The government will abolish Ofwat as part of an overhaul of a “broken” water regulation system that failed customers and the environment.

The environment secretary, Steve Reed, has said they will ensure “British families are never again hit by the shocking bill hikes we saw last year”.

Reed made the announcement in response to an independent review released by Sir Jonathan Cunliffe on Monday morning.

Speaking on The Standard podcast, we also hear from Giles Bristow, CEO of Surfers Against Sewage.

Read more: What was said in the water report? All the key points.

Also in this episode:

-Elon Musk announces Baby Grok AI chatbot for children

-The French government and Microsoft create a digital replica of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris

-A US man dies after being pulled into an MRI scanner

-Morrison's launches £129-a-month weight loss jab club

-Scientists uncover hidden bone structures in the skin of Australian monitor lizards

-Tom Troupe, Star Trek and Mission: Impossible fame, has passed away

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Ever wondered what your pet is really thinking? Researchers are using machine learning to try and figure out exactly that.

To learn more, we caught up with Dr Jonathan Birch, Professor of Philosophy at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

“It might tell us that a lot of animals are actually not happy with the way we currently care for them.”

Following on from Trump’s health diagnosis. What is chronic venous insufficiency?

And scientists are unlocking history inside an ancient ice block.

Also in this episode:

-Fancy an AI agent taking control of your daily tasks?

-Why the US plans to breed millions of flies and drop them from planes

-World’s biggest Mars rock sells for $5.3 million at auction

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We explore a revolutionary IVF technique, aimed at preventing mitochondrial diseases, that has resulted in the birth of eight healthy babies in the UK. Sir Professor Doug Turnbull, an expert in neurology, explains how their innovative method works. Plus, Donald Trump changes key Coca-Cola ingredient, and the new dialogue enhancement feature from Sonos.

Also in this episode:

• Meta's ambitious AI data centres
• The Major Oak tree, once linked to Robin Hood, is now at the centre of a national care campaign.
• Ai-Da, the humanoid robot, returns to the spotlight with a royal portrait of King Charles III.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.