Topic Reading-Vol.4822-7/7/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

How China made electric vehicles mainstream

China is the world’s largest automobile and EV country. Over 30 million new cars were sold in 2024 alone, more than the combined sales of the US and Europe. Among the new cars sold that year, over six million were battery-only vehicles (BEVs) and around 4.5 million were plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHVs). Combined, about 10 million electric vehicles, more than the EV sales in all the other countries combined. While other developed countries are seeing slower EV sales in recent years, China’s EV sales are growing fast. In fact, German, US, and Japanese automakers have somehow slowed down their EV sales projections. How has China become the leading EV country in the world? The price is one thing. The price tags of entry-level EVs are as low as those of conventional gasoline-powered vehicles. Also, government subsidies and incentives for EV and battery manufacturers and charging stations are quite substantial. In addition, registration and running costs are both much cheaper for EVs than those of conventional vehicles. Government’s strategies, commitment, incentives, and subsidies are all there in China to develop the industry in just a decade or so. The fast-growing industry is facing an overcapacity problem.

Read the article and learn about how China has become the leader in EV sales.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2d5ld8y8pwo

Topic Reading-Vol.4821-7/6/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

North Korea just opened a beach resort for 20,000 people. But who will visit?

Started in 1998, North Korea allowed South Korean tourists to visit Mount Kumgang, a 1,638- high mountain on the east coast of the country. Hundreds of thousands of tourists visited there each year until it was closed in 2008 when a South Korean tourist was shot in a restricted military zone. Last month, the secretive authoritarian country opened a new beach resort, the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, that is designed to welcome foreign visitors. The supreme leader Kim Jong-Un himself appeared at the inauguration event with his family and cut the ribbon. The Russian ambassador and staff also attended the ceremony to show their friendship with one of their remaining few allies. Though the resort is intended to earn foreign currencies, only a limited number of Russian tour groups are granted permission to visit the beach resort at the moment. Even though this newly opened resort looks no different from other beach resorts in the world, curious travellers might be interested in spending time and enjoying the services in one of the most secretive countries in the world.

Read the article and think if you’re interested in visiting North Korea’s beach resort.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/26/travel/north-korea-kalma-beach-resort-tourism-intl-hnk

Topic Reading-Vol.4820-7/5/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

More than a third of this country’s population has applied to relocate

Located about midway between Australia and Hawaii, Tuvalu is an island country in the Polynesian subregion of the Pacific Ocean. Around 10,000 people live in the land areas of only 26 km² on three reef islands and six atolls. Tuvalu’s average elevation is just two meters above sea level, and the highest elevation is only 4.6 meters. As sea level rises, the island nation is predicted to become uninhabitable by the end of the century. When Australia opened a window for Tuvalians to apply for 280 permanent residency visas in June, over 4,000 Tuvalians applied for the visa scheme. The winners will be chosen by a random ballot in the next six months. Tuvalu is now trying to recreate everything they have, land, history, culture, and governmental functions, into a digital space. Also, Australia has committed to recognizing Tuvalu as an independent sovereign country even after its land disappears into the sea. But will all the residents be relocated to other places in time? There are other low-lying places in the world whose residents will also need to be relocated.

Read the article and learn how desperate Tuvaluans are to move to higher lands.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/27/australia/tuvalu-relocation-visa-australia-climate-intl-hnk

Topic Reading-Vol.4819-7/4/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

South Korea banned dog meat. So what happens to the dogs?

Dog meat is consumed in several countries, including Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, China, and South Korea. However, it has become less common in South Korea. According to a 2020 survey, over 80% of South Koreans had never eaten dog meat, and a government poll in 2024 found only 8% of respondents had eaten dog meat in the prior 12 months. So, in January 2024, the South Korean government passed a law banning the sale and production of dog meat, which will become effective in 2027 after a three-year grace period. If dog breeders stopped producing dogs for meat immediately, the number of dogs for meat would have gradually decreased, and would be zero when the trade is prohibited. However, most dog farmers have to make their living with dogs and cling to the business until the very end. According to government estimates, there are still nearly half a million dogs in dog farms. Since most of them are medium to large breeds, it is difficult to find their foster families in South Korea, where housing prices have soared in recent years. Also, rescue shelters are already overcrowded. Some are exported to other countries like Canada or the US, where larger dogs are popular as pets. But unless their homes are found, many of those dogs might be euthanized, instead of being eaten. Only 18 months left before the grace period ends.

Read the article and learn about the challenges to phase out an established business and practice.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20r7lkel68o

Topic Reading-Vol.4818-7/3/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

The Eiffel Tower is closed to tourists due to searing heat. Here’s why it’s happening

Heat waves have become more frequent, intense, and longer because of climate change caused by humans, and Europe is warming faster than any other continent. In Spain, the average temperature in June surpassed the normal average for July and August. The UK, where fewer than 5% of homes are equipped with air conditioning, recorded its second warmest June since records began in 1884. At the Wimbledon tennis tournament, the players had to not only cope with their opponents but also struggle with the heat on the court. In Portugal, 46.6 degrees Celsius was recorded, the record-high temperature for June. In France, the Eiffel Tower summit was closed to tourists on June 30 and July 1 due to due to the searing heat. Also, the heat wave caused wildfires in Turkey, forcing 50,000 people to evacuate. The high water temperatures in the Mediterranean Sea and hot air flowing north from Africa are causing humidity and high temperatures across Europe. Sounds like a mid-summer phenomenon, but it occurred in June. How hot will this summer be?

Read the article and learn about Europe’s pre-summer heat.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/01/weather/europe-heat-wave-global-warming

Topic Reading-Vol.4817-7/2/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

What does hot weather do to the body?

It’s summer in the northern hemisphere. Summer is becoming longer and more severe with higher temperatures and heat waves of over 40 °C. Can our bodies withstand such heat? Our bodies function best at a core temperature of about 37 °C. When the outside temperature rises, our bodies try to regulate body temperature by opening up blood vessels, which leads to lower blood pressure and makes the heart work harder to pump blood throughout the body. Also, as we sweat, our bodies lose fluids and salt disproportionally, so that their balance changes. As a result, we may feel dizziness, nausea, fainting, muscle cramps, and or headaches, typical symptoms of heat exhaustion. If you feel any of such symptoms in the heat, you should cool your body and skin, lie down, drink a lot of water or rehydration drinks. But if someone doesn’t recover from heat exhaustion within half an hour, feels confused or nauseous, vomits, stops sweating, experiences a high temperature over 40°C, or loses consciousness, the person is likely suffering from heatstroke and needs medical emergency. Since the climate is changing faster than how much our bodies can adapt, we need to adapt our lifestyles and activities to the heat.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy7n6m7y6yvo

Topic Reading-Vol.4816-7/1/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Is an apple a day really good for your health?

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away" is a well-known English proverb, but is it true? Like any other fruit, apples are a good source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Also, apples are rich in polyphenols, which are beneficial plant compounds with antioxidant properties. However, the apple is not the only fruit that has such health and nutritional benefits. What makes apples so beneficial to our health is that they are so widely available, mostly affordable, and have a long shelf life. Unlike bananas or papayas, apples are grown in many regions worldwide. Because of their availability, apples are economically and environmentally friendly. Also, apples can be stored longer than other seasonal fruits like strawberries or oranges. Indeed, apples are nearly everyone’s fruit almost throughout the year. But do apples really keep the doctor or pharmacists away?

Read the article and learn what apples may do to your health.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250620-is-an-apple-a-day-really-good-for-your-health