Sugarloaf selfies as William begins Brazil visit 8 hours ago Share Save Daniela Relph, Senior royal correspondent, Rio de Janeiro and John Hand Share Save William plays football with children at iconic Maracana stadium The Prince of Wales was presented with the keys to Rio de Janeiro as he began a five-day visit to Brazil. Prince William was on the city's Sugarloaf Mountain, with a bird's eye view of the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue, as he received the honour from the city's mayor, Eduardo Paes. The prince had travelled to the top of the mountain by cable car, to the surprise of several groups of tourists queuing to travel up the mountain. As he came down again, he posed for selfies with several of the people who had waited to catch a glimpse of him. He is visiting Brazil for the first time with two key environmental missions. On Wednesday he is presenting the Earthshot Prize, the annual award from the charity he set up himself. The following day he will travel to Belem, in the Amazon rainforest, where he is scheduled to deliver a speech as part of COP30, the annual UN climate meeting where governments discuss how to limit and prepare for further climate change. PA Media Prince William found time to pose with members of the public who gathered at Sugarloaf Mountain PA Media The prince received the award of the keys to Rio from Mayor Eduardo Paes at a helipad platform on Sugarloaf Mountain. but it is only a wider shot of the same moment that shows the majestic background of the city those symbolic keys represent. It is the first time that Prince William has travelled internationally for a COP summit, as his father, King Charles, has previously led the way for the royals, making several keynote speeches to world leaders over the years. Prince William did attend, along with his father, when it was held in Glasgow 2021, two weeks after the first Earthshot Prize. The prize annually awards a £1m grant in five different categories for projects that aim to repair the world's climate - and Prince William has committed himself to it for10 years, with Rio marking a halfway point for the venture. This year's shortlist includes an upcycled skyscraper in Sydney, the entire island of Barbados and a Bristol based company that filters microplastics from washing machines. When he announced the nominees, the prince spoke of the optimism and courage he was looking for. "The people behind these projects are heroes of our time, so let us back them. Because, if we do, we can make the world cleaner, safer and full of opportunity - not only for future generations, but for the lives we want to lead now. " PA Media Prince William's first visit to Brazil was scheduled for five days to give him the chance to carry out other engagements before his more formal duties later in the week After the ceremony, Mayor Paes said Prince William has been "amazed with the beauty of the city" and he joked: "So he's got the keys, he can do whatever he wants in the next 72 hours. The city belongs to Prince William. I'm still the king, but it will belong to him!" Prince William's visit to Rio de Janeiro is the most significant royal engagement he will make this year and also mark the first time he will be seen representing the Royal Family since the crisis surrounding his uncle Andrew. There has been speculation that Prince William was heavily involved in the King's announcement last week to sanction Andrew by removing his remaining titles and asking him to leave his home in Windsor - but those close to the situation say that was not the case. Although William would have had a powerful, influential voice as the future monarch, the decision was ultimately the King's working with his private team of advisers and in conjunction with the government. PA Media Cafu, who lined up 142 times for his national team, is one of the star presenters of the Earthshot Prize, alongside former F1 driver Sebastian Vettel and Olympic gymnast Rebeca Andrade The visit to Brazil will include the two key environment-based events but will also allow him to take in some of Rio's other famous sights. As an avid football fan and Patron of the English Football Association, it was no surprise that a pilgrimage was arranged on his first day to the Maracana Stadium, the stage of some of the football-mad nation's most famous moments. Once there, he was greeted by the player who wore the yellow and green kit more than any other, Brazil's most capped-star Cafu, who presented him with a signed number 2 Brazil shirt. The legendary right back, who is the only player in history to appear in three World Cup finals, then joined Prince William in leading training drills involving local children. The royal, who had handily arrived wearing a smart pair of white trainers, did not need a second invitation to get out on one of the world's most famous football's pitches. PA Media Gareth Southgate, look away now - this one is going in the Maracana net

Firms ordered to reduce forever chemicals in drinking water sources for 6 million people 21 hours ago Share Save Esme Stallard, Climate and science reporter, BBC News and Becky Dale and Wesley Stephenson, Senior data journalists, BBC Verify Share Save Getty Images Water companies have been ordered to tackle potentially harmful levels of so-called forever chemicals in drinking water sources for more than six million people, the BBC can reveal. Forever chemicals, or PFAS, are a group of thousands of substances used in everyday products. They are persistent pollutants which build up in the environment, and a small number have been linked to increased risk of some serious illnesses. The BBC examined 23 enforcement notices issued by the Drinking Water Inspectorate over elevated levels of PFAS which could "constitute a potential danger to human health" to see how many people were affected. Industry body Water UK said it was confident drinking water was safe. But Water UK called for a ban on the chemicals to prevent accumulation. Amid growing worries about these chemicals, water companies have been required since 2021 to test for 47 of the most concerning ones in water supplied to customers' homes and drinking water sources such as aquifers and reservoirs. In the last four years, 1. 7 million tests for individual forever chemicals have been carried out across the network. At least 9,432 of those recorded PFAS levels above the level which the DWI says could constitute a potential danger to human health. When a test result is above or likely to breach this level - set at 0. 01ug/L - (micrograms per litre) the Drinking Water Inspectorate issues enforcement notices to the water company requiring action to be taken to ensure water is safe. The BBC analysed the enforcement documents, highlighted by Watershed Investigations - a group of environmental journalists - to identify all the water supply areas with sanctions in place. Using publicly available information, we matched each supply system to the number of customers it serves, identifying a minimum of six million people. Forever chemicals have been used prolifically since the 1940s in thousands of products from frying pans to medical equipment to school uniforms. Over time they have found their way into the environment - and the water that gets treated for drinking - through the washing of PFAS products, storm runoff and releases from industrial sites, according to Dr William Hartz, an environmental chemist specialising in PFAS at research institute NILU in Norway. He said this might include PFAS leaching out as rainwater filters through landfill sites or firefighting training sites, where the use of some firefighting foam directly releases forever chemicals into the environment. The study of PFAS is an emerging field but a small number of these chemicals have been identified as carrying significant risks to human health. Earlier this year the World Health Organization raised significant concerns about two specific compounds. It classified PFOA as carcinogenic, and PFOS as possibly carcinogenic - increasing the risk of thyroid, testicular and kidney cancers. Both substances are now banned. But Megan Kirton, senior projects officer at environmental charity Fidra, said the chemistry of PFAS meant they do not easily break down, so even if banned they remain in the environment unless treated by water companies. "It's a very tough situation that we're in, because PFAS is very hard to get out of water. It's like trying to get milk out of your coffee once you've already poured it in there," she said. The BBC assessed more than 2,000 individual test results from 2024, obtained via Freedom of Information Act requests, to identify which specific PFAS compounds were being found when levels breached the limits. This showed that both PFOS and PFOA were found in more than 350 of the drinking water tests. Kristen Colwell/Getty Images Some firefighting foam used on chemical fires previously contained the now banned forever chemicals PFOA and PFOS The Drinking Water Inspectorate has said that water quality remains safe because, once a sanction is issued, water companies are required to increase testing, change or strengthen treatment for PFAS, or remove a source of drinking water altogether. This process can take several years and requires months of monitoring before a sanction is removed. The inspectorate told the BBC that it "operates one of the world's most comprehensive PFAS monitoring programmes", ensuring the public can have "complete confidence in the safety of their drinking water". However, environmental charities and the Royal Society of Chemistry have raised concerns that UK guidelines are not legally binding and that the limits, which are 2. 5 times higher than those of the US, should be reduced. "I think we have a pretty good idea of both what PFAS are in the waters in the UK, and knowing that these health effects happen at very low levels, so we think it's time that they put these guidance into law, to make sure water companies are fully held to account," said Stephanie Metzger, policy adviser at the Royal Society of Chemistry. In July, an independent review into the England and Wales' water system commissioned by the government found that "there is a need for stricter treatment requirements to protect public health and the environment". The BBC understands that the government is currently preparing a white paper in response to the review which will include changes to the Drinking Water Inspectorate. But removing PFAS is very challenging for water companies with conventional water treatment infrastructure, the Environment Agency has said. Prof Peter Jarvis, professor of water science and technology at Cranfield University, said there were technologies such as nanofiltration occasionally deployed by the water industry which could be used more widely, but that these came with high costs and huge energy demands. "We have got to have a bit of a more mature conversation about how we go about implementing these types of technology, and how we pay for them," he said. Water UK told the BBC that: "Regardless of where you are in the country, when you turn on your tap, you are enjoying the very best drinking water in the world". But speaking to the Today programme, CEO David Henderson said that in light of the rising treatment costs the chemicals should be banned. "This £70m we are spending each and every year should be paid for by the chemical companies, it is really unfair for people through their water bills to have this added on top," he said. In addition to the comment from Water UK, a spokesperson from South West Water said that the five notices against it were "precautionary" and that it was "investing £42 million over the next five years to upgrade the water supply system. " Related internet links Drinking Water Inspectorate

Antarctic glacier's rapid retreat sparks scientific 'whodunnit' 14 hours ago Share Save Mark Poynting Climate and science reporter, BBC News Share Save Naomi Ochwat Hektoria Glacier in February 2024, flowing into the partly frozen ocean When an Antarctic glacier was sparked into rapid retreat three years ago, it left scientists scratching their heads as to what might have caused it. Hektoria Glacier retreated by more than 8km (5 miles) in just two months in late 2022 - and now a new study claims to have the answer. The authors believe that Hektoria could be the first modern example of a process where the front of a glacier resting on the seabed rapidly destabilises. That could lead to much faster sea-level rise if it happened elsewhere in Antarctica, they say. But other scientists argue that this part of the glacier was actually floating in the ocean – so while the changes are impressive, they are not so unusual. Floating tongues of glaciers extending into the sea – called ice shelves – are much more prone to breaking up than glacier fronts resting on the seabed. That's because they can be more easily eaten away by warm water underneath. Solving the 'whodunnit' That Hektoria has undergone huge change is not contested. Its front retreated by about 25km (16 miles) between January 2022 and March 2023, satellite data shows. But unravelling the causes is like a "whodunnit" mystery, according to study lead author Naomi Ochwat, research affiliate at the University of Colorado Boulder and post-doctoral researcher at the University of Innsbruck. The case began way back in 2002 with the extraordinary collapse of an ice shelf called Larsen B in the eastern Antarctic Peninsula. About 3250 sq km (1250 sq miles) of ice shelf was lost, roughly the size of Cambridgeshire or Gloucestershire. Larsen B had been effectively holding Hektoria Glacier back. Without it, Hektoria's movement sped up and the glacier thinned. But the bay vacated by the ice shelf was eventually filled with sea-ice "fastened" to the seabed, helping to partly stabilise Hektoria. That was until early 2022, when the sea-ice broke up. British Antarctic Survey The view from an aircraft of Evans, Green and Hektoria Glaciers in January 2022 as they flow into the sea-ice-filled ocean, before the rapid retreat What followed was further loss of floating ice from the front of Hektoria, as large, flat-topped icebergs broke off or "calved", and the ice behind sped up and thinned. Iceberg calving is a natural part of ice sheet behaviour, even though human-caused climate change makes the loss of ice shelves much more likely. What was unprecedented, the authors argue, was what happened in late 2022, when they suggest the front of the glacier was "grounded" - resting on the seabed - rather than floating. In just two months, Hektoria retreated by 8. That would be nearly ten times faster than any grounded glacier recorded before, according to the study, published in Nature Geoscience. This extraordinary change, the authors say, could be thanks to an ice plain - a relatively flat area of bedrock on which the glacier lightly rests. Upward forces from the ocean water could "lift" the thinning ice essentially all at once, they argue - causing icebergs to break off and the glacier to retreat in quick time. "Glaciers don't usually retreat this fast," said co-author Adrian Luckman, professor of geography at Swansea University. "The circumstances may be a little particular, but this rapid retreat shows us what may happen elsewhere in Antarctica where glaciers are lightly grounded, and sea-ice loses its grip," he added. What makes this idea even more tantalising is that this process has never been observed in the modern world, the authors say. But markings on the seafloor suggest it may have triggered rapid ice loss into the ocean in the Earth's past. "What we see at Hektoria is a small glacier, but if something like that were to happen in other areas of Antarctica, it could play a much larger role in the rate of sea-level rise," said Dr Ochwat. That could include Thwaites – the so-called "doomsday" glacier because it holds enough ice to raise global sea-levels by 65cm (26in) if it melted entirely. "It's really important to understand whether or not there are other ice plain areas that would be susceptible to this kind of retreat and calving," Dr Ochwat added. Other scientists unconvinced But other researchers have contested the study's findings. The controversy surrounds the position of the "grounding line" or "grounding zone" - where the glacier loses contact with the seabed and starts to float in the ocean. "This new study offers a tantalising glimpse into what could be the fastest rate of retreat ever observed in modern-day Antarctica," said Dr Frazer Christie, glaciologist and senior Earth observation specialist at Airbus Defence and Space. "But there is significant disagreement within the glaciological community about the precise location of Hektoria Glacier's grounding line because it's so difficult to get accurate records from radar satellites in this fast-flowing region," he added. The location of the grounding line may sound trivial, but it is crucial to determine whether the change was truly unprecedented. "If this section of the ice sheet was in fact floating [rather than resting on the seabed], the punchline would instead be that icebergs calved from an ice shelf, which is much less unusual behaviour," said Dr Christine Batchelor, senior lecturer in physical geography at Newcastle University. "I think the mechanism and rate of retreat proposed are plausible in Antarctic ice plain settings, but because of uncertainty about where the grounding zone was located at Hektoria, I am not fully convinced that this has been observed here," she added. But where there is little debate is that the fragile white continent – once thought largely immune from the impacts of global warming – is now changing before our eyes. "While we disagree about the process driving this change at Hektoria, we are in absolute agreement that the changes in the polar regions are scarily rapid, quicker than we expected even a decade ago," said Anna Hogg, professor of Earth observation at the University of Leeds. "We must collect more data from satellites, so that we can better monitor and understand why these changes are occurring and what their implications are [for sea-level rise]. " Additional reporting by the Visual Journalism team

Devastation on repeat: How climate change is worsening Pakistan's deadly floods 1 day ago Share Save Azadeh Moshiri Pakistan Correspondent Share Save BBC Floods have swept across Pakistan, hitting urban and rural areas, including the capital of Punjab, Lahore Rescuers and relatives searched knee-deep in water for the body of one-year-old Zara. She'd been swept away by flash floods; the bodies of her parents and three siblings had already been found days earlier. "We suddenly saw a lot of water. I climbed up to the roof and urged them to join me," Arshad, Zara's grandfather, said, showing the BBC the dirt road where they were taken from him in the village of Sambrial in northern Punjab in August. His family tried to join him, but too late. The powerful current washed away all six of them. Every year, monsoon season brings deadly floods in Pakistan. This year it began in late June, and within three months, floods had killed more than 1,000 people. 9 million were affected, according to the United Nations agency for humanitarian affairs, OCHA. The South Asian nation is struggling with the devastating consequences of climate change, despite emitting just 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions. To witness its effects, the BBC travelled from the mountains of the north to the plains of the south for three months. In every province, climate change was having a different impact. There was one element in common, though. The poorest suffer most. We met people who'd lost their homes, livelihoods and loved ones – and they were resigned to going through it all again in the next monsoon. Lakebursts and flash floods There are more than 7,000 glaciers in the high peaks of the Himalayas, Karakoram and Hindu Kush Monsoon floods started in the north, with global warming playing out in its most familiar form in Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan. Amid the high peaks of the Himalayas, Karakoram and Hindu Kush, there are more than 7,000 glaciers. But due to rising temperatures, they are melting. The result can be catastrophic: meltwater turns into glacial lakes which can suddenly burst. Thousands of villages are at risk. This summer hundreds of homes were destroyed and roads damaged by landslides and flash floods. These "glacial lake outbursts" are hard to warn against. The area is remote and mobile service poor. Pakistan and the World Bank are trying to improve an early warning system, which often doesn't work because of the mountainous terrain. Community is a powerful asset. When shepherd Wasit Khan woke up to rushing waters, with trailing chunks of ice and debris, he ran to an area with a better signal. He began warning as many villagers as he could. "I told everyone to leave their belongings, leave the house, take their wives, children and elderly people and get away," he told BBC Urdu's Muhammad Zubair. Thanks to him, dozens were saved. The danger took a different form in the north-western province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In Gadoon, the BBC found hundreds of villagers digging through piles of rocks with their bare hands. A cloudburst had caused a flash flood early in the morning, a local official said. That happens when a sudden updraft in humid, moist air leads to a heavy and localised burst of rain. The current washed away several homes and triggered a landslide. Men from neighbouring villages rushed over to help, which was invaluable – but not enough. The excavators the villagers desperately needed were trapped in flooded roads, some blocked by massive rocks. "Nothing will happen until the machines arrive," one man told the BBC. Then a silence suddenly blanketed the area. Dozens of men stood still in one corner. The bodies of two children, soaked in dark mud, were pulled from under the rubble, and carried away. Rescuers and villagers search for survivors, after a flash flood swept away several houses in the village of Gadoon, in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Scenes like this played out across the province, with rescuers delayed due to uprooted trees and major infrastructure being destroyed. A helicopter carrying aid crashed in the bad weather, claiming the lives of all crew on board. Building on Pakistan's floodplains In villages and cities, millions have settled around rivers and streams, areas prone to flooding. Pakistan's River Protection Act - which prohibits building within 200 ft (61m) of a river or its tributaries - was meant to solve that issue. But for many it's simply too costly to settle elsewhere. Illegal construction makes matters worse. Climate scientist Fahad Saeed blames this on local corruption and believes officials are failing to enforce the law. He spoke to the BBC in Islamabad, next to a half-built, four-storey concrete building as big as a car park - and right by a stream that he saw flood this summer, killing a child. Pakistan has laws in place banning building near rivers, hoping to avoid homes like these being flooded in future "Just a few kilometres from parliament and still such things happen in Pakistan," he says, visibly frustrated. "It's because of misgovernance, the role of the government is to be a watchdog. " Former climate minister Senator Sherry Rehman, who chairs the climate committee in Pakistan's Senate, calls it "graft", or simply "looking the other way" when permissions are given for construction in vulnerable areas. The country's breadbasket submerged By late August, further south in the province of Punjab, floods had submerged 4,500 villages, overwhelming "Pakistan's breadbasket", in a country that can't always afford to import enough food. For the first time, three rivers - the Sutlej, Ravi and Chenab - flooded simultaneously, triggering the largest rescue operation in decades. "It was the most important anomaly," said Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah, the chief risk officer for the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). In Punjab's capital, Lahore, the impact on wealthier and poorer communities was stark. The gated community of Park View City was inundated by the Ravi river, making its prized streets impossible to navigate. Residents of luxury homes were forced to evacuate. Surveying the damage, two local men, Abdullah and his father Gulraiz, were convinced water would be drained soon, thanks to the area's property developer Aleem Khan, a federal minister. "No problem, Aleem Khan will do it," Gulraiz told the BBC. But for residents in the poorer neighbourhood of Theme Park, the floods were crushing. One officer told the BBC they kept having to rescue people who swam back to their homes when the water levels dropped, desperate to salvage whatever they could. But then the water would rise, leaving them stranded. We saw one man returning from his house, an inflatable donut resting on his hip. Sumera's home in Lahore's Theme Park neighbourhood was flooded. Weeks away from giving birth, she is living in a tent with her son Arsh Some residents were moved to tents provided by the Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan. Sitting outside in the summer heat, Sumera was weeks away from giving birth. She was extremely thin. "My doctor says I need two blood transfusions this week," she said as she tried to keep hold of her toddler, Arsh. Nearby, Ali Ahmad was balancing a small kitten he rescued from the floods on his shoulder. The boy was one of the few who had a mattress to sleep on. By the end of monsoon season, the floods had displaced more than 2. 7 million people in Punjab, the UN said, and damaged more than one million hectares of farmland. Further south in Multan district, always hit hard by floods, the scale of the humanitarian crisis became even clearer, with tents lining dirt roads and highways. Access to healthcare was already a challenge in rural areas of Pakistan, but once the floods hit, the challenge was unbearable for many women we met. BBC Urdu's Tarhub Asghar met two sisters-in-law, both nine months pregnant. A doctor had warned them they weren't drinking enough water. They raised a bottle to explain. The water was completely brown. The search for solutions Yasmeen Lari has built homes she says are "climate-resilient" and made of natural materials such as bamboo and lime cement

Bats are seeking sanctuary in churches - but they're making an unholy mess 1 day ago Share Save Rebecca Morelle, Science Editor and Alison Francis, Senior Science Journalist Share Save Chris Damant/Bernwood Ecology About half of all churches in England have bats in them It's a job that can only be done under the cover of darkness. As night falls, the bat hunters make their way amongst the gravestones of Guestwick Church in Norfolk. The creaking door opens. Inside is the pitch black, deserted church and the team start to set up their specialist gear. Infrared and thermal cameras are carefully positioned, and audio detectors are set to bat friendly frequencies. The bats soon begin to emerge, darting and swooping up and down the aisles, the amplified sounds of their bat chatter filling the historic building. "Many of these churches have been on these sites for probably 1,000 years, and probably as long as they've been standing they've had bats in them," says Diana Spencer, from the Bats in Churches Project. A new study published in the British Ecological Society's journal People & Nature has found that these historic buildings are providing vital homes for the nocturnal animals. The research, based on citizen science surveys led by the Bat Conservation Trust, estimates that half of all churches in England - that's more than 8,000 - have bats in them. And that figure rises to about 80% for older churches. "They're basically like a man-made forest," says Spencer. "Full of little nooks and crannies where they can roost, big open flight spaces, dry spaces inside, away from the rain, where they can fly around. It is really just an absolutely perfect environment. " Tony Jolliffe/BBC News Special cameras are needed to spot the nocturnal animals Chris Damant/Bernwood Ecology Churches have plenty of spots where the Natterer's bat likes to roost There are two types of bats at Guestwick: Common Pipistrelles and Natterer's. They roost high up in the rafters. The Pipistrelles emerge first, flying around for a few minutes, before squeezing out through minute gaps around the church door. The Natterer's come out a little later, preferring to exit through small holes in the roof to get outside and find food. Without the help of the specialist cameras, the bats are near impossible to spot, lost in the darkness. About a third of the churches surveyed in the study had no idea that bats were living there. But in others, their presence was much more noticeable. Bats can be messy houseguests. "They're lovely, but they're problematic too," says Graeme Peart from St Margaret's Church, Saxlingham, just a few miles from Guestwick. He's responsible for the upkeep of the church - and says the bats started to become a nuisance about 15 years ago. "There's the urine, the droppings," he says. "One time there was a carpet leading up to the altar that became absolutely sodden with urine and droppings and had to be thrown away. They also destroyed the brass work. " Bats in Churches Church users are finding ways to live alongside wildlife Bats are legally protected in the UK, so it's generally not possible to remove them. But the church has worked with the Bats in Churches team to find a solution - they've built a sealed-off loft conversion above the vestry. Ecologist Phillip Parker sets up his ladder to show us inside. "The idea is that the bats that are in the main body of the church will live in here, rather than in the church itself," he explains. It's kitted out with CCTV cameras, allowing the team to monitor the animal's behaviour. "What we have found is certain weeks during the year there'll be a hundred bats in here, and then suddenly they will disappear," says Parker. "We don't know where they go, but they disappear for about 10 days, and then they'll come back again. And without the CCTV, we never knew that. " Bats in Churches The bat loft at St Margaret's sits above the vestry A major construction project like this takes time, effort and money. The new loft, and the continued monitoring of the bats, has cost about £50,000, funded through the Heritage Lottery Fund and other partners. Diana Spencer says there are other less costly solutions and grants are on offer from the Bat Conservation Trust. "On a simple level, you can use sheets or covers over areas where things might be damaged. You can put wax coating on things like brass so that the urine doesn't damage it. " She recommends that anyone who finds bats in a building should contact the National Bat Helpline for advice. Bats in Churches As bats lose their habitats, churches are becoming a refuge for the animals

Rare wolf spider rediscovered after 40 years 24 hours ago Share Save Tim Atkinson South of England Share Save National Trust Two entomologists said they found the spider with just nine minutes to spare A critically endangered spider, not seen in the UK for 40 years, has been rediscovered in a remote nature reserve accessible only by boat. Aulonia albimana, which was last recorded in the UK in 1985, was uncovered at the National Trust's Newtown nature reserve on the Isle of Wight - about 2km (1. 2 miles) from the spider's former colony. The tiny orange-legged arachnid has informally been named the white-knuckled wolf spider by those who found it. Mark Telfer, who carried out the search with fellow entomologist Graeme Lyons, called it "one of those unforgettable discoveries". "To find a species thought lost for 40 years is thrilling - and testament to how the right habitat management, combined with curiosity and collaboration, can deliver remarkable results," he said. Wolf spiders – of which there are about 38 species living in the UK – take their name from their agile hunting skills, which involve chasing prey along the ground before pouncing like a wolf. But the National Trust said the Aulonia albimana's hunting techniques remained something of a mystery, as the species was also known to spin a flimsy web. Mr Lyons said: "I suggested calling it the white-knuckled wolf spider because this was probably the longest long shot I've ever taken part in. "We had just four hours at the site where this spider was last seen 40 years ago, before our boat came to pick us up. "I found the first one with just nine minutes to go, and the second one in the last minute. "I've seen 559 species of spider in the British Isles and this one was by far the most exciting find. " Mr Telfer said the name was also inspired by the distinctive pale "knuckles" on the small leg-like appendages at the side of the spider's mouth. Aulonia albimana was last recorded in the UK in 1985

Sir David Attenborough backs bid to buy estate 19 hours ago Share Save Evie Lake North East and Cumbria Share Save The Wildlife Trust/PA Rothbury Estate in Northumberland is a 15-sq-mile (38. 8-sq-km) tract of former grouse moor, woodland and farmland Sir David Attenborough has championed a bid by conservationists to raise £30m to buy the entirety of a vast upland estate. The Wildlife Trusts and Northumberland Wildlife Trust are attempting to complete the purchase of the Rothbury Estate, a 15-sq-mile (38. 8-sq-km) tract of former grouse moor, woodland and farmland, with plans to boost wildlife, restore bogs and promote nature-friendly farming. With a year to go to raise the £30m needed to secure the entire estate, or risk it being broken up and sold off, Sir David has urged people to back the bid. In a video, the naturalist and broadcaster said time was running out to save Rothbury Estate. John Millard The area is popular with walkers and nature enthusiasts due to its dramatic setting It is the largest area of land to be put on sale in England in decades and sits in the heart of what nature experts said could be a 40-mile (64km) "wild" corridor, stretching from the coast to Kielder and the Scottish border, and includes the Simonside Hills Who owns the Rothbury Estate? Rothbury Estate was owned by the Duke of Northumberland's youngest son, Lord Max Percy, and had been in the family for about 700 years. The partnership between Northumberland Wildlife Trust and the Wildlife Trusts was given two years in October 2024 to raise the £30m needed to buy all of the estate. The Wildlife Trusts Sir David Attenborough has urged people to support the plans for the Rothbury Estate Sir David said: "People know and love the Simonside Hills that rise here, they walk the ridges and listen for the calls of the curlew, they watch for red squirrels and admire the views as they scramble among the crags. "They walk along its remote paths and marvel at the astonishing rock carvings left by our distant ancestors, who once lived here. " He said the Wildlife Trusts would work with local farmers and communities who lived and worked at Rothbury to care for the area, breathe new life into its habitats and create a place where people and nature could thrive side by side. "Please help us make this vision a reality," he added. About £8m, in donations ranging from £5 to £5m, has already been raised, but the race is on to secure the remaining two thirds. A fundraising appeal has been launched online. Peter Cairns Red squirrels are among the wildlife which call the estate their home Northumberland Wildlife Trust chief executive Mike Pratt said the purchase was a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to do something meaningful for nature at a large scale through restoring and protecting habitat and increasing access to the countryside. The estate is home to rare wildlife, including curlew, mountain bumblebees, lapwings, red squirrels, cuckoo and merlin, as well as Atlantic salmon and critically endangered eels, but the conservationists say nature could be richer still. Their plans include bringing in large herbivores including ponies, hardy cattle and eventually even bison to graze the land naturally, and there are hopes pine martens, beavers and golden eagles could recolonise the landscape. 'A great canvas' Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Craig Bennett, CEO of the Wildlife Trusts said the Rothbury Estate was the biggest piece of land to come on the market in England for more than 30 years - and is larger than the city of York. "That's why it's such a unique opportunity," he said. "We know that the UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world and I've had enough in my lifetime of looking at lots of graphs that point nature going downwards. "We want to bend the curve on that and start to bring nature back at scale. " The Wildlife Trust/PA A dwarf cornel, an extremely rare and delicate flower, was spotted at Rothbury The trusts said local people would benefit from greater access to the estate, with potential for building new paths, developing a visitor and education centre and creating new jobs. Mr Pratt described the Rothbury Estate as sitting in an area which could be a "special area for nature recovery" - the only opportunity of that scale in England. "It's got a fantastic and interesting landscape already but when you look in detail a lot of the finer biodiversity, like everywhere else, is not there as it should be," he said. "It represents a great canvas to restore nature in that beautiful landscape

Bird flu confirmed at commercial poultry premises A 3km (1. 9m) protection zone has been put in place around the commercial poultry premises near Lakenheath A protection zone has been put in place following a case of bird flu at a commercial poultry premises. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the H5N1 virus was confirmed at a property near Lakenheath, in Suffolk, on Sunday and all birds would be culled. 9 mile) protection zone and 10km (6. 2 mile) surveillance zone were put in place around the premises and would remain until the declaration was withdrawn. It is the first confirmed case in the East of England since an outbreak near Attleborough in Norfolk, in August

Water companies told to refund £260m to customers for poor performance 13 hours ago Share Save Mark Poynting, Climate and science reporter, BBC News and Jonah Fisher, Environment correspondent Share Save PA Media England and Wales' water companies have been ordered to refund more than £260m to customers for poor performance. The economic regulator Ofwat says 40% of that money has already been taken off this year's bills, with the rest to come off next year's. But bills are still due to rise steeply until 2030 to fund upgrades to the water system. Earlier today, the Environment Agency (EA) gave England's water companies their worst ever combined marks in its annual rating system for their environmental performance in 2024, amid a spike in serious pollution incidents. Industry body Water UK acknowledged that "the performance of some companies is not good enough" but pointed to investment since last year. Thames Water – the UK's largest water company - has been penalised the most at £75. 2m for its performance in the 2024/25 year. It was also given the lowest, one-star rating by the EA. A spokesperson for the company said: "Transforming Thames is a major programme of work that will take time; it will take at least a decade to achieve the scale of change required. " And Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds acknowledged: "We are facing a water system failure that has left our infrastructure crumbling and sewage spilling into our rivers. "We are taking decisive action to fix it, including new powers to ban unfair bonuses, and swift financial penalties for environmental offences," she added. Where companies fail to meet agreed targets on areas such as pollution and leaks, they are forced to make "underperformance" payments. Essentially that means customers get cheaper bills than they otherwise would have. In the chart below, the size of these payments, in millions of pounds, are shown by the negative numbers on the left. All are given in 2017-18 prices. Where companies exceed targets, they get "overperformance payments" and can charge customers more, shown by the positive numbers on the right. That only applied to United Utilities and Severn Trent Water. But in spite of these underperformance payments, customers are experiencing significant rises to bills. In April, they rose by an average of 26% in England and Wales, after Ofwat approved water company plans for billions of pounds of investment. And they are due to rise further until at least 2030 to help upgrade water supplies and reducing the amount of sewage being spilled. Ofwat described overall performance in 2024/25 as "mixed". It acknowledged progress in some areas like internal sewer flooding, where water from a sewer enters buildings. But it said "there remain areas where companies and the sector must do more", including pollution and supply interruptions for some. In its report, the Environment Agency (EA) gave England's main water and sewerage companies their worst ever combined score for environmental performance in 2024 since their ratings began in 2011. In his foreword, the EA's chair, Alan Lovell, wrote: "Many companies tell us how focussed they are on environmental improvement. But the results are not visible in the data. " The EA's collective rating for the nine companies was 19 stars - down from 25 stars in 2023. No year had previously got fewer than 22 stars. The EA says its assessment criteria has been tightened over time, so its ratings do "not mean performance has declined since 2011" and it had seen "some improvement" up to 2023. But Mr Lovell said: "This year's results are poor and must serve as a clear and urgent signal for change. " The EA gave seven companies two stars - "requiring improvement" - and Thames one star. Only seven one-star ratings had ever been previously given. And only Severn Trent got the top rating of four stars. How does your water company rank for environmental performance? It is the latest bad news for Thames Water, which has become mired in financial trouble. It reported a loss of £1. 65bn for the year to March, while its debt pile climbed to £16. "We know we need to further improve for our customers, communities and the environment, and that is why we have embarked on the largest ever investment programme, delivering the biggest upgrade to our network in 150 years," a Thames spokesperson said. The EA reported in July that "serious" pollution incidents by water companies in England had increased by 60% in 2024 versus 2023. It attributed last year's environmental performance to three factors – wet and stormy weather, long-standing underinvestment in infrastructure, and increased monitoring and inspection "bringing more failings to light". In response to today's findings, James Wallace, chief executive of campaign group River Action UK, said: "Water companies in England and Wales are still underperforming, especially on serious pollution incidents, exposing the bankruptcy of the privatised water model. "We urgently need a complete overhaul of this failed system to ensure that bill payers receive a fair service and that our rivers are properly protected from pollution. " From 2027, the EA will replace its current star ratings with a new system – a scale from one to five, from "failing" to "excellent". The government argues this will give a more accurate reflection of performance, with companies not able to achieve the top rating unless they "achieve the highest standards across the board"

Fining firms for sewage spills will get 'quicker and easier', says government 1 day ago Share Save Jonah Fisher Environment correspondent Share Save Getty Images Under the new proposals water companies could face automatic fines for some rule breaches Fining English water companies for spilling raw sewage will soon become quicker and easier, the government has said. New proposals would see automatic fines of up to £20,000 issued for some minor offences and make it simpler to punish more serious ones. In recent years data from the water industry's own monitoring equipment has shown how frequently rules are broken around sewage spills. But the regulator, the Environment Agency, has by its own admission struggled to act. "I want to give the Environment Agency the teeth it needs to tackle all rule breaking," said Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds, announcing the proposals. "With new, automatic and tougher penalties for water companies, there will be swift consequences for offences – including not treating sewage to the required standard, and maintenance failures," she said. The plans will be put to a six-week public consultation starting on Wednesday. The English water companies welcomed the proposals, with a spokesperson for trade body Water UK saying: "It is right that water companies are held to account when things go wrong. " Getty Images Water companies are only supposed to spill raw sewage under specific exceptional conditions like very heavy rain. In recent years the fitting of monitors to all sewage outflows in England has highlighted just how much raw sewage is being discharged, and how few of the rule breaches lead to the Environment Agency taking action. BBC News investigations have identified thousands of occasions when sewage was spilled during dry weather and occasions when treatment works released sewage before they treated their legally stipulated volume. A recent BBC report revealed that the EA attended just 13% of reported pollution incidents and often had to rely on information from the water companies themselves. The government says it's expecting the new system to raise between £50m and £67m each year but it is hoping the policy will make the water companies change their ways. If fines are levied, the government says shareholders will have to cover the cost and it won't be added to customer water bills. For the most serious pollution offences, the enforcement system remains the same. The EA has to take water companies to court and prove to a criminal standard that an offence has been committed "beyond a reasonable doubt". If that prosecution results in a conviction the company could have to pay a large fine, possibly in the millions of pounds. The new proposals are focused on more minor offences which happen frequently and have in the past gone largely unpunished. The plans would see automatic financial penalties of up to £20,000 introduced for rule breaches such as failure to report a significant pollution incident within four hours, failure to report spill data properly or if emergency overflow outlets discharge sewage more than three times in a year. For some more serious offences the government wants to make it easier for the EA to take action. So it's proposing that the burden of proof be reduced from "beyond all reasonable doubt" - the norm for criminal proceedings - to "on the balance of probabilities", which is used in civil cases. The fines which the EA can impose without going to court could be increased to a maximum of half a million pounds. The reduced burden of proof for some offences is already written into law, having been part of the Water (Special Measures) Act which received Royal Assent in February 2025. This six-week consultation is to determine which offences should be included, and the level of the fines. "Fines of £500,000 are pocket change to billion-pound companies like Thames Water," says James Wallace, the CEO of campaign group River Action. "Higher penalties and urgent, wholesale reform are essential to prevent negligent firms polluting our rivers and short-changing their customers