“Meditation could ease the agony of back pain, a study suggests,” the Daily Mirror reports. A US study compared a technique called mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) with usual care and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for long-term non-specific lower back pain. The term “non-specific” refers to when there are no obvious causes, such as a slipped disc. MBSR is based on yoga Read More

If you think about it as a popularity contest, then it makes perfect sense. Sydney is the sought-after celebrity everyone wants, so its value has shot through the roof. The cost of buying even a tiny slice of Sydney has become as inflated as a Kardashian/Jenner endorsement fee. It’s not fair, it’s literally not worth the money, but it is Read More

When it comes to real estate prices, the only way isn’t always up. There are places across the country where homes sell for less than their advertised price, but savvy househunters need to know where to look. Vendor discounting is the magical percentage between the original asking price of a property for sale by private treaty and the eventual sale Read More

Places at church schools are highly competitive Getty Primary schools in England have been accused of “social segregation” after a report showed more than 1,500 schools were turning away disadvantaged pupils in favour of children from higher-income families. A report from the Sutton Trust found some of the most popular primary schools – particularly faith schools – had complicated oversubscription criteria that actively Read More

“Abnormal cells not a sure sign of baby defects,” reports The Telegraph following the publication of a study on the development of healthy embryos. Embryos containing cells with an abnormal number of chromosomes can still develop into healthy babies, according to researchers from the University of Cambridge. Embryo cells with too many or too few chromosomes can give rise to Read More

RESIDING in the northern corridor of the Gold Coast, Labrador is fast becoming a paradise for residents seeking an affordable and central suburb that is still within arms’ reach of the beach. Younger families are coming in, attracted to the Broadwater views along with one of the best parks on the Gold Coast — Harley park. While the suburb is Read More

“Women who take HRT drugs soon after going through menopause are ‘less likely to suffer heart disease’,” the Daily Mail reports. A new study found that early adopters ofhormone replacement therapy (HRT) might slow their progression towardatherosclerosis (hardening and thickening of the arteries) which can increase the risk ofheart disease, heart attacks or strokes. However, the study in question did not follow Read More

Forecasts show that 295,000 more primary-age pupils will be enrolled in schools by 2020 Monkey Business Images/REX/Shutterstock Labour Party MPs have criticised the government’s “failed approach to planning for school places” as a “broken system”, amid claims that one in four primary schools is now full or over-capacity. Statistics from the Department for Education suggest that around 23 per cent of Read More

A network of universities has been formed with the aim of establishing joint graduate programmes across universities in BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. L-R: Victor Koksharov, Rector of Ural Federal University, Russia; Aline Schleicher, Ministry of Education, Brazil; Diane Parker, Department of Higher Education and Training, South Africa; Vinay Sheel Oberoi, Ministry of Human Resource Read More

“Ditching butter for veg oil may not be better for heart,” the Daily Mail reports. An analysis of previously unpublished data from the 1960s and 70s found no benefit in replacing sources of saturated fats with vegetable oils. The original study was conducted from 1968 to 1973 in six US psychiatric state hospitals and a nursing home. People were randomly assigned to Read More