LOW SOCIAL STATUS BAD FOR HEALTH

A new study shows that having a low social status can be bad for our health. The study was on monkeys. Researchers from Duke University in the USA looked at the behaviour and health of 45 female monkeys and found that those with a lower social status had more health problems. The monkeys were split up into five groups of nine. The researchers gave the monkeys in each group time to get to know each other. Then they took one monkey from each group and put her into another group. This meant she was the "new girl" and was at the bottom of the group. When scientists checked the health of the monkeys, they found that the "new girl" was unhealthier than the other monkeys.

The researchers said that although their study focused on monkeys, the findings could also be true for humans because we share a lot of our DNA with monkeys. Professor Graham Rook, from University College London, told the BBC News that the findings of the study may also apply to humans. He said governments must understand that people with a lower social status suffer more from health problems. He said that just because "people at the bottom" have got cars and TVs, it does not mean they are happy. If they feel they are at the bottom compared with richer people, their health will worsen. People who are richer can live up to two decades longer than those who are poorer. (Breaking News English)

Why do children go to school?

What is school for? This may seem an easy question to answer, but a poll taken in the USA shows people have different opinions on why kids go to school. The poll is called the 'Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools'. It is from a global association of education professionals called PDK International. PDK asked Americans to name the biggest purpose of school. Just 45 per cent of people who took part in the poll said the main goal of school was to prepare students to pass exams. Around a quarter of people said the main purpose was to get kids ready to join the workforce. Just over 26 per cent of Americans believed the biggest reason for school was to teach children about citizenship.

Joshua Starr, CEO of PDK, said the poll questioned whether today's schools were doing the right thing. He said: "One has to really question whether the direction we've been going is consistent with what the public wants." He quoted from author James Baldwin, who said in 1963 that the purpose of school is "to ask questions of the universe and learn to live with those questions." Students had different ideas about what school was for. Elena Brankov, 15, said school was to teach children to be creative, to share ideas with others and to use technology to make the world a better place. Lyndon Bailey, also 15, said school, "is just to make poor kids into robots who work and make rich people richer". (Breaking News English)

The Butterfly Circus

Women do not get enough sleep

A new report says a lack of sleep can cause long-term health issues and even death. Women are more likely to have problems sleeping than men. Researchers from the Sleep Apnoea Trust Association questioned 4,100 adults. Apnoea is when breathing stops for a short time during sleep. Almost half of the women did not sleep enough. This compared to 36 per cent of men. Women were also more likely than men to wake up at night.

Health experts warn that feeling exhausted due to little sleep could be a sign of a serious problem. Many women do not know about the dangers. Only a quarter see a doctor about this. A sleep expert said: "Often women think that feeling exhausted is just part of modern life when in fact it could be something more serious….It leaves women at risk of reduced quality of life. Bad cases of sleep apnoea can cause heart attacks and strokes.

(Breaking News English)

Brain Divided

Madrid hairdressers offer free haircuts for the homeless

A group of Spanish hairdressers are using their Sundays to give free haircuts to the homeless along with a chance to tell their stories.

For a month, these three stylists have been giving up their Sunday morning lie-ins to head out onto the streets of Madrid offering free haircuts to the city’s homeless population.

Ana Cuenca, a trained hairdresser, was inspired to start the project with two friends, Cristina Medina and Jonatan Martín after seeing the work ofa similar social project in Australia. 

They got in touch with the man behind the project, Nasir Sobhani, to ask for advice and shortly after #UnCorteUnaHistoria (a cut and a story) was born.

"We saw what Nasir was doing in Australia and we wanted to reproduce it here in Spain," Ana tells The Local. 

"We got in touch with a hairdressing company here in Spain, Industrias Orial, and they donated all the equipment we needed," Cristina adds. "Everyone has been so supportive." 

The trio tend to set up their mobile hairdressers in some of the city's busiest areas, such as its main shopping street, the Gran Vía or one of its main squares, Plaza de España. (The Local es)

Patatas bravas

Prepare ahead by heating the oil in a pan, add the onion and fry for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato purée, paprika, chilli powder, sugar and salt and bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer for 10 minutes until pulpy. Set aside for up to 24 hours.

1. To serve, preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan oven 180C. Cut the potatoes into small cubes and pat dry with kitchen paper. Spread over a roasting tin and toss in the oil, then season. Roast for 40-50 minutes, until the potatoes are crisp and golden.
2. Tip the potatoes into dishes and spoon over the reheated sauce. Sprinkle with the parsley. Serve with cocktail sticks. (BBC Good Food)
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Height may be the key to a happy marriage

Researchers have found what they think is a key to a happy marriage. The secret ingredient for marital bliss could be a difference in height between the two partners. South Korea's professor Kitae Sohn said the taller a woman's husband is, the happier she is. Mr Sohn said: "A greater height difference in a couple was positively related to the wife's happiness." However, he said the attraction of a tall husband did not last forever and diminishes over time. He said he was surprised that it took around 18 years of marriage for this appeal to disappear.

Professor Sohn was intrigued as to why women preferred taller men. He said: "Although it has been known that women prefer tall men in mating for evolutionary reasons, no study has investigated whether a taller husband makes his wife happier." He analysed data from 7,850 Indonesian women. They did not know why they preferred a taller mate. Sohn wrote: "Women simply like tall men….This is similar to people favoring fatty, salty and sugary foods without knowing exactly why." However, the BBC noted that shorter men can be more stable, better husbands. (Breaking News English)

Harmful bacteria

A new report warns that people could be in danger from superbugs if they eat rare and undercooked meat. The report is called the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance. Researchers looked into how antibiotics in food are making bugs stronger. The report said the use of antibiotics in agriculture is making bugs stronger and more resistant to our medicines. The researchers said the huge amount of antibiotics in farming could be dangerous to people's health around the world. They suggested that farmers reduce the amount of antibiotics they give to their animals. The leader of the research, Jim O'Neill, said this was important if we wanted to make sure that our life-saving medicines still workeff ectively.

The researchers are calling for strict targets to reduce the number of antibiotics given to farm animals. Mr O'Neill said this was necessary because of the huge amount of antibiotics farmers give their animals. He said: "I find it [unbelievable] that in many countries, most of the consumption of antibiotics is in animals, rather than humans. This creates a big risk for everyone." He added that the public could get ill from superbugs if they ate meat that was rare or undercooked. He said: "My advice to consumers is that they have to make sure they cook meat properly. If you are going to choose to cook it as rare as possible you have to be aware of where it's coming from." (Breaking News English)

Ed Sheeran

Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has announced he is "taking a break" from social media because he is fed up with spending so much time looking at his mobile phone or iPad. The international superstar has 16 million followers on Twitter and another 5.5 million on Instagram. He has been active in keeping his fans up to date on his personal life but now wants to have a rest. He wrote on his Instagram account: "Hello all. I'm taking a break from my phone, e-mails and all social media for a while." He went on to explain: "I've had such an amazing [time] over the last five years but I find myself seeing the world through a screen and not my eyes."

Sheeran has been touring the world since August 2014 giving dozens of sellout concerts. He apologised to his friends and family for his upcoming online absence. He said he wanted to see the world instead of continually working and touring. He wrote: "I'm taking this opportunity of me not having to be anywhere or do anything to travel the world and see everything I missed." The singer will also use his time off to get surgery for a burst eardrum he got while doing a concert. He also had good news for his millions of fans. He announced that his third album is on its way and that it is the best thing he has produced so far. He thanked his fans and said he would be back next autumn. (Breaking News English)