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5 Things You Need To Know, Today, on Tuesday 6th December 2022
5. Meta has threatened to remove news content from Facebook in the US.
It objects to a new law that would give news organisations greater power to negotiate fees for content shared on Facebook.
4. Overall, there were 9,300 fewer retail outlets in the UK in March 2022 than in March 2020 according to analysis by the BBC & Ordnance Survey.
Department stores and banks markedly fell in number, but beauty salons and tattoo parlours prospered, along with places to eat and drink - despite social distancing.
3. British consumer spending ticked up last month at a rate that greatly lagged behind inflation, according to surveys that underscored the pressure on household budgets ahead of the Christmas holidays.
Barclaycard said spending on its credit and debit cards rose 3.9% year-on-year in November, far behind the annual 11.1% increase in consumer prices in October that was the highest reading in 41 years.
2. The UK is "sleepwalking" into a food supply crisis and the government must step in to help farmers, the National Farmers Union (NFU) has warned.
Yields of tomatoes and other crops will likely slump to record lows this year, it said, with potential supply problems ahead as already seen with eggs.
1. Extra rail strikes have been scheduled over the Christmas period, the RMT union says.
Staff at Network Rail comprising about half the workers involved in a pay dispute are expected to walk out from 6pm on Christmas Eve until 27 December.