Researchers tracked 1,000 couples who were either married or in serious relationships over the course of five years, and then looked at patterns amongst those who were still together after five years. What they found is that the man should be at least five years older than the woman and the woman should have more education than the man for the best chances of the marriage standing the test of time.

This of course did not prove true in the case when either one or both partners had been divorced previously, and the scientists added that using "objective factors" such as age, education, and cultural origin "may help reduce divorce". If one partner had been divorced in the past, it lessens the chances of the relationship surviving. Interestingly though, if both partners had been divorced previously, while their chances of surviving are still not as good as those who had never divorced, the chances of survival are slightly better than those in a relationship where just one partner had been divorced.

One example of a celebrity relationship that according to this study is likely to last is that between Beyonce Knowles, 28, and her husband, Jay-Z, 39. She's younger, and also more educated. Jay-Z did not even receive a high school diploma.

Pope Benedict XVI, while on board a papal flight to Africa, told reporters that the distribution of condoms is not the answer to the fight against AIDS in Africa. During his trip to Africa, he will tour Cameroon and Angola.

"You can't resolve it with the distribution of condoms. On the contrary, it increases the problem," said Benedict.

He said that the disease was "a tragedy that cannot be overcome by money alone, that cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems".

The Vatican instead encourages sexual abstinence to fight the spread of the disease. While this is good in theory, some question its effectiveness. Some priests and nuns who work with victims of AIDS in Africa question the church's opposition to condoms.

The timing of the Pope's remarks has outraged health agencies who are trying to stop the spread of HIV and Aids in sub-Saharan Africa, where an estimated 22 million people are infected.

Africa is currently the fastest-growing region for the Roman Catholic Church.