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No kudos, no fun 👎

No kudos, no fun 👎

🫖 The Teapot Newsletter

January 20, 2025

In partnership with

It’s happened again. You might remember one of our favourite intros from last year, highlighting how the confidential location of major world leaders (including Macron and Biden) had been revealed due to their bodyguards uploading their running routes onto Strava.

Nuclear submarines can stay underwater, practically undetectable, for up to 3-4 months at a time. It is hard to know how long they are, or have been at sea. That’s unless any personnel drop a PB in training and need their kudos!

French newspaper, Le Monde, discovered a potential national security threat as smart watches were not taken away from personnel entering their nuclear base in Brest. Workouts, and their time between workouts subsequently uploaded once watches reconnected with phones, revealed information about their patrols, and the likely time they were at sea on the sub. Enjoy the new mandatory training guys!

MARKETS

FTSE 100	£8,505.22	+3.42%
FTSE 250	£20,597.42	+4.46%
GBP/EUR	€1.1819	-0.80%
GBP/USD	$1.2168	-0.29%
S&P 500	$5,996.66	+2.75%

Data: Google Finance, 5-day Market Close

📈📉

Notable UK earnings this week: IG Group Holdings (IGG), Residential Secure Income PLC (RESI), Wynnstay Group (WYN), Shoezone (SHOE).

Notable US earnings this week: Proctor & Gamble (PG), Netflix (NFLX), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), American Express (AXP).

PROJECT WATCH

🌊 Hornsea geotechnical surveys to start in Feb Read more

☑️ FID on track for 2025 for UK’s largest gas and hydrogen storage project. Read more

📚 Fusion21 advertise £1.5bn of contracts for decarbonisation work. Read more

🔌 UK’s first HVDC subsea cable factory in Scotland gets £20m boost. Read more

ECONOMY & FINANCE

Economy from gloom to growth?
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has brightened Britain's economic skies with the latest growth forecast, predicting a 1.6% uptick for 2025 (this after growing 0.1% in November, but failing the expectation of 0.2%). That predicts the UK to be the third-strongest performer in the G7, behind the US and Canada. Cue the optimistic headlines for Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who's had her fair share of gloomy economic weather since Labour came to power in July. It seems the UK's economic glass isn’t just half full – it's got a little top-up.

The Bank of England is chirping in with slightly knottier optimism, forecasting 1.5% growth for 2025. Their plan for quarterly interest rate cuts could bring some much-needed relief to households and businesses. This follows the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s more generous 1.7% growth prediction for Britain last month. So, depending on who you ask, we're either quietly humming along or going for Olympic-level economic acrobatics.

Inflation rises again... dropped?
Inflation has gone all shy and dropped to 2.5% in December, confusing economists who were certain it’d stubbornly stick at 2.6%. Naturally, Chancellor Rachel Reeves must be breathing a cautious sigh of relief—though let’s not be too quick to break out the tin of Quality Street left over from Christmas (it might yet be a sewing kit). There's "still work to be done," Reeves reminds us, with the enthusiasm of someone who’s missed their New Year’s resolution deadline.

Investors couldn’t resist the temptation to place bets on the Bank of England finally cutting interest rates. Suddenly, there’s an 84% chance the BoE might lower borrowing costs by Feb. 6, just in time for Valentine’s Day—because who wouldn’t want cheaper credit cards for date night?

Still, don’t pack away your economic anxiety just yet. Wages are growing faster than Mary Berry's fan club, energy prices remain stubbornly high, and October’s temporary budget stimulus will likely nudge inflation above 3% as early as spring. So, if you’ve got a wedding planned this May, maybe rethink the swan ice sculpture.

POLITICS

Pulling pints and policing precarious opinions
Fancy a pint with a side of philosophical debate? Not so fast. Proposed workers’ rights reforms could see landlords held accountable for what customers say in their pubs if it could be deemed harassment to their staff.

Under the Equality Act 2010, philosophical beliefs – from gender-critical views to ethical veganism – are legally protected. Discussing religion, transgender rights, or even oat milk could leave landlords facing claims of “third-party harassment” from staff. With harassment defined as conduct that violates dignity or creates a hostile environment, the stakes are high, and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) worries this could disproportionately restrict free speech under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Critics, including UKHospitality and the British Beer and Pub Association, say landlords are already juggling enough without adding “debate adjudicator” to the job description. So, is this proposal safeguarding workers or putting our beloved pubs on mute? Let’s just say the jury’s still out – possibly out enjoying a quiet one.

Britain’s 100-Year Ukraine Pact
The PM’s visit to Kyiv was less tea and biscuits, more air raid sirens and historic promises. Sir Keir Starmer inked a 100-year partnership with Ukraine, pledging £3 billion annually for military, economic, and healthcare aid – on top of £12.8 billion already delivered. Britain is also helping Ukraine bolster its defences with advanced drones, state-of-the-art systems, and troop training.

The pact is a show of solidarity amid fears that US support might waver under President-elect Trump, making Britain’s role even more pivotal. Starmer’s stirring “we’ve got your back” promise might reassure Kyiv, but one can’t help but wonder: will Westminster still be passing the collection hat in 2125?

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ACROSS THE POND

The stage is set for Donald
As the world gears up to witness yet another spectacle that is Donald Trump's inauguration on the 20th of January, you might want to brace yourself for a guest list that sounds more like a Hollywood premiere than a political event. China’s Vice President, Han Zheng, will make a cameo in place of Xi Jinping, marking a curious nod from Trump to the East. Meanwhile, the chorus of right-wing leaders sings loud with Italy's Giorgia Meloni swanning in, although Hungary's Viktor Orban has declined the invitation—some countries, it seems, prefer not to dance to the Trumpet.

In the world of tech and titans, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos—the mega trio—are expected to grace the event, lending it an air of digital dominance and industrial revolution. But spare a thought for the tech executives who couldn't bid their way onto the dais, proving that not even a billion pounds can guarantee you an inauguration invite these days.

Former U.S. Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton will join the gathering, perhaps to reminisce about their own inaugurations or steal a few survival tips. Notably, Michelle Obama will not be joining Barack, leaving a conspicuous gap likely filled with her own profound mystery or simply a break from the political circus.

Adding to the fun is Trump’s launch of a cryptocurrency, $TRUMP. Billed as a “celebration of winning,” the coin’s timing—mere days before his inauguration—has critics crying foul, dismissing it as a blatant cash grab. Supporters, however, see it as a bold step toward the US embracing a crypto future.

TECH

TikTok refugees sign China’s little red book
With TikTok now temporarily restored in the US after a less than 24-hour shutdown, millions of (now ex) “TikTok refugees” had been jumping ship to Xiaohongshu, a Chinese app affectionately nicknamed RedNote. Officially known as 小 (little) 红 (red) 书 (book/notepad), the platform has become an unexpected cultural crossroads, where English speakers trade homework tips for lessons in Chinese etiquette (pro tip: skip the green hats—they’re a symbol of infidelity).

Some are calling this migration a “digital revolution,” as disillusioned users take to social media, sharing discoveries of public safety and the affordability of food, healthcare, and education abroad. These revelations are igniting debates about how the American Dream measures up globally. As RedNote plays host, presenting a slice of idyllic Chinese life, the tale of two systems leaves users scrolling somewhere in the middle.

Bezos’ first blast-off
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin reached a major milestone as its New Glenn rocket successfully entered orbit on its debut flight. Though the booster missed its landing on an Atlantic platform, the achievement propels Blue Origin closer to rival Elon Musk’s SpaceX in the commercial space race. Named after astronaut John Glenn, the rocket is part of Bezos’ ambition to develop reusable space technology and support future moon missions.

Meanwhile, SpaceX launched its seventh test flight of Starship, the world’s largest rocket. The booster was dramatically caught by mechanical arms for the second time, but the rocket itself lost contact (space talk for BOOM) eight minutes into the flight. The test ended with a spectacular show of fiery debris raining down over the Turks and Caicos Islands as the rocket burned up in the atmosphere.

WORLD

Conquistador’s return divides Lima
Francisco Pizarro is back in the saddle as his statue once again looms over Lima’s Plaza de Armas. Reinstalled for the city’s 490th anniversary, the monument celebrates the conquistador who founded Lima in 1535 after dismantling the mighty Inca Empire. But not everyone is raising a toast to history. For some, Pizarro represents the birth of modern Peru; for others, he’s a bronzed symbol of conquest, oppression, and cultural devastation.

Gifted in 1935 by the widow of American sculptor Charles Rumsey to mark Lima’s fourth centenary, the statue was exiled in 2003 after protests, relegated to a park near train tracks where it cracked under the pressure. Now restored, its return was lauded by city officials as a nod to history but met with protests from Indigenous groups who called it an insult.

Gaza Deal Sealed with 10 Minutes to Spare
A Gaza ceasefire and hostage exchange deal was finalised just 10 minutes before its announcement. Israeli and Hamas delegations, separated by a single floor in a Doha building, worked through Qatari and Egyptian mediators to hammer out the agreement. The three-phase deal includes a ceasefire, a prisoner exchange, and Israeli troop withdrawals.

There’s still tea in the pot...
The Teapot weekly quiz

Cuppa Chat: Cheat Sheet

🎤📜 Bob Dylan's draft lyrics for "Mr Tambourine Man" sold for $508,000 in the US. The auction included other items like a 1968 painting and a Fender Telecaster guitar once owned by Dylan.

🎱🏆 Shaun Murphy wins the Masters snooker championship and also makes the sixth 147 maximum break in Masters history.

🏛️🎟️ Sadiq Khan is under investigation by the City Hall watchdog for accepting free Taylor Swift concert tickets.

📱🚗 The UK is set to introduce digital driving licences accessible through a new government app, potentially used for ID verification.

🎆📜 A proposed UK bill may restrict loud fireworks, limiting their sale to professionals if passed.

📱🛑 Apple halts its AI-generated news alerts following a BBC complaint about inaccurate summaries. The feature, affecting multiple news outlets, will be suspended with improvements underway for a future update.

No kudos, no fun 👎