The Knowledge

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📝Quote of the day “Only ugly people need manners. The pretty can get away with anything.” - Evelyn Waugh theknowledge.com

England has begun to turn the tide on rising obesity. New NHS figures show that the number of children who are overweight has fallen to the lowest level since 2000, while obesity rates in adults have remained stable for the past five years. theknowledge.com

We really do get wiser with age, according to a new study of more than 2,000 pensioners. Brain boffins at Stanford found that the risk-taking element of our brain starts to fade as we get older, allowing us to make more balanced decisions. theknowledge.com

With only two seats left to declare, Keir Starmer has won the general election in a landslide with 412 seats, giving Labour a majority of more than 170. The Conservatives were reduced to 121 seats, their worst defeat in history. bit.pulse.ly/duy9j6bm19 #theknowledge #election

Quote of the week 🗣️ “Democracy is the process by which people choose who to blame” - Philosopher, Bertrand Russell #theknowledge #theknowledgenewsletter

As Britons head to the polls today, a final YouGov survey predicted Labour would win a majority of 212 seats – the biggest since 1832 – leaving the Conservatives with just 102 MPs. “Toodle pip!” says the @dailystar. bit.pulse.ly/kldvphi0yf #theknowledge #theknowledgenewsletter

Boris Johnson joined the election campaign last night in an 11th hour attempt to win back Tory voters. In a surprise speech in London, the former PM warned that a Labour landslide victory is “pregnant with horrors” and derided Nigel Farage as a “Kremlin crawler”. #theknowledge

The US Supreme Court has ruled that presidents have some immunity from criminal prosecution for their actions in office, indefinitely delaying the prosecution of Donald Trump for his alleged attempt to overturn the 2020 election result. bit.pulse.ly/kfjl1de3ft #theknowledge

Joe Biden’s family is “urging him to stay in the race and keep fighting”, says The New York Times, despite last week’s disastrous debate performance. A new survey found 72% of registered US voters think Biden should not be running for president. bit.pulse.ly/ib2g5ou2hc

A patient in England has died and more than 120 others have been hospitalised in an E.coli outbreak. The cases have been traced back to lettuce contained in some sandwiches and salads sold in major supermarkets and retail chains. bit.ly/theknowledgene… #theknowledge

Quote of the week 🗣️ “Think what you think, not what you ought to think” - Playwright, John Osborne #theknowledge #theknowledgenewsletter

The original cover art for the first Harry Potter book has sold for £1.5m at auction, making it the most expensive piece of memorabilia related to the series. The watercolour had been expected to go for between $400,000 and $600,000. bit.pulse.ly/txetqgxtv4 #theknowledge

At least 13 protesters have been killed in Kenya during riots against new tax proposals. President William Ruto has deployed the military to quell the unrest, which saw demonstrators storm parliament buildings and set parts of the complex on fire. bit.pulse.ly/cfazf14o6m

A Chinese lunar probe has returned to Earth with a 2.5-million-year-old volcanic rock from the dark side of the moon. The Chang’e-6 spacecraft landed in the Mongolian desert this morning after a 2-month mission on the moon’s unexplored far side. bit.pulse.ly/692o0u6uwr

Barcelona’s mayor has promised to ban Airbnb by 2028. Over 10,000 tourist flat licences will be eliminated following a wave of public protest against mass tourism and rent increases, which have soared by 70% in the past decade. bit.pulse.ly/hsq5qf7gfb #theknowledge

Quote of the week 🗣️ “Like most liberals, I will do anything for the working classes – apart from mix with them” - Comedian, Kevin Day #theknowledge #theknowledgenewsletter

Rishi Sunak said at last night’s Question Time Leaders’ Special that he would “boot out” any further party members found to have broken gambling laws. @ft reported an “unusual burst of bets” in the days leading up to the election date announcement. bit.pulse.ly/4n32w8fhlg

Another Tory candidate is under investigation for allegedly betting on the general election date. Laura Saunders has taken a leave of absence amid the scandal. One of Sunak’s police protection officers has also been arrested in connection with election gambling. #theknowledge

UK Inflation hits lowest level in 3 years. The 2% target set by the Bank of England was reached for the first time since 2021, raising hopes that a cut in interest rates will follow. Sunak said it was a clear sign that the economy had “turned a corner”. bit.ly/theknowledgene…

The UK has the lowest level of business investment of all G7 nations for a third year in a row. The Institute for Public Policy Research says spending on new factories, equipment and technology is “significantly” behind the competition, making it harder for the economy to grow.