or just lazy) to perform household chores. These services are just like on-demand ride-hailing services like Uber, whose apps provide information about available workers with ratings, the time of arrival, and the price. Once the service is booked, the selected worker goes to the place at the expected time, performs the services, and leaves. If they arrive late or receive a poor review, penalties are deducted from their quoted payments. Such services certainly create gig-work opportunities and clearer pay schemes for individual workers, but they tend to put too much pressure on them. Should the performance quality be maintained by rewards or penalties? In any case, India’s online house-help platform is another on-demand service that engages users and service providers through smartphones.

Read the article and learn about this rising on-demand household service in India.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c98megy6r1mo

Topic Reading-Vol.5099-4/10/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

How filming your chores could train the android butlers of the future

AI is not limited to chatbots, in classrooms, or at workplaces. Physical AI enables autonomous machines to perceive, understand, and perform complex actions in the real, physical world, such as industrial automation, autonomous driving, drones, human caring, and household chores. Before generative AI like ChatGPT was introduced, it had been trained on billions of words, texts, and documents from the Internet to learn text patterns to generate human-like responses to user prompts, and it is still being trained. So, how will general-purpose robots be trained to work safely and effectively in various, interactive, dynamic environments, such as factories, warehouses, shops, hospitals, and homes? To learn how to perceive, judge, and make movements, a vast amount of visual data in various environments and tasks is now being collected by first-person view cameras from all over the world. Chatbots are being trained by texts and documents on the Internet. Map apps are collecting visual and physical data from the streets, and autonomous vehicles perceive real-time situations ahead and around the vehicle to drive. Now, physical AI is being trained by visual data to perceive, judge, and react to perform tasks in a real-world environment. There are a lot of things and activities going on behind the AI.

Read the article and learn about what it takes to develop humanoid robots.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/04/04/tech/humanoid-robot-training-jobs-intl-hnk-dst

Topic Reading-Vol.5098-4/9/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
‘Everyone now kind of sounds the same’: How AI is changing college classes
Having grown up with smartphones and social media as staples, today’s teenagers are digital natives who have no or little hesitation to ask AI chatbots questions. (Vol.5097-4/8/2026) But as they are learning with and being tutored by AI, their expressions, perspectives, and reasonings are becoming more homogenous. Since large language models (LLMs) are trained to predict the next most statistically likely word based on the previous input and context, they tend to provide similar responses to the same inquiries, which is called “WEIRED” viewpoints - Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic, in the English context. This seems to have hampered, or even flattened, the diversity and creativity of classroom discussions and arguments in higher education as students use AI chatbots without hesitation. Then, when AI agents become available and pursue goals and complete tasks autonomously, will students become even more reliant on AI and engage less with fellow students in discussions? It seems quite challenging for faculty members to manage rapidly advancing technologies and a drastically changing learning environment in classrooms.
Read the article and learn how AI is affecting the learning environment.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/04/04/health/ai-impact-college-student-thinking-wellness

Topic Reading-Vol.5097-4/8/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Gen Z is outsourcing hard conversations to AI. Why it matters

People called Millennials are in their 30s, often called digital adopters, who have adopted digital technologies as they grew up. Those in the next generation, Generation Z, are now in their teens and 20s and are called digital natives, who grew up with smartphones and social media as staples. They started using the silent, instant interactions and emojis on social media in their teens or even earlier. Also, many Gen Zs spent their school days during the COVID-19 pandemic, and their social engagement and interactive development were disrupted. Then ChatGPT became their friend in late 2022. They immediately became used to interacting with AI chatbots as if they were their tutors, advisors, friends, or even mentors, and now depend on them heavily. For example, as AI learns your behaviors, preferences, and style, it will come up with a personalized love letter according to the situations and your intentions you input. Experts are concerned that young people are so attached to AI that they might miss the chance to learn to develop, mediate, and reconcile personal relationships in their adolescence. Most people are now comfortably using AI tools to create meeting minutes, summaries, charts, research papers, and coding programs, and interact with chatbots more frequently and closely than their families or friends. And some people are emotionally dependent on AI. (Vol.4996: Woman marries ChatGPT character)

It seems that the world is now under a big transition of information, interaction, and emotion.

Read the article and learn what role AI is playing in social relationships.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/07/health/gen-z-ai-conversations-wellness

Topic Reading-Vol.5096-4/7/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

What you need to know before taking weight-loss drugs

Reducing weight cannot be achieved only by eating less, but it requires to establish healthier lifestyle, including diet, exercise, and behaviors. In case you’re chronically obese, you could use weight loss medications to ease, but not to solve, such health challenges. Some of these medications help you feel less hungry and fuller by mimicking hormones that suppress appetite, slow stomach emptying, and increase feelings of fullness, while others work by changing how you absorb fat or burn calories. As new weight-loss pills appear, more people are starting to take such medicine. However, once they stop taking such medication after a while, their weight tends to rebound quickly if they haven’t changed lifestyle behaviors. Also, those who are taking weight-loss medication might be more vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies because they eat less food and take less nutrition. After all, how you live your daily life is essential to managing your weight, and weight-loss drugs are there only to help you achieve your weight goal.

Read that article and learn how weight-loss drugs work for your weight and health.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260401-why-weight-loss-drugs-arent-a-quick-fix

Topic Reading-Vol.5095-4/6/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

What do Trump's latest comments on leaving Nato mean for the alliance?

The aftermath of World War II saw much of Europe devastated, while the Soviet Union-backed communists were threatening elected governments across Europe. To safeguard the freedom, democracy, and security of Western allies through collective defense, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was proposed by the US and established in 1949 with 12 member states from Europe and North America. NATO is a defensive alliance that ensures the security of all member countries, stating that an armed attack against one member is considered an attack against all members in Article 5 of the treaty. Of the current 32 members, the US’s military assets, intelligence, and budget surpass the total of the other member countries. For example, the US’s military budget makes up over 60% of NATO’s total defense spending, which seems to frustrate the deal-conscious incumbent US president. Another thing that irritates him is that while the US and most NATO countries have been supporting Ukraine in its defense war against Russia, even though Ukraine is not a NATO member state, Europeans have not been supporting the US and Israel’s war against Iran. Recently, he said NATO is a paper tiger, and he was reconsidering the US membership in NATO. This not only makes its allies reevaluate their security alliance with the USA but also stimulates other regional powers to redraw their respective regional maps. What will come next?

Read the article and learn about the US’s influence on the 77-year-old defense treaty.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c79je4vldq5o

Topic Reading-Vol.5094-4/5/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

The happiest day of an Indian bride’s life can lead to years of debt

Nowadays in India, even educated graduates have difficulty finding jobs, and middle-class families are struggling to make ends meet and often fall into a debt trap. (Vol.5093) Another financial burden the parents of a daughter have to bear is the wedding. While marrying off a daughter carries both joy and relief for her parents, they are expected to offer a substantial dowry, prepare and manage the lavish wedding ceremony, and pay the expenses, which, altogether, could cost years of their income. Even though dowry is prohibited in India, it still persists widely because it is still expected by the groom’s family, with whom the bride is going to live once married. It could include not just money but also furniture, a car, or even a house if the couple lives by themselves. Also, because weddings serve as a bond in the families, the community, and social relationships, hundreds of guests are invited and served at the extravagant wedding events that last a few days or even a week. All of these preparations are made and expenses paid by the bride’s family, and many of them have no choice but to borrow money at a high interest rate for years. Education raises expectations, inflation increases the costs of living, and a wedding could add years of debt. Even years of hard work might not be enough to live a comfortable life for many in India.

Read the article and learn about another financial burden that a girl’s family has to bear.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/31/india/india-weddings-cost-intl-hnk-dst

Topic Reading-Vol.5093-4/4/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Educated and employed but still struggling: India's middle class under strain

Education and the middle class sound like key drivers of economic growth, but not quite so nowadays in India. Over eight million college students graduate each year, only a few million shy of China, and nearly 30% of them are unemployed. Even among the graduates of 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), India’s world-famous premier IT and engineering institutions, almost 40% are unemployed, while uneducated people can find jobs much more easily, even though the pay is much lower than the national average. Thus, the number of middle-class workers and families isn’t increasing so much any longer. Also, inflation has been outpacing income growth, including rent, food, healthcare, and education. In order to fill the gap between earnings and spending, nearly half of all Indian families are taking personal loans. But borrowing money creates debts and an extra burden, the interest, which is higher than the inflation and often the income growth. Unless income growth outpaces inflation and interest rates, borrowers fall into a debt trap, taking new loans to pay off old ones. It seems that AI and inflation are eroding the illusion of creating a middle-class economy with education.

Read the article and learn about what hampers India’s economic growth.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg5g3pjy06o

Topic Reading-Vol.5092-4/3/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Frosting, sprinkles and layers of fun: Giant cake picnic hits Sydney

Initiated by a Google employee who works deep in the world of AI, Cake Picnic is a social gathering where people bring and exhibit their homemade cakes and enjoy seeing and eating others’ cakes, like a potluck party. It is now organized by the branches of CAKE PICNIC in many cities beyond San Francisco, including Los Angeles, Mexico City, Melbourne, and Sydney, and many other places in the coming year. At the Melbourne event in March, 1,600 cakes were exhibited and eaten. Once entered, the participant needs to bring one whole uncut cake of a minimum 20cm in width and 7.5cm in height, a label for the cake, including the cake’s name, list of ingredients, and any major allergens it contains, if any, and a cake server. On the site, cakes of all kinds, colors, shapes, and tastes are laid out, pictures are taken, recipes are shared, and compliments are exchanged before they are sliced to be eaten. The events are inclusive, and the participants are diverse, but they all want to share the sweet experience. Indeed, cakes are designed to be sliced and shared.

Read the article and learn about the sweet picnic where all participants enjoy the taste of.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1w40dy58vwo

Topic Reading-Vol.5091-4/2/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Arctic sea ice just dropped to an alarming new low

Sea ice has a significant influence on the global climate. Its bright surface reflects as much as 80% of sunlight back into space, keeping polar regions cold. When it melts, it exposes the dark ocean surface, which absorbs sunlight, leading to higher ocean temperatures and accelerating further melting. The Arctic sea ice reaches its peak in March each year, covering around 14 to 15 million square kilometers. This March, the Arctic sea ice peaked at 14.29 million square kilometers, marking the lowest maximum extent in the 48-year satellite record. This year’s peak was approximately 1.36 million square kilometers below the 1981-2010 average, about twice the size of Texas. Ongoing buildup of heat-trapping gases from burning fossil fuels has been warming the oceans, heating the air, melting the ice, and causing extreme weather events. Even if climate pollution is stopped, the Arctic will have no ice during the summer season within a decade or two. Where will polar bears live?

Read the article and learn about the impacts of global warming on the Arctic sea ice.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/26/climate/arctic-sea-ice-record-low

Topic Reading-Vol.5090-4/1/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

UN votes to recognise slavery as gravest crime against humanity

The African coastal slave trade was established by Europeans in the 15th century, and trade to the Americas began in the 16th century, lasting until the 19th century. The vast majority of the slaves were captured in Central and West Africa, transported, and sold to European traders, who then shipped them to the Americas as part of the triangular trade. It is estimated that around 12 to 15 million Africans were captured, traded, and forced to work as slaves. On March 25, a resolution to designate the Transatlantic Trafficking of Enslaved Africans and the enslavement system as the gravest crime against humanity was adopted at the UN General Assembly with an overwhelming majority of 123 member states. Three members, Argentina, Israel, and the United States, voted against the resolution, and 52, including many European countries, abstained. The resolution, which was spearheaded by Ghana and strongly supported by the African Union, is meant to safeguard against forgetting the inhumane practice. African countries also call for financial repartition, including educational, endowment, and skills training funds. The US said it does not recognize a legal right to reparations for historical wrongs that were not illegal under international law at the time they occurred, and refused to use modern resources for reparations.

Read the article and learn what recognition and reparation of slavery mean to African countries.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg06q36052o

Topic Reading-Vol.5089-3/31/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Transgender women athletes banned from Olympics by new IOC policy on female eligibility

Men and women aren’t the same when it comes to athletic performance. For endurance sports like running and swimming, men usually outperform biological women by 10% or more, 20% in throwing and jumping events, and 100% in punching sports like boxing. In order to protect fairness, safety, and integrity in the female category, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has decided that the women’s category of Olympic sports will be limited to biological females from the LA Olympics in 2028. The eligibility will be determined by a once-in-a-lifetime gender test, which would prevent transgender women and those with differences in sexual development (DSD) who have gone through male puberty from competing. The IOC believes that the gene test using saliva, a cheek swab, or a blood sample is the most accurate and least intrusive method available today. Critics argue that such gender testing not only violates privacy and human rights but also is flawed and inconclusive. At least, the IOC’s decision has come before a potential executive order by the president of the next Olympic host country.

Read the article and learn about the latest announcement by the world’s Olympic body.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/26/sport/olympics-transgender-women-athletes-banned

Topic Reading-Vol.5088-3/30/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

2026 ‘Dirty Dozen’ produce: Nearly 100% tested positive for pesticides, including ‘forever chemicals’

Pesticides are chemicals or biological substances used to prevent, destroy, or repel pests, such as insects, weeds, fungi, rodents, bacteria, and viruses, to protect crops and increase yields. Unlike organic or hydroponic farming, conventional soil farming usually uses pesticides to some degree. Exposure to pesticides has long been linked to health problems, including birth defects, heart disease, and cancer. Even if you aren’t exposed to pesticides, they often remain on or in the food you consume as residue. And some of the chemicals aren’t broken down in the environment even after decades or centuries, called forever chemicals. Leafy greens, strawberries, and grapes have more pesticide residues, while pineapples, sweet corn, and avocadoes are much less contaminated. But pesticide residues remain in most vegetables and fruits. So, whether they are skinned, prewashed, or frozen, you want to wash or rinse them thoroughly before cooking or eating.

Read the article and learn about pesticide residue on and in the farm products.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/24/health/2026-dirty-dozen-pesticide-produce-wellness

Topic Reading-Vol.5087-3/29/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Artemis II: Inside the Moon mission to fly humans further than ever

Artemis II is a NASA spacecraft mission to return humans to the Moon, the first crewed deep-space and lunar mission since 1972. The 10-day mission will carry four astronauts on a free-return trajectory around the Moon and back to Earth. The 98-meter-tall Space Launch System is powered by two rocket boosters and four engines. Combined with the Orion spacecraft that goes to the moon, it weighs approximately 2,600 metric tons when it is loaded with fuel. Once reached space, the astronauts will spend 10 days in the 5-meter-wide by 3-meter-high capsule, where they will work, exercise, eat, sleep, urinate, and defecate. When it reaches the far side of the Moon, the side cannot be seen from Earth, and the crew will have their prime three hours to observe the Moon, which will help NASA plan for a future landing. After the 10-day, two-million-kilometer journey, the cone-shaped, 9-square-meter crew capsule will reenter the Earth’s atmosphere at 40,000 km/h, faster than any previous human mission, and splash down in the Pacific Ocean. A gigantic rocket to launch and a long journey to reach and return, Artemis II is a highly demanding but rewarding mission.

Read the article and see the images of the first manned mission to the Moon in the last half-century.

https://www.bbc.com/news/resources/idt-86aafe5a-17e2-479c-9e12-3a7a41e10e9e

Topic Reading-Vol.5086-3/28/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Which countries have strategic oil reserves – and how much?

The Strait of Hormuz is a 167 km long, 40-to-100 km wide waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean, allowing around 20% of the world’s oil and liquified natural gas (LNG) from the Gulf to the world, particularly to Europe and Asia. The crucial waterway for the world’s energy supply has been effectively closed by Iran for weeks, which has been under attack by the USA and Israel. The world is now sourcing oil and gas from other exporters, including Russia, reducing supply like South Asian countries, or releasing its reserves like Japan. Global strategic petroleum reserves (GSPR) refer to crude oil inventories held by 30 governments of the International Energy Agency (IEA) members, including the USA, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, France, Germany, and the UK, along with major importers like China and India. It held over 1.2 billion barrels of public emergency oil stocks and 600 million barrels of industry stocks held by private organizations, equivalent to a few months’ consumption. Which countries have such oil reserves, and how much?

Read the article and learn how the world has prepared for oil shortages like now.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/23/which-countries-have-strategic-oil-reserves-and-how-much

Topic Reading-Vol.5085-3/27/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Parents think they know how kids use AI. They don't

Every decade or so, we’ve had technological breakthroughs, such as PCs and keyboards from the mid-1980s, cellphones after the late 1990s, Google searches in the early 2000s, and smartphones around 2010. Teenagers are usually early and aggressive adopters of new technologies and practices, and use new gadgets more fluently and aggressively than their parents, who have no choice but to accept or neglect how their children engage with their new tools. Now, AI, a silent and invisible yet influential tool, has become the closest companion of today’s children and teenagers. According to newly conducted studies, most US teenagers use AI chatbots for practical purposes, such as searching for information, getting help with schoolwork, entertaining themselves, summarizing an article or video, or creating or editing images or videos. In the meantime, about 16% of the respondents said they use it for casual conversation, and 12% said they use it for advice or emotional support. While they seem quite comfortable using AI for various purposes, their parents are more sceptical about their reliance on their artificial companions. Since it’s no news that children become more familiar with new technologies, parents should try to talk more with their children about the use of AI.

Read the article and learn about how children are actually using AI.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260317-how-kids-are-actually-using-ai

Topic Reading-Vol.5084-3/26/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Counting calories doesn't work. Try eating smarter instead

Some people in the world are struggling to get as much energy as they can from the little food they eat, while overweight people, especially in the US and the UK, are trying to aim the opposite, to get the least from as much food as they eat. Why some people are overweight is not just because they eat too much food, but also because they consume it at the wrong time, at the wrong speed, and in the wrong way. Our body metabolizes the food we eat; the process of our organism to create energy, facilitate growth, and produce waste. But how fast or efficiently this process works varies widely by the food, timing, speed, and duration of eating. For example, taking the same calories at breakfast burns the energy more than at dinner. Also, if you eat more slowly, the food is digested better, and your gut feels fuller for longer. And it’s not just about calories but also about the nutrition you get from the food you eat. Of course, what you eat matters the most, too. Naturally grown food is more nutritious than artificially processed food, like whole grain vs granola and chicken breast vs protein bars. All in all, eating smartly seems to help you benefit the most from the food you eat.

Read the article and learn what smart eating means to your health.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260320-counting-calories-doesnt-work-try-eating-smarter-instead

Topic Reading-Vol.5083-3/25/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

India's young are more educated than ever. So why are so many jobless?

Though young people in India are more educated than ever before, over 20% of them cannot find jobs. In the last three decades, the number of colleges and universities has risen from 1,600 to 70,000, producing five million graduates annually. This has narrowed the gender gaps and caste barriers to some extent, but has not helped the increasing number of graduates secure aspiring, stable, salaried jobs. Unlike other East and Southeast Asian countries that have been growing with export-led manufacturing industries to employ a large number of not-so-educated workers, India’s leading industries are skill-intensive services like IT and communication, which aren’t producing as many job opportunities as labor-intensive industries. As a result, hundreds or thousands of applicants compete for limited job opportunities in government services, and many graduates have given up their aspirations and taken on family farms or businesses. When they reach their 30s, will they become financially or professionally independent from their families to create their own families?

Read the article and learn how India’s young people are struggling to find jobs.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c17841zez8wo

Topic Reading-Vol.5082-3/24/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Cuba is going dark under US pressure. How the crisis unfolded and why its troubles are far from over

Initiated in the 1960s following the communist revolution and nationalization of US assets, the US maintains its long-standing economic embargo on Cuba to pressure the Cuban government to transition toward democracy and improve its human rights record. After losing its main oil supplier, Venezuela, due to the US’s capture of its president by force, Cuba has also lost other oil suppliers, including Mexico, because of US pressure. Now, the 10 million Caribbean islanders suffer from severe fuel shortages, constant blackouts, and limited access to water. Accordingly, garbage collections, hospital operations, and transportation services, all essential to people’s lives, are affected. In Havana, the capital city with a population of over two million, patients are waiting for surgeries in hospitals, garbage is piling up in the streets, and people are spending nights in their dark homes. Once the attack on Iran ends, will the US administration move on to displace the Cuban government as it did to Venezuela? Whichever the case may be, those who suffer the most are ordinary citizens.

Read the article and learn about the recent situation in Cuba due to the US blockade.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/18/americas/cuba-us-pressure-blackout-latam-intl

Topic Reading-Vol.5081-3/23/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Can Ukraine's war-torn wheatfields be cleansed?

Known as a “breadbasket,” Ukraine is a top exporter of sunflower oil, maize, and wheat. But as its farmland has turned into battlefields, much of the soil has been contaminated by toxic elements from shells, missiles, drones, bombs, tanks, and vehicles, each of which leaves different residues and remains on the farmland. Researchers are particularly concerned about the toxicity of heavy metals, such as cadmium, cobalt, copper, zinc, and nickel, which could increase the chance of getting cancers, birth defects, miscarriage, or stillbirth. They’ve also found that the land where tanks had burned or drones had crashed more contaminated than the soil that had been hit by bombs or projectiles. It would take significant labor, time, and money to decontaminate the surface soil of the fertile farmland.

Read the article and learn about how Ukraine’s farmland has been affected by the war.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly2e3jzeyko

Topic Reading-Vol.5080-3/22/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

The war created an oil problem. It’s not the only price you’ll pay

Nearly 90% of all the oil and gas flowing through the Strait of Hormuz, a 167km-long strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, goes to Asia. As the traffic through the Strait has been shut down by Iran, Asian countries are struggling to cope with the shortage of those fuels. Sri Lanka has declared every Wednesday a holiday for public institutions to conserve fuel. In Myanmar, private vehicles are allowed only to operate on alternate days depending on their licence plate numbers. Even in the USA, the world’s largest petroleum-extracting country, the prices of oil and gasoline soared recently, putting financial pressure on commuters and drivers. Other countries are also affected by price hikes in various items, including food, AI chips, aluminum, natural gas, plastics, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals, due to rising material and transportation costs. When a flow of oil and natural gas is disrupted, the whole world is affected in some way or another.

Read the article and learn about how the US and Israel’s war on Iran is affecting the lives and economy of the world.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/17/business/price-increases-oil-food-aluminum-iran-war

Topic Reading-Vol.5079-3/21/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

This is why you only breathe out of one nostril at a time

Your nostrils are the entrance to your respiratory system. They warm, condition, and filter the air you breathe. They also house your olfactory organs, which give you the sense of smell. That’s why when your nose gets stuffy or blocked, you don’t smell or taste well. Without noticing, your nostrils naturally switch between a dominant nostril for airflow while the other rests, called the nasal cycle. Regulated by the autonomic nervous system, this work-and-rest cycle prevents drying, cracking, and maintains mucus health. The cycle usually shifts every two to five hours without our recognizing it. Which of your nostrils is at work now?

Read the article and learn about the mechanism of our nostrils and the nasal cycle.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/08/health/nostril-breathing-wellness-conversation

Topic Reading-Vol.5078-3/20/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

How Iranians are evading internet blocks to contact family abroad

Iranians, especially those who live in Tehran, have been under heavy bombardment by Israel and the USA since February 28. Also, they have been under an internet blackout by their own authorities since January 8. Without phone or internet connections, how have they been conveying their situations to those who live abroad? One analogue yet practical way to talk to others abroad is to use a Turkish phone and an Iranian phone near their border, where signals from both countries reach, and hold them together while talking. Another, more digital way is to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN), which secures your internet connection by creating an encrypted tunnel for your interactions. Connecting to the Internet via VPN, your data, location, and online identity are all hidden from the Internet Service Provider (ISP) or sensorship. Because of the desperate demands to hear the voices or messages from their loved ones, the prices of such arrangements have skyrocketed recently. However, there is no other way for Iranians to establish communication with the outside world. And when they talk, they say they are doing OK, no matter how heavy the bombardment around them might be. Who created a situation like this?

Read the article and learn how Iranians are connecting with others abroad.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgl58y5943o

Topic Reading-Vol.5077-3/19/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

How much of the Gulf’s water comes from desalination plants?

The total population of the six Gulf states, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is a little over 60 million, showing an increase of about 20% in the last decade. However, the area has no permanent rivers and receives very little rainfall. How does the arid region supply sufficient water to its growing population, businesses, and farming? Since the GULF countries border the Persian Gulf, they are making water by desalinating seawater. They produce more than 300 liters of water per resident each day from seawater at over 400 desalination plants along their coasts. Desalination of seawater is the process of removing salts, minerals, and impurities from seawater to produce water drinkable or suitable for irrigation and industrial use by membrane filtration or thermal distillation. Once processed, the water is then distributed through pipelines or in containers. In the Gulf region, plants and pipelines seem essential to produce and distribute essential liquids.

Read the article and learn how dependent the Gulf region is on seawater.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/12/how-much-of-the-gulfs-water-comes-from-desalination-plants

Topic Reading-Vol.5076-3/18/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

AI is exhausting workers so much, researchers have dubbed the condition ‘AI brain fry’

What if a dozen browser tabs open all at once, waiting for your judgment or directions? As more efficient and sophisticated AI tools are introduced in workplaces, more workers and managers are experiencing cognitive overload, called AI brain fry. It is mental exhaustion from using or supervising AI tools beyond one’s cognitive capacity. While asking an AI chatbot questions or having an AI tool do simple tasks like creating charts greatly saves time and workload for most workers, supervising what AI tools produce requires managers and specialists to conduct fact-checking and judgment, and fast. This is not a simple task like driving a car on a highway, but more like riding a monster motorcycle on a race track, where a simple mistake could easily lead to a fatal crash. To avoid such cognitive overload by new tools, users of powerful AI tools need to learn how to make better use of them within their cognitive capacity. Longer work hours certainly won’t help you work with AI, but attention span will.

Read the article and learn about how AI could bring cognitive overload to workers.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/13/business/ai-brain-fry-nightcap

Topic Reading-Vol.5075-3/17/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Former leader Ardern has left New Zealand. She’s not the only one

Compared with New Zealand, Australia is 28 times larger in land size and five times larger in population. Australia’s average economic output per person, GDP per capita, is over USD 65,000, and New Zealand's is around USD 48,000. Last year, both countries had about a 3%+ inflation. Sydney and Melbourne are the two largest cities in Australia, with a population of over five million respectively, while roughly one-third of New Zealanders, or 1.7 million, live in the largest city, Auckland. Thanks to the free movement agreements, citizens of either country can move and live in the other freely. Which of these two closely located Oceanian countries offers economic advantages over the other? Recently, migration between Australia and New Zealand has experienced a significant surge, with record numbers of New Zealanders moving to Australia for higher wages, better opportunities, and lower costs of living. Last year, over 120,000 New Zealanders emigrated, fueled by rising living costs and a weakening job market, and 60% of them settled in Australia, including the former prime minister and her family. Economic advantages seem to overwhelm national identity or values to many young people and families, causing so-called brain-drain to New Zealand.

Read the article and learn about the emigration crisis in New Zealand.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/06/world/new-zealand-australia-emigration-midlife-intl-hnk-dst

Topic Reading-Vol.5074-3/16/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Where do the 35 million foreigners living in the GCC come from?

Around 60 million people live in the six Gulf monarchies: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE, including Abu Dhabi and Dubai), Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain. These Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries share the same religious, cultural, and social values, including Islamic identity, Arabic language, and Bedouin-merchant lifestyle, as well as modest behavior and hospitality. These countries are all scarce in water resources, but extremely rich in oil and natural gas resources, which generate the vast majority of their government revenues and contribute a significant portion of their GDPs. Also common among the GCC countries is their heavy dependence on foreign workers, or expatriates. Even though nationals are the majority of the population in Saudi Arabia and Oman, non-nationals outnumber the nationals in the other four countries, most significantly in Qatar and the UAE, where over 80% of their populations are non-nationals. Then where do those expatriates come from?

Read the article and learn how dependent the GCC countries are on foreign workers.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/9/where-do-the-35-million-foreigners-living-in-the-gcc-come-from

Topic Reading-Vol.5073-3/15/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

These filmmakers know exactly how to get you hooked on bizarre one-minute dramas

A study found that the time an average person spends on a screen is now only 47 seconds, significantly shorter than in the pre-smartphone era. (Vol.5072) However, when it comes to a “micro-drama”, there is only a second or two to get viewers’ attention and stop them scrolling further on their smartphones.  Originating in China, a micro-drama is a highly serialized, short-form video series designed for mobile viewing, featuring dozens of 1–2 minute episodes with fast-paced, melodramatic plots, often shot in a vertical format. Viewers can watch the first five to ten episodes free, and then need to pay to watch the remaining episodes. Therefore, it’s not the title or trailer that grabs viewers’ attention but the impact of the beginning scene. In production studios in Korea, screenwriters, producers, and editors all use AI to save time and cost to produce numerous episodes and titles of micro-dramas. It seems that the time to grab and keep attention is getting shorter as people scroll the screen faster.

Read the article and learn about how micro-dramas are produced.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg5q6wq11no

Topic Reading-Vol.5072-3/14/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

You’ll likely move on in 47 seconds. Can I hold your attention a little longer?

It seems that most of us live in a life where we switch our attentions from one thing to another much faster than ever before. On the smartphone, many people keep swiping through the next videos or images in less than a minute. Also, people quickly turn their eyes to the screen whenever they have a few seconds to spare. A study found that the time an average person spends on a screen is now only 47 seconds, significantly shorter than in the pre-smartphone era. When there is always more content that grabs your interest at the blink of your eye, you may find it difficult to pay attention to off-screen activities and interactions that don’t gratify you with such instant pleasure. Then, how should you switch focus and concentrate on the work or task that requires good attention?

Read the article and learn about the mechanism of attention and how to improve it.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/02/27/health/attention-span-improvement-wellness-vis

Topic Reading-Vol.5071-3/13/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Five countries that are actively welcoming travellers in 2026
Tourism contributes economy, creates jobs, and improves infrastructure, if planned and managed sustainably. But if the number of tourists exceeds the sustainable capacity, it is labeled as overtourism, which often ends up creating bans, caps, and raising fees for tourists to curb the number, like in France and Italy. Still, there are countries that are welcoming more international visitors, in Africa, South America, and Europe.
Namibia, a South African country that borders the Atlantic Ocean and also South America, offers conservation-minded wildlife-spotting tourism. Brazil, the South American giant with the Amazon River, is encouraging visitors to travel around different regions, seasons, and types of experiences. Vietnam, an elongated coastal nation stretching over 1,600 km from north to south with a diverse climate and varied landscapes, has eased visa requirements and is about to complete upgrading Ho Chi Minh City’s international airport. Lithuania, a small Baltic country, is projecting to increase not just the number of travellers but the length of their stay so that they can experience local culture and food better. Canada, the world’s second-largest country after Russia, offers diverse tourism attractions stretching over 7,000 km east to west across six time zones. So, it’s better not to limit your travel destinations to already-popular world heritage sites, but rather expand your scope to other attractive places where local nature, culture, gastronomy, and environment are waiting for your visit.
Read the article and learn about places that are welcoming more visitors.
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20260306-five-countries-that-are-actively-welcoming-travellers-in-2026

Topic Reading-Vol.5070-3/12/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

We feel it in our bones': Can a machine ever love you?

Loving someone is not just having a romantic feeling but involves a deep, conscious commitment characterized by care, respect, and unconditional support for another person's well-being, growth, and happiness. As the relationship develops, it often evolves beyond initial infatuation into a stable partnership built on trust, shared values, and mutual sacrifice, according to an AI overview. Nowadays, some people are emotionally so engaged with AI that they feel love for their AI companion or avatar. In an extreme case, a Japanese woman had a marriage ceremony with a ChatGPT character (Vol.4995). However, unlike human companions, chatbots are designed to engage users and agree with their perspectives and emotions. While they become comparable to humans in understanding emotions, chatbots are often submissively responding without feeling anything. But as people use AI more from an earlier age, another kind of “love” might be developed. In fact, many people love their pets just like their family members, even if they don’t speak the same language.

Read the article and think about what human love is about.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260209-can-a-machine-ever-love-you

Topic Reading-Vol.5069-3/11/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

The business of not ageing: Why people are spending $1,300 on longevity treatments

There are quite a few evidence-backed lifestyle habits to live longer, healthier lives, such as eating a nutrient-rich, balanced diet, engaging in regular physical activity, getting enough sleep, refraining from smoking or drinking alcohol, managing stress, and maintaining social connections, none of which costs any money but one’s mindset, attitude, and determination. In the meantime, there is an increasing number of businesses that offer longevity treatments, such as mindfulness sessions, mental longevity, diagnostics, neurostimulation, sleep optimization, and stress-resilience therapies, none of which seem to be supported by clinical trial data or evidence. These diagnoses and customized treatments cost thousands of dollars, but there are quite a few people who don’t mind spending money to delay aging and live longer. Indeed, longevity treatment might be a healthier way to spend money than on luxurious ornaments or dresses. However, if you live alone longer than your loved ones or friends, you’ll miss them a lot. Will there be loneliness treatments that you can buy?

Read the article and learn about the treatments for a longer life.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20260211-the-business-of-not-ageing

Topic Reading-Vol.5068-3/10/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

'The damage is already there': A controversial airport comes to Peru's Sacred Valley

Sitting above the Urubamba River valley in the Andes Mountains in Peru, Machu Picchu is a famous Incan citadel. Built around 1450, this historic sanctuary stands 2,430 meters above sea level in the middle of a tropical mountain forest, which was abandoned about a century later during the Spanish conquest. Designated a World Heritage Site in 1983, it is one of the most iconic symbols of the Inca civilization and a major archaeological site in the Americas, drawing around 5,000 visitors a day, 1.5 million annually. But Mach Picchu is hard to reach. After arriving at Lima, Peru’s capital, which is a long way from the other continent, you need to take a 1.5-hour domestic flight to Cusco, then take a four-hour train to reach Aguas Calientes to catch a 30-minute shuttle bus to the entrance. However, a new international airport has been under construction for decades in Chichero, only about a 1.5 to 2-hour train ride to Aguas Calientes. Once completed, the now-hard-to-reach Incan monument will be much more accessible to many more travellers. Already, more hotels are being built to accommodate more guests in the area. But what will happen to Incan roads, irrigation systems, structures, farmlands, and an inland salt mine, some of which are all still in use? Also, can the infrastructure and environment sustain so many visitors, workers, and businesses that are planned on paper? Conservationists, environmentalists, archeologists, indigenous communities, and even local operators and guides are protesting the airport project.

Read the article and learn about this Incan archaeological site.

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20260205-a-controversial-airport-comes-to-perus-sacred-valley

Topic Reading-Vol.5067-3/9/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

How where you grow up affects your personality

Which determines human behavior, personality, and traits, nature or nurture? Nature, or genetics, refers to innate biological factors inherited from parents, including DNA, eye/hair color, and genetic likelihood of developing certain diseases or mental health conditions. Nurture, or environment, includes external factors, such as upbringing, parenting styles, social relationships, culture, and life experiences. How different would the personal traits of identical twins, who share almost identical DNA, be if they grew up in different families, places, or cultures? For example, while people in the West tend to be more individualistic, the Japanese people are often more collectivistic. Also, religions play a significant or fundamental role in shaping personal identity and cultural values. In the meantime, research shows that Intelligence Quotient (IQ) is over 50% heritable on average, while about 40% of personality traits are heritable, meaning the rest is developed or formed by the environment and opportunities. All in all, it doesn’t seem to be just one or the other, but both nature and nurture develop one’s personality and capability.

Read the article and learn how one’s personality could be developed differently.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260206-is-our-identity-affected-by-where-we-live

Topic Reading-Vol.5066-3/8/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

The island with an air-conditioned ‘forest’ to cope with scorching summers

Bordering Saudi Arabia and surrounded by the Persian Gulf, Qatar is a small peninsular Arab country with a population of just over 3 million, most of whom are expatriates and migrant workers. It is rich in natural gas reserves, contributing to over 18% of global liquid natural gas (LNG) exports. The airport in the capital, Doha, is a major global hub, serving more than 50 million passengers a year. Doha has become one of the most popular tourist spots in the Arabian Peninsula. However, Qatar has an arid, hot desert climate, with summer temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, making outdoor activities intolerable. To offer a year-round pleasant atmosphere, Doha’s Al Gharrafa and Umm Al Seneem parks blow cold blasts piped up from the street. People can jog, walk, or shop outside comfortably even in summer. On Gewan Island, a newly added man-made archipelago, visitors can enjoy walking a promenade under its air-conditioned forest. Artificial Intelligence is everywhere, helping people with their jobs. Doha’s artificial environment is certainly one of a kind, providing leisure to the residents and attracting visitors from around the world.

Read the article and learn about Doha’s newest attraction.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/gewan-island-qatar-air-conditioned-forest

Topic Reading-Vol.5065-3/7/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

China’s latest AI is so good it’s spooked Hollywood. Will its tech sector pump the brakes?

During the Cold War, the USA and the Soviet Union competed in their spaceflight technologies by sending animals and men into space, and landing astronauts on the Moon. It sparked rapid advancements in aerospace technology, reforms in science education, and the nuclear arms race. In this decade, military drones, humanoid robots, and AI have made significant technological advancements to the point where conventional technologies, skills, and labor are being replaced. Drones and counterdrones are now the major forces in the Russia-Ukraine War. Humanoid robots are working in factories, stores, and restaurants along with human coworkers. AI is taking the place of skilled, experienced, and knowledge workers. And China seems to be leading the race in speed, scale, and economy, thanks to the AI Plus initiative to integrate artificial intelligence across all economic, industrial, and social sectors, transforming AI from a technical tool into a core driver of productivity. Only about two years after ChatGPT’s debut, DeepSeek, a high-performance, cost-effective AI model, was released by a Chinese AI startup. To kick off the Lunar New Year, a band of humanoid robots performed Kung Fu, spin kicks, and back flips at the country's annual Spring Festival Gala. Then, in early last month, movie stars, celebrities, and famous characters appeared in cinematic videos and went viral. They were created with a new AI tool called Seedance 2.0 by ByteDance, a Chinese tech giant known for TikTok and Douyin. It is such an advanced and sophisticated tool that short videos are created from images, audio, video, and text prompts quickly and effortlessly. For example, you can see a fighting scene of famous stars like Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. Hollywood was quick to react by issuing a warning notice to ByteDance for copyright infringement. As AI improves, so do deepfakes. The race and battle are already going on to protect copyrights from infringement and the public from being misinformed.

Read the article and learn about the latest example of AI’s sophistication.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/02/20/china/china-ai-seedance-intl-hnk-dst

Topic Reading-Vol.5064-3/6/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Six possible effects of Trump's climate policy change

Last month, the US president erased the scientific finding that climate change endangers human health and the environment and deregulated federal greenhouse gas emission standards for all vehicles and engines of model years 2012 to 2027 and beyond. The administration claims that the deregulation restores consumer choice, makes more affordable vehicles available for American families, and decreases the cost of living because of the lower cost of trucks. This reversal action against the global efforts will not only remove limits on carbon dioxide, methane, and four other greenhouse gases that spur heat waves, droughts, wildfires, and other extreme weather, but also lead to health problems and premature deaths in its own country. Also, the cars manufactured without environmental regulations in the US may be cheaper for domestic buyers in the short term, but will not be sold in other markets without meeting their respective environmental regulations and requirements. So, what will business leaders in the automotive industry do: enjoy the temporary pain relief to make the balance sheet cleaner, or move forward to the future trend in the bigger picture? They may also be wondering which wind will blow in the next election in 2028, the blue or the red.

Read the article and learn about another reversal move by the US administration.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd03ee39945o

Topic Reading-Vol.5063-3/5/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Global warming forced scientists to change the way they look at El Niño

El Niño, meaning “the little boy” in Spanish, and La Niña, “the little girl”, are two opposing climate patterns that break these normal conditions. El Niño occurs when the normal east-to-west trade winds that push warm water toward Asia weaken or reverse, and warm surface water from the western Pacific moves eastward towards South America. This prevents cold water from rising to the surface, upwelling, near South America, making the central and eastern Pacific become much warmer, and changing rainfall patterns and influencing global weather. When the trade winds strengthen, the opposite phenomenon occurs, La Niña. El Niño and La Niña events occur every two to seven years but not regularly, and they last nine to 12 months, sometimes for years. In the last three decades, these phenomena have been detected by comparing the ocean temperature in a specific part of the tropical Pacific. But as global warming has raised the temperatures of the whole tropical Pacific, the anomalies have become harder to see. Now, scientists subtract the temperature anomalies in the rest of the tropical Pacific from those in the region most important for El Niño. This update is just like replacing the old glasses with newly prescribed ones. With upgraded glasses, scientists can now see the changes in ocean temperatures earlier and better, and forecast long-range weather more accurately.

Read the article and learn about another influence of global warming.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/02/17/weather/el-nino-global-warming-pacific-ocean

Topic Reading-Vol.5062-3/4/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

A four-day science-backed guide to forging better friendships that will improve your life

Unlike family members or relatives, you can choose and make friends yourself. You can have a good time with your friends, share a bond of mutual interest, trust, and respect, and offer help or support when needed. Studies show that fostering good friendships will bring health and mental well-being. Then how?

You can’t just have fun with friends all the time. You learn to manage the ups and downs of being good friends. Sharing interests definitely helps deepen friendships. For example, exercising, playing sports, learning an instrument, making dishes, or doing a ritual together all keep your friends closer to you. Also, going out and spending time in nature will enhance your well-being and, therefore, help social connections. After all, your mental health is influenced by your mindset.

Read the article and learn the benefits and ways to keep good friendships.

Note: As this article was published last year, read 2025 as 2026.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250103-a-four-day-guide-to-forging-better-friendships-to-improve-your-life

Topic Reading-Vol.5061-3/3/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

How the sound of sport is being reimagined for deaf fans

Just like the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup, an international sports event is held every four years for deaf athletes, called The Deaflympics. Last November, its 25^th Summer Games took place in Tokyo, marking the 100^th anniversary of the event. The event featured 21 sports, including athletics, football, swimming, basketball, cycling, golf, handball, judo, shooting, tennis, and wrestling. The Deaflympics is also regarded as an important testing ground for inclusive technologies, where users and providers meet and work together to enhance sports experiences. One technology that helped the spectators feel the vibe was onomatopoeia, words that imitate, resemble, or suggest the natural sounds associated with objects or actions, such as Bang, Splash, Smash, Click, Beep, or Meow. The AI-driven, visual, and multilingual sound-recognition technologies were used to help Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) viewers experience the stadium atmosphere with onomatopoeia in their languages. Also, at judo events, spectators who wore special vibration devices felt the players’ movements captured by microphones and sensors in the mat. Now, sound is no longer just heard, but can be read and felt.

Read the article and learn about inclusive technologies used at the Tokyo Deaflympics.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260216-how-the-sound-of-sport-is-being-reimagined-for-deaf-fans

Topic Reading-Vol.5060-3/2/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Gender pay gap won't close for another 30 years, warns trade unions group
In the UK, the Equality Act 2010 entitles individuals to equal pay for "like work," work rated as equivalent, or work of equal value. The act protects against unfair treatment based on age, disability, marriage, race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender. However, according to a trade union, despite a slow, long-term downward trend, there is still a considerable pay gap between men and women in the UK. On average, men are paid 12.8% more than women by UK companies with more than 250 staff in the same industries. The gender pay gap is equivalent to a month and a half of the annual pay. Though the gap varies by industry, like 27% in finance and insurance, 17% in education, and 13% in health, it still exists across the board, both in full-time and part-time. Also, the widest pay gap is seen among workers in their 50s. The union attributes the cause to the long-term effects of women pausing or reducing their career opportunities for childbearing and caring responsibilities. In the meantime, the total fertility rate of the UK is now around 1.4, far below the reproduction level of 2.1. It seems essential to improve not only protections for expectant and new mothers, but also parental leave for both parents to reduce the gender pay gap while increasing the fertility rate.
Read the article and learn the inconvenient fact about the gender pay gap in the UK.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg5l75yx6vo

Topic Reading-Vol.5059-3/1/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

China has another solution to its shrinking population: robots

Thanks to the massive workforce, gigantic market size, and the government’s initiatives, China’s economy grew rapidly in the last two decades and has become the world’s second-largest economy, only after the USA. Those who have contributed to the growth are now, or soon, retiring and aging. They will need care sooner or later. Traditionally, children took care of their parents in China, but things have changed as many of them work away from home for opportunities. Also, even after the removal of the decades-long one-child policy, China’s total fertility rate has fallen to around 1.0, well below the 2.1 reproduction level. As a result, its population declined by more than 3 million last year. How will China maintain economic growth and provide care to aging seniors with a smaller workforce and population? One solution is already there. Robots. In fact, China is the world’s largest market for industrial robots, with over half of all robots worldwide. Industrial robots are key to improving productivity and increasing production output. Also, China is keen on humanoid robots, which could help or replace humans in factories, distribution, stores, restaurants, and care services. As the capabilities and productivity of these robots and humanoids are further enhanced by AI, they are expected to mitigate China’s population and demographic issues, even though they may replace the existing workforce or reduce employment opportunities until humans re-skill or up-skill themselves to the new environment. So, it seems that the timing and speed of transition, replacement, and reinforcement are the key to coping with China’s demographic and social challenges.

Read the article and learn about China’s socio-demographic challenges and technological solutions.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/02/13/china/china-population-robots-intl-hnk-dst

Topic Reading-Vol.5058-2/28/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Now there’s a $2 charge to toss coins in the Trevi Fountain — and tourists are still ignoring the rules

The Trevi Fountain is an 18th-century Baroque landmark fountain in Rome. It is popular for its artistic beauty, its iconic appearance in films, and the tradition of throwing coins in the fountain. Last year, over 10 million visitors approached the fountain, around 70,000 during the peak periods. Visitors throw a coin with their right hand to guarantee a return trip to Rome, another for love with an Italian, and the third for marriage with an Italian. Around 1.5 million euros are thrown into or around the fountain a year, which are collected and donated to charity. Now, to manage crowds at this overwhelmed landmark, visitors have to buy a 2-euro ticket to approach the fountain and throw coins into its waters. Venice charges 5 to 10 euros for day-trippers to visit the historic city center to cope with overtourism, too. Visiting popular tourist hot spots seems to have become more expensive and restrictive nowadays.

Read the article and learn about the newly introduced charge to approach and throw coins at a historic landmark in Rome.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/02/02/travel/trevi-fountain-rome-fee-overtourism

Topic Reading-Vol.5057-2/27/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Kim Jong Un chooses teen daughter as heir, says Seoul

When the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea, was established in 1948, Kim Il Sung, a former revolutionary military commander, became the leader of the Soviet-backed country. Following his death in 1994, his heir-apparent, Kim Jong Il, succeeded to the role of Supreme Leader. 17 years later, in 2011, Kim Jong Un, the second of three children of Kim Jong Il and his first lady, succeeded his father’s position at the age of just 27 or 28. He was born in 1983 or 1984 and studied at an international school in Berne, Switzerland. Recently, Kim Jong Un has been seen taking his young daughter, Kim Ju Ae, with him to important events, including a military parade and a trip to China, as if she were his heir or second-in-command. Though he is still in his early 40s and looks quite energetic, he might have already decided who should be the next leader of the nuclear-armed, secretive, and authoritative country. South Korea’s intelligence agency thinks she is the one. However, Kim Ju Ae is believed to be only 13 or 14 years old. What would happen if Kim Jong Un became unable to rule the dynasty?  

Read the article and learn about the succession line of the Kim Dynasty.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0e1g7kwglo

Topic Reading-Vol.5056-2/26/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

China is the clean energy superpower, but there’s another snapping at its heels — and it’s moving even faster

Superpowers of the economy are also the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. If you look at the top three countries of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), China emits about 30%, the USA 11%, and India 8% of the world's GHG. But if you compare China and India, whose populations are about 1.4 billion respectively, India emits much less GHG per capita than China. Will India emit as much GHG as China does now when its economy grows to the same level? Presently, India is burning a lot of coal to generate electricity to meet the growing demand, but it is also the world’s third-largest solar power producer. Also, the country is replacing more electric vehicles, three-wheel rickshaws, and motorcycles on the road with electric ones. Recently, because of Chinese companies' fierce competition and over-capacity, the costs of solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries have become economically advantageous over fossil fuels, and India is adding renewable energy faster now. Another incentive towards renewable energies is that domestically generated renewable power helps India become less reliant on other countries for fossil fuels. New economies are growing with renewable energies.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/02/11/climate/clean-energy-china-india-electrostates

Topic Reading-Vol.5055-2/25/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Macron urges Europe to start acting like world power

Even after the departure of the UK (Brexit) in 2020, the European Union (EU) is still an influential economic and political union. Combined, the EU is the world’s third-largest economy after the USA and China, representing around one-sixth of the global economy. EU’s top three economies are Germany, France, and Italy, generating 24%, 16%, and 12%, respectively, of the union’s total GDP. Emmanuel Macron has been serving as President of France since 2017. Facing mounting threats from Russia and growing tension with China and the USA, Macron recently urged Europe to start acting like a collective power. Considering the recent stand-off with the USA over Greenland, why not? The estimated population of the EU is around 450 million, 300 million more than Russia and 100 million more than the USA. Nearly the same number of new cars are being sold annually in Europe, including the UK, as in the USA. However, when it comes to elections, politicians tend to focus on the immediate domestic agenda, such as jobs, inflation, taxes, and social welfare. Make (country) Great Again is an attractive message to voters. Creating and maintaining collective power might be a slippery concept.

Read the article and learn about Europe’s presence in the world’s economy.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce8n1zdnpd3o

Topic Reading-Vol.5054-2/24/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The US slips to its lowest-ever rank in a global corruption index

CPI often refers to the Consumer Price Index, a key economic indicator, but there is another CPI, the Corruption Perceptions Index. Assessed by experts and business executives, this index ranks 182 countries and territories worldwide by their perceived levels of public sector corruption. The index aims to end the injustice of corruption by promoting transparency, accountability, and integrity. The results are given on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). Of the 182 countries ranked in the 2025 CPI, the top scorers were Denmark (89), Finland (88), Singapore (84), New Zealand (81), followed by five small European countries, and mighty Germany (77) in 10th place. The global average has fallen to a new low of 42, and more than two-thirds of countries score below 50. The worst three scorers were South Sudan (9), Somalia (9), and Venezuela (10). Under the Trump administration, the US scored its lowest CPI score at 64 and ranked 29th on the list, tying with the Bahamas, but below Germany, Canada, Japan, the UK, and France, the Western allies. What will the US’s score be during the second, third, and the last year of the Trump administration?

Read the article and learn the 2025 CPI result.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/02/10/business/corruption-index-transparency-international-united-states-intl

Topic Reading-Vol.5053-2/23/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

In the army now: Pictures that show how ordinary Ukrainians have been shaped by war

Four years have passed since Russia invaded Ukraine, and the war still continues. Over one hundred thousand soldiers have lost their lives, and many more have been wounded. The war changed the lives of those who were engaged in the war. Here are photos and thoughts of seven Ukrainians who have been serving to defend their homeland.

A 26-year-old woman who returned from Prague and became an army pilot to protect her country and future says, "Sometimes the hardest thing is the silence after the news of losses." A 37-year-old former NGO worker says, “Before, it was important for me to help others find their way, to become strong, self-confident. Now I understand that the technique of positive thinking does not save you from armed thugs." A 19-year-old ex-barista says she had learned about happiness, such as being close to her family and not being afraid of waking up the next day. A 42-year-old used to be a bioengineer specialized in creating 3D models for facial reconstruction surgeries. He has spent years as a combat medic in dugouts and says he wouldn’t rest after the war because there will be lots of reconstruction surgery to be done then. A 28-year-old who had served four years in the army returned from Poland and became a soldier again. He said almost all the friends he joined up with have died. A 42-year-old civilian who used to do a government job joined the army on the day of the Russian invasion. He was captured and held by Russia for over two years, the most harrowing experience of his life. A 35-year-old father of two was also in captivity in Russia for several weeks, saw his fellow soldiers abused, but couldn’t do anything to help them. He says, “While you're fighting, you're something, someone. As soon as you stop - then that's it, you're nobody."

Read the article and see the photos of Ukrainian soldiers who have been serving their country.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cddn2e11zm8o

Topic Reading-Vol.5052-2/22/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Warning of long airport queues under new EU border control system

Started to be operational in October last year, the new Entry/Exit System (EES) is an automated IT system for registering non-EU nationals traveling for up to 90 days, valid for three years, to 29 Schengen countries in Europe. It replaces manual passport stamping with biometric data collection (facial images and fingerprints) at border crossings to enhance security, prevent overstaying, and detect document fraud. The EES will be gradually introduced at border crossing points with full implementation by 10 April 2026. Unfortunately, the new system has already created long waiting lines at passport controls in many airports because most of the arriving passengers this year are required to register for the EES for the first time, which takes time and assistance. Also, not enough registration machines have been placed, and not all of them have been working properly. Even during this relatively slow travel season, when packed airplanes arrive at the same time, visitors have to wait for hours to clear passport controls. So, what will happen during the summer travel season? Do you want to schedule hours after arrival to wait for immigration on your vacation? Can you have your friends or driver wait for you for hours at the airport?

Read the article and learn about the new technology and process for passport control to Europe.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0k699pxwzo

Topic Reading-Vol.5051-2/21/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers,　

Pakistan's famous kite festival cautiously returns after 19-year ban

Punjab is a geographical and ethnolinguistic region across modern-day Pakistan and northwestern India. The Punjabi people traditionally celebrate the start of spring with a kite-flying festival, called Basant, around the end of January and the beginning of February. Lahore, the largest city in the region and the second largest city in Pakistan, became a major center for Basant celebrations with rooftops and open spaces filled with kite flyers, music, and seasonal fairs. Kite flying is very competitive, and it involves battles to knock other kites out of the sky by cutting their strings with sharp, metallic threads with chemical materials, causing trouble to power cables and danger to motorcyclists. Also, because there were so many excited kite-flying watchers who fell from rooftops and shot guns into the air, the festival was banned in 2007. After almost two decades of absence, the long-wanted spring festival returned earlier this month. However, while people seemed to remember how to celebrate the festival, young people had to learn how to fly kites and fight others because they had never done it before. Now, kite-flying skills need to be redeveloped to preserve the tradition.

Read the article and learn about Basant in the Panjub region.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1dkd5ql91lo

Topic Reading-Vol.5050-2/20/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

You’re brushing all wrong. 5 tips for better oral hygiene from an expert

The mouth is one of the most important organs. It is the world of microbes, saliva, soft tissues, and bones. Improving dental health affects the overall health because the mouth is the opening to the body. Brushing teeth after each meal is essential for your oral health, but when and how you do it makes a difference to enamel, gum tissue, saliva chemistry, and a living microbiome. Also, what type of toothbrush you use and how clean it is affects to keep your teeth and gums in good shape. Brushing teeth harder and longer with an unclean brush could even damage enamel and gums. Do you remember the advice your dentist gave you in the last dental checkup?

Read the article to learn how to make your teeth finer and shinier.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/02/05/health/oral-hygiene-teeth-brushing-tips-wellness

Topic Reading-Vol.5049-2/19/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

This year’s Olympic medals are worth more than ever

The 2026 Winter Olympics, Milano Cortina 2026, is taking place at sites across Lombardy and Northeast Italy. When the event ends on the 22^nd, more than 700 medals will have been awarded to the winners of the winter sports events. These medals are more economically valuable than ever because of the skyrocketing price of gold and silver, which have doubled and tripled, respectively, since the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The medals use quite a lot of these precious materials. For example, the gold medal weighs about 500 grams and is composed at 92.5% of silver and plated with six grams of gold. The silver medal weighs 420 grams and consists of 92.5% silver, and the rest is copper for durability. Even though the core value of the Olympic medals has been and will most likely be unchanged, the 2026 Olympic medals are financially the most valuable, at least so far.

Read the article and learn about how valuable Olympic medals are now.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/02/05/business/medals-winter-olympics-gold-silver-prices-intl