Topic Reading-Vol.3885-11/30/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Vegan 'cheese' market booms as demand grows
Cheese is a dairy product produced in a wide range of flavors, textures, and tastes. Its history dated back to 8000 BCE and there are now over a thousand types of cheese produced in many cultures. Cheese is tasty by itself and adds a rich taste and flavor to many kinds of foods and dishes like sandwiches, pizzas, and tacos. But cheese is often salty and most of the fat in cheese is saturated fat, which raises cholesterol levels. Also, dairy products aren’t friendly to the environment. (Vol.3883) As more people move to a healthier, vegetarian, or vegan diet, demand for non-dairy cheese has been increasing. Recently, more palatable vegan cheese products are appearing on the shelves and online. The demand for such healthier cheese products has been increasing despite the inflation pressure on households. The shift from dairy to plant-based milk products indeed helps improve our health and the environment.
Enjoy reading the article about the rising demand for vegan cheese.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-63633479

Topic Reading-Vol.3884-11/29/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Chimpanzee cheer: Video of reunion between endangered mother and baby goes viral
How do animals, say our close cousin chimpanzees, develop and feel maternal instinct? A video of an emotional reunion of a mother chimp and her newborn baby was taken at a zoo in Kansas, the USA. Even though a mother chimpanzee had been separated from her baby boy at birth because of a Cesarian operation, she immediately demonstrated a strong mothership when she met the baby boy for the first time two days after the C-section birth. She must have developed her maternal instinct while she was pregnant. But she wouldn’t have known if the baby chimp was indeed her baby. It seems that for an expecting mother, a baby is a baby. It doesn’t seem to matter whose baby it is to keep the species alive. Whatever the reason or motive was, her immediate attachment to the baby chimp shows how strong maternal instinct is.
Enjoy watching the video to find how instinctively a mother chimp is attached to her baby boy.
https://edition.cnn.com/videos/us/2022/11/19/chimpanzee-mom-and-baby-reunite-birth-zoo-cprog-orig-aw.cnn

Topic Reading-Vol.3883-11/28/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Drink this type of milk to keep you and the planet healthy
It has been believed that dairy milk is good for health and growth as it is rich in calcium and protein. But as the global population added a billion in just a decade and is still growing, should we keep producing milk to meet the increasing demand? Even though today’s dairy industry produces much more milk per cow than before, it uses 10 times as much land and water as plant-based milk, such as almonds, rice, soy, and oat. Also, as cows burp and poo, they generate methane, an 80 times more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Then the question is if we can substitute those plant-based milk products for dairy milk products nutritiously, environmentally, and economically. Well, if we can substitute chicken with lab-grown meat (Vol.3882), why can’t we?
Enjoy reading the article and learning about what milk is about.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/15/health/best-milk-for-planet-and-people-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3882-11/27/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Lab-grown meat is OK for human consumption, FDA says
Laboratory-grown meat, or cultured meat, is meat produced by culturing animal cells in vitro. It is a form of cellular agriculture. Cultured meat has the potential to address the environmental impact of meat production, animal welfare, food security, and human health. It requires substantially less water and land to develop meat than growing and getting meat from animals. Also, since the food system, most of which is from animal agriculture, represents about a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, lab-grown meat is expected to help mitigate climate change. The question is how close we are to seeing cultured meat on store shelves. As for safety, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is getting close to approving the lab-grown chicken meat developed by a cultured-meat manufacturer. When it comes to the economy, time will tell when it’ll become affordable for consumers who are conscious of animal welfare and the environment.
Enjoy reading the article and think if you’re ready to eat lab-grown meat.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/17/health/fda-lab-meat-cells-scn-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3881-11/26/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
What is behind the big tech companies' job cuts?
Until recently, the US online tech industry had been in top gear to hire and retain talented employees with lucrative pay, luring perks, and flexible workstyle. But as inflation put the economy into trouble, consumers cut their spending, and therefore, advertisers slashed their online ad budgets. Then those tech giants which only had been looking at a bright future suddenly realized that it wasn’t going to be the case. As their growth expectations faded and quarter earnings fell, they realized that they had hired and retained more employees than they could afford. Because of their investors’ pressure and intention, those tech giants are in a race to slash their spending and cut jobs, like Twitter, Amazon, and Meta only to name a few. This will hit hard for those who were recently hired by those tech firms as they also had expected a bright future and spent and loaned for housing and cars. Do those corporate executives only know to press the accelerator or brake so hard to drive a car?
Read the article and learn about the recent job cuts in the US tech industry.
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-63635821

Topic Reading-Vol.3880-11/25/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Study shows 1 billion young people are at risk for hearing loss. This is how to prevent it
One of the easiest and quickest ways to be isolated yourself from others and indulge in yourself is to listen to music with earphones. And the louder the sound is, the more enjoyable and exciting the music could be up to a certain level. Nowadays, many young kids and adults listen to music with earphones from their smartphones. No matter how loud the sound is, you won’t be told to turn the volume down like a TV or stereo set, which makes you listen to music too loudly to your ears. And if you listen too loud for too long, your hearing ability will be permanently impaired. Such unhealthy listening practice does accelerate age-related hearing loss even or cause tinnitus even from an early age. In fact, a new study predicts over one billion people could lose their hearing ability over time. Is watching TV on the couch healthier than listening to music with earphones?  
Enjoy reading the article and learn about the impact of loud music on our hearing ability.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/15/health/hearing-loss-headphones-study-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3879-11/24/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
3D printed guns: Warnings over growing threat of 3D firearms
3D printing or additive manufacturing is a process of making three-dimensional solid objects from a digital file. The creation of a 3D-printed object is achieved using an additive process, where an object is created by laying down successive layers of material until the object is created. Each of these layers can be seen as a thinly sliced cross-section of the object. 3D printing can produce complex shapes using less material than traditional manufacturing methods. And this technology has become as reliable and affordable as making firearms. Using the software and designs that are found easily on the web, untraceable guns can be produced in a garage or bedroom. At the moment, 80 to 90% of the parts can be produced by a 3D printer, and some metal components need to be manufactured in conventional ways, including ammunition. Though such 3D weapon is still detected by ordinary security process, authorities and experts are concerned about the production and use of such weapons by extremists and terrorists.
Enjoy reading the article about a technology that could produce a harmful weapon for anyone.
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-63495123

Topic Reading-Vol.3878-11/23/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
British Airways will let male staff wear makeup and piercings
An inclusive workplace is a work environment that makes every employee feel valued while also acknowledging their differences and how these differences contribute to the organization’s culture and business outcomes. In an inclusive workplace, any impact of bias, discrimination, or unequal opportunity is negated. Virgin Atlantic introduced a new gender-neutral uniform policy in September (Vol.3827), allowing male cabin and crew members to wear skirts and female crew to wear trousers to make them feel more comfortable. It is part of the recent move to let employees express their most authentic version of themselves. Now, British Airways, the 103-year-old flag carrier airline of the UK, followed the suit to create a competitive working environment and enhance employee motivation. Under their new uniform guidelines, any crew members can now freely show and express themselves regardless of their gender, including make-up, jewelry, and nail varnish. In the meantime, the airline scrapped the make-up requirement for female staff.
Enjoy reading the article and think if an all-inclusive policy will become standard in the hospitality industry.
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/british-airways-males-staff-makeup-piercings-gbr-intl-scli/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3877-11/22/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Amazon: Robots spread but 'we still need humans'
The world’s population is just about eight billion now. Amazon handles about five billion packages a year, or over 13 million boxes a day. Though the company has over 1.6 million employees, that’s still too many packages to handle only by humans. So how is Amazon handling that many boxes and delivering them to the customers? In fact, there are over half a million mobile drive robots scooting the floors in their fulfillment centers. Also, around 1,000 robot arms are sorting packages in the US and Europe. As a result, about three in every four packages of Amazon are touched by some kind of robotic system. As hiring workers is increasingly getting difficult across the world, Amazon has been investing in robots and drones to get the merchandise packed and delivered. And this is not only at Amazon but at any other online retailer of any size. It seems that innovation is taking place in every corner of the retail industry.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about how essential robots are for online retailers.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-63593335

Topic Reading-Vol.3876-11/21/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Chocolate is having a moment
During the Covid pandemic, people ate more chocolate than ever as they stayed home longer. That is probably because they wanted to relieve stress and entice themselves. Indeed, when you are at home working on a PC, studying, or doing nothing all day long, chocolate is something that surely makes feel happy, energized, and relieved. But surprisingly, despite the increased prices because of inflation, chocolate sales have still been robust even after people started to go back to the office and school in the USA. Why chocolate? It is no healthier than any other sweet as it contains no less sugar. Is chocolate more addictive than other snacks? It is at least more affordable than alcohol, cigarettes, or vapes.  Chocolate seems to remain an affordable treat for families and for consumers in America.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about how delightful chocolate is for Americans.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/09/business/chocolate-sales-ctrp/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3875-11/20/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Afghanistan: Taliban ban women from Kabul parks
Ever since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in August 2021, women have been segregated despite the promise the ruler made that it would respect women’s rights in line with Sharia law, which could be conveniently interpreted by the authority. For example, teenage girls have still not been allowed to attend school yet even though they were told to come to school once.  Also, under the Taliban’s segregating rule, women were allowed to visit public parks only on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Now, women are entirely prohibited to go into public parks to spend time with friends or even their family. So, children cannot enjoy rides in an amusement park with their mothers. The Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice reasoned that women have not been respecting Sharia laws in the park. Though this new restriction is forced only in Kabul, the capital, at the moment, it is likely to apply across the country.
Read the article about how segregated women and girls are in Afghanistan.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-63582047

Topic Reading-Vol.3874-11/19/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Supreme Court: India top court upholds quotas for poor
It is not uncommon to allocate quotas, though it is controversial, for government jobs or education opportunities to certain people, races, and gender. But it is a bit more complicated issue in India. India's caste system is among the world's oldest forms of surviving social stratification. The system which divides Hindus into hierarchical groups based on their work and duty is generally accepted to be more than 3,000 years old. From the top, the hierarchies were teachers and intellectuals, warriors and rulers, traders, laborers, and then outcastes who do all the menial jobs like street sweeping and latrine cleaning. For centuries, caste dictated almost every aspect of Hindu religious and social life, with each group occupying a specific place in the hierarchy until 1950 when Independent India's constitution banned discrimination on the basis of caste. In an attempt to correct historical injustices and provide a level playing field to the traditionally disadvantaged, the authorities then announced quotas in government jobs and educational institutions for scheduled castes and tribes. That was originally meant to be a temporary affirmative action to improve the opportunities for unprivileged groups of people but has been extended and amended by politicians to buy votes. Then if you put the economic scale to the quotas, things get complicated because not all the upper cast people are wealthier than those in the lower castes. India’s affirmation action seems to be a complex of social, economic, and political factors.
Read the article and learn about India’s complicated and disputed affirmative action.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-63538698

Topic Reading-Vol.3873-11/18/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Billionaires emit a million times more greenhouse gases than the average person, study finds
A superrich individual emits substantially more carbon dioxide than an ordinary person does. For example, many rich people fly in private jets, sail luxurious yachts, and heat and cool spacious mansions. But these are just part of their massive CO2 emissions. A new study on 125 world’s richest people found that their investments produce an annual average of 3 million tons of CO2 per person, one million times more than an average person does. For example, an average of 14% of their investments are in polluting industries like energy and materials. On the other hand, only one of those 125 billionaires invested in a renewable energy company. Of course, everyone has a right to decide on their investment portfolio but the return on investment shouldn’t be limited only to money. In the meanwhile, green companies could show themselves as better investment options for billionaires.
Enjoy reading the text and learning about the impact of the superrich.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/07/world/billionaires-greenhouse-gases-climate-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3872-11/17/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
The truth about how often you should wash your hair
A hairdresser makes your hairstyle look good. Also, when you shampoo, dry, and set your hair, you’ll make yourself look nice and clean. But there is the scalp where your hair grows. You want to worry about how your hair looks but you should also care about how healthy your scalp is. Some people shampoo their hair once or even more a day mainly to keep their heads clean and make their hair look not too oily while others do only a few times a week or even less. How and how frequently you should wash your hair depend on multiple factors, including hair type, scalp, and activity levels. For example, since our scalps produce less oil as we age, older people may not need a daily hair wash. But those whose scalps are oily might need to wash their hair more frequently. What are your hair and scalp conditions like? That is why it is helpful to get advice from dermatologists who give you more comprehensive advice for your hair care.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about the health of your hair and scalp.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/04/health/how-often-should-you-wash-your-hair-tips-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3871-11/16/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
What hotel star ratings actually mean today
When you book a hotel in an unfamiliar place, how do you find one that suits your need, taste, and budget? If there is your favorite or familiar hotel chain, you’ll probably get what you expect. But if there isn’t one in the place, say in a foreign country or remote destination, or you want to experience an extraordinary time, how would you find one? In general, the more you pay, the more you could enjoy. However, the price isn’t always a reliable indicator when it comes to lodgings as their prices vary by season, time, and demand. Then you may check online user ratings, which you may just find many extreme comments on either side. If you really want to get some idea from those comments, you may want to scrutinize a number of comments and find common mentioning in different wordings. What about a star rating? There are a wide variety of rating schemes used by different organizations around the world, some are authorized by the government or its agency, and others are rated by popular commercial services such as the Forbes Travel Guide and the AAA. The most popular public rating uses Tourist (★), Standard (★★), Comfort (★★★), First Class (★★★★), Luxury (★★★★★), and others describe Deluxe/Luxury, First Class/Superior, Tourist Class/Standard, and Budget Class/Economy.
More confused? You may want to refer to the brand, rating, guests’ comments, photos, google Maps if available in the place, and lastly but not least, the budget and deals.
Enjoy reading the article and learning the mechanism of hotel ratings.
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/hotel-star-rating-meanings/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3870-11/15/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Wildlife Photographer of the Year: Frenzied bee ball wins top prize
Over 38,000 entries took part in the photo contest for the best of the best photos in nature,
Wildlife Photographer of the Year, or WPY. Born in 1964, this prestigious photo competition hosts 12 to 17 categories each year. The grand winning photo of the prize this year was given to an American woman who shot a manic moment as male cactus bees envelop a single female to mate. The photo also features other bees coming in from the side, which adds the feeling of a buzzing sound that makes the photo even livelier. There are other stunning images that show the dying moment of a sardine in the mouth of a whale, a mountain gorilla in the arm of her caregiver, and a cave bat just being snatched by a snake. If you want to enjoy seeing rather peaceful photos, there are photos of heavenly flamingos in a salt pan in the Andes and polar bears in an abandoned house on an island in the Arctic Sea.
Enjoy seeing some of the winners of Wildlife Photographer of 2022.
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-63209350

Topic Reading-Vol.3869-11/14/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Shyam Saran Negi: Man dubbed 'India's first voter' dies aged 105
India is the largest democratic country in the world with over 900 million eligible voters. In the last general election in 2019, over 600 million, or about two-thirds of the eligible voters cast their votes. When India’s first general election took place in 1951-1952, a little over 100 million votes, or 45% of the registered voters, were cast out of the170 million registered voters. Shyam Saran Negi was known as the first person to have cast a ballot in the first election after independence from Britain. Ever since the first vote, he had voted in every election until his last on November 2^nd, which was only three days before his death at the age of 105. The ex-teacher said, “Youth should come forward to participate in the democratic process as it is not only our right but also our duty to participate in the elections by exercising our franchise.” He was indeed a teacher who exercised his duty throughout his life.
Enjoy reading the article and learn about this dedicated voter in India.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-63527891

Topic Reading-Vol.3868-11/13/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

1 in 5 deaths of US adults 20 to 49 is from excessive drinking, study shows

What kills Americans the most? Guns, drugs, or driving? A new study found that excessive alcohol consumption attributes to one in every five deaths among people aged 20 to 49 years old in the US. These causes of death include not only alcohol poisoning and alcohol-related diseases like liver disease but also car accidents. The bad news is that the number has risen in the past decade. The good news is that these deaths are mostly preventable. If you enjoy alcoholic drinks casually and in a controlled fashion, say a drink or two a day or only a few times a week, the risk of such miserable death or disease can be lowered. It is also beneficial for your weight control as alcohol contains a lot of sugar. You may want to substitute beer or wine with mineral or sparkling water but not with sugary drinks like coke. (A can of coke contains 35mg of sugar, which is more than the recommended daily limit of 25 mg).

Enjoy reading the article and learning about how deadly excess alcohol consumption is.

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/01/health/drinking-deaths-us-study-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3867-11/12/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Why high temperatures can make planes too heavy to take off
As global warming heats airports, airplanes need longer runways or lighter payloads to take off. In some cases, some of the passengers were forced to give up their flights, or flights were canceled altogether when the temperature went too high for takeoff. In fact, a study found that the maximum takeoff weight at 10 airports in Greece has been reduced by 127 kilograms each year since the 1970s because of the rise in temperatures. That’s because aircraft get 1% less lift with every 3 degrees of temperature rise. For example, if an airplane needs a 2,000-meter runway for takeoff at 20 degrees Celsius, it’ll require 2,500 meters at 40 degrees. This difference in temperature is just like the one in the morning and the one in a sizzling afternoon at the same airport. Why does the temperature matter so much for aircraft to take off? How are airlines dealing with the rising temperatures?
Enjoy reading the article and learn about how aircraft take off a runway.
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/climate-change-airplane-takeoff-scn/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3866-11/11/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Grocery prices are soaring. But this food favorite is getting cheaper
The avocado is a type of berry that grows in warm climates. Avocados provide a substantial amount of monounsaturated fatty acids and are rich in man vitamins and minerals. Incorporating them into a varied, healthy diet can provide a number of benefits, such as being rich in nutrients like vitamins C, E, K, and B6, healthy for the heart, and great for vision. Moreover, with their smooth, buttery, and golden-green flesh, avocados are becoming popular in many cultures and menus. Avocados are cultivated in the tropical and Mediterranean climates of many countries. Mexico is the world's leading producer of avocados, providing nearly 30% of the global harvest. Earlier this year, the price of avocados shot up mainly due to logistic restrictions from Mexico. But when the clogged pipelines were cleared, an oversupply of Avocados flushed into the US market, pushing the retail prices lower. That’s great news during a time of soaring inflation of everything from food to energy. Also, next year’s avocado supply is expected to be abundant. So, it may be a good time to add this healthy and budget-friendly fruit to your menu.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about the mystery of avocado prices.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/02/business/avocados-surplus-inflation-price-relief/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3865-11/10/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
‘Planet killer’ asteroid spotted hiding in the sun’s glare
There are over 27,000 known near-earth asteroids that orbit within 48 million kilometers from Earth. Fortunately, none of them has been found to pose a threat to Earth, yet. But it is quite difficult to observe those space objects, especially the ones that orbit within the inner solar system, which includes Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and the main asteroid belt, because of the harsh light of the sun. So, astronomers use ground-based telescopes during the brief period of twilight. Recently, they found two large near-Earth asteroids that are larger than 1 kilometer, which could cause a devastating impact on Earth should they hit our planet. The impact would create dust and pollutants to fill the atmosphere for many years and cool the planet significantly. One of them orbits within Earth’s path and could hit Earth in an unknown future, though not within centuries from now. That’s good news for the time being. But we still haven’t found all the asteroids that could pose a threat to our planet, yet. That’s why space agencies are trying to detect asteroids and alter their course to avoid a catastrophic impact that once made most of the species extinct, including dinosaurs.
Enjoy reading the article and learn about the threats that near-Earth objects pose.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/31/world/potentially-hazardous-near-earth-asteroid-scn/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3864-11/9/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Are microcars the smaller, greener future of urban driving?
Cities are often congested and air-polluted. Conventional fossil-fuel-burning cars are too large, heavy, and air-polluting. Most of the time, people drive only by themselves or with another for a relatively short distance and time no faster than a bicycle-plus speed. Even a popular electric car still takes up the same space to drive and park as other cars. So, what about an electric minicar that can accommodate most of your needs without emitting CO? It’ll serve most of your transport needs while saving space and expenses. You may also be able to enjoy getting a tax break and a preferential driving lane or parking space. Also, as technologies and manufacturing techniques have recently improved, minicars are now more stylish and affordable than their predecessors. For example, some of them are tricycles that allow you to enjoy motorcycle-like corning. Others have classic or futuristic designs that make you feel proud when you get in and off the vehicle. Minicars seem greener and friendlier transporter to the environment.
Enjoy reading the article and seeing the photos of new city transporters.
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/microcars-future-urban-driving-spc-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3863-11/8/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Antarctica’s emperor penguins at risk of extinction due to the climate crisis
Emperor penguins are the largest penguin species. They weigh up to 40 kilograms and stand as tall as one meter. They live and breed on ice in Antarctica and forage seafood like squid and small fish around the ice sheet. If the ice on and around Antarctica melt, Emperor penguins lose their habitat and face their predators like seals and whales more openly.  There are about 270,000 to 280,000 breeding pairs of emperor penguins in 60 breeding colonies along the coastline of Antarctica. As parts of the Antarctic Peninsula’s sea ice have melted by over 60% in 30 years and the global temperatures continue to rise, research suggests that the penguin population could decrease by 26% up to 47% by the middle of the century. In order to stop the population decline, the US Fish and Wildlife Service has recently categorized the species as threatened just like it did for polar bears in 2008, which seems to have helped stabilize the bear’s population. What actions are going to be taken and how soon and fast?
Enjoy reading the article and learning about the danger emperor penguins are facing.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/29/world/emperor-penguins-threatened-species-climate-scn/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3862-11/7/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
World's largest duty-free complex opens in Hainan
Haikou is the capital of Hainan (south of the sea), reflecting the island's position south of the Qiongzhou Strait. Haikou, also known as the “Coconut city”, is a popular tourist destination. Before the pandemic, the city received nearly 84 million tourists and generated over 360 million US dollars in 2019. Situated on the west coast of the city, the Haikou International Duty Free City Shopping Complex opened on October 28. The world's largest stand-alone duty-free complex boasts a cavernous area of 930,000sq meters comprised of six plots, including duty and tax-free shops, offices, and hotels. In fragrances alone, a dedicated single floor of 30,000sqm offers consumers virtual makeup applications, interactive experiences and customization, and fragrance tutorials. Chanel, Dior, Estée Lauder, La Mer, Clé de Peau Beauté, and other top beauty and skincare brands reside here, plus 10 duty-free CDFG-exclusive fragrance areas from the likes of Sulwhasoo, Laneige, and Hera. Duty-free sales account for approximately half of the province’s tourism revenue or about a quarter of the total retail sales of consumer goods in Hainan. With this new, gigantic DF complex, the city and province are expecting to boost the tourism and retail business after the pandemic. Of the 100,000-yuan annual quota per person for duty-free purchases, how much will consumers spend in this new shopping facility?
Enjoy reading the article and learning about the bold business initiative in Hainan.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202210/29/WS635c6403a310fd2b29e7f2f9.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3861-11/6/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
India GST: The ‘cheesy’ row over pizza toppings tax in India
After a historic session of both of the houses of parliament until midnight, India’s Goods and Services Tax, GST, was launched on July 1, 2017. Even though the prime minister described it as a “good and simple tax”, it is practically complicated because of the multiple tax rates, zero, 5%, 12%, 18%, and 28% depending on the item. For example, unpacked food is not taxed. The rate of GST is 18% for soaps but 28% for washing detergents. For movie tickets, the GST is 18% but 28% on tickets over 1000 rupees. But what’s more complicated is the GST on foods. For instance, while there is no GST on conventional milk, 12% GST is taxed on flavored milk products even though most of the ingredient is milk. Also, in a recent court ruling, a pizza company’s mozzarella topping is taxed at 28% even though the GST on cheese is 18% just because the cheese topping contained vegetable oil to enhance the texture and flavor of the pizza. There are so many other cases like these in India. There seems to be a conflict between the logic and practice in India’s GST.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about India’s long-and-still disputed good and simple tax.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-63281037

Topic Reading-Vol.3860-11/5/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Cost of living: Why more Australians are giving up their pets
Household bills are rising from food, energy bills, and daily necessities like diapers, detergents, and to pet food. As the rising costs outpace the income gains, the living budgets of middle and low-income households are getting tighter, especially for those who have pets. For example, a lost-dog animal shelter in Melbourne, Australia has been receiving more abandoned pet dogs recently. As the cost of pet products has risen twice as much as the food and drinks for humans in Australia, more pets are being given up by their owners. Also, inflation hits the operation costs of animal shelters even more badly. Furthermore, because of inflation, fewer people are now adopting those animals looking for permanent homes. It seems like a serious downward spiral for pet animals.
Read the article and learn about how inflation affects the lives of once-beloved pet animals.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-63071930

Topic Reading-Vol.3859-11/4/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
‘World’s dirtiest man’ dies at 94, months after his first wash
Did our ancestors and close cousins, Neanderthals, ever bathe or wash their faces tens of thousands of years ago? Were they unhealthy if they had never bathed? Recently, an Iranian hermit died at the age of 94, having outlived most of the healthy and clean fellows in the country. He lived a solitary life in between a hole in the ground and a brick shack built by townspeople. He didn’t eat any fresh food or drank clean water. More surprisingly, he hadn’t bathed for over six decades until his fellow villagers convinced him to wash his body a few months ago. He feared he would get sick if he ever used any soap and water. Unfortunately, he died just months after the wash. Though he was known as the world’s dirtiest man, he lived longer than most of the clean people. What was the cause of his death?
Read the article about a man without a wash for decades.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/26/asia/worlds-dirtiest-man-dies-iran-haji-scli-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3858-11/3/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Ancient DNA reveals first Neanderthal family portrait
Neanderthals are an extinct species of archaic humans who lived across Europe and southwest to central Asia from about 400,000 until about 40,000 years ago. They were about 1.50 to 1.75 meters tall and weighed around 64 to 80 kilograms, and had large noses, strong-double-arched brow ridges, and relatively short and stocky bodies. They were hunter-gatherers and ate meat, plants and fungi, and shellfish when available. Apparently, they co-existed with our, homo sapiens, ancestors that appeared around 300,000 years ago in Africa, but the cause of their extinction is still unclear. Recently, researchers extracted DNA from the bones and teeth that once belonged to a small Neanderthals community of seven males and six females including five children. They found that the community had low genetic diversity, meaning they were most likely family members or relatives. As genetic study advances, we’ll find more about the social organization and behaviors of our mysterious cousins. In fact, the two species seem to have interbred with each other before Neanderthals went extinct.
Enjoy reading the article about the lives and communities of the extinct species of archaic humans.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/19/europe/neanderthal-first-family-dna-scn/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3857-11/2/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Singapore's Changi Airport is going to get a lot bigger as plans for T5 take shape
The Republic of Singapore is an island city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. The technology-driven-minded people and the government have made the small city-state one of the most advanced and wealthiest nations in the world. It is also the hub of finance and air transport in Southeast Asia. In fact, Singapore’s Changi Airport is one of the world’s most awarded airports with its four convenient and accommodating terminals. For example, opened in 2019, Changi Jewel is a nature-themed entertainment and retail complex that is connected to terminals. It has a 40-meter-tall world’s tallest indoor waterfall that is surrounded by theaters, a four-story garden, and trails. Now, eyeing on the future of increasing air traffic in the region, the Singapore government has revealed the updated plan for the fifth terminal. The T5 design takes into account the pandemic challenges, environmentally friendly operation, and attractive atmosphere for the city’s residents. Will it be worth flying to as a travel destination?
Enjoy reading the article and learning about this futuristic design concept of one of the world’s most attractive airports.
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/singapore-changi-airport-t5-cmd/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3856-11/1/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Here’s why mosquitoes are attracted to some people more than others
Are you bitten by mosquitoes more than others around you? Although mosquitoes don’t bother us so much in large cities any longer, they are there to bite us when we go out for a picnic or hiking. Moreover, in sub-tropical or tropical regions, they are vectors for dengue, yellow fever, malaria, and Zika. We know that body heat and carbon dioxide that is released from our bodies attract mosquitoes. But it would be helpful to find what else attracts mosquitoes so that more effective mosquito repellent could be produced. Recently, researchers tried to find what elements from our bodies attract mosquitos. They asked volunteers to wear nylon stockings for six hours a day over several days and used them to find which element attract more mosquitos. They found that carboxylic acids, large molecules that produce the characteristic smell of humans, attract more mosquitoes. That’s good for those who magnet mosquitoes. However, as we all breathe and release CO2, we still need to cover our skin when we go outside in summer or in warm regions.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about this unique research about mosquito magnets.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/22/world/mosquito-bite-attraction-smell-scn-trnd/index.html