Lloyds Banking Group announced plans to close an additional 95 branches across the UK between May 2024 and March 2027, as the banking giant continues to reduce its physical presence on the High Street, according to BBC Business. The closures will impact 53 Lloyds, 31 Halifax, and 11 Bank of Scotland locations. This announcement comes amid an ongoing closure program that will see 49 sites shut down by October.
The latest closures will leave Lloyds with 610 branches remaining once all announced shutdowns are complete. A spokesperson for Lloyds stated that the bank offers various options for customers to manage their finances, reflecting the changing ways people choose to bank.
In other news, Apple and Google agreed to make changes to their app stores in the UK following an intervention from the UK markets regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), as reported by BBC Technology. The tech giants committed to not giving preferential treatment to their own apps and will be transparent about how others are approved for sale. This agreement followed the CMA's assertion that Apple and Google held an "effective duopoly" in the UK app market. The CMA's head, Sarah Cardell, said the proposed commitments "will boost the UK's app economy."
Meanwhile, a landmark trial began in California examining the mental health effects of Instagram and YouTube, according to BBC Technology. Lawyers for the plaintiffs accused the social media companies of creating "addiction machines." Mark Lanier, representing the plaintiff, argued that his client suffered from mental health issues due to social media addiction. Lawyers for Meta and YouTube countered that the plaintiff's addiction stemmed from other issues.
Also, food fraud continues to persist despite advancements in technology, BBC Technology reported. Food crime, which includes diluting or substituting ingredients, altering documents, or using unapproved processes, is difficult to measure due to underreporting. One 2025 estimate suggests food crime costs the global economy around $81 billion (110 billion). Fraudsters often target commonly consumed foods like dairy and high-value items such as olive oil. Honey, along with alcohol, seafood, and edible oils, is frequently among the most common foods that are faked. Plant-based syrup can be half the price of genuine honey.
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