Topic Reading-Vol.4617-12/14/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

UK lawmakers vote in support of assisted dying

Assisted dying means prescribing life-ending drugs for terminally ill but mentally competent adults to administer themselves after meeting legal safeguards. It is legal and regulated in ten US jurisdictions, including California, Oregon, and Washington DC. Similarly, assisted suicide is legalized in Switzerland, and voluntary euthanasia is allowed authorized in Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. In Canada, Medical Assisted in Dying became legal in 2016 along with assisted suicide. Last month, British members of parliament voted freely by their will (not bound by party lines) to legalize assisted dying by 330 to 275 votes. Supporters of the bill insisted that assisted dying would bring dignity to terminal patients, avert pain and suffering, and ease pressure on palliative services. Opponents were concerned that the patients might feel like becoming a burden on their families and pressured to choose the option. Though assisted dying, suicide, or euthanasia are all highly controversial issues, some people travel to countries or states where they can legally terminate their lives.

Read the article and learn the legal aspects of assisted dying.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/29/uk/uk-assisted-dying-vote-gbr-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4616-12/13/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

World's captive panda population hits 757

The giant panda is a large bear species native to China, known for its distinctive black-and-white fur. It primarily resides in mountainous regions, especially in Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces. Pandas mostly eat bamboo and grow to around 100 kilograms. The giant panda is a vulnerable species because of its habitat loss, low reproductive rate, isolated habitation, and climate change that affects bamboo growth. Giant pandas are among the world's most adored and protected rare animals. Thanks to China's continuing conservation efforts for decades, there are as many as 757 giant pandas in captivity in the world and around 1,900 in the wild in China, according to the announcement made at the Global Panda Partners 2024 conference, where representatives from Russia, Japan, and other countries met. Indeed, pandas are used as a form of diplomatic gift or gesture to strengthen political, cultural, and economic ties with other countries. Pandas are ambassadors for friendship.

Read the article and learn how adorable pandas are loved and cared for.

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202411/27/WS6745ab08a310f1265a1cfb5c.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4615-12/12/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Tech companies put on notice as Australia passes world-first social media ban for under-16s

Social media is a way for people to communicate, share information, and create online communities using the internet or mobile phones. It has expanded over the years, evolving from a digital forum for connecting people to a news source for younger generations. Its near-ubiquitous presence has transformed the way we interact with each other, how we learn things, and how we perceive the world. Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, and X are all powerful and influential social media. However, social media could be used for bullies, peer pressure, or scamming, which are harmful, especially to school children who are still vulnerable to explicit social interactions. Last month, Australia’s parliament passed a law that bans social media for children under 16 to protect them from bullies, pressure, scammers, and online predators. Before the law takes place, major social media platforms must deactivate the accounts of those whose ages are below 16. According to a poll, nearly 80% of Australians support the ban. Will you?

Read the article and think about how old is good enough to use social media. 

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/28/australia/australia-passes-social-media-law-intl-hnk/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4614-12/11/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

More single women and female couples having IVF

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a fertility treatment that involves fertilizing a woman's egg with a man’s sperm in a laboratory dish, and then placing the fertilized egg, or embryo, in the woman's uterus. It is used to treat many causes of infertility, including the advanced age of the mother and damaged or blocked fallopian tubes. In the UK, about one in four IVF treatments resulted in a birth. Among 18-39 year-olds who had their first IVF treatment in the UK, female couples account for 16% and single women 18%. Combined, around one-third of IVF treatments were for non-heterosexual couples or females, representing the diversity of families and patients. Now, there are countries in eastern Asia like South Korea and China whose birth rates are falling below 1.0 and the number of unmarried couples is increasing. IVF might be one of the ways to form a family for those who choose not to have a heterosexual partner. 

Read the article and learn how IVF helps develop diverse families. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yxel9j6xeo

Topic Reading-Vol.4613-12/10/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Airlines make billions charging ‘junk fees,’ congressional report says

Junk fees are additional service charges for event tickets, such as service charges for event tickets, late payment fees for credit cards, and out-of-network ATM fees. Airlines also charge multiple service fees, such as advanced seat selection, family seating, checked baggage, or even paper boarding passes. They make money by charging once-included options to passengers who want more than their base fares. In some cases, airlines charge a hundred dollars or more just for an extra legroom seat. Since seat fees have become more expensive, some family members have no choice but to sit in the middle seats in different rows. Airlines say they try to keep airfares more affordable and treat the passengers fairly and equally. As air travel has become more crowded and expensive, passengers feel more stressed in many ways. Should such optional fees be regulated? Gone are the days when a passenger was asked for a window or aisle seat without a fee.

Read the article and learn what is not included in airfares nowadays.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/26/business/airlines-junk-fees/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4612-12/9/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Popular weight-loss drug Wegovy goes on sale in China

Instead of riding bicycles like their parents or grandparents used to do, today’s Chinese people ride cars. Indeed, China is the world’s largest automotive market, and over 20 million new cars are sold each year. Also, there are many convenient and affordable ready-to-eat options, such as food delivery, fast food restaurants, takeouts, and prepared foods like TV dinners or instant noodles. As a result, over 50% of China’s population is either obese or overweight. 

Wegovy is a prescribed medicine used to help lose excess weight. It helps control blood sugar, lowers appetite, and makes the patient feel fuller. It comes as a pre-filled injector pen. The user injects the medicine weekly under the skin in the upper arms, stomach, thighs, or buttocks. Recently, the weight-loss drug was launched in China. Although the price is much cheaper than the one in the US, Chinese patients have to pay the full price because the drug hasn’t been included in the national health insurance. While there still are millions of people who have difficulty getting enough food in other Asian and African countries, some rich people are seeking a way not to eat so much food. 

Read the article and think about the newly introduced weight-loss drug in China. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7487y7x0vwo

Topic Reading-Vol.4611-12/8/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

They’re up to 70% of the American diet. But the US has no policy on ultraprocessed foods

Many foods we consume are somehow processed, such as unpackaged bread, canned fruits and vegetables, pickles, and cheese, which contain ingredients like salt, sugar, and oils. Ultra-processed foods typically have more than one ingredient that you never or rarely find in a kitchen, such as preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, and artificial colors and flavors. Ice cream, ham, sausages, chips, packaged bread, some breakfast cereals, biscuits, carbonated drinks, fruit-flavored yogurts, and instant soups are typical examples of ultra-processed foods. They are appealing to your tastebuds and also convenient because of their longer shelf life and ready-to-eat packages. Studies found people tend to overeat ultra-processed foods by 500 or more calories than those who eat unprocessed or less processed foods. Also, since these foods are high in added sugar, salt, fats, and additives like artificial colors and flavors but low in dietary fiber and vitamins, those who eat more ultra-processed foods have a higher risk of obesity, cancer, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and even depression. It is estimated that such ultra-processed foods make up between 50% and 70% of the calories in the US’s food supply.

Read the article about the studies to find the health effects of highly processed foods.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/22/health/ultraprocessed-food-us-dietary-guidelines-wellness/index.html