Topic Reading-Vol.5140-5/21/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Snack giant switches to black and white packaging as Iran war hits ink supplies

Once extracted, crude oil is transported to refineries, where it is processed to become fossil fuels (gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, heating oil), industrial materials (asphalt, lubricants, waxes), and naphtha. Naphtha is a crucial raw material used to produce plastics, synthetic rubbers, and also as an industrial solvent to make adhesives, coatings, paints, and printing inks. Due to ongoing tensions in the Middle East from the Iran War, the supply chain for oil-related products, including naphtha, has been severely affected in Asian countries. (Vol. 5139)

On May 25, a Japanese snack giant, Calbee, will change the colorful packaging of its 14 potato chip products to black and white as a naphtha-saving package. The move wasn’t merchandising-oriented but in response to the unstable supply of printing ink. It must have been a big decision to make because they will look very odd among the colorful packages of competitive products on the shelves. Also, the regular buyers who are used to picking up their favorite flavored chips by color have to read the package carefully. Will we see more black-and-white packaging as the tension in the Middle East continues?

Read the article and see the images of black-and-white potato chip packaging.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78k405j8pdo

Topic Reading-Vol.5139-5/20/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Modi urges Indians to WFH and limit foreign travel as Iran war continues

The effects on economies caused by the war in Iran and the choking of the Strait of Hormuz have been significant, especially for Asian countries, whose over 80% of oil and gas imports come through the strait. Prices of oil products, such as gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel, skyrocketed and raised the cost of running businesses and traveling. Also, the shortage of oil products is so severe that some transportation services, including airlines, taxis, and deliveries, have been reduced or suspended. To cope with the prolonged shortage, Sri Lanka, for example, is rationing fuel and running public services like schools and government services on a four-day work week. Recently, the Prime Minister of India, the world’s most populous country, spoke to its people to conserve the use of oil products by austerity measures, including working from home, using public transportation instead of driving cars, and reducing foreign travel. He even called for “patriotism” by living daily lives responsibly to conserve fuel use because India imports 90% of its oil. When import bills rise, the currency exchange rate becomes weaker and the cost of living increases. Inflation or austerity?

Read the article and learn about Modi’s call for austerity measures to 1.4 billion people.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8r8e2ne1v6o

Topic Reading-Vol.5138-5/19/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

AI isn’t actually ‘taking’ your job. Here’s what’s happening instead

Tens of thousands of jobs have been eliminated so far in the US due to, or in part due to, AI. Will there be further job cuts as AI is taking more human roles in workplaces? At this stage, AI is primarily taking over jobs that involve repetitive, data-driven, or predictable tasks, such as data entry, basic customer service, entry-level analysis or evaluation, proofreading, bookkeeping, and software coding. In the meantime, AI doesn’t always replace a whole human, but it automates certain parts of jobs. In fact, many companies are reallocating human staff or reassigning tasks among humans and AI. That’s why not all office workers are threatened to lose their jobs overnight. But as AI models evolve, they will take on more office tasks. Also, when more practical and dependable physical AI, like autonomous humanoid robots, are deployed in workplaces, they will not only help human laborers but also may replace them. New technologies have been freeing humans from physical, repetitive tasks and giving us the chance to do more brain-demanding or skill-requiring jobs. Which jobs will be more valued in the era of AI?

Read the article and learn about the influence of AI in workplaces.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/10/tech/ai-taking-jobs

Topic Reading-Vol.5137-5/18/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

The underground salt kingdom that became one of Europe’s strangest attractions

First excavated in the 13th century, the Wieliczka Salt Mine in the southeast of Krakow, Poland, is a historical salt mine. Though mining ceased in 1996, it still produces more than 10,000 tons of salt annually by evaporating underground salt water. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, drawing as many as two million visitors a year. They can descend 380 steps or ride an elevator to labyrinthine passageways to preserved chambers hollowed out from the rock by hand. Inside the mine, 99% of the rock is salt, and visitors are encouraged to lick it to taste it. There are many chambers, sculptures, and displays, all created by salt to allure visitors. Indeed, salt is essential to human life and the economy. In the 14^th century, revenue from extraction accounted for as much as a third of Poland’s royal income. Today, the mine still produces salt, employs nearly 400 miners for maintenance, and generates handsome tourism revenues.

Read the article and see the amazing world of the salt mine.  

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/wieliczka-salt-mine-tours-poland

Topic Reading-Vol.5136-5/17/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

'Think outside the bots': How to stop AI from turning your brain to mush

How often do you handwrite something or do calculations in your head? Typewriters and calculators made humans’ primary skills inessential more than half a century ago. When search engines appeared, we stopped turning the pages of books to look for information. Then with GPS and a map app on smartphones, we get the directions in the blink of an eye without consulting a map. All these technologies are so convenient that we use and rely on them without hesitation. Now, if we ask something, AI will do the mental labor. In other words, we can outsource cognitive tasks to AI without realizing how reliant we are becoming on the technology and lose the chance to exercise our brains. Studies suggest that those who rely heavily on AI tools might impair their memory, attention span, creativity, and critical thinking. Just like our muscles need to be developed and used, our brains also need to be regularly exercised to stay in shape. Indeed, AI seems to act as a double-edged sword.

Read the article and learn what AI could do to our brain power.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260505-how-to-use-ai-without-turning-your-brain-to-mush

Topic Reading-Vol.5135-5/16/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Singapore says teachers can cane students as young as 9 in new anti-bullying strategy

Corporal punishment, such as hitting, spanking, or caning, is designed to cause physical pain to punish criminals or correct unruly behavior. While it is banned in many countries, corporal punishment is still practiced in some countries, including Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Nigeria, as a disciplinary measure for violent offenses, robbery, and vandalism. Singapore is a highly developed country and well known for its effective education system. It is governed by strict laws to keep the city-state competitive and orderly, including corporal punishment as a disciplinary tool for judicial penalties, in homes, and schools. Though it is a last resort for serious misconduct such as bullying, caning is officially allowed in schools. It must be approved by the school principal and conducted only by authorized personnel under strict guidelines. Only boys nine years old or older could be disciplined by corporal punishment in the hope of helping them learn from their mistakes. School girls who bully others may face serious disciplinary actions, including detention, suspension, lower conduct grades, and school-based sanctions, but not caning. Is corporal punishment effective only on boys, if at all?

Read the article and learn about corporal punishment in schools in Singapore.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/06/asia/singapore-schools-caning-scli-intl

Topic Reading-Vol.5134-5/15/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

What British people really mean when they say 'sorry'

When you interrupt someone speaking or remind someone of something, which word do you usually use, “Excuse me” or “Sorry”? Americans tend to use “Excuse me” to ask for permission preemptively, and say “Sorry” to ask for forgiveness or express compassion. On the other side of the pond, people in Britain use “Sorry” more often in various ways, sometimes proactively or non-apologetically, to avoid confrontations. These are some social situations where Brits use “Sorry”.

“Sorry” on the street is often used as an apology, like “Excuse me”.

“Sorry?” after hearing what someone said often means “Pardon?” or “Please say that again.”

“Sorry, can/may I …?” is used to soften a request, like asking if a seat is taken.

“Oh, sorry …”  could mean objection in a less confrontational manner.

“Sorry, but …” is said before objecting, denying, or rejecting something being said.

“Sorry …” in a queue is to remind someone of etiquette to be respected.

How versatile the British “sorry” is!

Read the article and learn how “sorry” is used by British people.

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20260506-what-british-people-really-mean-when-they-say-sorry

Topic Reading-Vol.5133-5/14/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

One of the planet’s biggest cities is sinking so rapidly it's visible from space

Built in 1910 to commemorate the centennial of the War of Independence, El Ángel, The Angel of Independence, is the most popular monument in Mexico City. Originally, nine steps led to the base, but fourteen more steps have been added in later years due to the sinking of the ground. Indeed, Mexico City is one of the fastest-sinking capitals, at more than a centimeter a month. The metropolis of over 22 million residents sits atop an ancient aquifer, which has been so over-extracted that it’s no longer able to provide drinking water or sustain the weight of the city. The sinking is so fast that it is even visible from a space radar system. Indonesia is now relocating its capital, Jakarta, the world’s fastest-sinking capital at only several meters above sea level, due to sinking and flooding. Mexico City is safe from sea level rise because it sits at over 2,200 meters above sea level, but its water supply and ground foundation rely on the depleting aquifer. Groundwater extraction, heavy buildings and infrastructure, and rising sea levels are all human-caused problems that contribute to urban sinking. We can monitor what is happening on the ground, ice, and sea from space. Then, what should we do with the data?

Read the article and learn about the sinking capital of Mexico.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/05/climate/mexico-city-sinking-nasa-aquifer-water

Topic Reading-Vol.5132-5/13/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Food labels have far-reaching effects on our health

What is shown on most packaged foods are alluring images of the food, brand name, and catchy marketing copy, which are all designed to make you buy the product. On the side or back of the package, you can find a nutrition label in black, painstakingly small letters as required by the regulator. While cigarette packs now show large, graphic health warnings to illustrate health risks in many countries, food packages often show little or no such warnings, even on highly processed or sugary foods. In fact, ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in particular, such as soda, snacks, ready-to-eat noodles and soups, and sugary cereals, are linked to obesity or chronic diseases, but they are sold just like other packaged foods on the shelves. In some countries in Europe, however, a five-color nutrition label called Nutri-Score has been shown on the front of the package for several years. Though the label is not mandated by regulators, some food manufacturers redesigned their products by reducing sugar content or changing ingredients in a healthier way, while supermarkets started promoting healthier food options. Since more than half of adults in the world are predicted to weigh too much by the middle of the century, better labeling on processed and packaged foods seems essential to reducing weight-related health problems.

Read the article and learn about how food labeling could affect our health.

ihttps://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260501-food-labels-are-actually-affecting-your-health

Topic Reading-Vol.5131-5/12/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Nature vs nurture: How much of our personalities are determined at birth?

Was our personality set at birth or developed as we grew? While nature is influenced by genetic inheritance and other biological factors, nurture is the influence of external factors, such as exposure, experience, interactions, and learning. Identical twins share 100% of their DNA, but their key personality traits, such as openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and emotional instability or anxiety, aren’t exactly the same. To your surprise, all humans are roughly 99.9% identical in their genetic makeup, and the remaining 0.1% accounts for all individual differences, including appearance, susceptibility to diseases, and other traits. Also, studies found that the environment, social interactions, or even significant life events we’ve experienced have a limited influence on our personality traits. It seems that no one thing determines who we are or how we behave, but multiple genetic and environmental factors do.

Read the article and learn how nature and nurture influence our personality traits.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260501-nature-vs-nurture-how-much-of-our-personalities-are-determined-at-birth

Topic Reading-Vol.5130-5/11/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

California to begin ticketing driverless cars that violate traffic laws

How reliable are autonomous vehicles (AVs)? In March, more than 100 self-driving robotaxis operated by Baidu in Wuhan, China, stalled in the middle of the road due to a system malfunction, causing hours of distressing congestion. Later, Chinese regulators suspended issuance of permits for new autonomous vehicles. Also, in the USA, driverless autonomous robotaxis like Waymo are becoming popular in major cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles, and they sometimes violate traffic laws, like illegal U-turns or blocking emergency vehicles. However, when an officer stops an autonomous car for a traffic violation, they find no driver responsible for such violations. To enhance accountability of traffic violations by AVs, starting from July, officers can issue traffic tickets directly to the autonomous vehicle’s operator when a robotaxi violates traffic laws. Also, autonomous vehicle operators are required to respond to law enforcement requests within 30 seconds to mitigate traffic incidents. Technical glitches, blackouts, Internet shutdowns, and cyber attacks. Autonomous vehicle operators seem to have to deal with many unexpected incidents quickly and responsibly.

Read the article and learn about California’s move to manage driverless vehicles.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clypjx3rg2go

Topic Reading-Vol.5129-5/10/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Wild parrots copy their friends when deciding whether to try new foods, study finds

We often learn new behaviors, attitudes, and emotional reactions by observing and imitating others in a social context. For example, kids want to try a new toy when they see other kids playing with it. Also, if there is a long line before a food stand selling a novel food, more people tend to join the line to try it. Such social learning, where animals acquire information, behaviors, or skills by observing or interacting with others, is also common among primates, marine mammals, rats and mice, dogs, and birds. Recently, researchers left artificially dyed almonds to study the reactions of five distinct communities of sulphur-crested cockatoos in central Sydney, Australia. It took a few days for the parrots to try eating artificially dyed almonds they had never seen before. However, it took only a few minutes or less for other groups of parrots to start eating the novel food after they saw their peer parrots, which had eaten the colored almonds before, eating them. Social learning seems to be a practical skill for learning new things quickly while reducing potential risks.

Read the article and learn about how wild parrots learn what to eat from others.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/01/science/parrots-copy-friends-new-foods-study-intl-scli

Topic Reading-Vol.5128-5/9/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Five charts that show the rise of global militarisation

Who spends more on the military and how much? The total of the top five spenders, the USA, China, Russia, Germany, and India, represents nearly 60% of the world's military spending, and the US alone spent about one-third of the world's total. Because of the US dominance, global military spending spiked when the US was involved in military activities, such as the Korean War, Vietnam War, the Cold War, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Also, European NATO members have increased their military spending by over 40% in the last decade following the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea. While most countries spent less than $100 or a few hundred dollars per capita on the military, Qatar, Israel, Norway, and Singapore spent over $3,000 per person in 2025. The big military budget spenders are also big arms exporters. Between 2016 and 2025, combined exports of the US, Russia, and France exceeded 60% of the world’s total. Then, how much of the nation’s economic output is allocated to military spending compared with health care or education?

Read the article and learn about the military spending, exports, and shares by country.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/29/five-charts-that-show-the-rise-of-global-militarisation

Topic Reading-Vol.5127-5/8/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

In five charts - How UAE's exit could affect Opec's influence over the oil price

Formed in 1960 by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela, the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is an oil-exporting cartel to coordinate oil policies. Until last month, there were 12 member states and 11 other oil-producing countries, including Russia, that made up OPEC+ to exercise influence on the global oil market. For example, when the oil price crashed during the coronavirus pandemic, OPEC+ cut production to raise prices. OPEC was more influential 50 years ago when it produced over half of the global crude oil, but last year its share dropped to 36.7% as the USA and Russia increased their production. Suddenly, the UAE decided to depart from OPEC at the end of last month. The emirates were the world's third biggest oil exporter, only behind Saudi Arabia and Iraq, before the Strait of Hormuz, where about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply travels through, was blocked by Iran. After departing from OPEC, the UAE is expected to boost production substantially without OPEC’s commitment. The block of the Hormuz Strait, declining OPEC’s market share, and continuing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Oil supply and price have become more fragile recently. Isn’t it time to accelerate the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energies?

Read the article and learn about the declining influence of the international oil cartel.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c70vjpny0dno

Topic Reading-Vol.5126-5/7/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Japan Airlines trials humanoid robots as ground handlers

While robots have been used in various workplaces, including factories, warehouses, restaurants, and hotels, humanoid robots are being deployed primarily in pilot programs, at least so far. But starting from this month, Japan Airlines begins using humanoid robots to help load and unload cargo containers at its major hub, Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. The airline has been facing serious labor shortages, especially for labor-intensive ground handling, as the working-age population declines. Among the ground handling tasks, loading and unloading cargo is a physically demanding task. Workers have to work outside in the rain or wind, and in summer when ground temperatures reach or exceed 40 degrees in humid air due to the asphalt and concrete ground, scorching sun shine, and jet engine exhaust. The airline has been working with a robotics partner for two years to bring humanoid robots into such a harsh environment. Humanoid robots can now not only run or dance, but also help humans do their jobs. It may not be too long before they start caring for humans in nursing homes and at home.

Read the article and see the video to learn how humanoid robots can help humans.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpwp87j1llvo

Topic Reading-Vol.5125-5/6/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The Chinese sports brand taking on Nike and Adidas

Adidas was founded by a shoemaker in 1949 in West Germany, and Nike was originally founded by a track athlete and his coach in 1964 in Oregon, USA. A high school dropout in Jinjiang, a southeastern province of Fujian, China, founded Anta Sports Products in 1991. Originally, the startup produced sports shoes for other brands, specialized in cost-effective manufacturing, and targeted the mass market with affordable athletic footwear, but it soon developed a domestic distribution network across China to sell Anta-branded sports equipment, textiles, and accessories. It is now the world’s third-largest sportswear company behind Nike and Adidas, managing 25 sports and apparel brands, including Salomon and Wilson, and operating over 12,000 shops across China. This year, it also acquired a 29% stake in Puma, a globally renowned German athletic brand.

China’s manufacturing power and market scale have incubated and grown global giants. A technology firm, Xiaomi, was a software developer before making phones. Now, it produces and sells electronics and electric vehicles under its own brand. BYD, originally a battery manufacturer for consumer electronics, became the world’s largest EV battery manufacturer and is now the world’s top EV manufacturer. What will Anta be producing and selling in the coming years?

Read the article and learn about another Chinese giant ready to compete with global brands.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c87r2d850q4o

Topic Reading-Vol.5124-5/5/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

India has splurged billions on metro trains. But where are the commuters?

Ground transportation in India’s urban areas is quite stressful and unsafe due to heavy congestion, life-threatening air pollution, and overcrowded buses and trains. To provide sustainable mobility and decongest urban areas, India expanded the metro network from under 300 km to more than 1,000 km in the last decade. It is now the world’s third-longest metro operation, serving more than 11 million passengers daily. However, the estimated overall ridership is only around one-third of the projections. Why is the new public transportation unpopular in a country where other means of public transportation are over-congested or unavailable? First, just like any other government projections, the forecasts were too high because they were based on the capacity and services that were never realized. Also, people aren’t riding the metro because ticket prices are too high, transit times between lines are too long, or the network isn’t well-connected. In addition, congestion and safety concerns remain unsolved on the ground before and after a metro ride. No single means seems to solve urban transportation problems.

Read the article and learn about India’s metro systems.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g833128vlo

Topic Reading-Vol.5123-5/4/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Surviving in a poisoned land: Chernobyl's wildlife is different, but not in the ways you might think

On April 26, 1986, a reactor of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, about 130 kilometers north of Kyiv, Ukraine, then the Soviet Union, exploded during a botched safety test. Steam explosions and a graphite fire released significant radioactive fallout across Europe, making it the world's worst nuclear disaster. Researchers have been studying the effects of radiation exposure on fauna and flora in the 2,600 square-kilometer Chornobyl exclusion zone, one of the most radioactively contaminated areas on the planet. They found that pine trees died but birch trees are growing, wild wolves, bears, and bison are roaming, and abandoned dogs are surviving. Also found are frogs with darkened color, which might have helped reduce the effects of radiation on them. Have these plants and creatures managed or evolved to survive in such a highly contaminated environment with radiation?

Read the article and learn about the changes in the radioactive environment in Chornobyl. 

Note: Chernobyl is the Russian spelling, Chornobyl is the Ukrainian spelling.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260424-chernobyl-wildlife-forty-years-on

Topic Reading-Vol.5122-5/3/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers,　

Japan reveals new name for 40C-and-hotter days after blistering summer

Japan's summer is extremely humid, often 75%–90% humidity, due to warm, moist air masses from the Pacific Ocean and Southeast Asia, as well as a post-rainy season effect. Also, summer in cities is so intense because of concrete and air conditioning, which keeps temperatures high even during the night, the urban heat island effect. And it is becoming even hotter due to global warming. Last year, Japan experienced a record-breaking hot summer. Daytime temperatures exceeded 35 °C for 52 days in Kyoto and 25 days in Tokyo. The Japan Meteorological Agency, JMA, uses hot day terminologies, Extremely Hot Day for days of 35°C or above, Midsummer Day for 30°C or above, and Summer Day for 25°C or above. Now, to prepare for an even hotter summer, JMA added a new term, Cruelly Hot (Kokusho-bi), for days of 40°C or above. Though the new term won’t ease Japan’s already hot summer, it at least warns people how brutal the day is going to be. Japan’s weather news often advises people to turn on the air conditioning and stay indoors on Extremely Hot Days (35°C+). What will they say on Kokusho-bi?

Read the article and learn how Japan describes an unbearably hot summer day.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crr185nx0n9o

Topic Reading-Vol.5121-5/2/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

US special forces soldier arrested after allegedly winning $400,000 on Maduro raid

A US soldier who was involved in the planning and execution of the capture of Venezuelan President Maduro was recently arrested and charged with using classified information for his financial gain. He opened an account on Polymarket, an American cryptocurrency-based prediction market, in late December, bet $32,000 on the president’s removal, and earned more than $400,000 after the US military operation in January. A prediction market is a platform where individuals can bet on the outcomes of future events, such as sports matches, economic indicators, weather patterns, awards, political and legislative outcomes, and military conflicts. Users of the platform can buy and sell “yes” or “no” shares of events using a stablecoin pegged 1:1 to the US dollar. It is, like insider trading, absolutely illegal to use classified or unannounced information on prediction markets, but the return on betting in a prediction market could be much higher than the return on investment in the stock market. Anyone who has unreleased information could be a bidder in a prediction market in sports, business, or public service.

Read the article and learn how classified information was used in a prediction market.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/04/23/politics/us-special-forces-soldier-arrested-maduro-raid-trade

Topic Reading-Vol.5120-5/1/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers,　

How one disappointing order uncovered a massive ‘ghost cake’ delivery scandal in China

The competition among food delivery services has become overly intense in China. Recently, authorities found that thousands of ghost online food vendors, without business licenses or actual storefronts, were taking orders from consumers and reselling them to the lowest-bidding bakeries. In one case, out of 100, let's say yuan, the customer paid for a birthday cake, the ghost vendor took 50, the intermediary platform grabbed 20, and the actual baker earned only 30, which is way too low to guarantee the food quality and safety, not to mention the customer’s satisfaction. Such ghost vendors were born due to intense price competition, known as involution in China, and are now selling various products, including electric vehicles and solar panels, at the sacrifice of suppliers' diminishing returns. Though anti-involution campaigns have been implemented by various authorities to curb such unhealthy, unsustainable business practices, eager suppliers are bidding to take any order just to keep their businesses running.

Read the article and learn about fierce online business competition in China.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/04/21/business/china-ghost-food-delivery-fine-intl-hnk