Topic Reading-Vol.4268-12/31/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Tech Trends 2024: AI and electric vehicle deals

When you wake up tomorrow morning, it’ll be 2024. What sorts of new technologies are coming next year? There have been a number of innovations, advancements, and applications appeared this year. One of the most significant game changers was generative AI, such as Chat GPT and Bard. Generative AI creates new and original content like a summary, chat responses, designs, synthetic data, or even deepfakes. It has already been used in various fields and become an essential part of business and academics. There will be more and better generative AI applications and services next year but they may be in different ways to mitigate the cost and computing power. In the automotive market, it is estimated that over 14 million electronic vehicles will have been sold in 2023, about 18% of the total market. More EVs are expected to be sold next year, especially in China and the UK where government subsidies and requirements are in place. As early adopters have already been driving EVs, next year’s growth will be more dependent on charging infrastructure than just prices. China will remain the world’s leader in the EV market and producer with over 10 million units. Also, humanoid robots are expected to be working like humans and with humans, in places like Tesla’s factories and Amazon’s fulfillment centers. Lastly, a tablet version of the weight-loss medication for obesity and overweight adults called Wegovy is expected to get approval in the EU. A great news for those who have been injected weekly in the clinic. Now, let us hope we’ll have more great tech innovations next year to make our lives safer and better.

Enjoy reading the year-end Topic Reading and have a good New Year’s Eve.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-67273155

Topic Reading-Vol.4267-12/30/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Should AI write year-end summaries?

Only a day left to close this year. Are you required to write an annual summary or self-assessment for your job? Did you use AI to write it? As posted on Vol.4259, China has a generative AI called ERNIE which is more updated than Open AI’s GPT-4. This month, online searches for “year-end work summary” have surged in China. It would probably be convenient to use AI to write an annual summary or performance review, but is it appropriate or helpful for your career? Indeed, AI can create a nice-looking summary with appropriate vocabulary. But when it is reviewed by your appraiser, it might look nearly the same as the others who were also written or assisted by AI. Performance review is an important opportunity to develop one's career. Depending too much on a commodity tool might not bring about the best review or future opportunities. In fact, technology has long been the giver and taker of jobs. If you use AI wisely, you’ll have a better chance to take advantage of the technology, but if you don’t, your job and opportunities might be taken over.

Enjoy reading the article and think about how you’ve been using new technologies.

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202312/23/WS65863064a31040ac301a92cc.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4266-12/29/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Why US drivers may be thinking about EVs all wrong

Electric vehicle sales surged nearly 50% in 2023 from the year before Of the 15.5 million new cars sold in the US, about one million, or 6.4%, were EVs. Compared with China or the EU, whose EV sales reached 25% and 22% of the new car sales respectively, EVs haven’t been sold so much in the US even though it is the home of the world EV leader, Tesla. Why American’s aren’t buying EVs compared with China or European countries? One reason is the type and size of the cars many Americans currently own and drive. In fact, half of the top ten best-selling vehicles in the US are large pickup trucks and SUVs. It’s part of their lifestyle. If you live in a large house in the countryside or suburban area, you want to have a large-screen TV and a large vehicle to match the size of the house and family. However, EVs aren’t suitable for large and heavy vehicles because of the battery size and weight, at least for now. Also, many American drivers expect their EVs to go 500 kilometers or longer per charge even though most drivers drive less than 20 or 30 kilometers a day. And then, concerns about public charging infrastructure. These barriers seem more common among baby boomers, who are now 56 or older and have been used to the bigger-the-better culture. However, those who have grown up with smartphones are used to small-size displays and living spaces. And they want to be connected and eco-friendly while driving like EVs. So, it is expected that things will gradually change as the profiles and preferences of car buyers shift to younger generations.

Read the article and learn about Americans’ expectations and preferences for their cars.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20231204-why-us-drivers-may-be-thinking-about-evs-all-wrong

Topic Reading-Vol.4265-12/28/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Southwest Airlines’ ‘customer of size’ policy on TikTok

In October, Japan Airlines took the “very unusual” step of transferring a number of sumo wrestlers to a hastily arranged additional domestic flight over concerns that the two aircraft they had originally been due to fly would be unable to carry sufficient fuel due to weight restrictions. It occurred when ground staff learned that the passenger lists included sumo wrestlers whose average weight is estimated to be 120kg, well over the 70kg standard average. If the airline had known of such excessively overweight passengers earlier, it could have arranged the booking in advance so that the flight would have been boarded within the capacity.

In order to avoid such last-minute hassle, a US carrier Southwest Airlines has implemented a policy to allow over-sized passengers to additional seats in advance for decades. Upon completion of the flight, the passenger can claim a refund of the extra seat. Also, such passengers can ask for more space at the departure gate. Unless you pay for an upper-class seat, everyone gets a seat of the same size and the same legroom, except for the exit rows, even though some passengers are substantially larger or heavier than the average passengers. It’s not just the cost but the comfortable and safe accommodation that airlines are working on.

Read the article and learn about how airlines are trying to accommodate over-sized passengers.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/southwest-airlines-customer-of-size-policy-on-tiktok/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4264-12/27/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Mercedes adds a new car light color: Blue for self-driving

Tesla’s autopilot driving systems drive the car almost autonomously in most conditions but still require active driver supervision. Mercedes’s new Drive Pilot system can take over, operating the gas, brakes, and steering to keep you moving along with the flow of traffic when you’re in highway traffic going under 40 miles, or 64 km an hour. You don’t have to pay attention while the system works and can play games or watch videos on the center touch screen while your car crawls along. If someone were to get in a crash while using this system, as long as they’re using it correctly and the car has been properly maintained, Mercedes will accept liability. The system has already been available in Germany for more than a year, and, so far, no one has had to take them up on that. Starting next year, the system will become available on Mercedes’ two most expensive sedan models, over a hundred thousand dollars, the gasoline-powered S-class and the electric EQS in the US states of California and Nevada. On top of that, you’ll need to pay $2,500 to use the system for the first year. It might not be so practical as you won’t drive under 40 miles per hour on freeways for so long. But it’s Mercedes after all. You wouldn’t buy a Mercedes S-class only for practical purposes.

Enjoy reading the article and learning about how luxurious Mercedes’s Drive Piot system is.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/12/19/business/mercedes-adds-new-light-color-blue-for-self-driving/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4263-12/26/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Who are the Houthis and why are they attacking ships in the Red Sea?

After the formation of the Republic of Yemen in 1990, a Shia religious and cultural movement occurred in northern Yemen led by al-Houthi. Over time, it became an opposition movement to Yemen’s leadership backed by Saudi Arabia, Sunni, and the US. The movement gained power and influence over the governance of Yemen and took control of much of northern Yemen in late 2014. Their opponents have been Yemen itself backed by Saudi Arabia, UAE, the US and its allies, and Israel while being supported by Shia Iran and allying with Hamas and Hezbollah.  Recently, Houthis have been attacking passing commercial and merchant ships in the Red Sea, a narrow seawater inlet between the Suez Canal and the Indian Ocean where 12% of global trade flows, claiming as revenge against Israel’s war against Gaza. They use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones, missiles, speedboats, and helicopters to strike or capture unarmed commercial ships. These attacks threatened the flow of goods, materials, and fuels during the holiday season, having made freight liners take a much longer route via South Africa. Even though the Houthis movement is still limited in the far west of Asia, it is affecting the world economy.

Read the article and learn about the recent threat occurring in the Red Sea.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/12/19/middleeast/red-sea-crisis-explainer-houthi-yemen-israel-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4262-12/25/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Apes recognize friends they haven’t seen for decades, new research finds

Do you remember a friend whom you haven’t seen for years or decades? Since our looks and shapes change over the years, it might not be so easy to recognize even a close friend with whom we spent a lot of time together, especially by a photo. However, recent research conducted on chimps and bonobos in zoos in Scotland, Belgium, and Japan found that they showed positive responses when they were shown photos of their mates who used to have lived together long ago but not the ones unassociated. Surprisingly, apes can recognize individuals only by a photo like humans. Elephants also have such social memories even after many years of separation but cannot recognize others by a photo.  Also, they seem to possess very long-term memory like humans or elephants. So, if they recognize and remember their friends, they might miss them, which could prove their cognitive mechanism that has been thought to be unique to humans. But will their memory decline as they age like humans?

Enjoy reading the article and learning about how smart our close cousins are.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/12/18/world/apes-social-memory-study-scli-intl-scn/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4261-12/24/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

How to prevent a hangover, and 3 ways to treat one

It’s a holiday season. Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and New Year. It’s time for a feast and gathering where many people drink more alcohol than usual except for Muslims and Sikhists who are prohibited from alcohol consumption. Alcoholic drinks entice your taste buds, throat, and brain when they are taken in. But when alcohol is absorbed into your body from the intestinal tract, it tends to cause unpleasant symptoms to the body, such as headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and thirst. To prevent or ease such suffering and hangover, you’d better eat food before and while drinking. Also, you want to drink water or other non-alcoholic drinks while consuming alcohol. Interestingly, some alcoholic drinks, such as beer, white wine, or vodka seem to affect less than others compared with red wine or whisky. But when you take more alcoholic drinks than your body can handle, you are likely to get a hangover the next day. Then you should drink coffee or water because you’re dehydrated.

Read the article and learn about the mechanism of hangover and its countermeasures.

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/12/30/health/hangover-prevention-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4260-12/23/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

How Britain's taste for tea may have been a life saver

Tea holds a significant place in British culture, but its introduction and integration into the country's daily life were gradual. When tea was introduced to Britain in the 17th century by Dutch and Portuguese traders, it was initially a luxury enjoyed only by the elite due to its high cost and scarcity. The drink gained popularity among the aristocracy and wealthy merchants, who viewed it as a fashionable and exotic beverage. In the 18^th century, as trade with India and China increased, so did tea consumption. When the tax on tea was cut down to 12.5% from 119% in 1784, tea consumption surged and tea became an everyday drink to commoners and even peasants. Interestingly, the annual death rate in Britain decreased between 1761 and 1834 when living standards didn’t make a significant improvement or even declined in cities due to the rise the Industrial Revolution. According to a recent study, the decrease in the mortality rate during the period is attributed to the rapid increase in tea consumption. Why? Is there any health benefit of drinking tea?

Enjoy reading the article and learning about what tea did to British lives in the 18^th century.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20231215-how-britains-taste-for-tea-may-have-been-a-life-saver

Topic Reading-Vol.4259-12/22/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

We asked GPT-4 and Chinese rival ERNIE the same questions. Here’s how they answered

Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence technology that can produce various types of content, including text, imagery, audio, and synthetic data. ChatGPT is a-year-old AI chatbot developed by the US’s OpenAI, which enables users to refine and steer a conversation towards a desired length, format, style, level of detail, and language. It is used by 150 million users worldwide. The current version is GPT-4 and its upgraded version, GPT-4 Turbo is now available with an updated knowledge cutoff of April 2023. Chat GPT’s Chinese rival is Ernie Bot by Baidu, a Chinese technology company, whose latest version ERNIE 4.0 became available just in November to paying subscribers. The developer claims there are already 70 million users (all paying?) Which bot provides more updated, practical, and unbiased responses? Since Ernie Bot is subject to the Chinese government's censorship regime, it didn’t respond to political questions in China, such as the Tiananmen Square protests or Xi Jinping. In the meantime, Eenie Bot seems to have more updated information than GPT-4, including the wealth of Taylor Swift.

Enjoy reading the article and learning about the world’s leading generative AI comparisons.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/12/15/tech/gpt4-china-baidu-ernie-ai-comparison-intl-hnk/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4258-12/21/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

How China's buses shaped the world's EV revolution

Buses are important public transportation vehicles in, around, and between major cities. They help reduce the use of cars that emit more CO2 per passenger and congestion on the roads. However conventional diesel-powered buses are noisy and smoky, thus, still harmful to the environment. One solution is to use electricity to power buses like trolleybuses. Another is electronic vehicles (EVs) with batteries. In fact, transit buses used on predetermined bus routes are ideal for EVs as they travel relatively short distances, like 200km, each day and return to the charging station. Also, they are smoother when they start and stop compared with conventional buses. China is the world's leading EV market for both passenger vehicles and buses. After two decades of government support and initiatives, over three-quarters of all urban buses, or as many as 542,000, are new energy vehicles, most of which are electric, and the rest are plug-in hybrids and fuel cell vehicles. Accordingly, China is the world’s leading e-bus market and producer with a 95% global share. Along with the massive and extensive high-speed railway network, China is the dominant leader in e-powered public transportation in the world.

Read the article and learn about how China’s E-buses have become so popular in a relatively short time.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20231206-climate-change-how-chinas-electric-vehicle-revolution-began-with-buses

Topic Reading-Vol.4257-12/20/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

China, a nation of tea-drinkers, now has more branded coffee shops than the US

First opened in Seattle in 1971, Starbucks now has nearly 16,000 outlets in the US alone. It grew rapidly in overseas markets and entered the Japanese market in 1996. There had already been many local coffee chains but Starbucks managed to grow consistently. It has now over 1,400 outlets across the country. Then in 1999, it opened its first outlet in China, where tea had been the primary drink after and during meals. It has cultivated the experience with Chinese consumers and now operates over 6,800 stores in over 250 cities in the Chinese mainland. After the pandemic, the number of coffee shops has grown rapidly and there are now around 50,000 branded coffee shops across the country, having surpassed the US’s 38,400 and become the largest market in the world. The market leader now is Luckin Coffee with over 10,000 shops that serve Starbucks-style coffee and other drinks at more affordable prices. In a country where almost twice as many new cars are sold each year, there could be more branded coffee shops and their variations in the coming years as people look for drinks, places, and atmospheres they like.

Enjoy reading the article and learning about China’s growing coffee market.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/12/14/food/china-coffee-shops-overtakes-us-intl-hnk/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4256-12/19/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Bear attacks in Japan are at a record high. Climate change and an aging population are making the problem worse
A record number of bear sightings, encounters, and attacks has been reported this year in Japan. Indeed, Japan is mountainous and rich in nature and there are quite a few bears that live in the mountains mostly in Hokkaido, the large northern island, and the Tohoku region, the northernmost part of the main island. Only in one day in October, four people were injured by bear attacks in Akita prefecture, a northern prefecture on Japan’s main island with a population of around 900,000. During the fall months, bears eat and drink heavily and continuously in order to put on weight to prepare for winter and hibernation. Japan’s bears usually find enough food, mainly mountain acorns in their habitats but when there isn’t enough like this year, they come closer to human habitats in search of food, such as fruits, nuts, and farm products. There are many human-bear encounters this year not only in the mountains but also around villages and even in towns. Bears are timid by nature and try not to encounter humans, but when they do, they can become aggressive because they are afraid and try to protect themselves or their cubs. Will they have enough food in their habitats when climate change is affecting fauna and flora more and in different ways? In the meantime, the governments in the bear-living regions encourage visitors and residents around the mountains to carry a bear bell or walk with a dog.
Read the article and learn about Japan’s record bear encounters.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/12/09/asia/bear-attacks-japan-record-climate-intl-hnk/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4255-12/18/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Extra virgin olive oil is getting very expensive. And it might not even be real

Olive oil is a versatile oil derived from pressing olives. It’s a staple in Mediterranean cuisine and has gained popularity around the world due to its flavor, health benefits, and various applications, including cooking, dressing, and finishing. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) is the top grade of olive oil extracted only by mechanical means without any chemical treatments or refining. Because of its flavor and color, it is popularly used for salads or finishing touch on dishes, thus, high-quality extra virgin olive oil is highly valued in the market. Spain, Italy, and Greece are the world's top producers of olive oil, but this year, their olive oil production fell by 40% due to extreme weather conditions. This, along with increasing demand, has increased the price of EVOO in the world market, creating fraudulent producers who mix olive oil with other oils and add chemicals to make it look and smell like EVOO. So, next time you shop EVOO, think twice if you find a super bargain unless it is bolled by a trusty producer.

Read the article and learn about what the extra virgin olive oil market is about these days.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/olive-oil-fake-crime-expensive/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4254-12/17/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

This company wants to create ‘gas stations in space’

Of the over 15,000 satellites that have been sent to space to orbit the Earth since 1957, only about half of them are still functioning. The others have run out of fuel, ceased their missions, and gone out of control. They are like single-use satellites that were not designed to be repaired or refueled. Space satellites and stations primarily use rocket fuel to maneuver and maintain their positions in space. Commonly used propellants are liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen, hydrazine, and various combinations of these and other chemicals. If those out-of-fuel satellites were refueled, they could function longer. A Colorado-based startup is developing refueling systems to increase the lifespans of satellites through a docking system using their self-developed port system. Satellites equipped with this port will be refueled in space by the company’s space tanker, like air-to-air refueling used by the Air Force. Though the technology won’t extend the lifespan of already-orbiting satellites, it could reduce the number of single-use satellites in space.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about how refueling in space could change the space environment.

https://edition.cnn.com/world/orbit-fab-gas-stations-in-space-scn-spc-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4253-12/16/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Two-time AL MVP Shohei Ohtani agrees to historic deal with Los Angeles Dodgers

Born in a northern prefecture of Japan in 1994, Shohei Ohtani is a Japanese baseball pitcher and designated hitter. He played in a professional baseball team in Japan for four years before he joined Los Angels Angels in Major League Baseball in 2018. Since then, he has achieved remarkable feats both on the mound and at the plate, solidifying his status as a true two-way star, including the 2023 American League Home Run Champion, three-time Angel’s Most Valuable Play, and 2023 Best Major League Baseball Player ESPY Award. Recently, Ohtani has agreed to play in the Los Angeles Dodgers, one of the world’s highest-revenue baseball teams for the next 10 years with the most lucrative contract in North American sports history, $700 million. Apparently, the Dodgers financially valued Ohtani the most and can afford to pay that much to the 29-year-old player. The team’s financial success is built upon a foundation of strong gameday attendance, lucrative media deals, and diverse revenue streams. Their ability to consistently win on the field and effectively leverage their brand has solidified their position as one of the most valuable and profitable franchises in professional sports. The Dodgers must have figured out how much Ohtani will contribute to its bottom line even though he cannot pitch in the 2024 season due to the elbow surgery he underwent in October.

Enjoy reading the article and learning about the most lucrative baseball contract in history.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/12/09/sport/shohei-ohtani-contract-mlb-spt-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4252-12/15/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

COP28: Landmark summit takes direct aim at fossil fuels

The 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), took place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) from November 30 to December 12. Nearly 200 states discussed and negotiated ways to address the climate crisis. It concluded with a dramatic agreement to transition away from fossil fuels, like coal, oil, and gas, in a just, orderly, and equitable manner. While the US and European nations, along with small island states that face severe risks from rising waters pushed for a phase out from fossil fuels, oil-producing countries like Saudi Arabia and Iraq opposed stronger language. Also, many developing countries demanded financial support to transition their countries to greener energy. In general, all parties agreed to reduce the use of fossil fuels without committing how much or how soon. It seems like a compromise between today, tomorrow, and the future. In the meantime, 2023 is going to be the hottest year on record. The COP29 will be held next year in Azerbaijan, another oil and gas-producing country.

Read the article and learn about what was agreed at the COP28 climate summit.

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-67679734

Topic Reading-Vol.4251-12/14/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Uber-style private airplane trips are here – and flights cost from $111

If you want to fly in a private airplane, you’ll get an estimate from a broker to book an aircraft. You then pay in advance for the flight. Once you finish your trip, you might be billed if extra fuel was consumed during the flight. Even though the total cost of the flight can be divided by the number of passengers, you are most likely to be paying more than the first-class airfares of commercial airlines. In the meantime, you do not have to wait in a long line for check-in and boarding or wait for your baggage after arrival. Also, you can enjoy the luxury of flying by yourself or only with your company. Some websites are already making such on-demand private air travel available and affordable to the public. Also, a new service is being launched this month to offer a private aircraft bargain that could be about the same as or even cheaper than commercial flights. How could that be possible? The new app will show bargain seats on empty-leg flights, where the aircraft fly to pick up the next passengers with empty seats. Even though such deals are going to be short-noticed, some last-minute flyers might find a lucky deal, instead of paying a full fare to commercial airlines. Will airlines offer some empty seats on the app in the future?

Enjoy reading the article and learning about this new matching app for air travelers.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/cheaper-private-airplanes-kinectair/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4250-12/13/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The dirty truth about taking your shoes off at the door

Do you take off your shoes when entering a home? In some countries and cultures, it is a common practice to take shoes off at home. In Eastern Asia, it is customary to take shoes off in Japan, South Korea, and many parts of China. In snowing and icy Scandinavian countries and many parts of Canada, people take shoes off at home to maintain cleanliness, especially during winter months. Also, people remove their shoes before entering a house in many Indian households as a sign of respect and cleanliness. In many cases, guests are provided with slippers for warmth and comfort. In fact, this custom significantly reduces the chance of spreading germs and harmful substances in homes, such as bacteria, dust and dirt, lead and copper, pesticide residues, and other pollutants. Especially when you have babies, infants, and small children, you definitely want to keep them away from these dirty toxic substances as they crawl, lie, and play on the floor. So, what is a polite and welcoming way to ask your guests to remove their shoes?

Read the article and learn about how unclean to enter a house with shoes on.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/12/07/health/remove-shoes-germs-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4249-12/12/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The world’s most expensive cities in which to live in 2023

Only a few weeks left to close 2023. How was the year like for your wallets? The good news is the rate of inflation seems decelerating from 8.1% last year to 7.4% because of higher interest rates, slowing economic activity, and thus lower consumer demands. The bad news is prices are rising in most places in the world due to inflation, armed conflicts, and extreme weather conditions fueled by global warming and El Nino. Then if you compare the cost of living, which major cities are more expensive to live in this year? Among 173 major cities in the world, Zurich and Singapore are found to be the most expensive cities to live in, according to the annual Worldwide Cost of Living Index by the Economist Intelligence Unit. Genova, New York, Los Angles, and San Francisco are also among the top 10 list, partly due to strong Swiss Frac and US dollar. What about your place? Has your income increased more than inflation?

Read the article and learn about the places where the cost of living is more expensive than the rest of the world.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/30/travel/the-worlds-most-expensive-cities-to-live-in-for-2023/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4248-12/11/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Forest City: Inside Malaysia's Chinese-built 'ghost city'

Located on four man-made islands off the coast of Johor Bahru, Malaysia, a border city to Singapore, Forest City is a planned city being developed by Country Garden Holdings, a Chinese property developer, under China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Forest City is designed to be an eco-friendly metropolis, with a focus on green spaces and sustainable development. The city was planned to be home to nearly one million people, but not targeted at local Malaysians but rather mainly at upper-middle-class citizens from China who were looking to park their wealth abroad, by offering relatively affordable seafront properties compared to already too expensive coastal cities like Shanghai. Some residential and commercial buildings are completed but they are scarcely occupied. Only a handful of rooms are lit at night. Those residents have nowhere to eat or shop. There also are many incomplete buildings, facilities, and objects, which make the city look abandoned. What is going on there? Will this man-made island in the middle of nowhere eventually be home to a million residents?

Read the article and learn about this incomplete and nearly abandoned ghost city in Malaysia.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-67610677

Topic Reading-Vol.4247-12/10/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

One identical twin went vegan while the other didn’t. See what happened

There are various types of diets that people follow for health, ethical, personal, or medical reasons. A healthy omnivorous diet allows both plants and meat in a balanced and healthy way. While a vegetarian diet excludes meat but includes dairy and eggs, a vegan diet focuses on plant-based foods and excludes all animal products, including dairy, eggs, and even honey. A low-carb diet limits carbohydrate intake mainly to reduce weight and control the blood sugar level. Which diet style makes you healthier? A study was conducted in the US among 22 pairs of identical twins, who share the same genomes, having one twin follow a strict vegan and the other sibling enjoy a healthy omnivorous diet for eight weeks. It found that those who ate a vegan diet had lower bad cholesterol, better blood sugar levels, and greater weight loss compared with the other twins, even though they ate a healthily omnivorous diet. Should we all be a vegan or vegetarian? Do processed or non-processed foods make more differences in our health?

Read the article and learn about how a vegan diet affects one’s health.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/30/health/vegan-twin-study-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4246-12/9/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The South Korean woman who adopted her best friend

Today’s South Korea has family traditions that are both deeply rooted in Confucian values and influenced by modernization. Traditionally, South Korean families have been hierarchical, emphasizing respect for elders and obedience to parents. Also, gender roles and patriarchal family culture remain deeply ingrained in most families, and young South Koreans have been struggling with them. For example, even among double-income couples, wives are expected to do much more household chores and childcaring than their husbands. These traditional practices and expectations of women have made them back off from marriage or having children. Also, same-sex marriage is not allowed in South Korea, and pressure and prejudice about women living by themselves exist. So, one of the options for two single women to live together with legal rights, social welfare, and status is adoption, which is perfectly legal under South Korean law. That is what a 43-year-old and 38-year-old women did to live together with peace in their minds.

Read the article and learn about social practices and issues underlying South Korean society.

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2023/12/2/the-south-korean-woman-who-adopted-her-best-friend

Topic Reading-Vol.4245-12/8/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Why doesn’t the US have more passenger trains?

There is one thing that China, Japan, and France have but the US doesn’t. Fast, punctual, and popular railroad network. It was nearly two centuries ago when the first common carrier line started operating in the Northeast of the US. Then in 1869, the first transcontinental railroad reached Sacramento, California from the east coast. Railroads played an important role in industrial growth and passenger transportation between the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. But in the latter part of the 20^th century, as passengers started driving on newly built interstate highways and flying on commercial airlines, the number of train passengers declined. Today, Amtrak, a government-subsidized national passenger corporation, serves about 20 million passengers annually by 300 trains daily. Compared with Japan’s bullet train services, which are used by over one million passengers daily, Americans aren’t traveling much by train. Also, China has built a high-speed rail network of over 42,000 kilometers across the country just in the last 15 years. Why aren’t Americans using trains to travel or commute?

Read the article and learn about America’s dated and lagged train network.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/25/business/why-doesnt-the-us-have-more-passenger-trains/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4244-12/7/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

AI-powered digital colleagues are here. Some 'safe' jobs could be vulnerable.

People have already been working with machines. Take a look at a factory assembling line, an Amazon fulfillment center, and a burger restaurant’s kitchen, you’ll find people working with robots as if they are skilled coworkers. Indeed, those robots are now performing the jobs that have been handled by human workers even faster, better, and more than veteran human workers. Furthermore, they can work 24-7 without a break, save time for maintenance. These machines and robots aren’t just part of automation but thanks to AI, they are also autonomous with the ability to perform and respond to the unexpected. How fast and how much do you think AI tools take over more tasks in knowledge-based, creative, or thinking jobs, like marketing, planning, tutoring, and creative jobs? In many workplaces, they are already there, helping human jobs like assistants or coworkers. However, as AI tools become more advanced and sophisticated, they will sooner or later replace jobs that once were thought and created by humans. The roles of humans in workplaces are changing rapidly as AI and robotics advance.

Enjoy reading the article and think about how you

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20231128-ai-powered-digital-colleagues-are-here-some-safe-jobs-could-be-vulnerable

Topic Reading-Vol.4243-12/6/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Best Buy’s simple strategy for beating shoplifting: More workers in stores
Most retailers stock their merchandise at their stores, and most of them are accessible to customers. Also, they tend to keep inventories in the backyard, where employees go in and out to move merchandise. Despite state-of-the-art surveillance cameras, there are chances that merchandise or inventory is stolen. In fact, retail shrink is a significant problem for retailers in the US. It is estimated that shoplifting cost $50 billion and employee theft cost over $26 billion to US retailers in 2022. As more retailers are trying to reduce manpower at their storefronts with automated services, kiosks, and self-checkouts, shrinkage increases. What are US retailers doing to cope with in-store theft? Headquartered in Minnesota, Best Buy is a consumer electronics retailer that runs 1,800 stores in the US, Canada, and Mexico with over 125,000 employees who help customers find the right electronics merchandizes for their needs. Their solution to reduce shrinkage is staffing. Indeed, people’s eyes seem as effective as or even more effective than cameras.
Read the article and learn about what shrink is like in US retailers.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/24/business/best-buy-shoplifting-prevention/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4242-12/5/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The People's Choice Award

This year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year collected around 50,000 entries from 95 countries, and a French underwater photographer earned the award with his “The Golden Horseshoe” photo. The world photo contest also hosts the year’s People’s Choice Award, where people can vote from a selection of 25 outstanding images, including a polar bear sleeping on an iceberg and kissing hares. Besides those adoring photos, there are ones that highlight the negative impact of humans on the environment, such as a fox on a trash can and an elephant in a heap of garbage.  

If you’re interested in seeing these selected images (and voting for your favorite), visit

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/wpy/peoples-choice

Topic Reading-Vol.4241-12/4/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Authentic: Merriam-Webster's word of the year

First published by Noah Webster in 1828, An American Dictionary of the English Language was the first American unabridged dictionary and the source of all Merriam-Webster dictionaries. Since 2003, Merriam-Webster has been publishing the Words of the Year list each year that contains the ten most looked-up words in the Online Dictionary. Some examples of the most searched word of the year are, “democracy” in 2003, “bailout” in 2008 (financial crisis), “science” in 2013, “justice” in 2018, “pandemic” in 2020, and “vaccine in 2022. This year, “authentic” was the word most looked up in the dictionary. The word has a number of meanings, such as not false, real, actual, and true. The search seems to have been driven by AI, celebrity culture, and social media. Not surprisingly, “deepfake” (AI), “coronation” (Charles), and “indict” (Trump) were also on the top list.

Enjoy reading the learning about the words people were interested in this year.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67543895

Topic Reading-Vol.4240-12/3/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

New Zealand smoking ban: Health experts criticise new government's shock reversal

In December 2022 under then-PM Jacinda Arden of the Labor Party, New Zealand passed a bill that prohibits the sale of cigarettes to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 as part of an effort to become smoke-free by 2025. The bill was also supposed to impose major restrictions on availability and nicotine content. It aimed to reduce the leading cause of preventable deaths in the country where around 8% of the adult population smokes. The law has been praised as one of the most progressive moves to reduce smoking. However, the newly formed coalition government abruptly announced that it would scrap the smoking ban to fund tax cuts. Indeed, taxes on cigarettes and tobacco sellers' revenues would be saved if the smoking ban were to be scrapped. But how could a national health policy be revised only after one election? In the meantime, as many as 84,000 people quit smoking in 12 months after the smoking ban was approved. Should a government sacrifice people’s health for money?

Read the article and learn about how democracy works on public health matters in New Zealand.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-67540190

Topic Reading-Vol.4239-12/2/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Indo-Chinese cuisine makes a splash in US dining

Indo-Chinese cuisine is a fusion of Indian and Chinese culinary traditions. It emerged when Chinese immigrants, mainly Cantonese, to Kolkata, then Calcutta, India in the 19^th century adapted their cooking to suit Indian tastes, incorporating Indian spices and flavors into Chinese-style dishes. Soon, it became popular in India and among people who enjoy the blend of these two rich culinary heritages. When the war between India and China broke out in 1961, those Chinese immigrants and their descendants moved out to the US, UK, or Canada. There, some of them opened Indo-Chinese fusion restaurants. Gradually, their menus like Gobi Manchurian, Chili Chicken, and Hakka Noodles became popular with immigrants and visiting students from India and beyond, and they are now part of popular menus in many specialty or ordinary restaurants across the US. If you haven’t tried any Indo-Chinese dishes and like spicy food, you may want to try one.

Enjoy reading the article and learning about Indo-Chinese fusion food.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-67411824

Topic Reading-Vol.4238-12/1/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

In a remote corner of Asia, one of the world’s oldest cities continues to awe visitors

Samarkand is one of the world’s oldest inhabited cities in Uzbekistan, a landlocked central Asian country. It sits about 300 kilometers southwest of and is a two-hour fast train ride from Tashkent, the capital. Samarkand has been at the crossroads of world cultures for over two and a half millennia and is one of the most important sites on the Silk Road traversing Central Asia. It boasts renowned structures like the Registan Square’s three iconic colorful old Islamic schools and Shah-i-Zinda, a necropolis with a collection of beautiful and mysterious mausoleums. As part of the central Asian cultures, Plov, a rice dish like pilaf made with a variety of ingredients, and Obi Non, bread made in a clay oven, are most popular in Samarkand. Visiting bazaars and tea houses, you’ll experience the taste and atmosphere of Silk Road cultures. Along with Bukhara and Khiva, Samarkand is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Enjoy reading the article and seeing the photos of Samarkand, a crossroads of cultures, trading, and learning.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/samarkand-uzbekistan-guide/index.html