The Know Daily - Friday 5 June 2026

_{Read in 5m 08s ∙ Listening to Taylor Swift ∙}

Hello and Happy Friday,

A personal one from me this week as my furry co-worker headed off to hamster heaven. She may have been tiny, but she was a big presence in my home office 🐹

So, consider this a gentle nudge to share some love today, whether that's with a pet, family member, friend or (non-furry) colleague. Offer a hug, lend a compassionate ear, send a thoughtful message or share a slice of 'pick-me-up' cake. Life can feel a lot sometimes, but small acts of kindness go a long way.

Now, onto this week's headlines and culture picks to see you through the weekend.

With love,
Hannah
Editor

UK NEWS

👩‍⚕️ A life-prolonging treatment for hard-to-treat ovarian cancer has been approved for introduction by NHS England.

🚙 London cabbies (and the value of mastering The Knowledge) could explain the future of work, research from University College London has found.

💷 18 creatures have been shortlisted to feature on banknotes – and you’ve been invited to vote for your faves!

GLOBAL AFFAIRS

🕊️ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on Russia’s Vladimir Putin to hold direct face-to-face peace talks in a public letter. 

🇲🇾 A ban on social media for children under 16 has been introduced across Malaysia as part of a wider global effort to better protect young people online.

🚞 A new map shows all the sleeper services running across Europe in 2026, including five new connections already running or launching this year.

CULTURE

📸 The winners and finalists of the National Geographic Traveller competition have been announced. 

🎙️ The former first lady of the US attended SXSW London alongside her brother for a live recording of their hit podcast.

🎾 A tennis icon has confirmed her return to the sport almost four years after her last competitive appearance.

WORK & INNOVATION

🎓 A university degree continues to improve long-term career prospects and earnings for most people, according to new analysis.

🛰️ NASA's new Roman Space Telescope will capture images up to 100 times larger than Hubble's, helping scientists explore the universe in greater detail.

⛪️ The “dig of the century” is being undertaken by archaeologists who are unearthing 1,700 years of history beneath the Notre Dame.

UPLIFTING STUFF

🌊 €92 million is to be invested in ocean observation – spanning marine research to policing and intelligence – the European Commission have announced.

🍄 Mushrooms could filter out harmful waste and sewage in rivers, after a trial saw a fungi absorb 80% of E. coli bacteria in a Devon river. 

🪶 Endangered crested ibises have returned to the wild in north-central Japan, decades after the species was declared extinct in the country.

Behind every edition of The Know is a small team of real journalists writing and curating stories that make your day a little brighter. But the truth is, only 0.9% of our readers currently donate. If you have even just a couple of pounds spare, every single donation helps us keep the good stuff coming throughout 2026. 🫶

🗞 Read: The beginning of June marks the start of Pride, a month that’s dedicated to celebrating the LGBTQ+ community 💛 Here’s a roundup of all the events taking place across the UK. Also on my reading list this week: a piece on the concept of a "reverse bucket list". Instead of focusing on everything you still want to achieve, it encourages you to take stock of everything you've already done.

🎧 Listen: I only discovered The Psychology of Your 20s recently, but it’s quickly become one of my go-to podcasts. Hosted by Jemma Sbeg, it explores everything from friendships and dating to confidence and life transitions in a way that feels thoughtful, relatable and never too heavy. It’s the kind of podcast that leaves you feeling a little more understood after every episode.

💗 Do: Have you ever left a doctor's appointment after doing a lot of enthusiastic head-nodding, only to realise later you can't actually remember half of what was said? We've all been there. But this app records medical conversations and turns them into summaries you can actually understand – and can share with family! Download the app now to prepare for your next appointment.

📺 Watch: Rachel and Pheebs are reunited 🥹 If you haven’t already tuned in, definitely go and watch their Actors on Actors interview… 43 mins of pure joy! Also, Mindy Kaling’s new show just dropped and I already want to pack my bags and move to NYC (it’s a canon event). And if you didn’t catch Dear England in the theatre, it's now streaming as a series.

🧑‍🍳 Cook: Breakfast is definitely the meal that I can get into the biggest ruts over… sometimes cereal just isn’t what the heart wants! But this recipe for breakfast banana bread has changed the game. 

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