The Know Daily - Wednesday 17 January 2024

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A community group in the Devonshire village of Marldon has gone seriously green by launching its own composting scheme. The group secured £9,000 in funding from the local council, which said the initiative would “bring people together” as well as help tackle green waste in the area.

📈 Inflation on the up 

UK inflation - which measures the rate at which prices are increasing - has risen unexpectedly for the first time in nearly a year, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed this morning. 

Tell me more.
In December, the inflation rate in the UK rose to 4%, up from 3.9% in November. The news has surprised economists, who had predicted that it would drop to 3.8% or 3.7%.

Why has it risen?
It’s mainly down to cigarettes and alcohol, according to the ONS. The two were the “main drivers” behind the increase, said Sky News, “with prices rising by 12.9.% in the year to December, compared with 10.2% in November”.

The BBC’s chief economics correspondent Dharshini David also cited “more expensive theatre tickets” as a factor.

What will be the impact of all this?
The news has “dampen[ed] hopes that the Bank of England will lower interest rates in a matter of months”, said The Times. Interest rates are currently at 5.25% - a 15-year high. 

Phone bills may also increase, added the paper, “even if you are still within a contract”. Although mid-contract hikes are being banned by Ofcom, this will not come into effect before April - the month when most mobile phone price increases take place.

Anything else I should know?
While today’s news is unexpected, “it could be worse”, said the BBC. Current inflation is still far lower than it has been in recent years - in October 2022, it was as high as 11.1%. 

When speaking to the BBC’s Today programme this morning, the ONS’ chief economist pointed out that the UK “is not alone in seeing the rate of price rises go up in December”, with similar upticks experienced in France, Germany and the US.

🚬 A smokin’ idea

Slovakia is building roads out of discarded cigarette butts in a pioneering new scheme. 

Go on…
Authorities in the country’s capital, Bratislava, recently introduced special containers designed to collect both standard cigarette filters and those found in vapes. While this “isn't innovative” in itself, said Euronews, their use for the butts is a “global first”: they will be used to build roads.

How does that work, exactly? 
The discarded filters will be converted into “special fibres” that can be used in manufacturing asphalt, explained trade publication Tobacco Reporter. 

The method is proven to work, with a road in the centre of Slovakia - believed to be the first of its kind in the world - having already been made using discarded cigarettes.

What’s the reason for all this?
Around 18 billion cigarettes are smoked worldwide each day, but only a third end up in a bin - with the filters containing “toxic and carcinogenic substances” that can contaminate “soil, water and the ecosystem of plants and animals”, said The Slovak Spectator. 

City authorities therefore hope that the new initiative will contribute to “cleaner streets”, added Euronews, as well as offer a “practical reuse” for the waste.

🌍 COP controversy: Azerbaijan, which will host the COP29 climate summit in November, has appointed an organising committee for the event that’s made up of 28 men and no women.

🇬🇧 Rwanda bill: The PM faces a “crucial” vote on his flagship policy later today, after three senior Tory figures resigned last night to vote for changes they said would “strengthen” the bill. 

🎭 The world’s a stage: The Royal Shakespeare Company is offering 25,000 tickets at £25 in a bid to attract new audiences. 

🐾 Paws for thought: The “world’s oldest dog”, Bobi, has provisionally lost his title amid doubts about his age. In other canine news, researchers think they have figured out exactly why dogs wag their tails. 

🎪 Coachella 2024: The iconic Californian music festival returns in April - and the full line-up has just been announced.

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Trivia answer: B) The Australian actress told the Radio Times that she would pretend to be half an inch shorter than she actually is to secure work early on in her career.

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