Topic Reading-Vol.4738-4/14/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Beijing calls Vance 'ignorant' over 'Chinese peasants' remark

James David Vance is an American politician, author, and attorney, and is currently serving as the 50th vice president of the US. He said Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, was “badmouthing” on the February 19 meeting at the White House. Now, his comments on the trade tension with China earlier this month astonished China and sparked a furious response from Chinese social media users. He said, “To make it a little more crystal clear, we borrow money from Chinese peasants to buy the things those Chinese peasants manufacture.” How much does Vance know about China? In fact, China has the world’s largest high-speed rail system, the most powerful logistics capabilities,  EVs and autonomous driving, and drone technologies, as well as the advanced AI technologies that are competitive with the US. Also, why is the US trying to impose astonishingly high tariffs on a country of peasants? The vice president of the US, VPOTUS, is the second-highest ranking office of the US federal government and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. 

Read the article and find out what the incumbent US vice president said about China.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20zd4k6d36o

Topic Reading-Vol.4737-4/13/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Why Beijing is not backing down on tariffs

China was the second largest exporter to the US after Mexico last year, amounting to over 400 billion. As of April 11, the US has announced that it will impose 145% reciprocal tariffs on most goods from China, including metals, cars, computers, and smartphones, in an attempt to negotiate deals that would reduce its trade deficit. However, China has hit back at the US with retaliatory tariffs up to 125%, a 50% jump from the 84% tariffs announced just a few days earlier. China imports oilseeds, grains, oil and gas, medicines, chemicals, and semiconductors from the US. Why have the two superpowers engaged in such tit-for-tat tariff increases that have tumbled the financial markets around the world? Exporters, importers, manufacturers, retailers, and consumers of these countries are all going to be physically and financially affected sooner or later unless the two governments sit at the negotiation table or drop their guns. However, China’s stance on the US’s reciprocal tariffs has been very rigid so far. How come they can stand it?  In the meantime, the Trump administration suddenly announced today that smartphones, computers, and other electronic devices and components, including semiconductors, solar cells, and memory cards, are exempted from the tariffs retroactively to April 5.

Read the article and learn about the latest trade tension between the two superpowers.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjew7y4j724o

Topic Reading-Vol.4736-4/12/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Rats ‘bigger than cats’ are roaming Britain’s second-biggest city as garbage collectors strike

Birmingham is the second largest city in the UK, with a population of over 4 million in the wider metropolitan area. During the Industrial Revolution, Birmingham transformed from a relatively small town into a major manufacturing hub, earning nicknames like "the workshop of the world." The city is now a major commercial center and an important transport, retail, and conference hub. However, Birmingham declared itself bankrupt in September 2023 because of equal pay claims, IT project overspending, and budget shortfalls. This year, after months of pay disputes, the city’s 400 garbage collectors went on strike indefinitely in early March. Only fewer than half of the usual number of garbage trucks have been collecting garbage recently, leaving uncollected garbage in many parts of the city, which has become an ideal dining source for unwecomed city dwellers, rats. How much or how long can residents refrain from putting out garbage in such a situation? Maybe it is time to think about how to reduce garbage. 

Read the article and see the photos of what is going on in the UK’s second largest city.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/05/business/birmingham-uk-garbage-strike-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4735-4/11/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Eco-burials take root in funeral industry

After death, the method or practice to treat the dead body varies by culture and situation. Burial is a widespread practice in Christianity and Islam cultures, while cremation is common in Buddhism and Hinduism. In many cases, the body or cremation urn is buried under the family or individual tomb. Traditionally, Chinese people visit ancestral tombs to sweep them during the Qingming Festival in April. However, as their views on traditions, family ties, and the environment change, the number of people who choose more eco-friendly practices like sea and tree burials are increasing in China. Last year alone, over 10 million people died in China, and the number will increase in the coming years. Since local governments are promoting such eco-burials with free funeral services or subsidies to raise awareness of such economical, space-saving burial practices, they are expected to become more common in China. As the world population has already exceeded eight billion and keeps growing, burial practices may have to change to accommodate the increasing number of dead bodies in the near future. After all, memorials should be about remembrance, not monuments. 

Read the article and learn about China’s eco-burials. 

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202504/04/WS67ef239ea3104d9fd381d9a2_2.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4734-4/10/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Airport theory: The new viral trend that has people missing their flights

How early do you usually try to get to the airport before your flight? Many airlines advise their passengers to arrive at the airport as long as two hours before departure time for their domestic flights and three hours for international flights, just to make sure they have enough time for check-in, security clearance, and reaching the gate. If passengers come that early, they have to wait for a long time before boarding. But if you’ve checked in online and have only a carry-on luggage, how much time is really needed at the airport before boarding? For some people, the shorter the waiting time is, the higher the satisfaction they feel. Recently, there have been many TikTok followers of the airport theory, which introduces passengers who show up to the airport very shortly before their departure time, like 15 or 20 minutes, and still get to board. Such rush attempts might fail if there is traffic to the airport, a long line at the security check, and distance or a shuttle transport to the departure gate even if you’ve already checked-in online and registered your ID digitally. Indeed, your adrenaline level will surge while hurrying to the gate, and if you catch the flight, you’ll feel relieved and satisfied. But if you miss the flight, you may bear with a financial penalty and a long waiting time for the next available flight, if any. Do you want to be the very last person to get on board?

Read the article and learn what the TikTok Airport Theory is about.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/04/travel/airport-theory-tiktok-travel-trend/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4733-4/9/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Screen time in bed linked to worse sleep, study finds

Experts recommend that establishing a routine before going to or in bed, such as keeping regular hours or reading a book, helps you enjoy better sleep. But what about playing games before bedtime or checking SNS in bed? A survey data of Norwegian students aged between 18 and 28 indicates that the longer screen time spent in bed led to a higher risk for insomnia and shorter sleep time. However, it found no evident correlation between the type of screen activity, like games, videos, or SNS, and sleep disruption. You may wonder if the night mode or a less bright screen of your device would lessen the impact of screen time, but what seems to matter to your sleep is not what you are looking at but the engagement with your phone itself. Then what about reading a book or comic on the phone? …   

Read the article and learn about the impacts of screentime on sleep quality. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz79jpxzev5o

(If you want to learn how to sleep better, check Vol.4720.)

Topic Reading-Vol.4732-4/8/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

In Kenya, girls are sold into marriage to stave off starvation from drought

From 2020 to 2023, communities in Kenya experienced the worst drought since the 1980s. There, 80 percent of food production relies heavily on small-scale farmers, but with three years of below average rainfall, families have lost cattle, crops, and livelihoods. The drought situation has deteriorated in most of the 23 counties in Kenya's arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), leaving millions at risk of starvation. This year, the situation has worsened due to the poor performance of the 2024 short rainy season. As many as 1.8 million people in Kenya's ASALs were food insecure and in need of humanitarian assistance as the areas endured the severe effects of climate change. As many as 500,000 children under five and over 100,000 pregnant women in the areas were malnourished and in need of treatment. In the drought-hit northern Marsabit region, a woman has to walk hours only to reach the only well in the area, load cans of water on her donkey, and walk back home. A girl was told to take her family's goat herd to a pasture far away from her home alone, was raped by a stranger, and became pregnant. A 15-year-old girl was told to marry a stranger in exchange for three camels and three goats. Women are often more vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change and conflicts.

Read the article about the hardship and danger of women in drought-hit Kenya.

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2025/4/2/in-kenya-girls-are-sold-into-marriage-to-stave-off-starvation-from-drought