WEIRD STUFF: Frogs are being eaten off
Longer working hours linked to drinking
People who work longer hours drink more alcohol. This is according to a new study that revealed that employees who work for 49 or more hours per week drink an extra pint or glass of wine, on average, compared to those who work a typical shift pattern.
The World Health Organization research found that drinking starts to increase as people work beyond the typical 40-hour week.
The study author, Professor Lode Godderis, from KU Leuven university in Belgium, said: "We know that having long working hours is stressful and that alcohol reduces stress.
"Having a drink can make you feel more relaxed and, after a long week of long or hard work, you feel like you deserve a treat, so we give ourselves a present."
Godderis also suggests that working from home during the pandemic and taking on additional jobs means that growing numbers are working longer weeks, which could lead to more people drinking and harming their health.
Frogs are being eaten off
It has been claimed that their "voracious appetite" for frog delicacy is leading to a dwindling number of species in Indonesia, Turkey and Albania.
Up to 200 million wild frogs are imported into France to be eaten each year, and it has led to a serious drop in global numbers of native species.
Wildlife expert Dr Sandra Altherr has suggested that frogs could potentially be extinct in the next decade if the practice continues.
She said: "If the plundering for the European market continues, it's likely we will see more serious declines of wild frog populations and, potentially, extinctions in the next decade."
Charlotte Nithart, president of the French organisation Robin des Bois, has warned that the frog crisis could have far-reaching consequences for the planet.
She said: "Frogs play a central role in the ecosystem as insect killers -- and where frogs disappear, the use of toxic pesticides is increasing.
"Hence, the frogs' legs trade has direct consequences not only for the frogs themselves, but for biodiversity and ecosystem health as a whole."
Politicians live longer than members of the public
A new study has found that those in power live an average of 4.5 years longer than those who they represent.
Researchers at the University of Oxford analysed health data from 11 countries and more than 57,000 politicians, dating back to the early 19th century, to come up with the findings.
The life expectancy gaps vary by country, ranging from three years in Switzerland to 7.5 years in Italy.
Dr Laurence Roope, from the University of Oxford's Health Economics Research Centre, said: "Our study is the largest to date to compare the mortality rate and life expectancy of politicians with those of the age and gender-matched general population.
"The results show that the survival advantage of politicians today is very high, compared to that observed in the first half of the 20th century."