98.5% of PSLE students can progress to secondary school
The 2025 Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) results, released on November 25, show that 98.5% of Primary 6 students advanced to secondary school. A total of 37,926 students sat for the exam. Under Full Subject-Based Banding, students in Posting Groups 1 and 2 can take more challenging subjects starting from Secondary 1 based on their Achievement Level (AL) scores.
Approximately 65% of the cohort eligible for these groups will be able to take at least one subject at a more demanding level, a trend consistent with the previous year’s cohort.
MOH moves to curb rising premiums; IP riders sold from April 2026 won’t cover minimum deductibles
To address rising insurance premiums and private healthcare costs, the Ministry of Health (MOH) is putting a stop to health insurance plans that protect policyholders almost “to the last dollar”.
New riders sold from April 1, 2026, will no longer be allowed to cover the minimum deductibles patients have to pay before insurance kicks in. This means those with private health insurance will need to pay at least S$1,500 for any hospital stay within the policy year, before they can claim from their insurer. The Integrated Shield Plan (IP) deductibles payable could go beyond S$3,500.
Senior households form a third of HDB residents, up from one-quarter in 2018
Close to one in three HDB households is now a senior household, up from one in four in 2018. Among all senior households – ones where the decision-maker is aged 65 years and older – 85.9 per cent want to continue living in their existing flat rather than moving, for instance, to a smaller flat.
The proportion of those who prefer to stay where they are has remained consistent since 2018. Even if they require help with daily living, most seniors prefer to remain in their own home with caregiving from family members, domestic helpers, or professional support.
Singles who want to move out prefer to buy their own home: HDB survey
The majority of singles who intend to move out of their current homes would prefer to buy a home of their own, rather than rent or live with other people. They would also prefer to purchase a new home over a resale unit due to affordability concerns and a desire for a newer living environment, the latest HDB Sample Household Survey published on Nov 27 showed.
About 7,000 households and more than 1,600 single occupiers across all HDB towns and estates were surveyed in 2023 and 2024 for the survey, which is conducted once every five years.
Death toll hits 55 in Hong Kong’s worst fire, 51 found dead at the scene
On November 26, 2025, a massive blaze tore through Wang Fuk Court, a high-rise residential complex in Tai Po District, Hong Kong. The fire, which started around 2:50 pm and was later escalated to a No. 5 alarm – the city’s highest warning level rapidly engulfed several of the estate’s eight towers. At the time of writing, at least 55 people have died, including a firefighter, around 77 were injured, and about 279 remain missing.
Authorities suspect “gross negligence” in fire-safety compliance: scaffolding, protective mesh and foam used during ongoing renovations may have fuelled the fire’s rapid spread. Three men from the construction firm in charge have been arrested.
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13 Nov 2025 16:41
