By Gregory Taylor So at long last the England Cricket team are starting to play well, but like most sports, one good result does not mean that England are back on track. It’s great that both Ian Bell and Alistair Cook did well and the new boys Jos Buttler and Gary Ballance put in a good shift, but there is still a lot of hard work to be done. Before people start saying critics of Cook got it wrong in...

By Chris Brown @vivabrownie You’ve all heard the expression before. If an infinite number of monkeys typed on an infinite number of typewriters for an infinite amount of time…..could they write an article accurately predicting Birmingham City’s fortunes for the 2014/2015 season? Of course the answer for Lee Clark is ‘how much are these monkeys on?’ and ‘Can any of them play right back?’ The infinite monkey theory is often brought up in moments of philosophical musing and held alongside the works...

Sport News 24/7 By Henry Austin No longer will our football fayre be served up at “The Reebok” and there’s been a little bit of grumbling in Bolton about the name change. We’ve traded, some say down, from sportswear manufacturer Reebok, to well, sportswear manufacturer Macron. Admittedly, it’s always been a purpose built sponsored stadium, so the change will be less hard to swallow than having a new name foisted on you by a fat sportswear salesman and to most...

By Elsa Buchanan As the European Commission and the US are busy negotiating a free trade agreement, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), campaigners say they are increasingly worried citizens are losing their democratic privileges. While corporations are looking forward to an improved trade and regulatory cooperation between the US and EU, the opposition -which includes Pan-European civil society groups - is concerned that regulatory convergence will grind down hard-won social and environmental standards. "The thing with TTIP is...

By Charlotte Hope – Celebrity Writer Russell Brand v Sean Hannity Russell Brand has never been known for his reticence when it comes to political issues so it should come as no surprise that he has some feelings about the current conflict going on in Gaza. Brand posted a 12 and a half minute video on July 29th as part of his YouTube ‘Trews’ series which, at time of writing, has garnered 12.5 million views. In it, he picks apart...

By Dan Sampson @dan_sampson The debate over what constitutes ‘art’ is as old as art itself. Quite why there is such a divergence of opinion is difficult to tell but personal taste, whether admitted or not, is probably the most significant factor in the discussion and is also why it continues: people have different standards, dispositions, and preferences, and these drive their reaction to (and judgment of) works of art. A better question than what art is could be what...

    Sport News 24/7   By Peter Shand @peter_shand89 Whilst the appointment of a world class coach is an exciting prospect for United fans, reinforcements are still needed for the squad to pose a title challenge After a season that was worse than anyone could have predicted, 2014/15 promises an exciting step forward for United. Whilst the lack of European nights at Old Trafford is a real loss, a tighter squad and a manager who has instantly demanded the...

By Andy Ollerhead I could start this article with something out of leftfield and try to wax lyrical about shaving foam for free kicks or the colour of the seats in the Upper Centenary Stand but there's only one question that matters in L4 this summer.. .How do you solve a problem like Suarez? An upfront £75 million in used notes from Catalonia's finest has certainly given us a few options but with a month left of the transfer window...

By Laura Casewell As experts tell us all too often, looking after your skin is unfortunately not a one-size-fits-all process. We start to see the early signs of ageing in our late twenties, but as each decade passes the skin changes, and so too must your skincare routine. Of course, we’re all different, and some of us age faster than others thanks to genetics and lifestyle, but there are some basic skin principles that can help you look as young...