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  • The Know Daily - Wednesday 29 April 2026

The Know Daily - Wednesday 29 April 2026

Author

Annabel Preston
April 29, 2026

Read in 4m 19s ∙ Listening to Cole Swindell ∙

WE’RE TALKING ABOUT…

🗞️ This month’s editor’s picks, UAE makes an exit, teen tech rules + animal mayors

Algeria has officially eliminated trachoma – the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness – as a public health problem, according to the World Health Organization. It’s the 29th country worldwide to reach this milestone, after years of improving healthcare, sanitation and access to treatment. 👏

NUMBER OF THE DAY

30

The New York TImes’ list of the greatest living American songwriters (which features Taylor Swift, of course).

🗞️ The headlines this month

Our Editor’s picks
👩‍💼 The Gender Index Report: Female-led businesses in the UK are growing fast, with turnover rising 22.1% – outpacing male-led firms – but they’re still underrepresented and underfunded. Only 18% of companies are led by women, and far fewer secure external investment, limiting their ability to scale. The report points to structural barriers rather than performance gaps, with funding access and networks holding progress back. Closing that gap could unlock major economic potential, boosting innovation, jobs and growth across the UK.

🏥 Martha’s Rule: A new NHS safety measure is already making an impact, with reports suggesting it may have helped save over 400 lives. The scheme gives patients and families a clear way to raise concerns and request an urgent second review if someone’s condition worsens. Introduced after the death of 13-year-old Martha Mills, it aims to ensure concerns are heard and acted on quickly. While still being rolled out, early signs show it’s strengthening patient voices and adding an extra layer of reassurance in hospital care.

Our inbox has been overflowing…
🌊 River rights: When we asked if you think rivers should be given legal rights, 95% replied saying that they should. That left just 3% who felt that they shouldn’t be given legal rights and 2% who remained unsure.

“There should be a new legal category for natural entities, so that they don't have to be granted personhood, but have a right to be protected from harm and be restored if they come to harm.”

“You shouldn't need to treat a river as a person to protect it. You just need strict laws that are enforced.”

🤖 Digital empathy: We dug into the concept of “digital empathy” and how people are beginning to apply human social behaviours to machines (specifically AI). When we asked if you ever say “please” and “thank you” to chatbots, 59% responded saying that they do. The rest of the room was split, with 21% saying that they don’t ever use pleasantries and 20% saying that they do sometimes.

“I used to say please and thank you but then investigated the energy impact of adding these words and immediately tried to become minimalist with my wording of questions.”

“I try to build my politeness into the original prompt and try to get as much into each prompt as possible, like ending with 'thanks in advance' etc. to save on energy rather than doing a separate 'thanks’.”

“I definitely say please and thank you to our home devices… not so sure I would say ‘thank you’ typing into a chatbot though!”

🙋‍♀️ TRIVIA TIME

An ancient souvenir from which historic site was discovered in Spain?

A) Parthenon
B) Roman Colosseum
C) Hadrian’s Wall

Got it? Answer at the bottom.

How Jennifer Aniston’s LolaVie brand grew sales 40% with CTV ads

The DTC beauty category is crowded. To break through, Jennifer Aniston’s brand LolaVie, worked with Roku Ads Manager to easily set up, test, and optimize CTV ad creatives. The campaign helped drive a big lift in sales and customer growth, helping LolaVie break through in the crowded beauty category.

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🛢️ The UAE is set to leave the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), in a move that could reshape how global oil prices are set.

  • The bigger story: OPEC is a group of major oil-producing countries that work together to decide how much oil to produce, helping influence global prices. The UAE’s exit means it will have more freedom to increase output independently, which could make the market more competitive over time. For the UK, where petrol and energy costs are closely tied to global oil prices, that could eventually help ease price pressures – although experts say there will be little short-term relief due to the continued blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

📱 Social media restrictions for under-16s will be implemented even if there is no ban (which is currently being consulted on in government), Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said.

🐕 Ringo the dog has been elected as mayor of a small town in Colorado – it’s part of an ongoing tradition across rural communities in the US that hold democratic elections for animals to attract tourists and raise money for local causes.

🧳 Humanoid robots are set to be trialled at airports in Japan as baggage handlers for two years. 

🩺 Home blood pressure checks could help protect mothers’ heart health if they experienced a hypertensive pregnancy, scientists have found.

🌌 An astronomical computer from the 17th century – and "perhaps the largest in existence" – is set to go up for auction today.

🏝️ A popular island for holidaymakers has just implemented a new rule to improve the experience for tourists. 

Ethically Questionable by Jamila Brown

I love anything lifestyle-adjacent, but I do sometimes find sustainability content can be a bit overwhelming. My friend Jamila recently launched Ethically Questionable and it feels like such a refreshing middle ground – it’s all about figuring out how to live well (holidays, outfits, good food and all) while still asking the bigger questions about impact, without making you feel like you have to get everything perfect. I love that it dives into those slightly awkward, everyday dilemmas we all have but don’t always say out loud (the “is my bank evil?” or “how do I actually shop secondhand?” kind of questions) and makes them feel a lot less scary.

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Trivia answer: C) The National Archaeological Museum has published a study of the “Berlanga cup”, taken home by a Roman soldier after travelling to the northernmost edge of the Empire.

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