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Restoring Britain’s health to 2014 levels could add 2% to GDP, thinktank says
A new report from the Health Foundation thinktank argues that restoring the UK population’s health to 2014 levels would boost GDP by 2% and deliver a £72bn benefit to public finances, framing national health as an economic asset rather than simply a cost to be managed. The paper, published on Sunday, comes as healthy life…
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World Snooker deal to deliver £200m boost to Sheffield’s economy, council says
Sheffield City Council says a new World Snooker agreement is expected to generate a £200 million boost for the city’s economy. The deal matters because it would secure the economic benefits associated with major snooker events, including spending by visitors and wider exposure for Sheffield. The available text does not provide the deal’s duration, specific…
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Russians turn to cash, putting more strain on slowing wartime economy
Russians are increasingly relying on cash rather than card payments, as mobile internet blackouts caused by Ukrainian drone strikes disrupt digital transactions and rising taxes push more businesses towards off-the-books dealing. This matters because it is squeezing the Kremlin’s ability to raise revenue through taxation just as Russia’s wartime economy slows and its budget deficit…
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Trump has normalized crypto. Is it the path to the next financial collapse? | Eduardo Porter
Donald Trump has embraced cryptocurrency after once calling it a “scam”, using his presidency to personally profit while dismantling regulatory oversight of the industry. Columnist Eduardo Porter argues this poses a serious risk to US financial stability, as Trump’s administration has weakened enforcement and integrated volatile, uninsured crypto assets into the mainstream banking system that…
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Wessex Water chief pockets above-inflation pay rise despite bonus ban over sewage spills
Wessex Water has given its chief executive, Ruth Jefferson, an above-inflation pay rise even though the company has been banned from paying bonuses following sewage spills. The disclosure comes amid intense public and political scrutiny of water company executive pay, as sewage pollution in rivers and seas continues to provoke outrage, and it raises fresh…
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Green light for major Sheffield engineering works plan, bringing 170 new jobs
Plans approved on Thursday will double capacity at factory
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Liverpool tie down Szoboszlai as Birmingham honours Ozzy and Hollywood’s Kratos recast
Birmingham marks a year since Ozzy Osbourne’s death with a commemorative day, Amazon recasts God of War after Ryan Hurst’s injury, and Szoboszlai signs a five-year Liverpool deal, alongside China’s openness drive, record Indian cinema takings and Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls Six focus.
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Beijing’s message to the world’s tourists: come here and judge China for yourselves | Zichen Wang
In a comment piece for the Guardian, Zichen Wang argues that Beijing is pursuing a deliberate strategy of openness towards foreign visitors, even as its wider relationship with the west grows more tense. By dramatically expanding visa-free travel, China is betting that first-hand exposure to the country – rather than geopolitical headlines about espionage crackdowns…
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Millions of drivers face extra hammering at petrol pumps as incoming PM Andy Burnham looks for cash to fund his rush to build more council houses, it is feared
Andy Burnham, who is set to become the next prime minister, is reportedly considering higher fuel duty as a way to raise funds for an expanded council house-building programme. The move, still at the speculation stage, has raised concerns that motorists could face additional costs at the pumps just as Burnham pushes ahead with a…
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Jackdaw gasfield would create only 27 full-time jobs, green campaigners say
Documents filed by Adura, the Shell-Equinor joint venture behind the proposed Jackdaw gasfield in the North Sea, show the project would create just 27 direct full-time jobs, prompting green campaigners to challenge industry claims that new drilling is essential for employment. The disclosure comes as fossil fuel companies, alongside the Conservatives, Reform UK and parts…