Mar312017

250 drug suspects arrested in SE China

East Asia
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Police in Xiamen City, southeast China’s Fujian Province, announced Friday that they had arrested 250 suspects implicated in 219 cases found during a month-long narcotics investigation.

Raids and arrests since late February have led to the seizure of 106 kilograms of controlled substances and 194 kilograms of raw production materials.

Of the 250 arrested, six were wanted for outstanding drug-related charges and seven were drug addicts caught abusing drugs at a construction site in Xiamen.

Xiamen police said they would improve inter-department cooperation and push forward narcotics and dangerous drug investigations.

Mar312017

CASIC plans to launch 156 minisatellites

East Asia
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State-owned China Aerospace Science & Industry Corp. (CASIC) announced plans for a network of 156 mini-satellites that would facilitate global broadband coverage.

This is the first low orbiting, networked satellite project, which will orbit 1,000 km above the ground, developed by China amid its wider push for commercial space development, said the CASIC.

“The network is a general satellite platform,” said Bei Chao, an engineer with the CASIC, who added that add-ons and upgrades would be explored next.

Mar312017

Year to go:  First Welsh Taxes in 800 years to be introduced

Welsh Government
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The devolution of tax powers to Wales marks a significant milestone in devolution as Wales will become responsible for raising a proportion of its own revenue to spend on public services.

From 1 April 2018, Wales will have two new taxes – land transaction tax will replace stamp duty land tax and landfill disposals tax will replace landfill tax. 

Together they are estimated to generate more than £1bn in the first four years.  

Two Bills to establish these new taxes are currently being scrutinised by the National Assembly for Wales – Land Transaction Tax and Anti-avoidance of Devolved Taxes (Wales) Bill passed stage three in the National Assembly earlier this week.

The Welsh Revenue Authority (WRA) will be responsible for collecting these two Welsh taxes. Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford has announced that Kathryn Bishop will be the first chair of the WRA; the non-executive board members will be appointed in the summer.

From April 2018, Wales will also be able to use new borrowing powers of £1bn to invest in capital projects in areas of devolved responsibility.

Professor Drakeford said:  

“In just over a year, stamp duty land tax and landfill tax will be devolved and Wales will introduce the first Welsh taxes in almost 800 years. 

“This is an historic milestone in Wales’ devolution journey as we become responsible for raising our own money to spend on public services. The next step will be Welsh rates of income tax, which we are committed to introducing in April 2019.

“These taxes bring additional responsibility for the Welsh Government and the National Assembly – to those who pay taxes and those who depend on the public services which are funded by them.

“These new tax powers provide us with the opportunity to reshape and make changes to improve existing taxes to better meet Wales’ needs and priorities. We will use them to help improve fairness and support jobs and economic growth in Wales.  

“A huge amount of work is already underway to prepare for these tax powers.  We have consulted widely and listened to a range of stakeholders to help us develop these taxes and will continue to do so as they make their way through National Assembly scrutiny.”