WHAT’S ALL THE FUSS ABOUT?

What has caught our attention in the news this fortnight…

Prayer power

A new survey has found that one in five adults who say they are not religious still pray during a crisis.

The poll reveals that more than half of UK adults pray; of those who do, a third do so in a place of worship, another third before going to sleep or out walking and the rest combine it with other daily activities. It’s good to hear that the many negative stories about Britons losing faith aren’t necessarily true.

Baking powder

Fruit and vegetables should be washed in baking power solution to get rid of up to 13 potentially harmful pesticides, a new study has said.

The traditional raising agent, usually added to flour or cakes, beat both water and a very weak bleach solution at removing traces of the chemicals in trials. Scientists used a one per cent mix of baking powder with water to clean apples and found it to be far the most effective, but it did take up to 15 minutes to get rid of all the lingering chemicals. That could be 15 minutes well spent!