It seems like any animated movie worth its salt is receiving the live-action treatment. In 2025 alone, three of the most high-profile movies of the year were live-action adaptations of animated favorites. Snow White came first, led by Rachel Zegler, and shrouded in controversy. Thankfully, the poor reception and box office failure of this Disney project were overcome by Lilo & Stitch, as Ohanas in their many millions flocked to theaters and helped the project to a billion-dollar haul and the green light on a sequel.
Acting Staff Sgt. Cory Der said the mid-afternoon shooting at Connaught Park was a 'brazen act of public violence' that left a man with life-altering injuries.
SINGAPORE: A Singaporean man who also held Indonesian citizenship has been handed the maximum three-year jail sentence for avoiding National Service (NS) for almost 22 years, in what is now the harshest punishment imposed in a Singapore NS default case.
The 47-year-old Edmond Yao Zhi Hai was sentenced on May 26 after the court found that he had failed to serve both his full-time NS duties and later reservist obligations for more than two decades. District Judge James Elisha Lee said Yao’s conduct fell into the “worst category” of NS defaulters because he had effectively skipped the entire system from start to finish.
The court also fined him S$3,000 for immigration offences after he failed to present his Singapore passport to immigration officers when entering Singapore, Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reported.
NS remains one of Singapore’s most politically and socially sensitive obligations. The country’s conscription system is a shared duty that cuts across race, income, and social status. Many Singaporean men spend years serving and returning for reservist training.
The court rejected his claim that he believed Indonesian law excused him from NS
Yao contested the enlistment charge in court, arguing that he believed Indonesian law prevented him from serving in a foreign military. The judge rejected that explanation.
Judge Lee said Yao had been informed of his NS obligations by the Central Manpower Base (CMPB) from the beginning and couldn’t reasonably claim he acted in good faith.
The defence argued that Yao had entered and left Singapore for years without being arrested, suggesting delays by the authorities. The judge disagreed. He said Yao had used an Indonesian passport while travelling and had “clearly contributed” to avoiding detection. The court found no improper delay in prosecution. Yao, currently on bail, plans to appeal both his conviction and sentence.
He left Singapore before NS enlistment
Court documents showed Yao was born in Singapore in 1978 to a Singaporean mother and Indonesian father. He studied at well-known schools, including Raffles Institution and Raffles Junior College, before failing to report for enlistment in January 1997.
He later continued his studies overseas and tried to renounce his Singapore citizenship in 2003 through the Singapore embassy in Indonesia. However, the Ministry of Defence didn’t approve the renunciation because of his NS liabilities.
In 2005, he married a Singaporean woman and later applied for permanent residency in Singapore. The application was rejected because Singapore still regarded him as a citizen. He continued travelling to and from Singapore until September 2021, when he was arrested while trying to extend his short-term visit pass.
NS evasion through the lens of fairness to others who have completed the obligation
Singapore courts have consistently treated NS default cases seriously, but this case pushes sentencing into new territory because of the length of the default.
The judgment shows that citizenship obligations continue to apply to Singaporeans even when dual nationality, overseas education, or long-term residence abroad is involved. It also shows how Singapore increasingly views NS evasion through the lens of fairness: when one person manages to avoid duties that others have no choice but to complete.
At the same time, the case shows how citizenship laws can become messy when they overlap across countries, especially for children born into dual-nationality situations. Still, Singapore’s position on NS has remained firm for decades. Once a male citizen is liable for service, leaving the country or attempting to renounce citizenship later rarely removes that obligation.
A reminder that Singapore treats NS obligations seriously
Cases like this are taken seriously in Singapore because they concern citizenship fairness and identity. And the courts have remained consistent: NS is treated as a national obligation, not a voluntary arrangement people can opt out of later.
For Singaporeans who have served before, the sentence reinforces a long-standing social contract. For others with complicated cross-border backgrounds, it is another reminder that Singapore citizenship duties can follow a person for decades, even after they leave the country.
SINGAPORE: In a recent interview, the longtime opposition politician Chee Soon Juan spoke about the high salaries of ministers in Singapore, saying that this should not be a motivation for those who want to serve the public.
The Singapore Democratic Party secretary-general was a guest on an episode of PPE Unfiltered, a podcast from the University of Warwick’s Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Society, which aired on March 16.
Dr Chee, however, posted a short clip from the episode on his Facebook page on Wednesday (June 3).
“Ministers saying they should be paid astronomical salaries so that they will not be tempted by corruption is like the employee demanding high wages so that they will not steal office supplies,” he wrote in the caption.
Singapore’s ministers and government leaders are the best-paid in the world, as their salaries are higher than those of leaders of other major nations. The Prime Minister of the city-state is paid around S$2.2 million each year.
The interviewer pointed out to Dr Chee the arguments that it would be difficult to attract high-quality candidates without high salaries and that high salaries serve as a curb for corruption, and then went on to ask for the SDP chief’s opinion on how good candidates could be encouraged to step up.
Dr Chee said that, as he mentioned in a rally during last year’s General Election, corruption is a crime.
“Do you tell your people, ‘I have to pay you so well so that you don’t commit a crime?’” he asked, adding that employees don’t tell their bosses that they should double their salaries, otherwise they’ll steal office supplies.
“What do you think that boss would say to you? Look, corruption is about character, public character. You don’t tell people, “Hey, give me so much money so that I won’t commit a crime, so I won’t get corrupt. You don’t become corrupt, and that is the right thing to do in and of itself,” he added.
As to getting people to join the political arena, Dr Chee said that many are afraid to do so.
“There are very many people who just don’t want to step forward because of the political system here in Singapore. I know of good people who are very afraid, but they don’t keep thinking, ‘Pay me this much, otherwise I don’t want to serve.”
He added that he has never said that government leaders should not be well-paid.
“The question is, how much is well before it becomes a problem in and of itself,” said Dr Chee, adding that people who want to make a lot of money should “knock themselves out” in the business world and become billionaires.
“But therein lies the difference. It’s public service, and that’s why we call it service. It’s not a public reward that you’re coming into. It takes a very different mindset for a public servant to come in wanting to serve this country, competent people, talented folks, who have that whole spirit of public service, and not have to keep thinking that I must be paid so much money before I’ll serve the nation.
That is the tragedy here in Singapore,” he added.
He also opined that if the country continues in this way, the people who run it will all be technocrats or administrators, who are looking out for themselves rather than somebody looking out for society. That is the danger as we go forward.” /TISG
Donald Trump's vision was to paint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool a darker shade of "American flag blue" to celebrate the country's 250th birthday. But this week, it's been looking more green than blue.
An AI agent doesn't just respond to customers; it resolves their problems independently, without human involvement.
About one-third of service calls are already handled by AI, according to Salesforce's November 2025 State of Service report, and that number will hit 50% by 2027. But what percentage of those calls are–or could be–resolved by AI without human intervention? That is an entirely different question.
AI agents are no longer just for enterprise. SMBs are adopting them to reduce costs, handle volume, and compete with larger players on service quality.
This guide is for the SMB owner or operator evaluating these tools for the first time.
What Is an Agentic AI Agent for Customer Service?
Originally, AI agents were non-agentic, similar to chatbots and AI-powered support platforms. But the term gets used loosely, and the differences matter when you're deciding what to buy:
Differences Between Chatbots, AI-powered Support Platforms, and AI Agents
The term “AI agent” has a precise meaning in the industry, but you would not know it from browsing the market. True AI agents can reason through problems, take independent action, and complete multi-step tasks without a human directing each move.
Most of what gets sold under that label cannot do any of that. Instead, it is AI-powered customer service software, which can be genuinely useful, but it is not the same thing.
The distinction matters because if you search for "AI agent" and buy the first thing that comes up, there is a good chance you are buying something far less capable than the name implies.
This table explains the differences:
True AI agents typically cost 2-3x more than a chatbot, but a chatbot that can't resolve the issue just moves the cost to your support team.
Why SMBs Are Adopting AI Agents Now
Two-thirds of businesses that have already adopted AI agents report measurable productivity gains, according to PwC's AI Agent Survey. More than half say they're seeing real cost savings and faster decision-making. And 54% credit AI agents with improving the customer experience.
Customers today expect fast answers wherever they reach out, whether that's chat, email, or social. Hiring enough staff to cover all those channels around the clock isn't realistic for most small businesses. Basic chatbots are affordable, but anyone who's used one knows how quickly they hit a wall. AI agents are a different thing entirely. They can handle complex, multi-step conversations across channels without the overhead of a full support team.
Nearly three-quarters of executives surveyed expect their AI agent strategy to be a significant competitive advantage within the next 12 months, and 46% are already worried they're falling behind. That's not just enterprises competing with other enterprises. SMBs are going to feel this too, competing with other SMBs who move faster.
What to Look for When Choosing an AI Agent Platform
Knowing AI agents deliver results is one thing. Choosing the right platform is where most SMBs get stuck. Not all AI agent platforms are built the same, and the wrong choice can mean paying for capability you can't use or getting locked into something you'll outgrow. These six factors are worth evaluating before you commit to any platform:
1. Resolution Capability
The most important question to ask any vendor is whether their agent actually resolves issues or just routes them. Triaging a customer inquiry and handing it off to a human likely isn't much of an upgrade over what you already have.
Look for platforms with documented resolution rates across real customer interactions, not just demo scenarios. That track record is the clearest signal of whether the AI is actually doing the work.
2. Omnichannel Support
Your customers aren't reaching out through one channel, and your AI agent shouldn't be limited to one either. A platform that handles chat but not email, or email but not voice, creates gaps that fall on your team to cover.
The goal is a single platform managing every channel consistently, so customers get the same quality of response whether they text, call, email, or open a chat window.
3. Ease of Use for Non-Technical Teams
If your support team needs to file a ticket with engineering every time they want to update the agent, the platform is going to create friction fast. The best platforms let support leaders configure, adjust, and retrain the agent themselves. That independence matters, especially for SMBs, where engineering resources are limited and support needs change quickly.
4. Integration with Existing Tools
An AI agent that can't talk to your CRM, helpdesk, or knowledge base is working blind. It needs access to customer history, open tickets, and your existing documentation to give accurate, useful responses. Before committing to any platform, map out which tools it needs to connect to and verify those integrations exist and actually work, not just that they're listed on a features page.
5. Responsible AI and Governance
This one gets skipped more than it should, especially by SMBs. If your agent is handling customer data, billing questions, or anything sensitive, you need to know how it makes decisions and where humans provide oversight. Look for platforms with clear oversight controls, visibility into the agent's reasoning, and relevant compliance certifications. A governance failure isn't just a technical problem, it's a customer trust problem.
6. Scalability
The platform that fits your business today needs to fit even when you've doubled your support volume or expanded into new channels. Switching platforms mid-growth is expensive and disruptive. Ask vendors directly how their pricing and architecture scale, and look for case studies from businesses that started where you are now.
Platforms Worth Considering
These platforms specifically describe their offerings as agentic, meaning they can act autonomously rather than just assist humans. Here's what to know about each:
Zendesk
Zendesk AI for customer service deploys AI agents that handle customer requests end-to-end across every channel while giving human agents real-time access to relevant knowledge for the conversations they do handle. It's one of the more established platforms on this list, which shows in its governance approach. Zendesk holds ISO 42001 certification for AI management systems with clear transparency and human oversight controls, making it a good fit for SMBs that need enterprise-grade reliability without the infrastructure to match.
Tidio Lyro
Lyro Conversational AI Agent sits in a useful middle ground, more capable than basic automation, less complex than enterprise platforms. It handles customer conversations across chat, email, and social media while taking real action in your business systems, checking order statuses, updating customer records, scheduling appointments, and escalating to a human when needed. Every response is grounded in your verified support content to keep answers accurate. Lyro is designed for SMBs that want true agentic capability without enterprise-level complexity or cost.
Fin (formerly Intercom)
Fin AI Customer Agent handles more than half of all customer questions without human intervention, pulling answers from your internal content, websites, PDFs, and databases across 45 languages. What sets it apart is how deeply it connects to existing business systems. It can retrieve and update customer data, process account changes, and take action directly within Salesforce, HubSpot, and Freshdesk. For SMBs already running those tools, that level of integration means the agent isn't just answering questions, it's actually taking action.
Gorgias
AI Agent Gorgias is built specifically for ecommerce brands, which makes it a different kind of tool than the others on this list. It handles the full range of ecommerce support, including order status, returns, and shipping updates, while also functioning as a shopping assistant that can recommend products during the conversation. It resolves around 60% of inquiries autonomously, supports 80+ languages, and integrates directly with Shopify and other ecommerce platforms to access real-time order and inventory data. If your business sells online, it's worth a close look.
Freshdesk
Freddy AI Agent is Freshworks' autonomous customer support and IT service agent, handling questions across Freshdesk, Freshservice, and Freshchat from a single platform. It manages the full support process without human intervention, working across email, chat, voice, and messaging. The flexibility to build custom agents for specific use cases makes it a practical fit for mid-sized SMBs that have outgrown basic automation but aren't ready for enterprise complexity. If your business is already in the Freshworks ecosystem, the integration is seamless.
Questions to Ask Before You Buy
Here are some questions an SMB decision-maker should ask any vendor before signing:
What is the average resolution rate?
How are agents updated when your products or policies change?
What governance controls are in place?
How long does it take to set up and train the AI on my business?
What happens when the AI can't answer a question or gets stuck?
How much does it cost per conversation or per resolved ticket?
Can I see real customer data from companies similar to mine?
What integrations do you have with my existing tools?
How do you handle customer data privacy and security?
Getting Started: A Simple Path to First AI Agent Deployment
Choosing the right AI agent isn't about picking the most advanced technology. It's about finding a platform that resolves customer issues reliably, scales with your business, and operates with the transparency and accountability your customers expect.
Start With Low-Stakes Interactions
The smartest way to start is narrow. Pick one high-volume, low-complexity use case, like order status questions, password resets, or basic account inquiries. These are interactions your team handles dozens or hundreds of times a week, the answers don't change much, and a failed response doesn't put a customer relationship at serious risk.
Set Your Baseline Measurements First
Before you go live, define what success looks like in concrete terms: resolution rate, average handle time, customer satisfaction score, escalation rate. Pick one or two metrics that matter to your business and measure them before and after.
From there, adding a channel or a more complex use case is a much easier internal sell than asking leadership to approve an unproven investment. The businesses that get AI agents right aren't the ones who launched with the most sophisticated setup. They're the ones who started somewhere specific.
Customers Notice When Problems Actually Get Resolved
By 2027, AI will handle half of all service calls. What matters for your business is whether those interactions actually resolve your customers' problems. That's what agentic AI agents are built to do.
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