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With the writers strike still ongoing in Hollywood, late night shows like Late Night with

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

Michelin-starred chef David Chang has poured cold water on the idea that grilling burgers on a barbecue is the optimum way to cook them. The founder of Momofuku Ko, which has two Michelin stars, said that barbecuing patties only serves to turn them into “carbonised crap”, but people keep cooking them like this because of the socialising that is associated with cooking outdoors. On his podcast The Dave Chang Show, the controversial chef suggested that using a griddle to cook burgers is a superior method. Chang, 45, said: “Grills suck for burgers. We have assumed as a culture that in summer, we eat a burger and it’s grilled. “I actually think the grill is a horrible thing for the burger… I think this viewpoint could get me in trouble,” he admitted, but pressed on with his argument against the grill. “The success rate of the griddle is better than the grill, and also there’s no clean up, you have nothing to worry about.” The Korean-American restaurateur continued: “A juicy burger is going to turn into a guaranteed grease fire [on a barbecue], why use it? This whole idea of imparting flavour from the grill, the only flavour that’s being imparted is the carbonised crap that’s on it. “You would need to cook a burger over charcoal for 12 hours to get that smoky flavour. “A backyard burger is an experience that you try to convince yourself is better than it actually is,” he claimed. “It’s the nostalgia, it’s the smells, it’s your friends. But if you actually take it out of the context, it’s not that good.” Chang went on to allege that the close relationship between burgers and grills “is a marketing lie”. “How many places where you think have a good burger, cook it on a grill?” he challenged. However, he did have some praise for barbecued foods. Chang said that grilling corn was “clearly the only champion” and he “can’t think of anything else” that makes corn taste quite as good. Chang has previously shared his opinions on burgers that landed him in trouble. In 2015, he provoked the ire of Australians when he wrote in his blog Lucky Peach: “You know who f***s up burgers more than anyone else in the world. Australians. Australia has no idea what a burger is. “They put a fried egg on their burger. They put canned beetroot on it, like a wedge of it. I am not joking you. This is how they eat their burger.” He also laid waste to the use of wagyu – beef that comes from cattle that is bred in Japan and is highly prized for its marbled fat content – in burgers. In his “burger manifesto”, Chang wrote that it was “the dumbest burger in the world” to use wagyu. “It’s like 70 per cent fat content – it’s disgusting. Would you eat a ground bacon burger? That’s what you’re doing with a wagyu burger,” he said. “Or the idiots that have ‘kobe beef wagyu sliders with a trio of ketchup’ on their menu – that drives me insane.” The chef is also known for speaking candidly about his toxic behaviour while working in kitchens in the past. In his 2020 memoir Eat a Peach, Chang wrote: “When I’m angry, I seethe with such intensity that it can’t simply be emotional. It’s like I’m an animal registering danger.” Hannah Selinger, an award-nominated journalist, wrote in her essay for Eater that “in all my years of restaurant work, I had never seen anything like the roiling, red-faced, screaming, pulsing, wrath-filled man that was David Chang”. She worked as corporate beverage manager at the Momofuku restaurant group in 2008. Chang responded to Selinger’s essay and said that while he didn’t recall specific incidents mentioned by her, “they are entirely consistent with my behaviour at the time, which I did not begin to correct until several years later”. He added that “the bottom line is that I’m sorry”. Apart from his podcast, Chang also hosted Netflix’s travel and food series Ugly Delicious from 2018 to 2020. The show aired two series and featured celebrity guests including Jimmy Kimmel and Nick Kroll. Read More Walk this way... but not like that: How men’s walks became sexualised Jonnie Irwin makes rare red carpet appearance as he says ‘every day is a gift’ Influencers face backlash for promoting Shein factory during PR trip in China Budget Bites: Three light recipes that sing of summer Danny Dyer explains why he has a Toby Carvery Platinum Gold Card Three quick and easy plant-based fakeaways to create at home

With Wimbledon starting next week, Stan Wawrinka is excited about returning to London’s iconic championships. “It’s really a different tournament with the history, also the fact that we play on grass courts. The courts are amazing, the atmosphere is great,” he says on a video call from the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Today, the Swiss player is taking a break from his gruelling training schedule to visit SW19 as part of his long-running partnership with Evian. “It’s always special for us players to go practise or to play matches on small courts as well, because you have so many fans coming and the atmosphere is always going to be special,” he continues, saying his most memorable Wimbledon match was against a certain Swiss opponent. “I played one quarter final against Roger [Federer] on Centre Court – it’s always special to play Roger, to play him here was something really nice.” Ahead of the famous championships, the 38-year-old has been training in Monaco, before heading back to London this week. So, how does the three-time Grand Slam winner balance the physical and psychological aspects of preparing for high-profile events? “It’s all a big puzzle,” says Wawrinka, who was born near Lausanne to a German father and Swiss mother. “As a tennis player, you have the fitness side and you have the mental part – you have everything that you need to do to be ready.” Plus, there’s the challenge of having to deal with defeats: “Tennis is a tough sport in the way that you end up almost every week losing. You need to accept [that you will] lose and try to learn and take something positive from it.” How does the former world number three cope with not winning? “I try to refocus on myself, try to also think about everything I’ve been doing in practice… you can lose against a better player. If you know you’re doing the right things, then you can only be positive about it.” Stan the Man (as he’s known to fans) isn’t fazed by comparisons to Federer – whom he’s beaten on just three of the 26 times they’ve competed on court. “I always look for the positive of the situation and I’ve been lucky enough that when I arrived [on the circuit] I was a little bit younger than him – he was already at the top,” says Wawrinka, who is three years younger than his record-breaking countryman. “For me, it was a chance to have Roger in the same country… I had the chance to practise with him and he became a friend.” The pair were victorious at the Davis Cup in 2014 and at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, taking gold in the men’s doubles. “The Olympics are something that any athlete in any sport dreams about, to play individually, but [playing] doubles and to feel like a team it was super special,” Wawrinka recalls. How does training for doubles matches compare to singles? “It’s more the mental part. You need to know your partner, talk with him a lot about the tactics, but more about what’s going to happen. “Communication is really important on the court, but also off the court. For us, it was quite easy to play together because we are such close friends.” Seen as a late bloomer in terms of tennis, Wawrinka admits it was a struggle waiting to achieve his inaugural Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in 2014. “For me, the most challenging part was to find the confidence in myself and in my game. I only won my first Grand Slam at 29 years old, it took me a while to really find that confidence.” Suffering setbacks throughout his career due to knee, elbow and foot injuries, Wawrinka’s ranking has yo-yoed in the past few years, but he returned to the world top 100 in February. “It was tough to be back at 37 years old after more than a year out for another two surgeries,” he says. “It was not easy, but for me, it’s about the passion. I love what I’m doing, I enjoy the process… it was, of course, so special to be back again in the top 100.” Off the court, he unwinds by spending time with daughter Alexia, 13, whom he shares with ex-wife Ilham Vuilloud, a Swiss TV presenter: “I’m traveling a lot so I don’t have that much time to be with her, so I’m trying to enjoy that.” Having grown up on his parents’ biodynamic farm, the tennis champ has inherited the green-fingered gene, growing fruit and veg in his garden back home in Switzerland. “I have tomatoes, courgettes, I have many fruits. I think it’s just different when you have your own garden than when you go buy it at the shop directly.” Reducing his impact on the environment is also a priority for the Evian global brand ambassador, which is why he’s pleased the water brand is introducing refillable bottles for players at Wimbledon for the first time this year. “It’s important for us, the players, [because] we’re traveling a lot – this new bottle is going to be great,” Wawrinka says. Two years away from 40 and with 16 career titles and 550 career wins under his belt, he’s not planning on hanging up his racket any time soon. “I’m still hoping to play a few more years on tour. It’s, of course, not easy, but I’m passionate about it. I want to enjoy it as much as I can,” Wawrinka says. “The time I will stop there will be no way back, so I need to really push and try to be as good as I can.” Evian, official water of the Championships, together with Wimbledon have launched a new refillable solution to hydrate players on court during this year’s tournament. Discover more at www.evian.com. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Hacks for saving money on school uniforms King Charles and Queen Camilla surprise spa guests in bathrobes at eco-village Nearly 1.5m 18 and under referred for mental health support in 2022 – charity

The North Carolina General Assembly on Tuesday gave final approval to a bill that includes some last-minute changes to the state's recently passed abortion law.

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A potential swing vote on the newly all-male South Carolina Supreme Court grilled lawyers over whether patients have enough time to get an abortion after learning of their pregnancy as the justices weighed whether a new ban is similarly unconstitutional to one that got shot down earlier this year