Topic Reading-Vol.3855-10/31/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Forbidden City eyes stronger ties with Taipei peer
Established in 1925 after the eviction of the last Qin emperor from his palace, The Palace Museum is a national museum housed in the Forbidden City in Beijing. The museum consists of nearly 1,000 buildings and houses 1.8 million pieces of art. It is the world’s most visited museum. Built in 1965, The National Palace Museum in Taipei, Taiwan has a collection of nearly 700,000 pieces of Chinese artifacts and artworks. Most of those were moved from the Palace Museum in Beijing and five other institutions in mainland China when the Kuomintang party retreated from the mainland in 1949 after the long-fought Chinese Civil war. Combined, these two national museums house and exhibit a massive collection of China’s historical artifacts and artworks. On October 21 during the 20^th national congress of the Chinese Communist Party, the director of the Palace Museum in Beijing sent a message to Taiwan that he hopes to have more communication and cultural exchanges with his counterpart in Taiwan. He even suggested that they host a joint show in the newly established Hong Kong’s palace museum. Indeed, communication and cultural exchanges often break the ice when there is conflict and tension.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about a cultural message from Beijing to Taipei.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202210/22/WS63533514a310fd2b29e7de56.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3854-10/30/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
India vaccine maker destroys 100 million doses of expired Covid jab
SII, the world’s largest vaccine maker in India, provided more than 90% of Covid doses that have been administered in India. But they apparently produced much more doses of Covid vaccine than people wanted. Though over 70% of the Indian population received two or more doses, including 300 million booster doses, they had not been encouraged to take any more despite the government promotions. One reason is that people in India, just like those in other countries, seem to have been fed up with the coronavirus. Also, they aren’t used to taking vaccine shots regularly, like a flu shot. As a result, the vaccine manufacturer had no choice but to destroy100 million doses of their expired Covid vaccine. Could those dumped doses have been used in other countries before the expiration?
Read the article and think about what logistics plan and generosity could have prevented 100 million doses from being wasted.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-63324548

Topic Reading-Vol.3853-10/29/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Photos: Brazil’s Amazon faces severe drought

Located in the northwestern corner of Brazil, Amazonas is the largest state of the country and would be the 16^th largest country in the land area if it were a country. Most of the state is a tropical jungle and cities, including the state capital Manaus, a modern city with two million residents in the middle of the jungle on the Amazon River, are clustered along navigable waterways and are accessible only by boat or plane. You wouldn’t believe that this subtropical jungle region suffers from droughts. But as climate change causes extreme weather events, this region is now facing a severe drought after floods. In fact, 53 of the state’s 62 municipalities have been affected by both floods and drought this year. Rivers and waterways have dried up, making water transportation extremely difficult for people, food, and other necessities. In some areas, the water level is so low that motorboats have to be paddled in some areas.

See these shocking photos of the drought-stricken Amazonas region where water is supposedly sufficient.

https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2022/10/20/photos-brazils-amazon-faces-severe-drought

Topic Reading-Vol.3852-10/28/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Global CO2 emissions from fossil fuels to rise by less than 1% this year as renewables and EVs take off
Thanks to the record-high growth of solar and winder power along with increasing EVs in China and Europe, this year’s CO2 emissions are not going to rise more than 1%, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). In fact, despite the surging use of coal to fill the natural gas shortage in Europe because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, EU emissions will decrease this year. That’s good news. But the bad news is that this year’s CO2 emission increase is coming from the aviation sector, which still hasn’t rebounded from the Covid-19 pandemic yet. When the industry fully recovers and resumes to grow as had been like before the pandemic, will the world be able to offset the increased CO2 emissions with renewable energies? The good news may not be as good as it sounds.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about this year’s global CO2 emissions.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/19/energy/co2-emissions-climate-fossil-fuels-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3851-10/27/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
XPeng flying car takes to the air in Dubai
XPeng is a Chinese company that offers a range of electric saloons, crossovers, and SUVs. Also, they’ve been developing an Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) and recently completed the first public test flight of its X2 electric flying car in Dubai. The two-seater eVTOL craft features a teardrop-shaped design with an enclosed cockpit. The eight propellers are placed on each corner of the electric craft, suitable for low-altitude city flights and short-distance city journeys for medical transportation. It can be driven manually or autonomously at the top speed of nearly 150km/h. When regulatory infrastructure for flying cars is established, the company expects to fly its flying cars in the next five years.
Which flying mode do you prefer, manual or auto?
Enjoy reading the article and seeing the photos of flying cars being developed now.
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/xpeng-flying-car-gitex-dubai-spc-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3850-10/26/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Pizza Hut is finally selling slices — with a twist
Headquartered in Plano, Texas, Pizza Hut operates over 17,000 restaurants worldwide, the world's largest pizza chain by the number of locations. There are the original family-style dine-in locations; storefront delivery and carry-out locations; and hybrid locations that have carry-out, delivery, and dine-in options. They’ve been mainly selling whole pizzas in various sizes. Now, in order to accommodate individuals who are reluctant to order a whole round pizza, the restaurant chain is offering a sandwich-like pizza, called Pizza Hut Melts. It is simply two folded-over slices of pizza that can be eaten like a sandwich. There are four variations, pepperoni, buffalo chicken, chicken bacon Parmesan, and meat lover’s, each costing $6.99. It’s a simple menu to develop. Will they get more customers, increase business per customer, or make their customers happier? Some of their customers may have been folding two slices of pizza anyway when they are really hungry or in rush.
Enjoy reading the article and seeing the photo of the folded pizza slices and think if you want to fold two slices of pizza.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/18/business/pizza-hut-melts-slices/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3849-10/25/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
People who sleep 5 hours or less a night face higher risk of multiple health problems as they age, study finds
Sleep impacts both mental and physical health. Sleep refreshes the brain and produces and regulates hormones in the body. Lack of sleep could increase chronic inflammation, which leads to multiple diseases. A new study among 8,000 civil servants in the UK found that those who sleep five hours or less at night have a greater risk of developing multiple chronic diseases as they age than those who sleep longer. Diseases for higher risk are diabetes, cancer, coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease, liver disease, depression, dementia, mental disorders, Parkinson’s, and arthritis, nearly all kinds of common diseases common among elderly people. Experts also say it’s not just the duration of sleep but also the quality that matters to your health. We all know that but many still prefer tracking SNS or watching videos on smartphones to closing their eyes.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about how sleep time affects your health in the long run.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/18/health/short-sleep-multiple-chronic-diseases-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3848-10/24/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
China's electric car market is booming but can it last?
China is now a very good environment for electric vehicle manufacturers to develop technology, supply chain, and infrastructure. Indeed, China’s new electric vehicle sales this year are predicted to be around six million, around a quarter of new car sales in the country and half of the world’s electric car sales. How could they have achieved such rapid growth in the EV market? The most effective measure to reduce fossil fuel vehicles is to ban their use or introduction. Beijing city government banned the introduction of fossil-powered taxis five years ago. Now, thousands of electric taxis are found in the capital city. They don’t charge batteries but instead exchange them with fully-charged ones at battery-swapping stations, which takes only a few minutes. Also, financial incentives like government subsidies, tax reductions, and cheaper license fees. In fact, the license fee for a fossil fuel vehicle is more expensive than the price of a car in some cities. There also are perks like free parking fees and permission to drive bus lanes. Furthermore, the price tag. In fact, because of the market size and prospects, there are electric vehicles cheap enough for low-budget buyers in not only cities but also rural villages. All in all, as China’s EV market is growing, the supply chain is developing, and the industry is becoming competitive, their EVs are now appearing in the global market.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about China’s growing market and industry.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-62825830

Topic Reading-Vol.3847-10/23/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Billions of snow crabs have disappeared from the waters around Alaska.
As global warming warms oceans and melts sea ice, temperatures around the Arctic have been warming four times faster than the rest of the planet. This significantly affects the ecosystems in the Arctic and high-altitude waters. Snow crabs are cold-water species that mainly live in water where temperatures are below 2 degrees Celsius. Researchers recently found that their population dropped from eight billion in 2018 to just one billion in 2021. The direct cause of the decline is overfishing, catching more than they can naturally replace. But the root cause is global warming. If you keep catching the same number of crabs each year while the total population declines by global warming, you will deplete the population. In fact, just in 2021 and 2022, the population of mature male snow crabs declined by 40%. Since global warming cannot be stopped immediately, what the Alaskan fishery management can do to conserve the species’ population is to ban fishing for some time. Another big blow to Alaska’s fishing industry, which has been coping with the rapid change in the environment and ecosystems of the Arctic regions.
Read the article and learn about what is going on under Alaska’s water.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/16/us/alaska-snow-crab-harvest-canceled-climate/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3846-10/22/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Vancouver’s air quality affected as several wildfires rage
When wildfires occurred in British Columbia, Canada and Washington state, USA, people in metro Vancouver were given air quality warnings of high concentrations of fine particulate matter. What is the fine particulate matter or PM 2.5? It is an air pollutant that is a concern for people's health when levels in the air are high. PM2.5 are tiny particles in the air that reduce visibility and cause the air to appear hazy when levels are elevated. Their diameter is less than 2.5 micrometers, much smaller than that of a piece of human hair. Particles in the PM2.5 size range are able to travel deeply into the respiratory tract, reaching the lungs. Exposure to fine particles can cause short-term health effects such as eye, nose, throat, lung irritation, coughing, sneezing, runny nose, and shortness of breath. Exposure to fine particles can also affect lung function and worsen medical conditions such as asthma and heart disease. People with breathing and heart problems, children and the elderly may be particularly sensitive to PM2.5. Outside, fine particles primarily come from cars, trucks, buses, and off-road vehicles like construction equipment, snowmobile, and locomotive exhausts. Also, the burning of fuels such as wood, heating oil or coal, and natural sources such as forest and grass fires produce PM2.5. So, when PM2.5 is high in the air, you’d better stay inside.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about the recent wildfires and PM2.5.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/15/americas/vancouver-fires-air-quality-washington/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3845-10/21/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
New Zealand wants to tax farmers for their cows’ burps and farts
Only with a five million human population, there are about 10 million cattle and 26 million sheep in New Zealand. In fact, agriculture represents half of the country’s total emissions, over 90% of which is the biogenetic emission of methane. When cows burp, they release bursts of gas that are full of methane, a greenhouse gas that traps heat from the sun more than 20 times as efficiently as carbon dioxide. Now, the NZ government is proposing to tax farmers on their livestock’s emissions like burps and farts. They say their intention is not just to make farmers pay taxes but to incentivize them to take action to reduce methane emissions so that they can improve productivity and profitability. In fact, some researchers are already working on a probiotic method to reduce methane-emitting burps. Will New Zealand lead the world to reduce methane emissions to tackle global warming? Will farmers buy this idea?
Enjoy reading the article about an attempt to reduce burps and farts.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/11/asia/new-zealand-farmers-cow-sheep-burps-climate-intl-scn/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3844-10/20/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Netflix with ads is here. Here’s everything you need to know
Founded in 1997, Netflix has been offering streaming services for movies, dramas, and TV series to over 220 million subscribers in 190 countries for the last 15 years. With the $9.99 basic monthly subscription fee in the US, subscribers can enjoy the content without commercial interruptions. This ad-free viewing has been the core value of the streaming service along with a wide variety of content including its originally or exclusively produced movies and dramas. Now, since the number of subscribers isn’t increasing any further due to competition, inflation, and market saturation, Netflix has introduced a compromising option to entice new subscribers, called Basic with Ads. This new option will cost $6.99 a month, only $3 cheaper than the without-ads service. The subscribers of this new program will have to bear with four to five minutes ad break per hour. If you divide the $3 monthly saving by 30 days, you can save only 10 cents a day. But what if the basic service fee increased to $12.99 or $15.99? Your saving would then become substantial enough to add another subscription service so that you can watch during the ad breaks.
Enjoy reading the article and think about your subscribing options after November.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/13/media/netflix-ads-plan-cost/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3843-10/19/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Global wildlife populations have declined by 69% since 1970, WWF report finds
In order to cope with the mounting climate, environmental, and public health crises, it is essential to prevent further biodiversity loss while restoring vital ecosystems. In the last half-century, the world’s wildlife populations dropped by nearly 70% due to climate change, the degradation of land and sea systems, overexploitation of animals and plants, and other human activity, according to a recent report by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). For example, the amazon rainforest is now close to the point of being nonfunctional. The population of the Amazon pink river dolphin declined by 65% in the last 25 years. Also, the eastern lowland gorilla population in D.R. Congo dropped by 80% in the same period. Since the planet has already warmed by 1.2 degrees Celsius since the pre-industrial level and is still being warmed, more actions are needed immediately to stop losing more wildlife populations. Indeed, biodiversity is essential to increase the resilience of communities and reduce their vulnerability in the face of shocks such as climate change and natural disasters.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about how much wildlife populations the world is losing
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/13/world/wwf-living-planet-report-2022-climate-intl-scli-scn/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3842-10/18/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
What Covid-19 precautions should people take for international travel?
We now know that Covid-19 is not going away from us for some time. In the meanwhile, we want to resume some activities that we used to enjoy before the pandemic, such as dining with friends and families, going to a concert, or traveling abroad. As for traveling, do we know which places are safer, how we can best avoid being infected, or what we should do once infected? The coronavirus vaccines and booster shots, especially the updated ones, are the most effective measure to avoid severe symptoms and side effects of Covid-19. Also, wearing a face mask indoors is still effective to reduce the risk of contracting not only coronavirus but also much-feared influenza, especially this winter. In addition, since the number of infected people is no longer reliably reported, we ought to know how well the healthcare infrastructure is managed in the travel destination. There are quite many tools available to protect us from infection, you may plan and enjoy a safer trip if you use them wisely.
Enjoy reading the article to learn about protective measures against coronavirus when you travel.
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/coronavirus-omicron-travel-vaccine-health-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3841-10/17/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Nasa's Dart spacecraft 'changed path of asteroid'
The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (Dart) is a NASA space mission to test a planetary defense against near-Earth objects such as asteroids. It was designed to assess how much a spacecraft impact an asteroid’s movement by a direct hit. The probe was launched last November and crashed into Dimorphos, the minor planet moon of the much larger asteroid Didymos, at about 11 million kilometers away from Earth. The refrigerator-seized probe hit Dimorphos at a speed of 22,000km/hour and successfully changed the orbit time of the moon by 32 minutes to 11 hours and 23 minutes, a 4% change in the orbital period. The diameter of Dimorphos is about 160 meters, about half of the Eiffel Tower while that of Didymos is 780 meters, big enough to give a substantial impact on Earth if it hit directly. As part of the planetary defense strategy, such asteroid deflection method might be used in the future. Could dinosaurs have been saved if they had had such a defense system?
Enjoy reading the article to learn about this planetary-defense test mission.
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-63221577

Topic Reading-Vol.3840-10/16/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
India facing a pandemic of antibiotics-resistant superbugs
Over 1.2 million people died of antibiotic-resistant diseases in 2019 in the world. In India alone, nearly 60,000 newborns die of such infections each year. Antibiotic-resistant happens when bacteria change over time and become resistant to drugs that are supposed to defeat them and cure the infections they cause. E. coli, often found in the intestines after taking contaminated food, is one such pathogen. There are some other diseases like Klebsiella pneumonia and Staphylococcus aureus that antibiotics are less than 15% effective for treatment. The problem is that the cases of these antibiotic-resistant diseases are increasing in India. Experts blame that many doctors prescribe antibiotics even for diseases that cannot be cured by antibiotics, such as the flu, common cold, dengue, malaria, and even Covid-19. One reason for the over-usage of antibiotics is the economy. While costs for diagnostics remain expensive, the prices of antibiotics have been falling. Also, doctors are too busy to carefully examine the patients to treat them properly. Antibiotic resistance occurs more when antibiotics are misused and overused. It seems that more education is needed to prevent and cure diseases in India.
Read the article and learn about how antibiotics should not be used.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-63059585

Topic Reading-Vol.3839-10/15/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Drones allowed this photographer to capture synchronized swimming like never before
Thanks to drones, shooting photos from above has become part of the art of photography. An Australian fine art aerial photographer has created aerial images of ballet dancers, divers, and tennis players, which aren’t usually seen by spectators. Recently, his drone hovered over a swimming pool to shoot photos of performers of artistic swimming, better known as synchronized swimming. These images are staggeringly eye-opening because we usually see the performance from the side or underwater. The photos show never-have-been-seen symmetric and geometric patterns that are formed by eight swimmers.
Enjoy seeing some photos of artistic swimmers from above.
https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/brad-walls-sync-swimmers/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3838-10/14/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Thai nursery attack: The story of the three-year-old survivor
A former policeman killed 34 people, including 23 children, during a knife and gun rampage at a daycare center in a northeast town of Thailand on October 7. The 34-year-old shooter was dismissed from his post in June over drug allegations. He had been in court earlier that day and had then gone to the daycare center to pick up his child but didn’t find his child there. Then he started shooting, stabbing, and killing 23 children and the 11 people there. The age range of the children at the daycare center was from two to five years. The shooter later shot dead his wife and child at home before turning his weapon on himself. The rampage occurred at a time when the children were taking a nap. In one of the three classrooms, three-year-old Emmy was napping soundly with other children of the same age. When she woke up, she found no one was moving and thought they were still asleep. She was covered her face by a police officer and carried away to the second floor. The police found no other survivors in the daycare center, most of whom were stabbed to death. The incident was one of the world’s worst child death tolls in a single massacre by a lone killer in recent history. It was purely a miracle that Emmy was unharmed although she lost all of her friends and teachers at her beloved daycare center.
Read the story of the only survivor of the Thai nursery massacre.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-63186292

Topic Reading-Vol.3837-10/13/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Australia vows new plan to stop mammal extinction crisis
A total of 379 species of mammals have been recorded in Australia and surrounding continental waters: 357 indigenous and 22 introduced. There are 75 bat species, XX marine mammals like the Humpback whale, monotremes and marsupials like the Tasmanian devil, placental mammals like red deer, and rodents. Unfortunately, as Australia’s environment declines due to human activities and global warming, many of these species are becoming more vulnerable. So, the country set a 10-year strategy to reduce the loss of any more species by protecting up to 30% of the land under national environmental laws. 110 species are going to be prioritized for protection, including the Australian sea lion and Gilbert's Potoroo, of which only about 100 remain.
Once it becomes extinct, the species will never revive with today’s technologies.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about one small step to conserve nature in Australia.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-63126430

Topic Reading-Vol.3836-10/12/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Next supercontinent may form when the Pacific Ocean disappears
Plate tectonics is the theory that Earth's outer shell is divided into large slabs of solid rock, called “plates,” that glide over Earth's mantle, the rocky inner layer above Earth’s core. The plates move relative to each other at different rates, from two to 15 centimeters per year. This interaction of tectonic plates is responsible for many different geological formations such as the Himalaya mountain range in Asia, the East African Rift, and the San Andreas Fault in California.
Pangaea was a supercontinent that is believed to have existed around 200 million years ago. Because of the tectonic plate movement, the supercontinent started to break apart about 200 million years ago when dinosaurs were the dominant creatures. The present continents and oceans are the results of the tectonic plates’ movement, which are still gradually shifting. Now, new research predicts that the Pacific Ocean will close up in 300 million years and a new supercontinent is going to be formed, named Amasia. When the continents are combined and oceans are merged, Earth’s climate will be quite different from now. This merge-and-divide of the continents is called the supercontinent cycle.
Are you interested in seeing what the world will be like on Amasia?
Enjoy reading the article and learn about the supercontinent and its cycle.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/07/world/pacific-ocean-supercontinent-scn/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3835-10/11/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Fat Bear Week: Race is on for Alaska's bulkiest bear
Alaska's Katmai National Park and Preserve is one of the wildest, least developed national parks in the US, allowing an untrammeled natural world to flourish. There, roughly 2,200 brown bears are estimated to live. They hibernate from November in their dens without eating, drinking, or passing urine or feces for a half year. When they emerge from their hibernation in spring, they are very weary and thin. Then they start hunting enormous amounts of food to build fat to go through the next hibernation.
Fat Bear Week, which occurs around the first week of October each year, is an online event organized by the Park Service and wildlife live streamers explore.org. The event shows how the region's brown bears have fared after months of devouring 4,500-calorie sockeye salmon. Park rangers create a March-Madness style bracket pitting individual bears against each other. The public then votes to see who will advance each round. Fat Bear Week also teaches onlookers how North American brown bears prepare for the winter - by getting fat to survive. This year’s winner will be announced today.
Enjoy reading the article and learn about how Alaskan bears prepare for the harsh and severe winter.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-63125242

Topic Reading-Vol.3834-10/10/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
When you eat may dictate how hungry you are, study says
If you want to get the most from what you’ve eaten, you may want to eat dinner right before you go to bed. But if you want to keep in good shape, eat dinner early so that your circadian rhythm, which affects your body temperature and heart rate, works favorably for your weight control. A recent study found that people want to eat more food when they eat later in the day because of an increase in hormones that spikes appetite. Indeed, since circadian rhythm, the processes that happen naturally during a 24-hour period, affects body temperature and heart rate, when to eat seems to matter to one’s health significantly. So, if you have limited food but still have to work a lot, you may want to eat late to save your food intake. But if you want to lose or keep your weight, you want to eat early to burn as many calories as you took. Which group do you belong to?
Enjoy reading the article and learning about how our circadian rhythm works.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/05/health/eating-late-appetite-metabolism-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3833-10/9/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
The world's highest ATM: Pakistan's mountaintop bank machine
An Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) is an electric telecommunication device that allows users to withdraw cash, make deposits, check account status, and transfer money. Even though the use of ATMs is gradually decreasing as cashless payment increases, they provide essential services to those who have no other means to withdraw or transfer money. They are mostly installed in places where there are enough users to generate service fees for the operation costs. But surprisingly, there is one at the highest paved border crossing in the world, nearly 4,700 meters high in Pakistan. Installed by the National Bank of Pakistan in 2016, this solar- and wind-powered ATM serves small numbers of travelers, residents, and border-crossing staff. Even with state-of-the-art satellite communication and renewable power sources, cash needs to be replenished and collected and troubles have to be fixed. It takes at least two hours to drive up there from the nearest bank branch. Imagine how cold the place is in wintertime. You will get frozen coins and notes provided that your bank account is not frozen.
Enjoy reading the article about an ATM where there is only sun above and clouds below.
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20221003-the-worlds-highest-atm-pakistans-mountaintop-bank-machine

Topic Reading-Vol.3832-10/8/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Ukraine war: Czech crowdfunding buys 'Tomas the tank' for Ukraine
Crowdfunding is a way of raising money to finance projects and businesses. It harnesses the power of social networks and the internet to give people the means to raise funds for businesses, help others overcome hardship, and meet aspirational goals. The Russian leader would never have imagined that crowdfunding was used to buy a tank as a gift for him. A crowdfunding campaign called the “Gift for Putin” has raised millions of dollars to purchase weapons to fight against Russian troops in Ukraine. Recently, a Czech campaign raised over a million dollars to buy a modernized Soviet-era T-72 tank, named “Thomas,” which will be sent to Ukraine. What an irony! Organizers of the crowdfunding are continuing their efforts to raise more funds to provide Ukraine forces with other military essentials, such as drones, thermal clothing, bulletproof vests, and ammunitions. How much more gifts will Putin receive from the West?
Enjoy reading the article about the power of crowdfunding.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63121649

Topic Reading-Vol.3831-10/7/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Young non-smokers told not to take up vaping by experts
E-cigarettes heat nicotine (extracted from tobacco), flavorings, and other chemicals to create an aerosol when inhaled. While regular tobacco cigarettes contain 7,000 chemicals, many of which are toxic, E-cigarette, or Vaping, is regarded far less harmful than smoking tobacco even though it contains nicotine which is highly addictive. Nicotine causes the smoker to crave a smoke and suffer withdrawal symptoms if he or she ignores the craving. Nicotine is in fact a toxic substance, which raises blood pressure and spikes adrenaline. It then increases the heart rate and the likelihood of having a heart attack. Nowadays among youth, e-cigarettes, especially the disposable kind that comes with a variety of flavors, are getting more popular than any traditional tobacco product. As a result, young people are vaping and have become addicted to it. Even though vaping is much safer than cigarettes, researchers warn that the long-term effects of vaping are still unknown.  Then what should be done to discourage young people from vaping? Should e-cigarettes be taxed as much as conventional cigarettes?
Enjoy reading the article about a recent survey on vaping among young people in England.
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-63076876

Topic Reading-Vol.3830-10/6/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Coffee lowers risk of heart problems and early death, study says, especially ground and caffeinated
An over a decade-long study of 450,000 adults found that daily coffee consumption seems to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease significantly. The type of coffee, ground, instant, or decaffeinated seems to make a significant reduction in most heart disease. Prior studies also indicate that a few cups of black coffee reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, diabetes, liver disease, and prostate cancer. Since decaffeinated coffee also lowers the risk of all studied heart diseases but an irregular heartbeat, non-caffeinated compounds are likely to have a positive impact on reducing cardiovascular disorders. Since the study does not take other eating or lifestyle factors into account, just drinking coffee won’t seem to make your heart healthier. If you keep eating salty and fatty foods daily without exercising much, just drinking black coffee won’t save your life so much. Will coffee drinkers get a discount on health insurance premiums?
Enjoy reading the article if you’re a coffee drinker, or thinking about drinking coffee.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/09/29/health/coffee-live-longer-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3829-10/5/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Miraculously preserved 1-million-year-old human skull discovered in China
Homo erectus is an extinct species of archaic human that is thought to have emerged around two million years ago. It was the first human ancestor that spread throughout Eurasia. Peking Man is a subspecies of Homo erectus that is estimated to have lived around half a million years ago. Recently, a very well-preserved Homo erectus skull was discovered by a group of archaeologists in the central province of Hubei, China. The skull is full and the eyebrow arch is raised and is by far the most complete Homo erectus skull ever found in inland Eurasia. It is also one of the very few human fossils that can date back to more than one million years. The fossil, named the Yunxian Man, could be an important link in studying and understanding the emergence and development of humans in East Asia.
Enjoy watching the video to learn how a precious fossil is excavated.
https://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2022/09/30/1-million-year-old-skull-discovered-evolution-china-orig-aw.cnn

Topic Reading-Vol.3828-10/4/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
China-Japan ties for next 50 years
September 29 marked the 50^th anniversary of the Joint Communique of the Government of Japan and the Government of the People’s Republic of China was signed in Beijing. The communique established and normalized diplomatic relations between the two nations. Subsequently, Japan ended its official relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan), following the suit of the US and the United Nations. Over the last half-century, the two countries and peoples have enjoyed increasing businesses, investments, tourism, and cultural exchanges despite the scar of Japan's invasion in 1931. Now, China is Japan’s biggest trade partner, and business without China is unthinkable for Japan just like other Asian countries. However, Japan is a close ally of the US, and the US has become increasingly hostile to China. Also, Japan has a territorial dispute with China over a group of uninhabited islands.
What does China think of Japan in principle?
Enjoy reading an article written by China’s ambassador to Japan.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202209/29/WS6334d6baa310fd2b29e7a4d6.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3827-10/3/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Virgin Atlantic launches new gender-neutral uniform policy
Virgin Atlantic is a British airline that operates long-haul flights from London to destinations in North America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The airline has been trying to accommodate the need to express an individual’s true identity under “Be Youself” agenda. In fact, the airline’s travelers whose passports have gender-neutral markers can choose gender codes like “U”, “X”, or “Mx” on their tickets. Recently, the airline announced that its cabin crew, pilots, and ground staff can now choose the uniform they feel most comfortable in. For example, the uniforms aren’t categorized only under male and female. This gender identity policy is intended to allow the airline’s employees to express who they truly are. The happier the employees become, the better they perform. From the passenger’s viewpoint, how they are serviced seems more important than how they are represented.
Enjoy reading the article and seeing the photo of Virgin’s gender-neutral uniforms.
https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/virgin-atlantic-gender-neutral-uniforms-intl-scli/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3826-10/2/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
What is the healthiest bread?
In the United States, 36.5% of adults are obese and another 32.5% are overweight. Combined, more than two-thirds of adults in the US are overweight or obese. Obesity is linked to more than 60 chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Also, around 17% of American children aged two to 19 are obese, which represents over 12.7 million American children. This is a serious problem as overweight children are more likely to become overweight adults. The reason for such high obesity/overweight rate is simple. Americans are eating more calories than ever before. Contradictorily, while eating a lot, many Americans want to reduce weight by cutting carbohydrate intake like bread. But is bread so bad for your health? Around the world, bread is not only a staple food but also a symbol of well-being and traditions in most cultures. So, is there any good or bad bread for your health or well-being? How can you balance your diet and well-being?
Enjoy reading the article and learning about how Americans think of bread.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/09/26/health/healthiest-bread-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3825-10/1/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Why ‘digital literacy’ is now a workplace non-negotiable
Technology is not sector-specific any longer. Almost all workers are required to have digital skills and a mindset to adopt whatever technology comes with their jobs. Reskilling is one way to upskill employees but that won’t be enough. As new technologies, programs, and applications emerge nearly every day and every hour, today’s digital literacy is no longer enough for tomorrow’s job. It’s like a race between digital skills and technology. So, workers have to be digitally confident and keen to try new technologies to move on, just like kids learn to use new apps daily. Indeed, digital literacy seems to have become a more vital qualification than ever before for any job.
Enjoy reading the article to learn about what digital literacy is about.
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220923-why-digital-literacy-is-now-a-workplace-non-negotiable