The Know Daily - Monday 20 October 2025

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Meet Vasi, the sloth bear who just made history – and hearts melt – in one brave step. After losing a hind paw, this rescued little explorer became the first sloth bear ever to receive a prosthetic paw, and now he’s back on all fours, strolling with confidence at a wildlife rescue center in India. With a little ingenuity and a lot of compassion, his caretakers gave him a second chance – and Vasi is making every step count 🐾

🇮🇸 Iceland’s women’s strike

This week, Iceland marks 50 years since the landmark Iceland women’s strike – a day when most women across the country stopped work to highlight gender inequality.

Why did the women go on strike?
On 24 October 1975, around 90% of Icelandic women took part in a nationwide walkout, refusing both paid work and unpaid household duties. The aim was to show how much women’s labour contributed to society and the economy. Known locally as Kvennafrídagurinn (“Women’s Day Off”), the strike saw workplaces, schools and shops disrupted as women gathered in Reykjavik and across the country.

What was the result?
The strike helped drive lasting change. The following year, Iceland introduced a Gender Equality Act, and five years later Vigdís Finnbogadóttir became the world’s first democratically elected female president. It also shifted attitudes about the value of women’s work and inspired stronger participation in politics and activism.

Has anything similar happened since?
Icelandic women have held follow-up strikes and walkouts in 2005, 2010, 2016 and 2023, all timed around the same October date. The 2023 strike, supported by Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir, focused on closing the gender pay gap and tackling gender-based violence. Each event has served as a reminder that equality progress requires continued efforts.

What’s the picture today?
Iceland consistently ranks as one of the most gender-equal countries in the world, topping the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index for over 16 years. Women make up nearly half of parliament and hold senior roles across government and business. But campaigners say challenges remain – particularly around income inequality and representation in some industries. 

The takeaway.
The 1975 women’s strike is seen as a turning point for gender equality in Iceland and remains a key part of its national story. While the country regularly ranks among the best in the world for gender parity, recent strikes show that campaigners still see room for improvement.

💰 Money Monday: More adults are moving in together sooner, driven by rising costs and the option to share expenses.

• The bigger story: New research shows cohabitation is increasingly seen as a financial strategy – one study finding that 33% of young couples sped up moving in together as a way to cut everyday spending and save on rent. Check out our deep dive on the “singles tax” for a few tips on how to manage costs while living alone.

💎 Louvre latest: Jewellery that belonged to Napoleon and his wife Josephine Bonaparte have been taken from the Parisian museum. 

😳 Risqué robots: OpenAI will soon bring adult content to ChatGPT users who have verified their age on the platform. 

🎀 Belles of the ball: London’s answer to the Met Gala took place on Saturday night – we’re loving the pink theme.

🏖️ Cleaner coastline: A Spanish city council has announced plans to ban smoking on all of its beaches.

📱 Drop the doomscroll: We’re big believers in not mindlessly scrolling the news… and it turns out the experts agree!

🔗 Last week’s most clicked: Why everyone’s getting sick, tools to close the gender investment gap and London’s first postpartum statue.

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Trivia answer: A) Hidden under tonnes of rock, a dinosaur superhighway is emerging in an Oxfordshire quarry.

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