The Know Daily - Thursday 11 December 2025

_{Read in 4m 14s ∙ Listening to John Legend and Stevie Wonder ∙}

Covering a six-storey building in Park Royal, 11 Million Dots is London’s newest artwork celebrating the people who live nearby. Recordings of everyday conversations with residents and sounds (like trees rustling and traffic passing by) have been turned into code to create swirling patterns that sweep across the building. It’s a unique mix of creativity and community spirit 🤩

🗳️ The Electoral Commission

The Electoral Commission is back in the news as politicians and campaigners talk about restoring its independence, sparking fresh questions about how UK elections are overseen.

A quick bit of background.
The Electoral Commission is the UK’s official elections watchdog. It registers political parties, sets standards for running elections and checks that campaign spending follows the rules. It was set up to operate independently of ministers so voters can trust contests are fair and transparent.

Why does it matter?
Elections only work if people feel the rules are applied fairly. The Commission acts like a referee – investigating overspends, flagging broken rules and giving guidance so parties and voters know what’s allowed. If it can operate without political pressure, everyone can have more confidence in the system – a key part of democracy.

Why do headlines keep talking about “independence”?
In 2022, the government gave ministers the power to set a “Strategy and Policy Statement” which the Commission must take note of. That means ministers can influence priorities, and some campaigners and MPs worry this nudges the Commission away from full independence. A 2025 report by Spotlight on Corruption also flagged that the UK has slipped in international rankings for electoral-body autonomy, prompting calls for reform. 

Still, even with the dip in rankings, the UK does pretty well overall – elections generally run smoothly, and most people still feel the system’s fair. In fact, after the 2024 UK general election, 83% of people said they were confident the election was well-run.

What does it mean for elections going forward?
A Commission free from political pressure can give guidance, investigate issues and maintain voter confidence more effectively. Restoring clear independence is what many MPs and campaigners are pushing for – it’s less about alarm and more about making sure elections stay fair, transparent and trusted, now and in the future.

🇪🇺 The EU is investigating Google for possibly using online content from news and website publishers in its AI-generated search summaries without properly paying or crediting them. 

• The bigger story: European officials say they want to ensure fair treatment for content creators, while Google argues that "Europeans deserve to benefit from the latest technologies”.

🎄 Mariah Carey‘s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has jumped (again) all the way back to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

🔥 Humans created fire 350,000 years earlier than previously estimated, according to a discovery in a field in Suffolk.

👩‍⚕️ Germany has pledged €500 million to fund research into long COVID and other post-infection conditions.

🍝 UNESCO – the UN’s cultural body – has officially recognised Italian cuisine as "intangible cultural heritage" passed down through generations.

🌍 Big travel plans for 2026? Here are the 26 best activities to do in the world for the year ahead.

🏘️ Wimbledon has topped the list of most popular areas in London for homebuyers and renters – these are the other nine.

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Trivia answer: A) The new 15ml, croissant-shaped bottle was created by the British perfumer Sarah McCartney.

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