Wednesday 20 August 2025
The Mighty Headlines
Economics: UK shoppers swap dining out for branded groceries
Business and markets: Canada approves Ozempic for kidney disease
Foreign Affairs: North Korea calls for rapid increase in nuclear weapons
Security and intelligence: New Zealand soldier guilty of attempted spying
Domestic politics: UK drops demands to access Apple users’ encrypted data
The Mighty Stats
FTSE = 9,189.22 (up 0.34%)
S&P 500 = 6,411.37 (down 0.59%)
Nasdaq = 21,314.95 (down 1.46%)
CAC40 = 7,979.08 (up 1.21%)
£1 = $1.35 / €1.16
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The Mighty Detail
Economics: UK shoppers are spending more on branded food as they eat out less at restaurants.
Sales of branded grocery items grew by 6.1 per cent in August while casual and fast-food restaurants saw a 6 per cent fall in customers in the three months to July.
It is thought that buying branded groceries may be an alternative and cheaper treat to eating out at restaurants.
Business and markets: The weight-loss drug Ozempic has been approved for use in Canada to treat kidney disease and to reduce the risk of kidney failure and cardiac events linked to type-2 diabetes. The US separately approved Ozempic earlier this year to treat kidney disease.
Foreign Affairs: The leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, has called for his country to rapidly increase its nuclear weapons amid the US and South Korea’s military exercises taking place this week. The 11-day annual summer drills are know as Ulchi Freedom Shield and will involved 21,000 soldiers.
Security and intelligence: A New Zealand soldier has been convicted of attempted espionage for the first time in the country’s history.
The man tried to pass on military telephone directories, maps, his identity card and computer login details.
The soldier thought he was passing information to a foreign agent but was actually passing information to a New Zealand undercover police officer.
Domestic politics: The UK Home Office has reportedly dropped demands that it should be able to access Apple users’ encrypted data through the “back door”. The UK Government had used the Investigatory Powers Act in December to compel Apple to do so. Apple has said that it cannot itself see users’ encrypted data.
The Mighty Calendar
What’s happening today?
NATO military leaders expected to meet to discuss Ukraine
Kneecap band member, Liam O’Hanna, in court on terror charges
UK, Eurozone CPI inflation data (July)
Japan manufacturing and services growth data (August)
Lookahead to tomorrow
Ethel Caterham, world’s oldest person, turns 116 years old
Federal Reserve Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium begins
GCSE examination results
UK Government borrowing data (July)
UK, US, Eurozone manufacturing and services growth data (August)
The Mighty Finale
🌤️Weather today
Sunny spells across England. High of 22C and low of 13C in London. Bright sunshine in Belfast. Patchy cloud in Edinburgh.
✏️Life coaching quote of the day
“She had blue skin,
And so did he.
He kept it hid
And so did she.
They searched for blue
Their whole life through,
Then passed right by—
And never knew.” – Shel Silverstein, poet and cartoonist (h/t to James Clear)
Mighty takeaway: Be yourself and be true to yourself. Don’t try to be someone else.
That’s it for this Wednesday morning.
Cheerio!
The Mighty Memo team