Business
Fining firms for sewage spills will get ‘quicker and easier’, says government
Jonah FisherEnvironment correspondent
Getty ImagesFining 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 ImagesFor 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.”
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On International Women’s Day 2026, Equirus Wealth reports Indian women investors’ shift from fixed deposits and gold to equity mutual funds.
Women investors are steadily reshaping India’s financial landscape, with rising participation in stocks, mutual funds, and digital investing platforms.
On International Women’s Day 2026, a key trend of behavior change among female investors has emerged over the past five years, particularly in their investment choices across various financial products. Women are now more confident while investing in high risk but rewarding equity market, as the portfolio allocation in equity mutual funds surged from 10 per cent to 32 per cent, while down from 40 per cent to 20 per cent in Fixed Deposits (FDs).
The five-year study on women investors and relationship managers was conducted by Equirus Wealth Limited, and was published in a report titled “Expanding Horizons: Changing Wealth Management Behaviours of Indian Women – Qualitative Analysis of Investor Evolution Across Age and Affluence.”
The study reveals that women investors are increasingly moving away from episodic product purchases such as fixed deposits, gold and property towards diversified, allocation-driven portfolios anchored around long-term financial goals.
This reflects the major behavioural change from ‘safety-first’ investing to allocation-driven portfolio strategies.
Female Investors Adopting AI Cautiously
According to the report ,Artificial Intelligence may dominate global investment conversations, but Indian women investors are adopting it cautiously. They are using AI primarily as research and learning tool rather than for autonomous investment decisions.
Not Panicking During Corrections
Another interesting thing being revealed by the study is that 70-90% of investors hold or review their investments during market corrections rather than exiting in panic, showing maturity during market cycles.
At the same time, around 55% selectively add capital during market dips, reflecting growing conviction and a longer-term approach to investing.
Rise of “bucket investing”
Investors are increasingly dividing portfolios into buckets like safety, growth, liquidity and legacy instead of buying random financial products.
Risk is no longer seen only as loss of capital.
Investors now also consider inflation, goal failure, and portfolio drawdowns as risks.
75–90% are discussing intergenerational wealth transfer and financial discipline for the next generation.
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March 08, 2026, 14:14 IST
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Gold is sold at a discount in Dubai due to Middle East conflict disrupting flights. Traders offer up to $30 per ounce less than London prices.
Dubai Gold Selling Cheaper As Iran War Grounds Flights
Gold is being sold at a discount in Dubai as the widening conflict in the Middle East disrupts flights and hampers the movement of bullion from one of the world’s key trading hubs.
According to a Bloomberg report, traders in Dubai are offering discounts of up to $30 per ounce compared to the global benchmark price in London. The unusual price cut comes as shipments remain stranded due to flight disruptions triggered by the escalating conflict involving Iran and Israel.
Dubai is a key global centre for refining and exporting gold to markets across Asia, including India. However, partial airspace restrictions and heightened security risks have slowed the movement of bullion out of the region.
Why Gold Is Being Sold Cheaper
Gold is typically transported in the cargo holds of passenger aircraft. With several flights from the UAE restricted amid regional tensions, traders are struggling to move bullion to international markets.
At the same time, insurance and freight costs have surged, making shipments more expensive and uncertain. Many buyers have therefore stepped back from placing new orders, unwilling to bear high logistics costs without assurance of timely delivery.
To avoid paying prolonged storage and financing costs while shipments remain stuck, some traders are offering gold at discounted prices.
Although transporting bullion by road to airports in neighbouring countries such as Saudi Arabia or Oman is theoretically possible, logistics firms are reluctant due to the risks and complications of moving high-value cargo across land borders during a conflict.
What It Means For India
India, one of the largest buyers of gold shipped from Dubai, could face short-term supply disruptions if the situation continues.
Renisha Chainani, head of research at Augmont Enterprises Ltd., said several cargo shipments have already been delayed, creating temporary tightness in the availability of physical bullion in India.
However, industry experts as reported by Bloomberg say the immediate impact may remain limited as domestic inventories are currently comfortable after heavy imports earlier this year.
Chirag Sheth, principal consultant for South Asia at Metals Focus, said Bloomberg that India has ample stocks for now, but warned that prolonged disruptions could eventually affect supply if the conflict continues for several months.
Meanwhile, global gold prices have surged this year amid geopolitical uncertainty, with spot gold recently trading above $5,000 per ounce.
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March 08, 2026, 10:03 IST
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Some seven in 10 British adults without a full driving licence say learning to drive is currently unaffordable, according to a survey.
The figure is even higher among younger people, with 76% of 18 to 29-year-olds without a licence saying driving lessons are financially out of reach, the poll for car insurer Prima found.
Overall, 38% said the cost of driving lessons was the biggest deterrent to learning to drive.
Some 32% were put off by the price of buying a car and 15% said the cost of car insurance was the main barrier to learning to drive.
Almost half (45%) said they would consider learning to drive if it became significantly cheaper.
Nick Ielpo, UK country manager at Prima, said: “For a growing number of people, driving is no longer a symbol of freedom – it’s a financial stretch too far.
“Between lessons, buying a car and insuring it, the upfront and ongoing costs are pricing many people out before they even start.”
Find Out Now surveyed 1,134 adults who do not hold a full driving licence between January 21 and 23.
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