Topic Reading-Vol.5141-5/22/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

As the US starves it of oil, Cuba is pulling off one of the fastest solar revolutions on the planet — with China’s help

Ever since the 1959 revolution led by Fidel Castro, the USA has maintained economic sanctions against Cuba, whose main energy source is oil. The Soviet Union used to be the main oil supplier in the 1980s until its dissolution, and Venezuela had been taking the role until its president was abducted by the USA in early January. Since then, Cuba has experienced nationwide blackouts and severe gasoline shortages. In the meantime, Cuba has been importing more solar panels and batteries from China to reduce its dependence on fuel imports. Now, about 10% of Cuba’s electricity is generated by renewable energy, and the figure is projected to rise to over 24% in a few years. Cuba may soon start importing more solar panels, batteries, EVs, and E-bikes, and become China’s showcase for electrical products for the Central and South American markets. One economic sanction seems to open up new opportunities to others.

Read the article and learn how Cuba is managing the US’s economic sanctions through China’s renewable energy products.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/13/climate/cuba-solar-us-oil-blockade-trump-china

Topic Reading-Vol.5140-5/21/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Snack giant switches to black and white packaging as Iran war hits ink supplies

Once extracted, crude oil is transported to refineries, where it is processed to become fossil fuels (gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, heating oil), industrial materials (asphalt, lubricants, waxes), and naphtha. Naphtha is a crucial raw material used to produce plastics, synthetic rubbers, and also as an industrial solvent to make adhesives, coatings, paints, and printing inks. Due to ongoing tensions in the Middle East from the Iran War, the supply chain for oil-related products, including naphtha, has been severely affected in Asian countries. (Vol. 5139)

On May 25, a Japanese snack giant, Calbee, will change the colorful packaging of its 14 potato chip products to black and white as a naphtha-saving package. The move wasn’t merchandising-oriented but in response to the unstable supply of printing ink. It must have been a big decision to make because they will look very odd among the colorful packages of competitive products on the shelves. Also, the regular buyers who are used to picking up their favorite flavored chips by color have to read the package carefully. Will we see more black-and-white packaging as the tension in the Middle East continues?

Read the article and see the images of black-and-white potato chip packaging.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78k405j8pdo

Topic Reading-Vol.5139-5/20/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Modi urges Indians to WFH and limit foreign travel as Iran war continues

The effects on economies caused by the war in Iran and the choking of the Strait of Hormuz have been significant, especially for Asian countries, whose over 80% of oil and gas imports come through the strait. Prices of oil products, such as gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel, skyrocketed and raised the cost of running businesses and traveling. Also, the shortage of oil products is so severe that some transportation services, including airlines, taxis, and deliveries, have been reduced or suspended. To cope with the prolonged shortage, Sri Lanka, for example, is rationing fuel and running public services like schools and government services on a four-day work week. Recently, the Prime Minister of India, the world’s most populous country, spoke to its people to conserve the use of oil products by austerity measures, including working from home, using public transportation instead of driving cars, and reducing foreign travel. He even called for “patriotism” by living daily lives responsibly to conserve fuel use because India imports 90% of its oil. When import bills rise, the currency exchange rate becomes weaker and the cost of living increases. Inflation or austerity?

Read the article and learn about Modi’s call for austerity measures to 1.4 billion people.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8r8e2ne1v6o

Topic Reading-Vol.5138-5/19/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

AI isn’t actually ‘taking’ your job. Here’s what’s happening instead

Tens of thousands of jobs have been eliminated so far in the US due to, or in part due to, AI. Will there be further job cuts as AI is taking more human roles in workplaces? At this stage, AI is primarily taking over jobs that involve repetitive, data-driven, or predictable tasks, such as data entry, basic customer service, entry-level analysis or evaluation, proofreading, bookkeeping, and software coding. In the meantime, AI doesn’t always replace a whole human, but it automates certain parts of jobs. In fact, many companies are reallocating human staff or reassigning tasks among humans and AI. That’s why not all office workers are threatened to lose their jobs overnight. But as AI models evolve, they will take on more office tasks. Also, when more practical and dependable physical AI, like autonomous humanoid robots, are deployed in workplaces, they will not only help human laborers but also may replace them. New technologies have been freeing humans from physical, repetitive tasks and giving us the chance to do more brain-demanding or skill-requiring jobs. Which jobs will be more valued in the era of AI?

Read the article and learn about the influence of AI in workplaces.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/10/tech/ai-taking-jobs

Topic Reading-Vol.5137-5/18/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

The underground salt kingdom that became one of Europe’s strangest attractions

First excavated in the 13th century, the Wieliczka Salt Mine in the southeast of Krakow, Poland, is a historical salt mine. Though mining ceased in 1996, it still produces more than 10,000 tons of salt annually by evaporating underground salt water. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, drawing as many as two million visitors a year. They can descend 380 steps or ride an elevator to labyrinthine passageways to preserved chambers hollowed out from the rock by hand. Inside the mine, 99% of the rock is salt, and visitors are encouraged to lick it to taste it. There are many chambers, sculptures, and displays, all created by salt to allure visitors. Indeed, salt is essential to human life and the economy. In the 14^th century, revenue from extraction accounted for as much as a third of Poland’s royal income. Today, the mine still produces salt, employs nearly 400 miners for maintenance, and generates handsome tourism revenues.

Read the article and see the amazing world of the salt mine.  

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/wieliczka-salt-mine-tours-poland

Topic Reading-Vol.5136-5/17/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

'Think outside the bots': How to stop AI from turning your brain to mush

How often do you handwrite something or do calculations in your head? Typewriters and calculators made humans’ primary skills inessential more than half a century ago. When search engines appeared, we stopped turning the pages of books to look for information. Then with GPS and a map app on smartphones, we get the directions in the blink of an eye without consulting a map. All these technologies are so convenient that we use and rely on them without hesitation. Now, if we ask something, AI will do the mental labor. In other words, we can outsource cognitive tasks to AI without realizing how reliant we are becoming on the technology and lose the chance to exercise our brains. Studies suggest that those who rely heavily on AI tools might impair their memory, attention span, creativity, and critical thinking. Just like our muscles need to be developed and used, our brains also need to be regularly exercised to stay in shape. Indeed, AI seems to act as a double-edged sword.

Read the article and learn what AI could do to our brain power.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260505-how-to-use-ai-without-turning-your-brain-to-mush

Topic Reading-Vol.5135-5/16/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Singapore says teachers can cane students as young as 9 in new anti-bullying strategy

Corporal punishment, such as hitting, spanking, or caning, is designed to cause physical pain to punish criminals or correct unruly behavior. While it is banned in many countries, corporal punishment is still practiced in some countries, including Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Nigeria, as a disciplinary measure for violent offenses, robbery, and vandalism. Singapore is a highly developed country and well known for its effective education system. It is governed by strict laws to keep the city-state competitive and orderly, including corporal punishment as a disciplinary tool for judicial penalties, in homes, and schools. Though it is a last resort for serious misconduct such as bullying, caning is officially allowed in schools. It must be approved by the school principal and conducted only by authorized personnel under strict guidelines. Only boys nine years old or older could be disciplined by corporal punishment in the hope of helping them learn from their mistakes. School girls who bully others may face serious disciplinary actions, including detention, suspension, lower conduct grades, and school-based sanctions, but not caning. Is corporal punishment effective only on boys, if at all?

Read the article and learn about corporal punishment in schools in Singapore.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/06/asia/singapore-schools-caning-scli-intl