London’s Smithfield and Billingsgate markets find new home in Docklands

A former industrial site in London’s Docklands has been named as the new home for the capital’s ancient Smithfield meat market and Billingsgate fish market, under plans unveiled by their owner.The proposal by the City of London Corporation – the governing body that runs London’s Square Mile and also operates the markets – would relocate both to Albert Island.The 10-hectare (25-acre) site, close to London City airport, is owned by the Greater London Authority (GLA) and has been earmarked for regeneration. The corporation has estimated the move would generate £750m in local expenditure and would bring 2,200 jobs to the London borough of Newham, one of the most deprived in the capital.The announcement comes just over a year after the corporation voted to permanently close Smithfield and Billingsgate when it pulled the plug on a planned £740m relocation to Dagenham, blaming rising costs

Thames Water half-year profit leaps to more than £400m after it raises bills by third

Thames Water has reported a leap in half-year profits to £414m after bills rose by nearly a third, even as it warned it faced huge funding uncertainties that could result in a rapid collapse into government control.Britain’s biggest water company on Wednesday said it had swung into profit for the six months to September, after losing £149m in the same period in 2024.Revenues jumped by 40% to nearly £2bn after the company was allowed to raise customers’ bills by 31% in April. Thames Water insisted it was making good operational progress, helped by a 22% increase in investment to £1.26bn, paid for by the bills increases

Australia’s eSafety commissioner rejects US Republican’s assertion she is a ‘zealot for global takedowns’

Australia’s online safety regulator has rejected assertions from a key US Republican congressman that she is a “zealot for global takedowns”, as the eSafety commissioner faced questions from the Australian parliament on a Guardian investigation into Roblox.Julie Inman Grant was asked by US Republican chair of the House judiciary committee, Jim Jordan, to speak before the committee last month.The committee produced a report in June arguing the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (Garm), which was shut down in August 2024, had colluded with advertisers and foreign regulators. The committee alleged the group colluded to make demands on then-Twitter about what content it should moderate on its platform.The committee had turned its attention to Inman Grant, after emails from her to the organisation showed the commissioner saying Garm was “helping to hold the platforms to account”

Sam Altman issues ‘code red’ at OpenAI as ChatGPT contends with rivals

Sam Altman has declared a “code red” at OpenAI to improve ChatGPT as the chatbot faces intense competition from rivals.According to a report by tech news site the Information, the chief executive of the San Francisco-based startup told staff in an internal memo: “We are at a critical time for ChatGPT.”OpenAI has been rattled by the success of Google’s latest AI model, Gemini 3, and is devoting more internal resources to improving ChatGPT.Last month, Altman told employees that the launch of Gemini 3, which has outperformed rivals on various benchmarks, could create “temporary economic headwinds” for the company. He added: “I expect the vibes out there to be rough for a bit

Hosts Australia to face New Zealand in Rugby World Cup pool as England draw Wales

The host nation Australia will face their traditional rivals New Zealand at the men’s Rugby World Cup in 2027 after the draw was made in Sydney on Wednesday. The Wallabies, hosting a second men’s tournament, were guaranteed to face a top-ranked nation in Pool A due to a current world ranking of seventh, and the renewal of their fierce rivalry with the All Blacks is perhaps the most appetising possible outcome from the draw.The potential for a “Bledisloe Cup” opening match to kick off the global showpiece, on 1 October 2027 in Perth, will be a hugely attractive prospect for fans. Chile, playing at a second Rugby World Cup after their debut in France in 2023, and debutants Hong Kong are also in Pool A. England, who won the men’s tournament in Australia 22 years ago, have been pitted against their Six Nations rivals Wales, with Tonga and Zimbabwe the other sides in Pool F

Rugby World Cup 2027 draw: Australia and New Zealand drawn in Pool A – as it happened

Pool A New Zealand, Australia, Chile, Hong KongPool B South Africa, Italy, Georgia, RomaniaPool C Argentina, Fiji, Spain, CanadaPool D Ireland, Scotland, Uruguay, PortugalPool E France, Japan, USA, SamoaPool F England, Wales, Tonga, ZimbabweJoe Schmidt is confirming that there’ll be no ongoing role for him with Australian rugby after his contract runs its term in mid-2026 and there’ll be no fourth World Cup for him in 2027. Instead he’ll happily hand over the Wallabies to Queensland Reds boss Les Kiss, his former right-hand man during Ireland’s glory days “and we’ll be in contact anyway.”I’ll be in the stadium watching. Rugby World Cups are special. The atmosphere builds into a crescendo on match days