Wildfire Smoke Alert: Fire services warn more smoke will hit Greater Manchester over the next 24 hours as crews tackle major moorland blazes at Dovestone and Tintwistle, with a controlled burn planned to remove fuel and protect communities. Heat & Livestock Health: Bluetongue cases are rising in England, with new positives across farms in Somerset, Devon, Cheshire and Staffordshire, including animals showing severe mouth and facial symptoms. Energy Transition Planning: Solihull planners have approved a battery energy storage system in Berkswell despite local fire and traffic concerns, as the project aims to store electricity for grid fluctuations. Water & Rivers Under Strain: Wales’s rivers are facing “environmental drought” pressures, with low flows and fish deaths reported, while a charity urges action to protect river ecosystems as dry weather continues. Climate Finance Signal: The Bank of England will stop accepting thermal coal-linked bonds as collateral from October, a move campaigners say accelerates fossil-fuel divestment. Public Services Under Pressure: Thames Water has scrapped performance bonuses for top executives amid its financial crisis and looming public control talks, spotlighting the environmental and customer impacts of the sector’s instability. Biodiversity Rules in Housing: Walsall Council has rejected plans to convert a closed library into housing over biodiversity net gain shortfalls, showing how Environment Act requirements are shaping local development. Steel Nationalisation Fallout: China says it is closely monitoring the UK’s British Steel nationalisation and may take measures to protect investor rights, as compensation demands continue.