The Know Daily - Wednesday 11 March 2026

_{Read in 4m 15s ∙ Listening to Freya Ridings ∙}

The World Health Organization says next-generation flu vaccines could save over 6 million lives by 2050. Unlike today’s seasonal shots, these new vaccines would offer broader, longer-lasting protection – a game-changer in the fight against influenza. 👏 

🌊 Cleaning up our rivers

This Saturday is the International Day of Action for Rivers, a global moment to focus on the health of the world’s waterways. Rivers provide drinking water, support wildlife and sustain communities – so what’s being done to protect them?

A brief history lesson.
Held each year on 14 March, the International Day of Action for Rivers was created by representatives from 20 countries in 1997 to raise awareness about threats to rivers and the communities that depend on them. Events around the world include river clean-ups, protests against damaging infrastructure projects and campaigns for better water management. The idea is simple: healthy rivers support ecosystems, climate stability and livelihoods – but they’re also among the world’s most endangered environments.

What’s being done about it?
In the UK, the government has recently set out a big reform plan called “A New Vision for Water”. A major focus is tackling river pollution, especially the sewage spills that have been in the headlines a lot recently. The white paper proposes tougher oversight of water companies, new infrastructure checks and long-term investment in wastewater systems to stop untreated sewage entering rivers. The aim is to shift the system toward prevention by fixing pipes, upgrading treatment works and stopping pollution before it reaches rivers in the first place.

What about other countries?
In Brazil, Indigenous and environmental activists recently won a major victory on the Tapajós River in the Amazon. After weeks of protests, the Brazilian government agreed to revoke a decree that would have opened the river to large-scale private development and dredging. Elsewhere, cities around the world have shown that once-polluted rivers can recover – from the Chicago River, which has seen wildlife return after decades of clean-up efforts, to the Seine River in Paris, which has just reopened to swimmers for the first time since 1923. 

And what does this mean for wildlife?
Rivers are biodiversity hotspots. But when waterways become polluted or heavily engineered, their delicate systems can suffer. So restoration and conservation is pretty dam (get it?) important. In the River Thames, cleaner water has helped wildlife like seals and seahorses return after decades of pollution. And in Cornwall, conservationists have begun reintroducing beavers to local rivers to help restore wetlands and natural water flows. Campaigners say these examples show what’s possible – but they also stress that many rivers still need long-term protection and investment to properly recover.

What can I do to help my patch?
Even small actions can make a difference locally:
🧤 Join a river clean-up: Many charities and community groups organise regular events and the River Trust lets you find volunteering opportunities close to you.
🌱 Be mindful in the garden: Limiting pesticides and chemicals helps prevent harmful runoff into streams and rivers. Common garden chemicals such as glyphosate-based weedkillers and insecticides can wash into waterways during rain showers.
📢 Report pollution: If you spot sewage spills, dumping or unusual water discolouration, reporting it helps authorities respond faster. Across the UK, pollution incidents can be reported to your environmental regulator (such as the Environment Agency in England) which operate 24-hour incident hotlines.

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💻 Digital ID system plans are set to be shaped with help from the public, after UK ministers said a random group of people will be invited to share their views in a government consultation.

• The bigger story: The government wants to gather views on how a national digital identity scheme might work – for example, to prove someone’s age or access services online – and is expanding its approach by involving a randomly chosen group of 100 citizens. Critics have raised questions about privacy and how any future digital ID would be used, but supporters hope the consultation will improve trust in the programme. 

🎩 Paris Fashion Week has drawn to a close – but we’re still thinking about Stella McCartney’s iconic dancing horses demonstrating how fashion can celebrate animals.

👵 Grandparents in South Korea’s Jeju Island are set to receive a monthly government stipend of around $200 for looking after their grandchildren.

🤖 A new AI tool has been introduced by the European Union to help boost food safety controls. 

🧠 The secret to reversing cognitive and physical decline as we get older has been revealed by scientists at the University of Yale. 

🎨 A painting by 16-17th Century baroque master Caravaggio has been bought by Italy (yep, the country) for €30m, one of the largest sums its ever paid for an artwork.

✨ Near-invisible sparkles that appear on the tops of trees during thunderstorms have been captured on camera for the first time.

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Trivia answer: B) A prequel set in the world of Westeros is heading to the big screen, although it could be quite a wait…

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