The Know Daily - Thursday 11 June 2026

_{Read in 4m 05s ∙ Listening to Julia Cole & Kaylee Rose ∙}

Spending retirement hanging out with your besties? Say less 👯‍♀️ Ten years ago, a group of 26 women aged between their 50s and 80s turned an old convent in north London into the UK’s first women-only cohousing community, called New Ground. Today, residents live in their own apartments but share gardens, meals and communal spaces – creating a supportive community that helps tackle loneliness while maintaining independence.

🌍 The G7 summit

Next week, leaders from some of the world’s biggest advanced economies will meet in Évian, France, for this year’s G7 summit. 

Rewind, what actually is the G7?
The G7 (Group of Seven) is basically a forum for the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada, plus the EU. It’s where leaders get together to talk about big global issues – from the economy and trade to security and climate. It’s not a formal organisation with powers to make laws or enforce decisions. Think of it more as a high-level meeting space where some of the world’s biggest economies try to stay on the same page.

Why does it matter?
For a long time, the G7 has been one of the main places where major economies coordinate during global crises – whether that’s financial shocks, wars or energy crunches. But its influence is being questioned more now. As The Week notes, there’s been less of a united front lately, largely down to differences in opinion between the US and other member states. Even so, what comes out of these meetings still matters as it can shape markets, signal policy direction and set the tone for global cooperation.

What will be the hot topics this year?
As reported by the World Economic Forum, France says it wants to use its G7 presidency to rekindle the “original spirit” of the group. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to announce plans to restrict social media use for under-16s in the UK, as part of a wider push to tackle online harms. Alongside that, discussion on ongoing conflicts, tech and support for developing countries is expected.

So what’s next?
The summit probably won’t end with dramatic breakthroughs. But it will give a pretty clear snapshot of how the world’s biggest economies are trying to navigate a more fragmented and unpredictable moment.

🏖️ A ban on umbrellas has been introduced for beachgoers aged between 10 and 65 on one of Sardinia’s most popular beaches.

• The bigger story: The rule has been introduced at Punta Molentis beach as part of wider efforts to protect the area’s environment after damage last year. Under the new rules, only children under 10 and adults over 65 can bring a beach umbrella. Local authorities say the measures are designed to reduce human impact on the protected coastline, but the decision has sparked debate, with critics questioning the practicalities of spending long periods in the sun without shade, and many Italians calling for more free beaches.

🧪 Age reversal may be possible after a biotech company tested a gene therapy designed to restore old or damaged cells in humans.

👩‍🚀 Prada spacesuits have been designed for NASA’s lunar missions after a collaboration between the fashion house and Axiom Space.

💸 The $110bn takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery by Paramount is set to be formally investigated by the UK’s competition watchdog.

💨 A wind-powered underwater datacentre has started operations in China. It’s part of efforts to curb energy challenges created by the country’s AI usage.

📸 The “world's worst photographer” has been discovered (and paid $50k) by an airline following a viral global search.

🧸 Toy Story 5 premiered on Tuesday night at the home of the Oscars… and we were blessed with a Taylor Swift and Randy Newman duet!

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Trivia answer: C) The Wānaka Tree was planted in a lake over 70 years ago but is gaining popularity on Instagram.

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