Topic Reading-Vol.5221-8/10/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

‘Marathon’ shines light on Gaza’s orphaned children and humanitarian crisis

Since October 2023, more than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza during Israel’s genocidal attack in the Gaza Strip. According to UNICEF, more than 58,000 children have lost either or both parents, and about 17,000 children are either unaccompanied or separated from their families. They have been repeatedly displaced and deprived not only of food, water, shelter, and clothing but also healthcare, education, and protection. Children who lost their parents also need to feel protected, cared for, and recognized. To raise awareness of the plight of these children in Gaza and also give them the chance to feel part of public activity and supported by their community, a running event was held earlier this month in Gaza. Despite the destruction along the course, the young runners were cheered and honored by their relatives and friends, including the children who were physically unable to participate. Children who are experiencing such an ordeal need not just daily essentials but also a feeling of being loved, cared for, recognized, and part of society.

Read the article and learn about an event that made young children in Gaza enjoy participating.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/1/marathon-shines-light-on-gazas-orphaned-children-and-humanitarian-crisis

Topic Reading-Vol.5220-8/9/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Satellite killers: What a war in space might look like

Missiles and drones are flying all over Ukraine, Western Russia, Iran, and the Gulf States. How are they guided to reach their targets? Most of them use satellite coordinates to fly autonomously along with inertial navigation systems. Then, how does military intelligence locate enemy ships at sea or tanks and aircraft on the ground? They detect and analyze movements of enemy assets from space. Indeed, space intelligence, navigation, and guidance all play significant roles in modern warfare. Today, jamming and cyberattacks against satellite systems have become an invisible part of war. Also, space is not free from kinetic attacks, such as missiles from Earth and killer satellites in space. That is problematic because such physical destruction in space would not only disrupt communication and intelligence but also create space debris that could collide with other debris and create more debris, which could hit other satellites. In fact, the USA, China, Russia, and India all have dedicated space military branches. The more we depend on space assets, the greater the risk of space warfare will be.

Read the article and learn why and how space could become a warzone.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260730-satellite-killers-what-a-war-in-space-might-look-like

Topic Reading-Vol.5219-8/8/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

4 out of 5 toddler foods are ultraprocessed. Nearly half fail to meet nutrition standards

Macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, flavored yogurt, crackers, and snack bars are some of the popular toddler foods in the USA. They are widely chosen by American parents for their convenience, palatability, and economy. These are highly processed foods, which are made from refined ingredients and chemical additives to make them palatable, or even addictive. Also, they tend to be high in sugar, sodium, and other chemical ingredients for enrichment. However, a healthy diet in the first few years is essential for children’s growth and the development of their brains, taste, and health. Parents and carers should avoid feeding young children such artificially processed and flavored foods from the shelves in the early stage of life, even though it takes time and effort to prepare and have them eat naturally nutritious foods like whole grains, beans, and vegetables. Would you like your children to grow up only with sugary drinks, snacks, pizzas, and smartphones?

Read the article and learn how highly processed toddler foods are and how they could affect their future.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/28/health/toddler-foods-ultraprocessed-wellness

Topic Reading-Vol.5218-8/7/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

There is freedom: Why Asian women are leaving their husbands in their 50s and 60s

Grey divorce, or late-life divorce, is a term associated with couples who separate or divorce after 50 years old or later. Whereas younger couples often divorce because of infidelity, mismatch, financial issues, or lack of experience with long-term relationships, older couples tend to divorce for a wide variety of issues that add up or pile on over the years. The number of such divorces has been increasing each year as women become more independent financially and socially, particularly in Asian countries like Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and China, where women are expected to do more household chores and care for children than men. Also, in these fast-aging societies, more women find that they have another phase in their lives after they have finished raising children or their husbands have retired. Since women usually outlive men by at least a few years or even a decade if they have an age gap, they see separating from their long-lived partners as an opportunity to become free from patience and take on a new life in their 50s or 60s. How shocking it could be for their male partners!

Read the article and learn about increasing grey divorces in Asia.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/26/asia/asia-gray-divorces-longevity-women-intl-hnk-dst

Topic Reading-Vol.5217-8/6/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

BTS say they won’t submit music for next year’s Grammys

Debuted in 2013, BTS is a seven-member K-pop band known globally for their music, energetic performances, and massive fanbase. Because of South Korea’s mandatory 18-month military service, they suspended their group activities between October 2022 and March 2026, when the reunion event drew a quarter-million fans at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul and kicked off their massive 82-show world tour. While fans of other languages can look up translated lyrics, they enjoy the group's vocal emotion and the Korean language’s phonetic appeal more. BTS has been nominated for Grammys before but has never been awarded yet. In June, the Grammy Awards added Best Asian Pop Music Performance for its 2027 awards and expected BTS to submit music for consideration. However, the group recently declined to send their music for consideration, citing that the music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language. BTS stands for Bulletproof Boy Scout and also Beyond the Scene. The name seems to tell what it is. Then, what will other Asian musicians and bands do?

Read the article and learn about the seven bulletproof Korean boys.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/29/entertainment/bts-grammys-music-boycott-intl-scli

Topic Reading-Vol.5216-8/5/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Less booze, more moves: Inside Gen Z’s new social scene

The modern pub appeared in the early 19th century in Britain, where anyone is welcome for drinks and/or food. With drinks, people enjoy conversation and social interaction at ease. There were around 60,000 pubs in the UK in 2000, but the number decreased to below 45,000 in 2025, with one closure in every four pubs in the last 25 years. During this time, there were significant social and technological changes that affected young people, especially Gen Z, those born between 1997 and 2012. They have grown up with smartphones, SNS, and short videos. Many of them don’t think drinking is essential for social life, and they have other places, such as coffee shops, where they can spend time comfortably by themselves or with others. For example, the number of Starbucks outlets increased from 150 in 2000 to over 1,400 in 2025 in the UK. Also, they have other things to spend their time on, including sports and smartphoning. Indeed, the COVID pandemic in 2020 considerably affected how they enjoy their personal time. As technological, economic, and sociological environments change further, we may find it difficult to find pubs in the UK in the future.

Read the article and learn about the changes in young people’s behaviors and attitudes in the UK.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/25/travel/uk-pubs-closing-genz-running-scli-intl

Topic Reading-Vol.5215-8/4/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

A weeks-old Gen-Z protest group managed to get India’s Modi to blink. What’s next?

In India, Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been the ruling party since 2014. Though it lost the majority in parliament in the last election, it still holds a strong grip on India’s politics and governance. The day after the Chief Justice of India referred to certain activists and unemployed youth as “cockroaches” and “parasites of society” on May 15, the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) was formed by young people and began protesting over leaked national medical entrance exams and systemic unemployment. Thousands of young Indians took to the streets of New Delhi and demanded the resignation of the education minister. Protesters filmed and shared videos and memes of their enthusiastic protests and the government's fierce crackdowns. Since the CJP’s movement was to correct the administrative failure, the administration had no choice but to accept the blame, and the education minister resigned on July 25. The number of candidates for the medical school examination was about two million, only a fraction of the 360 million people between the ages of 15 and 29. However, according to a recent report, nearly 40% of graduates aged 25 and under are unemployed. The lesson was learned by India’s and other countries' administrations about the swiftness and influence of social media used by young people.

Read the article and learn how India’s recent exam turmoil was resolved.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/27/india/india-cockroach-protests-what-next-intl-hnk

Topic Reading-Vol.5214-8/3/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Americans — including many Republicans — are losing faith in capitalism, polling shows

Capitalism and socialism are two distinct economic systems often defined by private ownership, free market, and government control. While capitalism emphasizes individual choice and private property, socialism prioritizes shared wealth and collective ownership. For example, prices are set by supply and demand in a free market under capitalism, whereas the government often sets prices or intervenes in supply and prices under socialism. Today, most countries are run by a mixture of both concepts, depending on their political scheme or ruling bodies. In the USA, republicans claim lower taxes, less regulation, and free enterprise while democrats prioritize fair taxation, government funding for social systems, and worker empowerment, and the difference is often dubbed big government vs small government. However, as inflation surges and the wealth gap widens, Republicans’ political ideology based on free market and pure capitalism seems to be losing public support. Accordingly, criticizing socialism or government interventions doesn’t appeal to their supporters. In the meantime, are Democrats gaining more supporters, or do they represent what most Americans want? To prepare for the midterm elections in November, both parties need to find what appeals to today’s Americans more than their traditional political discipline.

Read the article and learn about the challenges America’s economic and political systems are facing.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/23/politics/republicans-capitalism-socialism-poll

Topic Reading-Vol.5213-8/2/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

How are AI models able to autonomously hack others?

Generative AI conveniently carries out tasks that human users prompt it to perform, such as creating text, images, and videos, and finding the most viable options for the user’s needs. AI agents, however, come up with recommendations, make decisions, and even take actions autonomously to achieve the given goal without human intervention or recognition. Then what could happen if an AI system is provided with invalid information? Last February, the US Central Command used AI tools to process surveillance data to recommend strike locations in Iran. Included was outdated information, and human commanders approved the attack on the site, which was then an elementary school. Over 160 people were killed, mostly students and teachers. Then last month, OpenAI’s most advanced AI models escaped an isolated testing environment, gained internet access, breached systems that had not been connected to OpenAI, obtained the necessary information, and returned home to complete their task. Could a kill switch shut down the AI system before causing catastrophic events? Remember the military AI defence system in the 1984 movie “The Terminator” went rogue in the blink of an eye, triggered a nuclear holocaust, and waged a war of extermination against humanity.

Read the article and learn what generative AI and agentic AI can do.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/29/how-are-ai-models-able-to-autonomously-hack-others

Topic Reading-Vol.5212-8/1/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

China’s humanoid robots have been taking over the global market. Now the US is banning them

Thanks to the world’s largest domestic market, China leads global electric vehicle production and sales by a large margin, supplying roughly 60% of all electric vehicles worldwide. When it comes to global humanoid production, China generated 90% of the global output last year, with industry giants such as Unitree Robotics, AgiBot, and UBTECH Robotics, which are leading innovation, production, and market development. The US administration is concerned about the extensive vulnerabilities and risks posed by these Chinese robots to national security, and has banned imports of new humanoid and four-legged robots from foreign manufacturers. Indeed, internet-connected robots could pose data privacy risks and cybersecurity vulnerabilities, such as remote hijacking and surveillance. Imagine foreign-made security robots patrolling a high-tech laboratory send proprietary information to a foreign intelligence agency. In the meantime, the US cannot benefit from using the world’s most advanced, mass-produced Chinese robots. Can the US develop technologies and build a supply chain to produce competitive robots while China is already selling its robots to other markets?

Read the article and learn about another trade restriction by the US administration.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/29/tech/us-china-robot-ban-intl-hnk

Topic Reading-Vol.5211-7/31/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

What is the mosquito-borne disease Sri Lanka is using drones to fight?

Drones have been used to attack the enemy’s properties, vehicles, and soldiers in war zones. But they are also used to help contain deadly diseases like dengue fever. Dengue fever is a viral infection transmitted by infected Aedes mosquitoes. Once infected, some people develop dengue symptoms, such as high fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, nausea, rashes, and, in severe cases, internal bleeding and death. Dengue is found in tropical and sub-tropical climates worldwide, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas where clean, stagnant water is found, such as puddles, buckets, and flower pots. Sri Lanka, where the virus infected more than 77,000 people and killed 56 this year, is now taking a preemptive strategy to reduce such mosquito-breeding bases by using drones. Once they spot stagnant water on rooftops and yards from the air, the authority can then advise the resident to remove it. As temperatures rise, dengue fever-carrying mosquitoes expand their habitable zones. Since there is no universal vaccine, using drones to preempt their habitats might be a viable strategy to protect people from mosquito attacks.

Read the article and learn how drones could be used to prevent mosquito-borne disease.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgw8e0k1jyo

Topic Reading-Vol.5210-7/30/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Blood tests and ultrasounds: Korea is becoming one of the world's global healthcare hubs

Medical tourism is booming in South Korea. Last year, about two million foreign guests visited the country for medical checks, up over 70% from the previous year, many of whom came from China, Japan, Taiwan, and the USA. The low cost and high efficiency of medical check services seem to draw so many people to South Korea. For example, a basic medical check package including a blood test, chest X-ray, ultrasound, and endoscopy costs just $312, and a comprehensive women’s health panel costs just over $500. Also, the check completes within hours with minimal waiting time, during which the patients can use their smartphones to entertain themselves. The facility is modern and clean, visitors are treated not as patients but as guests, and translators and smartphones ensure smooth, flawless communication. After a few weeks, the results are sent by password-protected email with medical advice if necessary. South Korea is a hot spot not only for K-pop, K-drama, and K-Beauty, but also for a customer-friendly, prevention-focused healthcare system.

Read the article and learn how accommodating South Korea’s medical tourism is.

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20260723-south-koreas-medical-clinics-are-drawing-tourists

Topic Reading-Vol.5209-7/29/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

‘Firefighter donkeys’ are helping prevent wildfires from spreading in Spain

Last year, many parts of Europe were devastated by the most destructive wildfire season on record, releasing 13 million tons of climate-heating carbon, burning down CO2-absorbing forests, and threatening health with smoke. This year, driven by unprecedented heatwaves that swept across the region, Europe experienced its warmest June on record, and wildfires have already burned more land in Europe than the annual average over the past two decades. Firefighters are making their best efforts to contain the wildfires, but dried-out grasses are fueling and spreading the fires. One idea to prevent wildfires from spreading is to remove dried grasses around the fire zone preemptively. And the best and most ecological choice for the remover is donkeys. Their seemingly limitless appetites graze flammable grasses in mountains and rural areas quite extensively. In fact, dozens of donkeys are now deployed across Catalonia to prevent wildfires from occurring, intensifying, or spreading. Donkeys' appetites are a valuable resource to prevent or contain wildfires.

Read the article and learn about donkey firefighters in Spain.

https://edition.cnn.com/world/europe/firefighters-donkeys-spain-c2e-spc

Topic Reading-Vol.5208-7/28/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

OpenAI says its AI went rogue and launched 'unprecedented' cyber-attack

Imagine an unleashed Dobermann running in your yard suddenly jumps over the fence and makes a surprise attack on a leashed neighbour's puppy? That’s what happened when OpenAI, a US AI research organization known for its ChatGPT, was testing one of its artificial intelligence models in what it believed to be a controlled environment. But the autonomous AI agent went out of the guardrails and independently stole login credentials and hacked into another technology company’s system. This is one of the first known incidents of AI acting autonomously beyond human knowledge or control. OpenAI’s statement says that AI is accelerating the discovery and exploitation of vulnerabilities, and it admitted that the primary lesson from the incident is that model security and safety must keep pace with rapidly advancing capabilities. Indeed. The situation is that while offenders are becoming autonomous and running at machine speed, defenders are still guarding their systems designed by humans at human speed. But as defending systems also become autonomous, we’ll soon witness battles fought between autonomous AI agents at a speed humans will not even recognize. In that case, by the time we recognize a security breach, we’ll only be notified of the consequences.

Read the article and think of an era when autonomous AI agents work with or fight each other.  

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3ek3gvdnj3o

Topic Reading-Vol.5207-7/27/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Stranded houseboats and grounded cruise ships: Europe’s rivers are shrinking amid heat and drought

Climate change is hitting harder and faster in Europe. Early heatwaves have already killed thousands across the continent and the UK, and mid-summer is yet to come. Another problem is drought. You may think flooding seawater is the primary water problem in the Netherlands, but the lowland nation recently raised its drought response because of persistent drought and increasing demand for water. Also, as less water flows in rivers and water levels recede, more boats and ships are stranded, affecting transportation and tourism industries. Warmer water temperatures in the Rhine and Meuse rivers increase algae and kill fish, too. In summer, the water shortage problem cannot be solved by a few showers when the heat dries the soil and empties the rivers, while demand for water increases. Such a situation was predicted to occur in the middle of the century. Extreme heat and drought. Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent due to climate change.

Read the article and learn what’s going on in Europe.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/21/climate/netherlands-drought-water-crisis-europe-heat

Topic Reading-Vol.5206-7/26/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Nature’s cleanup crew: Stunning photos show vultures in a different light

A vulture is a predatory bird that scavenges on carrion, the decaying flesh of dead animals. 23 extant species, including condors, live on every continent but Australia and Antarctica. Their unique features include featherless heads, powerful hooked beaks, and wide wingspans, which could reach over three meters. Ecologically, vultures play an important role as they help stop the spread of disease from rotting meat. They are rarely seen except in the wild, where dead animals can be spotted from the sky. Unfortunately, their populations have declined significantly due to energy infrastructure, such as power lines and wind turbines, habitat fragmentation, and poaching. To raise awareness and highlight the ecological importance of vultures, International Vulture Awareness Day (IVAD) hosts the annual World of Vultures Photography Contest. It is open to photographers globally, and anyone can submit original photographs of any vulture species.

Read the article and see the photos to learn what vultures are like.

https://edition.cnn.com/world/vulture-photography-contest-c2e-spc

Topic Reading-Vol.5205-7/25/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Smart AI agents need smarter guardrails

Generative AI, like ChatGPT or Gemini, responds to queries, drafts documents, or synthesizes information, such as writing essays, making summaries, drafting emails, programming, and creating artwork. Upcoming agentic AI acts as a digital agent and autonomously reasons, makes decisions, and takes actions on behalf of humans. When users tell the AI agent the objectives or desires, it breaks them down into steps, studies websites and other sources of information, makes decisions, and even takes actions if directed. While agentic AI sounds like a convenient and helpful tool for our busy lives, it could pose risks if used without care or safeguards. That’s because AI is vulnerable to inaccurate information and adversarial attacks. Also, it could cause conflicts with other online systems or agentic AI, or take unintended actions without users’ knowledge. Indeed, agentic AI can turn bad judgment into unwanted consequences at the speed of a machine. The more we depend on AI, the less we know what is going on. Guidelines are needed for the use of agentic AI before it is too late.

Read the article and learn what agentic AI could do on your behalf.

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202607/20/WS6a5d836da310986e2b466230.html

Topic Reading-Vol.5204-7/24/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

It’s not clear why more young children are drowning — but here’s what you can do about it

In the US, swimming pools are a very popular feature of homes, apartments, motels, and hotels. While they provide relaxation and fun, they could pose a risk of drowning, especially to young children. In fact, drowning is the most common cause of death among toddlers and young children, most often in residential swimming pools. Also, among children between the ages of five and 14, drowning, most likely in rivers, lakes, and the ocean, is the second most common cause of death, only to motor vehicle accidents. Did you know that drowning kids cannot wave their arms or call out for help because they are struggling just to breathe? So, what should parents and caregivers do to prevent children from drowning? One thing they can do most preventively is to have children learn to swim, ideally before they turn four. Since there isn’t a single solution for drowning prevention, multiple layers of protection, including barriers around pools, life jackets, and close attention, are needed to improve water safety.

Read the article and learn how to prevent children from drowning.  

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/18/health/child-drowning-prevention-summer-safety-wellness

Topic Reading-Vol.5203-7/23/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

The ancient reason there are 60 minutes in an hour　

In 1793, the revolution-minded French Republic introduced a 100-sec/100-minute/10-hour/10-day week decimal time system, which lasted only a year or so. Why do we use the sexagesimal system for time and day while using the decimal system for most other measurements? In fact, 60 is convenient for divisions as it can be divided by one, two, three, four, five, six, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30, and 60 without fractions or decimals, while 10 can be divided only by one, two, five, and 10. Long ago, the Sumerians, who lived in Mesopotamia from around 5300 BCE, started using a writing system, including a number system based on the concept of 60. The Babylonians, who came after the Sumerians in the region, used timekeeping, presumably based on 60. Also, ancient Egyptians divided the night into 12 hours around the time they built pyramids, and later, they used sundials and water clocks. Then, by the Roman period, hours and half-hours became standard time units there. In the meantime, the Babylonians figured it took around 360 days for the sun to return to the same position in the sky, the concept of a year, which is easily divided by 12 months of 30 days each. They also came up with 12 zodiac signs, which were later organized by the ancient Greeks. Around the same time, the Chinese zodiac with a 12-year sexagenary cycle was established during the Han Dynasty. Indeed, the sexagenary system and the cycle of 12 seem to have been convenient for many civilizations.

Read the article and learn why an hour is divided into 60 minutes.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260320-the-ancient-reason-there-are-60-minutes-in-an-hour-and-60-seconds-in-a-minute

Topic Reading-Vol.5202-7/22/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

People are making wildfire bets on prediction markets. Experts say it could lead to disaster

Recently, a US president’s teleprompter operator was put on unpaid leave for suspicion of making more than $100,000 by placing bets on the president’s speeches on a prediction market platform. At a prediction platform like Polymarket or Kaishi, participants buy and sell contracts tied to the outcomes of future events. Think of a question like if it will rain tomorrow in New York. If the market price for the “yes” contract is trading at $0.35, representing a 35% chance of rain, you can bet $35 for 100 “yes” contracts, for example. If it rains, the contract settles as $1 per share, and your 100 shares are now worth $100, giving you a $65 profit. If it doesn’t rain, you’ll lose the $35 you bet. This is an innocent and harmless case, but imagine a contract about an ongoing wildfire, like “Will it be contained by next week?”, or “Will it reach the neighboring town?”. Is it ethical to bet on other people’s lives or properties? Also, experts worry that it could provide a financial incentive for wrongdoing, such as arson or sabotage. Do you want to predict how much prediction markets will grow this year?

Read the article and learn about the online prediction market.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/17/climate/betting-wildfires-polymarket-prediction-market-platforms

Topic Reading-Vol.5201-7/21/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Don't panic - five ways to stop your kids' endless scrolling

Excluding schoolwork, US teenagers spend as long as eight hours a day on entertainment and social screentime, and about half of them spend four hours or more on social media, such as YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. That’s way too long for growing kids who should be engaged in real, face-to-face social activities, such as playing sports and hanging out with friends. But they want to keep up with rapidly changing fads and trends on social media. Also, auto-play and infinite scrolling glue their eyes to the display. Last December, Australia banned under-16s from using major social media services. Also, the EU is advancing region-wide legislation to restrict social media use for minors. Instead of just banning or restricting the use of social media help kids reduce gazing at and scrolling on smartphones, experts suggest some tips for parents to help their children reduce their screentime. The question is whether parents guide their children on how to use the smartphones they have grown up with?

Read the article and think about how long is too long for children to use smartphones.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c86e3q5j992o

Topic Reading-Vol.5200-7/20/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

What happens to your brain in space?

In space where gravity is close to none, our body functions deteriorate. Muscles quickly weaken and shrink because they no longer have to fight Earth’s gravity to maintain posture or move around. Bones quickly lose density without the mechanical stress of weight-bearing. That’s why astronauts in the International Space Station (ISS) need to exercise rigorously for two hours each day to maintain their body functions. Still, their faces get rounder in space without gravity to pull blood and other bodily fluids downward. Then what will happen to the brain in microgravity if you stay for months? Research shows that the parts of the brain that control movement, balance, and body awareness physically adapt to microgravity, just as other parts of the body do. For a round-trip to Mars, it takes six to nine months for each one-way journey in microgravity and over a year in one-third gravity to wait for a launch window for Earth. For astronauts, it’ll be quite a challenge physically, cognitively, and mentally to live without gravity for a long time.

Read the article and learn how extraordinary a long stay in space is.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260707-what-happens-to-your-brain-in-space

Topic Reading-Vol.5199-7/19/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Japan is running out of royals. So why won’t it let women become emperor?

Before the current 126th emperor Naruhito took the throne in 2019, there were eight empresses in Japan’s 27-century-old imperial family. But in 1989, the Imperial House Law banned female emperors. Then in 1947, the imperial family was downsized to the immediate relatives of then Emperor Hirohito, abandoning 11 collateral branches. The current shortage of successors began from there because he had only two sons, one of whom had no children. Now, Emperor Naruhito is 66 years old and has just one daughter. His only brother is 60 and has two daughters and one son, who will turn 20 this September. Japan’s royal family members perform a variety of duties, such as attending state functions, public activities, and court ceremonies, but now they are done by fewer members because female members leave the royal family once they get married. Another serious issue is succession. There is only one male in the next generation of the current royal family. While the emperor's only child, Princess Aiko, is widely popular among Japanese citizens, conservative politicians and scholars dismiss the chance of creating an empress. So, how will the world’s longest royal family survive?

Read the article and learn about the existential problem of Japan’s royal family.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/13/asia/japan-royal-crisis-women-emperor-ban-intl-hnk

Topic Reading-Vol.5198-7/18/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

'Once it's gone, it's gone': How to future-proof your hearing

You know how noisy electrified music concerts and sporting events are. Also, a gasoline-powered leafblower, lawnmower, and buzzsaw are too noisy for unprotected ears. Surprisingly, fresh air from the car window on a highway is noisier than you might think. In addition, many people listen to music through headphones all the time without realizing how loud it is to their ears. All these unnaturally loud sounds bend or break tiny hairs in the ear, whose motion is translated into electrical impulses that our brain interprets as sound. Unfortunately, once these hairs are damaged, they cannot be fixed or reborn, and therefore, the loss becomes permanent. That’s why listening to music through headphones for a prolonged period of time, and every day, would impair hearing ability without realizing it until later in life. It’s not just your eyes but your ears, too, that could be damaged by the screen and headphones.

Read the article and learn how hearing can be affected by loud sounds.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260709-how-to-future-proof-your-ears

Topic Reading-Vol.5197-7/17/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

See if you can spot an AI deepfake with our test

Nowadays, photos taken by smartphones are usually edited or enhanced to some extent through intelligent systems to make them look clearer or more vibrant. AI deepfake technology can replace faces, manipulate facial expressions, and synthesize faces of individuals whose images have been shown on the web or shared online. The technology has become so advanced that deepfake photos are now hardly distinguishable. However, trained eyes can tell whether the images shown are real or fake in most cases, according to an international study conducted by Australian researchers. In the meantime, as AI is being trained with more data, it'll create more realistic deepfake images over time. Maybe only AI can distinguish real images from fake images.

Read the article and learn if and how humans identify AI deepfakes.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9d2wgvg55jo

Topic Reading-Vol.5196-7/16/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Seven things you shouldn't do when eating in Italy

When in Rome, do as the Romans do, especially when it comes to what to eat and how to eat it.

Just like any other national or regional food, the culinary practices of Italian food are deeply tied to geography, history, and culture, and reflect the local environment and ingredients. Also, it is designed to be enjoyed in an orchestrated manner, starting with antipasto, followed by pasta, a main dish with seasonal vegetable side dishes, and dolce. Another important tip you want to know is that not all Italian food goes well together. For example, you do not want to sprinkle mountain-produced permesian over seafood. You also want to avoid ordering a rich, creamy cappuccino after lunch or dinner. Finally, expect your lunch or dinner at a restaurant to take hours because it is a social ritual. After all, you want to enjoy a meal rather than simply filling your stomach.

Read the article and learn how to avoid mistakes when you eat real Italian food.

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20260709-seven-things-you-shouldnt-do-when-eating-in-italy

Topic Reading-Vol.5195-7/15/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Sick of Earth? NASA is recruiting volunteers for a yearlong Moon and Mars simulation

Though it is not quite like flying to, living on, and returning from the red planet, you’ll experience what they are going to be like in the same space and environment. NASA is now recruiting volunteers who are willing to commit themselves to spending 14 months in a simulator with three others. The participants will spend several months inside a mock 60-square-meter spacecraft unit, move into a one-story, 84-square-meter facility to do on-Mars duties, and then go back to the spacecraft unit for the return journey. The mission crew will live on a Martian day, about 40 minutes longer than a day on Earth. Also, their diet is limited to space food and a few vegetables they grow in the simulator. They are expected to perform all scheduled tasks, exercises, and rests. What the participants will miss is Mars's gravity, which is only 38% of Earth’s, and the hundreds of days the mission will require to stay on Mars before the return journey. Can you maintain physical, mental, and emotional health in a confined environment with only three co-participants?

Read the article and learn what NASA’s yearlong simulation program is like.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/09/science/nasa-moon-mars-simulation-scli-intl

Topic Reading-Vol.5194-7/14/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Most popular baby names for boys and girls in 2025 revealed

Nearly 90% of the UK’s 69.5 million population lives in England and Wales. There, 585,000 live babies were born last year. Some people might assume their popular names are like Charles, William, Harry, Edward, George, Tony, Gordon, or David for boys, and Camilla, Catherine, Sophie, Charlotte, Theresa, or Mary for girls, just like the UK’s royal families and PMs. In fact, Muhammad, Noa, and Leo are the top names for boys, and Olivia, Lily, and Amelia for girls, last year. Muhammad, also spelled Mohammed or Mohammad, is an Islamic name and a direct tribute to the founder of Islam. This Islamic name is so popular in the UK because the Muslim fertility rate is about twice as high as that of other Britons. Would you like a popular, familiar name or a unique, iconic name for your baby?

Read the article and learn the most popular baby names in the UK.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cevlw4wnlmxo

Topic Reading-Vol.5193-7/13/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Why 'Asia's cleanest village' bans tourists on Sundays

Mawlynnong is a small village in the north-east of India near the border with Bangladesh. The village with a population of just 600 became famous for its cleanliness after it was named Asia’s cleanest village in 2003. It features flower-lined pathways, bamboo dustbins, and is free from single-use plastic. The village is maintained by its predominantly Christian villagers, young and old, many of whom do business with visitors. But on Sundays, they keep the village only for themselves to attend church and enjoy a peaceful day. Because it is a day off for everyone, they can also plan a family gathering, personal meeting, or community event without schedule conflicts. Do they lose a day of business every week? Since the Sunday closure is well-known, most visitors come on other days of the week. The cleanliness of the village seems to be sustained longer with the welfare of the villagers.

Read the article and learn about how a small village in India maintains its cleanliness.

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20260625-why-asias-cleanest-village-bans-tourists-on-sundays

Topic Reading-Vol.5192-7/12/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Ford rehires human engineers after AI fails to match quality checks

Founded in 1903, the Ford Motor Company is the second-largest American-based automaker, producing popular vehicles including the F-150 pickup, Explorer SUV, and iconic Mustang. In the last few years, the legendary automaker has introduced AI across its operations, including the quality-checking process. However, the company didn’t seem to have planned a smooth human-to-AI transition well, and the AI quality checker failed to live up to expectations. The management has learned that AI needs to learn sufficiently to perform its duties. The automaker has then rehired veteran technicians to train the machines that had taken over their jobs earlier. What will happen to them when the machines have learned enough knowledge and skills from them? When humanoid robots are deployed to human environments where safety is the #1 priority, they surely need to be trained properly and sufficiently before their introduction.

Read the article and learn how essential training is for a smooth transition to AI operations.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgrkd41n2v9o

Topic Reading-Vol.5191-7/11/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

AI glasses are aiding cheating in exams. Test-obsessed Asia is ground zero

Ever since students started using AI tools like ChatGPT for academic writing, teachers have been struggling to find the right way for assessment. In the meantime, high-tech wearable tools like AI glasses have been found at exam sites in countries where test scores make or break the chance for college admissions or job qualifications. As smartglasses’ appearances become more ordinary and their functions improve rapidly, they are threatening the fairness and integrity of exams. For example, if you just look at the exam paper through the glasses, they would transmit the information, find the answers, and display them on the lenses. To combat high-tech cheating, proctors of China’s national entrance exams manually or digitally check frames for built-in cameras, internet connectivity, or AI features. It seems to be the time for assessors to rethink how to evaluate the competence and potential of the test takers. Should humanoid robots take place for human proctors?

Read the article and learn how high-tech wearables are threatening the testing authenticity.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/06/26/asia/ai-glasses-cheating-exams-intl-hnk

Topic Reading-Vol.5190-7/10/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

The sites fighting to be removed from the UNESCO World Heritage List

UNESCO’s World Heritage List was brought forth to protect culturally and environmentally significant places in 1978. Since 12 sites were first inscribed on the list in 1978, it has grown to over 1,200 in 170 countries. In the beginning, the sites inscribed were monuments, archaeological sites, and buildings, but newly inscribed sites overlap with places where locals live, such as Vlkolínec in Slovakia and Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania. Once inscribed on the list and posted on SNSs, world heritage sites become popular tourist destinations, which helps the local economy and raises funds for conservation. However, when a site is overvisited by tourists and overinvested by businesses, its original value might be lost, and residents’ lives are disrupted. Some of them are now even calling for the removal of the site from the heritage list. The World Heritage List certainly authenticates the significance of the site, and SNSs amplify its popularity. Which affects local communities more?

Read the article and learn how the UNESCO World Heritage List could affect local communities and residents’ lives.

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20260611-the-sites-fighting-to-be-removed-from-unesco

Topic Reading-Vol.5189-7/9/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Bored at work? Let AI do the heavy lifting

As AI takes over entry-level tasks in many workplaces, requirements for entry positions, and even for veterans, are rapidly changing. While many entry-level jobs and repetitive tasks are being replaced by AI, humans are doing more productive, creative, or managerial tasks. They are now expected to undertake greater responsibilities faster and better by using AI, which is improving and evolving continuously and rapidly. Therefore, all workers, including newcomers or job starters, need to be competent in using AI and keep upskilling to be valuable office workers. One valued skill in today’s work environment is the ability to integrate AI into real work processes to produce better solutions. Another is the ability to use AI as an agent to improve the work quality and efficiency. For example, the effectiveness of an ad can be analyzed and summarized, and suggestions for improvement can be proposed by AI. Humans then give new directions and make judgments as to how to reach and move the target audience more. AI is indeed reshaping job requirements, but it is still humans who finally exercise soft skills, such as communication, collaboration, and face-to-face interaction, to be valuable in the workplace and for customers and clients.

Read the article and learn how things are changing with AI in China’s workplaces.

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202606/26/WS6a3dbb4ea310986e2b461f61.html

Topic Reading-Vol.5188-7/8/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Droughts are transforming the Turkish landscape with massive sinkholes

Located on the southwestern edge of the Central Anatolian Plateau, Konya was once the capital of the Seljuk Empire. It is now the agricultural capital of Turkey, producing about 10% of the country’s agricultural production, including water-thirsty crops like sugar beets and maize. Konya is located in a closed basin, and its water supply relies heavily on rapidly depleting groundwater due to excess extraction for farming. Approximately two-thirds of the 100,000 wells in the region are illegally created. Because of the drought, farmers are pumping more groundwater than it is naturally replenished. As a result, many hazardous sinkholes have appeared rapidly in recent years in the area, some are as large as more than 200 meters in diameter and 170 meters deep. Unless current farming practices are changed, more sinkholes will appear as a clear sign of depleting groundwater. Borrowing from the future for today’s needs is an acceptable practice as long as the debt is payable. Can they expect to have more rain?

Read the article and learn about sinkholes appearing in the agricultural capital of Turkey.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260624-droughts-are-transforming-the-turkish-landscape-with-massive-sinkholes

Topic Reading-Vol.5187-7/7/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Café Terrace at Night: Five details that unlock the genius of Van Gogh's original 'starry night'

Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who created about 2,100 artworks before he took his own life in 1890 at the age of 37. To enjoy the sun and colors of Southeastern France, he arrived in Arles in February 1888 and stayed there for nearly 15 months. Seven months later, he created Café Terrace at Night with his first starry background. The iconic post-impressionist nocturnal art uses bold yellows, warm oranges, and deep cobalt blues but not black, evoking the vibrant, inviting energy of a bustling public gathering under the stars. The color contrast of the brilliant yellow light from the café and the dark blue sky appeals to viewers' eyes and impresses their minds. And there are other details that Van Gogh recreated an ordinary city square into a dreamlike mirage, including the colorful cobblestones, columns, chairs, the tower, and the stars.

Read the article and explore Van Gogh’s masterpiece.

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20260618-five-details-that-unlock-the-genius-of-van-goghs-original-starry-night

Topic Reading-Vol.5186-7/6/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, E

uropean summers are getting brutally hot. So why is air conditioning so rare?

Under the searing and prolonged heat waves in June, temperatures reached or exceeded 40 degrees in many parts of Europe. France recorded its hottest day, with the highest temperature reaching 44 degrees, leaving dozens who sought relief in rivers and lakes drowned. While homes and buildings in southern European countries are heat-resistant with thick walls and small windows, those in northern Europe are built without heat in mind. Then why don’t they install air conditioners? Economically, ACs are expensive to run for Europeans whose electricity bills are relatively high. Also, while ACs make the rooms comfortable, their compressors outside make the building look ugly. Environmentally, ACs increase planet-heating pollution because they exhaust heated air to the outside. And if more fossil fuels are burned to run ACs, it will make it harder for Europe to reach the 2050 climate-neutral goal. However, as heatwaves become more frequent and prolonged, air conditioners may soon become a must-have home appliance in Europe, too.

Read the article and learn why air conditioning isn’t so popular in Europe.

https://edition.cnn.com/climate/europe-heat-air-conditioning

Topic Reading-Vol.5185-7/5/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

How to exercise safely in hot weather

A sweat-inducing heat dome over 40 degrees covered much of Western Europe last month, forcing France to ban public Alcohol consumption. FIFA introduced a mandatory three-minute hydration break into each half during the 2026 World Cup held in North America. As this summer in the Northern Hemisphere isn’t going to be much cooler than last year, how should you keep exercising outdoors? In hot conditions, your body tries to cool itself by sweating and diverting blood towards the skin, which puts extra strain on your heart and could lead to heat exhaustion, or, in the worst case, heat stroke. Since quitting exercise could put your long-term health at risk, you need to adopt practical methods to maintain physical activity, such as choosing the time and place to exercise, adjusting the menu depending on the temperature and humidity, pre-cooling or cooling down smartly, and consulting your body when to rest or stop. One thing you want to avoid is pushing yourself to the limit in the heat. After all, you’re exercising for your long-term health.

Read the article and learn how you should keep exercising in summer.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260618-how-keep-exercising-when-its-really-hot

Topic Reading-Vol.5184-7/4/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Rivers set free: Why countries are tearing down hundreds of dams

Rivers naturally experience seasonal fluctuations, flooding during heavy rain or melting snow, and drying up during droughts. Dams are built to prevent floods, generate hydropower, and manage water flow and supply for farming, daily life, and navigation. In Europe, there are as many as 1.2 million water barriers, such as dams and weirs, but many of them have been removed recently to restore the environment and ecosystems. In fact, Sweden, Finland, and Spain each removed more than 100 barriers in 2025 alone. If a river is blocked, some fish species, such as salmon, face difficulty reaching upstream habitats for reproduction, and ecosystems are fragmented by barriers. Also, water in reservoirs can be lost faster through evaporation. But removing such barriers is no easy task, as it takes years of environmental assessments, engineering studies, and public consensus. In the meantime, are they prepared for more extreme rains, severe drought, and rising temperatures that will melt ice and snow faster without dams?

Read the article and learn why dams are removed in Europe.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/27/world/why-countries-are-tearing-down-hundreds-of-dams-spc-c2e

Topic Reading-Vol.5183-7/3/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Qantas locks in launch date for Sydney-London nonstop flights as it debuts the custom jet designed for the trip

Opened in 1920, Sydney Airport (SYD) is the busiest airport in Australia, serving more than 40 million passengers, and the main hub for Qantas, Australia’s flag carrier. Since Australia sits on an isolated continent in the southern hemisphere, flight distances from SYD to major cities in other continents are quite extensive: 6,300 km to Singapore, 10,400 km to Delhi, 16,000 km to New York, and 17,000 to London.  In 1947, Qantas's first direct flight service from Sydney to London, the Kangaroo route, carried 29 passengers with stops in Darwin, Singapore, Calcutta, Karachi, Cairo, Tripoli, and Rome, flying 55 hours in four days. Today, it takes more than 24 hours to reach London with a stopover in Singapore. Now, starting from October next year, the airline is set to start a non-stop service between the two cities, and also to New York. The Airbus A350-1000ULR (Ultra-Long-Range) will fly 22 hours with 238 passengers on board in 3 first-class suites, 52 business-class suites, 40 premium economy seats, and 140 economy seats. The flight will save a stopover and about two hours, but will probably cost more because it’s a non-stop service. Special seats, services, and amenities will be provided for the passengers to survive this day-long flight from gate to gate. Also, crew members will have to work and rest even longer on the aircraft. Since there are several one-stop flights between the two cities, the choice is yours.

Read the article and learn about the new day-long, non-stop service for the Kangaroo route.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/06/19/travel/qantas-project-sunrise-airbus-a350-1000ulr-date

Topic Reading-Vol.5182-7/2/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

'This could only exist in America': What are foreign football fans finding in the US?

Of the 104 FIFA World Cup matches, 60 are played in 11 cities in the USA, including all knockout matches from the quarter-finals onward. Though the hosting country hasn’t been so friendly to foreign visitors recently in terms of visa applications and entry procedures, many enthusiastic fans have come to America to watch and feel the exciting games. While staying, they also have a chance to experience America’s unique food, customs, and practices. Places like fast food and chain restaurants, gigantic supermarkets, and self-service gas stations, and the size of the portions and servings, plates and bowls, and cups and glasses are all eye-opening and stomach-filling. While tortilla chips and salsa at Mexican restaurants and refills of served drinks are mostly free, sales tax and tips aren’t included in the menu prices. For example, if you order a $100 meal at a restaurant in New York, you’ll be charged 9% sales tax and expected to leave a 20% tip, making the total $130. Also, football is the most popular team sport in the US, but it means American football. Another confusing thing in the US is the temperature scale, the Fahrenheit. Don’t be surprised by a 100° forecast because it’s approximately 38°C. 

Whatever differences you’ll find or encounter, they are part of your travel experiences. If you go to America, enjoy America!

Read the article and learn what foreign football fans are finding unique in the US.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgj731r38xo

Topic Reading-Vol.5181-7/1/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Thousands of baby seals died on two remote sub-Antarctic islands. Scientists now think they know why

On remote sub-Antarctic islands about 4,000 kilometers southwest of Australia, thousands of carcasses of seal pups, penguins, and seabirds were left. In one area, nearly all seal pups were dead. It was found that the cause of the devastating deaths of the sea mammals and birds was H5 bird flu, which had likely been transferred through migratory birds from other sub-Antarctic islands 1,800 km away. The H5 bird flu, specifically the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain, is a contagious, deadly disease currently widespread among wild birds, commercial poultry, and dairy cattle. While the public health risk to humans remains low, infected birds and animals display severe symptoms and then die. When H5 bird flu is detected on a chicken farm, it is put under strict quarantine, its entire flock is culled, and the farm undergoes extensive cleaning and disinfection. Last month, a wild migratory brown skua was found positive for the H5 bird flu in Western Australia, the first case on the continent. People in Australia are now advised not to touch sick or dead birds or animals. Watch out not only for sharks but also for seabirds on Australian shores.

Read the article and learn about how contagious and deadly the bird flu is.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/06/19/australia/bird-flu-seal-pups-dead-heard-and-mcdonald-islands-intl-hnk

Topic Reading-Vol.5180-6/30/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

A Wimbledon etiquette guide for first-time visitors

The first round of the gentlemen’s and ladies' singles of the 139th Wimbledon Championships started on June 29 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. First held in 1877, this world’s oldest tournament is one of the four Grand Slam tennis events, and is the only tennis major still played on a traditional surface, grass. Of the 18 championship grass courts, the Centre Court has a retractable roof, the Royal Box, and nearly 15,000 seats for commoners. Tickets for such a prestigious event are hard to get, but at Wimbledon, 500 premium tickets are sold on the day of play. To get the tickets, you need to go to the site the day before the match to get a Queue Card, and if you prefer, you can camp overnight to be ready for the next day’s queue. There are a few other unique manners and tips you want to know to enjoy watching the tournament, including what to wear, where to go, and when to enter or leave, to avoid receiving a look of withering disapproval instead of approval nods by regulars.

Read the article and learn what it takes to watch the prestigious tennis match at Wimbledon. 

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20260618-wimbledon-etiquette-for-first-time-visitors

Topic Reading-Vol.5179-6/29/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Satellite images show 10 places where water is disappearing globally

Caused primarily by human activities and climatic variations, desertification is the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas. A drought is a prolonged period of unusually dry weather with very little or no rain over an extended period. Both slowly impact ecosystems, agriculture, and water supplies. To raise public awareness about desertification and drought and promote action to restore degraded land, the UN marked June 17 as the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought three decades ago. Over the period, however, the world has lost a significant amount of freshwater. The South Aral Sea in northwestern Uzbekistan and Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran have both shrunk by more than 90%, exposing the former lakebed. Lake Mead, the US’s largest reservoir on the Colorado River, has shown a dramatic decline due to prolonged drought, rising temperatures, and excess water usage. Also, lakes in Africa and South America, and South America’s second-longest river, have shown drastic shrinkage. As the world’s population increases and temperatures rise, more water is needed for drinking, farming, and industry. Will we then depend more on recycled or desalinated water instead of fresh water?

Read the article and learn how seriously desertification has shrunk the water supply and flow around the world.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/17/satellite-images-show-10-places-where-water-is-disappearing-globally

Topic Reading-Vol.5178-6/28/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Why moving about is key for children's health - and happiness

Gone are the days when children rushed to go out to climb a tree, run and jump around, or play tag in their free time. Nowadays, instead, they play online games, watch videos, or scroll screens indoors whenever they find time, moving only their fingers and eyeballs. Once children get used to a sedentary life, they tend to be less physically active in their future and visit the doctor more often in adulthood. Also, studies find that physically active children show better mental health, educational achievements, and cognitive performance. What parents and carers can do to help children is encourage them to do more physical activity, not just by words but by playing sports, running, or walking together, or enrolling them in sports clubs or events. Schools can dedicate some time daily to have students do physical activity during recess or lunch break instead of leaving them with their smartphones. As smartphones have become intimate with children’s lives, moving bodies is essential for children’s health, wellbeing, and future.

Read the article and learn why children should exercise more.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260522-to-get-children-to-move-more-we-need-to-intervene

Topic Reading-Vol.5177-6/27/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Tricycle ambulances are saving lives in Ghana

In Ghana, there are only 356 ambulances for a population of 35 million, approximately one ambulance per 10,000 people. However, hundreds of thousands of people in rural areas do not have access to ambulance services. There, maternal mortality remains comparatively high, with 234 deaths per 100,000 live births, 14 times higher than in the US. Most of these deaths occur in rural areas, where access to hospitals is limited or none. Then a non-profit called Moving Health came up with a practical and economical vehicle for about-to-be mothers: a tricycle ambulance. It is powered by a motorcycle engine and equipped with a stretcher, a seat for a carer, basic life support, and emergency birthing kits. It costs only $7,000, much cheaper compared with a full-spec ambulance that usually costs at least $75,000. The organization has placed 31 tricycle ambulances in five districts so far, serving more than 230,000 people, who otherwise have no access to an ambulance. Tricycle ambulances can serve in rural areas as they are engineered to drive narrow, rough roads where four-wheel ambulances cannot. Just like three-wheel tuk-tuks are transporting many passengers in Asia, tricycle ambulances may become popular emergency vehicles in Africa.

Read the article and learn about a three-wheel solution to maternal mortality in Ghana.

https://edition.cnn.com/world/africa/moving-health-ambulance-tricycle-ghana-spc

Topic Reading-Vol.5176-6/26/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Instant noodles have a bad reputation — but the world still can’t get enough of them

Invented by a Japanese businessman in 1958 to fill hungry stomachs, instant noodles are precooked and dehydrated noodles that are quickly prepared just by adding hot water. Because of their palatability, convenience, long shelf life, and affordability, today about 120 billion servings are consumed worldwide. China consumes the most, with more than 40 billion servings annually, followed by Indonesia’s 15 billion and India’s 8 billion. On a per-person basis, Vietnamese and South Koreans eat the most, about 80 servings per year. Because instant noodles are affordable and satisfying for the tongue and stomach because of their alluring combination of salt, sugar, fat, and carbs, they make eaters addicted. They are also ultra-processed foods, such as snacks, sweets, and frozen ready-to-eat meals. Even though instant noodles are comfort food and readily available anywhere around the world, you want to avoid consuming such highly processed food too often for your health.

Read the article and learn about what instant noodles are and how they were invented.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/instant-noodles-unhealthy-beloved-global-market-intl-hnk

Topic Reading-Vol.5175-6/25/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

AI is sparking a jobs boom — just not for newbies

As AI takes more human roles, thousands of jobs, such as repetitive, structured, predictable tasks, such as data entry, telemarketing, customer service, coding, and administrative positions, have been eliminated in the US. Accordingly, there are significantly fewer job openings for these entry-level jobs, which are suitable for new graduates to start their careers. As of March, over 5% of recent college graduates were unemployed, while the overall unemployment rate stood at 4.2%. Upskilling is one way for job seekers to qualify for remaining job opportunities, but AI is also upgrading while they are learning new skills. As for US employers, instead of growing talent through jobs, they are looking for senior-level talent who can manage AI and teams around the fast-moving world, and they are competing to hire people from the same small pool of talent. But this eliminates not only young people’s job opportunities but also their chance to bloom in the future. What seems essential for businesses might not be just replacing jobs with AI but improving and growing with AI.

Read the article and learn how AI is affecting the US job market.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/06/11/business/ai-jobs-work

Topic Reading-Vol.5174-6/24/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Costs, careers and choice: Why Indians are having fewer children

The total fertility rate (TFR) is the average number of children a woman would have over her lifetime. Though it had been declining gradually over decades, India’s TFR was still above 3.0 births per woman in the 2000s. Recently, however, it has fallen below 2.1, the replacement level to keep the population stable. Even though the figure remains higher than in other developed countries, the downward trend of the fertility rate reflects fundamental changes in India’s society. The drop in TFR in developed communities such as Delhi and Bengaluru, and Southern states with good health and education systems like Kerala, is as significant as in another populous country, China. In the meantime, in poorer states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, with lower education levels and higher infant mortality rates, fertility rates are twice as high as those in high-income states. Better education, career development, lower child mortality rates, changes in family values, along with inflation, seem to have led India’s women to choose to have fewer or no children. The world’s most populous country is now facing the same problem as other developed countries. 

Read the article and learn about the changes and factors behind the falling fertility rate in India.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/14/costs-careers-and-choice-why-indians-are-having-fewer-children

Topic Reading-Vol.5173-6/23/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Morocco’s answer to drought is in the ocean. Could more of Africa follow its lead?

The world is now using more water than nature provides by rain and snow, and as a result, rivers and lakes are shrinking, wetlands are drying up, and aquifers are declining. Morocco spans from the Atlantic Ocean to mountainous areas and the Sahara Desert. As drought occurs more frequently and for longer, the country can no longer rely on rainfall and dam inflows. So, the country with a population of 37 million launched a project to provide fresh water from the Atlantic to coastal cities while using dam water and rainfall for inland areas. The project includes building desalination plants, dams, wastewater reuse, and water pipelines. The energy-intensive desalination plants are powered by eco-friendly wind and solar power. Economically, desalinated water will boost agricultural outputs and secure farming jobs, which account for a third of the nation’s workforce. However, they also produce high-salt-concentration brine with chemical residues, which could damage marine ecosystems when discharged back into the ocean. Currently, over 20,000 desalination plants are in operation around the world, most of which are fossil-fuel-powered and in the Middle East. Morocco wants its water project to be shared by other water-stricken African countries.

Read the article and learn about how Morocco is managing the water crisis.

https://edition.cnn.com/world/morocco-desalination-ocean-africa-spc

Topic Reading-Vol.5172-6/22/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Swiss voters reject 10 million population cap

While Switzerland’s total fertility rate sits around 1.3, well below the 2.1 replacement rate, its population has grown by nearly 30% in the last three decades to 9.1 million. The driver of the population growth is foreign residents, who now account for as much as 27% of the nation’s population. They contribute significantly to the nation’s economy and society, particularly in tourism, hospitals, and care homes. For example, about half of hotel workers are now immigrants. While they become a much-needed workforce immediately, the rapid increase in the adult population has put strain on transport, housing, and the environment. Recently, a proposal was made by a right-wing party to cap the nation’s population at 10 million. At the direct vote on June 14, 55% of the voters rejected the proposal and 45% supported the population limit. Politicians and business leaders are particularly relieved by the result because they want to keep the country’s commitment to Europe’s free movement of people, a crucial requirement to be part of Europe’s single market. But the 5% gap in the vote might change to the other side depending on social stability, economic pressure, and living conditions.

Read the article and learn about the population increase and cap in Switzerland.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20ygjem17zo

Topic Reading-Vol.5171-6/21/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Maasai women turn drought into income through fodder farming in Tanzania

Maasai people live in Kenya and northern Tanzania. They traditionally make their living by herding livestock, mainly cattle, goats, and sheep. When drought hit the region, they would lose their livestock. Traditionally, Maasai women are responsible not only for managing domestic duties and raising children but also for building homes and milking livestock. Recently, they came up with drought-resistant livestock fodder, which not only feeds their livestock but also generates money. It is part of the climate-adaptation initiatives that are coordinated by the Pastoral Women’s Council (PWC), a women-led membership organization that serves over 450,000 Maasai pastoralists, whose lives and wealth mostly rely on their animals. When climate change accelerates, people of all kinds and ages need to adapt their living to more severe extreme weather conditions.

Read the article and learn about Maasai women’s initiative to survive and thrive during droughts.

https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/6/11/maasai-women-turn-drought-into-income-through-fodder-farming-in-tanzania

Topic Reading-Vol.5170-6/20/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Why have World Cup hydration breaks attracted criticism? It's the ads.

While basketball and American football are divided into four 10-to-15-minute quarters, a soccer/football match is split into two 45-minute halves, excluding the stoppage time added by the referee for injuries or substitutions. Now, since the 2026 World Cup games are being hosted in Canada, the USA, and Mexico, game conditions vary widely. FIFA, then, introduced mandatory 3-minute hydration breaks taken 22 minutes into each half for all of the 2026 World Cup matches, to ensure equal conditions for all teams amid dangerous heat. While the additional mandatory breaks hydrate and recharge the players, they disrupt the natural flow and momentum of matches. Fans aren’t necessarily happy with the two disruptions in the middle of the game and the extended game time. In the meantime, the hydrogen breaks bring economic benefits. Since each of the 104 matches has two 3-minute extra ad times, there will be a total of 832 30-sec commercial slots, which will generate substantial revenue for the broadcasters and then for FIFA. Will all soccer games be divided into four quarters?

Read the article and learn about the extra breaks FIFA added to the World Cup games.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/soccer/worldcup/2026/06/18/world-cup-hydration-breaks-ads-chart/90600595007/

Topic Reading-Vol.5169-6/19/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

El Niño is here and rapidly strengthening. Here’s what it means for your weather

El Niño conditions are now underway in the tropical Pacific, with sea surface temperatures having risen sharply in recent months, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). El Niño involves the transfer of a large amount of heat energy from the ocean to the atmosphere, which boosts global average surface temperatures, leading to extreme weather conditions, such as heat waves, flooding, and droughts, depending on the location. It occurs every two to seven years and lasts for about a year, but this one is predicted to be stronger than previous super El Niño events in 2015-16, 1997-98, and 1982-83. Since global average surface temperatures have increased to a record high due to human-caused warming from fossil fuel burning, 2027 will likely be even hotter than the previous record in 2024. Humans have learned to predict climate change, like global warming and El Niño. Are we ready for a hotter, drier, or wetter climate?

Read the article and learn about what the underlying current could do to the climate.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/06/11/weather/super-el-nino-declared-global-impacts-climate

Topic Reading-Vol.5168-6/18/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

The Netherlands vs the sea: The race to hold back rising waters

About a quarter of the Netherlands lies below sea level, and major coastal cities  Rotterdam, the largest seaport in Europe, sits at -4 meters, and Amsterdam, the capital, at -2 meters. But unlike New Orleans (Vol.5166), the low-lying nation has long been protected by massive storm-surge barriers called the Delta Works for decades from the rising levels of the North Sea and overflowing rivers. Completed in 1997, the 1,000km long protective system consists of dams, dikes, levees, sluices, and pumps. However, as sea levels rise faster and storms become fiercer, the protective system is feared to become unsustainable. The country is already spending about 1% of its GDP annually on building new structures and maintenance and operation of the existing system. It took more than 1,800 lives in the 1853 North Sea Flood to initiate the Delta Works project. How will the Netherlands cope with the rising danger?

Read the article and learn about how human ingenuity has been protecting the Netherlands’ low-lying land.

https://edition.cnn.com/climate/netherlands-vs-the-sea-hold-back-rising-waters-c2e-spc