Ahead of the next general election, Singapore is looking at tweaking regulations to control AI deepfake content. Digital Development and Information Minister Josephine Teo had cited the example of South Korea's temporary ban on AI deepfakes during its election. Mr Jeffrey Kok, vice-president of Solution Engineers for Asia Pacific and Japan at CyberArk, shared more about blocking or banning AI deepfakes, as well as the ethical use of AI in politics.

The Singapore government has urged Institutes of Higher Learning to mutually recognise each other's certificates from bite-sized courses. These 'micro-credentials' are typically for job-specific skills, which can be stacked to a diploma or degree. Associate Prof Guan Chong from the Singapore University of Social Sciences Academy, and Assoc Prof May Lim, Assistant Provost in Applied Learning at the Singapore Institute of Technology, shared how standardising the naming of micro-credentials can help adult learners.

Torrential rains are pounding parts of East Asia, with some regions seeing record downpours as the summer monsoon sets off landslides and overwhelms rivers. At least five people in South Korea have died as a result. Parts of North Jeolla province were battered by some of the heaviest hourly downpours ever. Throughout the southern region, thousands of people have been forced to evacuate and landslide alerts are in place for at least 50 areas.

China has released a report claiming that the area around the Scarborough Shoal -- which it controls -- has "excellent" environmental quality. This comes amid months of escalating tensions with the Philippines in the disputed South China Sea. China seized the shoal in 2012, following a standoff with the Philippines. Sovereignty of islands in the area has not been determined by an international court. Earlier this week, China had released another report highlighting environmental degradation in another area of the contested waters, putting the blame on the Philippines. Olivia Siong reports.

The second day of the NATO summit is underway in Washington DC. In an opening speech, US President Joe Biden promised to provide Ukraine with five new strategic air defence systems. The military alliance will also deepen ties with Indo-Pacific partners Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand -- all of which have been invited as observers. Nick Harper reports.

Latvia will spend an estimated 3 per cent of its GDP this year to bolster its defence capabilities, higher than the initial planned budget of 2.4 per cent. The Baltic state is just one of 10 of the 32-member NATO alliance to have hit the bloc’s targeted defence spending goal. During an interview with CNA's Caroline Malone on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington DC, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics urges allies to also increase their defence expenditures to help ensure the bloc’s military readiness. Read more: https://cna.asia/4czalfu Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

The latest Chinese claims of coral reef damage in the Second Thomas Shoal - a flashpoint between Manila and Beijing in the South China Sea - are part of a long series of tit-for-tat, says Eduardo Araral, Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. He tells CNA's Asia Now why the United States is not likely to get involved. Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

A Chinese report earlier this week claimed that high levels of heavy metals and oils discharged from a grounded Philippine warship at the Second Thomas Shoal - a flashpoint between Manila and Beijing in the South China Sea - was harming coral reefs. Political scientist Evan Laksmana tells CNA’s Asia Now that the latest blame game over the contested waters' coral reefs is part of a bigger strategic game. It is “a drop in a big bucket of disputes”, the senior fellow for Southeast Asia Military Modernisation at the International Institute for Strategic Studies adds. Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

A man has been caught trying to smuggle 104 snakes into China by cramming them into his pants. China customs said his pockets were packed with 6 sealed bags, each containing "living snakes in all kinds of shapes, sizes and colours".

We asked our colleagues what crickets and silkworms taste like. Would you try bug-si lemak?

Cartier is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its Trinity collection with a pop-up in Singapore. Learn about the history and legacy through seven connected rooms. Look out for celebrity Jackson Wang’s music and light installation, as well as Singapore’s very own He Shuming’s short film created for this occasion. Read more: https://cna.asia/3xHARUS

Market watchers expect Certificate of Entitlement (COE premiums) to rise in the short to medium term, driven by higher demand for electric vehicles and more models coming into Singapore. This is as more Chinese EV brands are looking to enter the Singapore market with a bigger range to offer. CNA's Nasyrah Rohim reports. Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

The infamous Yakuza in Japan and the 15,000 refugees in Hong Kong have something in common. They are outliers who find it hard to reintegrate into society. But as Teresa Tang finds out from CNA's Michiyo Ishida and Deborah Wong, they are being given a second chance, though not without some deep challenges.  See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

Singaporean filmmaker Nelicia Low has won the best director award at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, one of Europe's leading motion picture events. She took the prize over the weekend with her debut feature film, Pierce -- a heartwarming drama about two brothers. Ms Low shared how being a former national fencer inspired her film.

Singapore and Shanghai are expanding their cooperation to include the digital economy as one of the new key pillars. Government agencies and companies from both sides will exchange knowledge and regulatory updates in the area. This was announced at the fifth meeting of the Singapore-Shanghai Comprehensive Cooperation Council. Last year, trade between the two cities increased by 7.8% year-on-year.

Singapore and Malaysia police have vowed to beef up cooperation to fight crimes, which are increasingly becoming borderless. Senior officers from both sides made this point at a joint media event in Johor Bahru, just one week after a joint crackdown on an illegal remote betting syndicate. 43 people were arrested during the raid, including four Singaporeans in Johor Bahru. Cash, jewellery, luxury watches and more than 40 bank accounts worth nearly $4 million were seized. At least nine suspects have been charged in Singapore with illegal gambling.

A cluster of nine polyclinics will be first in Singapore to offer teens mental health screening for conditions like insomnia, depression and anxiety. Nearly 100 teens aged between 13 and 17 years have benefitted so far. The National Healthcare Group Polyclinics said this will help with early detection and support. Dr Eugene Chua, a family physician and associate consultant, shared more about the new programme and mental health conditions among young people.

The Education Ministry is fine-tuning the micro-credentials landscape to make it easier for adult learners. Micro-credentials are short courses that teach a specific topic. These can then be stacked together for a full qualification. Meanwhile, a Skills Pathway -- which provides industry-related training that leads to certifications -- has been launched for the cybersecurity sector. Mr Sam Liew, president of the Singapore Computer Society, and Mr Alvin Aloysius Goh, executive director of the Singapore Human Resource Institute, discussed how these will attract mid-career workers to the sector.

NATO leaders are gathering in Washington DC for the 32-nation alliance's 75th summit. The war in Ukraine is expected to top the agenda. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden is hoping to use the gathering to reassure allies that he is capable of leading, as questions swirl about his survival after a disastrous presidential debate performance. The prospect of Donald Trump's return also looms over the summit. The former US leader once threatened to pull out of the alliance and make a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the Ukraine war. Benji Hyer reports.