1. Land scarcity: Singapore looks into possible use of air and sea space to build living spaces as a solution to land scarcity and population growth.

“Building on water is one of the possibilities for Singapore as it looks for new spaces where people can live, work and play.

Based on the Land Use Plan, an additional 5,600 hectares of land are needed by 2030 to cater for a population expected to grow to between 6.5 and 6.9 million.

And the city state is leaving no stone unturned in these efforts. “We’re using every possible surface and expanding our options,” says Economic Development Board managing director Chng Kai Fong.

“We have to examine every single option that’s available. We need to pick up every stone and seize those opportunities.”

Besides the sea, the options include building in the air, such as above roads, canals and existing structures, as the show Land Unlimited discovers.

The series showcases how other land-scarce cities are using unusual locations to overcome limited land, and what Singapore – the 20th-smallest country in the world and the second smallest in Asia – can learn from their experiences.”

 

Read the full article on Channel NewsAsia: In land-scarce Singapore, new spaces for homes on the sea and in the air, possibly

 

  1. Cybercrime: Cybercriminals are using more advanced tools to breach user security. More than 4.5 billion records were breached in the first half of 2018 alone.

“One of the most common attack vectors to smartphones are related to unsafe browsing (phishing, spear phishing, malware). More than 60% of fraud online is accomplished through mobile platforms, according to RSA, and 80% of mobile fraud is achieved through mobile apps instead of mobile web browsers.

As most people use their phones to manage financial operations or handle sensitive data outside the security of their home network, this becomes a prominent threat. The fact that users typically hold all their information on their phone, and that smartphones are now used for two-factor authentication – one of the most widely used cybersecurity tools – increases the security risk if the device is lost or stolen.”

Read the full article on World Economic Forum: Here are the biggest cybercrime trends of 2019

 

  1. Media Literacy: New initiative launched to educate secondary school students in identifying fake news as part of efforts to tackle cyber challenges.

“Authorities have identified better public awareness as key to stopping online falsehoods, which rank high on the list of threats.

The new toolkit, which will be rolled out across secondary schools on Tuesday, is a series of lesson plans that will help students spot fake news.

It also teaches them to discern between fact and opinion, through various scenarios and activities.

Professor Lim Sun Sun, head of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at the Singapore University of Technology and Design, said that outreach efforts should target children as they consume a lot of media content and are the tech experts in their families.

“Children are the most voracious media consumers and at the same time children can play a very helpful role in terms of not just educating their peers but also their family members about technology, because children are extremely familiar with technology.

“They are among the best ambassadors out there (to help) spread the word in terms of critical thinking and discernment,” she said.”

Read the full article on Channel NewsAsia: Students to play bigger role against fake news with media literacy toolkit

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