5 things we learned this week

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1 There is a reason the hands on wristwatch adverts are almost always in the 10 past 10 position. Researchers have found that people subliminally associate the layout with a smiley face, making them slightly more likely to buy a pricey timepiece.

2 The ‘bottoms-up’ bikini is the trend of the summer. Kardashians and Love Islanders alike are opting for the style – achieved by turning the top half of the swimwear upside down – and searches on the shopping app Lyst were up 203 per cent last month. Reversing your top gets you double the wear from the garment, so it’s more cost-effective and eco-friendly than splurging on new styles. Plus, says Antigoni Buxton from this year’s Love Island, ‘it gives the opportunity to show a bit of cheeky underboob’. 3 Uber’s founder has a very high opinion of himself. When then Vice President Joe Biden was late for a meeting with Travis Kalanik in 2016, the entrepreneur and former chief executive reportedly texted a colleague: ‘I’ve had my people let him know that every minute late he is, is one less minute he will have with me.’

4 The names of the new French cabinet all sound the same. The prime minister, Élisabeth Borne, has Clément Beaune as transport minister, Laurence Boone for European affairs, Emmanuel Bonne as diplomatic adviser, and Francois Braun as minister of health.

5 China is using dredging vessels to pinch Taiwan’s sand. Beijing needs huge amounts of the stuff to create all the concrete, glass and tarmac it’s using. In 2020, Taiwan chased nearly 4,000 Chinese dredgers out of its waters – a 560 per cent increase from 2019. It’s a ‘double win’ for China, says Foreign Policy magazine: it grabs a much-needed resource while forcing Taiwan to divert vital military resources to its coastguard.

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