BlinkDash

Book of the dayMusic booksReviewDaniel Rachel imagines what the next Beatles album might have been like, with painstaking detail and great stories For a baby boomer like me, 12 years old when the Beatles broke through in 1962 and a mere 19 when they called it a day in 1969, it’s curious to watch the love objects of my teenage years still being pored over by grownups more than 50 years later.

World news88th floor survivor leaves hospitalA woman who escaped from the 88th floor of the World Trade Centre and survived with 77% burns to her body left hospital yesterday after almost five months of treatment. Elaine Duch was not expected to survive and was unconscious for almost three months as she was treated for the horrific burns and a lung injury she suffered in the fireball as one of the hijacked jets crashed into the building just a few feet above her.

Alys Fowler's gardening columnGardening adviceOur old enemy the stealth slug has a friend– and this friend eats everythingThe time has come to prepare for battle. I am wary of fighting talk when it comes to nature, but there will be guts and gore. I figure if you are reading a gardening column in February, you're in this for the long haul, so arm yourself and united we'll go forth. You may have heard of the fat slugs recently identified as Arion vulgaris, aka the superslug/killer slug/Spanish slug, though I think we should just go with "

Best foot forward … Joel Snape demonstrating a balancing exercise. Photograph: Adrian Sherratt/The GuardianBest foot forward … Joel Snape demonstrating a balancing exercise. Photograph: Adrian Sherratt/The GuardianHealth & wellbeingStudies have shown poor balance can be associated with serious health problems – as well as increased risks of falls as we get older. But there are ways to make yours better Until we start to lose our balance, we barely notice that it’s there at all.

Islam This article is more than 8 years oldChess forbidden in Islam, rules Saudi mufti, but issue not black and whiteThis article is more than 8 years oldGame likely to take on status of minor vices such as music after Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh says it encourages gambling Saudi Arabia’s grand mufti has ruled that chess is forbidden in Islam, saying it encourages gambling and is a waste of time. Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh was answering a question on a television show in which he issues fatwas in response to viewers’ queries on everyday religious matters.

Hillary Clinton This article is more than 7 years oldClinton's rare visit to Arizona is unusual show of confidence for a DemocratThis article is more than 7 years oldDecision to compete in the red state, where a victory would effectively deny Trump a path to the presidency, is based on polling and early voter numbers In the frenetic dash to election day, Hillary Clinton will swing through the usual key target states for any Democratic candidate: Ohio, Florida, North Carolina – and Arizona?

Luxury goods sectorShoes look as if they have been ‘flattened by 20-ton steamroller’ and now sit on auction site at £2,500 They are stained, crushed and yellowing but Balenciaga’s range of “worn-out” sneakers, launched in collaboration with Adidas this month, have sold out. This is despite an eye-watering price tag of almost £700. The brand-new shoes, described by one reviewer as “looking like they’ve been flattened by a 20-ton steamroller”, are no longer available on the Balenciaga website, and are being priced on one specialist sneaker auction site at £2,500.

‘Many people tell me it looks like he’s smiling’ … Rajan takes a plunge. Photograph: Jody MacDonald‘Many people tell me it looks like he’s smiling’ … Rajan takes a plunge. Photograph: Jody MacDonaldMy best shotArt and design‘He had been used for logging on the Andaman Islands. When I found him, he was 60, living in retirement – and loving his swims’ I lived at sea for 10 years. I co-owned and ran a global kiteboarding expedition business.

‘I’ve been broken. But I’ve always got back up.’ Mary Portas. Nakita trousers by Rejina Pyo. Photograph: Linda Nylind/The Guardian‘I’ve been broken. But I’ve always got back up.’ Mary Portas. Nakita trousers by Rejina Pyo. Photograph: Linda Nylind/The GuardianMary PortasInterview‘The last four years were horrendous’: Mary Portas on divorce, bereavement – and reinventing herselfPaula CocozzaAfter a lifetime in retail, the queen of shops has had a ‘proper epiphany’. She talks about her dislike of the fashion world, her painful childhood and the need for kindness