Topic Reading-Vol.5252-9/10/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

UN votes to adopt new world map to reflect Africa's true size

Drawing an accurate two-dimensional flat map of a three-dimensional sphere is mathematically impossible because flattening a globe always introduces distortion. In the 18th century during the colonial era, the Mercator projection became the standard for navigation because it preserves angles and shapes. Even today, it is the most commonly used map projection, including Google Maps. However, it inflates the landmasses the farther they are from the equator. For example, Greenland appears the same size as Africa, but its real size is comparable to the DR Congo alone. Also, Africa appears the same size as South America, but it is actually one and a half times as large. On September 5, sponsored by Togo and supported by the African Union (AU), the “Correct the Map” resolution was adopted at the UN General Assembly. It aims to correct a centuries-old visual bias that makes Africa appear smaller in education, media, and global policy, and to present Africa’s true size. Since the resolution is not binding, Africa might be shown in different proportions on world maps, at least for a while. The USA was the only state that voted against the “Make Africa Greater Resolution”. It seems that the current administration wants to redraw the world map to make America look greater.

Read the article and learn what world maps mean to Africa.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce30vp55dnlo

Topic Reading-Vol.5251-9/9/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

It’s a top guest complaint but many hotels can’t fix it

For a hotel room in the same district, the higher the price you pay, the cleaner and fancier the room you can expect, including cleanliness, furniture, linens, bathroom, and bed. However, until you get into the room or lie in the bed, you may not know how much noise is coming from outside your room, including noise from the street, hall, elevator, icebox, swimming pool, or adjacent rooms, especially when your neighboring guests enter the room late at night and start talking or turn on the TV.  Newly constructed luxury hotels usually have thicker walls and windows that reduce the noise from outside or adjacent rooms. Also, some hotel booking sites show a soundproof sign on the property or rooms. But when other guests talk in the hallway or elevator hall, your sound sleep might be disturbed. One thing you could do is to request a room on a higher floor, in a quieter part of the building, or away from the elevator when you book or check in at the hotel. Another way, budget permitting, is to stay in a suite whose bedroom is separated by at least two doors from the hall. But probably the surest and cheapest tool that helps mitigate a noise problem in your hotel room is to bring earplugs.

Read the article and learn about the noise problem in hotels.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/09/03/travel/noise-hotels-complaints-solutions

Topic Reading-Vol.5250-9/8/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Netherlands moves billions in gold to London in 'crisis preparedness' move

Gold is precious because of its unique physical properties, rarity, and historical admiration. It never rusts or loses its shine even after thousands of years. Also, it is easy to melt and shape, ideal for accessories, and it allows electricity to pass through with very little energy loss, suitable for electronics. About 226,600 tonnes of gold have been mined so far, and nearly 3,600 tonnes are newly mined each year.

Central banks keep gold to diversify their foreign exchange reserves and protect against economic and political risks. Recently, the Dutch central bank (DNB) moved 86 tonnes of gold stock from the USA and Canada to the Bank of England to strengthen its resilience and preparedness under increasing geopolitical unrest. The share of its gold stock in the US was reduced from 31% to 18.5%, while the share in London was increased from 18% to 32%. Does this move reflect the recent ambiguity and unpredictability of US foreign policies? Also, how were the 86 tonnes of gold bars moved across the Atlantic Ocean?

Read the article and learn about the recent Dutch central bank’s $12 billion golden move.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgy51xlz39o

Topic Reading-Vol.5249-9/7/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Health crisis looming as Gaza heads towards rainy season, warns WHO

Located about 76km southwest of Jerusalem on the Mediterranean coast, Gaza is a city in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. It was the most populous city in Palestine with a population of a little over two million. In October 2023, the Gaza war broke out, and the 3-year war has killed over 80,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians. It has also brought out a high humanitarian crisis as Israel destroyed most of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, such as hospitals and schools, and essential services, including water, electricity, and sanitation. Though the fourth peace plan was agreed, Israel’s blockade has still been cutting off daily necessities, including water, food, and medical supplies. Around two million Palestinians still live in Gaza, most of whom are internally displaced, across hundreds of temporary camps and shelters. There, water quality has deteriorated, microbiological contamination skyrocketed, and cases of acute diarrhea have doubled since March. As the rainy season approaches, flooding will occur and then send sewage, waste, and contaminated water into places where displaced people live, which could cause a public health disaster. In addition to supplying daily essentials, building water and sanitation infrastructure is urgently needed for people in Gaza.

Read the article and learn about the health crisis in Gaza.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/1/health-crisis-looming-as-gaza-heads-towards-rainy-season-warns-who

Topic Reading-Vol.5248-9/6/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Forget Starbucks coffee - Gen Z like their drinks ice cold

What drink did you buy at Starbucks last time? Founded in 1971, Starbucks is a global coffeehouse chain that operates more than 40,000 locations in 87 countries. It offers a wide variety of coffee, tea, and other cold drinks, such as iced coffees and teas, cold-brew coffees, and a variety of Frappuccinos. In the US, cold drinks now make up over 70% of Starbucks’s beverage sales. Their Gen Z customers, those who were born between 1997 and 2012, especially like cold drinks, and over 60% of their purchases are cold drinks. They seem to enjoy customizing cold drinks themselves as a form of self-expression and identity, like clothing or hair color. This is good for the coffee chain’s business because the prices of popular Frappuccinos are twice as high as regular coffee. Also, more than 70% of their customers now buy cold drinks year-round, and other fast-food and drinks chains are following suit. Driven by young customers, competition for cold drinks is heating up these days.

Read the article and learn what young people buy at Starbucks.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2r9n2mrp8o

Topic Reading-Vol.5247-9/5/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Google Maps changes Lake Ontario to ‘Lake America’ in US searches

The Great Lakes - Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario - are a group of five large interconnected lakes in North America that provide drinking water for more than 40 million people in Canada and the USA. Four of the lakes, Superior, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, sit along the border between Canada and the United States while Lake Michigan lies entirely within the US. Lake Ontario is the smallest and easternmost of the five lakes, and the Canada-United States border spans the center of the lake. Ontario is the most populous province of Canada and is the home to Ottawa, Canada’s capital, and Toronto, the largest city. Though called by different names during the French colonial era, Lake Ontario has been the common name on both sides of the border. On January 20, 2025, US President Trump directed US federal agencies to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America to promote national pride. Likewise, after failing to reach a trade deal with Canada, he issued an executive order on August 27, renaming "Lake Ontario" to “Lake America.” Now, if you look at Google Maps in the US, you’ll find “Lake America” instead of “Lake Ontario”, while it remains “Lake Ontario” in Canada and other countries. After a few days, Apple followed suit. Will other apps, maps, globes, and publications follow suit, or wait until the midterm elections in November?

Read the article and learn what the name change of a lake could mean to the US and Canada.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/08/30/politics/google-maps-changes-lake-ontario-to-lake-america

Topic Reading-Vol.5246-9/4/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

There's something unique about eating together that's good for us

Today, many diners happily eat their meals with a smartphone in one hand and a fork, spoon, or chopsticks in the other. They don’t necessarily feel lonely eating by themselves because they are busy interacting with others online or watching videos of their interests. In the modern world, we tend to be more isolated than ever before because of technology, business, and lifestyle choices. In the meantime, we are missing opportunities to connect with family, friends, and the community when we eat alone. But commensality, the practice of eating with others, plays an important role in our health, nutrition, and well-being. For example, when we eat alone, we often eat the same or similar foods with fewer ingredients. Studies also find that eating together slows the brain’s aging because the brain becomes more activated to interact with others. Furthermore, when you enjoy eating with others, they also enjoy eating together. Therefore, you shouldn’t hesitate to ask someone to have a meal together because most of the time, people are more receptive to such invitations than you think. Read the article and learn the benefits of commensality.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260825-why-eating-in-company-is-good-for-your-brain