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Friday, 25 July 2025

💳 Why Did the Pound Weaken Sharply Against the Euro in July 2025?

Published: 25 July 2025 | By: International Desk, 100NEWS.TV

💱 Live rate via Wise.com: 1 GBP = 1.1442 EUR (as of 25 July 2025)
Net received after sending 100 GBP: 113.57 EUR (includes £0.74 fee)
Effective exchange rate incl. fees: 1.1357 EUR per GBP

1. Diverging Interest Rate Expectations

The Bank of England signalled potential rate cuts due to signs of economic slowdown, while the European Central Bank paused its cycle, favouring the Euro. Markets are pricing in up to two UK rate cuts by year-end, undermining Sterling's appeal.

2. Weak UK Economic Data

Recent GDP and retail sales figures disappointed markets. PMI reports showed softening private sector output and rising unemployment, all pointing to weakening domestic demand and low investor confidence in the UK outlook.

3. Fiscal Uncertainty and Stagflation Fears

Analysts warn that the UK may face stagflation—stagnant growth with persistent inflation. Concerns around potential tax increases and high public debt have also weakened Sterling sentiment.

4. Safe-Haven Preference for the Euro

While the UK outlook dims, the Euro has attracted capital inflows due to relatively stable economic performance and perceived resilience within the euro area, especially in light of geopolitical risk hedging.

5. Market Sentiment and Technical Levels

Currency strategists cited downward technical momentum. Institutions like BNP Paribas targeted 1.1430 as a near-term floor for GBP/EUR, which aligns with current trading levels.

📈 Summary Table

Start of period: 1 GBP ≈ 1.17 EUR
End of period: 1 GBP ≈ 1.1442 EUR
Key driver: BoE rate expectations
Other factors: weak GDP, low retail sales, Euro stability

Sources: Reuters, Bloomberg, The Guardian, ECB, Bank of England, MarketPulse, CurrencyNews UK
Chart powered by Chart.js – based on public rate data from Wise.com (June–July 2025).

Nature Inspires: A South African Pub Within the Grand Sunland Baobab

🌳 An Unforgettable Marvel of Nature and Hospitality

On Sunland Farm, nestled in the rolling hills of Limpopo Province near Modjadjiskloof, South Africa, stood a singular wonder of both nature and human ingenuity. Known variously as the Sunland Big Baobab, Platland Baobab, or colourfully as “Tree Bar” or the “Pub Tree”, it was a living legend: an enormous hollowed baobab tree containing within its colossal trunk a fully‑functioning pub and wine cellar.

Celebrated across travel guides and ecological journals alike, the Big Baobab was carbon‑dated to ages as high as 6,000 years, a claim that made it older than the pyramids. Although some scientific studies suggested a more conservative age of around 1,060 ± 75 years, its sheer scale—22 m high, 47 m in circumference, trunk diameter 10.64 m—made it one of Africa’s largest and most ancient baobabs (Wikipedia).

The Age‑Old Mystery: Carbon‑Dating the Giants

Baobabs (Adansonia digitata) are famed not only for their gargantuan size but also their astonishing longevities. Traditional methods of tree‑ring age estimation are impossible—baobabs often hollow out internally and lack clear annual rings. Scientists therefore rely on Radiocarbon dating of wood samples taken from inner cavities.

In a landmark 2011 study, researchers from Babeş‑Bolyai University and collaborators analysed the Platland tree’s stems. Stem I was dated at approximately 750 ± 75 years, while stem II yielded 1,060 ± 75 years. The complex branching hinted that one stem had fused into another some four centuries ago (BioMed Central). Yet anecdotal claims placed the tree’s age at 6,000 years, likely reflecting an over‑interpretation of local lore and older sampling results (My Modern Met).

Whether millennia or simply a millennium old, the tree stood as a monument: a living vessel of centuries of fire, wildlife, travel, and human cultural imprint.

Birth of the Tree Bar: From Hollow to Hangout

In 1993, owners Doug and Heather van Heerden transformed the tree’s interior into a pub and wine cellar. After clearing away compacted organic matter to reveal a floor roughly one metre below ground, they built a rustic bar inside the larger hollow, complete with wooden benches, draft beer, lighting, a music setup, shelves of memorabilia—and even a dart game on the interior wall. A secondary hollow became a wine cellar held at around 22 °C, courtesy of the tree’s natural ventilation (Wikipedia).

With ceilings soaring to some 13 ft (approximately 4 m), the interior could comfortably seat about 15 people. At times, up to 40 or even 60 attendees crammed inside for special events—testament to both the tree’s size and the owners’ convivial spirit (Earthly Mission).

Durga Das Honoured with BOSS Award 2025 Innovator of the Year

At the landmark 25th anniversary of Global Business Week (GBW2025) in the Maldives, one of the event’s most distinguished honours — the BOSS Award 2025 Innovator of the Year — was awarded to Durga Das, Founder and CEO of Aeronero, in recognition of her visionary leadership, groundbreaking innovations in water technology, and profound social impact across continents.

The award was presented by Andrii Azarov, President of Global Business Week and Head of the Supreme Council of the European Association of Business Development (European Commission), as part of a powerful tradition of recognising outstanding contributions to innovation, sustainability, and humanity.

🌍 A Vision for Global Water Security

Durga Das has emerged as a global changemaker through her pioneering work in Air Water Generation (AWG). As the founder of Aeronero, she leads the world’s only company deploying both condensation and desiccation technologies to extract clean, potable water from humidity in the air — a breakthrough solution for the world's escalating water crisis.

Under her leadership, Aeronero Systems is now serving diverse climates and communities, from urban hubs in India to rural villages and refugee camps in Africa and Latin America. The systems offer decentralised, sustainable, and independent access to clean water, helping build resilient infrastructure and drastically improving lives.

Her mantra — “Water for all, always” — is more than a slogan. It is the mission that drives an entire movement.

💧 Innovation Meets Social Justice

Durga’s contribution goes far beyond technology. She founded WODER, a UK-based charitable initiative, bringing together global water experts such as Amir AlKayed and Mansee Bal Bhargava to tackle water insecurity in refugee camps and empower women through water independence.

Her work has redefined innovation not only as a technical achievement but also as a human right and a tool for equality.

🏆 Accolades and Global Recognition

In 2024 and 2025, Durga Das received multiple prestigious awards, each underscoring her impact as a woman leader, sustainability champion, and innovator:

Best Innovator – HIEx platform, World Health Assembly, Geneva
Woman Leadership Award – presented by Kiran Bedi in Delhi
Most Meaningful Business Award – out of 883 global nominees
Giving Economy SDG Award – Malaysia
FEDEX Recognition – during Global Entrepreneurship Week
MB100 Global Award 2024 – by Meaningful Business, for innovation aligned with the UN SDGs
and now - BOSS Award 2025 Innovator of the Year.

🎓 A Lifelong Learner and Builder of Ecosystems

Durga is not just a business founder — she is a builder of ecosystems and knowledge platforms. She has completed:

Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Programme
Vital Voices Global Women Leadership Fellowship (Washington DC)
Programmes at IIM Bangalore (Women in Tech) and ISB (Accelerating Growth)

Her involvement spans advisory roles in:

WICCI – Water Industry Council
Asian African Chamber of Commerce (Joint Secretary)
World Talent Economic Forum

Through these platforms, she guides policy, supports startups, and mentors the next generation of innovators.

🤝 Global Collaboration for Water Equity

Durga is also the co-founder of the Global Air Water Generation Initiative, a cross-sector alliance bringing together governments, entrepreneurs, scientists, and investors to accelerate water independence worldwide.

Aeronero’s inclusion in the 2024 MB100 List opened new pathways for impact through partnerships with: EY, Hogan Lovells, Babson College, Green Frontier Capital, Kenya Climate Ventures, Innovision

🥇 Why She Earned the BOSS Award

The BOSS Award: Innovator of the Year celebrates those whose intellectual power and entrepreneurial courage result in global transformation. Durga Das was chosen because her work represents:

Innovation with purpose
Technology for inclusion
Entrepreneurship that heals, not just scales

In presenting the award, Andrii Azarov stated:

“Durga Das reminds us that the best innovators don’t just build companies — they build futures. Her leadership in sustainable water solutions touches lives today and secures well-being for generations to come. This is the very essence of what the BOSS Award stands for.”

🌟 Congratulations to Durga Das!

As the world faces urgent water crises, leaders like Durga Das offer real, scalable, and sustainable solutions. Her recognition at GBW2025 as Innovator of the Year is a global salute to her vision, integrity, and tireless pursuit of ‘water for all.’

#BOSSAward2025 #InnovatorOfTheYear #GlobalBusinessWeek #GBW2025 #DurgaDas #Aeronero #WaterForAll #AirWaterGeneration #WomenInLeadership #SocialImpact #SustainableInnovation

🇺🇸 America Under Trump 2.0: A New Chapter, Familiar Fears

By James Prescott – International Affairs Editor, 100NEWS.TV
📍 Published: 25 July 2025
🕰 Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

🔹 A New Pulse in Global Diplomacy

With Donald Trump’s dramatic return to the White House in January 2025, the world has once again tuned in to the American channel — with cautious eyes. In his first six months as the 47th president, Trump signed more than 170 executive orders, initiating sweeping changes across domestic policy and foreign affairs.

On the surface, key economic indicators such as low unemployment and reduced inflation suggest success. But beyond the numbers lies a fragile, polarised world order reeling from uncertainty.

🔹 How the World Now Sees America

In capitals from Berlin to Seoul, the mood is shifting. Trump’s “transactional diplomacy” has replaced steady alliances with sharp negotiations. Even as NATO leaders like Mark Rutte praise US engagement, many are quietly recalibrating their strategic trust in Washington.

“Can we still rely on America in a crisis?” — that’s the question echoing through foreign ministries worldwide.

🔹 Trump’s First Six Months: Progress or Provocation?

Backed by a well-oiled conservative machine, Trump’s administration has quickly dismantled several Biden-era policies. Yet his foreign policy U-turns are causing the greatest ripples.

Having first paused military support to Ukraine, Trump later greenlit the delivery of Patriot missile systems and Tomahawks—through NATO—alongside a harsh 50-day ultimatum to Russia. Failure to comply, he warned, would trigger 100% tariffs on Russian exports.