The Know Daily - Thursday 4 May 2023

_{Read in 5m 15s ∙ Listening to Freya Ridings}

Stargazers and space fans are in for a treat this weekend, with the spectacular Eta Aquarid meteor shower expected to be at its most visible between midnight and dawn on Saturday. While those in the Southern Hemisphere will be able to see it most clearly, our UK readers should also get a pretty good view. Let us know if you catch it!

🗳️ A guide to today’s local elections

Voters in some parts of England will today elect new councillors - here’s what you need to know.

What’s it all about?
Local government elections take place at least every four years - but they don’t all happen at the same time. This year, 230 councils in England will elect some or all of their councillors, who make decisions about how local public services are run.

Mayoral elections are also taking place in Bedford, Leicester, Mansfield and Middlesbrough.

You can check whether there’s an election happening in your area here.

Am I eligible to vote?
Anyone living in an area where an election is taking place is able to vote - as long as you’re over 18 and registered to do so. The deadline to register has now passed.

Do I need ID to vote?
Yes! For the first time ever, voters in England need to show photo ID to cast their ballot. 22 forms of ID are accepted, including passports and driving licences (check out the full list here). It’s worth noting that out-of-date IDs are accepted, as long as you still look the same.

Polling by YouGov suggests that a quarter of voters are still unaware of this change, meaning that people could be turned away from polling stations. So, it may be worth reminding your friends, colleagues and family members that they need to bring ID if they're planning on voting today.

What happens if I can’t vote?
If you’re unable to vote in person - for example, due to illness or work - you can apply for an emergency proxy vote (in other words, nominate someone to vote on your behalf) before 5pm today.

You can also apply for this if the ID you were planning on using has been lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed.

Polling stations will - as always - be open from 7am to 10pm today.

When will we know the results?
Results from more than 60 English councils are expected overnight, with the rest announced throughout the day tomorrow.

 🔬 Another Alzheimer’s breakthrough

A new drug called donanemab has been shown to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s by more than a third, raising hopes of a second effective treatment for the disease.

What’s the story?
In a trial of more than 1,000 people with early-stage Alzheimer’s, donanemab was found to slow clinical decline by 35%. Those on the drug were also able to better cope with daily activities 18 months later, in what The Times has called “a landmark finding in the battle against dementia”.

It comes after trial results published last year showed that another drug, lecanemab, reduced the rate of cognitive decline by 27% in patients with early Alzheimer’s. Both treatments work by attacking toxic proteins in the brain.

How has the news been received?
The development has been widely welcomed by scientists and campaigners. “This could be the beginning of the end of Alzheimer’s disease,” said the Alzheimer’s Society’s Dr Richard Oakley.

Other experts have stressed that donanemab is not a cure and that more research is needed. “The treatment effect is modest... and there are risks of serious side-effects that need to be fully scrutinised,” said Dr Susan Kohlhaas from Alzheimer’s Research UK. In a statement, donanemab drugmaker Eli Lilly reported that a third of patients had experienced brain swelling, and in two cases it was believed to have caused their deaths.

So what’s next?
The drugmaker said it plans to apply for approval in the US next month and in other countries shortly after.

And while Dr Kohlhaas expressed caution, she said the results were still “incredibly encouraging”. “We’re now on the cusp of a first generation of treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, something that many thought impossible only a decade ago,” she added.

🥂 Worth a toast: Scientists have discovered that “fatty acid” molecules are key to champagne bubbles rising in straight lines. This research may be useful in other fields, such as understanding how greenhouse gases are released from the ocean floor.

🇺🇦 Kremlin drone: Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denied involvement in an alleged drone strike on Russia’s Vladimir Putin overnight on Wednesday. The Kremlin described the alleged attack as “a planned terrorist act and an assassination attempt on the president”.

🏫 Schools’ slavery links: 29 elite schools including Eton College, Christ’s Hospital school and Liverpool’s Blue Coat grammar have benefited from 18th and 19th century slavery through substantial donations and endowments, new research has found.

💉 Wegovy delay: The UK launch of the controversial weight loss jab has been pushed back “indefinitely” amid concerns that demand will outstrip supply. About four million people in England are expected to be eligible for the drug when it becomes available on the NHS.

🎾 Emma Raducanu: the British tennis star has been bombarded with messages of support from fans after announcing that she will miss the French Open and Wimbledon due to hand and ankle surgery.

Trivia answer: A) Stop - and the reworked lyrics included “Hey you! Burning up the earth, gotta stop it now baby, we have had enough…” - check out the full rendition here

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