Researchers from the University of Cambridge collated data to reveal the incredible benefits of sitting down with a book, comic or magazine at any age

In an exclusive extract from her brilliant new book, she reveals the twists and turns of her midlife quest for happiness

It’s clear from Pisa rankings what the best education systems do

Legislation will repeal centuries-old laws to let Andy Burnham, Britain’s first Catholic prime minister, recommend top Church of England bishops and archbishops

The Princess of Wales’s sister was accused of suggesting that her royal link justified banning walkers through her Berkshire property

The insecurity we feel in the face of machine intelligence is like being told in the 15th century the earth circles the sun

Those hoping Russia’s president will save western Christian values are in for a rude awakening

A nursing assistant logged that Hugo Flint-Cahan was awake in his room at 2am even though Rolando Torres-Pena, a fellow patient, had already strangled him

John Prevost said that he turned to Chicago-born Pope Leo for advice on his tax return and after he was locked out of his computer

A new update of Bizet’s opera by Northern Ireland Opera has a compelling heroine — even if the staging isn’t wholly successful

For the first time, scientists have developed a single device that decodes brainwaves into both speech and motion, translating these onto a screen

Umar Kremlev reportedly spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the reception and fireworks for the event, which took place in the Bahamas in May

Nigel Farage has promised to scrap the law that will ban everyone born after 2008 from smoking

Polling suggests that the proposal by the mayor of London to impose a levy on hotel stays could backfire

Alternative lenders and automated underwriting processes are making it easier for firms to access cash — but some are being pushed into unaffordable debt

Artist who transformed Tudor mansion into an opera house with her husband, Bamber, with whom she shared a life of ‘blissful adventure’

The capital’s productivity has been faltering for some time, and this could be a slow-burn disaster for the whole country

Nigel Farage’s party said the government was threatening the rule of law by suggesting it could block contributions from two cryptocurrency billionaires

A poll of economists shows exploration would be a key driver, as the government decides on whether to allow Rosebank and Jackdaw projects

Fashion! Beauty! People! Things! Welcome to your guide to the stuff everyone will be talking about this autumn. Do keep up

The Handmaid’s Tale author at 86 on gender wars, trade wars, assisted dying and the power of not playing nice

Only the 2001 atrocity has triggered the alliance’s collective defence mechanism, so what would it take to happen again? We asked a former secretary-general

Daniel Thomas of Patriot Platform claims thousands could descend on Piddington to keep asylum seekers out of the area

Radical Islam demands submission, the left worships freedom. Yet in Jews they find a common foe

Every element of the prolific author’s life was bizarre, comical or grotesque – and often all three. Matthew Sweet’s The Great Dictator is a gem of a biography

Passengers urged to plan ahead as cost-saving plan reduces services on the country’s busiest long-distance line

Common medicines for diabetes, bladder control and depression can be associated with serious side-effects for older people

Frustrated Lib Dems are openly discussing their leader’s weakness before party conference — one MP says people ‘want to flip the table over’

The former PM is seeking advice on who to reward despite promising not to have resignation honours

The Islamic Revolution of 1979 brought a new and virulent ideology into the world that we lose sight of at our peril

Whitbread boss Dominic Paul warns that Andy Burnham’s planned levy on overnight visitors would hit an industry already struggling with higher business rates

Production has been ravaged on farms and we may not be able to rely on imports to fill the gap. What are the solutions to agriculture’s growing crisis?

Unconventional monetary policy has created unconventional dilemmas. ​Plus: the ONS takes a maple leaf out of the Bank’s book

Gwendoline Cazenave on facing Virgin Trains competition, what really worries her — and precisely how long a journey rail passengers will accept

Struggling All Blacks were ruthless when dismissing failing head coach but RFU have buried their heads in the sand again by extending Steve Borthwick’s contract

There’s decent singing in the sixth revival of Kasper Holten’s Royal Opera staging — but making a big chop to the ending isn’t just perverse but self-regarding

Renters in the 27-storey building opposite the London landmark have been frustrated by cinema use as well as surprise wifi and gym charges

Cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne matches donation Nigel Farage’s party received on Friday

The US president also brought up the Falkland Islands, calling Britain’s dispute with Argentina a potential disaster

Oh no, not another contest — and I haven’t washed my armour since Clacton, says everyone’s favourite intergalactic space warrior (aka Jon Harvey)

Sources said the data entry led to a shutdown of the National Air Traffic Services system, grounding 2,000 flights, in an echo of similar chaos in 2023

President Trump rebuffed the kingdom’s plea to help protect the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a chokepoint at the mouth of the Red Sea, as oil prices climbed

The education secretary says that curriculums tailored to the needs of the local economy should not be rejected because of snobbery

Ben Delo is giving Nigel Farage’s party the largest donation in the history of British politics, saying he wants to ensure a ‘fair fight’ at the polls

The government adviser says the current system is ‘morally indefensible’ and the state must offer more routes into work but impose obligations on those able to take them up

First female regius professor of Greek at Cambridge University who taught Mary Beard and directed productions of the great tragedies, dies aged 92

Gender-critical members of the party are consulting lawyers after Eleanora Folan was appointed to a role designed to boost women’s representation

Transformer of London’s skyline, who smashed ocean racing records and raised tens of millions for charity, dies aged 80

Female councillors and officers were ‘patronised, intimidated or treated with hostility’. It comes as Zack Polanski was selected as the Holborn & St Pancras by-election candidate