Mar172017
Ministry of Tourism compiles monthly estimates of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) & FTAs on e- Tourist Visa on the basis of Nationality-wise, Port-wise data received from Bureau of Immigration (BOI).
Mar172017
Angela Rayner MP, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, commenting on an
Education Policy Institute (EPI) report into school funding that claims
secondary schools could be forced to lose the equivalent of six teachers as a
result of severe funding cuts, said:
“Labour supports fairer funding for our schools, but the
Government’s formula simply moves already inadequate sums of money around
– the overall pot is not being increased.
“Even without the proposed formula, schools are already
seeing both real-terms cuts to their spending and rising costs on top.
Headteachers are being forced to choose between cutting subjects or cutting the
school week.
“Less than two years ago the Tories promised millions of parents
that they would protect the money that is spent per pupil on their children’s
education. This report shows that it is yet another manifesto promise they are
breaking.”
Mar172017
[unable to retrieve full-text content]The added value created in Beijing’s industries above designated size from January to February increased by 9.5 percent over the same period last year, mostly driven by the high-tech manufacturing and modern manufacturing industries with their added value rising by 19.9 percent and 16.5 percent respectively, surpassing the city’s average by 10.4 and 7 percentage points.
Mar172017
Up to £9 million innovation funding competition to improve the railway for customers.
In a message to the Railway Industry Association’s Innovation Conference, Rail Minister Paul Maynard announced up to £9 million to support UK businesses as part of a new innovation competition to develop solutions for national and international railways.
The funding is being made available by the Department for Transport (DFT) through Innovate UK.
The competition aims to help deliver the industry’s Rail Technical Strategy and its Rail Capability Delivery Plan for 2017, which outlines the joint industry vision for using technology to create better railways.
It will invite applications on 2 priority areas that:
For the travelling public this should mean a more sustainable rail industry that offers better services, better journeys and better value.
Mr Maynard said:
We are delivering the biggest modernisation programme in rail since the Victorian era. But industries like automotive and aerospace spend many times what rail spends on research and development. This has to change. We have got to accelerate innovation in rail. It’s what passengers deserve and expect.
This is why we are working with Innovate UK to launch a rail innovation competition offering investment of up to £9m, which will help to deliver the industry’s Rail Technical Strategy.
We want participation both from within the rail sector and from organisations with little experience of working in rail. Winning back customer confidence is a big challenge for the industry and successful innovation will play a big role in delivering that.
UK businesses of any size can apply for funding. Each project should include at least one small or medium-sized enterprise (SME).
Mar172017
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Beijing police have detained a man on Mar. 13 for discharging untreated emissions into the air. It is the first time that Beijing police have put someone behind bars since an air pollution crackdown was launched in February.