Destiny 2 has officially unveiled the final installment of its Witch Queen era, titled "Season of the Seraph." The season,

Controversial internet influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan have been released from house arrest in Romania ahead of their trial on charges of human trafficking and rape, Bucharest's Court of Appeals announced on Friday.

Reading for pleasure in early childhood can help youngsters perform better at school and boost their mental health as they enter teenage years, a study suggests. The study of more than 10,000 children found that those who started reading for fun at a young age performed better at cognitive tests and showed improved “brain structure” in adolescence. For “optimal” results, children should be reading for 12 hours every week, academics from the universities of Cambridge and Warwick in the UK, and Fudan University in China, found. Their study, published in the journal Psychological Medicine, analysed data on the children, all from the US, including interviews, cognitive tests, mental and behavioural assessments and brain scans. We encourage parents to do their best to awaken the joy of reading in their children at an early age Professor Jianfeng Feng They then compared information on children who began reading for pleasure before they turned nine against those who started later, or not at all. Of the 10,243 participants studied, just under a half (48%) had little experience of reading for pleasure or did not begin doing so until later in their childhood. The other half had between three and 10 years’ reading for pleasure. Those who started reading for pleasure at a young age were found to perform better on cognitive tests, which measured verbal learning, memory and speech development, and school academic achievement, when they were teenagers. These children also had better mental wellbeing, showing fewer signs of stress and depression, as well as improved attention and fewer behavioural problems such as aggression and rule-breaking. They also tended to use screens less and slept longer. Academics also analysed brain scans of teenagers and found that those who started reading for pleasure at a young age showed moderately larger total brain areas and volumes, and also showed differences in brain regions previously shown to relate to improved mental health, behaviour and attention. “Reading isn’t just a pleasurable experience – it’s widely accepted that it inspires thinking and creativity, increases empathy and reduces stress,” said Professor Barbara Sahakian from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge. “But on top of this, we found significant evidence that it’s linked to important developmental factors in children, improving their cognition, mental health, and brain structure, which are cornerstones for future learning and well-being.” Professor Jianfeng Feng from Fudan University in Shanghai, China, and the University of Warwick, added: “We encourage parents to do their best to awaken the joy of reading in their children at an early age. “Done right, this will not only give them pleasure and enjoyment, but will also help their development and encourage long-term reading habits, which may also prove beneficial into adult life.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Stan Wawrinka on setbacks, preparing for Wimbledon and friendship with Roger Federer Hacks for saving money on school uniforms King Charles and Queen Camilla surprise spa guests in bathrobes at eco-village

'Sonic The Hedgehog 2' beat 'Morbius' and 'Ambulance' with a stellar opening weekend.

DARMSTADT, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 30, 2023--

Hailey Bieber posed in a body-hugging dress that showed off her slim figure

Florida man Timothy Demarse was subsequently arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will be greeted with royal pomp and ceremony before commemorating the sacrifice of British soldiers during the Korean War when he travels to the U.K. for a state visit later this month

Kansas City Chiefs superfan and criminal Chiefsaholic is in hot water after failing to appear in court recently.Xavier Badubar became well known for his devotion to the Kansas City Chiefs and, more specifically, the costume he wore to every home game. Badubar used to take in Chiefs games dressed...

Roy Keane has described at Erik ten Hag’s comments praising Bruno Fernandes after Manchester United’s win over Everton as “absolute rubbish”. Fernandes was praised by his manager for allowing Marcus Rashford to take a second-half penalty in the victory at Goodison Park. Rashford, who has been short of form and goals this season, duly converted from 12 yards to put Manchester United 2-0 up, with Anthony Martial later adding a third. The gesture from Fernandes, the regular taker of spot-kicks at the club, was hailed by Ten Hag afterwards. “You see also how great a captain Bruno is to sense that his team-mate needed that goal,” the Dutch manager explained. The win continued a good recent run for the Old Trafford club, who sit sixth in the Prmeier League and are just four points behind the Champions League places. Former Manchester United midfielder Keane believes, though, that Ten Hag’s comments betray the fact that the mentality at his old club has changed, with the Irishman suggesting they are “happy with sixth”. “He’s giving toffee out there to Bruno for passing on the ball for the penalty. Absolute bloody rubbish,” Keane said on Sky Sports. “[That’s] absolute rubbish coming out with that. “Manchester United are sixth now – if you went back a few years, if you were sixth you’d be embarrassed. But obviously they seem happy with sixth. “They have a long way to go. Manchester United have to be competing with the best teams. That’s including Liverpool, [Manchester] City, Arsenal. It’s not been good enough with the talent they’ve got. Look, they’ve got themselves in a nice position but the reason you’re playing for Manchester United is to compete against the top teams.” The win over Everton was the third in a row in the league for Ten Hag’s side. The goal should boost the confidence of Rashford, who has been below his best so far in this campaign but remains a key figure. Fernandes believes his teammate will soon be back to a “world-class” level. “I felt that Marcus needed a bit of confidence, needed goals,” the Portuguese creator told Sky Sports. “Marcus is an excellent penalty-taker too. I’m 100 per cent sure that he could score the penalty. It’s not about who takes it, it’s about scoring the penalty and Marcus did it perfectly. “Obviously strikers, wingers, they want to score goals, they need to score goals, that’s part of their game and it gives you a boost. After the penalty, Marcus was unstoppable – he could take on everyone. I think sometimes you need this chance, this opportunity to get confidence back. “But Marcus has been great for us. Obviously last season he was amazing, so everyone’s expectations for this season were higher. It’s just about getting his goals back and everyone will stay say that he is world-class again.” Read More Bruno Fernandes talks up Alejandro Garnacho after stunning goal at Everton Kai Havertz gives Arsenal the perfect ‘example’ to follow in title race Why Aston Villa should be on Unai Emery’s list of top-four contenders Kai Havertz gives Arsenal the perfect ‘example’ to follow in title race Why Aston Villa should be on Unai Emery’s list of top-four contenders What Alejandro Garnacho needs to achieve Man Utd greatness

Italy's Rugby World Cup squad announcement has been pushed back ten days after a spate of injuries in last...

The United Kingdom has marked the anniversary of the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the ascension of King Charles III with gun salutes and tolling bells