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

Topic Reading-Vol.5048-2/18/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Europe distrusts — but depends on — America. Can it afford to walk away?

Until recently, the USA and Europe had long enjoyed a close relationship, collectively called the West, sharing core values, such as individual liberty, the rule of law, and market capitalism. For example, their trade represents nearly 30% of the global total. The USA was one of the leading founding members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which was created in 1949 to provide collective security against the Soviet Union. However, the recent Trump administration’s attempt to capture Greenland, a sovereign territory of Denmark, either by money or force, has made its European allies lose trust in the USA. For energy security, it’s a big blow to European countries because they have increased the import of Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) from the USA as an alternative to Russia since 2022. Also, Europe depends heavily on US tech enterprises for digital services, cloud infrastructure, and data centers. Even though it is unclear if the recent absurd US moves will continue under future administrations, the mindsets of Europeans seem to have changed considerably.

Read the article and learn how much Europe depends on the USA.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/02/05/business/europe-economic-independence-united-states-intl