Gambia bans all timber exports to combat rosewood smuggling

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Gambia bans all timber exports to combat rosewood smuggling

The Gambia has banned the export of timber and revoked all export licences in an effort to combat illegal logging.

Port administrations have been instructed not to load any vessels with wood logs while the ban is in effect.

A 2020 investigation discovered that Senegal was being used to import significant quantities of protected West African rosewood into the country.

In China, a significant percentage of it is utilised to make furniture.

It has been listed as an endangered species by the Convention on International Trading in Endangered Species since 2017. Last month, The Gambia was among seven countries urged to stop trading in it.

The Gambia frequently ranks among the top five exporters of West African Rosewood (Pterocarpus Erinaceus) globally, despite declaring its own stocks to be in danger of extinction almost 10 years ago.

In terms of both value and volume, rosewood is one of the most traded wildlife products in the world.

It is also referred to as Hongmu, or “redwood,” and is well-liked for its colour and durability. The primary use of this material is in antique-style furniture.

Between 2017 and 2020, China imported more than 300,000 tonnes of commodities from The Gambia, according to survey data.

That is worth more than $100 million (£80 million), or almost 500,000 trees.

 The rosewood leaving The Gambia for China started in the southern Senegalese region of Casamance, according to numerous informants examined throughout the course of year-long research in Senegal and The Gambia.

Along a 170km (105 miles) area of the border between the two countries, the survey found at least 12 depots filled with rosewood and other types of timber. All of them were located on Gambian territory.

Nadine Dorries: Culture secretary confuses rugby codes in speech at Rugby League World Cup event

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Nadine Dorries: Culture secretary confuses rugby codes in speech at Rugby League World Cup event

Nadine Dorries, the culture secretary, confused the two forms of rugby during her remarks at a Rugby League World Cup event on Thursday in St. Helens.

According to Dorries, who thought it happened in rugby league, in the 2003 rugby union World Cup final between England and Australia, Jonny Wilkinson scored the game-winning drop goal for England. 

“I’ve always quite enjoyed the idea of rugby league,” Dorries said in her speech.

What I remember most clearly is the drop goal from 2003.

“At the time, we were drinking Bloody Marys,” she continued. Later, she tweeted an apology for her mistake. She acknowledged that she might have altered her speech coding, just like Jason Robinson.

The League and union have a long history in the UK. The amount of rugby league I’ve seen over my life has obviously decreased, but I’m looking forward to watching England (and all the other home nations) participate in this fall’s RL World Cup.

Vice-chairman Billy Vaughan thought the event, which took place at the Portico Vine rugby league club in St Helens, was humorous.

They just need to finish their homework. It won’t harm her in any way because someone else wrote that speech for her. The differences between the codes are substantial, and it comes off as mocking.

Regulations, point systems, and team sizes differ between rugby league and rugby union. A union side has 15 players, whereas a league side has 13 players.

During the release of an interim report, Dorries had been talking about the World Cup’s social impact programme, which is investing £25 million in local communities all around England.

The Rugby League World Cup CEO, Jon Dutton, said he was happy the secretary of state was present to support the report’s launch despite the fact that she “clearly made a mistake.”

We want more people to be aware of what beautiful sports rugby union and rugby league are, and despite being 127 years old, the sport needs a competition like this to grow in popularity, he said. We spoke, and we eagerly anticipate her attending the competition.

MPs should not bring babies into Commons chamber, review says

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MPs should not bring babies into Commons chamber, review says

According to a cross-party committee, lawmakers shouldn’t be permitted to bring their infants into the Commons chamber.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons, requested that the Procedure Committee reconsider the regulations after Labour’s Stella Creasy was informed in November 2021 that she could not bring her infant son to the chamber.

The review came to the conclusion that the “long-standing practice” of prohibiting infants from Commons debates should continue.

However, it was said that discretion might be used, albeit “sparingly.”

Even though many of us encouraged them to do so, “this committee didn’t speak to a single individual outside of Parliament,” she claimed.

When Ms Creasy took her newborn baby to a discussion in Westminster Hall, a portion of the Houses of Parliament, in November of last year, the topic was brought up.

She claimed that she had previously brought her daughter and son into the Commons chamber.

However, after bringing her little son into Westminster Hall, she received an email from Commons officials informing her that it was against the regulations to bring children to debates.

As a result, Sir Lindsay was prompted to request that the Procedures Committee reconsider the regulations.

However, the committee came to the conclusion that if the MP in question wished to “observe, begin, speak or intervene in proceedings,” the “long-standing practice” should remain in place.

It acknowledged that MPs had taken their infants into discussions “many times” without causing a disruption, but claimed that this had “contributed to some uncertainty and a gap” between practice and the regulations.

When Jo Swinson, a former leader of the Liberal Democrats, held her son in the Commons in 2018, it is believed that she was the first MP to bring her child into the room during a discussion.

A debate on the expansion of proxy voting should be undertaken in the upcoming weeks, according to Karen Bradley, the Conservative MP who leads the Procedure Committee.

It might entail, for instance, that MPs might cast their votes even if a chronic condition prevented them from travelling to Westminster.

Japan is suffering from the hottest heatwave ever observed.

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Japan is suffering from the hottest heatwave ever observed.

The hottest day of Japan’s worst heatwave since records began in 1875 is currently taking place.

Officials have issued warnings about an impending power shortfall as a result of the oppressive heat and have urged people to conserve electricity whenever feasible.

However, the government continues to urge individuals to use air conditioning to prevent heatstroke as hospital admissions rise with the heat.

Weather experts predict that the heat will continue in the following days.

Due to human-induced climate change, heat waves are now more common, more powerful, and last longer.

Since the start of the industrial age, the world has already warmed by around 1.1C, and temperatures will continue to rise unless governments drastically reduce emissions.

Tokyo recorded temperatures above 35C on Wednesday for the fifth straight day, the worst record of hot weather in June since records began keeping track of such things in 1875.

The hottest temperature ever recorded in June in Japan was 40.2C in the city of Isesaki, which is northwest of the capital.

Twitter was used by online users to lament the increasing heat.

Because it’s so hot outdoors, simply outside making me feel like I’m in a sauna. I desire to take a swim, “comment from a user.

The rainy season in Japan typically lasts from June through August, but on Monday, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) declared the season over for Tokyo and the surrounding territories.

The statement, which was made 22 days earlier than usual, signifies the rainy season’s earliest finish since 1951.

In the searing heat, cases of heatstroke have also increased; on Wednesday, emergency services reported that at least 76 patients had been brought to hospitals.

Amid predictions of a power shortage, local officials called on citizens to use less electricity on Tuesday.

However, it was urged to do so in moderation to reduce the risk of heatstroke, particularly among the older population of the nation.

Heathrow is instructed to lower the passenger fee

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Heathrow is instructed to lower the passenger fee

Heathrow has been ordered by the Civil Aviation Authority to reduce airline passenger fees on an annual basis until 2026.

The regulator claimed that despite still allowing the airport to invest, the fee cut reflected the recent uptick in traveller numbers.

However, Heathrow, which wanted the fees increased, said that the action would jeopardise the implementation of crucial enhancements.

The costs are covered by the airlines, but they may be passed on to the travellers in the form of airfare.

The fees are used to maintain the terminals, runways, baggage handling, and security systems.

The average fee per person at Heathrow is currently £30.19, but according to the CAA, this will drop to £26.31 by 2026. Heathrow, though, wished to raise it to £41.95.

The charge decrease “reflect[s] projected increases in passenger numbers as the pandemic recovery continues and the higher level of the price cap in 2022, which was set in place in 2021 to reflect the challenges from the epidemic at the time,” the CAA claims.

Heathrow was given the go-ahead to raise the passenger fee for this summer from £19.60 to £30.19 in December 2021.

The charge reduction was “about doing the right thing for consumers,” according to CAA CEO Richard Moriarty.

According to John Holland-Kaye, CEO of Heathrow Airport, the regulator “continues to underestimate what it takes to provide a great passenger service, both in terms of the degree of investment and operational costs required and the fair incentive needed for private investors to finance it.”

 He asserted that if the CAA’s proposal is not corrected, the lack of service investment will further worsen the customer experience at Heathrow.

According to Luis Gallego, chief executive of IAG, which owns British Airways, Heathrow airport fees will remain 56 percent higher than last year and three times higher than those in the EU.

A trade association called Airlines UK asserted that Heathrow was “the most expensive airport in the world” and that its rates were “still high.”

The International Air Transport Association (Iata) claimed that the increase in Heathrow costs set for December 2021 was “based on faulty assumptions that are already being proven wrong by the robust post-pandemic demand for travel.”

Japan urges 37 million people to switch off lights

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Japan urges 37 million people to switch off lights

The Japanese government has urged people in Tokyo and the surrounding area to use less electricity on Monday as the country braces for a heatwave.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry expects “exceptional” demand for electricity this afternoon, local time.

To prevent heatstroke, it was advised to turn off unnecessary lights while keeping the air conditioning on.

For weeks, authorities have been issuing warnings about a power shortfall as the temperatures rise.

The weekend saw a record 40.2C in Isesaki, a city northwest of the capital, while temperatures in urban Tokyo were above 35C. In Japan, June had the highest measured temperature.

When daily highs are typically below 30 degrees Celsius in June, summer in Japan officially starts.

The ministry forecast that the additional electricity generating capacity in Tokyo and eight neighbouring prefectures would decrease by 3.7 per cent on Monday afternoon in a statement issued on Sunday. A 3 per cent buffer is required for a stable power supply, according to it.

The government encouraged people to turn off unnecessary lights for three hours beginning at 15:00 Tokyo time, in addition to “properly employing an air conditioning and drinking during hot hours” (07:00 BST).

The nation’s electricity supply has been constrained ever since certain nuclear power reactors’ operations had to be paused in March due to an earthquake in Japan’s northeast.

Authorities have also shut down several old fossil fuel plants to lower carbon dioxide emissions.

These issues, combined with an increase in electricity usage, have led to a power crunch.

Earlier this month, the Japanese government urged citizens and companies to consume less electricity throughout the summer.

According to the Japanese public broadcaster NHK, as of Sunday afternoon, 46 people had been brought to hospitals in Tokyo for what is thought to be heatstroke.

It further stated that a 94-year-old man believed to have died from the ailment lived in the neighbouring city of Kawagoe.

Following a request from Australian authorities for homeowners in New South Wales, which contains Sydney, the country’s largest metropolis, to switch off their lights in the event of an energy crisis, the statement was made. Restrictions on the Australian wholesale energy market were loosened late last week.

Risk of further BA strikes as more staff consulted

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Risk of further BA strikes as more staff consulted

As unions confer with more workers about whether to stage pay strikes, industrial action at British Airways might extend wider throughout the UK.

At Heathrow Airport, about 700 employees, primarily check-in personnel, have already decided to strike during the summer vacation.

However, the GMB and Unite unions are also advising engineers and call centre employees to take action at Gatwick, Glasgow, Manchester, and Newcastle.

On Wednesday, hundreds of BA employees supported a strike in protest over a 10% salary cut implemented during the pandemic.

However, GMB members at Heathrow want the full pay cut to be undone. The airline has offered staff a one-time payment equal to 10% of their salary.

The wider consultation poll, which addresses general salary problems, is separate from the Heathrow issue.

A spokeswoman for the GMB said that thousands of BA engineers at Heathrow, Gatwick, and Scotland, as well as call centre employees in Newcastle and Manchester, are currently participating in a consultative poll for potential industrial action in a salary dispute.

People want to see the salary and conditions restored since they have watched the company being pushed into the dirt over a long period and are furious at how BA’s upper management cynically took advantage of the epidemic.

The consultation is being held to determine participation and any potential actions that the workforce may want to take. It is the time before a formal vote on taking strike action would be held.

While Scotland and Northern Ireland start their summer vacations on July 1, schools in England and Wales end on July 22. Heathrow employees could begin going on strike as early as July 7th. According to the law, unions must provide a corporation with 14 days’ notice before taking action.

Unions have not yet specified the strike’s dates, but they anticipate making a statement early next week.

International Airlines Group, the company’s owner, has already reduced the number of flights it operates between March and October by 10%.

Following the COVID lockdown, when the industry lost thousands of jobs as global travel came to a grinding halt, airlines and airports battled to keep up with an increase in demand for travel.

Glastonbury: Zelensky addresses crowd as Libertines kick off festival

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Glastonbury: Zelensky addresses crowd as Libertines kick off festival

Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, delivered a video message at the start of the Glastonbury Festival.

In a pre-recorded message, Mr. Zelensky requested assistance during the ongoing Russian invasion.

He addressed the audience at The Other Stage prior to the Libertines’ performance, saying, “We will not allow Russia’s conflict to stop us.”

By exerting “pressure on politicians” around the world, he urged festival attendees to “assist Ukrainians who are forced to evacuate their homes.”

Later, over the riff to The White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army, singer and guitarist Pete Doherty of the Libertines led the crowd in a chant of Zelensky’s name.

The Libertines opened Glastonbury’s first full day of music with a mid-morning show that drew thousands of spectators. Up The Bracket was the first song they played, followed by Vertigo, The Ha Ha Wall, and Gunga Din.

Fans were crowdsurfing and setting off pyrotechnics by the time they performed Can’t Stand Me Now and What Became of the Likely Lads.

Following two years of COVID-related cancellations, The Libertines were the first act to perform on one of the festival’s main stages in 2019.

The Chemical Brothers’ cancellation due to Tom Rowlands’ illness, however, shows that the virus is still having an impact this year.

Just three days after being revealed as a last-minute addition to DJ in the Arcadia region, the dance pair withdrew on Friday.

The Damned also declined to perform as the Avalon Stage’s headlining act earlier this week due to COVID.

Meanwhile, Mel C sang Spice Up Your Life with Blossoms during their show on Friday.

Sam Fender, Phoebe Bridgers, and Billie Eilish, who will be performing on the main stage, are also in the Friday lineup.

After their flight from Los Angeles was cancelled on Wednesday night, the rock band Wolf Alice made a last-minute run to the event.

They ultimately made it to London by boarding a connecting flight from Seattle after asking followers to lend them a private plane.

This year’s festival is anticipated to feature a number of Ukrainian performers, including Kalush Orchestra, the May 2018 winner of the Eurovision Song Contest.

The job centre DJ who keeps Glastonbury dancing

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The job centre DJ who keeps Glastonbury dancing

On Sunday afternoon, a DJ who works the rest of the year at an employment centre in Stroud will open for Diana Ross at Glastonbury.

Since 1983, when admission was £12 and UB40 and US singer-songwriter Melanie were the headliners, Chris Bull has been the Pyramid Stage DJ.

The 68-year-old comments, “It’s a little strange, isn’t it?”

But it demonstrates that this festival is open to all. You may come here and have a wonderful time no matter what you do. 

Bull’s big break came when he was in his 20s and employed at a Bristol record store. He was a frequent visitor to Glastonbury and was aware that the event was looking for a DJ. Through a friend, he inquired about the opportunity with Johnnie Walker of Radio 2. 

Bull remembers his saying, “Brilliant, but you’ll have to do it with me because I haven’t got any gear.”

Throughout the past four decades, he has interspersed songs by Dolly Parton, Elbow, the Sugababes, Sheryl Crow, the Foo Fighters, Blondie, and Coldplay.

But Kanye West sticks out because, in contrast to other headliners, he let the local DJ acclimate his crowd.

Despite living close to some of the biggest names in rock, he claims he only occasionally gets to interact with celebrities.

He did, however, get to meet Mike Scott of The Waterboys when they performed at the Pyramid Stage in 1989, and he even managed to get the musician to sign his ticket.

His family life and the event are linked, just like many of the long-standing crew members. In 1987, his little son Liam was present for the first time. Liam and his wife, Anna, will be rooting for his father this year.

Bull claims he hasn’t decided what to play yet with one day left, preferring to gauge the crowd’s reaction first.

He promises that sounds will begin playing after he arrives and sets up in the morning. And even after 39 years, this weekend continues to be his favourite one of the year. You can ignore the idea that you are performing for 100,000 people because the ambience is so great.

International Picnic Day 2022: History, Significance and Ways To Celebrate The Day

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International Picnic Day 2022: History, Significance and Ways To Celebrate The Day

The French word “pique-nique,” which denotes a social occasion where each guest provides a share of the food, is where the English word “picnic” originates.

On International Picnic Day, we may reconnect with nature and spend time with our loved ones outside. This day not only gives us a fantastic opportunity to unwind but also plenty of time to reestablish contact with our social network. Additionally, Picnic Day offers us an opportunity to escape the busyness of our regular lives. Every year on June 18, International Picnic Day is observed to recognise the value of picnics and the joy they bring.

The French word “pique-nique,” which denotes a social occasion where each guest provides a share of the food, is where the English word “picnic” originates. The origin of picnic day is unknown. Picnics, however, are thought to have started off as a casual outdoor dinner during the French Revolution. The largest picnic, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, took place in Portugal. The event was attended by about 20,000 people.

A picnic used to be more than simply a way to relax or enjoy a lovely outdoor meal; it occasionally served as a meeting place for people who shared the same political interests. This was demonstrated by the Pan-European Picnic of 1989, which was held along the border between Austria and Hungary.

While participating in a local Picnic Day event is an option, going on a short outing with friends or family is also a wonderful way to spend this day. In either case, picnics are about eating lunch outdoors with your loved ones while taking in the scenery.

A nice food basket to bring along and enjoy on a picnic can include sandwiches, fruits, and some sides like salads, potato chips, or grilled vegetables.

In order to add an extra piece of freshness due to the current high temperatures, a summer cooler should also be included on the menu.

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