The Know Daily - Friday 30 January 2026

_{Read in 5m 24s ∙ Listening to Maisie Peters ∙}

This is your last chance to try the National Art Pass for three months for just £20. It offers free and half-price entry to hundreds of museums, galleries and historic houses across the UK (and some fab discounts in shops and cafés). The offer ends tomorrow so don’t walk, run!

✨ Thank you to Art Fund for opening up the world of art and keeping this newsletter free and accessible to all ✨

Hello hello,

There’s only one day left of Jan – we did it guys 🥹 Next up is the Lunar New Year and I’ve really been buying into the the conversation about the Year of the Horse (I read yesterday that millennials in particular are really into it – they’re not wrong!). Anyway, apparently we’re in for a year of speed, action and independence… and I’m down for it.

But let’s get into our usual round up of this week’s headlines and culture picks. Also, we’ve got a fab offer (ending tomorrow!) to share with you from the Art Fund 👀

Lynn
Co-founder

UK NEWS

✈️ Prime Minister Keir Starmer has struck a visa-free travel deal with China, part of a broader reset in the UK and China’s diplomatic, economic and strategic relations.

🐧An island off the coast of Wales is available to stay at for free if you’re happy to do this job (hint, it includes an animal we’re big fans of at The Know).

⛪️ The new Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, says she wants to be open about tackling misogyny as part of how she leads the Church.

GLOBAL AFFAIRS

🕊️ European leaders are being urged to play a bigger part in ongoing US-brokered talks with Russia to find peaceful solutions sooner.

📱 French president Emmanuel Macron has said he wants to speed up the start of a social media ban for under-15s.

💸 The cities with the highest cost of living have been revealed, with six of them all found in the same country.

CULTURE

🎭 The BAFTA nominations were announced on Tuesday, with political thriller One Battle After Another earning 14 nods.

👠 Paris Haute Couture Week wrapped yesterday, following a week of celeb attendances and debut collections from Chanel and Dior's new head designers.

🪶 A feminist historian has claimed that William Shakespeare was in fact a pen name used by this poet.

The National Art Pass is your ticket to seeing more and saving more. And right now, you can try a pass for three months for just £20. With the three-month trial, you’ll get the chance to explore more for less. That’s something to put a smile on your face, right? But you’ll need to move quickly: the trial is only available until January 31. T&Cs apply.*

WORK & INNOVATION

👩‍💻 The UK government is offering adults free AI training to help people learn how to use the technology at work.

🦕 Scientists have launched a new app that identifies dinosaur footprints and matches human expert classification about 90% of the time. Don’t tell Jurassic Park!

🔔 Have notifications from Facebook and Instagram been pinging up on your phone asking if you want to pay £3.99 a month? This is what it’s all about.

UPLIFTING STUFF

🦮 A rescue puppy from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home is to become one of only a few dogs in the world able to detect a multi-drug resistant lung infection in people with cystic fibrosis. And he’s called Chilli 🥹

⚡️ Homegrown clean power generated more electricity than fossil fuels in the EU for the first time last year, a tipping point experts say marks real progress toward a cleaner future.

🩵 The American Cancer Society reports that 70% of Americans now survive at least five years after a cancer diagnosis – up from about half in the 1970s – with globally shared research helping these breakthroughs benefit patients worldwide.

🗞 Read: The New York Times are doing a quiz series all about internet speak and it’s making me realise I need to do some homework! This week featured “lowkenuinely”... can safely say I did not score a point this time around 🙇‍♀️

🎧 Listen: Maisie Peters has been all over my socials since she posted her upcoming album promo featuring Georgia Nicolson (iconic). But since then I’ve been loving her 2023 release, The Good Witch.

📺 Watch: Dearest reader, the first half of the fourth season of Bridgerton has been released and your upcoming letters will find me counting down the days until the second comes out. January calls for movies and I’ve been knee-deep in my Jane Austen era lately – this is my current fave. Finally, the iconic Dawn French is in a new comedy series which is exactly what the doctor ordered!

🧑‍🍳 Cook: Comforting and quick food is the only cuisine I am interested in at the moment and, even though it may not sound like it, this chicken schnitzel recipe fits the bill. Brb, just kicking myself for not learning to make schnitzel sooner!

💗 Do: Score an extra five entries for our giveaway with femme health. One lucky reader will win a £1600 voucher to spend on a retreat of your choice at The Dreaming. This is a truly transformative wellness retreat in the heart of Wales, created by Charlotte Church as a magical, nature-immersed sanctuary of ritual, creativity, deep rest and soulful reconnection.

We just have to share this one with you. Our friends over at femme health are looking for someone to join their team and we can’t think of a better brand to recommend working with. We’ve collaborated with them for years, so when we say this is a great team, we truly mean it. Interested? You can find more details about the role (and how to apply!) below. You’ve got this! 💕

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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*National Art Pass T&Cs: The offer is a three-month trial of Art Fund membership for one person entitling the holder to all National Art Pass discounts as listed on the Art Fund’s website and Art In Your Inbox email subscription. Subscription to Art Quarterly magazine and Art Map publication are not included. The trial National Art Pass is available to purchase for £20 until 11:59pm 31 January 2026. Please note that this offer is available to first-time members only. If you’ve previously had a trial membership or annual National Art Pass, this offer isn’t available to you. The trial National Art Pass will be valid for three calendar months from date of payment. The expiry date will be rounded up to the end of the month of expiry. Offer cannot be used to change or renew existing memberships. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or on gift memberships. 18+, Ts & Cs apply. Please find the full Terms and Conditions here.

*femme health x The Dreaming giveaway T&Cs: The giveaway will run from 9 January - 7 February 2026. One winner will be selected at random by The Know and notified by email. The winner must be subscribed to The Know newsletter on the drawing date and have read at least one newsletter between 9 January - 7 February 2026 to be eligible. By getting 5 extra entries, you agree to your email being shared with femme health for marketing purposes. You can unsubscribe at any time.

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