The Know Daily - Thursday 22 May 2025

_{Read in 4m 26s ∙ Listening to Of Monsters and Men ∙}

Time Out has launched a new Sustainable Stamp to spotlight venues making eco-friendly choices, all the way from cutting food waste to sourcing locally 💚 It’s a small green badge that helps you eat, drink and explore more consciously (without needing a sustainability degree, phew!). So next time you're picking a place to go, look out for the stamp!

🐶 Dogs in the UK: Are we reaching a canine crossroads?

There’s no denying we are a nation of dog lovers. But could our puppy obsession be reaching a tipping point?

Can there really be such a thing as too many dogs?
Some people think so. In cities especially, the post-lockdown surge in dog ownership is starting to show now that “pandemic puppies” have fully settled into adulthood. There’s a growing chorus of concern that we’ve got more pups than parks – and that urban life isn’t always suited to our furry friends. From limited green spaces to complaints about noise, nipping, and, well, the less glamorous side of owning a pooch, dogs are becoming a bigger part of urban planning discussions. 

But pets are the best, right?
They really are. And research backs that up. One survey of 30k people across 22 countries found that most of us actually turn to our pets before partners, friends or family for emotional support. In the UK, 65% of pet owners said they prefer their cat or dog when they’re stressed. Nearly 80% said their pets help them switch off from screens and work. Other studies show that our bond with pets is similar to what we feel for kids or best friends – just with less drama and fewer group chats.

So, what’s the answer?
It’s not about banning dogs (we could never). But as more people bring dogs into busy cities, we might need to think more carefully about what that looks like in practice. This could include: more green spaces, better education on what dogs need (and what they don’t) and local rules that keep everyone happy.

TL;DR
Yes, dogs can change your life. But city life can make owning one more challenging. Thoughtful, responsible ownership means everyone wins: the owner, the doggo, and the person quietly enjoying their sandwich on a sunny bench.

🇬🇧🇲🇺 Sovereignty shift: A UK High Court judge has halted the government's plan to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

• The bigger story: The injunction, issued at 2:25am today, came after legal action by Bertrice Pompe, a native of Diego Garcia, who argued that Chagossians were not consulted about the agreement. The deal, which includes a 99-year lease for the UK to retain access to the island’s military base, was set to be approved in a virtual ceremony later today.

🦟 Novel nets: Scientists have developed bed nets treated with antimalarial drugs that eliminate malaria parasites within mosquitoes, offering a promising strategy to reduce disease transmission without harming the insects.

☀️ Power perks: Communities hosting solar or wind farms could receive annual payments to invest in local amenities under new government plans.

🪐 Space survivor: Scientists have discovered a radiation-resilient bacteria strain on a space station that could help protect humans on future deep space missions.

🛜 Analalog ambitions: Almost half of young people in the UK would prefer a world without the internet, according to a recent survey.

🇮🇹 Passport pivot: Italy has tightened its citizenship-by-descent rules, now limiting eligibility to those with an Italian-born parent or grandparent.

🍹 Cocktail clues: A new index reveals where to find the cheapest Aperol Spritz in Europe – discover which city tops the list at just €2 a glass. Cheers to that!

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Trivia answer: A) Grey’s Anatomy was the most streamed title of the month with 3.9bn minutes of viewing on Hulu and Netflix.

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