Topic Reading-Vol.3459/9/30/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Quad countries vow to work for freedom in region.

The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, more simply the Quad, is a strategic dialogue between the United States, India, Japan, and Australia to enhance the quadrilateral military and diplomatic ties to ensure security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. It was first formed in 2007 but somehow ceased for a while and was reestablished in 2017 to counter China’s military and diplomatic aggression in the South China Sea. The leaders of the four members recently met in the US and pledged to protect the rule of law, freedom of transport, peaceful and democratic values in the region and beyond. They also committed to encounter challenges to the order in the East and South China Seas without stating against which country. Along with the newly formed trilateral security pact between Australia, the UK, and the US (AUKUS) to have Australia deploy nuclear-powered submarines, Australia seems to have become a pivotal state for the new security alliance in the Indo-Pacific region.

In the meantime, the Quad countries agreed to provide more Covid-19 vaccines around Asia. It seems health is also one of the security issues in the region.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about this new regional alliance by four democratic nations.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-58689238

Topic Reading-Vol.3458/9/29/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The truth about lab-grown meat

Cultured meat is produced using tissue engineering techniques that are used in regenerative medicines. Though the production process is constantly evolving, lab-grown meat is still as economical as regular meat yet. Also, there are ethical, health, environmental, cultural, and economic discussions about this artificially grown meat.

How cultured meat is produced? In the case of chicken, first, take some cells from a chicken feather. Then feed the cells with nutrients in a liquid solution so that they can develop and multiply into muscle fibers. The nutrition given is no different from the feed that chickens are provided in terms of calories and proteins. Once grown, they look like ground chicken meat. If you make nuggets with the lab-grown chicken meat, you won’t find a distinctive difference from regular nuggets. It sounds similar to the sustainable aviation fuel (Vol.3457) to replace fossil jet fuels. The differences are the process for production and how much it costs. Would you be willing to eat lab-grown chicken nuggets?

Enjoy watching the video and learn about lab-grown meat.

https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p09s518l/the-truth-about-lab-grown-meat

Topic Reading-Vol.3457/9/28/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The climate can't wait for electric planes. Sustainable fuel may be the answer

Currently, the aviation industry is emitting over 2.5% of global carbon emissions, and the share is going to reach 3.5% by the end of the decade. Unfortunately, any green jet engine is expected to replace the present fleet of fossil fuel guzzlers in the foreseeable future. So, we need alternative fuel to reduce CO2 emissions. Sustainable aviation fuel, SAF, is very similar in its chemistry to conventional jet fuel. It’s produced from sustainable feedstocks, such as cooking oil and other non-palm waste oils from animals or plants; solid waste from homes and businesses like packaging, paper, textiles, and food scraps that would otherwise go to landfills or incineration. Though not all SAFs are equally green, they will certainly reduce carbon emissions. At present, only less than 1% of the jet fuel production is SAF. So, in order to bring more attention and investment into SAF production, a coalition of oil companies, airlines, and airplane manufacturers pledged to replace 10% of the global jet fuel supply with SAF by 2030. This announcement by cross-industry allies seems to send a strong demand signal to global investors and industries. Though any form of SAF is at least a few times costlier than conventional fossil jet fuel, the world needs it for a sustainable environment. Indeed, the rules of the games are different in this century.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about sustainable aviation fuel.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/22/business/airline-oil-companies-sustainable-aviation-fuels/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3456/9/27/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Lithuania urges people to throw away Chinese phones

The Republic of Lithuania is one of three Baltic states in Europe and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Though it is small in population and land size, the country is full of innovation in the fields of software engineering, AI-driven solutions, and fintech product development. Recently, the nation’s Cyber Security Center tested 5G smartphones of Chinese brands and found built-in censorship tools in one of the models and security flaws in another. With those findings, the Defense Ministry warned the owners of those phones to throw away these 5G smartphones even though neither of the phone manufacturers admitted such problems in their latest smartphones. Lithuania’s market is small, but this warning most likely triggers further scrutiny in other European countries where the same models are sold.

Will Europe become another market that blocks phones made by Chinese manufacturers?

Enjoy reading the article and learn about Lithuania’s move to oust Chinese high-tech products.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-58652249

Topic Reading-Vol.3455/9/26/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The Chinese version of TikTok is limiting kids to 40 minutes a day

Teenagers in China seem to be getting more restricted as to how they spend time with their smartphones. Recently, they were limited the time they can spend on online games to just three hours on weekends and barred to play any on weekdays. This new strict regulation shocked the online gaming companies and their investors badly, just like the cram schools and online tutoring services that were nearly abandoned their businesses earlier this year. Now, students are most likely spending more time watching videos, like Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok as they have been recently reduced their homework and limited the time for gaming. ByteDance, a video platform giant company, didn’t want to wait to be regulated like the gaming industry. It decided to limit the use of the short-form video app only up to 40 minutes a day for users under 14 years old. Also, it would make the video app unavailable between 10 pm and 6 am for those users. The company is hoping that it will be viewed by parents and regulators as more socially responsible for minors so that it won’t be suddenly banned its service. It seems like a proactive move, but will it be enough?

China has been growing rapidly since the new millennium. Also, changes have been made far more drastically than in any other country in the world. Chinese companies and people seem to be used to changes and surprises.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about how Chinese teenagers are guided and treated.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/20/tech/china-tiktok-douyin-usage-limit-intl-hnk/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3454/9/25/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

China and the US were both born from armed conflict. They're now polar opposites on gun control

The People’s Republic of China was established by the Communist Party of China in 1949 after decades of bloody battles with the Nationalists. The nation was built by guns. China now has one of the strictest gun control laws in the world and saw only a few dozens of gun crimes a year despite the population that is over four times bigger than that of the U.S.

The immigrants to America expanded the frontiers to the west and protected themselves with guns. And the United States of America won its independence in the Revolutionary War between 1775 and 1873 against Great Britain. The U.S. enshrines the right to purchase, own, and carry guns in the Constitution, including military-grade assault rifles. Each year, there are hundreds of mass shootings and tens of thousands of suicides by guns.

Which country do you think is more civilized?

Read the article and think about if people should own guns and why.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/20/china/gun-control-us-china-mic-intl-hnk/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3453/9/24/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The ancient Persian way to keep cool

In most places, summer is hot, especially in arid places like Iran and Egypt where early civilizations developed millennia ago. How did those ancient people cool their buildings in summer? Surprisingly, they invented environmentally friendly yet efficient cooling architectural structures by catching the natural wind. Towers built on top of the roofs in rectangular or other shapes, catch air from the opening, funnel the air down to the ground floor, and deposit any sand or debris at the foot of the tower. Then the air circulates the building, goes up through another tower or opening being pushed by the pressure within the building, and leaves the building. There are quite a few factors to design these wind-catching towers more efficient, such as the direction and height of the tower, the number of openings, and internal configurations. Sounds ideal, doesn’t it? One drawback of this wind-catching tower is that it not only catches wind but pests, dust, and desert debris.

Still, this ancient architectural cooling system is drawing attention from many architects as it uses no electricity while modern mechanical air conditioning consumes about one-fifth of the total electricity.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about ancient ingenuity to cool buildings.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210810-the-ancient-persian-way-to-keep-cool

Topic Reading-Vol.3452/9/23/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

How to eat sushi: Tips for ordering and eating like a Tokyo local

Sushi is one of the most popular Japanese food. It is basically raw, salted, or fermented seafood and rice. There are several types. Chirashi, scattered in a bowl of rice topped with a variety of seafood and vegetable garnishes, is often prepared for a ceremonial meal. It is also served as an alternative version of Nigiri at sushi restaurants mainly for lunch. Rolled sushi, which is usually wrapped in seaweed, is popular, especially for lunch and outings. Nigiri is hand-pressed sushi topped with various kinds of seafood, such as tuna, salmon, mackerel, shellfish, and squid. Nigiri is a delicacy and is usually eaten at a sushi restaurant, though packed, assorted Nigiri sushi is also sold at supermarkets. It requires skills and experience to create the perfect harmony of the fish and rice. It also is such a delicate food that it should be eaten in a proper manner. For example, which side should be dipped in soy sauce, rice or fish? Should you eat by hand or use chopsticks? Here are some tips to eat sushi better.

Enjoy reading the article and learn how to enjoy good sushi.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/how-to-eat-sushi-tokyo-local-cmd/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3451/9/22/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The planet is on a 'catastrophic' global warming path, UN report shows

The invention of an efficient steam engine by James Watt in 1784 meant humans started convert fossil fuels into energy, releasing carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. Ever since the industrial revolution or environmental destruction started, the world temperature has been rising. About two centuries later, humans agreed to take some actions. The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change, which was adopted by 196 Parties at COP 21 in Paris in December 2015. Its goal aims to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels, recognizing that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change. In order to achieve that goal, carbon emissions need to be reduced nearly by half by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. However, a new report by the UN shows that global temperature has already risen by 1.2 degrees. In fact, many places in the world have experienced extreme weather conditions recently, such as droughts, floods, hurricanes and typhoons, and wildfires. After the Major Economies Forum in September and the UN climate conference in November, will we see more determined agreement and commitment from the world leaders and governments? One thing is for sure. Just switching your car to an EV won’t be enough to keep the environment and climate sustainable for our lives and the environment.

Read the article and learn about the urgency to take action.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/17/us/catastrophic-climate-change-un-report/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3450/9/21/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The ozone hole over the South Pole is now bigger than Antarctica

The ozone layer hole was discovered in the 1980s. It forms over the South Pole from August to October each year and shrinks as temperatures in the Southern Hemisphere warm up. Ozone layer holes are caused by a mixture of meteorological and chemical processes. If accumulated, emissions of some chemical compounds we use could deplete the ozone layer. The hole this year is larger than the ones formed in most of the previous years in the record. Since the ozone layer protects the planet from ultraviolet radiation, the size and duration of the ozone layer hole are a concern to all living species on the ground. For example, if your skin is exposed to the Sun without the ozone layer, it will be burned by the sun’s UV rays quickly.

The use of chemicals that deplete the ozone layer like chlorofluorocarbons is supposed to be phased out by 2030. Since the world’s temperature is steadily rising, it is essential to stop using any ozone-layer-depleting chemicals.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about the ozone layer hole.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/16/world/climate-ozone-antarctica-hole-scn-scli-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3449/9/20/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

A California couple died of Covid-19 weeks apart, orphaning 5 young children including a newborn

A 37-year-old labor and delivery nurse in California was a mother of four and was to have her fifth in a few months when she contracted the coronavirus and was hospitalized. Her husband, a middle school math teacher, also contracted and was treated in the same hospital as hers. Since she had been intubated, doctors conducted a cesarean delivery. The baby came out OK but the mom passed away before seeing her baby girl. The father was only shown the photo of the newborn baby before he also passed away from complications of the virus. It was less than two weeks later of the mother’s death. The baby girl was left with no parent or name. Fortunately, the family has been living with the husband's mother, a retired kindergarten teacher. Now, the five children ranging from three weeks to eight years old are taken care of by their grandmother. The couple, a nurse and a teacher, had been very careful not to get infected but they hadn’t been vaccinated. They most likely contracted the coronavirus in an indoor water park at the end of the summer vacation. As the grandmother says, Covid doesn’t discriminate,

Read the article and learn about this tragedy.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/13/us/california-family-covid-death-orphan-five-children/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3448/9/19/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Faroe Islands: Anger over killing of 1,400 dolphins in one day

The Faroe Islands are located about halfway between Norway and Iceland. It is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, just like Greenland. There are a little over 53,000 inhabitants in the small territory of just 1,400 square kilometers. Though Faroe sheep is the basis of many meals for the islanders, seafood is of course an important part of their diet, including whales. In fact, about 600 pilot whales are caught each year by a non-commercial community organization. While most of the islanders think whaling is a sustainable way to get food from nature and is part of their local culture, animal rights activists say it is cruel and unnecessary. On September 12, the islanders caught over 1,400 dolphins and killed them all. They say they hadn’t realized the size of the catch until they started killing them. Did they need to catch and kill that many dolphins in a day just for 53,000 stomachs? Were they happy to see the record number of dolphin slaughters along the shore where the water turned red with blood? By the way, in Japan, a catch quota of about 1,800 dolphins has been issued this particular hunting season. Dolphin hunting still seems to continue for some time.

Read the article and see the photos of slaughtered dolphins by the Faroe Islanders, and think why sea mammals are still being hunted while activists are trying to save them.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58555694

Topic Reading-Vol.3447/9/18/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Has Covid killed off business cards for good?

To your surprise, there seems to be a surprising similarity between fax (Vol.3446) and a paper business card. They are both paper and analog so that a recipient needs to either keep it as it is or scan or input it manually to your digital file unless you disregard it. Though exchanging business cards has been rather ceremonial than practical, it is a kind of ritual to show the position and role of someone and sets the tone for a meeting especially in East Asian countries. However, many people are forced to work remotely and avoid physical contact because of the pandemic, business cards are hardly ever used. Then, will they revive after the pandemic when people are so used to do things in a contact-free manner without paper? Interestingly, there are digital alternatives to paper business cards, and they are becoming somewhat popular. A QR code on the screen and near-field communication (NFC) device or app to beam information to another person’s smartphone to name a few. If you still want to hand out or show your paper business card, you can make it contactless by printing a QR code on it.

Indeed, the coronavirus pandemic seems to abolish or alter conventional practices drastically.

Enjoy reading the article and think if you still want to hand out or receive business cards.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-58419842

Topic Reading-Vol.3446/9/17/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The outdated machine hampering the fight against Covid-19

Do you know fax machines? Have you ever used one? The concept of the fax machine was created by a Scottish inventor back in 1842 to scan a message and transmit it via a telegraph circuit. The military was one of the early users of the technology to send maps and charts, along with newspapers that sent articles and photos for urgent publication. In the 1970s, fax machines became a necessary tool for all kinds of businesses and had been used extensively until around 2000 when the role was taken over by email and the Internet. However, fax machines are still actively used in businesses such as hospitals, pharmaceutics, healthcare, and real estate where paper or signed documents remain, and in some cases, are required. Though clumsy, sending paper information is easy, but receiving, sorting, and inputting the information into a system requires some time and work. That has been a nightmare among hospitals and healthcare services when they have been overwhelmed by surging cases of Covid-19. Will this archaic technology be displaced from hospitals and offices soon? Old habits and practices are hard to break.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about the use of fax machines.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210903-how-covid-19-could-finally-be-the-end-of-the-fax-machine

Topic Reading-Vol.3445/9/16/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2021 finalists revealed

Since its birth in a small office of a wildlife photographer in 2015, the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards competition has grown into a global competition that makes a meaningful contribution to the amazing world of wildlife. There are now six competition categories in the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, including Land, Air, Junior, Internet Portfolio, Underwater, and Video Clip. Each year, thousands of unique photos enter the competition, making the judges work harder, but of course with fun and honor, to choose the best and funniest pictures. And this year’s finalists have been revealed.

Enjoy seeing some of the finalists and try putting your own title on the photos.

https://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-58402306

If you want to see the other finalists, visit; https://www.comedywildlifephoto.com/

Topic Reading-Vol.3444/9/15/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

A dog that saved its owner's life appointed South Korea's first honorary rescue dog

Dogs are known as man’s best friends. Though not all dogs are obedient to the owner, they are mostly royal to the family members. They try to protect a little child when he or she is attacked by some other animal regardless of the size. This time, a little four-year-old dog, which was adopted by the family three years ago, stayed closely with a 90-year-old woman with dementia who went missing from her village home. The dog never left her during the 40-hour ordeal and even seemed to have tried to warm her when the temperature dropped at night. It was the dog’s body temperature that was detected by the thermal drone in search of the missing woman who fell in a wet area where the rice grew too tall and full to be seen. The woman was rescued and later recovered in the hospital. The dog was awarded the first honorary rescue dog title in South Korea.

Is the dog still chained like in the second photo?

Enjoy reading the story of this honorary dog.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/08/asia/south-korea-dog-saved-owner-intl-hnk-scli/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3443/9/14/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Upside-down rhino research wins Ig Nobel Prize

The Ig Nobel Prize is a prize awarded annually to celebrate ten unusual or trivial achievements in scientific research. It aims to honor achievements that first make people laugh and then make them think. The prizes are presented by Nobel laureates in a ceremony at Harvard University, though this year’s event was held online because of the Covid restrictions. The 2021 Ig Nobel award winners include an experiment that hung rhinos upside down to see the effects on them, an economic study as to if the obesity of a country’s politicians affects the country’s corruption, and experiments to learn why pedestrians sometimes collide with others. If any of these sounds funny, you may want to think about it again a little seriously why and how such research was made. You may find it quite interesting.

Enjoy reading and learning about this year’s Ig Noble Prize-winning researches.

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-58507100

Topic Reading-Vol.3442/9/13/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Before she died of Covid-19, she begged TikTok followers to get the vaccine

A dire message from a dying Covid-19 patient on TikTok. She was just 31 years old and hadn’t been vaccinated when she caught the virus. She regrated it so much that she wanted others to know how important to get vaccinated. She spoke from her deathbed nine days before she passed away.

Watch the video and learn how serious Covid-19 is and how important to get vaccinated.

https://edition.cnn.com/videos/health/2021/09/08/tiktoker-begs-followers-to-get-covid-vaccine-before-death-orig-jk.cnn

Topic Reading-Vol.3441/9/12/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The keys to staying connected to your kids this pandemic school year

The new school year has started in many countries in the northern hemisphere. This school year is again under the pandemic and going to be quite stressful and challenging for school children. Engaging and connecting with your children is more essential than usual as they spend more time with their smartphones but less time with their friends face to face. If you only talk about things to do and not to do to your children, they are frustrated and close their minds to you. You may want to keep the emotional balance in children’s minds. The more positive you are about children, the stronger the connection will be. Then, you’ll be heard by the children better when you need them to pay attention. Indeed, parents want the best for their children and fear the worst, and they often speak too much of annoying things to their children. Just remember when you were a kid. Did you like to be told the things you didn’t want to hear repeatedly?

Enjoy reading the article and learn about tips to build a good relationship with children.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/07/health/parents-kids-stay-connected-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3440/9/11/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

How 9/11 changed travel forever

Twenty years ago today, 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al Qaeda hijacked four airplanes over the US and carried out suicide attacks against targets. Two of the planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, a third plane hit the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people were killed during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It was the beginning to combat terrorism and tighten air travel security. Immediately after the attack, a strict identity check was mandated, creating long lines to go through security gates and get on board. Soon, the No Fly List was created to list people who are barred from boarding commercial aircraft to, from, and inside the US. Later, liquids were prohibited to be brought into the cabin, shoes were removed for screening, and cockpit doors became bulletproof. Indeed, air travel after 9.11.2001 is quite different from before. And now, a face mask is required during the flight because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

As Afghanistan fell to the Taliban again, will we worry more about the safety of air travel?

Enjoy reading the article about the changes after the 9/11 terrorist attack on the US.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/air-travel-after-9-11/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3439/9/10/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Timeline: How September 11, 2001 led to US’s longest war

After the deadliest 9.11 terrorist attacks in 2001, the US was heavily involved in Afghanistan and Iraq, including military operations, political intervention, and financial aids. More lives of civilians, insurgents, and security forces were lost over the course of the last twenty years than the lives lost in the attacks. And the hastened retreat of the US and allied forces prompted the collapse of the US-installed Afghan government and US-trained security forces. US Intelligence failed to prove the weapon of mass destruction in Iraq and forecast the velocity of the Taliban’s advancement or vulnerability of the Afghanistan government. What does remain after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan besides corpses?

Read the timeline that shows what the US has done since the 9.11 terrorist attacks and think what the lives of Afghans are and will be like.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/6/timeline-how-september-11-2001-led-to-uss-longest-war

Topic Reading-Vol.3438/9/9/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

In India, growing clamour to criminalise rape within marriage

India became officially independent as of August 15, 1947. It is the largest democratic country in the world. But they still keep the British colonial-era law, which has been in existence in India since 1860. One of them regards marital rape. India is one of 36 countries that marital rape isn’t outlawed. The wife remains the property of her husband. Rape is illegal not because she is violated but because she is the property of another man. Despite the calls for striking down the archaic law, the government and many MPs argue that it could destabilize the marriage and could be used by women to harass men.

There are over 660 million women in India, whose human rights aren’t equal to men. When will they be treated with respect?

Read the article and learn about India’s legality of marital rape.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-58358795

Topic Reading-Vol.3437/9/8/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

China officially begins issuing digital driver's licenses

Clearly, there is a clear difference between the two giants, the USA and China. While Apple is working with each state to add driver’s licenses and state IDs to your wallet, which already includes boarding passes, venue tickets, subway tickets, credit cards, and student IDs, China does it from the top at once. Yes, digital driver’s licenses were officially issued to nearly three million drivers in 28 major cities early this month, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. Unlike an image version of the license on iPhone, China’s digital license is designed for mobile use, featuring a QR code and a bar code. Along with other traffic management measures, drivers can pay parking fees and even traffic penalties via their mobile phones. Also, they can claim and view evidence of traffic accidents online, which makes it quicker and easier to report traffic accident reports and claim insurance. The next move which was also initiated by the government is a digital currency. It has been tested and is soon to be issued and used before the Winter Olympic Games.

It seems that China’s advanced and advancing mobile technologies and applications are way ahead of any other country in the world.

Enjoy reading the article and seeing the image of the digital driver’s license.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202109/02/WS61302e4ea310efa1bd66cd31.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3436/9/7/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

China bans exams for six-year-old school children
China’s fertility rate plunged to a record low since 1961 to 1.3, and added only 12 million newborn babies in 2020, down 15 % from the previous year. Besides the fact that people in their 20s and 30s are the one-child-policy generation, rising housing prices and education expenses are to blame for the declining birth rate. Also, as many women now hold university degrees and are developing their careers, they either deter or give up marriage to avoid interrupting their careers. Now China’s ministry of education announced a ban on written exams in the early stage of primary school to protect the students’ physical and mental health. Another rule limits the number of tests and exams per term, banning weekly tests, unit exams, monthly exams, and regional or inter-school exams.
Will limiting exams help children develop healthier attitudes about their own worth? Along with the recently announced online gaming restriction (Vol.3434), children, and their parents, now need to find how to spend their after-school hours.
Enjoy reading the learn about China’s another move to improve children’s welfare.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-58380792

Topic Reading-Vol.3435/9/6/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Texans can now openly carry guns in public without a permit or training.

The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution protects the right to keep and bear arms, including handguns, shotguns, and military-grade assault rifles. Actually, people can carry loaded, semi-automatic rifles in public without a license or training in more than 40 states in America. And Texas, which has seen a consistent increase in mass shootings recently, now allows gun owners to open carry loaded weapons in public. So, if a guy who is covering his face with a full-face mask with a gun in his pocket is wandering in front of a jewelry store, what should the security guard or police officer do?

Even if you legally own a car, you need a driving license to drive it, which requires a written and driving test as well as qualifying driving skills and records. But in Texas and some other states in the US, any legitimate gun owner can carry their guns openly without training or permit. It seems like anyone can drive a race car or bulldozer on the street as long as they own it, and even if they don’t know how to handle it or have never used it. It seems that many people in Texas, and other states, seem to feel safer to open carry guns. You shouldn’t be surprised to see open carry guns when you visit Texas.  

Read the article and learn about a very different human right in the USA.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/01/us/texas-open-carry-laws/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3434/9/5/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Stricter limits on minors' online gaming

There is no argument about children being the future of a country, and protecting their physical and mental health is indeed vital. And many would probably agree that spending too much time playing online games could impair eyesight, shorten sleeping time, and lose time for other productive or educational activities, including time with their family. It usually is the parents who are supposed to allow or restrict the children as to how long they can play online games. But it is a technically and mentally difficult task for parents as many of them also spend a lot of time with their smartphones, too. Recently, China has issued a number of education reform orders and guidelines, including the homework limit, exam guidelines, and cram school restrictions. Now, the National Press and Publication Administration announced that children are allowed to play online games only between 8 pm and 9 pm on Fridays, weekends, and official holidays. Also, the administration launched an online game real-name verification system that limits online game players to registered real names. Under the new system, children can no longer play online games under their parents’ or someone else’s identity that can be purchased illegally. Interestingly, offline games aren’t going to have such strict restrictions, at least for now.

Enjoy reading the article to learn about China’s another drastic move for education.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202108/31/WS612cc4a0a310efa1bd66c215.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3433/9/4/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Exhausted and without hope, East Asian youth are 'lying flat'

Civil service examination started in ancient Imperial China. It was to select candidates for the state bureaucracy by merit rather than birth to ensure knowledge and literal qualifications to serve as state officials. It lasted until the late Qing dynasty in 1905 but such exam cultures still remain widely for college entrance exams in China, Korea, and Japan where students work very hard to be enrolled in good colleges or universities for future careers. So, by the time those college graduates start looking for their careers, many ambitious graduates have high hope for their jobs, careers, and future. However, in China, there are over nine million college graduates this year, many of who are envisioning getting a prestigious job. In South Korea, where most students earn college degrees, many of them are eager to settle in a large conglomerate for better compensations and job security. But the problem in major cities in those countries is that the housing costs have been rising faster than the disposable incomes. Also, raising a child or children is becoming so expensive that many women are giving up having a child or marriage because of the education expenditures. As for Japan, the economy has remained stagnant since its asset bubble burst in the early 1990s, and salaries haven’t been rising and aren’t expected to increase any time soon. Also, since most Japanese companies still keep a seniority-based salary and promotion system, there isn’t much incentive for young people to work harder. All in all, it doesn’t seem so surprising that many young people in these East Asian countries feel unmotivated to work harder for their future and start showing a lying flat attitude lately, not doing at their best but just minimum. What is their hope now? Aren’t they just indulging in what they can do with their smartphones?

Enjoy reading the article and learn about the social and generational problems in East Asia.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/08/28/economy/china-japan-korea-youth-intl-dst-hnk/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3432/9/3/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Japan's huge army of under-employed ex-housewives

Just as men do, over half of the Japanese women join the workforce with a college degree. However, no more than 15% of senior roles in the private sector are held by women. Are there any discriminatory laws or practices in Japan? In most cases, it is the wives who give up their jobs to care for the child/children. But when they are ready to go back to work after a period of leave, they find it quite difficult to resume their currier or even to find a full-time job because many companies are still reluctant to hire someone whose resume has a blank period. Surprisingly, many female returnees to the job market end up settling in part-time or dead-end jobs. That’s one reason the average income of Japanese women is over 40% lower than that of men. However, things are changing as more flexible work styles become popular, such as pay-for-output, pay-by-hour, work from home, and gig working, along with the workforce shortage.

Enjoy reading and learning about how women have been socially handicapped in Japan.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-58301604

Topic Reading-Vol.3431/9/2/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Eating a hot dog could take 36 minutes off your life, study says

There are a number of factors that affect your life expectancies, such as genes, diseases, mental health, exercise, smoking and drinking, lifestyle, the environment, and nutrition. Some of them are within your control, like smoking and drinking, lifestyle, exercise, and nutrition. As for food, you may know which food is more or less nutritious to some extent. Junk food, sugary drinks, and processed foods all have harmful effects on your health. But how much? Recently, some health researchers conducted a study to measure the effects in minutes of healthy life gained or lost of over 5,000 American foods. For example, if you eat a beef hot dog, you could lose around half an hour of your life clock. On the other hand, if you consume healthy foods such as nuts, legumes, seafood, fruits, and non-starchy vegetables, you could extend some time to your life. Of course, food intake only doesn’t simply determine how long you would live, but having a numerical index may help you take or avoid, increase or decrease certain types of your favorite food.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about the food index for life expectancy.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/08/27/health/hot-dog-could-shorten-life-trnd-wellness-scn/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3430/9/1/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro says he will be killed, arrested or re-elected

Unlike other ex-military political leaders, Bolsonaro retired from Brazil’s army at the rank of captain after 15 years of service. The far-right populist was elected the 38^th president of Brazil in the 2018 election, after surviving a knife attack during his campaign. His stance on coronavirus, agricultural development in the Amazon rainforest, LGBT, and women have been widely criticized domestically and internationally. Over half a million Brazilians died of the coronavirus, the second-most in the world only after the US whose then-president undermined the novel virus as much as Bolsonaro. Now he is facing an election in October next year and worrying about his chance to win. He even predicts three alternatives for his future: arrested, killed, or elected, which clearly suggests he violated laws, abused his power, and giving promises to his supporters. Like his ex-counterpart in the US did, he most likely will not accept the election results if he loses. At least, he seems to know what people think of him.

Enjoy reading the article about this explicit comment by the Brazilian president.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-58372754