From TfL Tube strike and VJ 70 Day to Google’s transformation and London’s Plague pits: Here’s what got us talking this week

A tennis player got fined for
not playing cricket. The Labour leadership contest turned nasty. And somewhere in Covent Garden was the sound of the house price market going super-sonic. 

 

Yep, turns out we're pretty stingy. But not the worst. That honour goes to the French… zut alors. 

 

 

Admittedly it was several hundred years ago but we're still reeling from the fact, not least because Crossrail archeologists have just found 30 skeletons belonging to what they believe were victims of the Great Plague of 1665. Given that this was just outside Liverpool Street Station, it got us wondering what other plague pits London might be home to, and whether we might be working on top of one of them. If you are, we bet it's the pits. 

 

 

The radical restructure of the Silicon Valley giant came as something of a shock this week, but we quickly learned everything we needed to know about the new boss Sundar Pichai.  

 

We also learned why it's good news for investors. And why it could even teach those looking to emulate Google – sorry, Alphabet's – success. 

 

 

The unions and TfL got pretty punchy this week after RMT revealed another set of strike dates, with both side trying to outdo each other in the PR war. Transport for London seemed to have the upper hand after revealing the cost of the unions' demands (and the fact it's us commuters who will pay – of course)

 

But then it transpired the Night Tube – the very cause of all this disruption – is unlikely to even launch on time. Everyone from politicians to business people are hoping the project will get back on track – but the clock is ticking.

 

 

Today marks 70 years since the end of the Second World War. They've gone all out to mark Victory over Japan Day (or #VJ70 as the kids are calling it) – here are the main events to watch out for.  

 

 

Being a caddie is surprisingly lucrative. Especially if your golfer is on course to win the US PGA Championships this week.
Fancy earning a six-figure sum in four days? Get on the green.

 

If you don't fancy golf, how about turning your hand to the world of pop-ups. The UK's pop-up industry is now worth £2.3bn, and it's still growing – fast. 

 

You could forgive Tottenham fans for being a little giddy when Spanish international and leading La Liga scorer Roberto Soldado arrived at White Hart Lane for £21m in 2013. But how does he compare to other strikers?

 

Sundar Pichai is the most powerful man in mobile, this Bloomberg article proclaimed two months ago. While his remit has widened, the piece gives a very good indication of why he was the man to take on one of the biggest gigs out there.  

 

Some 30 years ago, Bob Ballard discovered the wreck of the Titanic. He could have stopped there, but now – aged 73  – he is still not done.

 

And with Donald Trump surging ahead in the polls, this GQ article asks what kind of people would vote for the property icon. Not only that, it answers the question.