London: While the common notion is that most stressful professions belong to neurosurgeons, bomb disposal expert, miner or even stockbrokers, a new study has suggested that it is the menial, thankless jobs that actually take a toll on people. Such jobs leave people suffering the most stress, which is why they emerge to be the most unhealthy. Chinese scientists have found that low-paid jobs with high workload, such as waiting tables in restaurants, expose employees to far greater risk of heart problems and 58 per cent more likely to suffer an ischemic stroke, caused by a blockage of blood flow.
Government agrees to relax tech visa system amid skills shortage
London: Rules on visas for foreign technology specialists are to be radically changed, after industry giants and start-ups alike, complained that they were struggling to recruit enough staff to match their growth. The British government will soon make it easier for non-EU citizens with specialist technology skills to enter the country for work by introducing a series of new ways to meet the criteria. Due next month, the relaxation have been agreed in response to concerns that a scheme originally unveiled by the Prime Minister nearly two years ago has not met with the needs of fast-growing technology companies.
Myth about modern life and less sleep
California: A study by the University of California has debunked the theory that modern life, with television, mobile phones and street lights prompt less sleep than our ancestors. They recorded three tribal societies in different parts of the world and found that on average they slept a little under 6.5 hours a night. Jerome Siegel said, “The argument has always been that modern life has reduced our sleep time below that our ancestors got, but our data indicates that this is a myth.”
East Coast rail jam hits hopes for competing services
London: FirstGroup and Alliance Rail are bidding to run competing services on the line between London and Edinburgh. While the former aims to take on the low-cost airlines such as Ryanair and EasyJet with a service that is cheaper and faster than the incumbent's existing operations, Alliance Rail, a subsidiary of Germany owned Deutsche Bahn, wants to offer luxury Pendolino tilting trains to cut journey times. However, a letter from Network Rail suggests there are a number of issues that could hit the competing bids. The pending decision on the bids, expected to be made by the end of the year by the ORR, comes amid a shake-up at Network Rail after it emerged that the state-owned infrastructure group was heavily behind schedule and over budget on its £38bn investment programme.
Animals ‘grieve’ for lost relatives
London: Several scientists have revealed that, similar to humans, even animals experience grief or a deep anxiety when they lose a relative or friend. In a case, Siamese cat howled for days and would not eat after his sister dies, another incident showed a female dolphin repeatedly prodded at the lifeless body of her calf and would not eat. A herd of elephants in Kenya was observed mourning the death of its matriarch. There have also been several examples of apparent grief in dogs and giraffes, both highly social animals.
Gulf states want Israel’s Iron Dome as a shield from Tehran
Dubai: Foreign Minister of Bahrain has revealed that Gulf countries fearful of attack from Iran are in talks to acquire bigger version of Israel's powerful Iron Dome anti-missile system. The multi-billion pound deal would involve negotiations between the Gulf Co-operation Council countries Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait, and Israeli companies, with the US playing the middleman. Ancient foes Israel and the Gulf now share a common enemy in Iran, which has prompted them to increase their weapons capabilities.
38 Indians missing in Iraq are alive: Palestinian President
Ramallah: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has claimed that the 38 Indians who went missing in Iraq for several months, are in fact alive. Providing with no evidence to back up his claim, he told Indian President Pranab Mukherjee that the missing Indians are safe. There has been several speculations that the Indians were being held captive by ISIS in the Mosul region of Iraq.
Jamaica’s Marlon James Wins Man Booker Prize
London: Author Marlon James has won the Man Booker, giving Jamaica its first winner in the prize's 47 year history. His 'A Brief History of Seven Killings', a fictional history of the attempted murder of Bob Marley in 1976, was described as a “crime novel that moves at a terrific pace and will come to be seen as a classic of our times” by the judges. The plot of the book has over 75 characters and voices, edged past several books, including Sunjeev Sahota's 'The Year of the Runaways', to win the world's most prestigious literary prize for fiction worth £50,000. James' first novel, 'John Crow's Devil', was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the Commonwealth Writers Prize. His second novel, 'The Book of Night Women', won the 2010 Dayton Literary Peace Prize and was a finalist for the 2010 National Book Critics Circle Award.
Ex-gen to replace Sartaj Aziz as Pak's next NSA
Karachi: Pakistani officials have confirmed that Lieutenant General Naseer Khan Janjua, who retired from the military recently, will be appointed as national security advisor soon and will accompany Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on his trip to the United States. “The army chief feels that Sartaj Sahib's attention is divided,” a military source said. “So it has been decided that general Janjua will be appointed as the national security adviser and Sartaj Aziz can give his full attention to the foreign office. This is not about the PM conceding to the army chief or the army being a bully, not at all. This is about both sides deciding together.”
