The Know Daily - Friday 15 May 2026

_{Read in 5m 09s ∙ Listening to Ella Langley ∙}

Hello hello,

Happy Friday! It was World Cocktail Day this week and we asked you guys what your fave cocktails and mocktails are. Some of the most popular choices were: virgin piña colada (pineapple juice and cream of coconut), French martini (vodka, raspberry liqueur and fresh pineapple juice) and South Side (tastes like a mojito but it's with gin and it's served with no ice, in a short glass). It’s safe to say that reading all your replies had us researching our local happy hours!

On that note, here’s our usual roundup of the week’s headlines, plus some culture recs and a few treats to see you through the weekend!

Lynn 💕
Co-founder

UK NEWS

✉️ Wes Streeting has resigned as health secretary, whilst his supporters say he has the 81 MPs needed to mount a leadership challenge against Keir Starmer.

🦅 The UK’s largest bird of prey is set to return to Exmoor National Park, with releases planned over the next three years starting this summer.

❤️‍🩹 One in two women feel their pain has been ignored or dismissed, a new report has shown. We asked our readers too and 91% of respondents said that they’ve often or sometimes felt this too. To combat this, Nurofen has created a free downloadable tool to help women track and describe symptoms.

GLOBAL AFFAIRS

🇨🇳 The US President has visited Beijing for a two-day state visit where Xi Jinping and Donald Trump discussed key issues including trade, technology and the conflict in Iran.

🏙️ A European capital has banned adverts for airlines and meat products in a push to align with local environmental goals.

🐅 India’s Supreme Court has introduced new legislation banning tourists from taking pictures of tigers on smartphones across the country’s national parks, in efforts to safeguard the animals.

CULTURE

🎤 The co-headliners for the first-ever halftime show for the FIFA World Cup Final have been announced. 

👩 Anne Boleyn’s real face has been uncovered via facial recognition tools on a famous collection of Tudor portraits of the former Queen of England, a team of computer scientists have said.

🎥 Cannes Film Festival is underway and has already had lots of memorable moments, including the Fast & Furious cast reuniting to celebrate the franchise's 25th anniversary.

WORK & INNOVATION

🚀 NASA has announced preliminary plans for Artemis III, the next lunar mission, which will focus on testing systems they’ll need for a Moon landing.

📱 Phone bans at work are becoming more common as companies attempt to curb employee distractions.

🌱 Plants can hear according to a new study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that suggests rice seeds can hear the sound of rain. 

UPLIFTING STUFF

🇪🇺 The European Commission has unveiled its first-ever anti-poverty strategy, aiming to eradicate extreme poverty and social exclusion by 2050.

🐚 More than 1,500 species critical to the marine ecosystem in Scotland’s South Arran Marine Protected Area have returned, almost a decade after protections against bottom trawling and dredging were introduced.

♻️ Shanghai has achieved 98% industrial recycling rates and is on track to become a zero-waste city.

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: I know we hear about optimising our lives non-stop on social media, but this list of “49 ways to have fun” genuinely inspired me to embrace my whimsy… From counting dogs in the park (to be fair, I already do this!) to adding random sprints into your runs “like a three-year-old”, it’s full of the kind of joyful, slightly ridiculous ideas that remind you adulthood doesn’t have to be quite so serious. It’s also deeply validating to learn that sitting at the front of the top deck on the bus is, in fact, one of life’s greatest thrills.

🎧 Listen: I’m officially in my country music era and I’ve been listening to this album by Ella Langley on repeat. PSA: you will be influenced to invest in a pair of cowboy boots if you listen for long enough.

🛍️ Shop: Let’s be real, we all need loo roll. So why not buy the kind that means your money is doing something good? This brand donates 50% of their profits to charitable partners to fund sanitation projects and clean water access. Also, you can subscribe which means you never have to have the “who used up the last loo roll” fight again!

📺 Watch: This definitely feels like the season of incredible TV because what do you mean last week we had Amandaland, and this week we get season 2 of Rivals! It’s out today and I can’t wait to debrief about it. Tea with Nan is my latest new watch – and it’s a double win because it's on YouTube which means no subscription barrier (a rare case these days!). But if you’re after a cosy crime movie, definitely check out The Sheep Detectives. 

🧑‍🍳 Cook: It’s World Baking Day on Sunday so here’s my absolute go-to cake recipe for when I need to whip something delish up pronto (and you can make it gluten-free).

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