Work smarter, not higher 🏃‍♂️🇸🇪

We might have found our favourite olympian. Armand Duplantis, the Swedish pole vaulter, broke his own world record on Monday with a height of 6.25m. As impressive a feat as it is to catapult yourself over the height of an adult giraffe (about 5.5m tall), that’s not why he’s our favourite.

Since first securing the world record in February 2020, Duplantis has quietly gone about breaking his own record time after time. It’s now the the 9th world record he has held, but by only increasing the height of the bar 1cm each time.

While there might not be as much money sloshing about in athletics as there is in other sports, Duplantis picks up a cash bonus between $30,000 - $100,000 from his sponsors each time he breaks the record. Why would you pick up one pay cheque when you can have nine?!

MARKETS

Data: Google Finance, 7-day Market Close

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PROJECT WATCH

🌊 Petrofac wins FEED tender for carbon storage in the North Sea. Read more

☢️ Graham win £67m nuclear contract in Cumbria. Read more

🔌 Cable loaded for UK to Germany cable link from Kent. Read more

ECONOMY & FINANCE

House prices jump as interest rates drop, night follows day.
In the most predictable story to date, house prices leapt at their fastest pace in seven months, with the average property now costing £291,268, up over £2,200 from June, reports Halifax. The UK's largest lender attributes this to reduced mortgage rates ahead of a Bank of England interest rate cut.

Property values rose by 0.8% from June and 2.3% year-on-year, the briskest growth since January. Amanda Bryden of Halifax forecasts this upward trend to continue throughout 2024, driven by recent rate cuts.

Northern Ireland led the charge with a 5.8% annual increase, hitting £195,681. Wales saw a 3.4% rise to £221,102, and Scotland’s prices climbed 2.1% to £205,264. Eastern England, lagging behind, saw a slight dip of 0.4% to £330,282.

Surprisingly, London's average price of £536,052 only gained 1.2%. Even with sub-4% mortgage rates boosting confidence, affordability constraints and scarce listings pose challenges. Buyers on the fence may be swayed, and sellers could seize the moment.

The Royal Mint’s golden idea.
The Royal Mint is giving Britain's tech graveyards a glitzy makeover with its new South Wales factory, now open for harvesting gold from electronic waste. Talk about turning trash into treasure, eh? Up to 4,000 tonnes of printed circuit boards will be processed annually, transforming our discarded gadgets into snazzy jewellery and collectables.

Anne Jessopp, the Mint’s chief exec, proudly calls it "transforming for the future." Given the UN's alarming report showing e-waste rising five times faster than recycling efforts, the move couldn't be more timely. Considering the UK leads the charge in e-waste dumping per capita, it’s high time we started digging gold out of our old gadgets instead of landfill.

On the financial side, a tonne of circuit boards yields 165 grams of gold, worth roughly £9,000. It’s not just about the bling; non-precious metals like copper and aluminium will find new life in commercial products, such as sheets and rods. For those curious, it takes a whopping 600 mobile phones to craft one ring from the Mint’s exclusive 886 collection.

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POLITICS

Schools to combat fake news. In light of recent riots, schools across the UK will soon teach children how to spot fake news and disinformation. Following the violence in Southport fuelled by online rumours, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced plans to embed critical thinking into the school curriculum.

Children will learn to dissect news articles in English lessons, identify dodgy websites in computer classes, and understand statistics in maths. This move aims to shield young minds from "putrid conspiracy theories" and fake news that's spread faster than a celebrity divorce rumour.

£47bn UK compensation bill. As if the £22bn black hole found by Chancellor Rachel Reeves wasn’t bad enough, the UK still has another £47bn pledged in outstanding compensation, for historic instances of negligence and cover-ups, such as the NHS-infected blood scandal and the Post Office Horizon scandals.

Junior doctors are gearing up to cast their votes on a substantial 22% pay rise, courtesy of the new Labour government. The BMA is holding its collective breath, hoping members will accept the proposed increase, which could momentarily put a pin in the barrage of industrial actions we've seen. The pay hike is backdated, covering the period since the 23/24 financial year and stretching into 24/25.

Voting kicks off on the 19th of August and wraps up on the 15th of September, all done digitally – because who has the time for paper ballots in 2024?

ACROSS THE POND

Harris naming Walz bags squatter $15k.
Last week Kamala Harris named Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a former teacher from rural Nebraska, as her running mate for the November election. This created a sub-plot that helped us find our favourite squatter.

Jeremy Green Eche, a New York trademark lawyer and “domain squatter”, specialises in buying low-cost web addresses with an eye to flipping them for cash. In 2020, Kamala Harris announced her campaign to run for the Democratic nominee, prompting Eche to buy up as many domain names with potential running mates as possible.

Just hours after Kamala Harris named Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, the website domain “HarrisWalz.com” sold for a cool $15,000. Eche—a so-called “domain squatter”—had snagged it for a meagre $9 back in 2020. Talk about a tidy profit!

Walz took no time in taking a swipe at JD Vance, the running mate of Donald Trump, challenging him to a debate. The much anticipated Trump-Harris debate will now go ahead too, scheduled for 10th September.

Suegle? Google in the dock
A US judge has handed Google a major blow, ruling it illegally crushed competition to maintain its online search monopoly. Alphabet, Google's parent company, is now facing potential business restructuring.

Sued in 2020 by the US Department of Justice, Google's grip over 90% of the online search market is under fire. This landmark decision adds to the string of lawsuits against Big Tech, promising to reshape the industry’s competitive landscape.

Judge Amit Mehta’s 277-page opinion states Google paid billions to ensure its default status on smartphones and browsers, acting as a monopolist. As penalties loom, the government seeks "structural relief" which could potentially break up the tech giant. Naturally, Alphabet plans to appeal.

TECH

Ukraine is about to unleash some seriously barking-mad tech on the front lines—robotic dogs. The mechanical mutt with more bite than bark, is ready to sniff out trouble in enemy trenches without breaking a sweat or a leash. This four-legged marvel can spot mines and carry supplies, proving that sometimes it really is a dog’s life—just not for us mortals this time.

As the Paris Olympic flame continues burning bright, AI is giving human talent scouts a run for their money. This high-tech system is busy hunting down the next Usain Bolt, comparing wannabe athletes to the real deal. Future stars have already been found in the far-flung corners of Senegal. Just don’t expect it to figure out the next Messi—football’s more than just legs, after all.

Over on the Red Planet, scientists are cooking up a plan that’s as bonkers as it sounds—turning Mars into a holiday home. The idea? Sprinkle some magic dust (being actual glitter) to warm the place up enough to grow your own spuds. It’s like giving Mars a cosmic central heating system. Sure, it’ll take decades, but who wouldn’t want to add “Terraforming Mars” to their LinkedIn?

Back on Earth, mind control is now a reality—no Jedi training required. Advancements in brain-computer interfaces let you boss around Apple’s Vision Pro headset with nothing but a thought. Imagine playing video games and browsing the web all while keeping your hands free for more important things—like stirring the tea. It’s a breakthrough giving people with paralysis a whole new way to be in control. And speaking of brainy breakthroughs, Elon Musk’s Neuralink has just implanted its second patient with their brain chip, proving that the future really is all in our heads.

And finally, Nissan’s new “cool paint” is the answer to those car interiors hotter than your nan’s tea kettle. No more feeling like you’re steeping in your own personal sauna. This paint reflects sunlight better than your coworker dodges the office bake-off. Tested in the sweltering streets of Tokyo, it promises to keep your car as cool as the other side of the pillow—or a Teapot subscriber—without draining your battery, your wallet, or the planet.

WORLD

In a move that might have the world’s billionaires checking their sofas for loose change, the G20 finance leaders have decided it’s time the super-rich start paying their fair share. Brazil’s been waving the flag for a global billionaire tax, with economist Gabriel Zucman suggesting a 2% levy on the world’s wealthiest could fill the coffers with a whopping $250bn a year.

Over in North Korea, Kim Jong-un’s been showing off his new toys—250 shiny missile launchers, perfect for those awkward moments when you just need to make a point-y-shaped threat. At a ceremony with more fireworks than a Bonfire Night gone mad, Kim declared his latest creation an “up-to-date tactical attack weapon”. Meanwhile, the rest of the world is stocking up on tinned beans and digging deeper bunkers.

Not to be outdone in the secretive shenanigans department, an amateur astronomer in Austria managed to snap a few pics of China’s top-secret space plane as it zipped over Europe. The Shenlong—Divine Dragon if you’re into mythical creatures, a rival to the US’ easily Google-able X-37B super secret spy spacecraft—has been quietly orbiting since December, playing a celestial game of hide and seek. The US Space Force is keeping a beady eye on it, but it looks like this game is far from over.

A former Russian-American ballerina is facing 15 years behind bars for treason—her crime? Donating £39 to a Ukrainian charity. Ksenia Karelina’s small act of kindness has landed her in hot water with the Russian authorities, who’ve charged her with funding the enemy. This comes just after the biggest East-West prisoner swap since the Cold War, but it looks like it might take longer for Karelina to pirouette out of this mess.

Cuppa Chat Cheat Sheet

🎶🏰 Teenage Engineering unveils the EP-1320 Medieval, hailed as the world’s first electronic medieval instrument. Priced at $299, it features unique sounds like 'torture chamber reverb' and 'bardic ensemble,' perfect for creating 'bubonic beats.'

🌿🛒 Work higher, not smarter. Recreational marijuana sales started in Ohio on Tuesday as the state issued its first operating certificates to nearly 100 dispensaries. Adults 21 and over can buy and possess up to 70 grams of cannabis and grow up to six plants per individual.

⚽️📅 The 2024/25 Premier League season will begin this week, final call reminders to get your Fantasy Premier League teams locked in.

🧫🌍 German scientists have discovered plastic-eating fungi that could help reduce ocean pollution, although their effectiveness is limited to specific applications. Researchers at the Leibniz Institute found these fungi can thrive exclusively on plastics, especially polyurethane, and degrade them into simpler forms.

🎨🔴 Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s largest permanent public sculpture, Infinite Accumulation, has been unveiled at London's Liverpool Street Station. The artwork features her signature polka dot motif and is her first permanent public sculpture in the UK.

🎨🐈 Banksy's latest London mural, a big cat in Cricklewood, was quickly removed by contractors fearing damage. The artist continues to create animal-themed street art to uplift the public, with more works expected to appear soon.

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