News Headlines - 24 December 2014

▽British high streets hit record high

The value of retail sales in the UK are set to hit an all-time high for 2014 according to Government estimates.

▽Samsung closes flagship London store - CNET

More than 50 staff are affected by the closure of the Samsung Experience store in Westfield Stratford City.

▽Space cuisine: the final frontier | The Guardian

Italy’s first female astronaut will be dining this Christmas on cutting-edge meal prepared by aerospace engineering firm

▽Mussels could soon be off the menu

Researchers at Glasgow University discovered mussel shells are becoming increasingly brittle when they are formed in more acidic water, leaving the creatures more vulnerable to predators.

▽BBC News - Japan charges Tokyo 'vagina artist' with obscenity

A Japanese woman who makes art based on her vagina has been charged with obscenity, in a case that has sparked discussion on censorship.