The Know Daily - Monday 9 March 2026

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Transport for London and Santander have worked in tandem to celebrate International Women’s Day this year 🚴‍♀️ They’ve taken 10 of their famous London bikes and renamed them after inspirational women cyclists… definitely keeping our fingers crossed we can hop on one next time we need to get from A to B!

🤝 The Chagos Islands

There have been lots of headlines around the UK’s plan to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius – here’s what it's all about.

What are the Chagos Islands?
The Chagos Archipelago is a group of more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean, about 1,250 miles north-east of Mauritius. The UK separated the islands from Mauritius in 1965 before the country gained independence, creating the British Indian Ocean Territory. A joint UK-US military base was later built on the largest island, Diego Garcia. Thousands of local residents – known as Chagossians – had to leave to make way for the base, and their displacement has remained central to the political and legal dispute ever since.

Why is the UK returning them now?
Mauritius has long argued the islands were unlawfully separated from it before independence. In 2019, the International Court of Justice said the UK should end its administration of the archipelago “as rapidly as possible”, arguing the decolonisation process had not been completed properly. While the ruling was advisory, it increased diplomatic pressure and helped lead to negotiations between the UK and Mauritius starting in 2022.

So what’s in the deal?
Under an agreement reached in 2024 and signed in 2025, Mauritius would take sovereignty over the islands while the UK and US continue operating the military base on Diego Garcia. The base would remain under a long-term lease, expected to run for an initial 99 years, with the UK making payments to Mauritius as part of the arrangement. The UK government argues this secures the future of the base while resolving the sovereignty dispute.

Is there any pushback?
Yes, some politicians in the UK have criticised the agreement. They argue Britain is giving up territory and paying to lease land it already controls, costing British taxpayers billions over time. Others have raised concerns about China’s growing influence in the region, warning that handing sovereignty to Mauritius could create new geopolitical risks in the Indian Ocean if Beijing were to deepen ties or expand its presence there.

What happens next?
The treaty still needs to pass through the UK’s parliamentary process before it fully takes effect. Last month there was added confusion after a minister suggested the deal had been paused following comments from US President Donald Trump urging the UK to scrap it. The Foreign Office later said the minister had “misspoken” and clarified that “there is no pause”, but acknowledged the agreement ultimately depends on the US backing it because of the joint military base on Diego Garcia.

💰 Money Monday: New research has revealed a wave of more affordable commuter hotspots across Great Britain.

• The bigger story: As house prices rise in well-known commuter towns, more buyers are looking slightly further out for better value while keeping rail connections to major cities. The research by Savills highlights places such as Folkestone for London commuters, as well as towns near other big cities that combine shorter train journeys with comparatively lower house prices. For example, Bamford is an emerging option for Manchester and Stirling is drawing attention from Edinburgh commuters.

🧠 A scientist has revealed the best way to calm down an overstimulated brain – there are definitely times we could do with this intel!

🗳️ A former rapper is set to become the next prime minister of Nepal after a landslide victory for his party. 

🌼 A new campaign has been launched by the Royal Horticultural Society, asking the public to log if they have spotted this rare flower in their garden.

🤳 Indonesia is the latest country to introduce a ban on social media – as well as other popular platforms – for under-16s. 

🏛️ Experts are being assembled to help safeguard seven culturally significant sites – from an ancient Greek city to a historic Serbian brewery – after they were named among Europe’s most endangered heritage landmarks.

🔗 Last week’s most clicked: An old Dutch ritual, the product that has the whole team buzzing and England’s oldest gallery offering free entry.

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Trivia answer: A) They actually have five different types of hot sauce to choose from (lucky them!) – check out the rest of their boujee menu.

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