Day: May 6, 2024

“MANILA: President Marcos Rules Out Retaliatory Water Cannon Use Against China” – President Ferdinand Marcos stated on Monday (May 6) that the Philippines would refrain from responding to China’s water cannon deployments against its vessels by avoiding the use of “offensive” equipment, as Manila asserts its sovereignty in the disputed South China Sea.

“Beijing Dispatches Hundreds of Vessels to Assert Claims Despite Tribunal Ruling” – Despite an international tribunal ruling that its claims have no legal basis, Beijing has deployed hundreds of coast guard and other vessels to press its claims over most of the vital waterway.

“Manila: China Coast Guard Damages Philippine Vessels in Scarborough Shoal Clash” – In the latest confrontation on April 30, Manila reported that the China Coast Guard damaged a Philippine Coast Guard ship and another government vessel with a high-pressure water cannon while they were delivering fuel, food, and water to Filipino fishermen at Scarborough Shoal.

“President Marcos: Philippines Won’t Retaliate with Water Cannons Against Chinese Vessels” – President Marcos stated on Monday that Manila would refrain from retaliating with water cannons on its own coast guard vessels, asserting, “We will not follow the Chinese Coast Guard and the Chinese vessels down that road.”

“Philippine President: No Intention to Increase Tensions with Water Cannons” – President Marcos emphasizes that the mission of the Philippine navy and coast guard is not to initiate or escalate tensions, stating, “We have no intention of attacking anyone with water cannons or any other such offensive (equipment).”

“President Marcos: Philippines Aims to Avoid Escalating Tensions in Disputed Waters” – Marcos emphasized that the Philippines’ priority is to avoid raising tensions in the disputed waters, stating that “the last thing” the country wants is to escalate the situation.

“Philippine Coast Guard: Manila Seeks International Condemnation of Beijing’s South China Sea Behavior” – A Philippine Coast Guard spokesman stated on Wednesday that Manila’s strategy aims to expose and garner international condemnation of Beijing’s behavior in the South China Sea. This effort seeks to encourage united efforts to ensure freedom of navigation in the strategic waterway.

“President Marcos: Philippines to Pursue Diplomatic Solutions for South China Sea Incidents” – President Marcos reaffirmed that the Philippines will persist in addressing South China Sea incidents through diplomatic channels.”Manila Summons Chinese Envoy Over South China Sea Incidents” – Last week, Manila called upon a senior Chinese envoy to protest against a series of incidents involving “harassment, ramming, swarming, shadowing, blocking, dangerous maneuvers, and use of water cannons” by China Coast Guard vessels against Philippine boats near the disputed Scarborough Shoal.

“Speculation Rises on US Intervention Amid Philippine-China Vessel Confrontations” – Manila and Washington, bound by a mutual defense treaty, face escalating tensions due to recent confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels, sparking speculation on the circumstances that might prompt the United States to intervene.

“South Korea’s Watchdog Discovers Short-Selling Rule Violations by Seven More Banks” – Seoul’s market watchdog announced on Monday (May 6) that it had identified breaches of short-selling rules by seven additional banks in the domestic stock market, as part of a comprehensive investigation into trading practices at foreign investment banks.

“South Korea Implements Short-Selling Ban After Uncovering Illegal Trading by Foreign Firms” – Last November, South Korea imposed a ban on short selling of stocks in the domestic market following the discovery of illegal trading by two foreign firms in October. A special investigation was initiated to scrutinize trading practices at other banks.

“FSS Interim Report: Nine Banks Found in Violation of Trading Rules, Totaling 211.2 Billion Won” – In its interim investigation results released on Monday, the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) revealed that it had discovered illegal trading by nine banks, including two already fined, out of 14 foreign investment banks. The violations totaled 211.2 billion won (US$154.76 million).

“FSS Continues Investigation on Five Banks Amid Short-Selling Probe” – The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) stated that the other five banks were still under investigation, without disclosing their names, as part of the ongoing short-selling probe.

Credit Suisse AG Faces Potential 50 Billion Won Fine Over Short-Selling Rule Breach: Reports” – South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo daily reported on Thursday that financial authorities had informed Credit Suisse AG of the possibility of a 50 billion won fine regarding allegations of breaching short-selling rules.

In South Korea, the Capital Markets Act bans “naked” short selling of stocks, in which an investor short sells shares without first borrowing them or determining they can be borrowed.

The FSS said it is cooperating with authorities in Hong Kong on its investigation and plans to visit the city this month for a meeting to explain South Korea’s short-selling regulations.

Last month, the watchdog prepared a new monitoring mechanism to better detect short-selling breaches in the stock market.

“LAOAG, Philippines: Philippines, US Fire at ‘Invasion’ Force in South China Sea Drills. US and Filipino Troops Conduct War Games, Target ‘Invasion’ Force” – US and Filipino troops fired missiles and artillery at an imaginary “invasion” force during war games on the Philippines’ northern coast on Monday (May 6), days after their governments objected to China’s “dangerous” actions in regional waters.

“Thousands of Troops Engage in Land, Sea, and Air Maneuvers Amid Rising Tensions in South China Sea” – The maneuvers come as confrontations between Chinese and Filipino vessels escalate around shoals in the South China Sea claimed by Manila, alongside increased Chinese air and naval activity near self-ruled Taiwan.
“US Troops Fire Live Howitzer Rounds at Floating Targets Off Luzon Island Coast” – AFP journalists witnessed US troops massed at a strip of sand dunes on Luzon island’s northwest coast, approximately 400km south of Taiwan, firing more than 50 live 155mm howitzer rounds at floating targets about 5km off the coast.
“Filipino Troops Launch Rockets, Machine Guns, and Missiles in Joint Exercise with US Forces” – Following the US troops’ actions, Filipino troops fired rockets aimed at wearing down the attackers, before both forces concluded the exercise with machine guns, Javelin missiles, and additional artillery rounds.

“US General: Exercise Prepares for Worst, Securing Key Maritime Terrain” – Lieutenant General Michael Cederholm, commander of the US First Marine Expeditionary Force, stated that the exercise aimed “to prepare for the worst” by focusing on “securing key maritime terrain.”

“Manila Accuses China of Damaging Philippine Vessels in South China Sea Clash” – Just last week, Manila claimed that the China Coast Guard damaged a Philippine Coast Guard ship and another government vessel in water cannon attacks around the disputed China-controlled Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on April 30.

“SEOUL: North Korean UN Ambassador Dismisses New Sanctions Monitoring Efforts” – Efforts led by the US and other Western countries to form new groups to monitor sanctions on North Korea will fail, the country’s UN envoy said on Sunday (May 5).

“North Korean Ambassador Dismisses US-led Efforts on Sanctions Monitoring” – Ambassador Kim Song made the comment in response to a joint statement issued by the US and its allies this week, urging the continuation of UN panel of experts’ work monitoring longstanding sanctions against Pyongyang for its nuclear weapons and missile programs.

“Russia’s Veto on UN Panel Renewal Sparks US Allegations of North Korea Arms Transfers” – Earlier this year, Russia vetoed the annual renewal of a panel of experts, triggering US-led accusations that North Korea has transferred weapons to Russia for use in its war in Ukraine. “North Korean Ambassador Warns Hostile Forces: New Expert Panels Will ‘Self-Destruct'” – Kim was quoted by KCNA as saying that even if hostile forces form a second or a third panel of experts, they will “self-destruct.”

Last month, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield visited the demilitarised zone, a heavily fortified border between the two Koreas, which remain technically at war and urged Russia and China to stop rewarding North Korea for its bad behaviour.

Her trip came after Russia rejected the annual renewal of the multinational panel of experts that has over the past 15 years monitored the implementation of UN sanctions aimed at curbing North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.

Singapore’s Maris Stella High School (MSHS) and Woodlands Ring Secondary School (WRSS) are slated for reconstruction in the coming years, as per the Ministry of Education (MOE) announcement on Monday (May 6).
Maris Stella High School (Primary) and Maris Stella High School (Secondary) campuses at 25 Mount Vernon Road will undergo reconstruction from 2027 to 2029, aiming to “provide better facilities and enhance students’ educational experience,” as stated in an MOE press release.

Maris Stella High School (Primary) will temporarily relocate to the former MacPherson Primary School site at 2 Mattar Road, while Maris Stella High School (Secondary) will move to the former Bedok North Secondary School Site at 20 Jalan Damai during the rebuilding period. Maris Stella High School (Primary) will be relocated to a holding site at 2 Mattar Road, approximately 2.7km away from its permanent location, while Maris Stella High School (Secondary) will move to a holding site at 20 Jalan Damai, which is approximately 4.6km from its original campus, as per Google Maps data.

MSHS (Primary) will become coeducational and take in girls when it moves to its holding site in 2027. MOE said this was agreed by MSHS Ltd’s board of directors and the Marist Brothers Provincial Council.

The school will also look into increasing its Primary 1 intake in 2027.

“To accommodate this larger intake, MSHS (Primary) will also operate on a partial single-session at the holding site during the rebuilding of its permanent campus,” said MOE.

When its permanent campus is ready, tentatively in 2030, MSHS (Primary) will revert to operating on a single-session basis. MSHS (Secondary) will remain as an all-boys school “for now”, said MOE.

During the temporary relocation, the permanent site at 25 Mount Vernon Road will continue to be used to determine the home-school distance for the Primary 1 registration exercises.

The home-school distance is calculated based on the shortest distance from any point on the school’s land boundary to the applicant’s residential address. With the rebuilding of the permanent campus, there may be changes to the school’s land boundary. Parents can use the Singapore Land Authority’s OneMap SchoolQuery to check the home-school distance.