EDITION 1030
29 JULY 2024

Ever since Hamas's 7 October attack on Israel fears have abounded of the potential for a wider regional conflict. Those fears escalated over the weekend after a rocket strike killed at least 12 people in the occupied Golan Heights. Israel blamed Hezbollah and promised the group would "pay the price", leaving world leaders scrambling to cool tensions and prevent an all-out war. In other news, Paris 2024 began [see below].

Cooler heads need to prevail from macro level major conflicts in the world down to micro level conflicts at home and work. We all need to step back and take a break at some point, but it's often easier said than done. So this week, we ask to share your top tips for switching off over the summer as children get ready for the school holidays and many offices change gears. We ask you to share your views in our latest poll.

So, as another week slips by, here are 10 things which caught my attention and may have escaped yours. Please feel free to share on social media and forward to your colleagues and friends so they can also subscribe, learn and engage. I would be very grateful if you did.

William Montgomery
Editor and CEO of TEN

1. How to master a new skill. Mastering new skills is not optional in today’s business environment. In a fast-moving, competitive world, being able to learn new skills is one of the keys to success. Self-improvement therefore is necessary to getting ahead. But whether you want to be better at public speaking, using social media, or analysing data, how do you start? READ MORE

2. Labour to focus on work, not welfare. The Department for Work and Pensions said it will shift its focus from welfare to work under a Labour government, the department's new minister has said.  The UK's "inactivity" rate is back up to the levels seen in 2015.  It is low by historical standards, as each decade more and more women have been joining the workforce. But the recent trend is unusual. During the Covid pandemic, all major countries saw their workforce shrink. But while the other leading economies have since recovered, the UK still has more people out of its workforce than in 2019 - by over 1% of the working-age population. BBC

3. Damning Covid report. The first report from the Covid-19 Inquiry (looking into the UK’s resilience and preparedness) has concluded that the British state “failed its citizens” by preparing for the “wrong pandemic”. In the years leading up to the pandemic, officials had focused too heavily on the possibility of an outbreak of influenza, and ignored lessons that could have been learnt from countries that had experienced outbreaks of coronaviruses such as Sars. Had the country been better prepared for a coronavirus pandemic, says the report, some of the “financial and human cost may have been avoided”. Written by the inquiry’s chair, the report is the first of nine due to be published by the inquiry. BBC

4. Contest to lead the opposition. Kemi Badenoch launched her Tory leadership bid. She joins James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick, Priti Patel, Tom Tugendhat and Mel Stride in the race to lead the Conservative Party. Badenoch enters the contest as the "bookmakers' favourite to succeed Rishi Sunak". But grassroots Conservative supporters are "understood to be angry at MPs for not putting their favoured choice, Suella Braverman, on the ballot". Braverman announced her withdrawal from the contest yesterday in a move that is "likely to bolster former immigration minister Robert Jenrick's run", as Braverman would "likely have split the right-wing vote". The Guardian

5. The benefits of cycling to work. Cycling to work can significantly reduce the risk of early death from cancer, heart disease and other such illnesses, a new study has found – but cyclists run a higher risk of being involved in a road collision. The research, which tracked 82,000 workers in the UK over a seven-year period, revealed that those who commuted by bike were 47% less likely to die from any illness and had a 51% lower risk of dying from cancer. They also experienced a 24% reduction in heart disease treatment and had a 20% lower chance of needing medication for mental health issues. Data shows, however, that only about 4% of people in the UK cycle daily, while it jumps to over 35% in Denmark and the Netherlands. The Times

6. Shoplifting surges 30%. Shoplifting offences in England and Wales increased 30% in the year ending March 2024 to the highest level in 20 years, official data showed on Wednesday. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said there were 443,995 shoplifting offences recorded by the police over the year, up from 342,428 in the year to March 2023. The figures continue the trend of persistent increases since the COVID-19 pandemic. Retailers say the true picture is much worse as thousands of shoplifting incidents, often in smaller stores, are not reported to the police because owners do not think the force will either respond or prosecute offenders. Reuters

7. Digital wallet payments surge. The use of mobile phones for contactless payments is growing. Research from UK Finance and Accenture shows digital wallet services like Apple Pay and Google Pay are preferred due to enhanced biometric security and higher spending limits compared to contactless plastic cards. In 2023, 34% of British consumers used mobile contactless payments on a monthly basis, while digital wallet registrations rose from 30% to 42%. Meanwhile, cash payments decreased from 14% to 12% in 2023. The most common payment method remained chip-and-pin debit cards, accounting for half of all transactions. Financial Times

8.  Paris 2024 begins. The Olympic competition is officially underway now that the Paris Games' cauldron has been lit, after some 3,000 dancers, musicians and actors took to the banks of the Seine in Paris and its bridges on 26 July for the official opening of the Paris Olympics. Roughly 100 boats carried more than 10,000 athletes down the waterway, marking the first time the inaugural event was held outside of a stadium. At the same time, 12 scenes from French history were displayed "along, above and even rising out" of the Seine, involving 15,000 workers, dancers and musicians, on a budget of $150m (€138m, £116m). Out of the total 11,215 athletes, including backups, that were registered to compete in Paris a week before the opening ceremony, 5,712 are men, while 5,503 are women – a 51-49 split. The Guardian

9. The power of a praise file. If you find yourself feeling like a fraud, doubting your abilities at work, you're not alone. Impostor syndrome is common among professionals, according to latest research – but you can overcome it. You can manage impostor syndrome in your early career by taking notes, listening carefully and researching things you do not know. Realising that you do not have to have all the answers is a strength. Another tip: keep a "praise file" containing positive feedback from colleagues, managers and those close to you. When you’re having a bad day, refer to the file for a surefire boost. Editor

10. The bottom line. The UK economy needs 2.6% annual GDP growth each fiscal year from 2025 to avoid a financial shortfall, the International Monetary Fund [IMF] warns. The rate would stabilise public debt by 2028/29 without extra tax hikes or spending cuts. With no significant growth, tough fiscal decisions would be unavoidable. The Times