22 February - The Knowledge

In the headlines

Shamima Begum has lost an appeal against the decision to strip her of British citizenship. The 23-year-old left the UK aged 15 to join Islamic State in Syria; now in a refugee camp, she is barred from returning home. Asda and Morrisons are rationing fruit and vegetables to two or three packs per customer. High energy costs and bad weather across north Africa and southern Europe have affected the supply of produce like tomatoes, peppers and broccoli, says the Daily Star, and retailers are warning that the situation may worsen. It’s the “thin end of the veg”. Starbucks has launched a range of olive oil-infused coffee in Italy. Chief executive Howard Schultz says the unorthodox combo “lingers beautifully on the palate” – and it’s coming to the UK later this year.

Noted

Apple has unveiled its latest list of new emojis, says CNET. The 31 chosen designs include a shaking face, a ginger root, a set of maracas, a jellyfish, peas in a pod, and – after years of requests from frustrated users – a plain, baby-pink heart. See the full list here.

Zeitgeist

A new survey has revealed the most irritating phrases used in the office, says Jonathan Bouquet in The Guardian. Top of the list is “holibobs” (“holiday”, for those of you “fortunate enough not to have come across it”). Also named are “happy hump-day” (otherwise known as Wednesday), “nice to e-meet you”, and that hardy perennial “think outside the box”. “I do hope that none of your colleagues is so inconsiderate as to wield these stinkers.”

Quirk of geography

Japan has discovered that it has 7,000 more islands than previously thought. The current figure of 6,852 dates back to 1987, when the coast guard manually totted them up on a map, often accidentally grouping several together. Using advanced mapping technology and aerial photos, geographers have now identified thousands more islets – more than doubling the total to 14,125.

Gone viral

Videos of morning routines are taking over TikTok, says The Washington Post. Particularly popular is the #5to9, where early-bird influencers wake up at 5am and film what they do before the working day begins – going to the gym, meditating, writing in journals and even ironing bedsheets. “Some viewers find it aspirational. Others find it exhausting.” As one comments, after all that “I’d be ready to go to sleep by 9am”.

Quirk of history

When Winston Churchill hosted Charlie Chaplin for dinner at Chartwell in 1931, Chaplin opened the conversation by telling his host: “You made a great mistake when you went back to the gold standard at the wrong parity of exchange in 1925.” As the film star held forth on the subject, Churchill – never happy to be reminded of past mistakes – sank into a morose silence. The sour mood was only broken when the comedian picked up two bread rolls, stuck two forks in them and performed the famous dance from his 1925 movie The Gold Rush.

Snapshot

It’s an artist’s rendering of a 400-metre-high cube-shaped skyscraper the Saudi government is planning to build in Riyadh. The Mukaab (“the cube”) will be around 20 times larger than the Empire State Building, with two million square metres of space for shops and tourist attractions. An inner dome constructed around a spiralling tower will display immersive images of everything from Mars to the ocean floor. The country’s famously ambitious officials claim the project will be completed by 2030.It’s an artist’s rendering of a 400-metre-high cube-shaped skyscraper the Saudi government is planning to build in Riyadh. The Mukaab (“the cube”) will be around 20 times larger than the Empire State Building, with two million square metres of space for shops and tourist attractions. An inner dome constructed around a spiralling tower will display immersive images of everything from Mars to the ocean floor. The country’s famously ambitious officials claim the project will be completed by 2030.

Quoted

“I guess this is the week I earn my salary.”

John F Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis