The Know Daily - Thursday 24 September 2026

_{Read in 4m 13s ∙ Listening to Kane Brown ∙}

Art has no age limit! 👩‍🎨 A new exhibition at London's Saatchi Gallery is showcasing five artists aged 50+ who only discovered their creative passions later in life, chosen from over 500 entries. A lovely reminder that it's never too late to try something new! The exhibition is brought to you by PensionBee because it turns out "never too late" applies to pensions too. It runs until Sunday – grab tickets here if you fancy an impromptu culture fix.

🧳 Tourist tax in England

England is planning to let mayors charge visitors a levy on overnight stays… but what could it mean for your next staycation?

So, what exactly is a tourist tax?
Despite the name, it isn't really a tax on being a tourist. The proposed overnight visitor levy would allow regional mayors in England to add a charge to stays in hotels, B&Bs and Airbnb-style accommodation. Unlike a flat fee, the English scheme is expected to be based on a percentage of the accommodation price, with mayors deciding whether to introduce one and how much to charge. The government says the powers should be in place by March 2028, so this isn't something you'll suddenly find on your hotel bill this year.

Ok. How would the money be used?
The idea is that the money raised would stay locally, helping pay for things such as public spaces, local services, attractions and tourism infrastructure. As The Times reports, it would be up to the mayors to choose how to invest it. But how much you pay – and exactly how the money is spent – would depend on where you stay.

Hang on – don't we already have one?
Sort of. Manchester has charged a £1 per room per night visitor levy since 2023, while Edinburgh introduced a 5% charge this summer. Wales is also due to introduce a levy of up to £1.30 per person per night from April 2027. Tourist taxes are already common in European destinations including Paris, Rome and Amsterdam. The Guardian notes that evidence from places that already have them suggests overnight levies don't necessarily put visitors off.

But what are the critics saying?
Hospitality businesses are worried that adding another cost to hotel and holiday stays could put people off visiting, particularly in areas that rely heavily on tourism. UKHospitality says a 5% levy across England could mean 12 million fewer visits and 33,000 fewer jobs, while hotel businesses have warned that an uncapped charge could make it harder for them to compete. But the evidence isn't quite so gloomy: a study of Manchester found its £1-a-night levy had no significant effect on hotel occupancy, while similar charges are already used in destinations across Europe. 

This multivitamin has been popping up in all of the mum WhatsApp groups lately (and we can see why!). Oh, and you can get 50% off 👀*

🎧 Singapore has introduced fines of up to £294 for passengers who play loud music or videos on buses.

• The bigger story: The new rules also cover behaviour such as littering, eating or drinking and putting feet on seats, bringing Singapore’s bus network in line with rules already used on its trains. Authorised transport staff can report suspected offences, while bus drivers can still ask disruptive passengers to leave. More serious offences, such as causing an obstruction, can carry fines of up to £2,942.

🤖 An OpenAI agent gained unauthorised access to an Australian government health data portal, prompting calls for tighter safeguards after the company took three months to report the breach.

💄 We’ve just found your new fave foundation and it costs less than our Saturday morning coffee and pastry (you can thank us later!).

⚮ Unhappy couples are staying together longer due to the rise in the cost of living, new data has shown. 

🧠 The human brain is actually two separate organs, scientists have discovered. (We’re in two minds about this one!)

🍂 The best solo autumn walks for women in the UK and Europe have been rounded up here. Note to self: pack plasters!

🎩 London Fashion Week wrapped on Monday… and your fave supermarket made its runway debut!

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Trivia answer: A) The noughties hit has had a resurgence on the app, generating more than 500 million views 🤯

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