Headlines July

• An alleged mastermind in Singapore has been linked to a complex scheme involving forged documents, frequent name changes, and illicit money transfers. • Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng is scheduled to meet with the community in the coming week to address local concerns. • The Institute of Mental Health (IMH) plans to scale up a new initiative across all its wards by the end of 2027.

• Indonesia and Turkiye have formally adopted a 2026-2027 Joint Action Plan to strengthen bilateral cooperation on labor issues. • The agreement focuses on key areas including labor policy, digital services, workplace safety, and broader international cooperation. • Separately, Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Acting Minister David Neo launched a new national plan for youth development on Saturday.

• The House GOP approved $73 billion in new Pentagon funding and $10 billion for voting restrictions on July 23, 2026. • The U.S. military conducted its 12th consecutive night of attacks, targeting a border crossing between southern Iran and Iraq. • A judge scheduled a June 2027 trial date for abducted Venezuelan leaders Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores.

• Defense Secretary Hegseth testified that the U.S. war on Iran has reached a total cost of $37.5 billion. • In the Middle East, Houthi rebels warned shipping companies against using Saudi ports, while the Israeli military constructed a giant barrier to separate controlled portions of the Gaza Strip. • The Trump administration reported a record number of immigrant arrests for June, though a federal judge blocked the DHS from deporting a key witness in the Lorenzo Salgado Araujo fatal shooting case.

• Yemen’s Houthis have declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia, escalating regional tensions by opening a new front in the Middle East conflict. • The U.S. military has conducted airstrikes against Iran for the 10th consecutive night, while an Israeli drone strike in Gaza City resulted in the deaths of a family of six. • Khalil al-Hayya, a survivor of previous Israeli assassination attempts, has been appointed as the new leader of Hamas.

• Yemen’s Houthis have declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia, escalating regional tensions by opening a new front in the Middle East conflict. • The U.S. military has conducted airstrikes against Iran for 10 consecutive nights, while an Israeli drone strike in Gaza City killed a family of six. • Khalil al-Hayya, a survivor of previous Israeli assassination attempts, has been appointed as the new leader of Hamas.

• The U.S. is conducting ongoing military strikes against Iran following the deaths of three U.S. service members. • In the Middle East, Israeli strikes in Gaza killed several Palestinians over the weekend, while settlers stormed a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank. • Russia launched a heavy ballistic missile attack on Kyiv, resulting in six confirmed deaths.