The rise and wrath of China’s middle-class consumers

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For issues about how consumers can make a difference and effect change....

Tech advances will bring Singaporeans back to construction services, says ISOTeam chief

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

MAS to warn 5 content creators in S’pore who may have given financial advice without a licence

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For issues on getting advice and information on social media nowadays....

New sports fiesta can help to encourage social mixing among youth: David Neo

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For issues on benefits and functions of sport....

Digital inclusivity a shared responsibility: Rahayu Mahzam

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1 in 3 S’pore workers reported facing work-related stress or burnout: Data from MOM online tool

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Several mosques received suspicious parcels with meat; Shanmugam warns ‘this is playing with fire’

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Govt refreshing approach to tackling inequality, reforming education: Desmond Lee

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For issues on education and equality....

‘We must break this cycle’: PM Wong on reducing emphasis on single exams, grades

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For issues on education and social equality.....

For now, AI is devouring jobs. This, too, shall pass

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Useful Read, esp in the explanation of examples of how tech in the past destroyed jobs, only to create more later...

Entrepreneur Elon Musk has said “there will come a time when no job is needed”. 

Dr Geoffrey Hinton, a Nobel laureate in physics who is regarded as the “godfather of AI”, said in an interview that “for mundane intellectual labour, AI will replace everyone”. Asked about AI-proof careers, he suggested that the best bet are jobs needing hands-on skills, adaptability, and unpredictable problem-solving – such as plumbing.

There is already rising demand for data scientists, machine learning engineers, human-machine teaming managers, algorithm auditors, prompt engineers, AI ethicists, and cyber-security professionals, roles that did not exist until recently.

while AI will displace jobs, this will be temporary as new jobs emerge, either directly from technological change (as is already happening) or indirectly by triggering higher demand and output because of lower costs and greater efficiencies, leading to net job gains. But there will be a lag between job displacement and new job creation.

ensure that AI does not replace jobs but amplifies skills.

the Government has launched a programme of 

traineeships for new graduates in several industries

, under which it will fund 70 per cent of the allowances they will receive for three to six months. This will help graduates acquire industry-relevant skills that could lead to full-time employment. 

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

Charlie Kirk killing revives questions about radicalisation and gaming culture

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If Robinson does turn out to be a shooter radicalised through online gaming spaces, he would not be the first. Previous terrorist shootings in Christchurch (New Zealand), Halle (Germany), Baerum (Norway), and the US cities of Buffalo, El Paso and Poway were all carried out by radicalised young men who embraced online conspiracies and violent video games.

In each of these cases, the shooter attempted (and in all but the Poway shooting, succeeded) to live-stream the atrocities, as though emulating a first-person shooter game.

The global video game market is enormous, with an estimated value of almost US$300 billion (S$384 billion) in 2024.

As early as 2002, American neo-Nazi leader Matt Hale advised his followers that “if we can influence video games and entertainment, it will make people understand we are their friends and neighbours”.

Qn: 'Video games are a threat to society and should be banned.' Do you agree? (NYJC J2 MYE P1 2025)

Americans believe harsh political rhetoric is fuelling violence: Poll

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Qn: Is violence ever justified? (Cam. 2012)

Rubio says a diplomatic solution to Gaza war may not be possible

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Qn: Is conflict inevitable in today’s volatile world? (RI Year 6 MYE 2025)

Japan needs an immigration debate, not social media myths

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Maybe you’ve seen the plans for Tokyo to designate special “home towns” within the country that will become free havens for African immigrants on special visas. Or perhaps the recently announced suggestion to bring in half a million Indians into the country? There’s a common thread to these stories: They’re all complete fiction.

these stories fill a vacuum – the lack of a proper discussion on immigration.

For issues on fake news and immigrants....

Healthcare cluster rolls out ‘AI-free’ periods for doctors to prevent deskilling

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The threat was highlighted by a study that found that in just a few months, experienced doctors who used AI assistance to detect pre-cancerous growths in the colon were less adept at doing so without the tool.

In early 2024, the cluster rolled out an AI-enabled system to identify polyps during certain endoscopic procedures. In April 2025, it deployed SerenityBot, an AI assistant that suggests recommendations for breast cancer treatment, and in June 2023, deployed the Champ chatbot that helps chronic disease patients track their health readings such as blood pressure and heart rate. 

There are also concerns such as “never-skilling”, where a practitioner fails to acquire critical capabilities, and “mis-skilling”, where AI-generated errors or biases are reinforced

Qn: To what extent has technology had a negative impact on the skill levels of people? (Cam. 2010)

National identity has different layers; S’pore has to guard against fault lines: SM Lee

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Can prompting ChatGPT make us better communicators?

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It’s not about getting better answers, but asking better questions. It’s about figuring out what you really want to say, how to say it clearly, and anticipating how your words will land – on both human and machine ears. And in that sense, AI might not just be shaping our communication for us, it might be teaching us to be better communicators ourselves.

In daily life, the ability to communicate clearly is a surprisingly underrated skill. Whether you’re writing a note to ask for help at work, or reaching out to someone after a misunderstanding, the success of that interaction often hinges less on what you say and more on how you say it. Think: tone, timing, context. These are soft skills we’re often expected to know intuitively, but many people never get taught them. Prompting AI can offer a space to practice. 

For neurodivergent individuals and anyone who struggles with social nuance, structured prompting is especially powerful. Conditions like autism or ADHD often come with challenges around interpreting or producing indirect, socially “smooth” language prized in many workplaces.

Qn: To what extent has technology had a negative impact on the skill levels of people? (Cam. 2010)

Singapore’s success will never be measured by economic growth alone, says President Tharman

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Qns:

1. The key criterion for good government is how well the economy is managed. Is this a fair assessment? (Cam. 2012)

2. To what extent can any society claim to be great? (Cam. 2020)

Sweeping Texas law barring Chinese land ownership is racist, say critics

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Supporters say the law is prompted by concerns over national security, to keep China’s growing appetite for property abroad in check.

Critics maintain it legitimises harmful and racist claims about immigrants, and can encourage hostility and increase the incidence of anti-Asian violence. They say it sends the message that Asian Americans are unwelcome, that they do not belong.

The US is under pervasive threat from the Chinese Communist Party, from Russia, from Iran and from North Korea

It (the law) does nothing more than send us backwards to a time when Asian Americans were openly told they didn’t belong

Qn: Assess the view that the world today is more divided than before. (ACJC Prelim 2024)

With grand parade, China projects its version of war history, and its place in the world

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It was the one time in that era when China had a clearly defined external enemy; in all the other conflicts, Chinese were fighting other Chinese

the narrative in 2025 seeks to portray the CPC as the “central pillar” of the Chinese resistance against Japan, despite the fact that it was Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist forces that led the defence of China

historical narratives that run counter to its official version of the past, particularly how the country managed to overcome its “century of humiliation” only thanks to the CPC.

“In the PRC, history is less about seeking truth from facts and more about undergirding the party’s regime legitimacy

For issues on the reliability of history.....

Qn: Is there any point in studying history when we should look to the future? (ACJC Prelim 2024)

Police to issue Meta first online harms order in S’pore to fight scams; possible fines of up to $1m

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If Meta fails to comply, it can be fined up to $1 million. This is the first implementation directive issued to an online service provider in Singapore under the Online Criminal Harms Act (Ocha) since the law came into force in February 2024

Facebook is the top platform used by scammers to impersonate key government office-holders.

Several accounts or posts on Facebook impersonating Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and former defence minister Ng Eng Hen  popped up earlier in 2025.

In February 2024, then Minister of State for Home Affairs Sun Xueling criticised Meta in Parliament for repeatedly refusing to have safeguards on its platforms to tackle the scam scourge.

Qn: In today’s troubled world, should governments impose more restrictions over the media? (SAJC Prelim 2024)

Forum: Public confidence key when considering nuclear energy

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Nuclear power has often been described as a “double-edged sword”. It offers the promise of reliable and low-carbon energy. However, the prospect of setting up a nuclear power plant or a small modular reactor (SMR) in Singapore’s setting also raises concerns about safety, waste disposal and costs

Technology alone cannot win acceptance because citizens need to feel assured that safety will never be compromised, that emergency measures are in place, and that waste will be responsibly managed.

Nuclear energy may one day play a pivotal role in our energy future. But whether it does so will depend not just on technology, but also on trust. Open discussions, honest communication and shared understanding will be just as vital as scientific studies

Qn: Does science solve all of our problems? (JPJC Prelim 2025)

A new generation of ‘AI-native’ extremists is rising. Can they be stopped?

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the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

The attackers didn’t just wield machine guns and grenades that killed more than 160 people. They used then nascent handheld GPS devices to navigate the Arabian Sea from Karachi, studied their targets on Google Earth (made public just three years earlier), and spoke to handlers in Pakistan via voice-over-internet protocol – the forerunner of today’s WhatsApp calls – bamboozling investigators unfamiliar with the technology.

What worries practitioners now is AI’s immediate utility in three areas: 

producing propaganda at scale, fast and with wider reach; supercharging mis- and disinformation by lowering costs and eroding trust; and, of greatest concern to security agencies, opening more channels for radicalisation and recruitment via chatbots and translation tools.

The latest report from ISD noted two recent cases here. A 17-year-old ISIS supporter detained in September 2024 used an AI chatbot to generate a bai’ah, a pledge of allegiance in the Islamic context, to ISIS and a declaration of armed jihad against non-Muslims intended to inspire others in Singapore to violence.

A 17-year-old far-right supporter detained in March 2025 meanwhile searched an AI chatbot for instructions on producing ammunition and considered 3D-printing firearms for a local attack.

Recent events prove that reactive scrambling, rather than proactive safety measures, is the industry playbook. The modus operandi seems to be: wait for scandal, then patch.

After a recent Reuters investigation exposed Meta chatbots engaging with minors in “romantic or sensual” conversations, the company swiftly added safeguards.

OpenAI, meanwhile, is rolling out gentle reminders for long chats to prevent steering vulnerable users towards self-harm. This follows a highly publicised wrongful death complaint in San Francisco where a 16-year-old boy, initially using ChatGPT for homework help, became dependent on the app as a confidant for hours daily and asked it for advice on suicide methods.

Even with laws like Singapore’s Online Criminal Harms Act – which can act swiftly against platforms that aid terror 

Qns:

1. To what extent should governments regulate the development and use of artificial intelligence? (NYJC Prelim 2025)

2. 'Technology has given us a false sense of hope in solving problems. To what extent is this true? (RI Prelim 2024)

Shanmugam lays out S’pore’s approach to helping Palestinians, condemns Israel’s actions in Gaza

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Qn: Is foreign aid ultimately more damaging than beneficial to the countries it aims to support? (RI Prelim 2025)

Gender-row Olympic boxer Lin Yu-ting won't compete at worlds, says official

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Qn: ‘Traditional notions of gender are irrelevant today.’ To what extent is this true in your society? (NYJC 2025 J2 MYE)

‘How may AI help?’: S’pore firms tap ‘digital humans’ to reach customers, fill manpower gaps

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another digital human, Silvia... at Chinatown MRT station later in 2025. She will support the deaf community by responding to spoken or typed queries in the written word and sign language...Silvia represents another step forward in making public transport more inclusive. She also frees up station staff to focus on more complex assistance and safety matters. 

virtual workers have helped firms struggling to fill service positions

Singaporean celebrity chef Justin Quek is using digital human technology to drive sales for his sauces, dips and pastes business. He hopes to expand into markets such as China and the Middle East. “I don’t speak Mandarin or Arabic but this is me,” Mr Quek said of introductory videos for his business, which are fronted by his avatar.

Qn: To what extent has technology had a negative impact on the skill levels of people? (Cam. 2010)

US comedian Sammy Obeid ordered to carry Pofma correction notices on posts alleging censorship

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