Anti-China sentiment runs high in South Korea during Beijing Winter Olympics

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If the aim of hosting the Olympics is to foster peace and build good relations with other countries and let others understand one's culture better, then the Beijing Winter Olympics may have problems achieving this, at least where its neighbour South Korea is concerned.

China has also been denounced for "stealing our hanbok", the Korean traditional costume after it was featured as the attire of one of China's 55 minority groups during the opening ceremony of the Games on Feb 4

Qn: ‘Staging major sporting events brings nothing but benefits to the host country.’ Discuss. (Cam. 2021)

WP chairman Sylvia Lim's phone not hacked by Singapore Govt: Shanmugam

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Not long ago, I received a threat warning from Apple informing me that it could be that my iPhone has been the subject of hacking by state-sponsored attackers, and they also said it is likely to be so because of who I am individually or what I do. 

last December, reports emerged that about 10 years ago, Australian intelligence officers had discovered that the country’s telecommunications system was breached after a software update “loaded with malicious code” from Chinese technology firm Huawei. This allowed “private communications and information that could be used to target specific people” to be recorded and sent to China, a Bloomberg report said. The discovery was reported to the United States and is said to be a key reason why the US has been wary of Huawei.

the Government has to deal with serious national security threats to the country such as terrorism, foreign subversion, espionage and interference. “To this end, agencies charged with the mission of safeguarding national security necessarily have to rely on a range of intelligence capabilities, including harnessing technology.”

Qn: To what extent has technology had an impact on both privacy and security in your country? (Cam. 2009)

Hosting the Olympics is costly, but for China, it's worth every billion

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With the 2022 Games, it also hopes to nurture an interest in skiing, curling, ice hockey and other winter sports that could increase consumer spending, particularly in the country's chilly and economically struggling north-east.

Olympics are a chance to demonstrate to the world his country's unity and confidence under his leadership.

When Beijing hosted the Summer Olympics in 2008, it said it had spent US$6.8 billion, but that did not include the tens of billions more it used to build roads, stadiums, subway lines and an airport terminal. This time, China has set a budget of about US$3 billion, a figure that includes the building of competition venues, but not projects like a US$1 billion high-speed rail line and a US$5 billion expressway.

Qn: ‘Staging major sporting events brings nothing but benefits to the host country.’ Discuss. (Cam. 2021)

That organic cotton t-shirt may not be as organic as you think

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Relate to 2021 P2 AQ on fashion's impact on the environment...

This product contains independently certified organic cotton grown without chemical pesticides, chemical fertilisers and genetically modified seeds

With the fashion industry trumpeting its sustainability commitments, those labels are both a means of value signalling and a lure to consumers willing to pay more to act better.

At the heart of the problem is an opaque certification system rife with opportunities for fraud...the credibility of these inspection agencies has been destroyed

estimates that between one half and four-fifths of what is being sold as organic cotton from India is not genuine. And almost the entire supply chain is implicated in what he calls a game of "smoke and mirrors"

Japan should invest more in renewables and less in 'clean coal': Climate think-tank

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the short-term temptation to retrofit existing coal plants with pricey technologies with potentially low returns.

"It seems like Japan is pursuing technologies that are the easiest way for it to keep its coal plants operational for longer,

carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), refers to the capture of carbon emissions from fuel combustion, industrial processes or even directly from the atmosphere. This can then be reused as input for manufacturing, or stored underground. While CCUS has the potential of reducing emissions by 90 per cent, Japan has limited suitable CCUS sites and may run out of space in 10 years

Qn. Assess the view that attempts to control climate change can never be truly effective. (Cam. 2017)

China's Olympic ambitions and the idea of being Chinese

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Check out these two similar examples from previous major sporting events:

1) Sochi Winter Olympics

2) Asian Games

beneath the nationalistic comments, there are deeper questions being asked: about identity and whether these foreign-born athletes are Chinese enough to represent China.

Ms Gu also carries an inherent nationalist appeal. That "she chose to represent China despite being born and raised in the USA, serves as evidence of China's attractiveness as a country", said Ms Malmsten. It explained why Ms Gu has become such a darling to Chinese state media - what better example is there to demonstrate what Beijing sees as the inexorable rise of China and America's decline? "This sports-driven reverse immigration is a new product of the times

The country sees sporting success at the Olympics as a barometer of national power, and while it is a powerhouse at the Summer Games, the country does not have the same depth of talent when it comes to winter sports.

Take the Chinese women's ice hockey team, for instance, which has 13 naturalised players. On the men's team, there are 15. Most of these athletes are of Chinese descent.

Imagine (what will happen) if in the future China's men's football team - with a majority of players who are naturalised and have no Chinese blood - help China win a championship.

Qns:

1. ‘Staging major sporting events brings nothing but benefits to the host country.’ Discuss. (Cam. 2021)

2. ‘Individuals achieve sporting success, not nations.’ Discuss. (Cam. 2020)

3. Is national identity still relevant in today's world?

Gaming addiction on the rise among children amid pandemic: Counsellors

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Since the start of this year, upper secondary students have been taught a new character and citizenship education curriculum tackling cyber-risks such as inappropriate websites, gaming and social media addiction.

On Jan 24, a 14-year-old boy who had a gaming addiction was sentenced to five years' detention for killing his father at their Loyang condominium, after the latter restricted his access to computer games.

children hooked on gaming may be exposed to other addictions like gambling, citing gambling-like mechanics in popular online games like Genshin Impact, where players can try their luck and buy randomised items to upgrade their avatars.

Women in S'pore get scam messages claiming their photos being circulated online

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Relate to 2017 AQ on sharing data....

the now-defunct Telegram group SG Nasi Lemak, where obscene photos and videos of women were shared.

Beijing Winter OIympics: China's foreign-born athletes fill void but raise questions

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Qns: 

1. ‘Individuals achieve sporting success, not nations.’ Discuss. (Cam. 2020)

2. Is national identity still relevant in today's world?

A teenager tracked Elon Musk's jet on Twitter. Then came the direct message.

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A good example on how collection or sharing of data can lead to loss of privacy and its attendant danger...

The exchange highlighted the tension between open public records and privacy - and it was not the first time famous people had been tracked. Journalists have used flight-tracking apps to follow politicians before vice-presidential selections. Investors use them to shadow CEOs to get wind of corporate mergers. Sports fans have used them to track coaching candidates of their favourite teams.

the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) required planes to transmit location data to prevent collisions and to help find lost aircraft.

"There almost couldn't be a greater power asymmetry between Musk and this teenager," Calo said. "This is not David and Goliath. This is like Goliath and a flea on David."