25 h. ago Owning dog or cat could preserve some brain functions as we age, study says

Fish or bird ownership showed no significant link to slower cognitive decline in study with implications for ageing societiesAs Britain’s population ages and dementia rates climb, scientists may have found an unexpected ally in the fight against cognitive decline.Cats and dogs may be exercising more than just your patience: they could be keeping parts of your brain ticking over too. In a potential breakthrough for preventive health, researchers have found that owning a four-pawed friend is linked to slower cognitive decline by potentially preserving specific brain functions as we grow older. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Study shows sharp drop in team sports among women by age of 21

New research shows that only seven per cent of women in the UK take part in team sports, with most hanging up their boots by the age of 21, as they juggle work and family life

Politics

4 d. ago Think you’re cool? Here are the six boxes you’ll have to tick

Are you extroverted, hedonistic, powerful? Then you’re halfway there, according to a study of 6,000 people in six continentsName: Cool.Age: The Fonz was the embodiment of cool, and Happy Days started in 1974. But the concept of cool began earlier, among rebellious subcultures, including jazz musicians in the 1940s and beatniks in the 1950s. Continue reading...

Politics

9 d. ago One in four young people in England have mental health condition, NHS survey finds

Rates are three times as high in young women as in young men and mental ill health up across age groups, study showsSharp rises in rates of anxiety, depression and other disorders have led to one in four young people in England having a common mental health condition, an NHS survey shows, with young women nearly three times more likely to report them than young men.The study found that rates of such conditions in 16- to 24-year-olds have risen by more than a third in a decade, from 18.9% in 2014 to 25.8% in 2024.More than a fifth (22.6%) of adults aged 16 to 64 have a common mental health condition, up from 18.9% in 2014.More than one in four adults (25.2%) reported having had suicidal thoughts during their lifetime, including about a third of 16- 24-year-olds (31.5%) and 25- to 34-year-olds (32.9%).Self-harm rates have quadrupled since 2000 and risen from 6.4% in 2014 to 10.3% in 2024, with the highest rates among 16- to 24-year-olds at 24.6%, especially young women at 31.7%. Conti...

Politics

9 d. ago UK study shows 8% of children aged eight to 14 have viewed online pornography

Ofcom says research shows need for stricter age checks being introduced in July, which most major sites have signed up toNearly one in 10 children aged eight to 14 have watched online pornography, according to the UK’s communications watchdog, as most adult content providers gear up to adopt stronger age checks ahead of a 25 July deadline.Ofcom published research showing that 8% of children aged eight to 14 in the UK had visited an online pornography site or app over a month-long period. Boys aged 13 to 14 were the most likely viewers, with two out of 10 visiting adult sites. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Study casts doubt over theory that Stone Age Ireland was ruled by incestuous ‘god

Previous research suggested elites lived like other royal dynasties found in ancient Egypt or the Andes

Politics

2 w. ago High blood sugar and pressure can be lowered by eating these carbohydrate

Women who eat a higher-quality carb diet are up to 37% more likely to age healthily, according to a new study

Events

2 w. ago Who are the Wimbledon wildcards? Meet the 14 British hopefuls handed SW19 opportunity

A total of 56 home-grown players will compete at Wimbledon this year across both the main draw and qualifying

Politics

3 w. ago Emma Raducanu taught key lesson by disruptive Qinwen Zheng in Queen’s defeat

The British No 1 will rue missed opportunities after a 6-2 6-4 defeat to the Olympic champion, who drew the ire of west London by changing shoes and her racquet mid-game

Politics

3 w. ago I call on the UK to join the world majority – and recognise the state of Palestine | Husam Zomlot

The UN conference on the two-state solution offers an historic opportunity for Britain: to stand against the continued erasure of my peopleHusam Zomlot is the Palestinian ambassador to the United KingdomFuture generations will look back on this moment as a turning point, when an unrelenting campaign was waged to erase the Palestinian people, and ask how this was allowed to happen.How world leaders, faced with a choice between complicity and courage, enabled genocide. How they denied Palestinians our inalienable right to self-determination and return, and chose to support occupation over freedom, apartheid over equality. Today, after decades of appeasement and impunity, Israel has entrenched one of the longest military occupations in modern history, one that seeks not only to control Palestinian life but to extinguish it.Husam Zomlot is the Palestinian ambassador to the United KingdomDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response o...

Politics

4 w. ago Ministers accused of being ‘asleep at the wheel’ over UK’s soft power around the world

Government’s own advisers warn of funding crisis for BBC World Service, British Council and universitiesAs US retreats, is there a ‘soft power’ opportunity for UK?Ministers have been accused of being “asleep at the wheel” over threats to the UK’s soft power around the world, as some of their own advisers warned a funding crisis is undermining key institutions promoting British influence.Members of the government’s new soft power council, set up by ministers earlier this year, warned the BBC World Service, the British Council and universities – regarded as the bodies at the forefront of the UK’s soft power efforts – all face major financial pressures. Continue reading...

Politics

4 w. ago Brits more likely to say 'yes' to new opportunities at age 27, study finds

The average adult typically declines something up to twice a week, but research shows that at age 27, they are most likely to say "yes" to new opportunities.

Politics

4 w. ago Exact age Brits are most likely to say 'yes' to new opportunities

A study of 2,000 adults found the average Brit typically turns something down as often as twice a week - but there's one age where they are most likely to say 'yes'

Politics

4 w. ago Brits are most likely to say ‘yes’ to new opportunities at the age of 27

Brits are most likely to say ‘yes’ to new opportunities at the age of 27, a study has found.

Politics