13 h. ago Playing an instrument may help protect brain against ageing, study finds

Older musicians show more ‘youth-like’ brain patterns and better hearing in noisy places, researchers find

Politics

37 h. ago Number of nicotine poisonings in kids skyrockets with pouches becoming more common

There have been more than 134,000 nicotine poisonings among children younger than the age of six from 2010 to 2023, a new study finds

Events

8 d. ago New study challenges what we know about the biology of ageing

For years, scientists have believed that inflammation inevitably increases with age – until now

Politics

9 d. ago 'Superdiet' that combines two healthy plans slashes dementia risk

Experts in diet and nutrition say one specific diet plan has been found to protect your brain health

Events

9 d. ago Anne Reid on fame, desire and ambition at 90: ‘The most wonderful things have happened since I was 68!’

In her 20s, the actor says, casting directors didn’t rate her. In her 60s, she got her big break. She discusses fun, family, optimism, regrets – and wild sex on screen with Daniel CraigAnne Reid wants to get one thing straight from the off. She adores working with the director Dominic Dromgoole. “He treats actors like grownups. Some directors feel as if they’ve got to play games and teach you how to act. But a conductor doesn’t teach a viola player how to play the blooming instrument, does he?” She talks about directors who get actors to throw bean bags at each other and go round the room making them recite each other’s names. “Blimey! I want to be an adult. I think I’ve earned it now.” She pauses. Reid has always been a master of the timely pause. “You can’t get more adult than me and be alive really, can you, darling?”Reid turned 90 in May. She celebrated by going on a national tour with Daisy Goodwin’s new play, By Royal Appointment. I catch up with the show at Cheltenham’s Every...

Politics

1 week 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

1 week ago Controversial but cheap supplement that millions already take beats dementia

Apart from helping you improve muscle growth, this supplement may also protect your brain from decline and memory loss.

Politics

1 week 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

2 w. ago Obama and Bush call Trump’s USAID closure a ‘travesty’ as report warns of 14 million extra deaths

Former presidents Barack Obama and George W Bush and singer Bono send emotional message to staff as organisation closesBarack Obama and George W Bush have criticised the closure of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), as a study warned it could result in “a staggering number” of avoidable deaths – more than 14 million over five years.The former US presidents made rare public criticisms of the Trump administration as they took part in a video farewell for USAID staffers on Monday on its last day as an independent organisation. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. 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

2 w. ago Obama calls Trump’s USAID closure a ‘travesty’ as report warns of extra 14 million deaths by 2030

Former presidents Obama and George W Bush and singer Bono send emotional message to staff as organisation closesBarack Obama and George W Bush have criticised the closure of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), as a study warned it would result in “a staggering number” of avoidable deaths.The former US presidents made rare public criticisms of the Trump administration as they took part in a video farewell for USAID staffers on its last day as an independent organisation. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Obama and Bush call Trump’s USAID closure a ‘travesty’ as report warns of millions of extra deaths

Former presidents Barack Obama and George W Bush and singer Bono send emotional message to staff as organisation closesBarack Obama and George W Bush have criticised the closure of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), as a study warned it would result in “a staggering number” of avoidable deaths.The former US presidents made rare public criticisms of the Trump administration as they took part in a video farewell for USAID staffers on its last day as an independent organisation. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago The people least likely to tip at a restaurant aren’t who you think they are

A new study has found that among U.S. adults, those aged 18-28 stand out as the least frequent tippers across various service categories. Mike Bedigan asks them why

Politics

2 w. 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

2 w. 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

2 w. ago Study helps explain common vitamin’s extraordinary power to reverse skin ageing

Findings could lead to clinical treatment strategies for making a person look younger than their age

Politics

2 w. ago Hundreds of people report problems 'linked to weight loss jabs including 10 deaths'

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has launched a study into the side effects of weight loss and diabetes jabs. Recent estimates suggest that about 1.5 million people in the UK are taking the injections

Events

3 w. 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

3 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

3 w. ago GBBO's Briony May reveals secrets to getting children involved in cooking

A study of 1,000 parents with children aged 2-10, found the majority agreed that getting their kids involved in the kitchen is important but four in ten struggled to do so

Society