The Guardian has published a list of possible summer hits, from albums that have already been released to those that have yet to be recorded. Included on the list is an album from Fred again.. and Brian Eno, which has been inspired by the art-rock and ambient-music giant. Meanwhile, Kaytranada and Aminé have released a full album together, and rock mainstay Dave Grohl has released his first track from an upcoming Foo Fighters album. Quebecois folk singer Félix Leclerc is having a seminal album reissued through Universal and American singer-songwriter Jenny Lewis has transformed her music into a more country-focussed style with the help of Dave Cobb. The list also includes a potential new album from R&B artist Frank Ocean, who last released an album in 2016, and projects from Pusha T and DJ Drama.
Stellantis has become the first carmaker to urge the UK to renegotiate the terms of its Brexit deal. The parent company of car brands including Alpha Romeo, Peugeot, Vauxhall and Chrysler has called for a delay to beefed-up European Union (EU) “rules of origin”, saying that these could lead to it having to close its Ellesmere Port factory. The factory could be forced into closure as electric vans produced there, which comprise over 70% imported components, face a 10% tariff when they are exported to the EU from next year. Stellantis warned rising costs of raw materials, supply chains and the conflict in Ukraine had prevented it from meeting its planned content standards when announcing the expansion of the Cheshire plant in 2021. Car manufacturers across the UK and continental Europe have echoed its concerns over the rules of origin, which they claim will raise costs for EV drivers and reduce uptake.
Employees should work from the office by default, according to former UK health secretary Jeremy Hunt. He claimed the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a boom in home-working, has seen a reversal of the trend and that remote working can stifle creativity. Firms including Amazon and Salesforce have demanded a return to office-working amid investor concern over productivity, while employees are increasingly attracted to companies offering workplace flexibility. "My guess is that the default will be that you work in the office unless there's a good reason not to be in the office," said Mr Hunt.
The Financial Times has reported on the potential of the metaverse, which has been a popular topic throughout 2021. The publication noted that the metaverse, described as a “three-dimensional version of the internet”, may change how people meet in remote or hybrid working environments. Journalist Isabel Berwick attended Charter’s virtual “fireside chat” about virtual reality and work, and whilst it was a mixed experience Berwick noted that avatars are entirely present in the metaverse – making it harder to multitask – which can help people to focus on the business at hand. Berwick added that the metaverse could create extra work, and stressed that 3D meetings require attendees to listen rather than multitask, which could help improve focus on the task at hand.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to deepen China's influence in Central Asia by attending a meeting between the Beijing leadership and leaders from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan on Thursday in the Chinese city of Xi’an. Talks will be dominated by trade ties, regional security concerns and Russia’s war in Ukraine. The event will run in parallel with US President Joe Biden's meeting with G7 leaders in Japan, further highlighting the division between the Western-led order and China's increasing influence. The meeting is also expected to be used by Xi to reinforce China's Belt and Road initiative, which has lost strength recently. Meanwhile, Boris Johnson met with Joe Biden on Thursday to establish a more coordinated approach to China and Russia, in addition to ensuring increased global vaccine production, particularly in poorer nations, is achieved.
Canada's policy failures mean that the average Canadian may have to work 5.9 days a week in future, just to match the living standards of New Zealanders working five days a week. In an op-ed for the Globe and Mail, economists Jason Clemens, Steven Globerman and Milagros Palacios of the Fraser Institute pointed out that a recent study released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development predicts Canada is set for the largest fall in living standards over the next 40 years: from ranking 16th out of 32 developed countries, Canada is forecast to fall to 25th by 2060 behind the likes of Slovenia and Turkey. The resulting lowering of Canadians' comparative standard of living means that ".Canadians will face a choice between two bad alternatives: longer workweeks or lower comparative living standards", the economists warned.
Several Australian firms and a few hundred worldwide are trialling a four-day work week, following a suggestion by a Senate committee earlier this year for Australia to introduce the system. One Australian company to have shifted is the Our Community software firm, whose founder, Denis Moriarty, said the change had radically altered the company culture and improved motivation. Trials - usually involving companies with fewer than 25 employees - have resulted in benefits such as increased productivity and reduced stress. Critics have argued the costs associated with implementing a shorter working week are too high, while others have questioned whether increased pressure to be more productive could lead to more stress among employees.
Analysis: Proponents of the four-day week argue that improved levels of output per unit of time make the system economically viable. While critics of the approach cite concerns over the cost and viability of the system for some industries, as well as potential logistic challenges surrounding the increase in productivity required to complete a week’s work in four days. I believe these challenging economic times are what is pushing people and companies to examine the viability of this system.
A fire broke out on the site of a roofing company near Commissioners and Leslie Streets rendering the air toxic in the surrounding area, Toronto police said. As of 8:30 p.m., the majority of the fire was extinguished by firefighters, with a spokesperson for Toronto Fire Services stating that the crew had not tested the air for toxicity yet. No injuries have been reported and the police has confirmed that the area is closed.
No large-scale road projects should be started in England until 2030 or after, according to National Highways. The government-owned company said the focus should be on completing existing schemes and improving existing roads. Much of its plans are behind schedule and over budget. The proposals have been named “RIS3”, covering the period between April 2025 and 2030. The company is keen to invest in smaller schemes aimed at congestion and safety issues, and on reducing fatalities and serious injuries along single carriageway A roads. It also plans 2,500 public electric vehicle charging points.
A trial four-day week in South Cambridgeshire for office workers received a substantial boost when the idea was extended to a full year. The council hopes to extend the scheme to refuse workers this summer, citing the need to address recruitment and reduce the amount spent on agency staff as reasons. However, the trial has been criticised by conservative councillors, who suggested that taxpayers' money has been used to fund council workers taking an extra day’s holiday every week. The daily attendance rate of South Cambridgeshire council workers has dropped to around 6% with the implementation of remote working patterns.
BT is planning to cut up to 42% of its workforce over the next seven years as it seeks to reduce costs and boost profit growth, according to CEO Philip Jansen. Total workers, including employees and contractors, will fall from around 130,000 to between 75,000 and 90,000 by 2030. The telecommunications company has aimed for annual savings of £3bn ($4.1bn) by the end of 2025. The firm has been reducing its workforce for the past five years, though more drastic cuts have been considered since 2019. Jansen’s planned reductions, which will come into effect over several years, reflect in part the shift towards automation and digitalisation in the telecoms industry, as well as the firm’s drive to improve its responsiveness to customers.
The UK Labour Party may build on the greenbelt to provide more affordable housing. Party Leader Keir Starmer believes that current housing shortages are due to a lack of available, affordable homes in desirable areas. Though the Labour government’s willingness to build on green areas may cause some opposition, the party is hoping to prevent people from being pushed out into the countryside or forced to endure extremely long commutes. Surveys demonstrate that such policies are unpopular, though they might highlight far-left beliefs of political progressives and attract the young voters that parties require to maintain public support. Also, over time, green belt encroachment might enable more walkable communities, reducing car travel and emissions. The policy might also help to emphasise Labour’s commitment to environmental policies. Additionally, the UK’s tentative electric vehicle industry seems to be under the threat of collapse. Carmaker Stellantis is warning that its Ellesmere Port factory will close unless the nation renegotiates the terms of its agreement with the EU and German carmakers are also lobbying to retain tariff-free access to the UK.
Nova Scotia looks to get physician assistants into primary-care clinics
CBC
23-05-18 09:00
Nova Scotia has launched a pilot program that allows physician assistants to work more frequently in emergency departments to improve patient access to care. Four PAs will be added to emergency and family physician practices across the Dalhousie Academic Family Health Teams to support physician care. Many Canadian provinces have restricted PAs' scope of practice, while others have been trained for several years, so it can be challenging to integrate PAs into different provinces. Tara Sampalli, a senior director with Nova Scotia Health, recently stated, "If you're able to build [physician assistants] into the primary-care practices, we'd be able to see more people. We'll be able to see more people sooner and get [them] the care they need." The first three PAs were added to Nova Scotia in 2019 to work specifically in the QEII Health Sciences Centre’s orthopedic surgery division, with two of the three having been trained in the United States. Nova Scotia has evaluated whether PAs can help resolve chronic primary health-care issues and improve healthcare for all Nova Scotians.
A trial four-day week in South Cambridgeshire for office workers received a substantial boost when the idea was extended to a full year. The council hopes to extend the scheme to refuse workers this summer, citing the need to address recruitment and reduce the amount spent on agency staff as reasons. However, the trial has been criticised by conservative councillors, who suggested that taxpayers' money has been used to fund council workers taking an extra day’s holiday every week. The daily attendance rate of South Cambridgeshire council workers has dropped to around 6% with the implementation of remote working patterns.
Tennis player Rafael Nadal has said he will take time out to regenerate physically, meaning he will not play again in 2018 and miss Wimbledon, beginning 3 July. In a press conference he said he had done “everything I could” to recover from a hip injury sustained in January in time for the French Open, but added that his body had made the decision that he cannot compete. Nadal hopes to return to the ATP Tour next year, but said he had not set a deadline for his return. The 32-year-old, who has won 16 Grand Slam titles, suggested 2024 would be his final year on the tour.
Lloyds has launched a review of working conditions that could make it more difficult for workers with caring responsibilities to work flexibly. Employee union Unite has said that thousands of staff have signed a collective grievance opposing a pilot scheme, branding it a “direct attack on working parents and carers.” The programme may alter compressed hours arrangements that afford flexible working to people juggling care for children or elderly relatives. Unite has warned that thousands of workers could be affected by permanent alteration of the offering, which they have labelled “a backward step.”
China has seen an increase in the number of "patient companions," people who go to medical appointments with patients. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and China's strict zero COVID rules which prohibit travel from province to province, friends could no longer chaperone ill family members to hospital visits. As a result, patient companions became increasingly popular, taking the place of adult children who live too far away or cannot take time off work. Hundreds of videos of companions advertising their services can be found on Little Red Book, a lifestyle platform, or Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok. These videos detail the difficulties of finding a hospital appointment and, once an appointment has been made, the long waiting times. However, there is some reticence related to this emerging industry; doctors are not always comfortable with the idea of paid companions and, in some cases, the children of the patients who hire companions do not want their parents to know that someone is being paid to accompany them to the hospital.
The Nova Scotia government has announced that its recruiting efforts have resulted in the number of doctors in the province continuing to grow. However, its own statistics show that the number of residents without a doctor is also growing. Between April 2022 and March 2023, 168 new doctors started practising in the province, but there was only a net gain of 86 physicians. Meanwhile, the number of Nova Scotians registered to find a doctor rose from 94,855 to 145,003 between June 2022 and May 2023. The government has introduced measures to recruit more doctors, including making it easier for physicians from other jurisdictions to practise in Nova Scotia, and conducting international recruitment drives.
Natalie Campbell, 40, a former aide to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge has declared her running for the London mayoral race. She wants to be London mayor running the capital like a CEO, focusing on enabling people to "thrive" rather than just "live and get by", with an aim to utilise London’s existing housing stock, building more homes both to buy and rent. She also plans to cancel the controversial Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) expansion and is in favour of a four-day working week.
Workers should "actively fight back" if their employers seek to roll back remote working after the pandemic, according to Microsoft executive Lucy Cooper. Speaking at a conference, Cooper insisted that such a step would hit parents, young people and those with non-standard working environments particularly badly. Workers at main UK bank Lloyds have criticised the company at its AGM over plans to tighten rules on flexible working arrangements. Microsoft has so far committed to a hybrid model of work, requiring staff to come into the office for around 50% of their working time unless they have permission to work from home.
