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

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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