Exodus of Britons growing
Exodus of Britons growing ALMOST 400,000 people quit Britain to find a better life abroad last year as the recession took hold. A total of 395,000 people emigrated from the UK during 2008, a rise of 24 percent compared with the 318,000 who left in 2007 according to the Office of National Statistics. Around 158,000 were British citizen leaving the country for an expat life overseas, a further 237,000 were foreigners returning home or leaving for other countries. Research has shown the most popular destinations for Britons emigrating abroad are Australia, New Zealand, France, Spain and the US. The number of Eastern Europeans from Poland, Slovakia and other former communist countries returning home last year more than doubled from 25,000 to 66,000. The trend helped drive down net immigration to 18,000, a drop of 44 percent and the lowest since the expansion of the EU five years ago. Karen Dunnell, the Government’s Chief Statistician, said the figures were likely to be due to the economic downturn. An estimated one million people have flocked to the UK since Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania Estonia and Slovakia and Slovenia joined the EU in 2004. The Government faced fierce criticism at the time for opting to give all new EU citizens free access to UK labour markets, while other major economies imposed strict curbs. Britain face blackout BRITAIN is facing its first power cuts since the 1970’s as demand for electricity outstrips supplies, MP’s warned last week. The crisis is looming as clapped-out power stations reach the end of their lives or are closed by EU “Green” laws. Ministers have pencilled in power cuts from 2017 to save 3000 megawatts of electricity a year. That is enough to leave a city the size of Nottingham without electricity for a day. The bleak figures are contained in a chart buried in the back of the Government’s low -carbon plan. Tory MP Greg Clark accused ministers of “having their heads in the sand over energy policy.” Space Invaders BRITAIN is in the top 10 of countries “most at risk” of being devastated by an asteroid strike scientist have calculated. Move from noisy roads PEOPLE who want better health should move away from noisy roads. The sound of traffic, above 60dB, raises blood pressure experts have found. “This is an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack and stroke.” said Theo Bodin’s Swedish Researcher. Almost one in three Europeans are exposed to traffic noise exceeding 55dB Are you having bad dreams? DRINKING green or black tea may lower the risk of nightmares. New researcher from Japan shows that those who have one or more cups a day were 50 percent less likely to have nightmares than occasional or non-drinkers, Tea is believed to help by reducing levels of anxiousness and stress, it’s thought the amino acid thiamine, which is found in tea leaves, has a calming effect on the brain, according to researchers at Nihon University School of Medicine in Japan. The study, which was based on 1,000 men and women, found that women had an 80 percent higher risk of nightmares. Additionally, people who went to bed before midnight and those who woke up before 6.30am were at higher risk too, although it’s not clear why. Having a late-night meal HAVING a late-night meal can make you fat, the body’s internal clock is not as efficient at burning energy when we are asleep, experts reveal. Tests on mice found those fed when they would normally be asleep put on more weight than others given the same meals at the right time. The finding published in the journal ‘Obesity’ could have implications for night-shift workers who tend to be overweight. Better timing of meals could be a critical element in slowing the ever-increasing incidence of obesity, said Prof. Fred Turek from Northwest University, Illinois. Waist size linked to cancer THE SIZE of a man’s trousers and a woman’s skirt can indicate their risk of getting some form of cancer, a study claims. Men with a waistband of 37 to39 inches are up to 40 percent more likely to develop a kidney tumour. The risk rises to 63 percent for those with a waist of 41ins or more Women who wear size 18 to 20 skirts have a 60 percent higher chance of womb cancer, according to researchers in Maastricht, Holland who studied 2,500 people. Londoners lead the UK in entrepreneurial spirit ALMOST a fifth of Londoners are considering starting their own business, because of the recession. A new Government survey reveals that London’s workforce is the most entrepreneurial in the country with 19% of capital dwellers having started, or looking to start a new business in the downturn, compared with only 11% in Scotland and 13% in the North West. The research also found that nearly one in five Londoners are considering a career change as a result of the recession. Most respondents said the main reason they wanted to change careers was better pay and only 7% cited better job security as a reason to find a new form of employment. Julian Acquari, Managing Director of recruitment ‘Website Monster’, which commissioned the research, described the findings on London working patterns as surprising. He said “In their face of economic uncertainty you might expect to see people stay entrenched in their current jobs and ride out the storm, but our research suggest that Londoners who are currently working are in fact more open to career change.” No equal pay for women WOMEN in some of the UK’s top finance firms receive around 80 percent less in performance-related pay than male colleagues. The ‘shocking disparity’ was shown during an inquiry by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Most women beginning jobs in finance started on lower salaries than men. Women earned an average of £2,875 in annual performance related pay compared with £14,554 for men. Women boxers at London Olympics in 2012 WOMEN boxers have won the right to come out fighting at the London Olympics in 2012. In a landmark ruling, the International Olympic Committee decided they could participate for the first time since a demonstration event at the St. Louis Games in 1904. The decision was greeted with delight by sportswomen; it did not meet universal approval. Medical experts say boxing is dangerous irrespective of gender, and many traditionalists still consider it a ‘man’s sport’. It has been just 12 years since British boxing authorities claimed that women were ‘too unstable’ to box because of their periods and premenstrual tension. The woman who successfully fought them in court in 1998 for a professional boxing licence, Jane Couch, said she was thrilled with the decision of the Olympic Committee. Plastic Games THE LONDON Olympics in 2012 could be a cash free zone in a bid to cut queues and stop criminals targeting visitor. Visa credit cards and pay-as you-go swipe cards will be used to buy food, drink and souvenirs. Mobile phone owners may also be able to scan their handsets at points in shops and restaurants. However, visitors to all sites including the Olympic Park in Stratford, will be limited to a £10 ‘swipe’ to spend in bars and cafes. People who do not drink People who do not drink alcohol tend to be miserable social misfits research suggests. Teetotallers have significantly higher levels of depression and anxiety. They were also likely to lack social skills because non-drinkers have fewer friends, say Norwegian Scientist Dr. Eystein Storday “We see that this group is les socially well adjust.” Life is happier for taller people TALLER adults are happier with their lives, new US research claims. The study, published in science journal ‘Economics and Human Biology’, said people of greater height ‘live better lives’, evaluated their lives more positively and were more likely to report favourable emotions. Men who said their lives were the ‘worst possible’ were almost an inch shorter than the average man.
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Exodus of Britons growing
