34 h. ago MP says he will not be intimidated after being banned from entering Russia

Bolton West MP Phil Brickell has been 'sanctioned' by the Kremlin following a recent visit to Ukraine

Events

46 h. ago Sanctioned Russia and Belarusian wood being smuggled into UK, study suggests

‘Chemical fingerprint’ shows 46% of wood samples certified as sustainable did not come from labelled country of originNearly half of birch wood certified by leading sustainability schemes is misidentified and does not come from the labelled country of origin, according to new testing. The analysis raises fears that large quantities of sanctioned wood from Russia and Belarus are still illegally entering Britain.New research by World Forest ID, a consortium of research organisations that includes Kew Gardens and the World Resources Institute, scrutinised the accuracy of dozens of harvesting-origin claims on birch products, which had almost entirely been approved by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) sustainability schemes. Continue reading...

Politics

46 h. ago Sanctioned Russian and Belarusian wood being smuggled into UK, study suggests

‘Chemical fingerprint’ shows 46% of wood samples certified as sustainable did not come from labelled country of originNearly half of birch wood certified by leading sustainability schemes is misidentified and does not come from the labelled country of origin, according to new testing. The analysis raises fears that large quantities of sanctioned wood from Russia and Belarus are still illegally entering Britain.New research by World Forest ID, a consortium of research organisations that includes Kew Gardens and the World Resources Institute, scrutinised the accuracy of dozens of harvesting-origin claims on birch products, which had almost entirely been approved by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) sustainability schemes. Continue reading...

Politics

46 h. ago Sanctioned Russian and Belarusian wood smuggled into UK, study suggests

‘Chemical fingerprint’ shows 46% of wood samples certified as sustainable did not come from labelled country of originNearly half of birch wood certified by leading sustainability schemes is misidentified and does not come from the labelled country of origin, according to new testing. The analysis raises fears that large quantities of sanctioned wood from Russia and Belarus are still illegally entering Britain.New research by World Forest ID, a consortium of research organisations that includes Kew Gardens and the World Resources Institute, scrutinised the accuracy of dozens of harvesting-origin claims on birch products, which had almost entirely been approved by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) sustainability schemes. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago China turning blind eye to its citizens fighting in Ukraine, says Zelenskyy

Ukraine’s president says at least 155 fighters have been uncovered, and that Russia is recruiting via social mediaVolodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine is aware of at least 155 Chinese nationals fighting for Russia and accused Beijing of turning a blind eye to their recruitment and allowing them to participate in the invasion of his country.Officials released two dossiers naming, and in some cases picturing, Chinese men who were said to have signed up, though Ukraine did not suggest this meant Beijing was seeking to enter the war alongside Russia. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago World Bank employees accused of ‘intimidating’ au pair into forced labor and threatening to have her deported

Exclusive: An au pair from Indonesia claims in a lawsuit obtained by The Independent that the couple refused to let her leave the house without their permission and threatened to have her deported if she told anyone about the mistreatment

Society