Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Tuesday, September 1, 2026
the United States has openly and publicly recruited secret agents and informants from China. Google Search on 2026-09-01.
Yes, the United States has openly and publicly recruited secret agents and informants from China.
In an unprecedented shift toward public digital espionage campaigns, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has actively bypassed traditional cloak-and-dagger methods to publish open recruitment advertisements on mainstream social media platforms targeting Chinese nationals. [1, 2]
The primary methods and targets of this public campaign include:
1. Mandarin-Language Recruitment Videos
The CIA has released high-production, cinematic video advertisements recorded in Mandarin with Chinese subtitles across its public social media accounts. These videos are designed like mini-movies with dramatic music and narration to appeal directly to disillusioned insiders. [1, 2, 3, 4]
2. Targeting Military and Party Officials
The public campaign specifically targets members of China’s political and defense establishments: [5]
- The Military Push: A prominent CIA video campaign targeted mid-level officers within the People's Liberation Army (PLA). It capitalized on political instability and anti-corruption purges within the Chinese military. The video featured a fictional Chinese officer expressing fear that "anyone with leadership ability will inevitably be feared and ruthlessly eliminated". [4, 6, 7, 8]
- The Ruling Party Push: Prior public campaigns targeted officials within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and those working in China's defense industry. [8, 9]
3. Public Step-by-Step Instructions
Rather than just asking for help, these open advertisements provide detailed, step-by-step instructions on how Chinese citizens can securely contact U.S. intelligence without getting caught by Beijing’s "Great Firewall". The instructions guide users to: [8, 9, 10]
- Use Western Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) or secure web browsers.
- Create encrypted, anonymous email accounts with Western companies.
- Submit sensitive data through secure digital channels directly to the CIA.
4. Rebuilding a Broken Network
Intelligence experts note that this overt strategy is part of a heavy investment by the U.S. to rebuild its human intelligence network in China. The original U.S. spy network in the country was severely crippled between 2010 and 2012 when Chinese counterintelligence identified, imprisoned, or executed dozens of American sources. [11, 12]
China's Response
The Chinese government has strongly condemned these public recruitment drives, labeling the CIA's online initiatives as a "naked political provocation". Beijing has vowed to take all necessary measures to counter foreign infiltration and espionage. [1, 12, 13]
CPF: How a retiree topped up her CPF yearly to receive a $4600 monthly payout ---- 2026-02-22
https://www.straitstimes.com/business/invest/how-a-retiree-topped-up-her-cpf-yearly-to-receive-a-4600-monthly-payout
Tan Ooi Boon
Feb 22, 2026, 5:00 AM
SINGAPORE - A 71-year-old Singapore woman probably holds the current record for receiving the highest CPF monthly payout of about $4,600 every month, thanks to the high balance in her Retirement Account (RA).
Her payout is unusual by today’s standards because even if a 55-year-old member tops up to the highest tier of CPF LIFE at $440,800 in 2026, the expected monthly payout at age 65 would be only about $3,400.
The reason why Janet, as we shall call her, can achieve such a high payout is that she had been diligently topping up her RA annually for the last 16 years after she joined the scheme at 55.
The payout sum was further boosted because she opted not to start the payout at 65 but had delayed it until she hit 70. Her dogged effort in planning her retirement income has resulted in a payout that is about five times more than the payouts of other members in her cohort who did not make any top-ups to their accounts.
At this rate, she will receive a tax-free income of about $55,000 annually just from her CPF monthly payouts.
As Janet had also been making her own annual contributions to CPF even after she stopped working at 63, she had accumulated over $1 million in her Ordinary and MediSave accounts, which would enable her to enjoy an annual interest income of at least $30,000. This means that, together with her monthly income, her annual retirement income from CPF alone is about $85,000, or about $7,000 a month.
Based on the OCBC Financial Wellness study, a retiree who can plan for a monthly income of about $6,000 can enjoy a comfortable lifestyle, such as living in a private home and affording a car and domestic help, and paying for two long overseas holidays annually.
In her e-mail to Invest, she wrote: “CPF is the best retirement scheme in the world and everyone should try and top up their RA to the maximum to enjoy the 4 per cent interest rate. It is impossible to get this rate either from the banks or other institutions.”
Her story underscores the reason why the CPF Board is introducing an age-based and specially curated investment scheme in 2028 so that members who are willing to take some risk can aim to attain better returns than the prevailing CPF rates for their invested sums.
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Tan Ooi Boon writes for and oversees the Invest section of The Straits Times.
When a member has left a WhatsApp Group, are other members notified?No, other regular members are not notified when you leave a WhatsApp group
No, other regular members are not notified when you leave a WhatsApp group. [1]
- Regular Members: They will not see any notification or system message in the chatbox showing that you have left.
- Group Admins: Only the designated group administrators receive a notification within the chat or see who exited.
WhatsApp Help Center
When you exit a group, group admins will see “{contacts name or phone number} left.” in the group. It's not possible to disable this notification. When you dele...
AirDroid
11 Jul 2026 — To leave a WhatsApp group without notification, you can: 1. Locate the group chat you want to leave 2. Long-press the group from the "Chats" tab 3. For Android,
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AI: Traditional vs Generative
Yes, GenAI is the standard abbreviation for Generative Artificial Intelligence. It refers to a specific branch of machine learning designed to create entirely new, original content rather than just analyzing or filtering existing information. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Core Capabilities of GenAI
Instead of relying on rigid rules, GenAI models analyze vast datasets to learn underlying patterns, structures, and relationships. Once trained, they use these patterns to generate novel outputs based on your natural language inputs (prompts). [1, 3, 5]
The technology spans across several major mediums:
- 📝 Text: Writing essays, summarizing reports, drafting emails, and powering fluent conversational chatbots.
- 🎨 Images: Producing digital artwork, designing graphics, and modifying photos from scratch.
- 💻 Code: Automatically writing, debugging, and translating programming languages.
- 🎵 Audio & Video: Synthesizing lifelike voiceovers, generating musical scores, and rendering video clips. [2, 3, 6, 7]
GenAI vs. Traditional AI
Understanding the shift from traditional AI to GenAI helps clarify its impact:
| Feature | Traditional AI (Analytical) | Generative AI (GenAI) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Goal | Classify data, predict trends, or make choices. | Create original content and synthetic data. |
| Output Type | Numeric predictions, labels, or categories. | Text, images, music, code, or videos. |
| Example Use Case | Flagging a fraudulent credit card transaction. | Writing a personalized poem or generating a 3D model. |
Are you looking to integrate GenAI tools into your daily workflow, or are you curious about the technical architectures (like Large Language Models or Transformers) that make them work?
GenAI for Seniors: Workshops available for seniors who want to learn more about GenAI -- 2026-08-31
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-workshops-available-for-seniors-who-want-to-learn-more-about-genai
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Published Aug 31, 2026, 5:00 AM
Updated Aug 31, 2026, 5:00 AM
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We appreciate Deanna Nabilah Misbahuddin’s letter and agree that digital literacy for seniors must go beyond screen time management (Addiction not the only risk for seniors drawn to their screens, Aug 25). It must also equip them to navigate an increasingly AI-shaped digital landscape with confidence.
To meet seniors where they are, IMDA’s SG Digital Office (SDO), set up in June 2020, deploys digital ambassadors islandwide at more than 30 SG Digital Community Hubs, providing in-person guidance based on the Digital Skills for Life framework.
This framework equips Singaporeans with the knowledge and skills for daily living online, and has been enhanced to include content on GenAI, covering its risks such as misinformation, impersonation and deepfakes, as well as mitigation measures for safe, critical and responsible use.
Seniors who want to learn more about GenAI can attend in-person workshops conducted by SDO’s digital ambassadors or explore online resources at their own pace on the Digital for Life portal at
www.digitalforlife.gov.sg.
Those who prefer hands-on guidance are welcome to visit any of our SG Digital Community Hubs across the island, where digital ambassadors can help and share details on upcoming GenAI workshops. Seniors may book a one-to-one session via BookingSG at
https://go.gov.sg/sdo-1-1-consultation-booking
Beyond government efforts, our partners from the private, people and public sectors also organise workshops and activities under the Digital for Life Movement to help seniors build these skills.We encourage everyone to play a part in helping the seniors around them embrace and navigate the digital world with confidence.
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Douglas Goh
Director, Digital Engagement & Adoption, SG Digital Programme Office
Infocomm Media Development Authority
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