The Know Daily - Monday 7 July 2025

_{Read in 4m 25s ∙ Listening to Paolo Nutini ∙}

Two rescued bears are living their best lives, thanks to a handmade sanctuary on the Isle of Wight. Benji and Balu now roam a custom-built enclosure – complete with splash pools and sunbathing rocks. For carpenter Daniel Tweitman, seeing them happy is “amazing” and a joyful reward for months of hard work and heart 🐻

👶 Newborn health testing

All babies across England will be offered DNA testing to check for rare illnesses, after a landmark pilot project.

What’s the test?
If parents opt in, newborns will have their whole genome sequenced through a non-invasive blood test taken from the umbilical cord shortly after birth. Scientists will then be able to look for genetic variations for hundreds of rare conditions, diagnosing and treating illnesses earlier to improve quality of life. Initially, 100k babies are being tested by the NHS in a pilot project in partnership with Genomics England, with plans for a wider rollout by 2030. This test is different to the current heel prick blood spot screening for nine rare conditions at five days old.

Why is it being offered?
Health secretary Wes Streeting says The Generation Study will help pave the way for personalised healthcare, moving the NHS towards a service that is able to predict and prevent illness early, especially when symptoms may not appear until later in life. It’s part of a £650m funding boost for genomics research by the UK government aimed at reducing rates of serious illness, saving lives and financial strain on the health service in the long term.

What are the concerns?
While the test can assess the risk of some illnesses presenting themselves beyond birth, it cannot always predict with certainty and so results could give false positives or be misinterpreted by clinicians and concerned parents. Experts say such assumptions of inevitable illness in a child’s future could lead to years of unnecessary monitoring and reshape how they are raised or see themselves. What’s more, the resource and financial costs of testing such a large number of newborns by the end of the decade is a concern when the NHS has tight budgets, although in June’s spending review Chancellor Rachel Reeves did announce an extra £29bn per year in its funding.

The takeaway.
With clear communication so parents are fully informed before giving consent and understand the results, as well as a proposed network of genetic councillors to support families throughout the process, the rollout of newborn DNA sequencing could be a promising step forward in health innovations.

Fancy a getaway to enjoy the summer sun? ☀️ Win a three-night stay for you and up to six of your besties at the beautiful Lucknow Cottage in the Cotswolds, thanks to Bolthole Retreats. Get extra entries by signing up below 👇

💰 Money Monday: A popular airline is increasing the size of the small “personal” bag you can take in the cabin for free by 20%.

• The bigger story: Ryanair has said their new free bag size will come into effect in the coming weeks. The EU has been working with airlines to agree on a minimum free bag size so that frequent travellers can buy one piece of luggage and be confident it would be accepted by multiple airlines. Ryanair is the first Airlines for Europe carrier to take the leap in an effort to make travel easier for passengers.

🤝 Party politics: Former leader of the Labour party, Jeremy Corbyn, and ex-Labour MP Zarah Sultana, are setting up a new political party. 

🏎️ Silverstone success: Lando Norris secured his first-ever home win at the British Grand Prix on Sunday.

🌋 Molten model: Lavaforming has been proposed as a new way of constructing buildings from molten rock.

🏊‍♀️ Swimming the Seine: Parisians are able to legally swim in the Seine for the first time in over a century.

👩‍🎨 Artistic architecture: An expert’s guide to the world’s greatest art deco buildings has been revealed. 

🔗 Last week’s most clicked: The European country with the best work-life balance, Hollywood Walk of Fame class of 2026 and the coolest Tube lines.

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Trivia answer: C) Ireland’s Giant’s Causeway is getting damaged by coins rusting and causing the basalt rocks to break up.

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