The Know Daily - Wednesday 5 February 2025

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A new project will see insect superhighways created in North Yorkshire, in a bid to boost insect populations and biodiversity. The scheme will involve improving green spaces and road verges, so that insects can move freely between sites.

🛍️ High streets

WHSmith is the latest business looking to close its high street stores – as local town businesses continue to close, a number of schemes are popping up to help them.

Tell me more.
Last month, book retailer WHSmith announced it was in talks to sell some of its stores, amid “a difficult economic outlook for high street retailers” and underperformance, reported the BBC. It’s not the only chain to shut shop – NatWest, Lloyd’s and Homebase also announced they’re closing a number of their physical branches this year. Some studies have estimated that the UK saw up to 37 shops close each day in 2024.

What’s the bigger story?
High streets are no longer the cultural centres of UK towns, as they once were. Unaffordable business rates, a major shift to online shopping, bank closures and competition from shopping centres and retail parks are big factors in the decline. Closures are also leading to the prevalence of long-term empty shops – 1 in 7 high street shops are shuttered.

What’s being done about it?
The government has released a set of policies to rejuvenate high streets. In December, the High Street Rental Auctions was launched, in a bid to make town centres accessible and fill empty lots. It allows local authorities to push landlords to rent out vacant commercial properties to local businesses and community groups. What’s more, a new small business strategy is expected to be published this year to help independent businesses thrive.

Plus, there are plenty of homegrown initiatives aimed at saving the high street taking off: think, repurposing vacant shops into workspaces or entertainment hubs, and ensuring shops benefit residents by providing a space for community, or even converting them into homes.

🏥 Speedier screenings: The NHS is launching the world’s biggest trial of AI breast cancer detection.

• The bigger story: If successful, it could lead to faster, more accurate diagnosis of breast cancer. While the technology holds great promise, experts have cautioned that AI algorithms need to be carefully designed to produce reliable results for different groups of women.

🖼️ Must-visit museums: These are the top spots for 2025, according to Lonely Planet.

🍽️ Menu makeover: UK supermarket Morrisons has introduced braille menus to its cafes, in an effort to improve accessibility.

🌅 Fresh start: We’re more optimistic in the mornings, a new study suggests – here’s how to make the most of yours.

🎭 Theatre’s best: The shortlist for this year’s international Susan Smith Blackburn prize – which honours female and non-binary playwrights – is out.

📜 Ancient reconstruction: A 2,000-year-old burnt scroll has been digitally restored – here’s what it could say.

🦡 Fantastic photos: This photo of a badger admiring a graffiti version of itself has won the public vote for Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

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Trivia answer: B) A locket containing Leonard Cohen’s hair is expected to fetch up to $600 – here’s what’s also up for grabs.

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