By David de Winter - Sports Editor It seems only yesterday that the World Cup finished in Brazil.  That month-long feast of football was indeed a wonderful way to spend one’s summer getting acquainted with one’s sofa, but no sooner had Mario Götze’s volley hit the back of Sergio Romero’s net than the footballing public were getting bombarded with transfer gossip, pre-season friendlies and Louis Van Gaal.  Now I like football as much as the next chap but I can’t help...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Viva Fidel! Cuba celebrated Castro's 88th birthday yesterday and he famously survived 638 assassination attempts – the Americans tried so many ways that they had to get creative. Here are his top 10 assassination attempts 1. Poisoned milkshake. The attempt went wrong when the pill stuck to the freezer where the waiter-assassin at the Havana Hilton was supposed to retrieve it. When he tried to unstick it, the capsule ripped open. 2. Mafia – 1st...

By Steve Taggart Make now the time to change your life for the better and reach your optimal health. Take a break and escape on holiday to reach your own personal goals, whether to get fit, lose weight, stop smoking, learn to surf, beat insomnia or learn to dance. Here, wellness holiday experts Health and Fitness Travel round up the top 10 self-improving wellness holidays to enhance your life. Get fit in Ibiza - 38° North Ibiza Optimal Fitness Group...

By Guy Dorrell, Defence Correspondent @GuyDorrellEsq Operation Protective Edge, Israel’s conflict and subsequent incursion into Palestine, has brought out many distressing images; destruction of buildings, infrastructure, hospital patients, the elderly and in particular, images of injured or killed children have featured heavily. Sharing of these images may have been the definitive use of social media within a conflict so far. Some of the images have become iconic – the harrowing picture of Ismail Mahmoud Bakir, Ahed Atef Bakir, Zakariya Ahed Bakir...

By Leanne Dempesy @leanneysbabble At this time of year, with university a distant memory for many and job-hunting no longer seeming like a myth that adults made up to scare us, the future is in the minds of many. As easy as it would be to ignore the alarm and stay in bed in the morning, that just wasn’t what we went through three years of university for and whether you like it or not, it’s time to get out...

By Richard Benson Director of Guide London - @GuideClothing It’s no secret that fashion works in cycles. When flicking through the pages of a glossy magazine or simply walking the streets of London, we often get a sense of déjà vu — a sense that the gorgeous attire on display isn’t completely new and original. Whether it’s the return of tie-dye or the skinny jean, trends never really die. And, while we’d prefer to think the string vest and dodgy...

By CJ Lampard I was pretty proactive with screening because my maternal aunt had breast cancer, but when I asked my radiographer “what do you think” and his sharp intake of breath confirmed the worst, I was totally unprepared for the complete shock I felt. Our adopted sons were then 8 and 11 and my first thought was that I didn’t want to die and abandon the boys – they had already had the upheaval of adoption in their young...

Sport News 24/7 By Adam Drewery A fantastic 2013/14 campaign has brought a smile back on the face of every Evertonian who was worried how we would do without Moyes. Few – myself included – could have guessed such a turnaround in such a short period of time. A completely new style of football (or a reversion to the old ‘School of Science’?) coupled with new ‘have a go’ rather that ‘contain’ attitude has breathed new life into a team...

By J T Coombes www.globalmagnacarta.com @GMagnaCarta I have just arranged a holiday abroad. To help with my decision making I went on a virtual trip to look around the place, courtesy of Google, investigating the towns, restaurants (plus their menus!) and places of interest that are 1,700 miles and four hours flying time away. I also had a video call to the owner of the place where we are staying to fine tune transfers and other ‘hygiene’ details. The internet...