Topic Reading-Vol.5184-7/4/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Rivers set free: Why countries are tearing down hundreds of dams

Rivers naturally experience seasonal fluctuations, flooding during heavy rain or melting snow, and drying up during droughts. Dams are built to prevent floods, generate hydropower, and manage water flow and supply for farming, daily life, and navigation. In Europe, there are as many as 1.2 million water barriers, such as dams and weirs, but many of them have been removed recently to restore the environment and ecosystems. In fact, Sweden, Finland, and Spain each removed more than 100 barriers in 2025 alone. If a river is blocked, some fish species, such as salmon, face difficulty reaching upstream habitats for reproduction, and ecosystems are fragmented by barriers. Also, water in reservoirs can be lost faster through evaporation. But removing such barriers is no easy task, as it takes years of environmental assessments, engineering studies, and public consensus. In the meantime, are they prepared for more extreme rains, severe drought, and rising temperatures that will melt ice and snow faster without dams?

Read the article and learn why dams are removed in Europe.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/27/world/why-countries-are-tearing-down-hundreds-of-dams-spc-c2e

Topic Reading-Vol.5183-7/3/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Qantas locks in launch date for Sydney-London nonstop flights as it debuts the custom jet designed for the trip

Opened in 1920, Sydney Airport (SYD) is the busiest airport in Australia, serving more than 40 million passengers, and the main hub for Qantas, Australia’s flag carrier. Since Australia sits on an isolated continent in the southern hemisphere, flight distances from SYD to major cities in other continents are quite extensive: 6,300 km to Singapore, 10,400 km to Delhi, 16,000 km to New York, and 17,000 to London.  In 1947, Qantas's first direct flight service from Sydney to London, the Kangaroo route, carried 29 passengers with stops in Darwin, Singapore, Calcutta, Karachi, Cairo, Tripoli, and Rome, flying 55 hours in four days. Today, it takes more than 24 hours to reach London with a stopover in Singapore. Now, starting from October next year, the airline is set to start a non-stop service between the two cities, and also to New York. The Airbus A350-1000ULR (Ultra-Long-Range) will fly 22 hours with 238 passengers on board in 3 first-class suites, 52 business-class suites, 40 premium economy seats, and 140 economy seats. The flight will save a stopover and about two hours, but will probably cost more because it’s a non-stop service. Special seats, services, and amenities will be provided for the passengers to survive this day-long flight from gate to gate. Also, crew members will have to work and rest even longer on the aircraft. Since there are several one-stop flights between the two cities, the choice is yours.

Read the article and learn about the new day-long, non-stop service for the Kangaroo route.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/06/19/travel/qantas-project-sunrise-airbus-a350-1000ulr-date

Topic Reading-Vol.5182-7/2/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

'This could only exist in America': What are foreign football fans finding in the US?

Of the 104 FIFA World Cup matches, 60 are played in 11 cities in the USA, including all knockout matches from the quarter-finals onward. Though the hosting country hasn’t been so friendly to foreign visitors recently in terms of visa applications and entry procedures, many enthusiastic fans have come to America to watch and feel the exciting games. While staying, they also have a chance to experience America’s unique food, customs, and practices. Places like fast food and chain restaurants, gigantic supermarkets, and self-service gas stations, and the size of the portions and servings, plates and bowls, and cups and glasses are all eye-opening and stomach-filling. While tortilla chips and salsa at Mexican restaurants and refills of served drinks are mostly free, sales tax and tips aren’t included in the menu prices. For example, if you order a $100 meal at a restaurant in New York, you’ll be charged 9% sales tax and expected to leave a 20% tip, making the total $130. Also, football is the most popular team sport in the US, but it means American football. Another confusing thing in the US is the temperature scale, the Fahrenheit. Don’t be surprised by a 100° forecast because it’s approximately 38°C. 

Whatever differences you’ll find or encounter, they are part of your travel experiences. If you go to America, enjoy America!

Read the article and learn what foreign football fans are finding unique in the US.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgj731r38xo

Topic Reading-Vol.5181-7/1/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Thousands of baby seals died on two remote sub-Antarctic islands. Scientists now think they know why

On remote sub-Antarctic islands about 4,000 kilometers southwest of Australia, thousands of carcasses of seal pups, penguins, and seabirds were left. In one area, nearly all seal pups were dead. It was found that the cause of the devastating deaths of the sea mammals and birds was H5 bird flu, which had likely been transferred through migratory birds from other sub-Antarctic islands 1,800 km away. The H5 bird flu, specifically the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain, is a contagious, deadly disease currently widespread among wild birds, commercial poultry, and dairy cattle. While the public health risk to humans remains low, infected birds and animals display severe symptoms and then die. When H5 bird flu is detected on a chicken farm, it is put under strict quarantine, its entire flock is culled, and the farm undergoes extensive cleaning and disinfection. Last month, a wild migratory brown skua was found positive for the H5 bird flu in Western Australia, the first case on the continent. People in Australia are now advised not to touch sick or dead birds or animals. Watch out not only for sharks but also for seabirds on Australian shores.

Read the article and learn about how contagious and deadly the bird flu is.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/06/19/australia/bird-flu-seal-pups-dead-heard-and-mcdonald-islands-intl-hnk

Topic Reading-Vol.5180-6/30/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

A Wimbledon etiquette guide for first-time visitors

The first round of the gentlemen’s and ladies' singles of the 139th Wimbledon Championships started on June 29 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. First held in 1877, this world’s oldest tournament is one of the four Grand Slam tennis events, and is the only tennis major still played on a traditional surface, grass. Of the 18 championship grass courts, the Centre Court has a retractable roof, the Royal Box, and nearly 15,000 seats for commoners. Tickets for such a prestigious event are hard to get, but at Wimbledon, 500 premium tickets are sold on the day of play. To get the tickets, you need to go to the site the day before the match to get a Queue Card, and if you prefer, you can camp overnight to be ready for the next day’s queue. There are a few other unique manners and tips you want to know to enjoy watching the tournament, including what to wear, where to go, and when to enter or leave, to avoid receiving a look of withering disapproval instead of approval nods by regulars.

Read the article and learn what it takes to watch the prestigious tennis match at Wimbledon. 

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20260618-wimbledon-etiquette-for-first-time-visitors

Topic Reading-Vol.5179-6/29/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Satellite images show 10 places where water is disappearing globally

Caused primarily by human activities and climatic variations, desertification is the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas. A drought is a prolonged period of unusually dry weather with very little or no rain over an extended period. Both slowly impact ecosystems, agriculture, and water supplies. To raise public awareness about desertification and drought and promote action to restore degraded land, the UN marked June 17 as the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought three decades ago. Over the period, however, the world has lost a significant amount of freshwater. The South Aral Sea in northwestern Uzbekistan and Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran have both shrunk by more than 90%, exposing the former lakebed. Lake Mead, the US’s largest reservoir on the Colorado River, has shown a dramatic decline due to prolonged drought, rising temperatures, and excess water usage. Also, lakes in Africa and South America, and South America’s second-longest river, have shown drastic shrinkage. As the world’s population increases and temperatures rise, more water is needed for drinking, farming, and industry. Will we then depend more on recycled or desalinated water instead of fresh water?

Read the article and learn how seriously desertification has shrunk the water supply and flow around the world.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/17/satellite-images-show-10-places-where-water-is-disappearing-globally

Topic Reading-Vol.5178-6/28/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Why moving about is key for children's health - and happiness

Gone are the days when children rushed to go out to climb a tree, run and jump around, or play tag in their free time. Nowadays, instead, they play online games, watch videos, or scroll screens indoors whenever they find time, moving only their fingers and eyeballs. Once children get used to a sedentary life, they tend to be less physically active in their future and visit the doctor more often in adulthood. Also, studies find that physically active children show better mental health, educational achievements, and cognitive performance. What parents and carers can do to help children is encourage them to do more physical activity, not just by words but by playing sports, running, or walking together, or enrolling them in sports clubs or events. Schools can dedicate some time daily to have students do physical activity during recess or lunch break instead of leaving them with their smartphones. As smartphones have become intimate with children’s lives, moving bodies is essential for children’s health, wellbeing, and future.

Read the article and learn why children should exercise more.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260522-to-get-children-to-move-more-we-need-to-intervene