May 8, 2021 Share
Analysts are raising concerns that a Chinese update to its maritime traffic law will help Beijing tighten control over disputed Asian seas by legalizing interception of foreign vessels and authorizing fines against their operators.
The standing committee of the National People’s Congress voted April 29 to amend the Maritime Traffic Safety Law, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.
The revised law, as spelled out clause-by-clause in the Xinhua report, says foreign vessels passing through waters under Chinese jurisdiction should obtain permission first. China’s State Council and other government departments may take “necessary measures” to stop the passage of foreign ships into “territorial waters,” the law says. It cites traffic safety and environmental protection as reasons.
Enormous new NASA telescope expected to find 100,000 new worlds including Super-Earths
The Roman Space Telescope will look deeper into space than ever before. Astronomers are expecting to discover Super-Earths, mini-Neptunes and huge ice worlds the size of Uranus
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May 7, 2021
For Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Tuesday’s annual budget can’t come soon enough as he tries to put a torrid opening to the year behind him and focus voter attention on the strength of the economic recovery.
After having his political judgment questioned, Morrison will attempt to reset the narrative by highlighting his economic stewardship through the pandemic. He’s likely to receive a budget boost as economists see the deficit for the 12 months through June at 152 billion Australian dollars ($118 billion), about 25% less than Treasury’s December estimate, and unemployment falling to 4.5% in two years.
Morrison will be able to showcase his conservative government’s success in stemming business failures and job losses through stimulus programs such as the JobKeeper wage subsidy. He will also be able to point to the authorities successful combating of COVID-19 that kept infections to fewer than 30,000.