Which is Britain's nosiest city?

Newcastle is the nosiest area in Britain, according to a new survey. In a poll of 2,000 Brits, some 45% of homeowners in the city said their neighbours liked to snoop on their business. Liverpool was second on the list with 40%, followed by Norwich on 39%. The researchers say the biggest snoops lived in Bristol, where 38% of respondents said their neighbours were nosy.

Man brings clown to redundancy meeting

An advertising copywriter in New Zealand brought a clown to his redundancy meeting, as an emotional support figure. New Zealand law requires bosses to allow workers the option of bringing a support person to serious disciplinary meetings. Josh Thompson said: “I thought it’s best to bring in a professional, and so I paid $200 and hired a clown.”

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One-fifth of Brits do not use the internet

Almost 20% of British people do not use the Internet, according to a new survey. The Oxford Internet Institute said such people tended to be older and poorer than frequent net users. It added that the results of its study presented a “dilemma” for any government trying to reach and support those who do not venture online.

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