August 29: The death toll from monsoon floods in Pakistan crossed 1,000 on Sunday (Aug 28), Fears of a nuclear disaster were heightened on Sunday (Aug 28) as heavy artillery was fired at the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, Moderna sued vaccine makers Pfizer and BioNTech on Friday (Aug 26) over alleged infringements of its patents on mRNA technology.
Continuing on his exploration of surveillance technologies and their implications, Lim Ghee Yang presents a breakdown of the insidious link between plastic surgery and the devices and applications we use in our everyday lives. Should we be wary of how the media can affect the perception of the self? Technology maverick Balaji S. Srinivasan put it best: “If code scripts machines, media scripts human beings”.
August 22: US and Taiwan announced last Friday (Aug 18) start of trade talks amid tensions with China, President Biden signs climate change, healthcare and taxes into law last Tuesday (Aug 16), Singapore to repeal Section 377A of the Penal Code as announced last Sunday (Aug 21).
The news. Our most trusted source of information. We update ourselves with news around the world almost daily, but what if the news you consume, even though not fake news, isn’t quite as accurate? Sherry from the IAS Gazette explores the harms of relying on news, especially without any or little discernment.
August 15: Once-fallen Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong is set to be pardoned, the South Korean Justice Ministry announced on Friday (Aug 12), Endorsing Finland and Sweden’s bid to join NATO, US President Joe Biden signed documents signed an “instrument of ratification” on Tuesday (Aug 9), US Department of Homeland Security scraps “Remain in Mexico” policy after Supreme Court ruling last Monday (Aug 8).
August 8: The United States prepared its largest security package for Ukraine, expected to be valued at US$1 billion and finalised on Monday (Aug 8), China conducted military exercises and placed sanctions on US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday (Aug 5) due to displeasure with her visit to Taiwan, At least 44 people, including 15 children were killed over a three-day bombardment on the Gaza Strip which began on Friday (Aug 5).
These days, it’s easy to feel lost in the unpredictability of global politics. Moreover, modern politics in Western democracies seem to no longer adhere to textbook ideas of political organisation. What’s behind political ideologies in recent years? What fuels the increasing divide between Left and Right? The IAS Gazette investigates how governments can address extreme polarisation and find their political centre of gravity once again.
August 1: Venezuela and Colombia jointly declares re-establishment of diplomatic ties, Ukrainian President Zelenskiy calls for more sanctions on Russia amidst their bid to cut gas supplies, Iran announces it has new ideas on restoring 2015 nuclear deal
The IAS Gazette is a news site run by undergraduates from the Singapore Institute of Management’s International Affairs Society (IAS). Founded in 2018, it traces its roots to The Capital, a now defunct bimonthly magazine previously under the IAS.
