Topic Reading-Vol.5024-1/25/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Global temperatures dipped in 2025 but more heat records on way, scientists warn

Though 2025 was not the hottest year, the last three years were the hottest on record, having exceeded 1.4 °C above pre-industrial levels of the late 1800s. Extreme weather events linked to global warming continued, such as heatwaves in Europe and the Indian subcontinent, cyclones and pre-monsoon rains in South Asia, wildfires and floods in the USA, to name a few. Though sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific were cooler due to La Niña conditions in 2025, it was nearly as warm as the previous two warmer El Niño years. As the world is experiencing rapid warming at the upper end of the long-term expectations, ice sheets in polar regions and glaciers are melting faster than ever. When we look back this year from 2050, we would most likely see that the 2020s were cooler years than then.

Read the article and learn about how warm 2025 was.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y5p9rzd4ko

Topic Reading-Vol.5023-1/24/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

India asks e-commerce apps to stop '10-minute' delivery service

Q-commerce, or quick commerce, is a type of e-commerce where food and merchandise are delivered within hours or even less than an hour. It became very popular during the COVID-19 pandemic in many parts of the world, especially in cities in China, South Asian countries, and India, where small motorcycle riders navigate through traffic. Also, as gig workers and online platforms increase, Q-commerce has become an essential part of city life and the economy. In India, competition among both gig workers and Q-commerce platforms has intensified so much that deliveries are now expected within 10 minutes. However, this could put too much pressure on delivery riders whose performance is constantly monitored and rated by both customers and online platforms. Recently, the Indian government “asked” Q-commerce platforms to decline the 10-minute delivery promise to lessen the pressure on delivery riders for their safety. How much relief will be given to those riders who can earn more money if they deliver items faster?

Read the article and learn about India’s Q-commerce dilemma.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy8pkvl78pmo

Topic Reading-Vol.5022-1/23/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Last year was Ukraine's deadliest for civilians since 2022, UN says

The early phase of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 began in April 2014 in Donbas, Ukraine’s border region with Russia, when Russian-backed fighters seized several towns. The United Nations estimated that about 4,400 Ukrainian fighters and 3,400 civilians were killed before 2022. The number of Ukrainian casualties has surged since Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022. It is estimated that over 100,000 Ukrainian forces were killed or missing, more than 14,000 civilians were killed, and nearly 40,000 were wounded. Last year alone, no fewer than 2,500 civilians lost their lives, the deadliest year since 2022. Also, many Ukrainians are now suffering from sub-zero cold as Russia continues to attack the energy infrastructure. Spring is still a month away, and peace is unforeseen anytime soon, yet the number of casualties is increasing each day in Ukraine.

Read the article and learn how deadly and cruel the war is.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gv27517yxo

Topic Reading-Vol.5021-1/22/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Landmark Rohingya genocide case against Myanmar heard at top UN court

There are two international courts in The Hague, the Netherlands. One is the International Criminal Court (ICC), an international court to prosecute individuals for international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. The other is the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN), which settles legal disputes between states and gives advisory opinions on international law. Gambia, a muslim-majority African country, filed suit against Myanmar, a Buddhist South Asian country, for brutal and vicious violations committed against the Rohingya, a Muslim minority in Myanmar’s Rakhine province. Just during the 2017 military crackdown, thousands of Rohingya Muslims were killed in the province, and more than 750,000 fled their homeland for sprawling camps in neighboring Bangladesh. Now, more than one million Rohingya refugees live in overcrowded camps in the Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh, forming the world’s largest refugee settlement.

The incumbent regime of Myanmar is a military junta, which seized power in a coup in 2021, overthrowing the democratically elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. Who and what groups in Myanmar are responsible for this large-scale, prolonged persecution of the Rohingya people?

Read the article and learn about the severe suffering of the Rohingya people.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7v07m3pr75o

Topic Reading-Vol.5020-1/21/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

'I feel free': Australia's social media ban, one month on

To protect the mental health and wellbeing of young teenagers from cyberbullying, harmful content, self harm, online predators, and addictive platform designs, Australia started requiring popular SNS platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X, and YouTube, to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under 16 from having accounts on their platforms on December 10 last year. They can still have access to non-age-restricted social media platforms, such as Discord, Google Classroom, LEGO Play, Messenger, Pinterest, Roblox, WhatsApp, and YouTube Kids. Like adults, many young people rely on social media as a tool to manage boredom, stress, and social anxiety, and to connect with their peers and loved ones. So, what happened to the young Australians who were disconnected from their familiar platforms? After the initial shock, are they now spending more time on non-screen activities like sports, reading, or talking with their friends or families more, or just alternatively using other accessible SNSs or games?

Read the article and find out what Australian teenagers have been doing since their favorite social media was banned.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0mpmgn3jv2o

Topic Reading-Vol.5019-1/20/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers,　

Five lifestyle tweaks to help you live well for longer

We all want to live well for longer, physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, spiritually, and perhaps economically to some extent. But as we age, both physical and cognitive functions decline, but not at the same pace for everyone. Like exercise keeps our muscles stronger, keeping our minds active helps maintain our brain connections, and therefore, functions. For example, learning something new, eating a variety of vegetables and fruits, doing a little more physical exercise, and being socially active all have positive effects on your well-being. You can enjoy these benefits and improve your physical and mental well-being by making small changes consistently without changing everything at once.

Read the article and learn how you can enjoy your life better and longer.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260102-five-lifestyle-tweaks-to-help-you-live-well-for-longer

Topic Reading-Vol.5018-1/19/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Bottle-to-throttle: The precautions airlines take to make sure your pilot is sober

Commercial pilots should not sit in the cockpit under any influence of alcohol or drugs. They are mandated to take a breathalyzer test before a flight. But how sober do they need to be to fly an airplane? To your surprise, there is no universal law that applies to all airlines. Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) is widely used to measure how much alcohol remains in the bloodstream. In the USA, the BAC limit for driving is 0.08% for adults. To sit in the airplane cockpit, however, some countries require a BAC below 0.04%, others limit up to 0.02%, while India implements no tolerance. Also, some airlines enforce a minimum cool-off time between drinking alcohol and reporting for duty, called the bottle-to-throttle window, like 12 hours by Delta and United airlines and 24 hours by Japan Airlines. The airline also bans drinking during hotel layovers. Just like a surgeon, vet, or driver, flight crew members are expected to be alcohol free when they perform their duties.

Read the article and learn how sober commercial pilots need to be to fly.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/bottle-to-throttle-sober-pilots-flying-alcohol