Since the modern Olympics began in 1896, over 200 national teams have vied for glory. Now, for the first time, a team of refugees is competing in Rio. The team includes two Syrian swimmers, two judokas from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a marathon runner from Ethiopia and five middle-distance runners from South Sudan.

Meeka is the idea of a company from Brazil. It's an intelligent personal assistant that's designed to interact with clients and help them manage their wedding budgets, guest lists and suppliers all in one application. In the website, couples can collaborate on all of their wedding information like: ceremony location, guest list, gift registry and more in one convenient location. http://meeka.mecasei.com

Sendle is a startup that offers small parcel delivery across Australia with high level customer support at low flat rates.?As well as allowing small businesses to send parcels more cost effectively, Sendle is the only carbon neutral delivery service in Australia. www.sendle.com

People often ask how current political representation might be improved, to avoid the cheap point scoring and sloganeering of elected/campaigning politicians. One option might be to trial an Upper House selected by lot - a Citizens' Senate - with an advisory role, to start with. Senators (say 99) would be recruited at random - like a jury - from the Australian population, with a third rotated out every 2 to 3 years. Consider it paid National Service. If nothing else, there'd be 50% women, and it would provide an insight into the thinking of everyday Australians, away from the parti-political machinations of elected representatives. www.newdemocracy.com.au

SoulCycle?s high-energy, candlelit workouts have grown into a national phenomenon in the US with celebrities and C-Suite Execs joining the cycling classes. While other fitness studios may offer spinning, SoulCycle?s multi-sensory experience, underpinned by the company?s culture, makes it unique, with the coveted first row of bikes always reserved for expert riders. www.soul-cycle.com

Why plant trees under power lines so the power line hackers can come along and mutilate them, destroying their elegance and stability?. For the sake of the tree and our environmental aesthetic we should consider what tree to plant where so this ugly outcome is avoided.