The Know Daily - Friday 19 January 2024

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Dear readers,

An especially happy Friday to you all, given that the sun has been shining this week. ☀️ 

There’s the faintest glimmer of spring on the horizon, which has put me in the mood for a big clearout this weekend (glamorous, I know). Sorting through the food cupboards, giving away clothes that are collecting dust, decluttering the random junk that always seems to pile up over the festive period… you get the picture! 

I figured some of you may be feeling the same way, which is why you’ll find some handy decluttering recs and resources in this week’s edition. You’ll also find plenty of suggestions for things to watch, read and listen to this weekend, along with the usual roundup of the week’s biggest stories.

Love,

Lily x 
Partnerships Manager

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POLITICS & GLOBAL AFFAIRS

🌍 World leaders gathered in Davos this week for the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, where they discussed “the future direction of life on our planet”. 

🗞️ Pakistan launched retaliatory airstrikes in Iran on Thursday, amid “several overlapping crises” in the Middle East, said the BBC.

🇺🇸 Donald Trump appeared in a New York courtroom this week for the second E. Jean Carroll defamation trial. 

CULTURE

🕺 The UK’s largest nightclub operator Rekom, which owns brands such as Pryzm and Atik, announced plans to call in administrators following an “extremely difficult” year. 

📚 The British Library’s main catalogue - one of “the most important datasets” for researchers around the world - returned online this week following a cyber attack last October.

📽️ The 2024 Bafta nominations were announced on Thursday by Naomi Ackie and Kingsley Ben-Adir, with the ceremony set to take place in London on 18 February. 

WORK & INNOVATION

🛒 UK supermarket Asda became the latest to trial a four-day working week, as its owners reportedly look to improve working conditions following threatened walkouts by senior staff.

📱 Apple overtook Samsung as the world’s biggest phonemaker “for the first time ever”, preliminary figures showed. 

🚘 Satnavs and Google Maps in England are set to include live data on road closures and parking restrictions under a government scheme aimed at paving the way for driverless cars.

UPLIFTING STUFF

🇨🇻 Cape Verde has been declared malaria-free by the World Health Organization, becoming the first sub-Saharan African nation to achieve this status in more than 50 years.

💊 A new cancer drug described as “kinder” and “more targeted” than chemotherapy has been given to children as part of a trial at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital.

🐙 Four new octopus species have been discovered by scientists exploring hydrothermal springs off Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. 

📰 Read: The Independent’s Ellie Harrison on how the Lionesses’ success has inspired more women like her to play football. Even if you’re not a big footie fan, it’s a wonderfully moving read about the power of community. 

📺 Watch: Mean Girls and Poor Things (out in cinemas now), The Artful Dodger (Disney+), Cristóbal Balenciaga (Disney+), The Bequeathed (Netflix). 

🎧 Listen to: Lives Less Ordinary, an astonishing collection of true stories from the BBC World Service. With a back catalogue of nearly 100 episodes, it’s the perfect podcast to get lost in this weekend.

🥬 Do: Check out a nearby farmers’ market. There’s something seriously soothing about browsing for seasonal, locally-grown produce during these dark winter months - and this guide can help you figure out which items are at their freshest.

We list jobs with qualities we know our readers are looking for: purpose-driven opportunities, flexible and female-founded environments, and employers who champion mental health.

Our top jobs this week include roles at the The Know (that’s right, we’re hiring!), the British Film Institute, software company Thought Quarter and the Royal Society. This three-month writing residency at The Old Electric in Blackpool also looks pretty cool. 
 
Want to reach 200,000+ women with your latest roles? Email [email protected] if you’d like to list a job with us.

In yesterday’s edition, we covered a story on the top “workplace icks” of 2023 - and we were curious to see whether you had any office-related pet peeves you wanted to share with us. It’s fair to say that plenty of you did 👀 

A few time-honoured icks were shared with us, including “scheduling early morning meetings” and “microwaved fish for lunch”. “Loudly munching on crisps in a shared office space” also got a thumbs-down.

We were interested to see some more novel complaints, too - one reader agreed that boasting about wild swimming in the office was irritating, adding: “I also hate skiing chat”.

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