More firms hushing up their ESG efforts, but Uniqlo is taking the lead in walking the talk

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Uniqlo sees these upcycling initiatives as the foundation of its move towards “circular fashion” – a sustainability push within the fashion industry to operate a closed-loop cycle, reducing wastage and therefore environmental damage.

With consumer awareness about the fashion industry’s role in environmental damage growing, leading to boycotts in some cases, brands are driving initiatives aimed at reducing their environmental impact.

Qn: Examine the view that environmental efforts are futile as long as a materialistic society exists. (JPJC Prelim 2025)

From Amazon to Microsoft, AI is driving thousands of job cuts worldwide

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

Should Singapore follow Australia and ban social media for under-16s?

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‘Like a common language’: Batik’s role in Singapore’s diplomacy

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their choice of dress also represented regional solidarity and cultural connection between the two countries

Wearing batik is not just about fashion and trends,...It communicates familiarity and understanding, and represents an alignment with the cultural aesthetics of the wider Nusantara, he said. Nusantara is an old Javanese term used to refer to both the Indonesian archipelago and the wider Malay archipelago.....It is a gesture of cultural camaraderie and a point where we can come together, despite differences

For issues on fashion and clothes....

Qn: Fashion is as much a good thing as a bad thing. To what extent do you agree? (Cam. 2009)

Intense PSLE preparation can cause significant, long-lasting psychological harm to children

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Declassified Albatross File may reshape school history lessons, spark debate on national identity

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confirm that the end of Singapore’s time in the federation was negotiated

They show that leaders from both nations pushed for a clean break after two years of merger – a story that runs counter to the idea which remains in the public imagination that Singapore was kicked out unilaterally by then Malaysian Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman.

For issues on history.....

Fight over fossil fuels torpedoes key text of UN environment report

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Major oil producers Saudi Arabia and the US opposed references to phasing out fossil fuels, which are used to make plastic and when burned are the primary driver of climate change

investing in a cleaner planet could deliver trillions of dollars each year in additional economic growth

negotiations for a world-first plastic treaty collapsed in August under opposition from oil-producing nations

the cost of action is less than the cost of inaction. But I have to say at this moment in time, multilateralism does seem to be in trouble

For issues on climate change.....

S’pore’s consumer watchdog takes action against Courts and Prism+ over misleading website features

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Courts was found to have automatically added unsolicited items into consumers’ shopping carts, the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCS) said in a statement on Dec 8. Prism+ used fake countdown timers and misleading stock indicators to pressure consumers into purchases.

Qn: 'Online advertisements use increasingly sophisticated methods to target consumers.’ To what extent does this bring more harm than good? (Cam. 2024)

2025’s words of the year reflect a year of digital disillusionment

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The editors of the Cambridge Dictionary chose “parasocial”. They define this as “involving or relating to a connection that someone feels between themselves and a famous person they do not know, a character in a book, film, TV series… or an artificial intelligence”.......As an example, Cambridge’s announcement cited the engagement of singer Taylor Swift and American football player Travis Kelce, which led to a spike in online searches for the meaning of the term. Many Swifties reacted with unbridled joy, as if their best friend or sibling had just decided to tie the knot.

Why you should think twice about cloning your pet

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China adds tax to condoms as it works to boost birth rates

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Qns:

1. How far should the state intervene in matters relating to one's body? (MI Prelim 2025)

2. How far is it acceptable for the rights of individuals to be violated for the greater good of a society? (ASRJC Prelim 2025)

More focus, social interaction: Parents and schools support MOE’s tighter smartphone rules

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For issues on the impact of technology on education....relate also to the 2025 Cambridge 'A' level Compre AQ on AI on education.

Japan’s ‘fan economy’ is booming

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The ‘oshikatsu’ phenomenon may involve cartoon characters and pop idols but it’s worth a whopping 3.5 trillion yen.

Qn: How far do you agree that media coverage of celebrities has a positive influence on young people in your society? (Cam. 2025)

The real failure on climate didn’t happen in Brazil

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Most of the technology we’ll need to solve this problem is already in our hands, and cheaper than the alternative, if only we’d remove the morass of barriers and regulation we’ve erected to slow its advance. Our problem is that the world’s leaders are some of the last to see that.

Plenty of people of all generations are aware of the benefits of action to halt climate change. But with an average age of 69, the headstrong leaders of the 10 big emitters have rarely had less of a stake in the state of things when the current crop of NDCs matures in 2035. Almost half the world’s population is younger than 30. It’s up to the rest of us to guide the world to a better course

The Oxford 2025 Word of the Year is ‘rage bait’

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