Life

Bookshelf: Our recommendations for a good holiday read

Off on your holidays and wondering what to read? Or perhaps you're staying closer to home and are just looking for a good book to get stuck into over the summer. Here's a selection of some of the books out so far this year that are worth picking up.

Blur's Alex James backs campaign to boost consumer trust in food

Cheesemaker and Blur bassist Alex James is supporting a new campaign to boost consumer trust in food.

Strong link between smoking and church attendance

People who do not attend church are three times as likely to smoke as those who attend weekly, according to a new Gallup poll. Â

Don't leave your pets home alone

The RSPCA is urging people not to leave their pets at home alone while they head off on their holiday break.

UK slightly happier than last year

There were "small improvements" in personal wellbeing in the UK in the last year, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.

Nappy shortages and mental stress are common among low-income mothers

Many low income mothers are suffering from mental stress that can harm their children, according to a new study.

Which kind of Facebook user are you?

Facebook may have over a billion active monthly users but while some seem to live out every second of their lives on the social media network, others have hardly touched their accounts since registering. Â

Internet connection is top hotel gripe

We may be living and travelling in the digital age but when it comes to getting online, it seems hotels are still being outdone by the local coffee shop.

Most Londoners eat in front of the TV

The traditional dinner at the table has died a death in the capital, according to a new poll.

Anxiety costing UK Â£10bn a year

There were more than five million cases of anxiety disorder in the UK in 2010, a new study has found.

Skipping breakfast and why saving time may not save your health

Skipping breakfast may be the norm for some people in the morning mayhem but it may do us more harm than good in the long term.

Water the birds, not the lawn, says Bill Oddie

The sizzling summer temperatures might have garden owners reaching for their hosepipes to keep their lawns looking good, but nature lover Bill Oddie is asking people to spare a thought for birds in need of water to drink and bathe in.

60 years of Christ-centred marriage

Meet Ruby and Harold Coleman, a beautiful couple in Rustburg, Virginia, who are still glowing with love for each other after 60 years of marriage. Not only have they stayed together all this time - an increasingly rare feat in today's era of cohabiting and quickie divorces - but Christ has been at the centre of it all.