The export duties on unprocessed timber with a moisture content exceeding 22% come into effect starting July 1, and remain in force until the end of the current year. The measure will reportedly help to limit exports of rough unprocessed wood produce, as well as to hold down the price …
Read More »Ex-BBC director Lord Hall resigns from National Gallery following bombshell Princess Diana inquiry
Lord Hall, who was the BBC’s director of news and current affairs when journalist Martin Bashir used fake documents to secure an interview with Princess Diana, apologised for his involvement on Saturday and said that staying at his National Gallery job in the wake of the controversy “would be a …
Read More »YouTube video creators lash out at corporate greed after platform forces ads on small channels, whether they like it or not
The Google-owned video-sharing platform is giving itself some additional space to profit from the content it hosts. Once the updated rules come into force in June, YouTube will start putting ads on channels that have too few subscribers and views to qualify for its Partner Program, a mechanism that allows …
Read More »Debate over the Israel-Palestine issue has changed forever, but here’s why the fabled ‘two-state solution’ is no solution at all
After more than a week of fighting and hundreds dead, mostly Palestinians, Israel and the militant group Hamas agreed on Thursday to a ceasefire. Even though this is cause for celebration since it will mean an immediate end to hostilities, it hardly means an end to the conflict. But much …
Read More »US Secretary of State Blinken to visit Israel & West Bank on May 26-27 amid ceasefire – media
Reuters cited a source as saying that Antony Blinken will visit Israel and the West Bank on Wednesday and Thursday. The secretary of state’s trip will also reportedly include stops in Egypt – which mediated the truce between Tel Aviv and the Gaza-based Palestinian militant group Hamas – and Jordan. …
Read More »Belgium’s anti-lockdown ‘Rambo’ facing terrorism charges, TRACELESS for 5 days while several countries join manhunt efforts
A well-trained sniper from the Belgian army, Jurgen Conings, who has combat experience in several war zones including Afghanistan, Iraq and Lebanon, disappeared on Monday. Having reportedly left life-threatening notes to several top officials, the 46-year-old man is believed to have taken several anti-tank missiles, a submachine gun and a …
Read More »China’s Mars rover rolls off landing platform, joining US robots patrolling Red Planet
The start of the new phase of the Tianwen-1 mission was reported on Saturday by the China National Space Administration (CNSA). The telemetry data indicates that the Zhurong rover’s wheels touched Martian soil at 10:40am Beijing Time (2:40am GMT), the space agency said. The mission, which was launched in July …
Read More »Animal rights activists block McDonald’s distribution centres in UK, demanding 100% ‘plant-based’ menu
The organisation announced on Saturday that around 50 activists were blocking four distribution centres in Coventry, Basingstoke, Heywood, and Hemel Hempstead, and would continue to do so for at least 24 hours. Videos show the activists hanging from bamboo structures in front of the gates as one woman issued the …
Read More »‘Once a corporation is involved, justice goes out the window’: Sarandon, Williamson rip into Chevron’s hounding of lawyer Donziger
Donziger is currently being tried for criminal contempt of court, and his defense has little doubt that he will receive a guilty verdict. Supporters of the lawyer see the case as little more than a revenge campaign by oil giant Chevron. A decade ago, Donziger helped 30,000 people in Ecuador …
Read More »A new book, ‘Cynical Theories’, finally takes woke warriors to task over crazy ideas such as ‘being fat is the same as being gay’
As it isn’t far from home, I feel an urge to visit the London suburb where a local council has permanently painted a pedestrian crossing blue, pink and white to mark the international day against homophobia, transphobia and biphobia. When I find the crossing, I’ll stand in the middle, ignore …
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