The Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi launched Haj Committee of India Mobile App at Haj House in Mumbai today. Speaking on the occasion, he said that it is for the first time that Haj application process is going to be digital.

1 February 2017

North Staffordshire Green Party has announced local activist Adam Colclough as its candidate for the Stoke by-election.

Colclough is from Stoke and understands the problems it faces. He wants to end austerity and tackle insecure employment, low pay and inadequate housing. His priorities are the NHS, social care and education.

Colclough works in logistics operations but also has roles in a mental health forum, NHS patients’ forum and young offenders’ rehabilitation organisations. He is studying part time for a sociology degree at Staffordshire University.

Colclough said:

“I’m absolutely committed to fighting for a better future for my city and its people. Politicians need to be honest about the real causes of the problems that blight Stoke on Trent and offer credible solutions that will work. Simply staying silent about austerity instead of offering realistic, alternative economic and industrial policies is not good enough.

“The people of Stoke have been taken for granted for far too long and the Green Party will be honest in addressing these issues to create a fair and sustainable future. Many people in Stoke are disconnected from the three mainstream parties and seeking an alternative. We want to offer them one based on inclusion and hope, not division and prejudice.”

Jonathan Bartley, Green Party co-leader, said:

“Adam has lived in Stoke his whole life which means he truly understands the strengths and challenges of the local area. He would do whatever it takes to work with others of like mind to meet the needs of the local community, and defeat the forces that seek to separate us. I’m proud that Adam is offering a brighter, fairer future.”

Tweet

Back to main news page

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

Despite the Spring Festival holiday, workers in a flavoring company in eastern China’s Zhejiang Province continue to package their fermented bean curd products.

The preserved bean curd, or “furu” in Chinese, is a traditional flavoring for food. Red or white in color, the unique fermented bean curd in Shaoxing city started being exported more than a century ago.

Last year, Shaoxing exported 1,233 tonnes of fermented bean curd products with a total value of 2.86 million U.S. dollars, up 11.6 percent and 11.3 percent respectively. Hong Kong is the major importer, while Europe and North America are emerging markets.

With soybeans the main material, the traditional craft of Shaoxing fermented bean curd has a set of complicated procedures and strict requirements on temperature and humidity in production. Large bean curd pieces for export need to be sealed in pots for one to two years for post-fermentation.

“A local yellow rice wine is used in the process, contributing to the special flavor,” said Xie Xiaoben, deputy general manager of Xianheng Foodstuff in Shaoxing.

“No nitrite is produced during the processing,” Xie added, dispelling concerns.

The basic processing craft for fermented bean curd has not changed much in a century.

“More and more westerners like the bean curd,” said Ren Mingxing, an entry-exit inspection and quarantine official in Shaoxing.

There has never been any food safety problem with the exported bean curd, which has won overseas trust for Chinese products, according to Ren.

Xin Shu, an SRUC postgraduate research student with Crops and Soil Systems, recently hosted a high profile presentation to the Nanjing Agricultural University (NAU) in China.

The film shows the young bird of prey:

• using the CCTV mast as a perch
• being mobbed both by a magpie and then a raven
• checking out her reflection in the camera
• still-hunting, where the bird sits on the exposed perch and watches for prey
• struggling to keep her perch in high winds

Kestrel video

The release of the video comes in the wake of the RSPB’s BIG Garden Bird watch last weekend. More than half a million people were expected to take part, recording the number of birds that visited their gardens over a one hour period.

The RSPB is also promoting the Big School Bird Watch during the month of February, where pupils will be encouraged to get closer to nature by counting birds at set times.

More information can be found on the RSPB website.

Traffic Officers Leigh Goodchild and Steve Dyas at Highways England’s Regional Control Centre in Avonmouth first spotted the cheeky bird in October 2016.

And since then operators monitoring traffic on CCTV have been treated to frequent sightings as the kestrel has made a camera stand at junction 11a of the M5 one of its favourite perches.

Leigh Goodchild said:

We’ve grown quite fond of our feathered friend since she started visiting the camera. The platform seems to give a good view of the surrounding area and potential prey – on one occasion she returned with half a mouse which she proceeded to swallow complete, tail and all!

We’ve also noticed she’s rather obsessed with her own image, which she probably thinks is an equally nosey kestrel ‘in’ the camera, but her inquisitiveness has given us some good close-ups.

She’s squawked and attacked the lens a few times as well but when that happens we try to discourage her from hurting herself by tilting the camera skywards.

Her visits certainly brighten up our day and makes a change from the traffic!

With their pointed wings and long tails, kestrels are a familiar sight along UK motorways and other main roads as they use thermals from the road to hover while they look for prey.

Kestrels are generally recognised by their characteristic hovering hunting mode, but also use perches to hunt. They can often be seen perched on a high tree branch, or on a telephone post or wire, on the lookout for prey. The RSPB estimate that there are around 46,000 breeding pairs of kestrels in the UK, and the bird is on their amber list of protected species.

Highways England Traffic Officers operate motorway CCTV cameras from seven regional control centres and the National Traffic Operations Centre and patrol the motorway network around the clock. They work to keep traffic moving by dealing with incidents and setting signals and signs to alert drivers to potential issues ahead.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.