Ofwat to be abolished, government confirms, as water industry urged to address ‘Great Stink moment’ – business live

England and Wales’s water industry requires “fundamental reform” to address the problems that have dogged the sector, Independent Water Commission says

Ofwat to be abolished in ‘reset’ of water industry regulation

Environment secretary backs plan to end sewage spills and financial mismanagement in England and Wales

Families torn apart, charges of kidnap and theft: how plans for a giant mine have sown distrust and unrest in the hills of Jericó

Activists who object to plans for Colombia’s biggest copper mine as a serious threat to the environment are fighting legal action initiated by AngloGold Ashanti. But some in the community say the venture will bring investment

BP appoints new chair to oversee shift back to fossil fuels

Albert Manifold, ex-boss at buildings material company CRH, to take over from embattled Helge Lund

Resurrect HS2 northern leg to boost rail freight capacity, say UK manufacturers

Reviving line to Manchester and Leeds would help get lorries off roads and cut emissions, according to lobby group

Two days less holiday? France is up in arms but my sympathy is limited

This small cutback is hardly a draconian austerity purge for a country that is broke. But the howls of outrage show a rational debate is unlikely

Average UK house asking price registers steepest monthly drop for 20 years

Rightmove blames the 1.2% fall in new sellers’ prices on the end of stamp duty discounts and more homes coming on to the market

Ministers to revive Blair-era Pensions Commission to tackle savings crisis

Revived body will examine future of the retirement system as analysis shows pensioner income is set to fall

Rising food prices driven by climate crisis threaten world’s poorest, report finds

High cost of staples due to extreme weather could lead to more malnutrition, political upheaval and social unrest

Water ombudsman to be created amid sweeping changes in England and Wales

Environment secretary to make announcement on Monday as part of review that is expected to abolish Ofwat

Superbugs could kill millions more and cost $2tn a year by 2050, models show

Exclusive: Research on burden of antibiotic resistance for 122 countries predicts dire economic and health outcomes

It’s time to rethink how we measure labor in the US

Between AI, changes under Trump and a ‘tougher environment’, what do we really know about the jobs market?

A Route 66 ghost town was ‘frozen in time’. Is it on the brink of a comeback?

Newberry Springs was almost lost to the desert. But as America’s ‘mother road’ turns 100, locals see hope that the boom times could return

Storm brews over Nationwide chief executive’s pay package worth up to £7m

Critics say building society has strayed too far from its roots with the compensation package likely to be rubber-stamped

The quiet, matter-of-fact takeover of women holding senior economist roles

From Rachel Reeves to the MPC, and thinktanks to unions and lobby groups, many of the authoritative voices we hear discussing economics are female