Cycling: Tour de France to stage criterium race in Singapore on Oct 29-30

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Qn: Hosting major sporting events creates more problems than benefits. Do you agree? (Cam. 2005)

Fifty migrants dead in sweltering Texas truck, more hospitalised

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Qn: To what extent does the immigration of people have a positive effect? (Cam. 2008)

Supreme Court decision on abortion a bombshell for millions of American women

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Millions of American women now have no right to abortions - even if they are victims of rape or incest.

Those who live in "red" - that is, Republican - states would have to travel to a "blue" or Democrat state to get an abortion. Many would not be able to afford that. The poor, and minorities - including and especially African American women - would be most affected.

“The rights of women to a full and equal footing with men — politically, socially, economically — have been profoundly undermined

Qn: ‘People should have absolute authority over their own body.’ Discuss. (NYJC Prelim 2021)

Singapore begins importing renewable energy from Laos via Thailand, Malaysia

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Note the 4 National Switches of Singapore:

1)Natural Gas

2)Renewables like Solar

3)external power grids (import renewable energy from other ctys)

4)other tech like carbon capture or clean-burning hydrogen

The Republic on Thursday (June 23) began importing renewable energy from Laos via Thailand and Malaysia - a move that marks the first multilateral cross-border electricity trade involving four Asean countries and the first renewable energy import into Singapore.

The Republic had in October 2021 announced plans to import around 30 per cent of its electricity from low-carbon sources, such as renewable energy plants, by 2035, to reduce the carbon footprint of its power sector.

At present, more than 95 per cent of Singapore's electricity is generated by burning natural gas, a fossil fuel. 

Other potential solutions include developing infrastructure suitable for clean-burning hydrogen to be used as a fuel, as well as investing in emerging low-carbon technologies that will enable carbon dioxide to be captured from smokestacks before it is released into the atmosphere.

Qn: How far should countries aim to be self-sufficient? (Cam. 2011)

Ex-PM Mahathir says Malaysia should claim Singapore and Riau Islands

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An uncanny and alarming echo of what Putin said about Ukraine.....

Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has said that Singapore was once owned by Johor and the state of Johor should claim that Singapore be returned to it and to Malaysia.

what was known as Tanah Melayu used to be extensive, stretching from the Isthmus of Kra in southern Thailand all the way to the Riau Islands, and Singapore, but is now confined to the Malay Peninsula.

Qn: 'The past is not dead; it is not even past.’ Discuss. (Cam. 2017)

Swimming: Will swimming's transgender ruling lead to wider change in sport?

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Note the dilemma or irony here....on the one hand, u want to be inclusive in order to be fair, but in doing so, u r being unfair to the women if u let them compete in the same category as transgenders....Compare with affirmative actions in general which are meant to help, protect and include the weaker lot, but how in doing some, u r being unfair to those deemed 'stronger'. Think privileges accorded to bumiputera in Malaysia and women in general.

The policy is the strictest in any Olympic sports body and effectively bars any transgender women who have gone through male puberty from competing in women's events.

Those who campaigned for change argued that people who have gone through male puberty have physical advantages over those who were born female. 

The ruling also only impacts transgender athletes in women's competitions. Female-to-male transgender athletes (transgender men) will continue to be eligible to compete in men's races without any restriction.

Last year, New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard became the first transgender athlete to compete at the Olympics in a different gender category than assigned at birth.

Qns: 

1. 'There is no greater inequality than the equal treatment of unequals.' Discuss.

2. Is discrimination always undesirable?

Social media platforms to remove harmful content, add safeguards under S'pore's proposed rules

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The new Code of Practice for Online Safety and the Content Code for Social Media Services are aimed at codifying these standards in law and giving the authorities powers to take action against platforms that fail to meet the requirements.

Examples of content that could be blocked under the new codes include live-stream videos of mass shootings and viral social media “challenges” that encourage young people to perform dangerous stunts like holding their breath until they pass out.

a 2020 post by a person using a profile called “NUS Atheist Society” which depicted the Bible and the Quran in an offensive manner and a 2021 poll asking people to rank local female Muslim religious teachers according to their sexual attractiveness.

Ex-trafficker recalls calculating drug quantities on him to avoid capital punishment

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If let's say there was no death penalty, we would have brought in a lot more

when the mandatory death penalty for trafficking more than 1.2kg of opium was introduced in 1990, there was a two-third reduction in the average net weight trafficked in the four years after implementation compared to the four years before.

 a substantial fraction of drug traffickers are foreigners who are desperate for cash and do not receive the same anti-drug education Singapore residents have.

We have good reason to be afraid of the repercussions of loosening the strings because we're a small nation and more drugs will lead to more crime and drugs destroy families. But I don't believe hanging people is the solution. Life imprisonment is a very substantial sentence too which some people don't realise

the finality of the death penalty that leaves no room for review should new evidence emerge or if the law is interpreted differently. 

laws are meant to reflect what the majority feel. "This balance shifts over time as society matures and progresses, and certain different ideals come to the forefront and perceptions change  [relate this idea to changing attitudes towards the Penal Code 377A]

When asked what he has to say to those who believe that capital punishment should be used only for violent crimes like murder instead of drug offences, he said: "Isn't it also killing someone?

For qns on the death penalty....

Pink Dot SG returns to Hong Lim Park after two years of virtual rallies

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Like past rallies, they also had to show a photo identification to confirm that they are Singaporeans or permanent residents,

A survey by market research firm Ipsos released on Thursday showed that support for Section 377A in Singapore has dropped as attitudes towards same-sex relationships shift. [Click HERE]

Less than half of people in Singapore support a law criminalising gay sex, a study has found, amid changing attitudes towards same-sex relationships ....on the topic of Section 377A of the Penal Code and found that 44 per cent of respondents support the law. This is down from the 55 per cent who said so in 2018

the changing attitudes towards same-sex parenting and discrimination against LGBTQ people indicate a deeper awareness of the issues confronting the community. This understanding and empathy paves the way for Singaporeans to better embrace diversity and embed inclusivity within the nation's social fabric

Qn: In your society, how far is equality for all a reality? (Cam. 2012)

Japan toughens penalty for insult after suicide of reality TV star

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Relate to issues on cancel culture, freedom of speech, social media.....

Disney-Pixar animated film Lightyear to screen with NC16 rating in Singapore

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the film, which contains depictions of a female lead character and her partner starting a family and sharing a kiss, is the first commercial children's animation to feature overt homosexual depictions

The Simultaneous Rating Release mechanism, which has been in place for about two decades, allows film distributors to release two versions of the same film in Singapore, with an edited version to cater to younger audiences.

Reuters reported that the film will not play in at least 14 Middle Eastern and Asian countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates, and is also unlikely to open in the world's largest movie market China.

While it is an excellent animated film set in the US context, Singapore is a diverse society where we have multiple sensibilities and viewpoints. This being a children's cartoon, a significant number of (the panel's) members felt that the overt depiction of same-gender marriage would warrant a higher rating.

S'pore teen behind T-shirt worn by Ukraine President Zelensky in Shangri-La Dialogue address

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Thank God that other than the likes of Amos Yee, we also have:

16-year-old Ava Soh

Ava, who started her Daughters Of The Revolution (Dotr, pronounced "daughter") brand when she was 14

"I thought that I should help people, as it's something I've always been taught, and I did the Ukrainian rendition of the flag to promote self-belief, confidence and also as a commentary that women too can build the country."

The Spray Paint Ukraine is being sold on this website as a “wearable non-fungible token (NFT)”, or T-shirts with the NFT printed on it, to raise funds for Ukraine. Sales proceeds will be donated to the Ukrainian Embassy in Singapore.

Qn: ‘Young people are changing the world for the better.’ What is your opinion? ('O' lvl 2021)

Restaurant attack highlights vulnerability of women in China, say netizens

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Incident in Tang Shan (China) where a few men beat up a 19-yo woman and her friend when she refused the advances of one of the men. It stirred up a huge controversy (and soul searching?) in China after a clip from the CCTV (Closed Circuit TV) went viral on social media. The men apparently had strong connections, such that the police did not make any arrests until the clip went viral and there was pressure on them to act. 

"It is maddening to watch how other men just stood by while the attacks went on, but other women stepped up to help."

The Tangshan city government launched a two-week campaign on Sunday that included enforcement against organised crime, including intentional injury and extortion. The men were allegedly part of a gang.

Women's rights are a touchy subject in China, where the hashtag MeToo, which highlights sexual violence against women, has been banned.

Relate to:

=cancel culture

=compare with the recent spate of gun violence in the US

=gender inequality (treatment of women)

=bystander effect

Qns:

1. To what extent is it possible ‘to make the punishment fit the crime’? (Cam. 2013)

2. Can we eliminate violence with education? (CJC Prelim 2018)

Asia's largest cell-cultured chicken facility to be up and running in Bedok from 2023

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Singapore was the first country to approve the sale of cell-based meat in December 2020, with the product coming from Good Meat.

Cell-cultured chicken is meat from chicken cells grown in a bioreactor - similar to the vats used in brewing beer - thus doing away with having to slaughter actual chickens.

Research and development in such novel foods and alternative proteins have been gaining traction in Singapore in recent years as the Republic boosts its food security and produces food sustainably

With Singapore currently importing more than 90 per cent of its food, the country is looking to shore up against global food supply shocks by producing 30 per cent of its food locally by 2030.

With technological advancements and growing consumer demand for sustainable foods, alternative proteins have the potential to supplement Singapore's agricultural productivity and contribute meaningfully to our 30 by 30 goal."

Large volumes of plant-based or cell-cultured foods can be produced with less land, labour and greenhouse gas emissions. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, the global livestock sector accounts for 14.5 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions.

Relate to:

=recent export ban on chicken in Malaysia

=how we can enjoy the pleasure of eating meat without the ethical tug on our conscience of having to slaughter them

=how such technology to boost our food security

=potential to cut carbon footprints in the area of agriculture

Qns: 

1. How far can prosperity and uncontrolled population growth go hand in hand? (Cam. 2020)

2. ‘Science is the only answer to global hunger.’ Discuss. (Cam. 2019)

Dinosaurs get to roam the world in Jurassic World Dominion

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it goes back to the franchise's roots by taking on corporate greed

There are new ways that corporations try to manipulate or exploit genetic power to fill their bank accounts. It's a cautionary tale that's a parallel to what we're seeing today

combining themes of environmental damage and corporate greed

The dinosaurs are animals that walk the earth, just like lions and tigers do today. So, we've integrated them in the same way that you would any animal. If you go too deep into their territory, they could harm you

Qns: 
1. ‘Films are concerned with escaping from the problems of everyday life, rather than addressing them.’ Discuss.(Cam. 2021)
2.  Can fiction teach us anything meaningful about the real world? (Cam. 2019)

In Britain, a new test of an old dream - the four-day work week

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Relate to:

=Singapore recent ranking as 4th most over-worked nation in the world [see HERE]

=China's 996 work culture

Working from home during the pandemic has been the main factor driving the growing momentum for a shorter work week

For issues related to work-life balance, quality of life, economic competitiveness.....

Depp vs Heard: A trial by TikTok?

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It's common for the US to call itself the land of free speech, and for the West to criticise Asia for perceived restrictions on what people can say. But the truth is that free speech is an illusion. In a civilised society, people do not have a right to say whatever they please.

 Depp sued Heard over an op-ed she wrote in The Washington Post in which she claimed to be a victim of domestic abuse. Depp said that her article damaged his career and reputation.

But I am sadder still that I seem to have lost a right I thought I had as an American - to speak freely and openly."

the Virginia trial, was widely broadcasted on the internet, watched and commented. Polls showed that people cared more about the Depp-Heard case than the Ukraine war or a historic US Supreme Court ruling on abortion.

Online conversations showed that the vast majority sided with Depp, and distrusted Heard.

In theory, social media should not affect the jury, as its members should isolate themselves from outside influence. Still, given the massive coverage of the trial, one must wonder how a jury in a long, high-profile trial can remain immune from comments, memes and opinions from friends and family.

Proponents say that broadcasting trials engender public confidence in the legal system. Opponents say that they affect the outcome and place pressure on everyone in court. 

Qns:

1. To what extent is it possible ‘to make the punishment fit the crime’? (Cam. 2013)

2. 'Freedom of choice is too high a price for society to pay.' Do you agree? (ACJC J2 Term 2 Test)

3. ‘In a free society, there should be no restrictions on freedom of speech.’ Discuss. (Cam. 2020)

Police warn against fake online articles linking PM Lee to cryptocurrency auto-trading programs

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For issues concerning fake news....

K-pop supergroup BTS meets Biden, speaks at White House

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For qns on celebrity influence, music....

BTS’ platform as youth ambassadors who spread a message of hope and positivity across the world.

The musicians are known for using their lyrics and social campaigns aimed at empowering youngsters since making their debut in 2013.

In June 2020, BTS fans raised about US$1 million (S$1.37 million) in one day in the #MatchAMillion online campaign for US social justice causes, matching the band’s donation to Black Lives Matter.  

Qn: How far do you agree that celebrities have too much influence today? (RI J1 Midyr 2022)