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

Topic Reading-Vol.5245-9/3/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

France relaxes strict cheese-making rules after prolonged drought

Appellation d'Origine Protégée (AOP) rules are European Union regulations that protect regional foods, drinks, and agricultural products tied to a specific geographic area and traditional local expertise. Famous French mountain cheeses like Abondance, Beaufort, and Comté are protected by these strict AOP rules and specifications, including every step of production and processing, the local environment, and animal feed. However, because of the severe drought this summer, France has temporarily relaxed some of the AOP rules to produce these cheeses. Now, producers of these cheeses can temporarily supplement cow diets with fodder and grain from outside the designated geographical zones. The question is whether different animal feed makes a noticeable difference to the flavor and taste of these cheeses, and if it does, how much. Also, no one knows if farmers will find enough local feed for their cows in the future. Another impact of the changing climate.

Read the article and learn how the quality and authenticity of premium cheeses are maintained.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c980e36dd5do

Topic Reading-Vol.5244-9/2/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Scottish Highlands benefiting from 'coolcation' trend

Greek islands, Italian coasts, and Spanish beaches are Europe’s popular destinations for summer vacationers, along with cities like Paris, London, and Barcelona. However, as wildfires, droughts, and heatwaves are making these popular destinations less comfortable in summer, more vacationers are looking at cooler places in northern Europe, such as Scotland, Iceland, and Scandinavian countries. Indeed. As summer gets hotter, coolcation in the Scottish Highlands and The Hague, a Dutch coastal city, have become new destinations for coolcation. Good news for local businesses and the economy. Also, increased tax revenues may fund the maintenance and upgrade of local infrastructure. In the meantime, prices rise, places become noisier, and roads and public transportation get too crowded. Also, once a place becomes an Instagram hotspot, too many people may come to further Instagram the spot, disrupting local lives. Is the other hemisphere too cold for summer vacation?

Read the article and learn how climate change is redrawing Europe’s summer tourism map.  

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd9wp3p4301o

Topic Reading-Vol.5243-9/1/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Google, Microsoft and OpenAI among 100 firms calling for better cyber defences

On August 26, part of a massive glacier collapsed in the Himalayas, triggering a catastrophic landslide and deadly flooding along the Nepal and Tibet border. Hundreds were killed, and over a thousand are missing. None of the man-made defence structures, including dams, reservoirs, levees, dikes, and floodwalls, could stop the devastating flood from wiping away buildings, bridges, vehicles, and people.

Recently, OpenAI and Anthropic each reported incidents in which their autonomous agents escaped isolated testing environments and hacked platforms, the world’s first AI-enabled cyberattacks. They suggest that the existing protective measures, security systems, and defence mechanisms aren’t protective enough to ensure the safety and security of IT systems against AI hackers. On August 27, a group of more than 100 prominent tech and financial firms, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft, Google, VISA, and MasterCard, issued their joint open letter calling on organizations and businesses to upgrade their cyber defences to protect them from AI-powered cyberattacks. The letter warns that AI-driven cyberattacks will become exponentially more sophisticated and widespread in the coming months, and urges global organizations, utilities, and governments to act swiftly to protect critical infrastructure, such as hospitals, water treatment plants, and the internet grid. The video footage of the devastating Himalayan flood looked like a science fiction movie. AI-powered cyberattacks will be instant, widespread, and disruptive to lives, systems, and businesses around the world. And they will come without a warning.

Read the article and learn how vulnerable the world is to natural disasters and cyberattacks.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyz11475l1o