Globalisation is under assault, but it might yet survive

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Then came Mr Donald Trump with his trade wars and Brexiters with their slogan of taking back control. The Covid-19 pandemic that followed exposed the perils of over-dependence on global supply chains while the severe sanctions on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine are threatening to balkanise global finance. Alongside, the sharpening geopolitical tensions are sparking calls for onshoring production and "friendshoring" trade.

many services we consume locally are becoming global. A Grab taxi ride in Singapore, for example, is a multinational endeavour involving a Singaporean driver, a Korean car, and software developed in California and managed from a back office in Bangalore

countries will prioritise resilience over efficiency. They will, for example, endeavour to become self-sufficient in a few essential items like food, medicines and vaccines. Such insurance certainly helps, but it comes at a cost. The escalating cost-benefit calculus will prevent deglobalisation from going too far.

Globalisation might still unravel, but that might come to pass not because of technological or economic backlash but because of political headwinds. There was once a hope that as authoritarian regimes get intertwined with open, free market societies through economic and trade ties, they will see the value of democracy and turn less authoritarian. The shared interests will then put the world onto a virtuous cycle of peace and prosperity.

Qn: Is globalisation to be welcomed or feared today? (Cam. 2019)

Smart glove that translates sign languages into English, Chinese text wins contest

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A smart glove that instantly translates multiple sign languages into English or Chinese text is being developed in Singapore, potentially enabling deaf people to communicate without needing an interpreter.

Using self-developed algorithms, they trained the glove to detect the hand movements of 8,000 words in various sign languages, such as the Chinese, American and Singapore versions, as instructed by the user. The word count and number of languages recognised is expected to grow as they work with Huawei to bolster the system’s machine learning capabilities.

Relate to topics on technology, the disabled and convenience....and AI

False bomb threat on SIA plane: Passengers said aircraft circled in the air for about 40 minutes

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Good eg on topic of lying.....

Swimmer Teong Tzen Wei apologises to family, fraternity after latest drugs bombshell

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Relate to the idea that they come clean instead of lying that they took drugs.....

TikTok may face $42 million fine for failing to protect children's privacy in Britain

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the US government is working to resolve national security concerns with TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese Internet giant ByteDance.

Britain instituted sweeping new online protections for minors, called the Children's Code. Those rules require online services such as social networks and video game platforms to design their products and features with the best interests of children in mind. The rules also require online services likely to be used by children to turn on the highest privacy settings for young users and prohibits those services from tracking children's precise locations.

Qn: Is privacy becoming a thing of the past in today’s world? (SAJC Prelim 2022)

S'pore's population ageing rapidly: Nearly 1 in 5 citizens is 65 years and older

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The ageing trend ....healthcare will account for the bulk of increases in government social spending by 2030 as Singapore's population ages...the impending goods and services tax (GST) increase is necessary as Singapore's population is ageing rapidly.

While the Government has a suite of measures to support Singaporeans in starting and raising families, employers, community partners and individuals can all do their part to create a stronger family-friendly support ecosystem. This can range from workplaces that promote work-life harmony to community groups that work with the Government to care for families with more complex needs

Qn: In your society, to what extent is it more challenging to care for one's parents today? (ACJC Prelim 2022)

Men who get their legs broken to gain height are not entirely mad

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Consider also successful 'shorties' like Deng Xiao Ping and Napoleon.

 leg-lengthening surgery to make yourself taller. This grisly cosmetic procedure costs tens of thousands of pounds and involves getting one's legs broken, having metal rods screwed into the thigh bones and learning to walk again with months of rehabilitation.

A 1.83m-tall person typically earns nearly US$166,000 (S$238,000) more over a 30-year career than a 1.65m person, US researchers found in 2004.... every extra 10cm of height added 3 per cent to hourly wages for men, and 2 per cent for women.

it might go back to early human instincts to ascribe leaderly qualities to tall people deemed to be better protectors. Others think tall people themselves have more confidence and self-esteem, which, in turn, makes them more likely to succeed.

Finally, statistics do not tell the whole story. History is full of leaders who achieved much, despite being of average height. So if you ever come across anyone thinking of getting their legs lengthened, tell them to sit down, sober up and think of Winston Churchill.

Relate to the recent compre we did on Beauty...and maybe the topic on statistics too....

Ditch the long words and keep the readers

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The general rule is this: Keep sentences as short as possible, make every word count, and avoid redundant words and long expressions.

"There was no issue with language," he writes. "However, the points were difficult to follow from one paragraph to the next. It was thus rather unclear how the policy recommendation at the end of the paper was arrived at."

The secret to good writing can be summarised by the three "Fs": facts, flow and flavour. The substance (facts) of a paper must be correct, clear and complete. The arrangement of the points in the paper must be logical (flow) and the tone of the paper (flavour) must be appropriate.

For this, it is important to have a purpose statement in the opening of a paper. This psychologically guides the writer to write in a more focused and purposeful way.

Subheadings should be used to give the reader a sense of the substance in each section, and this substance must not stray from the point. [think of this as the topic sentence]

We write for our audience, not ourselves.

Ukraine's Zelensky blames Russia as world vows response to food shortages

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There is no peace with hunger and we cannot combat hunger without peace

The Russian war of aggression has caused and accelerated a multidimensional global crisis

Ukraine is one of the world's largest grain producers and the Russian invasion sent global prices soaring

Experts warn that disruptions in fertiliser shipments could seriously impede future harvests around the world.

between 702 and 828 million people were impacted by hunger in 2021, or 9.8 per cent of the world population.

recently that the world had enough food in 2022 but that the problem was distribution.

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

Death penalty for drugs: International pressure overstated, says Shanmugam

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Four or five newspaper articles quoting the same three or four activists does not amount to international pressure."

the Netherlands has been described as a narco state by the chief of the largest police union in the country, and in Sweden, drug-related gang violence has become a major election issue.

multiple domestic surveys have also shown that more than 80 per cent of Singaporeans agree with the hanging of drug traffickers.

Singapore also makes a distinction in its drug policy between drug abusers and traffickers, he said. While drug abuse is a crime, abusers are not treated merely as criminals and a lot more emphasis is put on rehabilitation and helping them, he added.

S’pore could charge 10 to 20 cents more per canned or bottled drink under proposed recycling scheme

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'We're on that bus, too': In China, a deadly crash triggers Covid-19 trauma

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Link to the pursuit of perfectionism?

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards issue warning as protests over woman’s death spread

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Mahsa Amini, 22, died last week after being arrested in Teheran for wearing “unsuitable attire”. She fell into a coma while in detention. The authorities have said they would launch an investigation into the cause of her death. 

She is another victim of Iran’s sustained repression and systematic discrimination against women and the imposition of discriminatory dress codes that deprive women of bodily autonomy and the freedoms of opinion, expression and belief,

For qns on gender equality 

Qns: 

1) 'People should have absolute authority over their own body.' Discuss. (NYJC Prelim 2021)

2) ‘Power these days lies more with the people than the politicians.’ To what extent is this true? (Cam. 2021)

Donald Trump and children are sued by New York attorney-general for fraud

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accusing the Trump Organization of “numerous acts of fraud and misrepresentation” in preparing financial statements from 2011 to 2021.....Trump, who has long used his net worth to burnish his image and fame as a successful businessman and politician, inflated his wealth by billions of dollars to help his company obtain favourable financial terms on transactions, including lower interest rates and cheaper insurance coverage.

the values of 23 assets had been “grossly and fraudulently inflated

“Claiming that you have money that you do not have does not amount to the ‘art of the deal,’ it’s the art of the steal

For Qns on lying....

'Rampant' greenwashing by major companies on social media: Harvard report

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the report released during New York's Climate Week found that only one in five "green" car advertisements actually presents a product for sale, while the rest simply promote the brand as green.

Two-thirds of companies' social media posts painted a "green innovation" sheen on their operations, the report found, with automakers generating by far the most compared with airlines and oil and gas firms.

A key feature of the companies' posts was how often they were about their sponsorship of sports events or charity, as opposed to talking about what they sell. "In principle those kinds of activities should be applauded. The issue becomes when corporate philanthropy slips into corporate social responsibility washing, things like greenwashing, sportswashing and wokewashing," 

Tweets by Air France-KLM and Lufthansa promoted their use of biofuel on some routes using the hashtag "SustainableAviationFuel". Those posts omit the fact that such fuels constitute only a tiny fraction of overall fuel used by the industry, and not all experts are yet convinced it can power climate-safe air travel,

For topics on lying and effectiveness of reducing climate change....and business objective of focusing only on profit....

MOE to pilot computer game teaching moral lessons to upper primary pupils

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Climate-fuelled hunger more than doubles in worst-hit countries: Report

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The report acknowledges the complexity surrounding the causes of global hunger, with conflict and economic disruption - including those from the Covid-19 pandemic - remaining key drivers.

Oxfam stressed that climate-fuelled hunger is a "stark demonstration of global inequality", with the countries least responsible for the crisis suffering most from its impact.

Polluting industrialised nations such as those of the G-20 are responsible for more than three-quarters of the world's carbon emissions, while the 10 climate hotspots are collectively responsible for just 0.13 per cent.

"This is an ethical obligation, not charity

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

Touring flood-hit Pakistan, UN chief says world paying 'horrific price' for fossil fuels folly

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Pakistan and other developing countries are paying a horrific price for the intransigence of big emitters that continue to bet on fossil fuels

Stop the madness. Invest in renewable energy now. End the war with nature.

Guterres on Saturday said financial help was “not a matter of generosity, it’s a matter of justice”. 

“This is insanity, this is collective suicide,”

Pakistan is responsible for less than one per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, but is eighth on a list compiled by the NGO Germanwatch of countries most vulnerable to extreme weather caused by climate change. 

For Qns on WHY richer nations should help poorer ones combat effects of climate change....

Companies leaving Russia are caving to public pressure, not actually making a difference

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almost 1,000 western companies that have partly, or entirely, ceased operations in Russia. They did so, not just to comply with sanctions, but as a voluntary reaction to the war.

Some even made hefty financial sacrifices. McDonald’s, for example, expects a hit of up to US$1.4 billion.

it is textbook corporate social responsibility — a form of self-regulation in which companies make commitments to the broader social good.

Qn: 'Big companies are concerned only with profits.' Is this a fair assessment? (RI Prelim 2022)

Energy majors exaggerating green efforts, still investing in new oil, gas projects: Analysis

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The analysis found that Shell had the largest disparity between its green talk and actual low-carbon investment.

For qns on greenwashing and corporate lying...

What AI still can't do

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Note:

=the interesting anecdote/eg used for the opening BANG

=the closing BANG which echoes the opening

Asked for its opinion on Meta's founder and chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg, the bot replied that "he is a bad person" and "a good businessman, but his business practices are not always ethical".

It also described him as "too creepy and manipulative", and whose "company exploits people for money and he doesn't care".

Qn: To what extent is artificial intelligence replacing the role of humans? (Cam. 2019)

Harassment law may deter doxxing, but victims face challenges in making their case: Lawyers

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Celebrity endorsements: The prize and price of fame

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Note the alliteration in 'prize' and 'price' both in the title and the fitting closing BANG!

Taking a ride in a driverless taxi in China's Chongqing

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Qn: To what extent is artificial intelligence replacing the role of humans? (Cam.2019)

Price of char kway teow: Cheap is not always good

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While it has a high-wage sector, too many Singaporeans are trapped in jobs with wages kept low in part by foreign labour. This is true not only at the low end, but also for skilled jobs in the middle that also have large numbers of foreign labour. Examples are nursing and healthcare jobs. Reducing reliance on foreign labour in these sectors will allow local wages to go up, and encourage employers to raise productivity.

"At the bottom, we have a large number of foreign workers and low-wage Singaporeans side by side. This is the price - if we want to reduce inequality and resolve this dual economy, or at least reduce its degree, then we need to bear higher costs and higher prices, and help those who cannot bear the higher prices... We should move, we need to move. The current situation is not good; it traps too many people in low wages.

"It can be a virtuous circle, because when I have high wages and I pay more for your services, you get higher wages and you are able to afford more things."

We must make sure our meritocracy continues to provide the hope that tomorrow can be better than today if we strive. Our meritocracy is still one of hope but less than before. To re-energise a meritocracy of hope, it must recognise a more diverse set of human talents and skills. It must not be fixed too early in life but instead offer opportunities to advance throughout one's life.

Qn: To what extent is reducing reliance on foreigners a realistic goal for your society? (JPJC Prelim 2021)

'Mum's fine because we've got her a robot': Expert warns against a lonelier world for elderly

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the number of people on the planet will peak at 9.7 billion in 2064

"But that doesn't mean we're going to have a population of old, frail people. It just means that... instead of in a population pyramid, we're going to be living in more of a skyscraper," 

"Technology can connect, but we must be careful we don't move into a world where… we have families and caregivers saying, 'Well, robots can do that. And therefore we know mum is fine because we've got her a robot'."