General news

• Best month for New Jersey's internet gambling lifts casinos

  12-04-2017 22:16
  
  There's no longer much of a debate about it: Internet gambling is helping to save Atlantic City's casinos. New Jersey's online gambling market had its best month ever in March, registering an increase ...
  
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• Twitter did not react well to Donald Trump telling the Chinese president about Syria strike over 'beautiful chocolate cake'

  12-04-2017 21:55
  
  The US president said during dessert he told the Chinese president about the strike.
  
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• Met warns of steep rise in London gun and knife crime

  12-04-2017 21:47
  
  The figures, which also show a 4.5% rise in overall crime in London to nearly 774,737 offences, were released two days after Cressida Dick took over as Met commissioner.Britain’s largest police force have warned there has been steep increases in gun and knife crime in the capital over the past year, adding that years of budget cuts may at least be partially responsible.The Metropolitan police said gun and knife crime rose 42% and 24% respectively and that recorded crime was up across virtu
  
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• Jeremy Hunt orders investigation into baby deaths at NHS trust

  12-04-2017 21:39
  
  The health secretary has ordered an investigation into the deaths of a number of babies at an NHS trust in the Midlands, after seven of them were judged to have been avoidable.Jeremy Hunt made the move after bereaved families and the local coroner criticised the quality and safety of maternity care at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS trust.The BBC said it had obtained details of at least nine suspicious deaths that occurred at the trust between September 2014 and May 2016, seven of which
  
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• Judge sacked over abusive online posts

  12-04-2017 21:32
  
  Judges are told that use of social networking is ‘a matter of personal choice’.Jason Dunn-Shaw, a recorder who sat at Canterbury crown court, has been removed from the bench by the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO) over the posts in which he called his critics “donkeys”.A statement from the JCIO said: “Recorder Jason Dunn-Shaw was subject to a conduct investigation for using a pseudonym to post comments (some of which were abusive) on a newspaper website
  
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• Syrian crisis

  12-04-2017 19:34 via bbc.co.uk
  
  It has not been a great week for Boris Johnson. Where does he stand at the end of it?
  
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• Kids tying themselves in knots these days | Brief letters

  12-04-2017 19:29
  
  If the scouts had all the leaders they needed, perhaps children would be able to properly tie their shoelaces, suggests Rev Margaret Jones.Some of us were fortunate enough to learn the difference between a reef (“square”) knot and a granny knot, and hence the correct way to tie shoelaces (Report, 12 April), in the Scouts or Guides.If these organisations had the extra leaders they need (Report, 12 April), future generations would share this vital knowledge – and matters of even
  
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• 'Boy racer' Dean Collins jailed for killing five-year-old stepson in head-on crash

  12-04-2017 19:08
  A "boy racer" who killed his five-year-old stepson and seriously injured four others in a head-on crash has been jailed for six years.Collins' stepson, Joseph Smith, was not sat in a child booster seat as required by law and died at the scene from neck injuries following the crash in September 2015.Collins, who had passed his driving test just three months earlier, smashed into another car after straying into the opposite carriageway, Cardiff Crown Court heard.
  
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• We reject the call for Labour to expel Ken Livingstone | Letters

  12-04-2017 18:58
  
  Ken Livingstone arrives at his Labour party disciplinary hearing.As Jewish and non-Jewish members and supporters of the Labour party, we reject the call for the expulsion of Ken Livingstone (Letters, 7 April).A year ago Livingstone, responding to a question from Vanessa Feltz on BBC Radio London, said: “Let’s remember when Hitler won his election in 1932, his policy then was that Jews should be moved to Israel.
  
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• What the hike in interest rates on student loans actually means

  12-04-2017 18:48
  
  The hike in interest rates will affect graduates too.
  
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• Safety failings as UK soldier fell to death in parachute training

  12-04-2017 18:30
  
  Soldier Ali Woodford, who died parachuting after he and another jumper collided mid air.A British soldier taking part in his first day of parachute jumping died after becoming entangled with another novice, an inquest heard.Lance Corporal Ali Woodford, 26, collided with his colleague and plunged to the ground after his reserve parachute failed to open fully.
  
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• Clean eating

  12-04-2017 18:29 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The plant-based diet, beloved by celebrities, has got the experts worried.
  
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• NHS doctors: how are rota gaps affecting your hospital?

  12-04-2017 18:00
  
  The poll of more than 2,100 members of the Royal College of Physicians found 84% had experienced staffing shortages across their team, while 82% believed the workforce was demoralised.It comes after The Royal College of Physicians annual census of British consultants showed the pressure NHS staff were under.The Guardian wants your stories about this.
  
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• Drunk restaurant worker jailed for biting off 'really large chunk' of colleague's ear

  12-04-2017 17:22
  Chef Anil Jnagal was left permanently disfigured after medics were unable to reattach a large chunk of his ear following the attack in Birmingham's Broad Street by Connor Smith.Birmingham Crown Court heard restaurant worker Smith, 19, was drunk and had been using cannabis before he assaulted his workmate, who had been trying to calm him down.Smith worked alongside Mr Jnagal, 25, at a Harvester branch at Birmingham's Star City leisure complex, prosecutor Tariq Shakoor told the court.
  
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• A park or a solemn tribute?

  12-04-2017 17:22 via bbc.co.uk
  
  There are some people unhappy with the decision to site the memorial in park next to Parliament.
  
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• Tesco defends Booker deal after profit beats forecasts

  12-04-2017 17:16
  
  By James Davey and Paul SandleLONDON (Reuters) - Tesco , Britain's biggest retailer, beat forecasts for annual profit as its recovery gained pace, potentially strengthening the hand of boss Dave Lewis as he seeks investor backing for his plan to buy wholesaler Booker .Tesco wanted the results, published on Wednesday, to reinforce its case that it can make a success of buying Booker in a 3.7 billion pound deal which it argues will help to drive growth in the medium term.The supermarket group said
  
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• What happens when royal protocol meets an elephant trunk?

  12-04-2017 16:58
  
  The Queen and Prince Philip meet Donna the elephant.This week, the Queen and Prince Philip met some elephants at Whipsnade zoo, one of which had been named Elizabeth in honour of her majesty.The Queen was said to be “absolutely delighted” that the animal had been named after her – but by the looks of pictures from the event, not as delighted as Donna, an adult elephant, who was fed some bananas in the process.
  
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• Hunt for Barclays whistleblower tests strength of new UK regime

  12-04-2017 16:26
  
  By Lawrence White and Huw JonesLONDON (Reuters) - Barclays chief executive Jes Staley's attempts to unmask a whistleblower will be a test case for a regime put in place last year that aims to hold bank bosses to account if they fail to defend reinforced standards.At stake is not just the image of a bank whose chief executive promised to reform its aggressive culture but also the efficacy of the fledgling Senior Managers Regime, which aims, among other things, to protect those who risk their jobs
  
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• Gordon Ramsay's father-in-law 'hacked emails over photo of woman'

  12-04-2017 16:17
  
  Chris Hutcheson is pleading guilty to hacking computers at Ramsay’s business empire.Gordon Ramsay’s estranged father-in-law hacked the celebrity chef’s computer in order to search for a picture of his own alleged mistress, it has been claimed.Chris Hutcheson, along with his two sons, Adam and Chris Jr, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey on Tuesday to hacking computers at Ramsay’s business empire.
  
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• Met police performance criticised as London gun and knife crime soar

  12-04-2017 16:03
  
  Gun and knife crime jumped in London over the last year, official figures show – as the Metropolitan police’s performance was criticised by the official inspectorate.Gun crime was up 42% and knife crime rose 24%.The Met published the figures on Wednesday as Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary highlighted “some areas of serious concern” – drawing attention to several problems faced by Britain’s largest force as its new commissioner, Cressida Dick,
  
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• Westminster attack victim was knocked into Thames, inquest hears

  12-04-2017 16:00
  
  Cristea died in hospital on 6 April.A Romanian tourist was “knocked” from Westminster Bridge during the terror attack by Khalid Masood and died of multiple organ failure 15 days later, an inquest has heard.Andreea Cristea, 31, died on 6 April after her life support was turned off by doctors.
  
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• Devon and Cornwall PCC expenses inquiry file sent to prosecutors

  12-04-2017 15:51
  
  Devon and Cornwall police and crime commissioner Alison Hernandez, who is facing an expenses investigation.Investigators examining whether a police and crime commissioner failed to properly declare expenses during the last general election have referred the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service.The Independent Police Complaints Commissionhas sent the CPS a file on the allegations against Alison Hernandez, the Devon and Cornwall police and crime commissioner.
  
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• Gay Sikh man faced threats from family after coming out

  12-04-2017 15:31 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Manjinder Singh Sidhu has produced a video with his mother to help others in similar situations.
  
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• Second EDF price hike 'difficult to justify', energy regulator Ofgem says

  12-04-2017 15:29
  
  EDF is hiking bills for the second time this year, a move that has been described as "difficult to justify" by energy regulator Ofgem.The French-owned firm, one of the "Big Six" energy firms, said a typical standard variable dual fuel bill would increase by £78 a year, or 7.2%, to £1,160 from 21 June, in a move affecting 1.5 million customers.Combined with a 1.2% bill increase that took effect earlier this year, it will put a typical household's gas and electricity costs for the year
  
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• Boris Johnson was right to push for Russia sanctions, says Hammond

  12-04-2017 15:10
  
  Hammond stepped in to defend Johnson, the foreign secretary, on Wednesday.Philip Hammond has defended Boris Johnson’s failed bid to secure backing for tougher sanctions against Russia over the Syria chemical attack, as he accused other G7 nations of being “less forward-leaning” than Britain.The chancellor, who was Johnson’s predecessor in the Foreign Office, said the UK would continue to make the case for sanctions, despite Italy, France and other nations blocking the ide
  
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• Bank of England says no need for tougher fintech regulation

  12-04-2017 15:07
  
  By Huw Jones and Jemima KellyLONDON (Reuters) - Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said on Wednesday the financial technology sector did not need the same level of regulation as banks, in the latest sign of Britain seeking to cement its position as a global fintech hub after Brexit.Fintech already employs more than 60,000 people in Britain, providing services like contactless payments, banking apps and online crowd funding, a sector worth nearly 7 billion pounds.The government sees the sector
  
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• Prada reports 15.9 percent fall in 2016 annual profit

  12-04-2017 14:55
  
  Luxury fashion group Prada SpAon Wednesday reported a 15.9 percent fall in annual profit as global luxury spending remained soft and as it sold more accessible products in competitive market.In the year ended Jan. 31, Prada reported net income of 278.3 million euros (236.48 million pounds), down from 330.9 million euros a year earlier.Analysts were expecting net income of 296 million euros, according to Thomson Reuters SmartEstimate data.
  
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• G7: Boris still backs Russia sanctions

  12-04-2017 14:55
  
  Boris Johnson talks to Sky News after G7 meeting about potential Russian sanctions over Syria gas attack.
  
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• John McDonnell: Boris Johnson has 'embarrassed' Britain over Russia sanctions

  12-04-2017 14:47
  Boris Johnson has embarrassed Britain on the world stage over his mishandling of possible sanctions against Russia, John McDonnell has told Sky News.The shadow chancellor claimed the Foreign Secretary's failure to get the G7 summit to back new sanctions had damaged the UK's credibility."The idea of going along to the G7 and threatening to try and put together a coalition around sanctions was never going to succeed," Mr McDonnell said.
  
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• Northern Ireland power-sharing talks given extended deadline

  12-04-2017 14:37
  
  The aim of the talks is to secure a deal to restore the devolved government at Stormont.Talks aimed at restoring a power-sharing, cross-community government in Northern Ireland have been given an extended deadline over Easter.The Northern Ireland secretary, James Brokenshire, had imposed a deadline of 18 April for the discussions to end.
  
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• Noel Conway wins right to challenge assisted dying law

  12-04-2017 14:25
  A man who is not expected to live more than a year has been given the green light to challenge the law on assisted dying.Noel Conway, a retired college lecturer, went to the Court Of Appeal after he was denied permission to bring a judicial review over the ban on helping a person to die.The 67-year-old, from Shrewsbury, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in November 2014 and uses ventilation equipment and a wheelchair.
  
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• MPs call for sweeping changes to housing association regulation

  12-04-2017 14:21
  
  The regulation of housing associations needs sweeping changes, MPs have told the Guardian, after an investigation into troubled new-build developments that have benefited from more than £60m of public money.The investigation into properties across London found issues with five housing associations: Catalyst, Sanctuary, Notting Hill Housing, Wandle and the One Housing Group, who together control 175,000 homes.“Why can’t we have league tables for housing associations so we know w
  
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• CCTV: Killer followed victim to M4 bridge

  12-04-2017 14:10
  
  CCTV footage captured the moments killer Vadims Ruskuls stalked victim Pardeep Kaur to a secluded M4 bridge.
  
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• Melania Trump accepts damages from Daily Mail over model claims

  12-04-2017 14:07
  
  Melania Trump has accepted damages and an apology over allegations about her work as a professional model.The action was against Associated Newspapers, publishers of the Daily Mail, after it ran an article headlined "Racy photos and troubling questions about his wife's past that could derail Trump".The article published in the newspaper and on Mail Online last August "included false and defamatory claims" about the First Lady "which questioned the nature of her work as a professional model, and
  
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• Pardeep Kaur M4 bridge murder: Vadims Ruskuls jailed for life

  12-04-2017 14:00
  Latvian Vadims Ruskuls snatched hotel housekeeper Pardeep Kaur after stalking her to a secluded M4 motorway bridge, where he sexually assaulted and killed the 30-year-old.Jurors at the Old Bailey in London convicted Ruskuls murder, and he was told he must spend at least 30 years in prison by Judge Richard Marks QC, who added Ruskuls will be deported at the end of his sentence."What a dreadful way for Pardeep Kaur, a decent, hard-working young woman, to die.
  
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• Campfires and kayaking

  12-04-2017 14:00 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Volunteers who have donned a woggle and neckerchief share the ups and downs of leading Scouting groups.
  
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• Daily Mail to pay Melania Trump damages over modelling claims

  12-04-2017 13:04
  
  Britain's Daily Mail agreed on Wednesday to pay Melania Trump an undisclosed sum and issue an apology after it published an article saying the U.S. First Lady had offered "services beyond simply modelling" in her former job.President Donald Trump's wife, 46, had sued the publisher of the Daily Mail in Britain and also filed a $150 million (120 million pound) lawsuit against it in New York, claiming the article had cost her millions of dollars in potential business.The Daily Mail, which runs what
  
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• UK needs immigration to keep service industries going, says ONS

  12-04-2017 12:50
  
  Immigration is particularly important to keep Britain’s health service and its wholesale and retail, public administration and hospitality trades going, with more than 1.5 million migrants working in these sectors, according to a new official analysis.The Office for National Statistics analysis also shows that migrants from eastern Europe are likely to work more hours and earn lower wages than other workers, partly reflecting their numbers in lower skilled jobs.This split in profile betwee
  
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• Terminally ill former lecturer wins right to fight assisted dying ban

  12-04-2017 12:43
  
  Noel Conway (front centre) wants to end his life at home surrounded by his family.A terminally ill former lecturer has won the right to challenge the legal ban on assisted dying in the hope that he can end his life at home surrounded by his family.Noel Conway, 67, from Shrewsbury, Shropshire, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in November 2014.
  
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• Four held after teenager stabbed to death in north-west London

  12-04-2017 12:12
  
  Four teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the attack in Northolt.Four teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 19-year-old man was stabbed to death in north-west London, one of three knife killings on the capital’s streets in 48 hours.The victim was found by paramedics on Newnham Close, a residential street in Northolt, at 3.20pm on Tuesday, the Metropolitan police said.
  
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• UK Supreme Court denies Big Tobacco appeal, plain packaging to go ahead

  12-04-2017 11:41
  LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Supreme Court has denied the tobacco industry permission to appeal a new plain packaging law, meaning that from next month, as planned, all tobacco products sold in the United Kingdom will have dark brown packaging and no branding. The decision, announced by the court on Wednesday, is in line with an earlier decision made last year that dismissed appeals brought by British American Tobacco , Japan Tobacco International and Imperial Brands . ...
  
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• Sports Direct appoints first elected employee representative

  12-04-2017 11:34
  Sports Direct workers have elected their first representative to attend the retailer's board meetings as it looks to counter criticism of poor working conditions.The company - founded and run by billionaire Mike Ashley - pledged a series of reforms at the firm amid outrage among unions and MPs over allegations of "Victorian" practices - mainly concentrated on its Shirebrook warehouse.Sports Direct said on Wednesday that Alex Balacki, a 13-year veteran of the shop floor, had won the vote to secur
  
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• Living standards squeeze returns as inflation tops wage rises

  12-04-2017 11:31
  Wage growth has slipped below the rate of inflation, a development that threatens damage to living standards and the wider economy through an erosion of household spending power.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that average wages, when the effects of bonuses were excluded, grew by 2.2% in the three months to February.While that was slightly better than economists had predicted, it still marked a 0.1% fall on the previous month's figure which meant salaries failed to keep pace wi
  
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• Big-deal meals: Las Vegas’s top 20 fine-dining restaurants

  12-04-2017 11:20 via theguardian.com
  John Curtas, veteran food critic and author of Eating Las Vegas, picks his top 20 fine-dining restaurants in the cityLas Vegas is the spiritual home of the glitzy, celebrity chef-owned restaurant, but, despite all the fanfare, it’s still what’s on the plate that counts. These 20 establishments all excel in that category, regardless of the flashy names and opulent interiors. Continue reading...
  
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• Cyber breaches have cost shareholders billions since 2013 - report

  12-04-2017 10:57
  
  Cyber security breaches erode companies' share prices permanently, with financials the worst hit, a study issued by IT consultant CGI and Oxford Economics has found.Severe cyber security breaches, such as those having legal or regulatory consequences, involve the loss of hundreds of thousands of records and hurt the firm's brand, caused share prices to fall on average 1.8 percent on a permanent basis, the analysis of 65 companies affected since 2013 globally has found.CGI's analysis compared eac
  
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• Boris Johnson is a liability for Britain, says John McDonnell

  12-04-2017 10:23
  
  Labour has called Boris Johnson a liability for the UK who “undermines our credibility” after the foreign secretary failed to gain the backing of fellow G7 foreign ministers to penalise Russia and Syria over last week’s chemical weapons attack.Downing Street had insisted Theresa May fully backs Johnson after the 30-page communique from the two-day G7 summit in Italy failed to make any mention of Johnson’s proposal of imposing sanctions on key military personnel.
  
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• Charlie Gard's parents have three weeks to challenge life support ruling

  12-04-2017 10:12
  
  Doctors can withdraw life support from Charlie Gard, who has a rare genetic condition, against his parents’ wishes, a high court judge has ruled.Contrary to reports, the parents of eight-month-old Charlie Gard, who has a rare genetic condition, have not yet decided whether they will appeal against Tuesday’s high court decision and have until 2 May to consider their options.Specialists at Great Ormond Street hospital (GOSH) in central London told the court they believed it was time to
  
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• Tesco reports annual sales growth for the first time in seven years

  12-04-2017 09:48
  Tesco has reported its first annual jump in UK sales for seven years.The country's largest retailer said growth in operating profits and sales - alongside a £1.9bn debt repayment - over the year to 25 February showed its turnaround plans were ahead of its expectations.Its bottom line was hit by a £129m Serious Fraud Office fine, announced last month, as part of a deal to avoid prosecution over the historic accounting practices issue.
  
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• UK internet ad spend passes £10bn as Google faces YouTube row

  12-04-2017 08:32
  
  Google has benefited from the surge in internet advertising – but now faces a row over ads appearing next to extremist videos on YouTube.Internet advertising spend surged above £10bn in the UK last year as companies more than doubled the amount they spent on mobile video ads.The year-on-year increase of 17% on 2015 comes as many advertisers have pulled campaigns from Google and YouTube after it emerged that some ads have been running around inappropriate content such as extremist vid
  
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• Fitness and food replacing fashion and finance on high streets

  12-04-2017 08:13
  Leisure offerings are replacing banks and clothing stores on the UK's high streets, according to research reporting an acceleration in shop closures last year.The Local Data Company (LDC) research for PwC found that while 4,534 stores opened in 2016 there were 5,430 closures - a net loss of 896.It marked a steep rise on the net reduction of just under 500 in the previous 12 months, the report said, as fashion stores and banks focused on guiding customers towards their online operations instead o
  
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