The Know Daily - Friday 16 January 2026

_{Read in 5m 09s ∙ Listening to Luke Combs ∙}

Hello hello,

In the last edition, we asked you to share your New Year’s resolutions for 2026 and we absolutely loved your enthusiasm 💕

Among the usual (and very admirable) goals – reading more books, spending more time outdoors, making space for friends, moving our bodies, calling our mums – we spotted a few standout ambitions. Like the reader determined to take a dip in a hot spring somewhere spectacular. Or the gal manifesting a moment straight out of a movie: dancing with a cowboy in Nashville. Iconic behaviour!

So whether your 2026 intentions are beautifully simple or wonderfully specific, we’re cheering you on – all with a side of this week’s news and our favourite recs to see you through the weekend. Enjoy!

Hannah xx
Editor

UK NEWS

👩‍⚖️ A new law is being fast-tracked to make creating non-consensual sexual deepfakes a criminal offence.

🗳️ Former Conservative Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has defected to Reform UK, becoming the most senior ex-Tory to join Nigel Farage’s party so far.

📖 The National Year of Reading has been launched by the UK government, billed as the “biggest campaign in a generation” to help more people (re)discover the joy of books.

GLOBAL AFFAIRS

🇬🇱 Officials from Greenland and Denmark met with America’s Vice President and Secretary of State to address President Trump’s renewed push for American control of the Arctic island.

👩‍🍼 Brazil has achieved a major health milestone, becoming the largest country in the Americas to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

🌊 Cyprus has taken over the presidency of the EU Council, with plans to steer discussions on stronger marine protections, sustainable fishing laws and ocean health over the next six months.

CULTURE

👨‍🎨 DNA traces from Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci may have been found on a 500-year-old sketch, scientists say.

🏆 The Golden Globes took place with One Battle topping the trophy charts – check out all of the other winners.

🎥 London’s Design Museum is exhibiting “Wes Anderson: The Archives”, a collection of over 700 props, costumes and sets that bring the filmmaker’s dreamy movie worlds to life.

WORK & INNOVATION

🐙 An octopus-inspired material created by scientists can change its colour and texture on command and could be used for camouflage, robotics and interactive displays.

👩‍💼 Feeling the work slog already even though it’s still January? Here are some top tips to make your day at the office feel a whole lot brighter.

👓 Powered by blinks, this new eye tracker feels like everyday glasses and can boost communication and mobility for people who rely on eye movements to interact with the world.

UPLIFTING STUFF

🐵 Our closest animal cousins – chimpanzees and bonobos – have “friend groups” just like we do, according to new research.

👩‍⚕️ The first leukaemia patient to receive a pioneering new NHS treatment has described it as “very sci-fi,” offering fresh hope for brighter outcomes.

🇰🇷 South Korea’s new Dongseo Trail is the country’s longest coast-to-coast hike, stretching 849 kilometers and inviting travellers to soak up its ecology, history and culture along the way.

💗 The first autistic Barbie, featuring sensory-friendly accessories and details aimed at representing neurodiversity, has been unveiled.

🗞 Read: This Bella Freud profile is a treat: an insider look at fashion’s inner circles, filtered through someone who treats clothes almost like a form of therapy. The designer, podcast host, and great-granddaughter of the famous neurologist Sigmund Freud invites some of the biggest names in fashion and culture onto her couch to unpack what style reveals about identity, memory, and desire 

🎧 Listen: You all know by now Annabel is our resident Swiftie, well I’m a country gal at heart and my fave Luke Combs just announced his new album so you can bet I’m listening to his back catalogue – I challenge you not to head bop to this one! If you’re looking for something a little longer, then the BBC’s Inside Science podcasts are fascinating (obvs I would say that being a scientist!). Their latest episode delves into why everyone’s talking about Greenland right now.

📺 Watch: I know the show ended a few years ago, but I’m obsessed with Manifest, where the real world meets the supernatural (but there’s not a vampire, werewolf or fairy in sight for a change!). I’m also a rom-com girly so I loved the latest book to film adaptation of People We Meet on Vacation (I feel like being a lil’ more Poppy in life… IYKYK). And then there’s the polar opposite with The Last Frontier – a tense action thriller that is definitely giving winter vibes.

💗 Do: Enter our giveaway for your chance to win a signed copy of Stefanie Sword-Williams aka F*** Being Humble’s latest book, Career Comedown. It’s basically the handbook you need, chock full of advice for when work is no longer working for you. P.S. there’s two up for grabs, so make sure you get in there quick!

🧑‍🍳 Cook: I’ve been meaning to try making my own pasta for an entire year (!) and finally got round to it this week. This recipe is so easy and satisfying for a wholesome weekend make (plus you can freeze leftovers to use another time). Add in a super tasty alfredo sauce and you have the perfect quick mid-week dinner too.

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