U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to slap new tariffs on Canada as a result of hazy conditions affecting parts of the U.S. due to ongoing wildfires.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said, "(The) United States is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable!"

He said he would call Canada's Prime Minister, Mark Carney, about the matter and accused Canada of failing to "engage in basic Forest Management".

He added:

"This is Willful Negligence, and becoming a yearly occurrence, costing the United States Billions of Dollars, which cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying."

Following Trump's remarks, Canada's emergency management minister said the two countries remain in close contact and have a long history of working together on such disasters, the BBC reported.

Thus far, more than 800 wildfires have been detected in Canada, according to the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System.

The wildfires have been primarily driven by hot and dry weather, along with lightning strikes.

Haze from wildfire clouds World Cup finals

The ongoing wildfires have also cast a cloud of uncertainty over the status of the World Cup final, which is due to be played on Jul. 20, between Spain and Argentina.

According to USA Today, haze from the wildfires in Canada was seen blanketing the open-air stadium at East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Jul. 17, where the World Cup final will take place.

Moderate to unhealthy air conditions were also detected over New York City and the U.S. capital, Washington D.C., U.S. media Fox 13 News reported.

While Trump's post did not mention the World Cup final, the White House World Cup task force executive director, Andrew Giulani, said there has been discussion about the situation, Aljazeera reported.

"We have somebody with the National Weather Service that sits in FIFA headquarters there, so we’re monitoring closely," Giulani added.

The situation is expected to improve over the weekend however, given that rain has been forecasted for Jul. 18, over the region of New York and New Jersey, Reuters reported.

Former Mediacorp actress Florence Tan has graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Health Science.

The 49-year-old took to Instagram on Jul. 16 to share the announcement, with a photo of herself in a graduation gown, in front of the logo for University of the People (UoPeople), an online university based in the U.S., California.

Thanked family and colleagues

In her post, Tan thanked her family for their "endless love, patience and sacrifices" and believing in her, "even on the hardest days".

She also thanked her colleagues and friends for their support in her professional growth as she pursued her dream, as well as the staff at UoPeople.

Tan wrote:

"Balancing family, work, dance, and studies wasn’t easy, countless sleepless nights and endless hours of rushing to meet paper deadlines. But it taught me the ultimate truth: ‘Never give up. Great things take time.’"

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Florence Tan 陈秀丽 (@florencetan.xiuli)

Tan began her studies with UoPeople in November 2020.

At that time, she put up a post in which she shared about how she felt overwhelmed by the amount of books, videos and essays she had to go through within the first week of school, and said it had left her "exhausted".

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Florence Tan 陈秀丽 (@florencetan.xiuli)

Tan relocated to Hong Kong after marrying Taiwanese businessman Jack Liu in 2006.

The couple have a pair of twin daughters, Novea and Viola. Both of whom are now aged 18.

More recently, Tan starred in a Chinese drama "The White Olive Tree".

A 40-year-old man has pleaded guilty to raping an intoxicated woman in 2022 near Tuas West Road MRT station.

Alam Foysal, a Bangladeshi foreign worker, pleaded guilty to one charge of rape on Jul. 17, reported CNA.

A second charge of kissing the woman with the intent to outrage her modesty was taken into account in court.

Ahmed Rayhan, his co-worker who was also involved in the same case, had earlier been sentenced to nine years' jail and nine strokes of the cane.

The case

The two men were working as welders on the same construction-related project and stayed in the same dormitory in Tuas.

They were 36 and 30 at the time of the incident.

On Mar. 8, 2022, between 12:30am and 2:20am, the duo took the last train back to their dormitory after meeting a mutual friend for drinks.

They met the victim, a 32-year-old Singaporean, in the train carriage next to theirs.

She was heavily intoxicated and was seen by the men walking "erratically" up and down the aisle, as well as sitting on the floor and standing up before taking a seat, CNA reported off court documents.

After Rayhan told Foysal that the victim was drunk, the two men approached her with Foysal going first.

When they tried to strike up a conversation, they found she was too drunk to be conversed with.

When the train arrived at Tuas West Road station, they decided to take the victim with them.

Foysal supported the woman and guided her out of the carriage.

The trio attracted the attention of station staff after the victim caused a commotion as she struggled to tap out of the gantry.

Foysal told them that he and Rayhan had met the victim on the train and were taking her home as she lives nearby.

After exiting the gantry, the victim walked away from the two men but Foysal followed and guided her towards a grass field underneath Tuas Viaduct, outside one of the MRT exits.

They then sat her down on the ground next to a large pillar.

Foysal made the victim lie down on her back and climbed on top of her before kissing and raping her.

He did not use a condom, the court heard, according to CNA.

After seeing Foysal rape the victim, Rayhan tried to rape the woman but failed in his attempts.

The pair them took a taxi back to their dormitory and left the woman behind on the field.

Victim found by passers-by

The victim was spotted by a passer-by, a 31-year-old migrant worker named Saddam, five hours after the ordeal.

She was reportedly found lying in her own blood and was in a trance-like state.

Together with other migrant workers, the woman was assisted into a sitting position, given a drink and an ambulance was called.

Foysal and Rayhan were arrested later that evening after the police identified them using CCTV footage from cameras near the MRT station and their dormitory.

The victim was found to have sustained minor cuts and a fresh wound on her pubic region.

Foysal's sentencing was adjourned to a later date.

If convicted of rape, he may face up to 20 years' jail and a fine or caning.

The layoffs at the Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech) are not part of a wider restructuring across the public service, according to the Public Service Division (PSD).

A PSD spokesperson was quoted by CNA as saying, "GovTech's restructuring reflects its own operating needs as it adjusts to the broader changes in the technology sector."

On Jul. 15, GovTech retrenched 93 staff as part of its first phase in a shift towards a new operating model to deliver “faster, more secure, and more responsive digital services” for all Singaporeans.

The spokesperson further clarified that "significant restructuring" is undertaken only when needed and in response to "fundamental changes" in an agency's operating environment or model.

PSD: Priority is to reskill and redeploy workers during restructuring

The PSD spokesperson added that in all restructuring exercises, the top priority is to reskill and redeploy workers either elsewhere in the agency public service or within their own agency.

In the event that redeployment is not feasible, the affected officers may be offered the Special Resignation Scheme, which provides financial support and also employment assistance, as part of the support for their transition.

Background

Within GovTech, the affected roles are mainly in traditional project and vendor management, which are expected to become less necessary as more products are developed and operated in-house, GovTech chairman Chng Kai Fong explained in a note to staff.

"GovTech is changing shape, not shrinking," Chng explained that it was not a downsizing exercise. He also clarified that the decision on affected roles was not a judgement on an individual’s commitment, performance or value of their work.

Affected officers in project and vendor management roles will be offered full-salary apprenticeships and structured retraining programmes that combine technical and on-the-job training to enable them to transition into product ownership and related capabilities, GovTech said.

Those transitioning out of GovTech will be given a support package tailored in partnership with the Amalgamated Union of Statutory Board Employees (AUSBE).

Chng shared that this includes one month’s salary for every year of service, capped at 25 years, as well as a three-month ex gratia payment to provide additional support.

Affected staff will also continue to receive salary and benefits throughout the six-week handover and notice period.

A closed door session regarding the proposed residential development at Sunset Way was held at Bukit Timah Community Club on Jul. 17.

It was attended by at least 100 residents, along with Members of Parliament for Bukit Timah GRC Christopher De Souza and Sim Ann, and representatives from the Housing & Development Board (HDB).

Concerns raised at the session included deforestation, traffic congestion and overdevelopment, CNA reported.

Some residents were also quoted as saying, following the session, that they remained unsettled by the development plans and hoped that HDB would take their feedback into consideration.

HDB had announced earlier on Jul. 10 that Sunset Way, together with Gillman Barracks, would be developed for housing.

After an environment impact assessment was conducted and engaging nature groups, HDB has proposed retaining about eight hectares of the 23-hectare site within Maju Forest at Sunset Way to provide refuge for wildlife and facilitate fauna movement.

Why not brownfield sites?

Ahead of the closed door session, HDB's chief town planner Chong Fook Long told CNA that the housing plan for Sunset Way at the moment is "not final" and that HDB hopes to work further with residents and stakeholders.

Explaining the current decision, Chong shared that the recent Clementi Build-to-Order (BTO) exercise was more than four times oversubscribed indicates a "great need" for more housing supply in that area.

Chong said that their priority is to target brownfield sites.

However, within Clementi and the region, there are very few of such sites. This led to them looking at developing the site within Maju Forest, which has been largely zoned for residential use since 1980, to increase housing supply.

Brownfield sites refer to land that has been previously developed while greenfield sites refer to land that has been mostly untouched.

Chong said, "We have to make trade-offs. We have to understand how to balance housing and nature to bring about the best plan, as we always do wherever we go."

Members of the public can submit feedback on the plans until Aug. 6, 2026.

Related

From Aug. 3, approved cat fosterers will be allowed to license and keep up to six cats in three-room or larger Housing & Development Board (HDB) flats under a new two-year pilot scheme.

Under the same pilot scheme, approved fosterers are allowed to keep up to 10 cats in private premises.

The limits in both cases include all pet and foster cats in each household, the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) said in a Jul. 18 press release.

AVS shared that the scope of the pilot was developed gathering responses via extensive public engagements since 2023. Responses from fosterers, residents, cat owners, non-cat owners were gathered to ensure diverse perspectives were considered and discussions were held with animal welfare groups.

Licensing fees waived for approved cat fosterers during pilot period

The pilot scheme came after consultation with various stakeholders and with inputs from HDB for cat owning households in public housing, said AVS.

"AVS recognises that fosterers play an important role in cat management, by providing safe homes for cats in need, including those that are sick, injured, require palliative care, or pending adoption."

Fosterers also help reduce the number of free-roaming cats in the community and the potential disamenities they can cause, it added.

To support the efforts of cat fosterers, AVS will waive licensing fees for approved cat fosterers during the pilot period.

All cats in household must be sterilised

All cats in the household must also be sterilised to prevent unintended breeding.

Those who require assistance with microchipping and sterilising community cats can seek support through the Trap-Neuter-Rehome/Release-Manage (TNRM) programme.

How to apply for recognition as a responsible cat fosterer

Individuals can apply to be a recognised responsible cat fosterer from Aug. 3 via an online form.

Pre-requisites to be approved include:

Following the two-year period, AVS will assess whether it meets the needs of fosterers and gather feedback on the longer-term approach for fosterer recognition.

Non-licensing of pet cats to be an offence from Sep. 1

From Sep. 1, it will become an offence if a pet cat is not licensed.

Licensed pet cat owners will also need to ensure their cats are kept in a safe environment and take reasonable steps to protect them from hazards, such as installing mesh or grilles to prevent the cats from roaming freely or falling from height.

In public, cat owners will need to ensure that their cats are kept under physical control such as by placing their cat in a carrier or using a harness.

Those caught by AVS with unlicensed cats or for non-compliance to cat-keeping rules can face a fine of up to S$5,000.

The law will come into effect after the expiry of the ongoing two-year transition period that allowed cat owners to ease into meeting AVS' licensing requirements of pet cats.

Since Sep. 1, 2024, microchipping and licensing of pet cats has been made free at over 120 drives and sessions across the island, AVS updated on Jul. 18.

About 11,500 pet cats have been microchipped thus far, according to AVS.

Cat-keeping limits for licensed cats

Existing cat owners who have owned their cats before Sep. 1, 2024, and whose cats are licensed during the transition period, can continue to keep all their cats even if they exceed the limits permitted for HDB flats or private premises from Sep. 1, 2026.

A man in Singapore found two large dents on the bonnet of his new Toyota car one morning.

The damage was allegedly caused by cans of food thrown from a block of flats at night.

The retiree, Tang, 69, told Shin Min Daily News that he had purchased a new Toyota Corolla earlier this year, and it was damaged in less than seven months.

What happened

The incident occurred overnight at around 1:20am on Jul. 15 at the open-air car park in front of Block 127 Bedok North Street 2.

Tang only discovered the damage when he went to his car at around 7am that morning.

He told Shin Min: "At first I couldn't believe it. I had to look at the licence plate to confirm it was my car."

Having installed a dashcam, he reviewed the footage and found that two cans of food had fallen from above and struck the bonnet.

He found the cans on the ground nearby: One contained mushrooms and the other contained baked beans.

He said: "These two cans are unopened and not expired. I have no idea who did this."

Police report filed

Tang put the cans in a plastic bag and brought them to the police station to file a report.

He told Shin Min he believed officers had also gone down to the car park to investigate.

Repair costs

Tang said he had initially wanted to pay for the repairs himself, but eventually claimed the S$3,000 repair cost via his car insurance.

However, he still had to pay a S$600 assessment fee out of pocket, with his car spending three days at the workshop.

Since the incident, Tang told Shin Min he no longer parks in the open-air car park, opting for the multi-storey car park instead, even though it means a 10-minute walk home.

At the scene

When Shin Min visited the area on Jul. 16, another can of mushrooms was found on a patch of grass.

The can was visibly damaged, with mushrooms and liquid spilling out.

Several residents said they were unaware of any high-rise littering in the area.

In response to Mothership's queries, the police confirmed that a report had been lodged and that investigations are ongoing.

A 64-year-old Singaporean woman was fined S$3,000 after verbally harassing a 25-year-old police officer.

Yip Mee Lan pleaded guilty to one charge under the Protection from Harassment Act on Jul. 15, 8world reported.

Call

On Apr. 10, Yip called the police several times for assistance at a coffee shop in Chinatown.

When officers arrived, she alleged that a 54-year-old Malaysian woman had assaulted her.

However, the woman involved had left the scene.

The responding officer advised Yip to contact the police again if she saw the woman who allegedly assaulted her.

Harassment

At about 9:30pm on the same day, she spotted the woman and proceeded to contact the police.

At about 9:45pm, the police arrived at the scene and questioned Yip.

However, she repeatedly interrupted him.

Yip also reeked of alcohol, and the officer warned her on several occasions to lower her voice.

However, Yip failed to comply with his instructions and she was subsequently arrested.

As she was escorted to the police vehicle, Yip proceeded to curse at him.

"I curse your 18 generations, I curse you to have no sons, no one to see you to your grave," she said.

The officer’s body-worn camera recorded the entire ordeal.

Yip was charged with the offence on Jun. 24.

After sentencing, the judge allowed her to pay S$2,000 of the fine first and settle the remaining S$1,000 at a later date.

A former Certis Cisco auxiliary police officer was jailed after he tipped his former colleague off about a Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) investigation into the handling of e-vaporisers and contraband cigarettes.

He had advised his former colleague to throw away his e-vaporisers, prompting the latter to dispose of at least one e-vaporiser and three packs of e-vaporiser pods.

According to a Jul. 17 CNA report, 38-year-old Tan Wee Keong was sentenced to a week's jail after pleading guilty to one count of obstructing justice by disclosing information about a CPIB investigation and advising his former colleague to throw away the implicated items.

His former colleague, 33-year-old Reggie Choo Beng Kwang, was also sentenced to one week's jail after pleading guilty to a similar charge.

A second charge of obstructing the course of justice by deleting a WhatsApp conversation with Tan was taken into consideration during Choo's sentencing.

The pair were among 13 former Certis enforcement officers charged in January 2026 over offences including the possession of e-vaporisers and contraband cigarettes, and the misappropriation of items entrusted to them.

They were the last of the group to be sentenced, after the remaining officers received jail terms ranging from 10 days to two years on Jul. 10.

The case

Court documents seen by Mothership stated that at the time of the offences, Tan was an assistant enforcement supervisor with the Certis Cisco Auxiliary Police Force deployed to the Health Sciences Authority's (HSA) Tobacco Regulation Branch (TRB).

Choo was also an officer with TRB before resigning prior to May 2022.

The two became friends in 2018.

Around May 2022, Tan learnt that Choo used e-vaporisers and e-vaporiser pods.

On Jul. 26, 2022, Tan was interviewed by CPIB as part of investigations into Certis officers attached to HSA's TRB and their handling of e-vaporisers and contraband cigarettes.

Investigators had instructed Tan not to discuss the investigation with anyone.

Despite this, Tan called Choo a few days later and told him that he had been interviewed by CPIB.

He said that several people had been caught for possessing e-vaporisers and that Choo's name had surfaced during the interview.

Tan advised Choo to stop vaping, saying it was bad for his health, and that it was best that Choo threw his "vape" away.

After realising he could be under investigation, Choo disposed of at least one e-vaporiser and three packs of e-vaporiser pods between July and August 2022, fearing they might be discovered.

Sentencing

The prosecution sought jail terms of two to four weeks for both men, court documents stated.

It argued that although the offence was of low severity, a custodial sentence was warranted as Tan, a law enforcement officer, had deliberately disclosed confidential information to help cover up an offence by another law enforcement officer.

The prosecution said Tan knew he was prohibited from discussing the investigation, having been expressly instructed by CPIB not to do so, but nevertheless chose to reveal the information.

"This cannot be spontaneous and evinces a degree of premeditation," it said.

For Choo, the prosecution argued that he knowingly disposed of potential evidence after learning he was under investigation, similarly showing a degree of premeditation.

According to CNA, Tan's lawyer sought a fine of between S$5,000 and S$7,000, or alternatively, a jail term of no more than one week.

The defence submitted that Tan had not abused his position as a Certis Cisco officer to commit the offence and that his status as a law enforcement officer at the time of the offence should not automatically warrant a custodial sentence.

Representing himself, Choo told the court that he had switched from cigarettes to e-vaporisers in an effort to quit smoking for the sake of his children's health.

He asked the court to impose a fine instead of a jail term.

A person convicted of intentionally obstructing the course of justice can be sentenced to up to seven years' imprisonment, fined, or both.

A total of 100 suspected drug offenders were arrested in an island-wide anti-drug operation.

The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) conducted the operation from Jul. 12 to 17 and covered areas, including Boon Lay, Ghim Moh, Jurong, Kallang, Tampines, Tengah, Toa Payoh and Woodlands.

A total of about 859g of cannabis, 120g of heroin, 85g of "Ice", 3g of "Ecstasy’ tablets, two Erimin-5 tablets and cash amounting to S$252.75 were seized.

The drugs are estimated to be worth more than S$34,000.

The heroin, cannabis and "Ice" seized could potentially feed the addiction of 228 abusers for about a week.

Trafficking

On Jul. 14, a 28-year-old Singaporean man was arrested for suspected drug trafficking offences.

His motorcycle, parked in the vicinity of Woodlands Street 13, and his residential unit, located in the vicinity of Segar Road, were searched.

About 689g of cannabis, 9g of "Ice" and drug paraphernalia were seized at his residential unit.

Dormitory

On Jul. 16, during a CNB-led joint enforcement operation against drug trafficking and drug abuse at a foreign worker dormitory located in the vicinity of Jurong, nine Bangladeshi men, aged between 22 and 40, were arrested for alleged drug-related offences.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1612"] Photo from Central Narcotics Bureau[/caption]

Among the accused, three were arrested for suspected drug trafficking and drug consumption offences.

A total of about 15g of cannabis was seized during the operation.

The operation involved officers from the Ministry of Manpower, Singapore Customs and Health Sciences Authority as part of efforts to clamp down on illegal activities.

Law

CNB reminded members of the public that it is an offence for a person, on his or her own behalf, or on behalf of any other person, whether or not that other person is in Singapore, to traffic in a controlled drug, offer to traffic in a controlled drug; or to do or offer to do any act preparatory to or for trafficking in a controlled drug.

If convicted of trafficking more than 500g of cannabis, offenders can face the death penalty.

Investigations are ongoing.