Topic Reading-Vol.5147-5/28/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

From AI to interceptors, Ukraine is trying to drone-proof its skies

The US’s Patriot missile system was originally developed in the 1980s as an anti-aircraft defence system, and it has evolved into an anti-missile defence system. Though it costs a few million dollars per shot, it is a reliable, cost-effective air defense system against more expensive ballistic missiles or aircraft. But during the prolonged Russian invasion of Ukraine, the tools and cost of air attack and defense have changed quite significantly. As hundreds of drones fly hundreds of kilometers beyond borders and attack buildings and facilities, Ukraine is now operating a sophisticated, economical layered air defence system. Using radars, sensors, video feeds, and artificial intelligence, Ukrainian forces can now detect and intercept Russian drones with 3D-printed interceptor drones, each of which costs just a few hundred to one thousand dollars. Also, remote machine guns controlled by trained civilians are used to shoot down drones as the last line of defence. Indeed, since drones are economical, mass-producible, expendable, effective, and upgradable, Ukraine is now the frontrunner in modern air defence technologies.

Read the article and learn how Ukrainians have been thriving in the war since 2022.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1k2lmmjvzxo

Topic Reading-Vol.5146-5/27/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers,　

Japan is gripped by mass allergies. A 1950s project is to blame

When you visit Japan in early spring, you’ll find many people wearing masks, just like most people in the world did during the COVID pandemic. Are the Japanese still worrying about a contagious virus or the flu? You may also realize that many people show classic allergy symptoms, including watery eyes, frequent sneezing, and rubbing their itchy faces. Yes, pollen allergies have become a national health issue in Japan, and over 40% of the Japanese are estimated to suffer from hay fever symptoms. In fact, nearly 70% of Japan’s land is covered with forests, and around one-third of the forest area consists of sugi (cedar) and hinoki (cypress) plantations. They were planted to cover the barren mountains after World War II, under the massive afforestation project seven decades ago, in the hope that these fast-growing evergreen species would reforest landscapes quickly and provide wood for construction. The problem is that they also produce large amounts of lightweight pollen around the same time, especially after 30 years of plantation. ENT doctors and drug stores are very busy during the season. Also, wild monkeys in the mountain forests and even domesticated pets are seen suffering from hay fever symptoms. Reforestation projects with diverse or pollen-free cedar are underway while more people of all ages are sneezing and rubbing their itchy eyes during the high season.

Read the article and learn why so many Japanese people suffer from hay fever symptoms.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260515-the-1950s-blunder-which-causes-mass-hay-fever-in-japan

Topic Reading-Vol.5145-5/26/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Why is being a mother so expensive in the United States?

Medical care and childcare are both expensive in the US, and the price tags vary widely by insurance coverage, hospital and doctors, and location. While over 90% of expectant mothers are covered by some form of insurance, including public programs, how much of the medical bills are paid by the insurer varies. Also, if you don’t use the hospital, physicians, or pharmacy that have agreed with your insurance plan, called “in network”, you are charged the full sticker price. For example, average insurance claims are over $20,000 for virginal and more than $25,000 for C-section birth in wealthy states like New York and California, and most or some of the claim is covered by the insurer. But the cost doubles if the medical services are provided by an “out-of-network” hospital or doctor. As for paid maternity leave, the US is the only high-income country that does not have a national paid leave program, though some “blue states” have their own programs. When it comes to childcare, US parents bear as much as 40% of their disposable household income on average, while couples in other developed countries pay less than half. If you take recent inflation into account, the cost of medical and child care in the US may be unbearably high for many mothers and parents. 

Read the article and learn how expensive to become a parent in the USA.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/10/why-is-being-a-mother-so-expensive-in-the-united-states

Topic Reading-Vol.5144-5/25/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

‘We don’t sell loneliness’: Solo dining is more popular than ever, much to the distaste of some restaurants

While hotels and airlines welcome and accommodate solo travelers happily, many restaurants are reluctant, or even reject, to serve solo diners, especially during busy hours. That’s because their revenue is structured mostly by per-room, per-seat, and per-table revenues. Also, in many cultures, as meals are meant to be shared, such as Chinese hot pot, Korean BBQ, and Spanish paella, restaurants arrange tables for parties. However, according to an online table-booking site, solo diners increased nearly 20% last year, and spent more money per person. Indeed, lone diners are no longer a puzzle piece to fill up empty space, but also growing business opportunities for restaurants. For example, a Korean version of Google Maps offers a filter to search for solo-diner-friendly restaurants. Also, more restaurants are rearranging seating space to accommodate single customers with counter tables, like fast-food restaurants in Japan. Maybe it’s time for restaurants to reconfigure their business models from per-table to per-seat and their menus to welcome and please more single customers.

Read the article and learn what lone diners could mean to restaurants.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/solo-dining-global-popularity-rising

Topic Reading-Vol.5143-5/24/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

El Niño is coming faster than expected and chances are rising that it will be historically strong

Last summer was the hottest on record in many parts of the world, but this summer is likely to be one of the five-warmest on record, according to the US scientific and regulatory agency. It predicts that the sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific may be the warmest on record. This natural climate phenomenon, called El Niño, occurs every two to seven years and lasts nine months to a year, and affects wind patterns throughout the atmosphere and, therefore, weather conditions. The agency also predicts that this year’s El Niño has a two-in-three chance to become very strong by this winter, and even become the first Super El Niño since the 2015-16 record. The impacts of El Niño cause warmer temperatures around the globe and extreme weather conditions in many parts of the world, including severe droughts and wildfires in Australia, Indonesia, and parts of Central America and northern South America, wetter, stormier weather and flooding in the southern United States, the Gulf Coast, and parts of eastern Africa, and super hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones. On top of human-caused global warming, this naturally occurring weather phenomenon will heat the summer even further this year.

Read the article and learn why this summer is predicted to be even hotter than ever.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/14/weather/super-el-nino-climate

Topic Reading-Vol.5142-5/23/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Canvas hack: Company pays criminals to delete students' stolen data

Provided by Instructure, an educational tech company in Utah, USA, Canvas is a leading cloud-based Learning Management System (LMS). It facilitates online learning through assignment submission, gradebooks, and discussions, and is widely used by schools and universities to manage courses, grades, and communication. Earlier this month, Canvas LMS was hacked and suffered a data breach, including names, email addresses, student ID numbers, and messages among users, affecting thousands of educational institutions and millions of learners and educators. The impacts were significant, and some students were interrupted in their work or exams, for example. On May 11, the LMS provider announced that it reached an agreement and paid a ransom to the cyber criminal to save the stolen 3.6 terabytes of data. It is quite unusual for cybercrime victims to acknowledge ransom payments, but the company tried to be transparent about how it had dealt with the highly visible cyberattack. However, it is unclear if the data was actually destroyed or copied for resale.

Read the article about the impact and settlement of a recent cybercrime that affected schools, students, and teachers.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdepzg83x87o

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