The Know Daily - Friday 15 December 2023

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A big congrats to our latest giveaway winner, Alice M from Manchester, who’ll soon be enjoying a luxurious two-day break at Middlethorpe Hall & Spa! Craving this kind of R&R? Scroll down to find out about our new giveaway…👇 

Happy Friday - Lily here!

I hope you’re all looking forward to the weekend as much as I am - but as a serious present-buying procrastinator, mine will be spent doing some frantic festive shopping.

I figured that lots of you might be in the same boat! That’s why, in this week’s edition, you’ll find an updated version of our 2023 gift guide, featuring last-minute gifts to suit every budget.

You’ll also find the usual roundup of the week’s biggest headlines, our Friday quiz and culture recs to brighten your weekend.

Have a great one,

Lily x
Growth & Partnerships Manager

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POLITICS & GLOBAL AFFAIRS

🤝 At COP28, delegates from almost 200 countries approved a “historic” agreement to transition away from fossil fuels - although some argued that the deal did not go far enough. 

🗞️ Middle East latest: 153 out of 193 member states backed a United Nations resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Ten countries, including the US, voted against the resolution, while 23 abstained, including the UK and Germany. 

🇷🇺 Russian President Vladimir Putin staged a “marathon” press conference on national television, during which he said that peace in Ukraine would only occur “when we achieve our objectives”.

CULTURE

🎞️ The 2024 Golden Globes nominations were announced on Monday, with Greta Gerwig’s Barbie becoming the second most-nominated movie in the award show’s 81-year history. 

🏛️ The British Museum was told by an independent review to keep better records, following the theft of more than 1,500 items in recent years.

📸 Accidentally Wes Anderson: The Exhibition opened last Friday in London. It’s the “latest incarnation” of a social media phenomenon that began six years ago, said The Guardian.

WORK & INNOVATION

💊 Sixteen male volunteers in the British city of Nottingham became the first people in the world to test a hormone-free male contraceptive pill.

🚘 Elon Musk’s Tesla recalled nearly all two million of its vehicles on US roads following a two-year investigation by US safety regulators into the cars’ Autopilot feature. 

🌌 Astronomers operating the James Webb space telescope detected the oldest black hole ever observed, dating back to the dawn of the universe - more than 13 billion years ago.

UPLIFTING STUFF

🌊 El Hierro, the smallest of the Canary Islands, achieved a record of only using wind and water power for 28 consecutive days - becoming the first island in the world to do so.

⚽ A Sport England survey found a surge in the number of girls playing football since the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 win.

🦌 The scimitar-horned oryx, a type of antelope that had become extinct in the wild, has become the first species in the global Extinct in the Wild initiative to be downlisted to endangered.

📰 Read: This wonderful article from The Independent’s Katie Rosseinsky on why nativity play season is the most stressful time of year for teachers. “Whacky scripts, winter bugs and badly behaved parents” all feature in this funny and fairly eye-opening read. 

📺 Watch: Wonka (out in cinemas now), Reacher (Prime Video), The Family Plan (AppleTV+), Something Undone (ITVX), Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (Netflix). 

🎧 Listen to: December is always heavy on culture roundups - and this one from Vulture on the 10 best podcasts of 2023 is worth checking out. Featuring old-school gems such as Popcast, alongside newcomers like ​​Murder on Sex Island, you’re bound to find a new fave listen.

✍️ Do: Set yourself up for 2024 (!!) with our six simple journal prompts. They’re designed to help you take stock of everything that’s happened this year - cherishing the fun moments and reflecting on the trickier times too - without putting pressure on yourself.

We list jobs with qualities we know our readers are looking for: purpose-driven opportunities, flexible and female-founded environments, and employers who champion mental health.

Our top jobs this week include roles at certified B Corp Pip & Nut, jewellery brand Astrid & Miyu and the Migrants’ Rights Network.
 
Want to reach 200,000+ women with your latest roles? Email [email protected] if you’d like to list a job with us.

In Monday’s newsletter, we asked if you’d seen your rent increase over the past year, after newly-published data showed the average rent for Brits has now risen to a whopping £1,348 per month. 

Among those of you who said you rent, the results were pretty unanimous:

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Yes (196)

⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ No (22)

🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ I'm not a renter (102)

⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ I'm not sure (3)

323 Votes

“There are very few homes to rent in my area and they get like 100 applicants in the first day or two,” said one reader. Please keep sharing your views with us - we love hearing from our readers!

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