Topic Reading-Vol.3320-5/14/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Hundreds party in Spain as coronavirus curfew ends in most of the country

Young people tend to gather and party to celebrate when they feel liberated. Before a lockdown took place to prevent the coronavirus from spreading, bars, pubs, and streets in European cities were packed with people who wanted to socialize with others. Now, when the 11 pm curfew was lifted in many regions in Spain, large crowds gathered and partied in parks and beaches without face masks or social distancing. Though the number of positive tests has been declining and the number of people who had received vaccination has been increasing, thousands of new cases are being reported each day in the country. Yes, Spaniards are known for eating and drinking with family and friends. Also, they eat dinner very late and enjoy night activities afterward. So, it must have been so frustrating for them not to go out with their friends late at night than others. Still, Covid-19 is spreading and evolving. And there is no effective medication to treat the patients. If one is infected, he or she could infect more than one person. Have they forgotten how deadly and contagious the coronavirus is? Nearly 80,000 people have lost their lives in Spain.

Read the article and think about what makes people behave themselves and feel liberated.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/05/09/europe/spain-covid-curfew-party-intl-scli/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3319-5/13/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Retired circus elephants get new home with plenty of room to roam

Founded in 1871, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey had been the most famous and long-lived American traveling circus company until the last performance was shown in 2017. The circus traveled across the country on two special train units, each of which was a mile long with 60 cars. Among other show animals were 12 female Asian elephants, ranging from 8 to 38 years old, that were all born in the US. So, what do you think happened to those no-longer-employed giant mammals? Fortunately, there is a wildlife refuge in Florida that took all of them. When they arrived, the carers were worried if those completely domesticated elephants in their entire lives would adapt themselves to the new wild environment. To their surprise, it didn’t take days for them to get used to the sanctuary and now they seem to enjoy their retirement life in the new habitat.

Even though they were used to live with humans, elephants are elephants. DNA matters. They are fortunate partly because they are endangered species, but not all the animals can enjoy this happy retirement.

Enjoy reading the article and seeing the video to see how retired circus elephants are enjoying their life in a sanctuary.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/05/06/us/circus-elephant-refuge-trnd-scn/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3318-5/12/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Why treating Covid-19 with drugs is harder than you think

A vaccine is a biological preparation. It provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease but doesn’t cure the disease. So, the development of new antiviral drugs is essential in order to cope with the coronavirus. But it takes years to develop new antiviral drugs while the novel virus is already mutating and evolving rapidly. One way to deal with the present symptoms is to reuse existing drugs that have already been approved and used. Unfortunately, there are only a few effective antivirals because viruses are more diverse than bacteria. Also, viruses sometimes become inactive and later become reactivated. This makes the treatment more complex and repetitive especially for patients whose immunity is weak.

All in all, the race against the coronavirus is ever-challenging. This is where human ingenuities, artificial intelligence, and corporations beyond borders are more essential than ever before.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about how difficult to overcome the coronavirus.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210430-why-arent-antiviral-drugs-as-effective-as-antibiotics

Topic Reading-Vol.3317-5/11/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Zoom CEO: My advice for remote workers who are on video meetings all day

Since the pandemic began last year, many people have been working or studying more remotely than before. Some people found it more convenient, efficient, and productive, and now prefer online work or study to onsite. But other people are experiencing fatigue with video meetings, conferences, and classrooms. One reason for this is that people haven’t learned to manage or cannot schedule video meetings. Yes, video meetings give people the chance to interact with anyone, anywhere, and anytime, which might have added more meetings than they normally have in a single day. It is indeed an advantage but is also stress and pressure. And such video meeting fatigue is experienced not only by frontline workers and managers but even by the CEO of Zoom! Now, the founder and CEO of the video meeting giant gives his users some advice to limit strain from a high volume of video conference meetings.

In the end, what is essential is to enhance both productivity and satisfaction like work-life balance.

Enjoy reading the tips to work online by Zoom CEO.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/05/04/perspectives/zoom-ceo-eric-yuan-video-meetings/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3316-5/10/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Taiwan Strait: Claim man who crossed sea in dinghy investigated

The Taiwan Strait is a 180-kilometer-wide strait separating the island of Taiwan and mainland China. Though the narrowest part is only 130 kilometers, the strait divides the two sides the most widely even though many of the inhabitants share the same roots and speak the same language. Unlike the Berlin Wall or the 38th parallel north, both of which were created by foreign pressure during the Cold War, The People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC) have been separated by their own wills since 1949 when the Chinese Civil War ended. While China considers Taiwan as part of their territory, Taiwan claims as a sovereign state. As China’s naval power grows, the tension between the two has also increased. In fact, the Taiwan Strait is one of the most heavily policed waterways in today’s world.

Recently a Chinese man was found near the port of Taichung, a central town on the island’s west coast. He claimed he had crossed the strait in a rubber dinghy by himself for defection. Taiwan’s officials are very much worried if there are any loopholes in their coast guard. It is also assumed that China’s coastguard is under scrutiny if what the defector claims is true.

A solo journey in a rubber boat may be too ambiguous to detect for the state of art radar systems, other technologies, or human eyes.

Enjoy reading the article about a recent annoyance to both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-56971823

Topic Reading-Vol.3315-5/9/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Consumption month launched nationwide to encourage spending

China’s consumption is on the rise. In March, retail sales in China grew 13% over that of March 2019, the same period before the pandemic. And the government is promoting consumption to boost the domestic economy further. They started the 2021 National Consumption Promotion Month on May Day in Shanghai to boost consumption. Indeed, an increase in consumption spending drives retail sales, increases production, and stimulates employment especially for the industries that were affected by the pandemic. The nationwide event was first held in September last year. Then, about 100 large and medium-sized cities in 31 provinces across the nation organized 10,000 key enterprises and major e-commerce platforms to host consumption promotional activities featuring the integration of online and offline channels, combination of products and services, as well as integration of business, travel, culture, tourism, shopping, and entertainment elements.

While many countries are still struggling to contain the coronavirus, China seems to be already stepping ahead of the world to recover the economy.

Enjoy reading the article and learn what is China doing while India is marking more Covid cases and deaths every day.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202105/02/WS608e228aa31024ad0babbb7c_1.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3314-5/8/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Then and now: When silence descended over Victoria Falls

Located on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls is one of the largest waterfalls in the world. As it stretches 1.7 kilometers in width and drops water 100 meters, it is one of the natural wonders and world heritage sites. However, the gigantic falls became silent in 2019 when the water flow of the Zambezi river decreased severely because of the worst drought in a century. It affected tourism, hydroelectric generation, and food production in Zambia. Just like glaciers are retreating and ice sheets are melting, silenced waterfalls are another clear evidence of global warming. As Africa’s population is expected to increase from 1.3 billion now to 4.3 billion in 2050, the continent, especially the sub-Saharan region, is going to be affected the most by climate change. While Africa is the land of opportunity as an increasing number of younger people become workers and consumers, it is also on the front line of the battle against the climate crisis and the subsequent consequences like water shortage, food security, droughts and floods, and biodiversity.

The silence in Victoria Falls is one of the most vocal calls for immediate action.

Enjoy reading the article and think about how the world should tackle the population increase and climate crisis at the same time.

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-56902340