A widespread Meta outage has resulted in Facebook, Instagram and Messenger being down on the afternoon of Jul. 19.

Users across the world experienced an error message when trying to log in to the desktop version of Facebook.

Facebook users received the following error message: "Account Temporarily Unavailable. Your account is currently unavailable due to a site issue. We expect this to be resolved shortly. Please try again in a few minutes."

According to the website Downdetector, outages were first reported at around 3:18pm, with more than 400 reports lodged at around 3:48pm.

The site's report numbers also spiked for Facebook Messenger and Instagram.

Issues affecting users worldwide

The issues appear to be affecting users worldwide but do not appear to affect the whole of the platforms.

Around 53 per cent of the issues reported on Facebook were on the website version of the platform, according to Downdetector.

Checks by Mothership showed that mobile versions of Facebook were still active.

Instagram users reported issues with accessing their feed on the platform's app, reported The Independent.

Instagram users were told: “Sorry, something went wrong. We're working on getting this fixed as soon as we can”.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared he will be supporting Argentina during the 2026 World Cup final.

Presents

In a social media post, Argentina's ambassador to Israel, Shimon Axel Whanish, presented Netanyahu with an Argentinian football jersey and an Argentinian-themed trionder football.

The pair used the ball to play a quick game, with Whanish tossing the ball to Netanyahu, who, in response, headed it through an empty doorway.

A video issued by the Government Press Office of Israel also showed Whanish playing a recorded message from Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, for Netanyahu.

The Israeli PM replied by calling Millei a great and true friend, and that he supported Millei in return, and Argentina in “so many ways, including tomorrow,” indicating the World Cup final, as reported by the Times of Israel.

Netanyahu and Milei are close allies on the international stage, with both right wing leaders professing support for each other’s countries, and Millei often acknowledged as one of the most openly pro-Israel leaders on the global stage.

Netanyahu, for his part, has touted his support for the Argentinian football team on multiple occasions, such as on Jul. 10, when he made an appearance on a local podcast.

There he confirmed his support, calling Millei an important ally of Israel, while also backing Milei’s controversial economic reforms.

Opposing calls

This is in contrast towards attitudes regarding Israel in Argentina’s opponent, Spain.

Spain’s PM Pedro Sanchez has previously called for Israel to be excluded from sports competitions and has severely criticised the country and Netanyahu’s military campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon.

Spain also recently refused to open its airspace to U.S. military aircraft during the U.S.-Israel War on Iran.

The World Cup final will take place in New Jersey on Jul. 19, and will see Spain compete for its second World Cup, and Argentina its third.

During their divorce proceedings and splitting of matrimonial assets, a Singapore man wanted a share of his estranged wife's S$450,000 critical illness insurance payout after she suffered a double stroke.

The man argued that he should have a cut of the sum as his income was probably used to pay for his wife's insurance policies' premiums during their marriage.

According to court documents seen by Mothership, the wife suffered two strokes, one in 2017 and another in August 2020, which left "her physically incapacitated and unable to walk".

This was despite the payouts being intended for her recovery.

Second marriage of both parties

The couple married on Dec. 12, 2009.

This was the second marriage of both parties, and they have two adult children each from their previous marriages.

The wife was 47 years old, and the husband was 49 years old when the wife commenced divorce proceedings against the husband on Aug. 12, 2020.

The couple have two sons aged 13 and 14 years old; the elder son was diagnosed with autism, and the wife has also given evidence that the younger son has learning difficulties.

The wife was unemployed at the time the divorce commenced; she had previously run a drinks stall in a primary school canteen until March 2018 when her health declined following her stroke.

The stroke left her physically incapacitated and unable to walk.

Matrimonial assets

The husband operated his own companies, while the wife was earning less than S$2,000 monthly running the stall.

However, she had cash savings of over S$400,000, a S$250,000 life insurance policy, and a S$565,000 HDB flat and other inheritance from her previous marriage with her late husband.

The husband only had S$4,342.37 in his own bank account, as his wife managed his income.

According to court documents, the total net assets in the wife's name stood at over S$1.3 million while the husband's was around S$413,000.

Insurance claim

The wife's second stroke occurred around the time of her divorce, and as a result of her condition, four of her critical illness policies paid out more than S$450,000.

A fifth policy pays her S$1,200 a month for the rest of her life.

The husband contended that the payouts should be added to the matrimonial pool.

He reasoned that the payouts "were not intended to compensate the wife for her expenses relating to her disability, but were instead meant to provide a general cash payout to protect and/or provide for the Wife’s family in the event of her becoming critically ill".

Claimed he paid for majority of policy premiums

He noted his wife's low income as a canteen stall operator and said the majority of the policy premiums were contributed by him.

However, the wife said the insurance payouts were not investment profits but meant to provide a policyholder with financial stability during a genuine health crisis.

Since her claims were approved, the wife was using the funds for medical care and living expenses as she could no longer work.

The Family Justice Court also did not award her any spousal maintenance as she was paid the monthly sum of S$1,200 from her fifth policy, and the court considered it sufficient.

Senior High Court Judge Tan Siong Thye agreed with the wife and said the husband's argument had no merit and was "unsupported by any evidence".

Tan said: "It is also inconsistent with the husband’s own characterisation of himself as the 'main or substantial breadwinner of the family'."

Dismissed husband's allegations

Tan noted that the way the couple organised their economic affairs during their marriage also made it unlikely that the insurance payouts would be used for the wife's missing income to support the family if she became critically ill.

The judge also dismissed the husband's allegations that the wife deliberately tried to "launder" matrimonial assets by spending on medical insurance.

According to court documents, life insurance policies purchased by either spouse during marriage, or payouts therefrom, may be regarded as a matrimonial asset.

This would be the case for plans simply held as investments to be encashed for a profit in the future.

However, insurance payouts are different, as the High Court ruled that the husband could not touch his ex-wife's payout as it was compensation for her long-term care.

Asset split

The wife used her fully paid S$565,000 HDB flat from her previous marriage as her matrimonial home for her second marriage, and she was awarded 100 per cent credit for it.

Therefore, the court chose to divide the flat separately from the couple's other assets, which totalled S$1.16 million.

Based on the distribution of household duties, the husband was accorded a higher score of 55 per cent for indirect contributions, while the wife got a score of 45 per cent.

When considered together with her 100 per cent share of the house, she received 72.5 per cent of the flat, or about S$410,000, while the husband received 27.5 per cent, or about S$155,000.

The court ruled that both parties had equal contributions in accumulating their non-property assets.

Resulting in an outcome where the husband received a 52.5 per cent share, or about S$610,000, while the wife received 47.5 per cent, or about S$550,000.

In total, the wife’s share of the matrimonial assets amounted to about S$960,000, while the husband received S$765,000.

Secretary-General of the Reform Party (RP), Kenneth Jeyaretnam, died on Jul. 18 at the age of 67.

His death was announced in a Facebook post by his wife, Amanda Jeyaretnam, on Jul. 19.

She said he "died peacefully in his sleep surrounded by family”.

"We are currently finalising funeral details for a small family service but will arrange a memorial to celebrate his life at a later date."

She noted that her husband was a "loving and devoted father" to their son, Jared.

"He filled our lives with joy and wonder, and we miss him so much."

Jeyaretnam was a familiar figure in the Singaporean political scene, having taken part in multiple general elections.

The police have arrested a 64-year-old man for his suspected involvement in a case of snatch theft at Balestier Road.

The police were alerted to the attempted snatch theft on Jul. 16 at about 8:40pm.

Investigations revealed that a 72-year-old woman was at a bus stop when an unknown man attempted to snatch her handbag.

The man was unsuccessful and fled the scene empty-handed.

Police subsequently established the identity of the man and arrested him on Jul. 18.

He will be charged in court on Jul. 20 for the offence of snatch theft.

Those found guilty can be jailed one to seven years and caned.

The police advised members of the public who encounter such cases to remain calm, take note of the physical appearance and distinctive features of the perpetrator, and call for the police as soon as possible.

A man in Penang won a RM 8.17 million (S$2.57 million) jackpot off a RM 2 (S$0.63) ticket, turning him into an instant millionaire.

2 to 8 million

The winner, an accounts executive from Penang, won after he and his wife paid a visit to a Chinese fortune teller.

According to The Sun, the fortune teller told him to pay attention to meaningful numbers in his life.

The man then picked a combination of numbers based on his and his wife's identity card numbers, playing those numbers for several draws.

The winning numbers were 8852 and 5573, which the man had bought from a Magnum 4d outlet in Air Itam, Penang, ultimately winning RM 8,169,660 (S$2,572,702).

He said that he was completely shocked by his win, and that he had kept checking his screen again and again to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

He told The Sun that he had become so overcome with excitement that he was unable to sleep.

Not quitting

But the winner won't be following the dreams of many who swore they would instantly quit their jobs if they ever won the lottery.

Instead, he said he would use the money to settle debts and take a holiday.

He also said the money would enable his wife to retire comfortably while he continued to work.

New York City's mayor Zohran Mamdani has rejected a law-approved 18 per cent pay raise.

The raise, which was approved by NYC's City Council members, would have increased his annual salary to a whopping US$305,800 (S$394,971), reported Bloomberg.

It would also raise the city's 51 elected officials' annual salaries by 18 per cent, which will amount to US$175,500 (S$226,675).

This marks the first salary increase for the City Council since 2016.

Not accepting the raise

Speaking at a news conference on Jul. 16, Mamdani declared he will not accept a pay raise.

"I haven’t knocked on anyone’s door in New York City and they’ve said their concern is that the mayor makes too little," he added.

The Council's decision to raise its own pay comes ahead of Mamdani's potential need to negotiate labour-contracts with NYC's 300,000 employees.

It also comes amidst the city's projected multibillion-dollar budget deficits over the next four years of his term.

The raises are expected to cost the city another US$2.6 million (S$3.4 million) in 2026 and US$17 million (S$22 million) in 2027, analysts found.

Increase to help with inflation

The raise is intended to help keep up with inflation, as price levels have risen 31 per cent in the past decade, according to a commission held early 2026 as cited by Bloomberg.

It was approved 42-6 by the City Council, and Mamdani is expected to sign on it.

A Singaporean man has been arrested in northern Jakarta after Indonesian authorities raided a house used to produce etomidate vaporiser pods, or Kpods.

Indonesian media outlet IDN Times reported that the 34-year-old suspect went by the initials LHM and the alias Hayden.

The raid occurred on Jul. 17 in a luxury house in the upscale Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK) area, approximately 13 kilometres from Soekarno–Hatta International Airport.

According to Antara, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport police chief Senior Commissioner Wisnu Wardana said Indonesian police "seized thousands of pieces of evidence during the operation".

The home-based operation reportedly began production of drug cartridges a day before the raid.

Was cooking etomidate when police raid occurred

Wisnu said the man was cooking or mixing the etomidate when airport police and customs agencies raided the house, reported IDN Times.

Thousands of ready-for-distribution drug cartridges and mini laboratory equipment used to produce the etomidate were seized in the raid.

Other items seized included stoves and dozens of shampoo bottles.

IDN Times reported that the Head of the Soekarno-Hatta Customs Office, Hengky Tomuan Parlindungan Aritonang, said the police were alerted to the case after shampoo bottles containing etomidate liquid sent from Malaysia were discovered by customs officers.

Hengky said: "When checked, it turned out that the package contained etomidate liquid disguised in two bottles of shampoo weighing 2,200 grams."

According to Antara, this was enough to produce up to 2,000 drug cartridges.

House allegedly rented by another Singaporean

The head of the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Police Narcotics Unit, Michael Kharisma Tandayu, said the house was supposedly  rented by another Singaporean.

Michael said the other Singaporean allegedly recruited the suspect to produce 500 etomidate vape cartridges a day, according to IDN Times.

He added that the suspect arrived in Indonesia on Jul. 13.

After the discovery, the police and customs authorities launched a joint operation to dismantle the drug syndicate, leading to the house raid.

An investigation is under way to determine how many cartridges were produced and how long the operation had been running.

The minimum annual leave entitlement for outsourced workers covered by the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) will be increased from seven to 10 days.

In a Ministry of Manpower (MOM) press release on Jul. 19, MOM said that this will be implemented in phases from 2029 onwards.

This will benefit approximately 60 per cent of outsourced workers across five PWM sectors: cleaning, security, landscape, lift and escalator and waste management.

Outsourced workers are those employed and deployed by their employer, typically a service provider, to work at the premises of a client company, the service-buyer, under an outsourcing contract.

Employment Act

Under the Employment Act, employees are entitled to a minimum of seven days of annual leave in their first year of service.

This increases by one day per year of service with the employer, up to a maximum entitlement of 14 days.

However, due to the nature of outsourced PWM workers' employment arrangements, leave entitlement may reset to seven days if they are rehired.

This usually occurs when a new service provider is appointed to take over a service contract.

In cases like these, outsourced PWM workers continue to work in the same role or location but may lose their accumulated leave benefits despite working in the same role continuously for many years.

Protecting employment conditions

MOM, in consultation with tripartite partners, agreed to this increase to ensure outsourced PWM workers receive leave entitlements that better reflect their continuous years of service and that employment conditions remain protected even when their employers change.

MOM added that the new minimum should not affect the annual leave increase outsourced employees are currently entitled to under the Employment Act.

In accordance with their employment terms and the Employment Act, workers who already receive leave benefits above this new minimum should continue to receive them, said MOM.

Strengthen retention and service continuity

MOM said the increase in baseline leave entitlement will strengthen retention and service continuity to build a resilient core resident workforce.

This supports the professionalisation of outsourced PWM sectors, many of which provide essential services.

The increase will be implemented progressively from 2029 onwards to give businesses sufficient time to adjust, and the respective sectoral Tripartite Clusters will further discuss the specific implementation timeline.

MOM noted this will allow employers and service-buyers to plan ahead and incorporate the change into their contracts, and better manage the operational and cost impact.

Implementation details will be shared closer to the implementation date.

“Appreciating Our PWM Workers” campaign

In a separate media release on Jul. 19, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) launched the “Appreciating Our PWM Workers” campaign at Heartbeat@ Bedok.

The public movement is to encourage Singaporeans to better recognise and appreciate PWM workers who often perform critical roles behind the scenes.

The event featured a PWM showcase, and visitors could learn more about the essential services provided by industry partners.

The NTUC-led initiative spotlights workers across the eight PWM sectors, including cleaning, security, landscape maintenance, food services, retail, waste management, lift and escalator maintenance and pest management.

Director of the NTUC Care Division and NTUC Assistant Secretary-General, Melvin Yong, said, "PWM workers play an indispensable role in our daily lives, yet many of their contributions often go unnoticed."

Yong said the PWM has helped raise wages and strengthen career progression for lower-wage workers, but building a more inclusive society also "requires us to value and respect the people behind these essential jobs".

United States President Donald Trump has suggested that FIFA choose the United States to host the World Cup again, but this time without Canada or Mexico.

Leave them out

As reported by Politico, Donald Trump was speaking at a FIFA World Cup reception on Jul. 17 in New York's Trump Tower, near where the final will be held on July 19.

He was quoted as saying that “You should choose the United States of America again.”

“This time we will leave Canada and Mexico out.”

The next World Cup(s)

The next World Cup will be held in 2030 by six countries, primarily Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with matches in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

This will represent hosting by three continents: Europe, Africa, and South America.

The arrangement is to mark the World Cup's centenary.

Saudi Arabia, part of the Asian Football Confederation, will then host in 2034.

This leaves the next World Cup available for bidding to be 2038, where countries from North America and Oceania will be eligible to bid.

The hosting arrangements for both the 2030 and 2034 World Cups were decided in 2024, indicating that the 2038 World Cup will be decided in the upcoming years.

Trump told FIFA President Gianni Infantino that “they should pick somebody else for the next one, and that will take some of the anger, hatred, and steam out of everyone.”

Final interventions

Trump will be attending the World Cup Final on Jul. 19, and ESPN reports that he will present the Trophy to the winners.

Trump has included himself in numerous World Cup stories since the tournament started in June.

Perhaps the most notable of this was his intervention in United States striker Folarin Balogun’s red card.

Balogun had received a red card playing against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but Trump's intervention saw that it was revoked in time to play the next game against Belgium, despite Belgium's protest.

Trump has even turned to amateur punditry, commenting on England manager Thomas Tuchel's decision to use striker Harry Kane in a more defensive role, as reported by the BBC.

Trump noted that he had played golf with Kane previously and called the striker fantastic, but suggested that England had made a “mistake” when they made him a defensive player during the team’s 2-1 loss to Argentina during the semi-finals.