The anti-vaping measures in Singapore may result in more tourism for Batam, according to Batam Tourism Agency head Ardiwinata, The Jakarta Post reported on Wednesday (Aug 27).Batam, an hour's journey from Singapore by ferry, could be an «alternative» for vape users, he pointed out.«If there are strict regulations from the Singaporean government, the public will have alternatives to enjoy them, with Batam being one of those alternatives,» he said.«As long as it does not violate our regulations, they can choose Batam.»Comparing the situation to the closure of several public golf courses here, Ardiwinata pointed out that Batam has since become a popular destination for golfers from Singapore.Sports such as badminton, pickleball and basketball have also seen similar trends, said Indonesian publication Teras Batam. Some of these courts have been reportedly flooded by Singaporeans.Between January and June this year, 738,186 foreign tourists entered Batam, according to data from the Riau Islands Central Statistics Agency, South China Morning Post reported on Wednesday.

A motorcyclist was spotted convulsing on the ground after a crash along the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) on Thursday (Aug 28).A video posted on the same day by the Singapore Road Accidents.com Facebook page captured the aftermath of the accident.In the video, the motorcyclist is being tended to by two men, presumably from the car involved in the incident.There appears to be blood splattered on the road around the motorcyclist, who is seen convulsing while two other men assist to lift the motorcycle away from the motorcyclist. In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said that they were alerted to an accident involving a car and a motorcycle along the AYE towards the Marina Coastal Expressway at 1.10pm on Aug 28.The 28-year-old male motorcyclist involved was taken conscious to the hospital, they added. The Singapore Civil Defence Force told AsiaOne that the motorcyclist was taken to National University Hospital.Police investigations are ongoing.[[nid:721818]]dana.leong@asiaone.com

Three winning tickets will be sharing the $12.5 million Toto prize money in Thursday’s (Aug 28) draw.Two of the three tickets were System 7 tickets, each costing $7. The third winning ticket was an $84 System 9 ticket. Of the three winning tickets, two were purchased online. One of the System 7 tickets was purchased at Singapore Pools’ Sim Lim Square outlet. The winning numbers were 10, 11, 16, 24, 34, and 35. According to Singapore Pools, the total prize money is the 16th highest since October 2014. Thursday’s draw is the ninth Toto draw of 2025 that had a jackpot of over $10 million, with the most recent one on July 31, where a sole winner won the $12.8 million prize. The next draw will be held on Sept 1, with a prize money of about $1 million. [[nid:721871]]editor@asiaone.com 

SINGAPORE - Singapore's Loh Kean Yew is one win away from clinching his second Badminton World Federation World Championships medal, after coming from behind to beat Japan's eighth-ranked Kodai Naraoka 5-21, 21-19, 21-19 in the men's singles round of 16 on Thursday (Aug 28).The 28-year-old will meet Canada's 50th-ranked Victor Lai - the 20-year-old Pan Am champion who is the lowest-ranked player remaining in the draw - in the quarter-finals on Aug 29. Another victory at the Adidas Arena in Paris would secure at least a bronze medal for either player.Returning from a bacterial infection that left him bedridden for weeks and kept him out of international competition in July, world No. 9 Loh had to suffer before he survived.He told The Straits Times: «It was a tough match and a lot went on on the court. (Naraoka) played very well in the first game and I couldn't follow the pace.»I picked up the pace a little in the second game and I'm glad it worked. It was very intense and crucial in the third game and it could have been anyone's game at the end and I'm happy and relieved to come away with the win."

SINGAPORE — Two men allegedly worked together to access a computer platform even though they were not authorised to do so and stole cryptocurrencies worth around US$6.5 million (S$8.4 million).On Aug 28, Singaporean Dai Yong, 36, and Chinese national Zhang Xinghua, 38, were each charged with one count of misusing a computer system linked to global cryptocurrency exchange SafeX.The pair and other unknown parties are accused of committing the offence on or around June 30.The police said in a statement that on Aug 22, officers received a report about a case involving multiple instances of unauthorised access to a cryptocurrency wallet, resulting in unlawful transfers of cryptocurrencies from it.Officers from the Cybercrime Command of the Criminal Investigation Department identified the two men and arrested them four days later.

A new government official impersonation scam variant has emerged.This time, scammers impersonating officers from the Commercial Affairs Department's Suspicious Transaction Reporting Office (STRO) would claim that victims are involved in criminal activities such as money laundering and that they are required to be investigated. At least 20 of such cases involving more than $408,000 in losses have been reported since April 2025, said the police on Thursday (Aug 28).STRO is Singapore's Financial Intelligence Unit. It receives suspicious transaction reports and other financial information such as cash movement reports and cash transaction reports, analysing them to detect money laundering, terrorism financing and other serious crimes.Given this nature of its work, some unwitting members of public have fallen prey to fake official documents such as STRO reports and even 'Anti-Money Laundering warrant' issued through WhatsApp.

A three-day island-wide enforcement blitz from Aug 18 to 12 led to 121 summonses issued to errant commercial vehicle drivers for a wide range of traffic offences.In a joint media statement with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Thursday (Aug 28), Traffic Police (TP) said checks were carried out on a total of 166 commercial vehicles.The summonses issued by TP were for offences ranging from speeding and using a mobile communication device while driving, to failing to keep left, failing to properly secure load on vehicle and failing to display speed limiter label visibly at the top right portion of the front windscreen.During the three-day operation, LTA detected 93 violations, which included seven overloaded vehicles, and 19 excluded vehicles found travelling on expressways without a permit. Mobile concrete pumps, mobile cranes and ready-mix concrete vehicles are some examples of excluded vehicles. TP also detected 17 heavy vehicles which failed to display a speed limiter label during the three-day operation. 

SINGAPORE — A married couple accused of offences including methamphetamine consumption allegedly allowed the woman's 15-year-old son — the man's stepson — to smoke an illegal drug.On Aug 28, the 45-year-old man and the 51-year-old woman were charged with offences including methamphetamine consumption, being in possession of drug paraphernalia and permitting a young person to abuse narcotics.All parties in this case cannot be named due to a gag order to protect the minor's identity.Court documents stated that the couple were earlier sent to a drug rehabilitation centre (DRC) on separate occasions for abusing narcotics.The man went to a DRC in 2000 for consuming morphine while the woman was sent to one in 2020 after she abused methamphetamine.They allegedly did not learn their lesson after their release and are now accused of consuming methamphetamine on or before June 23.The pair were reportedly found with drug paraphernalia, including smoking devices, in a Yishun Housing Board flat on June 23.The mother is said to have two straws stained with methamphetamine and a heroin-related substance, in her possession.

Students caught for vaping and substance abuse will risk detention, suspension, and even caning from Sept 1 when new legislation surrounding e-vaporisers and etomidate abuse kicks in, said Education Minister Desmond Lee.At a joint press conference on Thursday (Aug 28), Lee said that the Ministry of Education (MOE) will be issuing a stricter framework to guide schools on possible disciplinary actions for vape-related offences.«The Ministry of Education takes a firm stand against vaping by students in our schools as well as our institutes of higher learning (IHLs),» said Lee, adding that MOE will stipulate baseline, school-based and institution-based disciplinary measures on top of the penalties imposed by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).Under the new framework, schools may adjust the conduct grade of the student offender and enforce rehabilitative measures, such as counselling.Student offenders will also face possible detention, suspension and/or caning.

The Government will be doubling down on its nationwide campaign against vaping by increasing fines for first-time offenders and and imposing mandatory rehabilitation for repeat offenders beginning Sept 1.From next month onwards, first-time offenders will be fined up to $700 and second-time offenders will have to attend rehabilitation for three months under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act (TCASA). Repeat offenders will face prosecution and will be subjected to a maximum fine of $2,000 under TCASA.Under current laws, first-time and repeat offenders caught possessing, using or buying e-vaporisers face a maximum fine of $500. These enhanced penalties were unveiled at a press conference co-chaired by Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam, Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Education Desmond Lee, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Eric Chua and Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash on Thursday (Aug 28).

On the first day of the Hungry Ghost Month last Saturday (Aug 23), a group of devotees in Sembawang struck it big after betting on a 'lucky' 4D number posted at the prayer altar.The 'lucky' number 2250 had been derived by an association member on Friday night, reported Shin Min Daily News.Surprisingly, the exact number combination appeared as the top prize in Saturday's draw.A committee member of the Sembawang Blk 503 QZY, an organisation which plans activities and rituals for the Hungry Ghost Festival, told Shin Min that all of the worshippers at the prayer session placed bets on the number 2250.Five of the bet slips seen by the Chinese evening daily showed that these punters had each won between $2,080 and $25,000, depending on their bet type and the amount wagered.«This is our seventh time organising the ritual ceremony and members have won prizes before, but the winning number will typically be slightly different from the lucky number, or be drawn only a few days after,» the committee member explained.«We've never had the complete number be drawn as the top prize the next day.»

The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) has defended its selection policy, after a mother’s viral complaint that her son was dropped from the national youth squad for opting to skip an overseas training camp to prepare for his examinations.In a statement on Wednesday (Aug 27), the FAS said that all the shortlisted players were asked for “total commitment” if they want to make the team for the Under-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers in November.This includes joining a training camp in Bahrain which runs from September 6 to 14.However, the N-Level examinations begin on Sept 15, one day after the team returns to Singapore.It is an issue that actress-singer turned entrepreneur Norfasarie Mohd Yahya said her son, Mika Baihakki, was “upfront with the management” about.He wanted to remain in Singapore during the September school holidays to attend extra lessons and prepare for the examinations, rather than attend the overseas training stint.

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) seized more than 890 e-vaporisers and more than 6,700 related components at Woodlands Checkpoint on Wednesday (Aug 27). In a Facebook post on Aug 28, ICA said that a Malaysia-registered van carrying air-conditioning equipment and servicing parts was profiled for further checks at Woodlands Checkpoint at around 11am. Profiling checks are carried out by ICA officers based on their experience and training to pick out high-risk travellers.This is supported by ICA’s Integrated Targeting Centre (ITC), which leverages on data analytics to conduct pre-arrival risk assessment of travellers, conveyance and cargo. During checks, ICA officers detected e-vaporisers hidden in boxes, an air conditioning unit and its parts, and various compartments of the vehicle. Police’s K-9 unit was also activated for the search. The driver, a Malaysian man was arrested, and the case has been referred to the Health Sciences Authority. 

About 50 residents were evacuated after a fire broke out in a Redhill flat on Thursday morning (Aug 28). The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said in a Facebook post that it was alerted to the incident at about 1.15am on Aug 28. Firefighters extinguished the fire in the living room of a fourth floor unit with a water jet. The fire was contained within the living room area. During firefighting operations, firefighters rescued three persons from one of the bedrooms in the unit. SCDF added that the trio were assessed for smoke inhalation and minor burn injuries and taken to the Singapore General Hospital (SGH). A fourth person from another unit was also taken to SGH after feeling unwell. About 50 persons were evacuated as a precautionary measure. According to SCDF, preliminary investigations suggest the cause of the fire is likely from an electrical origin in the living room. 

An estimated jackpot of $10 million is for up for grabs at this Thursday's (Aug 28) Toto jackpot draw after the past three draws saw no winners.Thursday's draw is the ninth time this year that a cascade draw is taking place.The last time the prize money snowballed to a cascade draw was on July 31 when $12.8 million was won with a single $1 ticket bought online. A cascade draw is triggered when there are no Group 1 winners for three consecutive draws. Under Singapore Pools' lottery rules, the jackpot can only snowball up to the fourth draw.If there is no Group 1 winner at the end of four consecutive draws, the final jackpot amount will be paid to the next prize group with winner(s) and shared equally.That happened on July 17 when 12 Group 2 prize winners shared the jackpot for that cascade draw.

Train service between the Downtown Line's (DTL) Bukit Panjang and Beauty World MRT stations has resumed as the signalling fault has been recovered.In an updated Facebook post at 7.40am, rail operator SBS Transit said that the fault was recovered at around 7.22am, and that train service was progressively resuming.Later, at 8.10am, SBS Transit said that normal train service has resumed, adding that free regular and bridging bus services have ceased.The disruption, which was announced just before 6.40am, did not affect the DTL's train service between Beauty World and Expo. This is at least the third disruption affecting train services operated by SBS Transit in Aug.