Topic Reading-Vol.4386-4/27/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

Can AI help solve Japan’s labour shortages?

For job markets where there are enough human workers, AI or robots might pose a threat to job security. However, in places where the population or the workforce is shrinking like Japan, they are savoirs. As the country’s population is declining faster than ever and the workforce is rapidly aging, especially in labor-intensive industries like agriculture and service, AI is becoming a reliable and productive workforce. For example, AI-powered cameras are used to detect any faulty dumplings on the production lines. Also, AI helps identify diseases, pests, and weeds when smartphone photos of struggling crops are uploaded and then suggests which pesticide might be needed. Though changes occur very slowly to improve productivity in Japan, people and businesses are now desperate to bring in whatever workforce to fill the worker shortages.

Read the article and learn about how Japan is using AI workforce to deal with labor shortages.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-68225115

Topic Reading-Vol.4385-4/26/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

270 million people are living on sinking land in China’s major cities, new study finds

Land subsidence is the gradual sinking or settling of the Earth's surface due to natural processes and human activities. The primary causes of human-caused land subsidence include groundwater extraction, mining activities, and urban development. If more groundwater is extracted than it is replenished, the water table is lowered and the overlying land sinks.  Also, the land sinks due to the growing weight of cities themselves, such as roads, bridges, and buildings. A new study found that nearly half of China’s urban areas are sinking faster than 3 millimeters a year, and over 20% of the areas are subsiding faster than 10 millimeters per year. When land subsidence is coupled with sea level rise in coastal cities like Shanghai, the area could face more severe and frequent flooding. One effective but expensive patchwork is to build physical protection like a dyke. In fact, Shanghai’s dyke system stretches along the coast of the East China Sea, spanning approximately 120 kilometers from the mouth of the Yangtze River in the north to Hangzhou Bay in the south. Can other coastal cities in the world afford to build and maintain such costly dyke systems to prevent flooding?

Read the article and learn about land sinking in major cities in China.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/04/18/climate/china-sinking-cities/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4384-4/25/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

India election: A visual guide to voting in the world’s largest democracy

With a population of over 1.4 billion, India is the most populous and largest democratic country in the world. There are over 960 million eligible voters for this year’s general election. In India, voters must be Indian citizens, 18 years of age or older, and be on the electoral register. Voter turnout in the last general election in 2019 was around two-thirds, roughly the same as the 2020 US election. Women’s turnout has been higher than that of men’s and more women voted than men in the 2019 election. 543 MPs will be elected for a five-year term in the lower house of parliament, and an individual party or coalition needs at least 272 seats to form a majority to govern. There are 131 seats reserved for MPs from so-called "scheduled castes" and "scheduled tribes". These are groups officially recognized as disadvantaged, and make up about a quarter of India's population. There are no fewer than one million polling stations across the country, the highest one being at 4,650 meters above sea level. Voting is taking place in different parts of India on seven polling days between April 19 and June 1. The results will be announced on 4 June. How does India register and implement this large-scale election without fraud or flaw?

Read the article and learn about the scale and mechanisms of the world’s largest general election.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/04/17/india/india-election-2024-hnk-intl-dg/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4383-4/24/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

What’s the cheapest way to the edge of space? Ride a balloon

What extraordinary condition, experience, and view do you want to enjoy in or near space? If you want to go to space, orbit the Earth, and experience zero gravity at 300 kilometers above Earth, you can get a seat on SpaceX and fly like an astronaut. If you want to enjoy the taste of a weightless feeling at around 100 kilometers above Earth for a short time, you can book at Blue Origin or Virgin Galactic. Since all of these space flight vehicles have some sort of rocket engine, you’ll need to bear with a strong G for ascending, clumsy space suits, and economy-class seating. If you just want to enjoy a magnificent view from 25 to 40 kilometers above the ground, which is twice or three times higher than the cruising altitude of modern jetliners, in first-class seating and environment, you’ll be able to take a balloon flight serviced by a Spanish startup HALO. Their balloon departs pre-dawn so that the passengers will enjoy a white sunrise at the edge of the stratosphere with the deep black of space beyond. Since there is no steep ascending or zero-gravity experience, the passengers can wear their favorite costumes and enjoy drinks and food during the flight. Which special experience are you interested in trying?

Read the article and learn about space trip options that are and will be on sale.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/04/16/travel/halo-space-near-space-balloon-trip/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4382-4/23/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

Sudan on brink of collapse and starvation as country marks one year of civil war

Sudan lies in Northeast Africa just in the south of Egypt. The population is nearly 50 million, most of whom are Sunni Islam, and the capital is Khartoum. Today’s Sudan was the northern region of the former Sudan that was split in 2011 when the southern region, mostly Christians, voted to become independent after decades of religious and ethnic conflicts. Since a power struggle started about a year ago between two military factions, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), millions of civilians, including two million children under five years old have been forced to flee. Hundreds of thousands of people have fled to neighboring countries or returned home in adverse circumstances – notably to the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan. Others self-relocated within Sudan, and thousands of homes, schools, hospitals, and other civilian structures have been destroyed. Despite the call for humanitarian aid to the international community, not enough funding has been obtained. Also, aid items are hardly delivered to those who want them the most because of the upheaval caused by the conflict. At the moment, little or no hope is seen for the future of Sudan.

Read the article and learn about what the situation has been like in Sudan in the last 12 months.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/04/15/africa/sudan-civil-war-marks-one-year-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4381-4/22/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

Sikhs celebrate harvest festival of Baisakhi, marking new year

Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent in the late 15th century by Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Sikhs believe in one formless, timeless God, and the teachings of Sikhism emphasize equality, compassion, hard work, and service to others. Sikhs don’t have their hair cut, and Sikh males wear a turban and females often wear a headscarf to cover hair. There are around 30 million Sikhs worldwide, most of whom live in India. On April 13 or 14, they celebrate Baisakihi, symbolizing the new harvest season and the beginning of the solar new year. They gather at Sikh temples for special prayers, devotional singing, and community meals. The Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, India, is one of the holiest sites in Sikhism, where as many as 100,000 free communal meals are served daily. 

To pray, sing, bathe, and eat at the Golden Temple seems to be a great event for Sikh devotees to start a new year.

Read the article and see the photos to learn about Sikh’s New Year festival.

https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2024/4/13/sikhs-celebrate-harvest-festival-of-baisakhi-marking-new-year

Topic Reading-Vol.4380-4/21/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

The ski resorts saving snow over the summer

As global temperatures rise and winters become warmer, ski resorts are struggling to get enough snow to draw skiers and snowboarders, especially in the early seasons. Many now try to make the slopes skiable with snow guns, especially in the early season. However, that is when snow guns are least efficient in making snow because of the warmer temperatures. Then how about using the leftover snow from the previous season? You might wonder how snow is preserved through the summer to the next season. But as winters become warmer and snow starts falling later, many ski resorts are storing snow for the next season. Towards the end of the season, snow that is left on the slopes and the mountain is pushed together and covered with insulation. Then at the beginning of the next season, the snow is uncovered and spread to the slopes. To your surprise, around 80% of snow mass is found to be kept over the summer. Nowadays, utilizing what is left seems essential not only for food or water but also for snow.

Read the article and learn about how ski resorts are keeping snow for the next season.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240410-the-ski-resorts-saving-snow

Topic Reading-Vol.4379-4/20/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

California just hiked minimum wage for fast food workers. Some restaurants are replacing them with kiosks

As a home of strong industries such as high-tech, entertainment, and agriculture, California is one of the richest states in the USA. Accordingly, its cost of living is higher than in other states or countries. For example, a Big Mac costs nearly six dollars in Los Angeles while it costs less than four dollars in Tokyo or London. Also, California’s labor movement and worker advocacy groups are influential on the minimum wage. From this month, the minimum wage for California’s fast-food workers is raised by $4 to $20, which is around or over the minimum wage of newly hired United Auto Workers (UAW). The increase is expected to further accelerate the use of kitchen robots, self-order kiosks, and online orders. In fact, fast-food chains have found it not only helpful but also beneficial to use technologies rather than employing human workers when they have difficulty employing workers after the pandemic. Also, customers nowadays are more accustomed to ordering and paying by machines than by humans. In addition, restaurant operators found customers seem to be comfortable using machines and spend more than conventional order processes. Since food inflation is already suffering in fast-food restaurants, they are trying harder to manage the balance between cost, price, and customer satisfaction.

Read the article and learn about a recent minimum wage hike in California.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/04/11/business/california-minimum-wage-fast-food-kiosks/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4378-4/19/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

Canary Islanders call for hunger strike to protest against overtourism they say is pricing them out

With a population of 2.2 million, the Canary Islands are a Spanish archipelago off the coast of Northwestern Africa. In its year-round mild climate, the Canary Islands are a popular tourist destination where visitors can enjoy stunning natural landscapes, beautiful beaches, cultural heritage, and more. Since the islands are well-connected by air and sea, with international airports and regular ferry services, they used to attract as many as 12 million visitors per year. However, the number has increased to around 16 million in the last decade, over seven times the islands’ population. Residents feel there are too many tourists for limited space, water resources, and housing supply and are now protesting against excessive tourism for raising housing prices and causing environmental damage. Local government is pushed to hold meetings to design more environmentally and economically sustainable strategies. After the Covid pandemic, many popular tourist destinations, such as Venice and Barcelona, have been visited by way more tourists than they can sustainably manage, and have introduced restrictions on number of visitors or hotel development. Indeed, tourists spend money and support the local economy as long as there aren’t too many for the local community and environment.

Read the article and learn about what over-tourism has brought about in the Canary Islands.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/canary-islands-cost-of-living-protest-scli-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4377-4/18/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

Climate change: 'Uncharted territory' fears after record hot March

El Niño and La Niña are two phases of the Southern Oscillation cycle, which interplay between the ocean and the atmosphere in the tropical Pacific Ocean. They have significant impacts on weather patterns around the globe. During El Niño, warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures develop in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. It tends to bring above-average rainfall in the western Pacific and leads to warmer temperatures in many parts of the world. On the contrary, during La Niña, average sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean are cooler than average. The last El Niño, which started last June and peaked in December, seems to have added heat into the already warming global atmosphere. As a result, March 2024 marked 1.68 degrees Celsius warmer temperature than “pre-industrial” times, and it was the 10^th consecutive month of high-temperature records. Since the El Niño cycle had been there before we started burning massive fossil fuels in the late 18^th century, it was not the El Niño that raised the temperature to an unprecedented level but the greenhouse gas emissions by humans. It now seems unrealistic to count on the upcoming La Niña to cool the global temperatures so much.

Read the article and see the graph to learn about how warmer the Earth is becoming.

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-68665166

Topic Reading-Vol.4376-4/17/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Chechnya bans all music deemed too fast or too slow

Chechen is one of the 21 internationally recognized republics of Russia. It lies between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea and has a population of around 1.5 million, most of whom are Muslims. Chechen traditional music reflects the culture's history, values, and way of life. It often features vocal performances accompanied by traditional instruments. Songs may be narrative, celebrating heroic deeds or love, or they may be performed at cultural events and celebrations. Recently, the government of the republic announced a decision to limit all forms of music compositions to a tempo ranging from 80 to 116 beats per minute to ensure that Chechen musical and dance creations align with its mentality and musical rhythm. Since 2007, the republic has been ruled by Ramzan Kadyrov, who has been accused of human rights abuses and authoritarian practices, including crackdowns on political dissent and LGBT rights. Unlike Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, music itself isn’t banned entirely in Chechen, but tempo requirements by the government sound like an ancient or medieval ruling.

Read the article and learn about what music means to the Chechen’s conservative leader.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/04/08/europe/chechnya-music-ban-scli-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4375-4/16/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

Teachers are using AI to grade essays. But some experts are raising ethical concerns

Nowadays, many students use AI tools to create their works, like essays, reports, and research papers, and some schools have policies or guidelines on how AI tools can be used for schoolwork. But should teachers be allowed to use AI tools at their discretion to grade and give feedback on assignments? In fact, AI can provide dependable numerical scores on structure, language use, and grammar much faster, more accurately, and more consistently than human teachers do. Then teachers can focus on assessing the novelty, creativity, logic, coverage, and depth of insight of students’ works. So, it seems to benefit both students and teachers. However, uploading students’ works might breach their intellectual property as AI tools read and learn from uploaded content. It has only been a year and a half since ChatGPT was launched, and other generative AI tools have been emerging ever since. As they evolve, both writers and assessors also need to learn how to use them efficiently and with integrity.

Read the article and learn about how AI tools are being used in higher education.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/04/06/tech/teachers-grading-ai/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4374-4/15/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

Botswana threatens to send 20,000 elephants to Germany

Botswana is a landlocked country north of South Africa. With a population of just over 2.3 million, it is one of the world’s most sparsely populated countries. In the meantime, Botswana has the world’s largest elephant’s population, around 130,000 individuals. The country has been known for its strong conservation efforts and wildlife management policies, which have contributed to the maintenance of healthy elephant populations. In order to finance the conservation efforts and keep the elephant’s population under control, Botswana sells hunting permits. When German environment ministry suggested that they limit on importing trophies from hunting animals, Botswana’s president said they might send 20,000 elephants to Germany because there are too many of them for his country and people. Indeed, trophy hunting has been practiced in Africa for centuries and generated millions of dollars of revenue for local communities and governments. This could help finance the conservation efforts of the wild animals and compensation for inhabitants whose lives are affected by the wild animals. Even though hunting quotas are issued annually to sustain the elephant’s population, animal rights groups argue that trophy hunting should be banned. How the world can balance the wildlife conservation and human lives?

Read the article and learn about Botswana’s elephant’s population and trophy hunting.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-68715164

Topic Reading-Vol.4373-4/14/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

White House wants Moon to have its own time zone

Does a clock brought from the Earth to the Moon work accurately there? Not exactly. Since the gravity on the Moon is slightly weaker, the time on the moon moves slightly faster than on the Earth by nearly 60 microseconds every day. So, if you put an atomic clock on the Moon, it will tick faster than the ones on Earth. This could cause a catastrophic problem when absolute precision is required for coordinating activities, such as spacecraft docking on or above the Moon or data transfer at a specific time to and from the Earth. Recently, NASA, the US space agency, was directed to work with other government agencies to develop a lunar-based time system, called Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC) before the agency’s scheduled manned landing mission on the Moon in 2026. Since a number of national and private missions to the Moon are also planned, it is essential to coordinate time between the Moon, spacecraft, and the Earth. But will there be only one timezone on the Moon?

Read the article and learn about time the new time zone for the Moon.

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-68722032

Topic Reading-Vol.4372-4/13/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  
Japanese people could all be called Sato by 2531, study warns. But they’d need to get married first
In patrilineal societies, the surname is passed down from father to children, creating a line of descent that tends to preserve the same surname within a family lineage. Over generations, this can lead to a consolidation of surnames within certain family lines. In such societies, surnames are lost or die out over time with each new generation as women take on their husbands’ surnames. In Japan, married couples are legally required to share the same surname, and most couples choose the husband’s surname. According to a new study, if the requirement were to be kept, all Japanese people could have the same surname, Sato, the most common surname in Japan in the next two centuries. In fact, the five most common surnames in Japan are; Sato, Suzuki, Takahashi, Tanaka, and Ito, and combined, they represent nearly 6% of all the surnames. But the more pressing issues are the number of marriages, new births, and population, which are all declining fast. Indeed, if the denominator shrinks and the numerator increases, the fraction will become closer to one.
Read the article and learn about Japan’s shrinking population and surname variations.
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/04/03/asia/japan-people-could-all-be-called-sato-by-2531-intl-hnk/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4371-4/12/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

Exploding craters and overflowing landfills are unexpected sources of methane

Methane is a colorless, odorless gas that occurs abundantly in nature and as a product of certain human activities. Methane is lighter than air and only slightly soluble in water. It burns rapidly in the air, forming carbon dioxide. It has a much higher global warming potential (GWP) than CO2 over a 20-year period, although it eventually breaks down into CO2 in the atmosphere over a longer timeframe. Naturally occurring methane is found both below ground and under the seafloor and is formed by both geological and biological processes, including permafrost, glacial meltwater, wetlands, and wildfires. Methane is also produced directly by human activities, such as hydro power, landfills, and agriculture. The Earth’s atmospheric methane concentration has been increasing rapidly caused mainly by human activities and global warming. Methane is no less harmful to the environment than CO2.

Read the article and learn about what methane is and from what source it is released into the air.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240402-the-surprising-sources-of-methane

Topic Reading-Vol.4370-4/11/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

OpenAI says it’s working on AI that mimics human voices

Last month, OpenAI introduced Sora, a video tool that creates realistic-looking 60-second videos from text instructions that include scenes with characters, motions, and elaborated background details. Then on April 1, it revealed a new AI tool called Voice Engine that can mimic human voices from a 15-second sample. Once a text is provided, the text-to-voice AI tool reads it in a way that the voice sample speaks not only in the original language but also in other languages like Chinese, German, or Japanese. Since text can be created by a speech-to-text app easily and quickly, the voice AI tool can be used for simultaneous translators in multiple languages. But if this kind of voice-mimicking app becomes widely available, voice can no longer be used for authentication. Also, one can call you to do something as if he or she is your boss, or disinformation can be easily created and spread. For example, if such mimic voices are incorporated into fake videos or Sora, one can become the President of the USA and speak in the Oval Office.

How easily will AI help or deceive humans?

Read the article and learn about OpenAI’s new voice-mimicking AI tool.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/04/01/tech/openai-ai-voice-generator-tool-voice-engine/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4369-4/10/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

Air defense for $13 a shot? How lasers could revolutionize the way militaries counter enemy missiles and drones

A directed-energy weapon (DEW) is a ranged weapon that damages its target with highly focused energy like lasers and microwaves without a solid projectile, such as bullets, cannonballs, and missiles. For example, laser guns and beams are often seen in science fiction films like Star Trek or Star Wars. Since a laser beam travels at the speed of light, it hits the target immediately without giving the target the time to maneuver. Once developed, laser beam weapons cost much less than conventional kinetic weapons like missiles or bullets. Also, laser weapons don’t require an ammunition supply as long as enough energy is provided to power them. For example, the recently tested UK’s laser weapon, DragonFire, costs only $13 a shot, much cheaper than million-dollar missile interceptors currently used. As unmanned aerial vehicles, drones, and missiles play pivotal roles in battle space, more precise and cost-effective defense systems are highly demanded. However, laser beam weapons have been tested by major military powers including the US, the UK, Russia, and China, for years, it’ll take at least some years before they are actually deployed.

Read the article and learn about the laser-directed energy weapon.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/13/europe/britain-air-defense-laser-dragonfire-intl-hnk-ml/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4368-4/9/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

Taiwan needs more babies. But conservative traditions are holding back some fertility solutions

The population of Taiwan was about 23.4 million last year and has been declining in the last few years as the number of newborn babies shrank from 165,000 in 2020 to 135,500 in 2023. It is one of the East Asian countries whose birth rates are much lower than 2.1, a birth rate to maintain a stable population; South Korea’s 0.78, Taiwan’s 0.87, and Japan’s 1.26. As the population, particularly the young people declines, the island state is now facing shortages in labor and military. While industries like manufacturing, construction, and agriculture, are trying to fill positions with immigrant workers, the military hasn’t done so. As a result, the number of professional military forces declined to 155,000 last year from 165,000 just two years ago. That’s a critical national security concern for Taiwan as the cross-strait tension is increasing. Will allowing same-sex couples or single women to have In-Vitro-Fertilization (IVF) or egg-freezing help solve the fertility problem? What about artificial reproduction for gay couples? Since Taiwan’s population is relatively small, every newborn counts.

Read the article and learn about Taiwan’s shrinking population and potential fertility solutions.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/30/asia/taiwan-population-fertility-barriers-hnk-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4367-4/8/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

'The extra shift': The unpaid emotional labour expected of women at work

Displaying a genuine smile and nodding can convey warmth, sympathy, and acceptance. But while empathy and compassion are essential to providing good care work and customer service, these emotional factors are often not described in job qualifications or praised in performance appraisals. In general, physically demanding jobs like firefighters or construction workers are often considered male jobs but emotionally sensitive jobs, such as care workers and kindergarten teachers, are thought to be suitable for women. Are women more empathetic and compassionate than men by nature? While there is no physical evidence to show that women are better at performing such emotional labor than men, women are expected to be inherently better than men. In reality, women are expected to perform such emotional labor but are not compensated or rewarded for it. For example, while male engineers are expected to show confidence and competency to keep the job or advance, female engineers are expected to be considerate and compassionate as well. Shouldn’t emotional labor valued more financially and professionally?

Read the article and learn about how emotional labor is undermined even in today’s workplaces.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20240313-invisible-emotional-labour-women-in-workplace

Topic Reading-Vol.4366-4/7/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

Spain’s siestas-and-late-nights lifestyle is making some people unhappy. Here’s why

First, you may wonder why Spain’s time zone isn’t the same as the one in the UK but Germany despite the location. It is because in 1940, then the fascist leader, Francisco Franco, changed Spain’s time zone to Central European Time (CET) to be in line with Nazi Germany and its occupied lands. Second, Spaniards eat meals much later than others in European countries, with lunch around 2:00 pm and dinner around 10:00 pm. What time do they go to bed and how long do they sleep at night? Third, some Spaniards take an afternoon nap known as “Siesta.” It is a custom in the Mediterranean region like Italy where midday heat is so intense in the summer. In general, Spaniards sleep shorter than other Europeans, and their productivity lags behind others in Europe. People in Spanish seem to enjoy a very unique lifestyle.

Read the article and learn about Spain’s unique time zone and lifestyle.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/spain-late-night-culture-end/index.html

 

Topic Reading-Vol.4365-4/6/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,   

The world wastes more than 1 billion meals every day as hundreds of millions go hungry, UN report finds

There are a little over eight billion people living on the planet. Approximately one in every ten persons cannot eat enough food because of inequity and poverty, climate change and extreme weather conditions, and wars and conflicts. In the meanwhile, a significant amount, around 13% of the world’s food is lost during production, harvest, processing, and transportation. Also, over one billion tons of food is wasted by households, stores, restaurants, and other food services. Combined, around one-third of all food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally. Theoretically, if all food produced is distributed properly and consumed, no one is hungry. At least, if we purchase, store, prepare, and consume food more wisely, we can reduce food waste, which would also reduce plant-heating emissions when discarded in landfills. So, why don’t we try cooking with what we have instead of making what we just want to eat.

Read the article and learn about how much food is lost and wasted in the world.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/27/climate/un-food-waste-one-billion-meals-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4364-4/5/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,   

Japan nappy maker shifts from babies to adults

Of Japan’s 124 million population, around 1.26 million are over 80 years old and 273,000 are over 90 years old. While the total population has been decreasing, the number of elderly people has been increasing. At some point in later life, many of these seniors start using diapers and keep using them for the rest of their lives for years or even longer than a decade. In the meanwhile, the number of newborn babies has been decreasing in Japan, and last year, there were only around 750,000 babies were born, a 5% decline from the previous year. Usually, babies need diapers only for two to three years. Accordingly, Japan’s nappy makers have been selling more adult diapers than those for babies in the last decade. Recently, one of the major nappy manufacturers announced that it would discontinue baby diapers and focus on adult diapers in Japan’s market. Indeed, businesses should be focused on the growing market, not the shrinking market. China and South Korea are no different from Japan in terms of declining birth rates and fast aging.

Read the article and learn about a radical market shift occurring in Japan.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-68672186

Topic Reading-Vol.4363-4/4/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,   

China is trying to connect Southeast Asia by high-speed rail. Here’s how that’s going

The 1,000-kilometer rail line, which links Kunming, the capital of China's Yunnan province to Vientiane, the capital of Laos was completed in December 2021. If you take the 8:08 am train at Kunming South Railway Station, you’ll get to Vientiane Station at around 5:38 pm. For Laos, an economically lagging small landlocked country, such a mega-infrastructure wouldn’t have been built without China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Although the number of Chinese tourists to Laos has been increasing since the opening of the high-speed train line, will the money spent by Chinese tourists and investments made by Chinese firms pay the toll? Furthermore, the high-speed railway is planned to be extended to Bangkok, Thailand, one of the most popular destinations for Chinese tourists. Then it is also projected to connect to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and finally to Singapore. This ambitious project isn’t just for tourism but it is thought to be part of the Road and Belt Initiative to expand China’s economic, cultural, and geopolitical influence over Southeast Asia. Since China already has the technology and know-how to build and operate the world’s most extensive high-speed railway network. it is certainly beneficial to have more sustainable transportation infrastructure in other countries of the region, whatever the intention might be.

Read the article and learn about high-speed railways in Southeast Asia.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/25/travel/china-south-east-asia-travel-train-infrastructure-intl-hnk/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4362-4/3/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

Bottled water packed with nanoplastics, study finds

If particulate matter in the air smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) is inhaled, it penetrates deep into the lungs, increasing the risk of health problems like heart disease and asthma. So, what will happen if we take in small particles like microplastics from water? Microplastics are polymer fragments smaller than 5 millimeters, and nanoplastics are less than 1 micrometer in size or about 1,000^th of a human hair. Nanoplastics are small enough to migrate through the tissues into the bloodstream. New research found that there are as many as 240,000 micro and nano plastics in a liter of PET bottled water. Some of them come from leakage of the plastic bottle and others are created each time the bottle is opened, closed, or crushed. So, if you regularly consume PET bottled drinks, your body is accumulating tiny plastic particles that go into the bloodstream, then to organs and the brain. Doesn’t this sound scary?

Read the article and learn about what nanoplastics could do to our health.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/01/08/health/bottled-water-nanoplastics-study-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4361-4/2/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

Chongqing lets farmers carry large baskets to market on subway line

With a population of around 17 million, Chongqing is one of the largest metropolitan cities in China. It serves as a center for finance in the Sichuan Basin and the upstream Yangtze, as well as for manufacturing and transportation. Passengers on Line 4, one of the nine subway lines in the city, may find farmers carrying large bamboo baskets filled with fresh vegetables even during rush hours. This allows the farmers to sell their produce at a higher price in the heart of the city than in the nearby villages of their farms. Also, city residents can get fresher vegetables at lower prices at the morning markets in the city center where farmers bring their produce on the early morning trains. It may look odd to see some passengers punching their PCs on their way to work while farmers carrying farm produce on the city subway, but it might be a new way to create a more sustainable and harmonic city life.

Read the article and learn about how Chongqing farmers use subways.

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202403/25/WS6600d041a31082fc043be6ca.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4360-4/1/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The world’s 100 worst polluted cities are in Asia — and 83 of them are in just one country

Air pollution has a significant impact on our lives. Millions of people die each year from air pollution-related health issues. According to the Swiss air quality company IQAir, over 90% of cities analyzed worldwide didn’t meet WHO’s air quality standards. Outdoor air pollution is caused by combustion processes from motor vehicles, solid fuel burning, and industry. Another major source of air pollution especially in Southeast and South Asia is seasonal agricultural burning by farmers to remove crop residues left in the field after harvesting grains. Also, more wildfires have been occurring because of global warming and polluting air quality significantly especially in North America. In addition, cooking and heating with unclean fuel, such as firewood, charcoal, grasses, and animal dung create indoor pollution, which is no less harmful than outdoor air pollution. Which cities and countries have worse air pollution than others?

Read the article and learn about how badly air is polluted around the world.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/18/climate/air-pollution-report-2023-asia-climate-intl-hnk/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4359-3/31/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

A new city is rising in Egypt. But is it what the country needs?

The metro area population of Cairo, Egypt has been increasing at around 2% annually in the last few years and is now over 22 million. Around 45 kilometers east of Cairo around halfway to the seaport city of Suez, the New Administrative Capital (NAC) has been being built since 2015. NAC is expected to be the new capital, become a center for business and investment, house millions of people, and relieve congestion in Cairo. It is going to house the government’s administrative offices but also is designed to attract businesses and foreign investments with high-tech, modern, and sustainable infrastructure. Phase one of the project has nearly been completed, and thousands of people have moved in already and about 48,000 government employees are commuting there from Cairo via an electric train. However, Egypt is still going through a period of economic downturn and has been funded heavily by international funding. Also, what about the people in Cairo and other areas? Will they benefit from the heavy investment in the middle of nowhere? By the way, the new capital is yet to be named.

Read the article and learn about Egypt’s new capital.

https://edition.cnn.com/world/egypt-new-administrative-capital-spc-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4358-3/30/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Nearly 5 million animals dead in Mongolia’s harshest winter in half a century, aid agencies say

Mongolia is the largest landlocked country in the world. With a population of just over three million in 1.56 square kilometers, it is the world’s most sparsely populated state. Mongolia is known for its significant livestock population, including 30 million sheep, 24 million goats, and millions of cattle and horses, which are all vulnerable to the climate conditions. Dzud [zood] is a natural disaster in severe winter following a hot, dry summer in Mongolia. During a dzud, temperatures drop significantly, down to as low as -30 degrees Celsius or even lower, and heavy snowfall covers grazing pastures, which makes it difficult for livestock to find food and leads to widespread livestock deaths, causing significant impact on the lives, communities, and economy of 300,000 nomadic herders. This winter, the dzud was so severe, like one in half a century, that nearly five million animals died, threatening the livelihoods and food supply of those herders. As Mongolia has been affected by climate change, its summer is getting hotter and winter is becoming more severe. How will the people and animals living outside survive in the future?

Read the article and learn about how badly climate change is affecting the lives in Mongolia.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/21/asia/nearly-5-million-animals-dead-in-mongolias-harshest-winter-in-half-a-century-climate-intl-hnk/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4357-3/29/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Nigeria's kidnap crisis: Inside story of a ransom negotiator

As was on Vol.4343-3/15/2024, over 280 students were kidnapped from a secondary and a primary school in a north-western town in Nigeria. The kidnap gangs, known as bandits, demanded ransoms for the release of the hostages. They are often former cattle herders who have little to lose and target farmers’ families of a different ethnic group. Though it is illegal to pay ransom in the country, ransom negotiations and payments seem to be the only way to save the lives of hostages. Since the bandits kidnap children for ransom, they are ready to negotiate. The question is who negotiates with the kidnappers and how. Also, how do those poor families pay the ransom?

Read what a negotiator says about the situations and solutions for kidnapping in Nigeria.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-68612958

Topic Reading-Vol.4356-3/28/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

What people should do about high blood pressure, according to a doctor

Blood pressure is typically measured using two numbers, the top number, the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats, and the bottom number, the pressure in the arteries between heartbeats. A blood pressure reading of 130/80 mm Hg or higher is generally considered high. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a condition where the force of the blood against the artery walls is consistently too high. This can lead to various health complications over time, including heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and other serious conditions. It is estimated that around 1.28 billion adults aged between 30 and 79 have high blood pressure in the world. However, only around half of them are aware of the problem because they don’t notice symptoms of hypertension. Some of the daily habits that would improve the condition include physical activities, a healthier diet, less or no smoking or drinking, stress management, and weight control. But when the blood pressure is too high, like 180/120 mm HG, immediate medication is essential to prevent critical medical conditions like stroke.

Read the article and learn about what high blood pressure could cause to your health conditions.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/20/health/hypertension-high-blood-pressure-heart-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4355-3/27/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

How Temu is shaking up the world of online shopping

You might have used or already are a loyal customer of Temu. Temu is an online marketplace operated by a Chinese e-commerce company Pinduoduo. Temu requires its suppliers to offer the lowest prices. Also, it ships consumer goods directly from producers in China to buyers in other countries. Since each shipment is individually packed, it can take advantage of the de minimis, import duty exemption. So, if you search for a pair of sneakers or a sweatshirt at Temu, you’ll find ones at incredibly low prices as there are no middlemen. In addition, Temu is generous when it comes to providing market data such as consumer demands and sales trends to its suppliers, free of charge. So, consumers find merchandise that matches their tastes. Temu has been growing rapidly, especially in the USA, over 150 million Americans are using the Chinese marketplace regularly. That’s as many as users of TikTok! Consumers seem to be very happy about Temu but what about US suppliers and lawmakers?

Read the article and learn about this growing Chinese online retail giant.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-68563339

Topic Reading-Vol.4354-3/26/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

How not to cry while cutting onions, according to the experts

Onions are essential in many dishes, including curry, pasta, and dumplings. They are beneficial to our healthy diet because they are rich in vitamin C and other natural plant substances that have antioxidant properties. But onions make your eyes burn when you cut or chop them. As many plants have a defense mechanism to avoid being eaten, such as thorns, spines, or bitter taste, onions have a chemical defense mechanism by releasing sulfur compounds, which produce sulfuric acid that irritates our eyes. So, you shouldn’t blame onions for making you cry. But do you have to cry every time you make a culinary, healthy dish with onions? According to experts, there are several ways to avoid or ease the pain. For example, you can use a fan to blow the air near the onions you’re cutting or chopping. Also, you could protect your eyes with goggles. And there are other ways to ease the chemical reactions that hurt your eyes. Onions burn our eyes but they entice our taste buds.

Read the article and learn the tips that might protect your eyes from onion vapors.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/18/health/cutting-onions-cry-tricks-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4353-3/25/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Seven ways to improve your sleep according to science

How long do you usually sleep? Do you often feel sleepy during the day? If you don’t have enough, quality sleep regularly, you might accumulate sleep debt, the difference between how much you need and how much you actually get. Some people try to sleep in on the weekend to recover from the debt but they often end up feeling more tired on Monday morning. Sleeping for seven to nine hours at night regularly is essential for your mental and physical health. Also, you want to take longer Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep and deeper sleep in the winter than in the summer. REM sleep is when we dream and deep sleep is when the body repairs muscles and consolidates memories. If you still feel sleepy during the day, take a catnap or powernap for a few minutes to 15 minutes to recharge energy levels and improve cognitive function. This could avoid falling into a micro-sleep when you sleep for a few seconds to minutes involuntarily. It can be dangerous when you are driving or operating machinery and also annoying when you are attending a class or a meeting. Indeed, how you sleep is as important as how long you sleep.

Read the article and learn about different types of sleep to improve your sleep habits.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240315-the-ultimate-guide-to-optimising-your-sleep

Topic Reading-Vol.4352-3/24/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

This ‘GigaFarm’ in the desert could produce 3 million kilograms of food

The United Arab Emirates, the UAE, is known for its modern infrastructure, diverse economy, and significant oil reserves. Because of the desert climate, there isn’t enough agricultural produce to feed its population of around 10 million, and the Emirates imports over 85% of the food it consumes. In order to secure its food supply in the barren territory, the Emirates chose to invest in a non-agricultural method to produce food, vertical farming. Vertical farming grows crops vertically in stacked layers in controlled environments. It not only maximizes crop production in minimal space but also optimizes resource efficiency, including water, energy, and nutrients. GigaFarm project in Dubai aims to produce three million kilograms of leafy greens, herbs, and vegetable seedlings annually, which represents as much as 1% of the food imports of the Emirates. To make vertical farming cleaner and greener, it plans to transform waste streams, including food scraps and sewage into agricultural products such as compost, animal feed, and clean water. As desertification and deforestation continue to threaten the food supply around the world, vertical farming seems to be a new hope for global food security.

Read the article and learn about another mega project in Dubai, UAE.

https://edition.cnn.com/world/dubai-gigafarm-biggest-vertical-farm-climate-hnk-spc-int/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4351-3/23/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

What happened when the world’s most populous nation turned off TikTok

Released in 2016 by ByteDance, a Beijing-based internet technology company, TikTok, or Douyin in China, is a short video service that hosts user-submitted videos. The mobile app allows users to create short videos that often feature music in the background. When recording videos within the app, they can range from 15 seconds up to three minutes long, but if you are uploading videos to the app, they can be up to 10 minutes long. There are over 700 million Douyin users mainly in China and over one billion TikTok active users in other countries. TikTok has come under scrutiny due to data privacy violations, addictiveness, misinformation, and data collection by the Chinese government. Earlier this month, the US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill that could lead to a nationwide ban against TikTok on the grounds of national security. If the bill passes the Senate and is signed by the President, around 170 million users in the US, or half of the population, will lose access to the popular app. Here is an example of such a case. In 2020, after a violent clash on the India-China border, India abruptly banned TikTok, which shocked the country’s 200 million users. Surprisingly, it didn’t take long before TikTok users found alternatives.

Read the article and learn about what could happen if one popular app becomes unavailable.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/14/tech/india-us-tiktok-ban-analysis-intl-hnk/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4350-3/22/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Denmark to start conscripting women for military service

Denmark is a small Nordic country with a population of just around six million. It has over 400 named and 78 inhabited islands, including Greenland and Faroe Islands. During peacetime, the Danish Defense employs about 27,000 staff, including 20,000 active personnel in the army, navy, and air force. Conscription in Denmark is mandatory for all physically fit men over 18 for at least four months while women can participate voluntarily. In the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Denmark has become more conscious of defense and decided to extend military conscription to women starting in 2026. Also, the standard service time will be extended from four to 11 months, just like Taiwan has done this year. Last year, Denmark decided to abolish a national holiday to boost its GDP and military spending. It’s a rare move for a modern democratic state to adopt such an unpopular move. Just like Sweden and Finland joined NATO, once a potential threat might have become a clear and present danger to these Scandinavian countries.

Read the article and learn about Denmark’s decisive move for defense.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68557038

Topic Reading-Vol.4349-3/21/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

It’s not just what you eat, according to a doctor. It’s when and how

People who eat healthy foods, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and beans, live years longer than those who drink sugary drinks and eat a lot of unhealthy foods like red meat and highly processed food, according to studies. Also, when to eat affects your health. Eating shortly before going to bed could increase heartburn symptoms and disturb your sleep, not to mention a spike in blood sugar levels. What about snacks? As long as you eat healthy foods like fruits and manage how much to consume, it’s perfectly ok. It could also help you avoid eating too much at the next meal. One eating habit you want to avoid is stress eating, which makes you eat more than adequate without realizing how much you’ve eaten. Also, if you eat always alone gazing at the screen of a TV, PC, or smartphone, you may want to think of joining or inviting others to eat with you. This could help you become more conscious of what, how much, and how to eat at a meal.

Read the article and learn how to improve your diet by healthy foods and eating practices.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/02/22/health/diet-food-heart-health-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4348-3/20/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Photographer steps inside Vietnam’s shadowy ‘click farms’

Do you trust likes and dislikes on social media or customer reviews on online shopping sites? Unfortunately, some or many of those responses are created artificially for business. A click farm is a fraudulent operation that generates fake clicks and online activity. Click farms set up a large number of phones and PCs in places where cheap electricity and labor are available, such as China, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Vietnam. They advertise their services online for less than one cent per click, view, or interaction to boost online traffic, visibility, and social media engagement artificially for their clients. They also click paid ads of clients’ business rivals many times to impair their effectiveness and use up their budget. Such service has been used during elections to boost political messages or spread disinformation as well. Despite the efforts by social media platforms like Facebook, X, YouTube, and Instagram, to eliminate such frauds, click farms seem to have found ways to avoid being caught by their detecting algorithms. Are there any ways for viewers to judge if online reviews are genuine or fraudulent?

Read the article and learn about what click farm operations are like.

https://edition.cnn.com/style/vietnam-farms-jack-latham-beggars-honey/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4347-3/19/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Why people are reluctant to call themselves atheists

Of the eight-billion world population, about five billion people are Christians, Muslims, or Hindus. Religious people believe in the existence of one or more deities or a higher power and share ethical values, rules, and morals of the respective religion. On the other hand, non-religious people are individuals who do not identify with any organized religion. Among them, some people who do not believe in the existence of any deities or supernatural beings are called atheists. There are also people who neither affirm nor deny the existence of deities. They are called agnostics. These non-religious people may derive their moral and ethical values from traditions, communities, environments, humanism, or personal principles. However, when they are in a religious people’s community, they are sometimes regarded as heresy and aren’t understood fairly. Accordingly, those non-religious people often hesitate to present their religious identity. Whichever the case might be, religious bias or prejudice won’t help develop personal relationships.

Read the article and learn about religious and non-religious people.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/10/us/atheism-beliefs-explained-cec/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4346-3/18/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Did your chef wash their hands? Handwashing ‘lie detectors’ could find out

While strict protocols of hygiene are taken in place at food factories, what about the hygiene level in restaurants, fast-food shops, and take-out food kitchens? Do plastic gloves like many open kitchen employees wear help prevent food-borne illness from spreading? If the hands aren’t washed thoroughly enough, you could contaminate the gloves with germs when you put them on. Rigorous handwashing, at least for 20 seconds with soap, and drying the hands with a paper towel or by a hand dryer, is essential before touching food or kitchen wares to eliminate gut biome molecules that could transmit foodborne illnesses like norovirus, E. coli, and salmonella. Then the question is if the kitchen staff’s hands are properly washed according to the protocols. Now, there is a machine that can instantly detect residual contaminants on the hands and wrist with light fluorescence spectroscopy. The machine can be placed next to a handwashing station so that the employees can check if their hands are clean enough to touch food. Also, it can alert the restaurant’s operator if there is a kitchen staff whose hands are detected as contaminated and when their employee ID codes are linked with the scanning device. The device seems to ensure the hand cleanliness of the kitchen staff, for themselves, the operator, and the customers.

Read the article and learn about this new technology that could improve hygiene practices in the kitchen.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/08/business/pathspot-restaurant-handwash-lie-detector-device/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4345-3/17/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

How an airplane toilet works at 40,000 feet: The extraordinary science behind everyday flying

When you fly, there are certain things you are most likely to do, especially on a long-haul flight. You breathe the air, drink, eat, use the toilet, wash your hands, and access the Internet if available. How are all these things done safely, cleanly, and comfortably at a speed of over 900 kilometers per hour at 10,000 meters above the ground where the air pressure is about one-third of the sea level and the temperature is below 50 degrees Celsius? For example, toilets are flushed by air pressure, not by water. On a newer aircraft like B787 or A350, cabin air is completely changed in every two to three minutes. As for the Internet, an antenna sits on the top of the aircraft to continually point at satellites. There many things are done differently in the air from on the ground. Nowadays, it is not just leg space or frequent flyer programs that passengers choose airlines. The newer the aircraft is, the more comfortable and enjoyable the inflight experiences seem to be.

Read the article and learn about how in-cabin services and facilities are provided and operated.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/09/travel/how-planes-work-onboard/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4344-3/16/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

A Ramadan etiquette guide for non-Muslims

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and is considered one of the holiest months for Muslims around the world. It is a time of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community for Muslims. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn until sunset, refraining from eating, drinking, smoking, and making love for self-discipline, self-control, and empathy for others. This year’s Ramadan started on March 12^th and ends on April 9^th. As Muslims do not eat or drink after their pre-dawn meal “suhoor” and their break-fast meal “iftar”, what should non-Muslims do with Muslim friends or co-workers during the day? Certainly, you want to refrain from inviting your Muslim friends to lunch or afternoon tea. But what other considerations should you take into account during the day?

Read the article and learn some tips during Ramadan.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/ramadan-etiquette-guide-non-muslims/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4343-3/15/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,Kuriga kidnap: 

More than 280 Nigerian pupils abducted

With a population of over 230 million, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. Also, with rich natural resources like oil and natural gas, its economy is the largest in Africa and 27^th in the world. However, its wealth isn’t shared by most people, and its GDP per capita is ranked 143^rd in the world, meaning there are a lot of people in poverty. In such a country, corruption level and crime rate are both high and sadly, kidnapping for ransom occurs from time to time on a large scale. In 2021 alone, gunmen kidnapped over 300 girls in a school raid in Zamfara state in February, and 140 students went missing after armed men raided a boarding school in Kaduna state in July. Though the government prohibited making ransom payments in 2022, kidnapping is still practiced as business by gang groups, and earlier this month, over 280 students aged between eight and 15 were kidnapped from a school in the northwestern town of Kuriga. How many of them will be able to meet their families?

Read the article and learn about the dark side of Africa’s most prospective country.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-68504329

Topic Reading-Vol.4342-3/14/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Sweden officially joins NATO, becoming alliance’s 32nd member

In 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was established by 12 founding members to defend each other against attacks by third parties, namely the Soviet Union and its ally the Warsaw Pact during the Cold War. The collective security system was joined by the former Soviet allies including Poland, Hungary, and others after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Having been threatened by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2002, Finland and Sweden applied to join the treaty. While Finland was accepted to join the organization a year later, Sweden’s application was approved just earlier this month because Turkey and Hungary hadn’t ratified it. Sweden had maintained a policy of neutrality in armed conflicts from the early 19^th century when it lost a substantial part of the territory after the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) and the Finnish War (1808-1809). Since the collective defense clause in Article 5 of the NATO treaty requires the member states to come to the defense of an attack on any member state, joining the defense treaty is a considerable risk and commitment to the member states while assuring them of military support. What made the former neutral country join NATO as the 32^nd member was the treaty’s hypothetical enemy, Russia.

Read the article and learn about the latest expansion of NATO.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/07/europe/sweden-join-nato-official-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4341-3/13/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Plov: Uzbekistan's rice dish with 'sexual power'

Uzbekistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia. It is famous for its Islamic architecture, historic monuments, and Silk Road legacy like Samarkand. There is a national dish that is inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List. Plov, also known as Osh or Pilaf, is a traditional dish cuisine and holds significant cultural importance in Uzbekistan. It is a flavorful rice dish usually cooked with meat, such as lamb, beef, or chicken, carrots, onions, and various spices including cumin, coriander, and garlic. Plov is often cooked in a large pot called a kazan, and it's commonly served for dozens or even hundreds of guests on special occasions, festivals, weddings, and family gatherings. It's considered a symbol of hospitality. Also, Plov is a popular dish on Thursdays and Sundays for families for historical reasons and aphrodisiac beliefs. Why?

Read the article and learn about Uzbekistan’s national dish.

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20240222-plov-uzbekistans-rice-dish-with-sexual-power

Topic Reading-Vol.4340-3/12/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Why some animals have evolved a sense of humour

Humor is the quality that makes something or some act funny or amusing, which is often expressed through laughter. It arises when something is done differently from what is expected or normal. Humor comes in from body action, wordplay, or awkward movement. As humor can strengthen social bonds, defuse tension, or cope with difficult emotions, it plays a significant role in social interactions. Humor has been thought of as a distinctly human emotion, but studies and observations found that some animals show similar behaviors to each other. For example, great apes like orangutans, chimps, and gorillas show certain teasing behaviors, such as poking, hitting, and body slamming. Also, dolphins are found to produce sounds of joy and elephants trumpet when they are playing with others. Some parrots even tease other animals for fun by whistling at and confusing them. It is still unclear if such acts should be considered humor as we humans do, but some animals seem to show their emotions in response to certain teasing or playful acts by others.

Read the article and think if animals use humor to enhance bonds with others.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240223-do-animals-have-sense-of-humour

Topic Reading-Vol.4339-3/11/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Here’s why Americans drive on the right and the UK drives on the left

Driving which side of the road is the rule of the road and fundamental to traffic flow. Left-hand traffic (LHT) is more common than right-hand traffic (RHT), practiced in over 160 countries and territories mainly in the Americas, Continental Europe, Africa, and mainland Asia. LHT is used in over 70 countries, mainly in former parts of the British Empire, such as the UK, Ireland, India, and Australia. Also, in Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand, cars drive on the left. Combined, the population of LFT accounts for about a third of the world’s population. Why are there different systems in the world? One of the root causes of the different practices dates back to the times when people wore swords, rode horses, and drove carriages. Also, as 90% of people are right-handed, it is convenient to control horses and carriages on the right. But the question still remains. Why did Britain choose LHT?

Read the article and learn about the history of RHT and LHT.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/02/business/why-americans-drive-on-the-right-and-the-british-on-the-left/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4338-3/10/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

More than a billion people obese worldwide, research suggests

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a simple calculation based on your height and weight that gives a general indication of whether you are underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese. The formula is: BMI = weight (kg) / (height (m) x height (m)), or divide your weight in kilograms by your height squared in meters. A BMI below 18.5 is defined as underweight, between 25 and 29.9 as overweight, and 30 or higher as obese. Obesity increases the risk of health problems, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer, while being underweight can be a sign of malnutrition or underlying health conditions and may lead to deficiencies in essential nutrients, weakened immune system, and reproductive issues. A report spanning 1990 and 2022 found that the proportion of the underweight population fell by 50% in the world. In the meanwhile, the obesity rate increased by four times among children and adults. For example, over 70% of the population in tropical island nations like American Samoa and Nauru are obese. Also, nearly 60% of Egyptian women and over 40% of American men are found obese. While people in poorer places are struggling to get enough food, others eat and weigh too much.

Read the article and learn about which countries have serious and pressing weight problems.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-68436642

Topic Reading-Vol.4337-3/9/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Nepal to require all Mount Everest climbers to use a tracking chip

There are eight mountain peaks that exceed 8,000 meters in Nepal, attracting climbers from all over the world. The highest one is Mount Everest, standing at 8,848 meters above sea level. Climbing these peaks is an extreme challenge, demanding physical fitness, mental strength, specialized equipment, and money. For example, climbers of Mount Everest have to pay $11,000 for a climbing permit, and around $20,000 for gear, food, oxygen, and Sherpa guides. Once they obtain permits and get ready, they have to spend weeks at base camp at 5,364 meters high to several weeks acclimatizing to the high altitude. Last year, 478 climbing permits were issued, 12 climbers died, and five others remain missing. In order to shorten search and rescue time in the event of an accident, climbers are now required to rent and equip GPS tracking chips, which will be sewn into their mountain jackets. It costs only $10 to $15 apiece, which might be the most economical yet effective tool to increase the chance of survival. 

Read the article and learn about what it costs to climb the highest peak in the world.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/nepal-mount-everest-climbers-tracking-chip/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4336-3/8/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Why do some animals have 'virgin births'?

The idea of females being able to reproduce without male sperm is a type of asexual reproduction called parthenogenesis, or virgin birth, where an egg develops into an embryo without being fertilized by sperm. Several insect species including aphids, bees, and ants are known to reproduce by parthenogenesis. Also, some reptiles and lizards like the Komodo Dragon, are known to produce their offspring without mating in nature. In captive environments, a number of asexual reproduction cases among sharks and reptiles have been reported for some time. Last month, a female stingray in an aquarium in North Carolina, USA was reported to have become pregnant by herself and produced four pups. Asexual reproduction is the last attempt to pass their genetics onto offspring, and in fact, some populations of whiptail lizards in Mexico reproduce asexually and have formed all-female communities. However, due to a lack of natural selection by sexual reproduction, asexually produced offspring tend to be short-lived or vulnerable to genetic mutations. Remember what the Jurassic Park movie series shows after parthenogenesis?

Enjoy reading the article and learn about parthenogenesis or asexual reproduction.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240229-why-do-some-animals-have-virgin-births

Topic Reading-Vol.4335-3/7/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

What the color of urine tells you about your health

Frequency and urgency of urine are thought to be health indicators of the prostate and bladder. But do you pay attention to the color of your urine? At a glance, you’ll find the hydration level of your body. If it’s light yellow, your hydration is adequate, and if it’s dark yellow, your body needs more water. But if your urine is red or pink, blood might be in the urine, and if it’s continuously dark brown or tea-colored, you might have liver or other health problems. Also, the clarity of your urine is affected by an infection, kidney problems, or side effects of medical treatment. What about the odor? It is quite natural to have a mild odor, but if you smell strong ammonia, you might be dehydrated. So, always check the color, clarity, and odor of your urine, you’ll find the hydration level and might be able to detect underlying health issues.

Read the article and learn about what your urine could show to you.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/02/29/health/urine-color-clarity-odor-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4334-3/6/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Why South Korean women aren't having babies

East Asian countries are in demographic crises. The population of South Korea is around 51 million but only 230,000 babies were born in 2023. Compared to those of Japan’s 125 million population and 750,000 newborns, South Korea had too few newborns. In fact, there were only 0.72 births per woman, the lowest in the world and on record. In Seoul, where about half of the nation’s population lives, the birth rate was only 0.55. Since the replacement level of birth rate is 2.1 births per woman, South Korea is rapidly losing its population. Why South Korean women are choosing a child-free life despite the lucrative support from the government, such as free taxis, hospital bills, and IVF treatments, as well as subsidized housing? Economically, housing and education costs are to blame, both of which are some of the highest in the world, especially in Seoul. Professionally, women work under high pressure to be competitive with their male counterparts. Socially, women are expected to be married to have children. Domestically, men aren’t willing to share house chores and childcare. Even though South Korea’s women have the same rights and opportunities as men, in reality, they seem to be expected to do more than men.

Read the article and learn about why so many women choose not to have children in South Korea.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-68402139

Topic Reading-Vol.4333-3/5/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

The used electric vehicle market could tempt EV-curious drivers

It was late 2017 when Tesla started selling the Model 3 at $44,000 in the US market. In 2023, a little over one million new EVs were sold in the US. However, EVs are still more expensive than their gasoline-powered competitive models. For example, while the starting price of the best-selling sedan, the Toyota Camry, is $27,600, the best-selling EV, the Tesla Model Y, starts at over $43,000. Now, as Hertz, a rental car giant, is selling 20,000 EVs from their fleet, the prices of secondary EVs are going down significantly to become competitive with gasoline-powered new vehicles. Since electricity is more economical than gas to drive the same distance, more people may be interested in trying their first EV even though there are concerns about higher repair costs, uncertain battery life, and limited charging access. It is certainly the time to watch out for the secondary market for EVs.

Read the article and learn about how used EVs might drive the US EV market this year.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20240222-used-electric-vehicle-market-ev-prices