Jiaolong, China’s manned submersible, went through a dive simulation in Sanya, Hainan Province on Saturday to prepare for a deep descent in the South China Sea.

The submersible stayed underwater for 18 minutes in Saturday’s drill before returning to Xiangyanghong 09, the mother ship, completing tasks including underwater training for its crew.

Zhang Weijia, who participated, said she was very excited entering the submersible for the first time to learn about its facilities, practical operation and emergency escape.

Jiaolong’s South China Sea dive is part of the second stage of China’s 38th ocean scientific expedition. The expedition will last for about four months.

The drill was necessary for testing equipment and personnel, said Wu Changbin, general commander of the second stage of the expedition. Currently the Jiaolong’s “technological status” is stable and the cooperation among various departments is smooth, Wu said.

Jiaolong completed a deep-sea operation in the northwestern Indian Ocean earlier this year in the mission’s first stage. It will also conduct surveys in the Yap Trench and the Mariana Trench in the third stage.

Named after a mythical dragon, Jiaolong reached its deepest depth of 7,062 meters in the Mariana Trench in June 2012.

In a recent debate in the Commons the UK government presented its report to the EU over the UK’s progress in meeting the debt and deficit rules of the EU Treaties.

Every year the Uk has to report to Brussels on how far it has got with getting its running budget deficit down below 3%, and its stock of national debt down to below 60% of GDP. These rigid requirements have been an integral part of EU policy ever since the ratification of the Maastricht Treaty. Most EU states have conformed with the budget deficit rules, but few have got anywhere near reaching the stock of debt requirements.

Euro area members are subject to possible financial penalties for failing to comply. The EU authorities seem to take a much stricter approach to supervising the annual budget deficit rule than the stock of debt rule. They seem to recognise that making states repay large quantities of debt would  be very deflationary, whereas curbing annual deficits they judge to be less so. The EU does not have the same power to fine non Euro members, but it still makes the UK go through the business of submitting its plan for deficit reduction, and can respond with a statement  on whether it approves or disapproves of the approach being taken.

The issue arises as to how much impact this requirement had on the previous Labour and Coalition governments? They said they took the exercise seriously, and they have always faithfully reported their position against the Maastricht obligations. The Coalition  always pursued a policy of trying to get the annual deficit down, as did Labour after the crash,  and have always looked forward to a time when they will also be reducing the stock of debt as a proportion of GDP.

During the debate I found it fascinating that the SNP and Labour, parties who dislike deficit reduction and the spending cuts that often accompany it, could not  bring themselves to condemn the Maastricht requirements and the policies they have clearly led to on the continent. Apparently plans to cut the growth in spending or to raise taxes on anyone other than the rich are not desirable if home grown, but are just fine if in pursuit of compliance with the Maastricht Treaty, You would have thought parties of the left especially would welcome freedom from these debt and deficit controls when we leave the EU.

Free of them I do not suggest we let rip with larger deficits and faster  build up of debt. I just want us to make rational decisions of how much to borrow and for what purpose, given the state of the economy and the ability to invest sensibly. It does not seem likely that most EU countries will get to below 60% any time soon, yet the requirement still sits there unamended.

Three people were killed after a landslide hit a village Saturday night in east China’s Fujian Province, local authorities said Sunday.

At round 9 p.m., the government of Yongding District, Longyan City, received a report of three villagers trapped by a landslide. Nearly seven hours later, rescuers recovered the bodies of the victims.

The cause of the accident is being investigated. Local authorities are handling the aftermath.

China’s Supreme People’s Court (SPC) announced on Saturday that a criminal convicted intentional homicide had been executed after the SPC approved the death sentence.

According to a SPC statement, Chen Quansong killed two young women surnamed Wang and Xian on January 3, 2014 in Shiqian County, southwest China’s Guizhou Province after a disagreement. Chen then raped Wang’s corpse and covered the two bodies with tree branches.

In the review of the death sentence handed down to Chen by the local court, the SPC formed a collegial panel to review files, interrogate Chen, meet Chen’s lawyers and verify evidence, including DNA test results.

The SPC held that the death penalty was given on the basis of clear facts and solid evidence. Chen committed intentional homicide with serious consequence and vile social effect.

To punish serious crimes according to law and safeguard social justice and fairness, the SPC approved the death sentence, according to the SPC statement.

The Intermediate People’s Court of Tongren City in Guizhou Province executed Chen on Saturday.