SeaPRwire

Children to sit PSLE, O-level oral exams in person this year despite tighter Covid-19 measures

aseanpr
2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Children will sit the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) and O-level oral exams in person this year, despite tightened Covid-19 measures. In response to queries from The Straits Times, the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) said oral examinations are conducted in person to align with teaching and learning methods for language subjects in schools that focus on face-to-face communication. "A change in the mode of the oral examination would result in candidates being less prepared to perform and interact with the examiners in an online setting," said a SEAB spokesman. "Face-to-face interactions also allow the oral examiners to observe the candidates more closely and provide prompts to candidates, if needed." SEAB also said it is working with schools to ensure that social distancing measures will be in place, so that these exams are safe for both students and examiners. Measures include placing a clear plastic shield between the candidates and oral examiners, disinfecting facilities and staggering dismissal times for the children. SEAB said it will continue to monitor the Covid-19 situation and provide updates if there are changes to exam arrangements...

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Move over Mukesh Ambani, Asia has a new richest person – China’s ‘Lone Wolf’

elean
2 minutes

BEIJING (THE BUSINESS TIMES) - Zhong Shanshan is a private billionaire who's rarely quoted in the press. Now, after an improbable career spanning journalism, mushroom farming and healthcare, he's become Asia's richest person, eclipsing India's Mukesh Ambani and a group of Chinese tech titans including Jack Ma. Mr Zhong's net worth has surged US$70.9 billion (S$93.8 billion) this year to US$77.8 billion, making him the 11th-richest person on the planet, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. It's one of the fastest accumulations of wealth in history, and all the more remarkable considering that until this year he was little known outside of China. Mr Zhong, 66, isn't involved in politics and his business interests aren't entwined with other rich families such as the property tycoons, which is why he's known locally as the "Lone Wolf." He owes his success to two unrelated fields. He took Covid-19 vaccine maker Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy Enterprise Co public in April, then months later Nongfu Spring Co, a maker of bottled water, became one of Hong Kong's hottest listings. Nongfu shares have jumped 155% since their debut, and Wantai's are up more than 2,000 per cent. Mr...

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Minimum legal age for smoking raised to 21 from Jan 1

aseanpr
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - The minimum legal age for the purchase, use, possession, sale and supply of tobacco products will be raised from the current 20 years to 21 on Jan 1, 2021. This is the third and last change to the minimum age requirement under the amendments to the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act, which were passed in Parliament in November 2017. The minimum legal age was first raised from 18 to 19 years old on Jan 1, 2019, and from 19 to 20 years old on Jan 1, 2020. On Wednesday (Dec 30), the Ministry of Health (MOH) reminded the public of the changes, and said raising the minimum legal age is part of Singapore's ongoing efforts to reduce smoking prevalence. Other efforts by the ministry, together with the Health Promotion Board and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA), include public education, taxation, smoking cessation programmes, bans on tobacco advertising, point-of-sale display ban, and standardised packaging of tobacco products. "Tobacco use is one of the highest contributors to ill health and premature death in Singapore. It is associated with cancers, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, lung disease and many other diseases," it added. The MOH said the tobacco ind...