Topic Reading-Vol.4727-4/3/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

What’s the riskiest part of your flight? It isn’t cruising at 40,000 feet

After checking in luggage, clearing security check, waiting for boarding, and fighting space for overhead bin, you are seated and relaxed for flight. When the airplane starts descending for landing, you feel relieved from the stress of the flight and are looking forward to the next event. But these are the most critical moments for air travel. In the USA, there were 1,468 accidents last year alone, 770 of which occurred on landing and 124 during take off. When descending for landing, the aircraft is losing altitude, speed, and maneuverability, thus, it is left with limited options to cope with challenging conditions like turbulence, bird strike, functional failure, or human error. In fact, since descending and landing are the most dangerous moments, unnecessary conversation or activity is not permitted in the cockpit below 10,000 feet to ensure pilots are fully focused on controlling the aircraft. What passengers can do during these critical moments is to fasten their seatbelts tightly and follow any instructions given by the crew members.

Read the article and learn about the risks of air travel.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/29/travel/takeoff-landings-riskiest-part-of-your-flight/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4726-4/2/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

The world's strongest ocean current should be getting faster – instead, it is at risk of failing

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) is a wind-driven surface oceanic current encircling Antarctica that flows clockwise from west to east. It’s like a moat around the icy continent that helps to keep warm water away from Antarctica’s ice sheets and protect its biodiversity from invasive species. As the strong current connects the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans like a conveyor belt, it also plays a vital role in regulating the global climate. New research has found that this current is slowing as cool water from melting Antactica’s ice dilutes the salty water of the ocean, allowing warmer water to come closer to Antarctica and melt its ice shelves. This ice-melting and weakened circumpolar current spiral would further weaken the ocean’s ability to regulate climate change and disrupt global climate patterns. Studying this remote and vast ocean current seems to help us learn more about global climate, but reducing fossil fuel emissions is more essential and imminent to curb global warming.

Read the article and learn what the Antarctic Circumpolar Current is about and what it does to the global climate.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250303-the-worlds-strongest-ocean-current-is-at-risk

Topic Reading-Vol.4725-4/1/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

EU urges citizens to stockpile 72 hours’ worth of supplies amid war risk

It took nearly three years for the US to get involved in WWI and took over two years in WWII. In 1949, member states of the North Atlantic Treaty (NATO) signed article 5, which states an attack on one member is considered an attack on all and reaffirms the member states’ commitment to collective defense. However, due to the uncertainty and unpredictability of the US president’s foreign policies, the US's support to maintain peace in Europe is becoming questionable, which made European leaders feel the need to upgrade readiness for hostile events. They’ve already started improving military mobility, stockpiling, and fostering operational cooperation across the union. Recently, citizens of the 27 EU states were advised to store enough water, food, and other essential supplies for at least three days to prepare for an emergency, including Russia’s military aggression, disruption of critical infrastructure, and electronic warfare. In 1939, Nazi Germany invated and occupied the Czech after previsouly acquiring the Sudetenland via the Munich Agreement in 1938. In 2014, Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and invaded the country in 2022. History seems to repeat itself.

Read the article to learn what European leaders are preparing for.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/26/europe/european-union-stockpile-member-states-intl-latam/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4724-3/31/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Why are a growing number of airlines banning power banks on flights?

The world of inflight entertainment has been changing from airline-provided services like featured movies and music to individual passengers’ devices such as smartphones and tablets. Even for long-haul transcontinental or transoceanic flights, more passengers nowadays are enjoying themselves with downloaded or streaming content on their devices powered by lithium-ion batteries, which are commonly used not only for mobile devices but also for drones, e-bikes, and EVs, and some passengers use portable power banks to charge their mobile devices during flights. The problem with lithium batteries is that they can overheat and even cause fire or explosion because they are made with highly reactive and flammable materials. It is suspected that a lithium battery was the cause of the fire on an Airbus plane in South Korea earlier this year. Now, more airlines in Asia are tightening rules on lithium power banks on their flights. As more aircraft are equipped with power outlets like USB ports and AC outlets, passengers might check the airline’s regulations and services before packing. 

Read the article and learn how lithium-ion batteries are being regulated by airlines. 

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/26/travel/airline-power-bank-rules-explainer-intl-hnk/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4723-3/30/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

A simple illustrated guide to zakat, answers to 7 common questions

These practices are referred to as the Five pillars of Islam because they form the foundation of Muslim life; the declaration of faith (shahada, lifetime), prayer (salah, five times a day), alms-giving (zakat, after Ramadan or any time), fasting (sawm, a month in Ramadan), and pilgrimage (hajj, once in a life). After a month of annual fasting (Ramadan), many eligible Muslims fulfill another pillar of their faith-giving Zakat, which means to purify wealth, promote social justice, and help those in need. It is mandatory for Muslims whose wealth exceeds a certain amount throughout the year. The Zakar rate is 2.5% of the wealth, which includes money, valuables, investments, and assets, but not the house they live in. Zakat is given directly or indirectly to those who need financial support but not to the immediate family members of the giver. Zakat is tax-deductible like donations in most Islamic states. 

Read the article and learn about Zakad, one of the five pillars of Islam.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/23/a-simple-illustrated-guide-to-zakat-answers-to-7-common-questions

Topic Reading-Vol.4722-3/29/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Chinese tourists redefine bucket list

According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China, domestic tourism saw nearly a 15% increase in 2024 with over 5.6 billion visits. Accordingly, travelers spent 17% more than the previous year. In general, Chinese people tend to travel extensively during the Lunar New Year (Spring Festival) in Jan/Feb, the National Day holiday (Golden Week) in May, and the summer months. Yes, there still are a lot of tourist groups being led by tour guides with flags in popular tourist destinations. However, instead of just visiting travel destinations and seeing popular things, people are now more interested in diverse activities and immersive experiences, such as local dining, unique accommodations, and leisure activities. These things and activities are introduced not by travel guidebooks or websites but more likely by short video platforms. Also, some travelers prefer visiting lesser-known destinations (reverse tourism) and others seek budget-friendly substitutes (alternative tourism). With a nearly 50,000 km high-speed rail network, more than 250 civil airports, and over 180,000 km highway length, People in China are more mobile both physically and digitally. 

Read the article and learn how people in China enjoy traveling these days.

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202503/24/WS67e09caba310c240449dc63c_1.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4721-3/28/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Amazon forest felled to build road for climate summit

Belém ([beˈlẽj], Portuguese for Bethlehem) is a northern Brazilian city that lies about 100 km upriver from the Atlantic Ocean. It is the gateway to the Amazon River with a population of a little over two million and is known as the city of the Metropolis of the Brazilian Amazon region.  This is where the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference, the 30th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 30) will convene in November this year. The Brazilian president expects the COP30 in Belém to be a historic summit because it is "a COP in the Amazon, not a COP about the Amazon" as the conference will focus on the needs of the Amazon and present what the Brazilian government has done to protect it. In order to host over 50,000 people at the climate summit, a new four-lane highway is being constructed through the protected Amazon rainforest. Also, the airport capacity is being expanded from seven million to 14 million even though it has been used by fewer than four million passengers a year. The COP summit is surely going to have impacts on the Amazon’s climate, biodiversity, and the lives of inhabitants. 

Read the article and learn about how the COP 30 climate summit is being prepared in Brazil.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9vy191rgn1o