Topic Reading-Vol.4728-4/4/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Artificial sweetener found in diet drinks linked to brain changes that increase appetite, study finds

Sucralose is a synthetic, zero-calorie artificial sweetener derived from sugar. It is approximately 600 times sweeter than table sugar and is used as a sugar substitute in various foods and beverages, like Splenda in the US and E955 in Europe. It helps people reduce the intake of calories from sugar and manage blood sugar levels because it decreases the desire for additional sweets. However, the body requires glucose for energy, particularly the brain. A recent study found that when artificially sweetened drinks do not increase blood sugar levels, the brain seems to crave sugar intake by increasing the appetite. Artificial sweetener does please the tongue significantly but neither the brain nor the body. 

Read the article and learn what artificial sweetener does and doesn’t do to your body.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/29/health/artificial-sweetener-sucralose-hunger-signals-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4727-4/3/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

What’s the riskiest part of your flight? It isn’t cruising at 40,000 feet

After checking in luggage, clearing security check, waiting for boarding, and fighting space for overhead bin, you are seated and relaxed for flight. When the airplane starts descending for landing, you feel relieved from the stress of the flight and are looking forward to the next event. But these are the most critical moments for air travel. In the USA, there were 1,468 accidents last year alone, 770 of which occurred on landing and 124 during take off. When descending for landing, the aircraft is losing altitude, speed, and maneuverability, thus, it is left with limited options to cope with challenging conditions like turbulence, bird strike, functional failure, or human error. In fact, since descending and landing are the most dangerous moments, unnecessary conversation or activity is not permitted in the cockpit below 10,000 feet to ensure pilots are fully focused on controlling the aircraft. What passengers can do during these critical moments is to fasten their seatbelts tightly and follow any instructions given by the crew members.

Read the article and learn about the risks of air travel.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/29/travel/takeoff-landings-riskiest-part-of-your-flight/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4726-4/2/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

The world's strongest ocean current should be getting faster – instead, it is at risk of failing

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) is a wind-driven surface oceanic current encircling Antarctica that flows clockwise from west to east. It’s like a moat around the icy continent that helps to keep warm water away from Antarctica’s ice sheets and protect its biodiversity from invasive species. As the strong current connects the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans like a conveyor belt, it also plays a vital role in regulating the global climate. New research has found that this current is slowing as cool water from melting Antactica’s ice dilutes the salty water of the ocean, allowing warmer water to come closer to Antarctica and melt its ice shelves. This ice-melting and weakened circumpolar current spiral would further weaken the ocean’s ability to regulate climate change and disrupt global climate patterns. Studying this remote and vast ocean current seems to help us learn more about global climate, but reducing fossil fuel emissions is more essential and imminent to curb global warming.

Read the article and learn what the Antarctic Circumpolar Current is about and what it does to the global climate.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250303-the-worlds-strongest-ocean-current-is-at-risk

Topic Reading-Vol.4725-4/1/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

EU urges citizens to stockpile 72 hours’ worth of supplies amid war risk

It took nearly three years for the US to get involved in WWI and took over two years in WWII. In 1949, member states of the North Atlantic Treaty (NATO) signed article 5, which states an attack on one member is considered an attack on all and reaffirms the member states’ commitment to collective defense. However, due to the uncertainty and unpredictability of the US president’s foreign policies, the US's support to maintain peace in Europe is becoming questionable, which made European leaders feel the need to upgrade readiness for hostile events. They’ve already started improving military mobility, stockpiling, and fostering operational cooperation across the union. Recently, citizens of the 27 EU states were advised to store enough water, food, and other essential supplies for at least three days to prepare for an emergency, including Russia’s military aggression, disruption of critical infrastructure, and electronic warfare. In 1939, Nazi Germany invated and occupied the Czech after previsouly acquiring the Sudetenland via the Munich Agreement in 1938. In 2014, Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and invaded the country in 2022. History seems to repeat itself.

Read the article to learn what European leaders are preparing for.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/26/europe/european-union-stockpile-member-states-intl-latam/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4724-3/31/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Why are a growing number of airlines banning power banks on flights?

The world of inflight entertainment has been changing from airline-provided services like featured movies and music to individual passengers’ devices such as smartphones and tablets. Even for long-haul transcontinental or transoceanic flights, more passengers nowadays are enjoying themselves with downloaded or streaming content on their devices powered by lithium-ion batteries, which are commonly used not only for mobile devices but also for drones, e-bikes, and EVs, and some passengers use portable power banks to charge their mobile devices during flights. The problem with lithium batteries is that they can overheat and even cause fire or explosion because they are made with highly reactive and flammable materials. It is suspected that a lithium battery was the cause of the fire on an Airbus plane in South Korea earlier this year. Now, more airlines in Asia are tightening rules on lithium power banks on their flights. As more aircraft are equipped with power outlets like USB ports and AC outlets, passengers might check the airline’s regulations and services before packing. 

Read the article and learn how lithium-ion batteries are being regulated by airlines. 

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/26/travel/airline-power-bank-rules-explainer-intl-hnk/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4723-3/30/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

A simple illustrated guide to zakat, answers to 7 common questions

These practices are referred to as the Five pillars of Islam because they form the foundation of Muslim life; the declaration of faith (shahada, lifetime), prayer (salah, five times a day), alms-giving (zakat, after Ramadan or any time), fasting (sawm, a month in Ramadan), and pilgrimage (hajj, once in a life). After a month of annual fasting (Ramadan), many eligible Muslims fulfill another pillar of their faith-giving Zakat, which means to purify wealth, promote social justice, and help those in need. It is mandatory for Muslims whose wealth exceeds a certain amount throughout the year. The Zakar rate is 2.5% of the wealth, which includes money, valuables, investments, and assets, but not the house they live in. Zakat is given directly or indirectly to those who need financial support but not to the immediate family members of the giver. Zakat is tax-deductible like donations in most Islamic states. 

Read the article and learn about Zakad, one of the five pillars of Islam.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/23/a-simple-illustrated-guide-to-zakat-answers-to-7-common-questions

Topic Reading-Vol.4722-3/29/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Chinese tourists redefine bucket list

According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China, domestic tourism saw nearly a 15% increase in 2024 with over 5.6 billion visits. Accordingly, travelers spent 17% more than the previous year. In general, Chinese people tend to travel extensively during the Lunar New Year (Spring Festival) in Jan/Feb, the National Day holiday (Golden Week) in May, and the summer months. Yes, there still are a lot of tourist groups being led by tour guides with flags in popular tourist destinations. However, instead of just visiting travel destinations and seeing popular things, people are now more interested in diverse activities and immersive experiences, such as local dining, unique accommodations, and leisure activities. These things and activities are introduced not by travel guidebooks or websites but more likely by short video platforms. Also, some travelers prefer visiting lesser-known destinations (reverse tourism) and others seek budget-friendly substitutes (alternative tourism). With a nearly 50,000 km high-speed rail network, more than 250 civil airports, and over 180,000 km highway length, People in China are more mobile both physically and digitally. 

Read the article and learn how people in China enjoy traveling these days.

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202503/24/WS67e09caba310c240449dc63c_1.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4721-3/28/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Amazon forest felled to build road for climate summit

Belém ([beˈlẽj], Portuguese for Bethlehem) is a northern Brazilian city that lies about 100 km upriver from the Atlantic Ocean. It is the gateway to the Amazon River with a population of a little over two million and is known as the city of the Metropolis of the Brazilian Amazon region.  This is where the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference, the 30th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 30) will convene in November this year. The Brazilian president expects the COP30 in Belém to be a historic summit because it is "a COP in the Amazon, not a COP about the Amazon" as the conference will focus on the needs of the Amazon and present what the Brazilian government has done to protect it. In order to host over 50,000 people at the climate summit, a new four-lane highway is being constructed through the protected Amazon rainforest. Also, the airport capacity is being expanded from seven million to 14 million even though it has been used by fewer than four million passengers a year. The COP summit is surely going to have impacts on the Amazon’s climate, biodiversity, and the lives of inhabitants. 

Read the article and learn about how the COP 30 climate summit is being prepared in Brazil.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9vy191rgn1o

Topic Reading-Vol.4720-3/27/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

What’s ‘sleepmaxxing’? Experts weigh in on the social media trend

Goodnight’s sleep is essential for your health and daytime performance (Vol.4719). There are tips and tricks to improve sleep quality and quantity, called “sleepmaxxing” on the web. Some of them are basic and proven practices for better sleep, such as sleeping in a dark, and quiet room at a cool temperature between 15 and 19 degrees. Also, limiting screen time, and avoiding bright lights, alcohol, or caffeine helps you fall asleep easily and have sound sleep. For some people, weighted blankets might make them feel cocooned during sleep, while others find eating kiwi before bedtime helps their sleep. However, mouth taping to avoid mouth breathing or nostril expanders to prevent nasal congestion or snoring might be harmful to health. After all, the very basics for a good night’s sleep seem simple; keeping regular hours, doing exercises, and sleeping in a sound environment. Checking sleepmaxxing videos on your smartphone at midnight certainly won’t help you sleep any better or longer.

Read the article and learn how to maximize your sleep.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/09/health/sleepmaxxing-benefits-risks-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4719-3/26/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Seven ways to improve your sleep

Do you usually get a good night’s sleep? We are supposed to sleep about one-third of each day, between seven and nine hours. But around the world, many people today don’t sleep well or long enough because they are busy working or having fun and suffer from sleep impairment. One study found those who slept for only six hours a night for two weeks had as many naps as those who hadn’t slept a whole night. 

Sleep is essential to your brain. When you sleep, your brain clears out accumulated debris and toxins. Also when you’re in deep sleep, your body repairs muscles and tissues. But you don’t have to sleep for eight hours straight. If you cannot sleep that long at a time, you could take a catnap for not longer than 15 minutes, or sleep in two shifts. If you have difficulty falling asleep, having a sleeping companion might help. Of course, a comfortable bed, a dark and noiseless room, and daytime exercises all help you sleep better, if not longer. The key to healthy sleep is not just how long you sleep but how well you sleep.

Read the article and learn tips to sleep better.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240315-the-ultimate-guide-to-optimising-your-sleep

Topic Reading-Vol.4718-3/25/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Iran using drones and apps to enforce women's dress code

The hijab, head coverings worn by Muslim women, has been a mandatory dress code for all women in Iran since the 1979 Iranian Revolution. The head covering is a sign of piety before God and modesty in front of men outside their families. Morality police enforce the law by monitoring, arresting, and even punishing women who don’t comply with the law. Now, Iranian women and girls face increased fines, prison terms of up to 15 years, and possible death sentences for failing to wear a hijab in both physical and online spaces through a new strict law on religious dress and behavior that took effect last December. To monitor hijab compliance, Iran’s security officials are using security cameras, facial recognition software, and drones. They also encourage people to use mobile phone apps to report women’s dress code violations. In the Islamic Republic of Iran, modern technologies are being used to enforce ancient traditions and customs.

Read the article and learn about reinforced women’s dress code in Iran.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0kg15jkpdeo

Topic Reading-Vol.4717-3/24/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Who's doing the dishes? Bollywood film and government data have the same answer

“Mrs.” is a 2025 Indian Hindi-language drama film that explores a newly wed woman’s struggles with patriarchal traditions. When an aspiring dancer enters an arranged marriage, she finds herself navigating the expectations and demands of her new household, particularly the endless cycle of kitchen duties. It mirrors the reality in modern India, where women are expected to take on most unpaid domestic and caregiving work. Though such disproportion is common in many patriarchal societies, Indian women spend nearly four hours on domestic work more than men, compared with a global average of 2.8 hours. While more women are educated, and their participation in the workforce is increasing, their burdens at home, including household chores and caregiving, remain nearly unchanged in India. That is one of the main reasons many young women in South Korea and China choose not to get married. Dishwashers don’t seem to help women so much with their household burdens.

Read the article and learn about a movie that mirrors what women are expected to do at home.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqlye6yvrgzo

Topic Reading-Vol.4716-3/23/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

The Arctic is in trouble. The consequences will be felt around the world

The Arctic is the northernmost region on Earth. It is dominated by the Arctic Ocean basin and the icy reaches of Scandinavia, Russia, the U.S. state of Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. The areas north of the Arctic Circle (66 ° 33'N) have at least one day without daylight in the winter and at least one nightless night in the summer. Arctic sea ice typically reaches its annual maximum levels in March. This year, the estimated amount of ice in the Arctic is the lowest on record, indicating a minimum level of sea ice in the coming months. This is partly because the region has been warming almost four times faster than the global average. Scientists are very much concerned as Arctic sea ice has already been at the lowest levels in the last 18 years. White ice in polar regions reflects the heat from the Sun back to space, but if it melts, the dark seawater absorbs the sun’s energy and accelerates global warming, increases sea level rise, and causes more extreme weather conditions, like drought, storms, and heat waves. Unfortunately, the Arctic ice is predicted to disappear in summer in or by the middle of the century even if we stop releasing climate polluting gasses immediately. But if we act now, the situation will certainly become worse in the future.

Read the article and learn what is happening in the Arctic. 

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/12/climate/arctic-sea-ice-heat-downward-spiral/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4715-3/22/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

From chatbots to intelligent toys: How AI is booming in China

The world seems to be at the dawn of the artificial intelligence (AI) age. A Chinese tech leader says AI technologies have evolved into fundamental infrastructure and a core capability that fully enables economic and social transformation. And China is trying to apply AI on a vast scale. In order to be technologically independent, China is heavily investing in artificial intelligence, robots, and advanced technologies. As millions of students graduate each year with STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) degrees, China has substantial talents and human resources to be competitive with the US, and DeepSeek has recently proved the potential. Also, AI has already been used to help engineers design products and manufacturing processes. For example, an AI-powered game robot that plays board games is sold at an $800 price tag. The more restrictive the US becomes on core intelligence and technologies, the more resilient and competitive China seems to become.

Read the article and learn how China is gaining an edge in AI.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg8jqj393eo

Topic Reading-Vol.4714-3/21/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

America is the world’s biggest arms exporter. Europe should know

The US exported over 40% of global weapons between 2020 and 2024, up from 35% in the previous four years, according to a report by a think tank. European states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a military alliance between countries in Europe and North America, in particular, increased weapons import from the US from just over half to nearly two-thirds during those two periods, which includes Rossia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Now, having been pressured by the US, those European countries are set to increase defense spending to improve readiness against Russia’s aggression. More defence spending among European countries is likely to increase more weapons import from the USA. Then, the US can sustain or even grow its arms industry without increasing its defense budget. The USA seems to remain the world’s largest arms exporter, at least for a while.

Read the article and learn about weapons export by the USA.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/10/business/us-weapons-exports-europe-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4713-3/20/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

What happens when an air passenger dies

Safety is the number one priority for airlines. In aviation, CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) training is a legal requirement and safety standard to be prepared to respond to medical emergencies. When there is a medical emergency during a flight and no medical expert is on board, crew members might perform CPR to save the passenger, and the captain might decide to divert the flight to get medical assistance. Though it’s quite rare, there is a chance that a passenger dies on a flight. Then what will the crew members do to the dead passenger? The body can be moved to an empty seat or aisle and covered by curtains and/or blankets. But if the flight is full, the body may have to remain seated, only covered by a blanket, because the emergency exits and galleries need to be accessible in case of an emergency. Though such an incident is quite rare, the longer the flight is and the more passengers are on board, the higher the chance is.

Read the article and learn about crew members’ experience dealing with a dead passenger.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz9nj075yggo

Topic Reading-Vol.4712-3/19/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Data, waves and wind to be counted in the economy

The size of the economies of each country is going to increase in 2030 when wind and waves are included in the calculations. They are to be considered valuable resources that could generate wealth like oilfields. Also, data itself will be regarded as an asset like servers and cables. Indeed, they all have the potential to add economic value to the respective nation’s economy, like minerals and oil, if they are ever utilized. Even though they don’t generate any money for the country’s economy by themselves, there will be impacts on the budgets that are committed to a certain percentage of the economy, such as defence and aid programs. This is problematic when European countries are set to increase the percentages of their defence spending to cope with the increasing military threats by Russia. In any case, assets should be utilized to generate tangible economic value and keep the balance sheet in good shape. Moreover, wind, waves, and data can be used for a cleaner and more sustainable world. 

Read the article and learn about new assets to be added to the world economy.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czedpnen168o

Topic Reading-Vol.4711-3/18/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

A guide to mastering small talk with just about anyone, according to experts

Small talk is an informal conversation between known or unknown people about unimportant issues, such as the weather, surroundings, or situations around them. Though it has little useful or practical purpose, small talk can help manage interpersonal distance, share feelings with others, or ease the atmosphere. Nowadays, we can spend a day or days without interacting with anyone. Small talk with someone, like neighbors or even strangers, helps you feel connected and keep a sense of belonging. According to psychologists, small talk helps boost one’s mood and can have benefits for health and well-being. Even though initiating a talk might need courage, especially to a stranger, the person you’re speaking to may enjoy having a light talk anyway. Also, responding to a stranger often makes you nervous, but there is no need to hit the ball back immediately like a tennis match. After all, small talk helps ease the situation, initiate a dialogue, and make people feel more connected.

Read the article and learn about the benefits of having small talk. 

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/03/health/small-talk-conversation-stranger-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4710-3/17/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Mexico’s Supreme Court orders zoo to improve conditions for Ely the elephant

The capture and taming of elephants began in the Indus Valley more than 4,000 years ago, and people have continued to capture, train, and work them ever since. Nowadays, elephants can be found in various captive facilities such as zoos, sanctuaries, circuses, or camps and are often used for educational, entertainment, or work purposes. However, such elephants in captivity tend to face significant welfare concerns due to unnatural social groupings, lack of stimulation, and potential for inhumane handling, leading to reduced lifespans and health problems. Elephants are highly social animals, and in captivity, they are often kept in unnatural groups or even alone, which can lead to stress and behavioral problems. Also, lack of natural foraging opportunities, environmental enrichment, and space can lead to abnormal behaviors like repetitive head-bobbing, weaving, and pacing. 

A 40-some-year-old female elephant in a zoo in Mexico City has suffered from depression and lost weight since she lost her inhabitant in 2016. The zoo tried to improve her living conditions by expanding the enclosure and adding two more elephants in recent years, but earlier this month, the Supreme Court of Mexico said that the zoo should do more. Will there be more such court interventions in improving animal welfare? 

Read the article and learn about a depressed elephant in a zoo in Mexico.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/27/americas/mexico-supreme-court-elephant-ruling-scli-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4709-3/16/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Colonising Africa: What happened at the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885?

Before European occupation, Africa boasted diverse, rich cultures and societies, including powerful kingdoms and empires, with established political, economic, and social systems and a wide range of religions and philosophies. However, with the European discoveries of a sea route around Africa’s southern coast in 1488 and America in 1492, the age of modern colonization began. When the Industrial Revolution progressed in the 19th century, European powers struggled to get natural and human resources in Africa, which was called the “Scramble for Africa”. In order to establish rules for colonization and trade in Africa, a meeting was convened by European powers in 1884-1885, called the Berlin Conference, without any African representative. Seven colonial rulers, France, Britain, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Belgium, drew borders artificially without historical, racial, or cultural considerations and started ruling most of the African continent. Only Liberia and Ethiopia managed to keep their independence. The colonization continued until African leaders fought for independence after the middle of the 20th century. Now, there are 54 fully recognized sovereign states in Africa.

Read the article and learn about the conference that determined the fate of Africa in modern history

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/26/colonising-africa-what-happened-at-the-berlin-conference-of-1884-1885

Topic Reading-Vol.4708-3/15/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

This boba chain you’ve never heard of has more outlets than McDonald’s

There are only three fast-food restaurant chains that operate over 40,000 outlets in the world: McDonald’s, Starbucks, and Mixue Ice Cream & Tea. Founded in 1997, Mixue is a Chinese multinational fast-food chain specializing in ice cream & tea-based drinks. It is operating over 46,000 franchised stores across Mainland China, Southasian countries, Japan, South Korea, and Australia. The business model is very simple: the affordability for both customers and business partners. The main menu of Mixue includes fresh ice cream, real fruit tea, milk tea, and fresh tea, most of which are priced between 2 to 8 yuan (30 cents to $1.20), so affordable to anyone who wants a cold drink or ice cream. Also, startup costs for franchisees are very low to welcome new business partners as the company’s revenue mainly comes from selling food materials, equipment, and packaging to its franchisees. When it debuted on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange earlier this month, the price soared even though it wasn’t as affordable as their drinks. Soon, you may find Mixue outlets near your house or office.

Read the article and learn about the ice cream nd tea chain that has more outlets than any other food chain.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/03/business/china-mixue-bingcheng-ipo-expansion-intl-hnk/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4707-3/14/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Nine things about Lesotho - the country 'nobody has ever heard of'

 At a joint session of Congress on March 4, US President Donald Trump mocked Lesotho while criticizing some U.S. foreign aid contracts as a waste of money, saying, “… the African nation of Lesotho, which nobody has ever heard of.” What is Lesotho, and where is it? The Kingdom of Lesotho is a small, landlocked country surrounded by South Africa with a population of around two million. The lowest point of Lesotho is 1,400 meters, and most of the country lies above 1,800 meters. It became independent from the UK in 1966. The majority of households subsist on farming. The formal sector employment consists mainly of female workers in the apparel sector and male migrant labourers, primarily in South Africa. The country has the world's highest suicide rate and one of the highest rates of HIV prevalence, with 240,000 people currently on antiretroviral treatment. The US government has committed hundreds of millions of dollars to help the country deal with HIV since 2006, including for prevention, care, and treatment services. However, the Trump administration suspended the US-funded health programs, which would affect 1,500 health workers, including doctors and nurses, affecting HIV/AIDS treatment, TB prevention, and maternal health services. Now, the name and the situation of the landlocked African nation are heard by many around the world.

Read the article and learn about a small African state that was mentioned by the US President before Congress.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czdnv6gpezjo

Topic Reading-Vol.4706-3/13/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Over 50% of adults worldwide predicted to be obese or overweight by 2050

If you weigh more than what is considered healthy for your height, age, and build, you are considered overweight, which could increase the risk of suffering chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. A new study of data from over 200 countries predicts that over half of all adults will be overweight or even obese by 2050. Also, rates of obesity in children and younger teenagers, and those under 25 years old, have both doubled to around 20% in the last two decades. The rates could reach one in three young people in the next 15 years. As more people exercise less but consume more highly processed foods like prepared meals and snacks and sugared beverages, their weight increases quickly and easily. Also, more people are becoming overweight from their early years. Since these weight-increasing foods and beverages are becoming more easily available and economically affordable not only in developed but also in developing countries where the most of population increase will come from, overweight and obesity might become a global epidemic. Medication is just a countermeasure. Educating children and families to raise awareness might work better to prevent global overweight problems. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy87d2g81yxo

Topic Reading-Vol.4705-3/12/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Visualizing how Ukraine has changed in the 3 years since Russia’s full-scale invasion

The Russia-Ukrainian War broke out in February 2014 when Russia occupied and annexed Crimea from Ukraine and supported pro-Russian separatists in Donbas in eastern Ukraine. The war in Donbas continued until Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022 in an attempt to take full control of Ukraine. Although the Russian president had expected to seize Ukraine in a matter of days, Russian troops met strong and determined resistance by Ukrainians. Three years after the invasion, Russia is now occupying 18% of Ukraine, including Donbas, Crimea, and some other eastern regions. As many as 70,000 Ukrainian troops and 12,000 civilians have been killed so far. Also, more than 20 million Ukrainians are still displaced, and over six million Ukrainian refugees are now living in Europe. The main supporters of Ukraine are the US and European countries, which have provided billions of dollars in military, humanitarian, and financial help. On February 28, US president Donald Trump and Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy met at the White House to sign a rare minerals deal to ensure US support but disputed fiercely over Zelenskyy’s lack of appreciation for US support instead. What is going to happen in Ukraine?

Read the article and learn how much Ukraine has lost since Russia’s invasion. 

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/23/world/charts-ukraine-war-status-dg/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4704-3/11/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Trump makes English official language of US

An official language is set by a country, state, or other jurisdiction. It is typically used for government functions, including legislation, administration, court proceedings, and public documents, as well as for communication between the government and its citizens. Of the 178 countries that recognize an official language, 101 recognize more than one. For example, France recognizes only French, and Canada has two official languages, English and French. Since the EU supports multilingualism in its programmes, it has 24 official languages, including Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, and Swedish. In the USA, 29 of the 50 states have just one official language, English. Now, the US administration has recently made English the sole official language of the country for the first time since its foundation in 1776. What does this mean in a country where nearly 20% of the population speaks a language other than English? Also, there were nearly 80 million international visitors to the US last year. Will there be only English signs, documents, and assistance for foreign visitors?

Read the article and learn why the USA has set English as its only official language.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2kgq5pzpllo

Topic Reading-Vol.4703-3/10/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

It’s America’s fastest-growing job – thanks to ChatGPT

IT jobs of any kind were highly demanded and well-paid until AI started repainting the IT landscape. Now, thanks to the fastest-growing IT field, AI, not all IT jobs are equal, at least in the USA. According to a university research in the US, AI tools can do around two-thirds of the coding, which means three or four people can do the job of 10. As labor costs increase rapidly along with inflation, companies want to do more with less to be competitive and have become more selective in hiring, especially in the IT sector. But this could also mean a good opportunity if you reskill or upskill yourself for a job in more demand. As things are changing more rapidly and drastically, there seem to be no safe jobs, even for government workers.

Read the article and learn about the changing job market in the US.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/27/business/chatgpt-ai-jobs-surge/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4702-3/9/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

A half-century insurgency in the Middle East may be ending. Here’s why

The Kurds are an ethnic group of people who primarily live in the mountainous regions of Iran, Iraq, and Turkey. They speak the Kurdish languages and are one of the world's largest ethnic groups without a universally recognized independent state. The estimated population of Kurds is around 40 million, as many as half of whom live in Turkey. Formed in 1978, the Kurdistan Workers' Party or PKK is a Kurdish militant political organization and armed guerrilla movement in the mountainous Kurdish-majority regions of southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq. It initially sought an independent Kurdish state, but after the 1990s, it has been seeking autonomy and political rights within Turkey. It engaged in armed conflicts with the Turkish government and military and is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the USA, the EU, and some other countries. Now, the PKK’s leader Abdullah Ocalan, who has been imprisoned since 1999, has called on its members to disarm and dissolve the group. Why now? Last December, Syria was finally liberated, which is going to affect the regional power balance. Also, the Turkish president seems to be seeking another re-election in 2028 by amending the constitution, which requires support from other political parties, including the pro-Kurdish party. Will there be any agreeable compromise between the Kurdish and Turkish people?

Read the article and learn about Kurdish people and their movements in the Middle East.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/28/middleeast/turkey-pkk-insurgency-middle-east-explainer-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4701-3/8/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

How often should you poo?

Is pooing a few times a day too often, or a few times a week too few? It varies by individual, but in general, neither is too frequent nor too infrequent. However, normal bowel movement doesn’t guarantee health. Researchers found those who poo normal stools, like sausage or banana, seven times a week had more good bacteria in their guts while those who poo fewer times had more toxins in their blood. That’s because the longer digested food stays in your intestines, the more it ferments and rots, causing toxicity. Another health indicator is the gut transit time, which is how long it takes for food to travel through your digestive system. It varied by individual, ranging from a half day to a few days. Now, you can tell the stool frequency and gut transit time are relevant. That’s why you want to exercise regularly and consume fruits, vegetables, and fiber to poo more frequently to be healthier, certainly not ultraprocessed foods (Vol.4700). Last but not least, you also want to check the color and shape of your poo because it also shows the health of your gut system.

Read the article and learn what your poo cycle and poo mean to your health.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250225-what-your-poo-can-reveal-about-your-health

Topic Reading-Vol.4700-3/7/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Ultraprocessed foods make up to 70% of the US food supply. How to reduce your intake

Do you know what UPFs are or have any idea how much ultra-processed foods (UPFs) you eat daily? In general, foods that are processed highly and contain ingredients that aren’t normally found in the kitchen, such as certain individual nutrients, flavor enhancers, colors, additives, and stabilizers are considered UPFs. They tend to contain some ingredients excessively, such as sugar, salt, fat, and carbohydrates. They are tasty and convenient but are also calorie-dense. A study found that those who eat UPFs mainly for their diet take 500 more calories daily than those who don’t. Although fat, sugar, sodium, and starchy carbohydrates aren’t usually found together in nature, ultra-processed foods often contain these magic ingredients together to entice your taste buds. So, if you regularly eat ultra-processed foods, such as breakfast cereals, margarine, chips, packaged cakes and biscuits, sweet chocolate, and prepared foods, you get more calories, fat, sugar, and salt than you recognize. Since such highly processed foods are linked to illnesses, such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, depression, cognitive decline, and stroke, you may want to be aware of which foods are highly processed and how to avoid them.

Read the article and learn what Ultra-processed Foods are and do to your health.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/26/health/ultraprocessed-hyperpalatable-foods-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4699-3/6/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Myanmar villagers reveal 'desperate' illegal kidney sales

An organ transplant is a surgical procedure that replaces a damaged organ with a healthy organ from a donor. Organs that have been successfully transplanted include the heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas, intestine, thymus and uterus. Organ donors may be living, brain dead, or dead via circulatory death. Although the demand for organ transplants has been increasing, the supply meets only about 10% of the needs, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). So where there is unfilled demand, smuggling would emerge. The kidneys are a pair of fist-sized organs located near the middle of the back on either side of the spine, which perform many vital functions, including filtering blood, regulating blood pressure, and producing hormones. Although most people who live with just one of their kidneys can live normal lives, there are health risks such as developing high blood pressure, protein in the urine, chronic kidney diseases, and damage to other organs. Buying or selling human organs is illegal in both Myanmar and India, and documents are needed to perform an organ transplant. However, agents find potential donors who are desperate to make money by any means, forge documents, and arrange for a doctor and hospital to perform a transplant. The problem is that the donors are often not advised of risks to their health and legal liabilities. The scientific fiction “Never Let Me Go” by Kazuo Ishiguro is an extreme version of such organ transplantations and donors.

Read the article and learn how illegal kidney transplants are arranged. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgy8p3pe71o

Topic Reading-Vol.4698-3/5/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

These cities have big rat problems, and there’s one thing to blame

While we don’t know how many, most of us live with more rats than we imagine. They find shelter in various urban spaces like sewers, abandoned buildings, cracks in walls, under sidewalks, and within dense vegetation and eat discarded food scraps from humans, accessing them through trash cans, dumpsters, and food spills on the ground, which are often abundant in urban environments. Though rats live only for a few years, they are very fertile. Females can become pregnant when they are only a few months old and can produce six to 12 offspring up to a dozen times a year. If they live in a warm environment where food is plenty like in cities, the number of rats could increase easily. According to the data collected from 13 US cities, Toronto, Tokyo, and Amsterdam, the number of sightings and trappings has increased over the last 12 years or so. As warmer climates and environments could help rats grow and reproduce for a longer time, we may be bothered by more rats in the future, which is a problem as they gnaw and damage wires and cables and transmit diseases like leptospirosis, hantavirus, and plague to humans. Another impact of global warming and urbanization.

Read the article and learn about rats that are dwelling in cities. 

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/31/climate/rats-cities-temperature-increase/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4697-3/4/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Is it time to change how we buy travel souvenirs?

What are souvenirs? Some of the most popular souvenirs are magnets or mug cups with a logo or image of the place. Also, shawls made of local fabric and artworks handcrafted by Indigenous peoples are in high demand. But where are they actually produced and by who? It was found that as much as 75% of souvenirs marketed as "Indigenous" in Australia were counterfeit and over 70% of Thailand’s elephant pants were made overseas. Also, most fabrics sold as pashmina, cashmere wool of a special kind, in a Kashmir market in India are not genuine. As many people travel to distant places, most souvenirs are now just locally sold affordable and portable commodities that were mass-produced somewhere else. While traveling, extraordinary experiences, including food, scenery, atmosphere, people, activities, and even difficulties are often more memorable than materials, most travelers still buy souvenirs to remember the trip or share the event with someone. In the end, the money that travelers spend helps the local economy in some way or other. 

Read the article and learn about what popular souvenirs are like these days.

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20250217-is-it-time-to-change-how-we-buy-travel-souvenirs

Topic Reading-Vol.4696-3/3/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

What do countries call themselves? The stories behind their original names

A little over 8.2 billion people live in 200 or so states in the world. English and Chinese are the only languages that are spoken by more than one billion people while as many as 7,000 other languages are spoken across the world. However, most countries are called by English names, such as Japan, China, and India even though they are locally called Nihon or Nippon, Zhongguo, and Bharat respectively in their languages. In Africa, many names of the 54 countries are rooted in colonial history or European or Arabian traders. But locally, South Africa is called Mzans and Egypt calls itself Masr in Arabic. In Europe, Germany is called Deutschland, Spain is Espana, and Finland is Suomi in their languages. In 2021, Turkey changed its identification to Turkiye to better represent its culture, civilization, and values of the nation, and also to avoid being confused with the bird turkey. Will there be a rename movement to reflect historical and cultural identities?

Read the article and learn what some countries are called locally.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/21/what-do-countries-call-themselves-the-stories-behind-their-original-names

Topic Reading-Vol.4695-3/2/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

How much protein do you really need to get strong?

Protein has many functions in the body. For example, eating enough protein helps maintain muscle mass and grow muscle when you exercise. Also, protein helps the body build and repair tissues, which is especially important after an injury. In addition, it supports the immune system, helps maintain bone health, and boosts metabolism. Interestingly, it helps with weight control as well since the body burns more calories digesting protein than carbohydrates. Then how much protein should we take each day? It is recommended that an adult should take about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. So if you weigh 70 kg, you should take 56 grams of protein a day. But if you are very active or exercise a lot, you’ll need 1 gram of protein per kg each day. Also, older people need to take more protein as they tend to lose more muscle mass than when they were younger. To take sufficient protein, you don’t have to eat a lot of red meat or eggs every day as there are many different kinds of protein-rich foods like soybeans, lentils, nuts, and yogurt. You can also take protein supplements to help increase protein intake, but only to supplement your diet. The best way to achieve a healthy diet is to plan meals with protein-rich food and try to eat protein at every meal.

Read the article and learn how to take protein for your health.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250212-how-much-protein-do-you-really-need-to-get-strong

Topic Reading-Vol.4694-3/1/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

World's glaciers melting faster than ever recorded

A glacier is a mass of ice that is constantly moving downhill. The estimated volume of glaciers, not including the ice sheets of Antarctica and Greenland is around 170,000 km3. Glaciers’ ice is the largest freshwater reservoir, accounting for nearly 70% of the world’s freshwater. Hundreds of millions of people are relying on seasonal meltwater from glaciers to some extent. However, glaciers melt faster as the climate warms. Global sea levels have risen about 20 centimeters on average since 1900, and the rate of increase has been accelerating in recent decades, nearly 30% of which is estimated to have been contributed by melting glaciers. If all the 200,000 or so glaciers melted, we would lose the precious freshwater reservoirs while facing accelerated sea level rise. Also, if that happened, ice sheets in polar regions would have melted. Combined, the global sea level would rise by approximately 70 meters. Recent studies found that glaciers outside the polar regions have lost 270 billion tonnes of ice a year between 2000 and 2023, enough mass to supply three liters of fresh water to everyone on Earth every day. And they are melting faster and faster. 

Read the article and learn what melting glaciers mean to us and the planet.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4ly8vde85o

Topic Reading-Vol.4693-2/28/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

A samba queen's guide to Rio de Janeiro

Founded in 1565 by the Portuguese, Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Southern Hemisphere for its natural settings, carnival, bossa nova, and beautiful beaches like Copacabana. Among all these attractive features, what makes Rio popular the most is samba, a lively and rhythmic Brazilian music and dance style with deep African and Portuguese influences, and the annual Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, the biggest carnival celebration in the world. It features extravagant parades, lively street parties (blocos), and samba music, drawing millions of people from around the world. The highlight is the Samba Parade, where top samba schools compete at the Sambadrome, showcasing dazzling costumes, massive floats, and energetic performances. Also, there are over 70 official samba circles across the city that promote a number of events during the year that connect them with the local community. 

This year’s festival is held from February 28 to March 8. 

Read the article and learn about the samba and the carnival in Rio de Janeiro. 

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20250221-a-samba-queens-guide-to-rio-de-janeiro

Topic Reading-Vol.4692-2/27/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Your kitchen sponge teems with bacteria – should you use a brush instead?

Most of us use kitchen sponges to wash and clean dishes, cutting boards, and kitchen utensils. But are those sponges clean? Actually, sponges have holes and pockets where harmful bacteria or fungi can settle and grow. Even though not all bacteria are harmful to our health, some of them could cause diseases, such as salmonella and e-coli. How can we reduce or eliminate such pathogenic bacteria from kitchen sponges? Heating a sponge in a microwave, rinsing it with hot, soapy water, spraying disinfectant, or putting it in a dishwasher surely kills the vast majority of the pathogens but not all. Another way is to use a kitchen brush instead, which doesn’t harbor as many bacteria as a sponge does. Whichever the method might be, you want to clean the sponge or brush, the knife, and the cutting board thoroughly, especially after they’ve touched raw meat or seafood. 

Read the article and learn how to reduce pathogenic bacteria from your kitchen sponge. 

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250218-when-should-you-throw-away-your-kitchen-sponge

Topic Reading-Vol.4691-2/26/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Northern hairy-nosed wombat: Back from the brink

The northern hairy-nosed wombat is one of three surviving species of Australian marsupials known as wombats. It is one of the rarest land mammals in the world and is critically endangered. The wombats weigh about 32 kilograms and grow up to one meter long. They eat mainly grass, dig extensive burrow systems with their rodent-like front teeth and powerful claws, and spend most of their time there alone. When their natural habitats were converted to farmland, their population started to decline, and by the 1980s, their population had reduced to no more than 35 individuals. Since northern hairy-nosed wombats do not eat anything that is provided in a captive environment, the only way to save this critically endangered species is to conserve their natural living environment. After fences were erected to protect their habitat, the population began to increase to 113 individuals including only 30 breeding females in 2003, 230 individuals in 2015, over 300 by 2021, and more than 400 by 2024. But because of their fragile nature, continuous conservation efforts are needed for the survival of this endangered species in the natural environment.

Read the article and learn about Australia’s well-conserved endangered species.

https://edition.cnn.com/science/gallery/northern-hairy-nosed-wombat-photos-c2e/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4690-2/25/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

This alien-like field of mirrors in the desert was once the future of solar energy. It’s closing after just 11 years

The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System is a concentrated solar thermal plant located in the Mojave Desert, near the California–Nevada border. It uses 173,500 heliostats, mirrors that track the sun, to focus sunlight onto the three 140-meter-tall towers that generate steam to power turbines and produce electricity. When conceived in 2014, the concentrating solar power system was thought to be a potential breakthrough in renewable energy generation. But it was technically too challenging to control that many mirrors to track the sun, concentrate its rays onto the three towers, and turn the water to steam to drive turbines all in a synchronized way. Also, innovations reduced the cost of solar panels drastically in the last decade, which has made Ivanpah uncompetitive. Now, the much-disputed project is going to be closed next year, having wasted a $1.6 billion loan guarantee by the federal government. Then what will the 1,400 ha land be like when the plant is closed? Will it be reclaimed somehow or just abandoned? At least, no more birds will be burned or incinerated when they fly between the panels and the towers.

Read the article and learn about this futuristic solar power plant in the California desert.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/13/climate/ivanpah-desert-solar-closing/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4689-2/24/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

How much coffee is too much, according to a doctor

Coffee is rich in caffeine, and many people drink coffee to start the day. That’s because caffeine is a natural stimulant that can help you feel more awake and less tired, improve focus and cognition, and help treat headaches when taken with pain relievers. Then how much coffee is beneficial or harmless to your physical and mental health? According to the US Food and Drug Administration, about three to four short-size or two tall-size Starbucks coffees a day are not too much for adults. Also, coffee contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that have effects on reducing cancer risk and cardiovascular diseases and helping process cholesterol. However, caffeine is also contained in other beverages like energy drinks, cola, and tea. To enjoy the benefits of coffee and avoid restlessness and sleeping difficulty, try counting how many regular servings of caffeinated drinks you’ve had a day and avoid taking any before going to bed.

Read the article and learn about how to enjoy the benefits of coffee.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/13/health/caffeine-longevity-heart-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4688-2/23/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Are noise-cancelling headphones to blame for young people's hearing problems?

Noise-canceling headphones suppress unwanted ambient sounds by using active noise control. They use a built-in microphone to analyze the ambient sound waves around the listener and then generate the opposite sound waves to reduce surrounding sound. They could help prevent hearing loss by eliminating the need to increase the volume to listen to music in the first place. Also, noise-canceling devices help protect the ears from high-frequency and loud noise such as in construction sites or factories. However, activating such noise-canceling sound waves is like creating a false environment, and extensive use of such a device could delay the development of high-level listening skills in the brain, especially in the late teens. Indeed, your ears hear the sounds and noises around you, your brain judges which ones are essential to you, and then you pay attention or listen to them. As more people use noise-canceling headphones while watching videos with subtitles, the number of people who experience auditory processing disorder, a neurological condition where the brain has difficulty distinguishing sounds and spoken words seems to be increasing. 

Read the article and learn what noise-canceling devices could do to your brain health.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgkjvr7x5x6o

Topic Reading-Vol.4687-2/22/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

World's sea-ice falls to record low

Ice does cool the water around it when it melts. But sea ice around the north and south poles does more to the planet. It reflects substantial Sun’s energy back into space and keeps the planet cooler. When the ice layer shrinks, the ocean below the ice absorbs more heat and warms the planet further. Unfortunately, as polar regions are warming faster than the global average, the amount of polar sea ice is declining steadily. In fact, it is found that the natural cooling effect of polar sea ice has declined by about 14% since the 1980s. The thinner the ice cover is, the stronger the impact weather events could cause, resulting in more sea ice melting. Then sea levels rise further and extreme weather events occur more frequently. And of course, the lives of polar bears and penguins are threatened. It seems like the door of the freezer has opened and the ice inside has started melting.

Read the article and learn the impact of sea ice melting in the polar regions. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgeydkz08go

Topic Reading-Vol.4686-2/21/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Robotic exoskeletons help Chinese tourists climb the country’s most punishing mountain

An exoskeleton is a wearable device that supports the human body. They can be worn to help walk, carry things, or climb slopes or steps. Mount Tai is known as the eastern mountain of the Sacred Mountains of China. The 1,545-meter-high mountain can be climbed by around 7,000 steps. During the Chinese New Year, 10 AI-powered exoskeletons were tried to help climbers reach the summit. The users need to wrap their waists and thighs with the device, which senses the wearer’s movements and provides synchronized assistance. While climbers seem happy being assisted by the exoskeleton, they feel awkward when they take the device off. Such physical movement assistant devices are also expected to hit China’s growing elderly care market as the population over 60 years old is rising to 30%, or over 400 million by 2035. In the meantime, exoskeletons are already in use in logistic businesses to help workers lift and move heavy loads without having to strain their muscles excessively. More user-friendly names may help ease resistance to using such AI-assisted robotic exoskeletons. 

Read the article and learn how exoskeletons help people accomplish physical tasks.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/robotic-exoskeleton-hiking-china-intl-hnk/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4685-2/20/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

'It risks becoming a Venice in the desert': The dark side of Uzbekistan's tourism boom

Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country located in Central Asia and is famous for its historic cities. Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and the largest city in Central Asia. It was rebuilt as a model Societ city after the 1966 Taskent earthquake. Samarkand prospered from its location on the Silk Road between China, Persia, and Europe. It is known as a center of Islamic scholarly study and has many historical monuments, including Retistan Square. Bukhara is the most complete example of a medieval city in Central Asia, with an urban fabric that has remained largely intact with Muslim architecture, a massive fortress, and bazaars. Khiva is a desert oasis and a well-preserved example of medieval walled city planning. Old towns like Bukhara and Khiva had been living organisms of residents and visitors in and around the fortress until recently. Now, Uzbekistan is working on increasing the number of tourists from 6.6 million in 2023 to 15 million in 2030 through new attractions, hotels, and services. For example, five-star hotels and a large leisure complex are being built in and around Bukhara where city dwellers lived for centuries. Will these Silk Road cities become popular, over-crowded tourist destinations where tourists just visit popular places to take photos and shop for imported mass-produced goods? 

Read the article and learn about how Uzbekistan is changing.

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20250207-the-dark-side-of-uzbekistans-tourism-boom

Topic Reading-Vol.4684-2/19/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Germany's once-mighty car industry is in crisis. What will it take to fix it?

The auto manufacturing industry generates about six percent of Germany’s GDP employing nearly 800,000 workers directly and supports millions of other jobs. Job security and wages of German auto workers are much higher than those of any other European workers. Volkswagen (VW), Mercedes Benz, and BMW are the German Big 3 auto giants. However, their unit sales have gone down by over 10% in the last several years as car sales across Europe declined and their sales in China fell. Also, the investment in developing electric cars sucked up their financial, engineering, and marketing resources, but EV sales in Europe have slowed recently as government subsidies were removed. Then China, once a lucrative market for German car brands has been taken over by domestic EV brands like BYD, which are technologically competitive or even superior to traditional auto brands. (Vol.4683) What will happen to German workers and the auto industry? Will the far-right politicians fix their problems?

Read the article and learn about the rough road the mighty German automobile makers and workers are driving on.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz6pzwj6qq7o

Topic Reading-Vol.4683-2/18/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

A Chinese EV giant is now offering free driver assistance tech on cars under $10,000

BYD Auto was founded in 2003 in Shenzhen, China, as part of the BYD group that manufactures rechargeable batteries and electronic products and also provides energy application services and rail systems. It is now the world’s number one EV manufacturer having sold 4.27 million new energy vehicles (NEVs) last year, surpassing the EV rival Tesla and Japan’s innovative Honda. This month, BYD Auto announced that it was releasing a “DiPilot” assisted driving system across its range of cars, including a 69,800 yuan ($9,555) low-cost vehicle, just like conventional safety features like seatbelts and airbags. The driving system can improve road safety by monitoring road conditions and avoiding dangers, while big data and AI models will improve the tech over time. Tesla buyers are also offered similar driving assisting features including Traffic-Aware Cruise Control and Autosteer with a fee or subscription. The rules of the game in battery vehicles are rapidly changing, including government subsidies, incentives, and regulations. Also, the types of battery vehicles are being diversified into full-battery vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Will this driving assistance feature become a new standard for EVs in China and beyond? 

Read the article and learn about the new features of the world’s top EV manufacturer.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/11/cars/china-byd-smart-driving-tesla-hnk-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4682-2/17/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

'We left pieces of our life behind': Indigenous group flees drowning island

Gardi Sugdub is a 400m-long, 150m-wide island 1.2km off the northern coast of mainland Panama. Because of the increasing population and rising sea levels, a new village called Isberyala was created by the Panamanian government for the island residents to relocate. Last year, of the 1,100 GardiSugdub residents, about 1,000 took a 15-minute boat ride and a five-minute drive to settle in this newly constructed village where water and electricity are constantly available. Each house has a small piece of land where the residents can grow vegetables and fruits, a luxury on the tiny, overpopulated island. In the meantime, about 100 villagers remain on the island where they have no running water and limited electricity but enjoy living their traditional lifestyles. The choice to begin a new life or stick to the lifestyle you’ve been having is difficult to make. But those who live in coastal areas may soon have no choice but to relocate to someplace higher sooner or later if sea levels keep rising.

Read the article and learn about Panamians who had to leave their native island.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz0lg9pedz1o

Topic Reading-Vol.4681-2/16/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Fentanyl in the US: A visual guide

Recently, the US has been facing a severe fentanyl crisis with thousands of overdose deaths annually, surpassing deaths from car accidents and gun violence. What is fentanyl?

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. Like morphine, it is a medicine that is typically used to treat patients with severe pain after surgery. It is also sometimes used to treat patients with chronic pain who are physically tolerant to other opioids. When prescribed by a doctor, fentanyl can be given as a shot, a patch to put on a person’s skin, or as lozenges like cough drops. Fentanyl is also sold illegally as a powder, dropped onto blotter paper, put in eye droppers and nasal sprays, or made into pills that look like other prescription opioids. When people overdose on fentanyl, their breathing can slow or stop, which decreases the amount of oxygen that reaches the brain and could lead to a coma, permanent brain damage, and even death. How do Americans get fentanyl without a prescription? Who are the suppliers and distributors? 

Read the article and learn about the supply chain of this fatal opioid. 

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/08/health/fentanyl-drug-us-explained-dg/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4680-2/15/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

What we know about North Korea's first post-pandemic destination for Western tourists

Established in 1991 to promote economic growth through foreign investment, Rason is a special city on the northeast tip of North Korea near the border with China and Russia. There are three ice-free ports in the area whose piers are operated by Chinese and Russian companies. Recently, this border city was opened up to tourists from China and other countries except the US and South Korea. This is the first time that non-Russian travelers can visit the DPRK since before the pandemic. Only Russian nationals have been able to visit several locations in North Korea since early last year. Though Rason is not the most thrilling on paper, it is unique in its location and situation with revolutionary sites, local museums, and a few industrial sites. Even though tourism to North Korea is not subject to international sanctions, there is some controversy about visiting there because the country is sending troops and supplying weapons to Russia to support its war against Ukraine. Because of the geographical location and political situation, access to this special district is practically limited through China and Russia. But be reminded that photo shooting is strictly limited in North Korea.

Watch the video and learn about this newly-opening tourist destination in North Korea.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/07/world/video/north-korea-western-tourism-ripley-lead-digvid

Topic Reading-Vol.4679-2/14/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

The perfect, but slow, way to boil an egg - according to science

If you like boiled eggs, which style do you like, soft-boiled or hard-boiled? A soft-boiled egg has semi-cooked white with mostly runny yolk. The runniness of the yolk can be controlled by the length of boiling time somewhere between six to eight minutes. A hard-boiled egg has a firm white and fully cooked yolk. It takes around 10 minutes in boiling water. But if you boil an egg longer than that, the yolk becomes too dry. The reason for the difference in cooking time between albumen, the white part of the egg, and the yolk is that while the yolk requires 65C to cook, the albumen needs 85C. Recently, researchers discovered an innovative way to make an ideal and nutritious way to make boiled eggs by taking these different hardening temperatures into cooking. Unfortunately, the method requires a pan of boiling water and a bowl filled with luci-warm water. Also, it takes 32 minutes to complete, three times longer than making hard-boiled eggs in a conventional way. 

If you love hard-boiled eggs, read the article and learn the newly discovered way to make perfect hard-boiled eggs for your taste buds and health.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250206-the-perfect-way-to-boil-an-egg-according-to-science

Topic Reading-Vol.4678-2/13/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Five daytime hacks to fight fatigue and improve your sleep (while you're awake)

If you want to enjoy a good night's sleep, you should refrain from caffeine a few hours before your bedtime. Also, you want to relax and avoid using a phone or PC before going to bed. Then, make sure that the bedroom is dark, quiet, and moderate in temperature. But there are a few more tips that you can do during the day to help improve your sleep. First, maintain sufficient iron levels by taking red meat, poultry, fish, beans, and dark leafy greens. In the meantime, you want to balance your diet with sufficient vegetables and fruits. Also, eating breakfast regularly not only improves your brain performance during the day but also your sleep quality. Of course, modest, regular exercise is another way to make you sleep longer and better. And last but not least, reduce or quit smoking and drinking, if you do. You might have realized that all these tips are not only for your sleep but also for your health. Indeed, good sleep and good health are closely interconnected.

Read the article and learn the tips to sleep better.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250114-five-science-backed-daytime-hacks-to-improve-your-sleep

Topic Reading-Vol.4677-2/12/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

What is Naadam? The story behind Mongolia’s ‘Three Manly Games’

Genghis Khan founded the Mongol Empire in 1206, and his descendants expanded the empire’s territory from the Pacific Ocean to the Danube River and Persian Gulf in its heyday. Today’s Mongolian People’s Republic was established as a socialist state in 1924. Mongolians still keep and celebrate their nomadic culture through Naadam, a traditional festival consisting of three main sports: wrestling, horse racing, and archery, essential skills for nomads and soldiers. Naadam has been a national holiday for over 100 years and was added to the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010. Anyone can participate in the games except for men-only wrestling. The main events are held between July 11 and 13 in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city, with parades and wrestling at the national stadium, archery competitions at the National Archery Field, and horse racing at fairgrounds outside the city. The Mongolian government wants to boost tourism by allowing nationals from 61 countries to enter without a visa for up to 30 days. Also, 2,500 tickets for the 11,000-seat stadium are reserved for foreigners. Interested in visiting Mongolia to enjoy the traditional festivals and beautiful summer?

Read the article and learn about Mongolia’s Naadam festival.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/naadam-festival-mongolia-three-manly-games-cmd/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4676-2/11/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Baby shark mysteriously born in aquarium tank housing only females

At an aquarium in Louisiana, USA, a baby shark hatched from an egg in a tank that contained two female sharks that had never had any contact with male sharks over three years. How did that happen? One possibility is parthenogenesis, a type of asexual reproduction where an embryo develops from an unfertilized egg. It occurs naturally in some plants, algae, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and animals, such as whiptail lizards, Komodo dragons, snakes, and sharks. The offspring are genetically identical to their mother. Parthenogenesis is the last method a species might use to produce offspring but it limits genetic diversity. Another possibility is that fertilization occurred long after mating, called delayed fertilization. In one case, a female shark was found to have kept sperm longer than 45 months. But why? Genetic testing will soon determine how this new baby shark was produced.

Read the article and learn how a baby shark was born in a female-only tank.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/03/science/shark-egg-hatches-no-males-intl-scli/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4675-2/10/2025

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Greenland is getting a lot of international attention for its mineral resources – but what is hiding under the ice?

The USA bought Alaska from Russia in 1867 to gain geopolitical advantage and access to natural resources. Also, it has shown interest in purchasing Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, from time to time. The world’s largest non-continental island looks as large as the African continent on Mercator maps but it is actually about four times smaller than the USA. As it lies between latitudes 59° and 83°N, it is mostly covered with the slow-flowing Greenland Ice Sheet. Now, the US administration is showing a bold interest in purchasing this icy island from Denmark. While geographically not so attractive to the US, geopolitically, Greenland sits at a crucial chokepoint for naval and submarine traffic in the North Atlantic. Geologically, Greenland is believed to be rich in critical minerals that are essential for new technologies, especially in energy. Economically, however, it won’t pay off so easily due to a lack of transportation infrastructures like roads and rails. Environmentally, Greenland is so volatile to global warming, including melting ice sheets and glaciers, rising sea levels, and changing ecosystems. Emotionally, people in Denmark, the USA, and Greenland may have different views. 

Read the article and learn how attractive, resource-rich, but challenging Greenland is to explore.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250121-the-enormous-challenge-of-mining-greenland

Topic Reading-Vol.4674-2/9/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

A flying phobia affects more than 25 million Americans. Here’s how to manage it

Most people have a fear of something, such as darkness, heights, enclosed spaces like an elevator, some animals like snakes or spiders, speaking in public, or flying. When a fear or dislike becomes extreme, it is considered a phobia, such as monophobia (being alone), zoophobia (animals), acrophobia (heights), and aerophobia (flying). Those who are diagnosed with aerophobia show physical symptoms, including fast heartbeat, sweating, dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath, chest pain, or vomiting as well as emotional symptoms to become panicked or behavioral symptoms to cancel a flight. There are ways to ease such extreme anxieties about flying, including meditation, muscle relaxation, deep breathing, relaxing music, or just talking with someone. Also, learning how an airplane flies or how safe flying is compared with driving might help reduce anxiety. If you have a fear of flying, try some of the countermeasures before giving up flying.

Read the article and learn what aerophobia is about and how to ease and cope with it.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/02/travel/fear-of-flying-plane-crash-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4673-2/8/2025

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Moon added to list of vulnerable sites by World Monuments Fund

Over a half-century ago on July 21, 1969, a US astronaut took the first step on the moon as part of NASA’s Apollo 11 mission. He and the lunar module pilot spent about two hours exploring the moon’s surface, collecting soil samples, leaving a memorial disk, and planting the American flag. Ten more American men walked on the Moon in the next three years and left footsteps, equipment, and memorial objects. All of these things and sites can be considered historical artifacts and preserved as testimonies of humans’ first steps beyond Earth, according to the World Monuments Fund, which highlights 25 heritage sites at risk every other year. The fund claims these memorial remains and objects are our collective narrative and be preserved when new moon missions are underway. It also listed other sites that face challenges such as climate change, over-tourism, natural disasters, and conflicts, like Gaza’s historic urban fabric and Kyiv’s Teacher’s House. Humans create artifacts and often destroy them.

Read the article and learn about the monuments on the Moon.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/17/science/moon-world-monuments-vulnerable-intl-scli/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4672-2/7/2025

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A newly discovered asteroid has a slim chance of hitting Earth in 2032

Until December 27 last year, there had not been any known large asteroids that have a 1% or higher chance of hitting our planet. But a telescope located in north-central Chili first spotted an asteroid that is 40 to 100 meters wide. Space agencies calculated that the asteroid, named 2024 YR4, has a 1.2% chance of hitting the Earth on December 22, 2032. If it ever hit our planet, the impact could produce blast damage as far as 50 km from the impact site. Since the asteroid is traveling away from the Earth for now, no further information or data is available until it returns to Earth’s vicinity in 2028. Is there any space defense system against incoming asteroids? In 2022, NASA carried out the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission to assess the effectiveness of asteroid deflection technology by crashing a spacecraft into an asteroid at high speed to change the course of a celestial object. Another mitigation tactic is to evacuate people, animals, and things from potentially impacted regions. How about destroying an asteroid by nuclear bombs like the 1998 movie “Armageddon”? 

Read the article and learn about an asteroid that will come very close to our planet in 2032.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/31/science/asteroid-2024-yr4-earth-impact-chance/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4671-2/6/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Men got taller and heavier at twice the rate of women over past century, study shows

In general, men are taller and heavier than women of the same age of the same ethnic group. And interestingly, their differences are widening. According to data from 100,000 people across 69 countries, men have gained height and weight at more than twice the rate of women over the last century, thanks to better ecological, economical, and nutritious situations. Biologically, men tend to grow larger, thus stronger, to gain access to women so that they get a better chance to pass their genes. In the meantime, since it takes longer and more resources for the male body to grow, males are more vulnerable to problems or environmental influences like diseases or hunger. Does it mean humans keep growing so long as we are fed nutritiously and free from biological or environmental problems? 

Read the article and learn how much taller and heavier we’ve grown.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/23/science/men-taller-heavier-rate-women-intl-scli-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4670-2/5/2025

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Google Maps will rename Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America in US

The Gulf of Mexico is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, and on the southwest and south by Mexico, and the length of each coastline is about the same. The name the Gulf of Mexico appeared on world maps in the 16th century and has been used so commonly until last month when the US President ordered to rename it to the Gulf of America in US government documents. Though the name change is mandated in the US only, it will be shown on popular Google Maps for US users. Disputes over geographical naming aren’t limited to the US and Mexico. The name Sea of Japan predominantly appears on world and regional maps but both Koreas insist it be called the (Korean) East Sea. 

Another name change the administration has made is Mount Denali in Alaska, the highest mountain in North America. It had been called Denali by the native Alaskans until it was renamed McKinley after the 25th President of the US in 1917. Then the original name was restored in 2015 by then President Barack Obama. Now, it is called McKinley again, at least officially. 

In fact, one place is often called differently over time or by country. For example, Mount Everest is called Chomolungma in Tibet and Sagarmath in Nepal. Also, Mumbai, India used to be called Bombay until 1995. Will there be more name changes in the next four years in the US?

Read the article and learn about the recent name changes on the US map.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8634nwxd46o

Topic Reading-Vol.4669-2/4/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Doomsday Clock 2025: Scientists set new time

Created in 1947, the Doomsday Clock is a design that warns the public about how close we are to destroying our world with dangerous technologies of our own making. The Clock is a metaphor, not a prediction, for threats to humanity from unchecked scientific and technological advances, such as nuclear risk, climate change, biological terrorism, and artificial intelligence. When the clock is at midnight, humanity will be wiped out because of catastrophic events like nuclear exchange or climate change. The minute hand on the Doomsday Clock has been reset 26 times since its debut. Most recently on January 28, the hand was moved to a second closer to 89 seconds to midnight, the closest ever to the Doomsday because sufficient progress wasn’t made on global challenges. When the Doomsday Clock shows a new time, attention arises and talks begin around the world. Then if sufficient actions are taken, the minute hand may be moved backward. 

Read the article and learn what the Doomsday Clock is about.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/28/science/doomsday-clock-2025-time-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4668-2/3/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Ukraine country profile

We all know that Ukraine has been at war with Russia for about three years. Most of us also know that its capital is Kyiv and the president is Volodymyr Zelensky, who always wears an olive green military shirt wherever he goes or appears. Geographically, Ukraine is the second-largest European country after Russia. It borders Russia to the east, Belarus to the north, and Poland to the west. Nearly 80% of the population are Ukrainians and 17% are Russians. Its black soil is some of the most fertile in the world, producing wheat, maize, sunflowers, and barley. But its history is with waves of repression. After the Mongolian invasion in the 13th century, the area was contested, divided, and ruled by neighboring powers for the next six centuries, including Poland, the Austrian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Russian Empire, and the Soviet Union. It was only in 1991 that today’s Ukraine declared independence after the Soviet dissolution. Then in 2014, its Crimean peninsula was seized by Russia, and in 2022, the whole country was invaded. Are you interested to learn more about Ukraine?

Read the article and learn more about Ukraine for the third commemoration of Russia’s invasion.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-18018002