Smithfield and Billingsgate market redevelopment plans begin – but traders’ future in doubt

Smithfield and Billingsgate food markets in London will be turned into new homes and a cultural destination under plans by their owner – but the future of the meat and fish traders housed on each site remains in doubt.A council within the City of London Corporation, which is responsible for running the capital’s Square Mile, has voted to task a team to oversee the regeneration of 28 hectares (70 acres) of land across Greater London. However, it has not allocated any new money for the project.The corporation decided in a separate vote last November to permanently close Smithfield and Billingsgate when it pulled the plug on a planned £740m relocation to a new site in the east of the capital at Dagenham, blaming rising costs.The markets will continue trading in their current locations until 2028, but the closure will mark an end to centuries of meat and fish trading in the city

US reaches deal with China to speed up rare-earth shipments, White House says

The US has reached an agreement with China to speed up rare-earth shipments into America, officials confirmed on Friday. The news sent US stock markets to fresh highs amid news of wider efforts to end the trade wars between the US and the world’s biggest economies.Donald Trump said on Thursday that the US had signed a deal with China the previous day, without providing additional details, and that there might be a separate deal coming up that would “open up” India.But the trade news was complicated on Friday afternoon when Trump announced he had called off talks with Canada over a digital sales tax. The S&P and the Nasdaq turned negative before recovering their losses

Till Jeff us do part: divisive, star-studded Bezos wedding hits full swing in Venice

The Black Death. Byron on the prowl. Rising water levels. Cruise ships the size of city blocks. Venice may have endured many tumultuous events and sinister challenges over the centuries but rarely in its long history has it had to contend with an issue quite as odd and quite as divisive as the sort-of nuptials of the world’s fourth-richest person

Google’s emissions up 51% as AI electricity demand derails efforts to go green

Google’s carbon emissions have soared by 51% since 2019 as artificial intelligence hampers the tech company’s efforts to go green.While the corporation has invested in renewable energy and carbon removal technology, it has failed to curb its scope 3 emissions, which are those further down the supply chain, and are in large part influenced by a growth in datacentre capacity required to power artificial intelligence.The company reported a 27% increase in year-on-year electricity consumption as it struggles to decarbonise as quickly as its energy needs increase.Datacentres play a crucial role in training and operating the models that underpin AI models such as Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s GPT-4, which powers the ChatGPT chatbot. The International Energy Agency estimates that datacentres’ total electricity consumption could double from 2022 levels to 1,000TWh (terawatt hours) in 2026, approximately Japan’s level of electricity demand

Lando Norris storms to Austrian F1 GP pole as angry Verstappen slumps to seventh

Lando Norris claimed pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix by half a second at the Red Bull Ring, beating Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc into second and his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri into third.It was the perfect comeback for the British driver after his disappointment at having to retire when he crashed into Piastri at the last round in Canada. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was struggling for grip and finished in seventh. Lewis Hamilton was fourth for Ferrari and George Russell fifth for Mercedes.For Norris this was just the result he required after his title hopes took a battering when he made the misjudged move against Piastri in Montreal, dropping him to 22 points behind the Australian

Tomos Williams injury leaves Farrell’s Lions facing race to fill scrum-half slot

The British & Irish Lions are weighing up their scrum-half options after an injury to Tomos Williams that threatens to sideline the Welshman at the busiest stage of the squad’s Australian tour.The head coach, Andy Farrell, said a decision on calling up a replacement would be made on Sunday, with Scotland’s Ben White among the leading contenders to replace Williams at No 9.Williams contributed two tries in a fine all-round performance as the Lions eased to a 54-7 victory over Western Force but tweaked his left hamstring while diving over the line for his second score. It leaves the Lions with only two fit scrum-halves, one of whom – Jamison Gibson-Park – has been managing a strained glute muscle.Farrell said Gibson-Park would be fit to face the Queensland Reds on Wednesday but the Lions will need some cover if Williams is ruled out even for a short period, with Alex Mitchell as the only available option in the position