FYI the plastic wrapper on your food cannot eat

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At first glance, they look like your usual talking-head commentary videos. Different people, different settings, all talking about Singapore’s economy and its relationship with global powers.     But watch a few of them back-to-back, and something starts to feel… off. Turns out, many of these clips have exactly the same script. And the “people” in them? They may not even be real at all. Recently, TikToker @damnlouisa flagged what she described as an influx of AI-generated videos circulating on Chinese social media platforms like Douyin and WeChat. In her video titled “New anti-Singapore campaign on Chinese social media”, she points out how these clips, which seem organic at first glance, start to look a lot less so when you compare them side by side. Different “speakers”, same lines.     Some even appear to reuse the same AI-generated faces, just with slight tweaks to outfits and backgrounds. So what are these videos actually saying? In short: unflattering things about Singapore. The messaging is almost identical, claiming that Singapore has “disrespected” China, while painting a pretty bleak picture of the country’s future. One recurring script alleges that Singapore has relied too heavily on the United States, only to be “abandoned”.     It also makes dramatic claims about Singapore’s oil and energy reserves lasting “no more than 20 days”, and suggests that key industries here, including high-tech engineering, are fragile or dependent on external goodwill. There are also repeated mentions of China’s Hainan Free Trade Port, with the suggestion that it could eventually replace Singapore’s role in certain sectors. To be clear, these are claims made within the videos, not verified facts. According to @damnlouisa, this is what an AI-driven disinformation campaign can look like, where “convincing but fabricated content” is mass-produced “to spread false narratives and manipulate public opinion.” “The intent behind these narratives is to sow discord and distrust between nations or groups,” she wrote.     And if you weren’t actively comparing multiple videos, you might not notice anything unusual at all. On their own, each clip looks polished and believable, and nothing immediately screams “AI”. As AI tools become more sophisticated, content like this may only get harder to detect. So the next time a video feels oddly familiar, it might be worth asking: is this a real opinion or just the same script, again?

Ensures Essential Supplies: The two countries signed a legally binding agreement to keep food, fuel, and healthcare products flowing during crises. Prevents Trade Barriers: Both nations pledged not to impose unnecessary export restrictions on critical goods during supply chain disruptions. Strengthens Strategic Ties: The pact builds on a broader partnership covering defense, security, and climate change cooperation. Establishes Global Precedent: Prime Minister Lawrence Wong noted this is the first agreement of its kind globally and invited other countries to join.     https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/singapore-new-zealand-sign-agreement-to-keep-essential-supplies-flowing-even-during-crises

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) – as part of a global enforcement operation led by INTERPOL - has seized 6,641 units of illegal health products in a sweep across Singapore. HSA revealed that 88 per cent were intercepted via postal services while the bulk of the products seized at the borders were prescription medicines such as painkillers or sedatives (about 36%), anti-parasitic medicines such as ivermectin (30%), and dermal fillers (about 6%). Close to 1,000 illegal health product listings from local e-commerce and social media platforms were also removed with warnings issued to 152 sellers. Offending listings included unregistered contact lenses, prescription-only skin creams for acne and eczema as well as sexual enhancement medicines among other items. Those caught importing, manufacturing or supplying illegal health products is liable on conviction, to an imprisonment term for up to 3 years and/or fined up to $100,000. INTERPOL said that Operation Pangea XVIII involved 90 countries and territories and was held over two weeks from 10-23 March. It resulted in the seizure of 6.42 million doses ‌of unapproved and counterfeit pharmaceuticals worth US$15.5 million.