The Know Daily - Friday 19 December 2025

_{Read in 5m 24s ∙ Listening to Brenda Lee ∙}

Happy Friday!

As we come to the end of another year – and our final edition before we all head off for our Christmas break – we just want to say a huge thank you to our brilliant readers for all your support this year. We’re so grateful to have you with us 💛

We really hope you’re able to take some well-earned downtime among loved ones, as well as a proper break from the news. But don’t worry, we’ll be coming in hot to your inbox once again from 9 January 2026 (that will take some getting used to 😅).

Until then, enjoy our usual round-up of headlines and culture picks from this week. On top of that, we’ve rustled up some last-minute gifting ideas and our end-of-year quiz… it’s a goodie 👀

Wishing you a relaxing festive period and a Happy New Year 💫

The Know Team x

UK NEWS

🎓 The EU’s Erasmus student exchange programme will welcome the UK back from January 2027, the government has confirmed.

📖 Bestselling authors are calling for every newborn child to automatically be given a library card in hopes to boost literacy.

👩‍⚕️ Resident doctors are on their third day of striking – check out our explainer for the full debrief.

GLOBAL AFFAIRS

🇺🇸 US President Donald Trump’s approval rating has sunk, with only 39% of Americans thinking he is doing a good job.

🏤 Spain has announced plans to open a national network of shelters designed to offer people cool spaces during hotter periods ahead of next summer.

🌠 A meteor shower (one of the most spectacular in the celestial calendar) peaked, with stunning images captured around the world.

CULTURE

𓀭 Egypt has revealed its newest tourist attraction with two (massive) restored statues of an ancient pharaoh.

💕 Looking for love in 2026? New Hinge data suggests that there’s a surge in interest in the new year, with this hot date being coined “Dating Sunday”.

👶 The most popular baby names of 2025 have been revealed – can you guess which took the top spot?

WORK & INNOVATION

🐭 OpenAI has signed its first major licensing deal with Disney to bring its characters to life through a video generation tool.

🚖 Flying taxis could be transporting passengers to and from London airports by as soon as 2028, according to Vertical Aerospace.

👻 “Ghost jobs” made up roughly 22% of positions advertised online last year, a study across the US, UK and Germany has found.

UPLIFTING STUFF

🏆 A new award has been created in honour of Jane Goodall, recognising people around the world whose work protects nature, supports communities and drives positive change.

🚶🏼‍♀️An app has launched in Derry, Northern Ireland, to discover the fastest and safest routes when walking at night.

☀️ The winter solstice is nearly here, meaning we are just two sleeps away from our days getting lighter and longer again (woop!).

🐻‍❄️ Scientists in Canada have documented a very rare case of a female polar bear adopting a new cub.

PSA: After this Friday’s edition, we’ll be signing off for Christmas. We hope the festive season gives you a chance to switch off, enjoy the break and step away from the news for a bit. We’ll be back in your inboxes on 9 January 🎄✨

🗞 Read: It’s no secret that the holiday season can get just a teensy bit chaotic and it can be easy to forget to properly immerse yourself in the festivities. I loved this piece in the New York Times that gives you prompts for talking and writing about the season – I found it so grounding. We’d also love to hear what you come up with off the back of it 💝 

🎧 Listen: If you’re after a proper comfort listen, Dig It with Jo Wiley and Zoe Ball is where you should be looking. Whilst we’re on the topic of festive frazzle, they’ve done a recent episode on exactly that topic – an absolute must-listen as we clock off for Christmas!

📺 Watch: Ooh là là, Emily in Paris has returned for season 5 – I can’t wait to see all the Rome content. I’ve also been loving Man vs Baby (although it does bring the blood pressure up a bit!). My Christmas film of choice this week has to be an oldie but a goodie… Love Actually. Some of the storylines are questionable, but it just is that festive film for me.

🧑‍🍳 Cook: Eggnog has always been something I’ve been a bit unsure of – but this recipe really is flawless! Definitely worth a try for your next Christmas party (even if it is a crowd of sceptics!).

If Christmas has snuck up on you this year, you are definitely not on your own. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. We’ve pulled together some of the best gifts you can buy at the last minute (and absolutely zero wrapping, hurrah!). 

Help your friends feel better about the news - and support The Know at the same time. Get them to sign up using your personalised code 👉 https://theknowmedia.beehiiv.com/subscribe?ref=PLACEHOLDER 👈 and we’ll reward you with goodies from HURR, Grubby and CRU Kafe!

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