Briefs | Boat sinks in the surroundings of Outer Harbor, ferries halted

A vessel used during construction work sank yesterday morning in the Outer Harbor channel, Radio Macau reported. Five workers that were on board the vessel at the time were rescued and sent to the hospital as a precautionary measure, as only one worker suffered from minor injuries. The incident led to delays on ferry services throughout the morning due to speed restrictions and maritime traffic control imposed in the area by the maritime authorities.

Polytechnic Institute wins championship of regional debate contest

The Macao Polytechnic Institute (IPM) won the championship of a regional debate contest involving schools from Macau and Hong Kong over the weekend, according to a report by Macao Daily News.  Organized by the Debating and Speech Culture Association of Macao, the final competition was disputed by the University of Macau (UM), IPM, Hong Kong Shue Yan University (HKSYU) and the City University of Hong Kong (CityU). The four universities debated around topics regarding both cities’ development, such as the protection of cultural relics, as well as regarding the types of politics the two cities should promote.  The jury, whichincluded lawmaker Ng Kuok Cheong and UM Assistant Professor Agnes Lam, gave 17, 14, 12 and seven votes to IPM, UM, HKSYU and CityU, respectively, after the respective debates.