Australians now have the legal right to disconnect from work. But how effective will it be?

Australians now have the legal right to disconnect from work. But how effective will it be?

Australia’s right-to-disconnect law has come into effect — giving employees the right to refuse contact if their employers reach out to them by phone or email after hours, a type of law that has popped up around the world. “What we’re simply saying is that someone who is not being paid 24 hours a day shouldn’t … Read more

Dog owners get reprieve, but some still anxious over U.S. border rules

Dog owners get reprieve, but some still anxious over U.S. border rules

Some dog owners say the temporary exemption Canada has received from the most onerous new U.S. rules for bringing dogs across the border doesn’t go far enough and the reprieve needs to be made permanent. Earlier this month the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that as of Aug. 1, dogs coming … Read more

‘Large proportion’ of military disliked relaxed rules on personal grooming, survey finds

‘Large proportion’ of military disliked relaxed rules on personal grooming, survey finds

The Canadian military has tightened up regulations on personal grooming after getting an earful from members who were not happy with the relaxed standards introduced almost two years ago. The revised rules on hair and beard length come into effect today. One expert says the newest set of regulations, announced last month, may not entirely … Read more

Scientists are on a quest for drought-resistant wheat, agriculture’s ‘Holy Grail’

Scientists are on a quest for drought-resistant wheat, agriculture’s ‘Holy Grail’

Plant biologist Marcus Samuel has been working for more than a decade to improve the climate resilience of crops. At his research greenhouse at the University of Calgary, he uses cutting-edge gene editing techniques to produce hardier varieties of plants able to withstand temperature fluctuations, floods and frosts. But while he has worked on canola, … Read more