Next has lowered its sales forecast for the year, sending its shares plunging the most since the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, as slowing growth in consumers’ incomes threatens to hit spending at the UK clothing retailer.

America’s Supreme Court cleared the way for an immediate expansion of same-sex marriage by unexpectedly and tersely turning away appeals from five states seeking to prohibit gay and lesbian unions.

Boston Magazine is produced a few hundred yards from the finish line of the Boston Marathon, so they knew pretty quickly about the bombings on April 15.

Two of Europe’s biggest fashion retailers, Next and Hennes & Mauritz, have endured a tough start to the year, hit by a combination of unhelpful weather and economic headwinds.

CLOTHES retailer Next has warned that sales and profit growth in the next year would be modest, citing concerns over the eurozone debt crisis, a credit squeeze and rising unemployment.

Fashion chain Next today said the snow cost it £22m (€26m) in lost sales as customers stayed at home during the key Christmas trading period.

Hillary Clinton and presumptive presidential nominee Barack Obama have met privately to talk about uniting the Democratic Party, an Obama spokesman said.

US presidential hopeful Barack Obama returned to the campaign trail today after a brief break to switch his focus to the expected presidential contest against Republican John McCain.

Hillary Clinton’s campaign said she “misspoke” last week when saying she had landed under sniper fire during a trip to Bosnia as first lady in March 1996 - the candidate herself described the episode as a “misstatement” and a “minor blip”.

Barack Obama’s campaign apologised to Hillary Clinton today after one of his key foreign policy aides branded the former first lady a desperate “monster”.

Bosses of fashion chain Next are betting £2.6m(€3.9m) on the business in the hope of netting a windfall five times bigger.