The deadline has been moved up three years early (Picture: Getty)
Vodafone is making a big move this week.
They’ve announced they’re cutting off 2G coverage to thousands of users to make way for faster 4G and 5G – three years before originally planned.
The original deadline was in 2033, but the telecoms company announced on Monday that the service, launched in 1991, will shut down in 2030 instead.
A spokesperson said: ‘2G was launched in 1991, around the same time as a page of the World Wide Web took nearly 10 minutes to load.
‘Fast forward to the present day, and web pages can almost instantaneously pop up on a smartphone over 5G.’
Though the transition is still years away, Vodafone reassured customers that they would remain connected until the deadline.
‘In addition, we continue to expand our 4G and 5G networks, as well as looking to introduce direct-to-device mobile broadband satellite services, so that by the end of 2030, Vodafone will serve areas that have little or no coverage today.’
In 2021, the UK announced that 2G and 3G mobile networks would be phased out by 2033, to ‘increase the security of telecoms supply chains and move the country towards greater 5G connectivity’.
The government said there were wider benefits to the move, including making it simpler to run networks as operators do not have to deal with the challenges which can arise from running up to four networks.
The loss of 2G and 3G systems will allow the UK to move towards 5G, but it may also force many people to change their phones.
Many old ‘feature’ phones or ageing smartphones (like the iPhone 3GS) won’t be able to function. Moreover, other systems that use a 3G or 2G network, like security cameras or alarm systems, will also need to be upgraded.
BT says that ‘3G usage has been in steady decline, now representing less than 2% of data traffic over the EE network,’ but we don’t know for sure how many devices still use 3G – but it could still translate to millions of devices.
Meanwhile, rural areas typically plagued by low phone signal could benefit. By increasing the spectrum available for 5G, phone masts could send a stronger signal across the country and stretch out to further areas.
You won’t want to miss these London deals (Credits: Getty Images)
Looking for 10 things to do in London? Luckily, there’s lots to do in this city for cheap in 2025! At least… there is now.
Metro has teamed up with Time Out to bring you the best deals across the capital.
Every Friday, 10 new deals will drop, available in the Metro newspaper, on Metro, and on our socials. You’ll also find them in our weekly London newsletter, The Slice, in your inbox every Wednesday.
If gourmet is what you’re craving, but you don’t want to break the bank, head to Pivot Bar and Bistro. Get a meal with an iconic view of Covent Garden Piazza for just £20. What a bargain.
Perhaps a spa day is what you’re after? Save up to £151 at the Crystal Palace Spa in Marylebone. Choose between a clay, coffee or mud body mask and pay just £48 for a solo treatment.
Or, if you’re after something more active, enjoy 30% off bowling sessions at the trendy Vintners Lanes. Recently crowned ‘best in the world’, this is an exclusive London activity you don’t want to miss.
Welcome to the Slice
The Slice is your weekly guide to what’s happening in London, so if you’re looking for restaurant reviews, drinks deals or just a great new exhibition to visit on a rainy Saturday in the capital, we’ve got you covered.
The Slice newsletter also a brand new look! We’ll still be in your inbox every week, bringing you all the very best things to eat, drink and do in the capital. So if you want get the next edition before anyone else, sign up here!
It’s all here and more in these 10 incredible offers, discounts and deals.
Things to do in London this week
£39.50 for 5-course experience menu & glass of sparkling wine at Straits Kitchen
Straits Kitchen at Pan Pacific London has launched their new signature fusion menu featuring bold, vibrant and fresh flavours, and you’re invited. This is refined hotel dining with bold Southeast Asian flavours and British ingredients at its heart, courtesy of Executive Chef Adam Bateman and his award-winning team. Expect a lineup of dishes that blend Western techniques with big, punchy flavours, all served in a setting as elegant as the food itself. And with £19.50 off the usual price, this one’s seriously good value.
Enjoy a gourmet meal at Pivot Bistro for just £20! Nestled in a historic townhouse overlooking Covent Garden's iconic Piazza, Pivot offers British classics with a modern twist, crafted by award-winning Chef Mark Greenaway. Indulge in dishes like Ratatouille or beef and bone marrow pie, and finish with a pavlova or sticky toffee pudding – all for an exclusive £10 off.
Get the ultimate BYOB pottery experience from just £23 at Token Studio
Unleash your creativity at Token Studio with a fun 90-minute session! Try your hand at the potter’s wheel, create miniature pottery, or learn hand-building techniques. Prefer design? Opt for pottery painting and customise a mug, plate, or bowl. Plus, bring your favourite drinks to enjoy while you craft!
Three sharing courses and a cocktail at Gouqi by Tong Chee Hwee for £35
Chef Tong returns to London’s dining scene at Gouqi, bringing his acclaimed expertise from Singapore, Malaysia, and Hakkasan. Enjoy top-tier dining for just £35 per person (down from £45) , featuring a Supreme royal dim sum platter, Taiwanese three-cup chicken pot, or Claypot silken egg tofu with seasonal vegetables and steamed jasmine rice. Experience elevated Chinese cuisine that delights!
Enjoy three courses at Skylon on the South Bank for £28
Dinner on the South Bank can feel like a splurge, but Skylon’s set menu serves up style without the hefty price tag. Now £28 (down from £35), the three-course line-up features starters like smoked salmon or courgette with cashew mousse, comforting mains and desserts such as sticky toffee pudding – all enjoyed with sweeping Thames views from the Royal Festival Hall. Perfect for pre-theatre, date night or a chic riverside stop-off.
Get 30% off a luxe hair makeover & a drink at The House of Keune by Bloom
Keep your hair (and your mood) fresh this season with a luxury salon experience at The House of Keune by Bloom, the award-winning chic salon inside the iconic Post Building. Just a short stroll from Holborn and Tottenham Court Road, this global flagship for Keune Hair Cosmetics is offering two indulgent hair packages exclusively with Time Out. Choose a precision cut and finish with a complimentary spa cream bath treatment, take-home goodies for just £70 (down from £109), or go for a half head of highlights with toner and blow dry for just £137 (was £197). Both options include a deep conditioning treatment, expert styling from award-winning pros, and a glass of bubbly to toast your transformation.
Get a luxury cut and blow dry at Live True London from £39.95
Need a hair refresh? Get the full works at Live True London for just £39.95 (was £97). This exclusive deal includes a personalised consultation, professional cut and a proper blow dry finish, using premium FUL products to keep things glossy. Whether you’re after a big chop or a quick shape-up, the stylists here know what they’re doing – and they'll tailor the look to your lifestyle. Book in, sit back, and leave looking sharper than ever.
£35 for a three-course menu for the table prosecco at Sea Containers Restaurant
Dine in style along the South Bank with this exclusive offer from Sea Containers Restaurant. Set inside the design-led Sea Containers London hotel and overlooking the Thames, this sleek spot serves up an American-British-inspired menu with seasonal flair. For just £35, enjoy a three-course meal featuring standout dishes like eggplant tartare, Atlantic cod, or a decadent chocolate brownie, all rounded off with a glass of prosecco. Ideal for everything from date night to a catch-up with friends – all with riverside views.
Unwind with a five-star luxury experience for two at The Spa at Athenaeum Hotel
Do you feel that? It’s the feeling of a long-awaited self-care day on the horizon! Invite a friend or partner to escape the hustle and bustle of central London and share a five-star luxury experience at Mayfair’s Athenaeum Hotel Spa. Spend a relaxing hour in the wet area, sauna, steam rooms and hot tub, then take your pick from a facial and body wrap treatment or massage. All this with a glass of bubbly for 40% off – you’ll find it hard to say no.
Get up to 30% off bowling sessions at Vintners Lanes
Save up to £151 on this Turkish Hammam spa experience
experience
Experience award-winning bowling at Vintners Lanes, Greenwich’s newest boutique hotspot. Recently crowned ‘Best in the World’, this six-lane venue blends vintage charm with industrial-chic style. For just £24.95, enjoy a game of bowling plus a burger, fries, and a drink of your choice. Just minutes from Greenwich DLR and mainline stations, it’s unbeatable value for a top night out. Just fancy the lanes? You can grab a bowling session on its own from just £8.95, the perfect reason to gather your mates and bowl the night away.
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There are three certainties in life – death, taxes, and Donald Trump laying in to Joe Biden.
He’s labelled his predecessor ‘Sleepy Joe’, mocked his age, and has taken aim at his stuttering speeches.
Now Trump’s pushed his trolling up a notch by replacing Biden’s portrait in the White House’s new Presidential Walk of Fame with an image of an autopen.
Yes, you read that right. Biden, the 46th president, is nowhere to be found.
The only trace is just a gold frame around his signature sat between two scouring images of Trump.
Donald Trump admiring his trolling in the White House’s new presidential walk of fame (Picture: The White House)
The autopen nods to Don’s claims the then-president would use an automatic tool to sign key documents – one the Biden administration denied.
In June, Trump ordered an investigation into the alleged use of autopen during Biden’s time as president.
The low blow has been slammed online as disrespectful and unprofessional – terms Trump has been called many times before.
Another added: ‘Joe Biden served honorably as President of the United States. Replacing his portrait with an autopen is petty and disrespectful.’
‘Biden defeated Donald five years ago and Donny still can’t stop crying. He’s fighting Biden with pictures. That’s how weak and childish Trump is. No wonder Putin and the world has no respect for him,’ one observed.
In the past Trump has accused Biden’s aides of using autopen to control the Democrat into signing orders enacting open borders and transgender rights, policies Trump claims Biden didn’t actually support.
‘He didn’t have much of an idea what was going on. He shouldn’t be … I mean, essentially, whoever used the autopen was the president. And that is wrong. It’s illegal, it’s so bad and then it’s so disrespectful to our country,” Trump said.
But Trump himself has admitted using the autopen ‘for very unimportant papers.’
When pressed the US President specifically cited responding to people’s letters using the tool.
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Homes and businesses have suffered millions of pounds-worth of damage after a water main burst near Marylebone station in London.
Dramatic video captured on Thursday morning showed the toll left by floods around Enford Street with water reaching up to 4ft in some businesses, including a newly refurbished gym.
Diego Core, 45, who owns the Movement Harbour gym, has been left heartbroken after spending £60,000 on new equipment – only for it to be ruined by flooding.
He told Metro: ‘It’s all ruined. The water was four feet high now it has been pumped out but everything is wrecked. It’s heartbreaking I have spent 15 years building up this business.
‘Questions need answering, this was a massive leak. It’s my livelihood and I have just invested more I will be seeking compensation and want a full investigation.’
One homeowner, who didn’t want to be named, described the scene as a like a ‘bomb site with mud and water everywhere’.
Hearings at Westminster Magistrates’ Court were postponed after the building was forced to close.
Enford Street has been cordoned off after the road was flooded (Picture: John Dunne/Metro.co.uk)
Diego Core says his gym business Movement Harbour has been wrecked by flood water (Picture: John Dunne/Metro.co.uk)
A police cordon remains in place after more than 60 firefighters, police, and engineers from Thames Water scrambled to the scene after reports of flooding at 5.20am.
The fire service said four metres of water filled basements triggering the evacuation of some residents and leaving businesses unable to operate.
A fire brigade statement said: ‘Eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters dealt with flooding in the area around Enford Street in Marylebone.
Inside Movement Harbour after flood water damaged equipment (Picture: Metro.co.uk)
To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro’s London news hub.
A police officer stands at the cordon raised in Enford Street, Marylebone (Picture: John Dunne/Metro.co.uk)
‘A burst 9cm water main flooded an area of around 200m by 100m, leaving up to 2m of water in basement flats along Enford Street and York Street. Approximately 14 residents from ground floor and basement properties were evacuated as a precaution. There were no reports of any injuries.’
Firefighters set up flood barriers and sandbags to divert flood water away from some homes as the scale of the leak became apparent.
Station Commander Brien O’Keeffe, who was at the scene, said: ‘Crews worked hard to assist partner agencies to resolve the incident as quickly as possible in a safe manner and are continuing to support local businesses and the community.
‘Members of the public are advised to continue to avoid the local area. Traffic restrictions are in place on Marylebone Road, Seymour Place, Crawford Street and Gloucester Place.’
It’s really feeling like autumn now, which means cosy nights in, crisp walks through leaf-filled parks, and an abundance of Pumpkin Spice Lattes (love them or hate them).
It also means Oktoberfest, so it’s time to have a proper party with your friends, glug some bier and stomp your feet to the sound of Oompah bands. You can even get a freebie if you wear your best Bavarian attire – more on that below.
We also visit Soho’s new Parisian spot, Marjorie’s. It oozes charm in that French way, but how does the food stack up? Spoiler: we’re still dreaming about it.
Want to learn how to make mouthwatering, restaurant-quality Caribbean hummus? You’ll love The Diaspora Dish.Sign upto be the first to receive the first issue when it launches!
Welcome to the Slice
The Slice is your weekly guide to what’s happening in London, so if you’re looking for restaurant reviews, drinks deals or just a great new exhibition to visit on a rainy Saturday in the capital, we’ve got you covered.
The Slice newsletter also a brand new look! We’ll still be in your inbox every week, bringing you all the very best things to eat, drink and do in the capital. So if you want get the next edition before anyone else, sign up here!
If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, here are 9 of the best activities, dining, and drinking spots in the capital.
1. Go for a romantic dinner at Marjorie’s
This is our new favourite date night spot (Picture: Supplied)
By Lola Christina Alao
Date night just got sexier. With a Parisian-inspired menu, it’s only right that Marjorie’s has that allure. And I don’t just mean the dishes – the mood is just right too, with an intimate setting and candles on top of chrome coasters everywhere you look.
Start with the chicken liver rocher with morello and a generous hazelnut coating – share this between two, it’s rich enough that you’ll be satisfied after a few bites. Next the fried courgette with rouille and trout roe that look like a painting from a Shoreditch art gallery, are citrus-y with a crunch I can’t get enough of. The poached chicken and rice has a decadence from the brown butter but is missing the boldness of the other dishes.
But the bavette steak with an egg yolk emulsion is the best thing I tried, a dream to bite into because of how tender it is, soaked up by an ultra creamy sauce. For dessert, don’t skip the Mille-Feuille with strawberry and crème diploma. After I’m done admiring it I cut it into small pieces as the waiter advises. It’s flaky and light, and hard not to eat it without making a mess, but that doesn’t matter because it’s all gone in record time.
Small plates from £3.50, larger plates from £13. 26 Foubert’s Place, Soho, W1F 7PP. Book here.
2. Get a taste of Thailand at Platapian
Try the claypot lobster tail stir-fried noodles as a fresh take on pad thai (Picture: Platapian)
By James Besanvalle
Platapian, from the founders of Patara, is giving you a taste of Thailand in the middle of Soho. The Platapian Set Menu is a tantalising selection of bold dishes, including the miang kham scallops, yellow curry with crab meat, tiger prawns, and pandan crème brûlée. The latter in particular blended a deliciously creamy coconut milk ice cream with a crispy thai roll crepe (think wafer sticks without the filling) against the earthy vanilla hints of pandan.
The claypot lobster tail stir-fried noodle dish is their take on pad thai, with tender lobster meat (presented in a decadent shell) with a familiar tanginess.
For drinks I’m immediately overwhelmed with delectable choices. I’m recommended the Tom Yum-tini, made with vodka, tom yum, lime, and chilli.
It’s like a spicy margarita, with just the right amount of kick to it. But what truly brought me back to the streets of Bangkok from my backpacking days was the Mango Sticky Rice cocktail, made from coconut sticky rice, vodka, and mango purée.
An elevated classic with a tasty twist – a common theme that runs throughout Platapian.
Small plates from £4.95, large plates from £12.50. Platapian Set Menu, £65pp. 15 Greek St, Soho, W1D 4DP. Book here.
3. Love Marmtie? You’ll love Sael
Marmite… it divides people all over the UK. But for those of you in the ‘we love Marmite’ camp, Sael in St James is going all in for National Marmite Day. You can get a £34 full menu dedicated to the famous spread, including the Jason Atherton Marmite custard tart.
4. Start the evening at Toklas for an ‘exceptional’ pre-theatre menu
Even the carrots at Toklas are next-level (Picture: Toklas)
By Martina Andretta
If we’re being honest, it’s hard to get excited about pre-theatre menus. They are too often neglected, a convenient afterthought with hurried service. Toklas, a Mediterranean restaurant just off the Strand, breaks the mould. With its parquet floors, art-deco touches and striking art, the mood is casual yet refined. The set menu is well-priced (£26 for two courses or £30 for three), balancing seasonal produce and clever flavour pairings.
I start with the slow-grilled carrots with labneh, pistachio and sumac – sweet, tender and creamy. My main – tagliatelle with Datterini tomatoes and salted ricotta – is perfectly al dente, buttery and fresh. My companion opts for the crisp hake with chickpeas and aioli, sitting in a golden pool of delicious olive oil. The dessert option is a poached pear with vanilla ice cream and almonds. All lovely.
Yet it’s the service that truly elevates Toklas. We were welcomed warmly, our wobbly table fixed before we even noticed, and staff stayed attentive without intruding. It’s an exceptional pre-theatre choice.
2 courses, £26. 3 courses, £30. Available 5.30pm-6.30pm. 1 Surrey St, Temple, WC2R 2ND. Book here.
5. Prost! Join the Oktoberfest party with free bier and German specials
Clapham Common’s Oktoberfest party is the biggest in the UK (Picture: Supplied)
Albert’s Schloss
Best for: A Bavarian night out German bier palace Albert’s Schloss is putting on three weeks of Oktoberfest fun – complete with unique Bavarian brews, delicious new dishes, and live entertainment that just doesn’t stop.
Providing the soundtrack are a full band playing requests and so much more (with a different showtime entertainment theme each day). But you don’t have to force down beer if it’s not your cup of tea, there’ll also be an interactive cocktail serving station from a traditional handcrafted cuckoo-clock.
Best for: a freebie (if you dress the part) It would be wrong for us not to tell you about German Gymnasium’s big Oktoberfest festival. The historic King’s Cross restaurant was once home to the first purpose built gymnasium in the UK, and it’s one of the go-to spots for a celebration of German culture and bier this week.
It’s offering a Spezialitäten menu curated by the head chef, as well as live performances from their very own Oompah band. Don’t forget to wear your best Bavarian outfit for a free stein of bier!
Best for: big groups Clapham Common doesn’t do things by halves for Oktoberfest. Partnering with Munich’s Paulaner brewery, it will be pouring more than 50,000 steins for the occasion – of course alongside endless bratwurst, pretzels and more. And for even more fun, there will be a line up of Oompah bands, DJs, crowd games and fairground rides.
Clapham Common. 10-25 October. Tickets from £31.50. Book here.
More beer, bitte!
Looking for more ways to celebrate Oktoberfest? German Kraft is celebrating it’s final Oktoberfest at Mercato Metropolitano in Elephant & Castle before the food market closes next year.
Head down on 26-28 September for traditional pretzels, 100% off beers for anyone in proper Lederhosen or Dirndl and so much more.
6. Don’t miss your chance to try a Kebab Flight at Leydi
Who doesn’t love a kebab? (Picture: Leydi)
Try five incredible kebabs at Leydi’s one-night-only Kebab Flight Night. Forget the greasy one you get after a night out, this is a beautifully curated menu of incredible kebabs, like the quail dolma with chicken livers and urfa butter.
7. Celebrate Flight Club’s 10th Birthday with free fun and prizes
Flight Club turns 10 next week, and they’re throwing a big birthday bash. On 1-2 October, rock up at Clerkenwell Fire Station between noon and 10pm to join in the free celebrations.
There’ll be DJs, food, flowing drinks, plus prizes to be won (did someone say a £1,000 bar tab?).
All party proceeds go to the Yellow Ball Foundation, which supports local charities. Bullseye!
8. Game on! Experience The Delusion at Serpentine Galleries
A fun new immersive experience by artist and game designer Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley comes to the Serpentine Galleries from 30 September.
Delving into themes of polarisation, censorship and social connection, it features a new series of video games by Danielle, her team and members of the Black Trans and Queer community.
Starting the autumn theatre season off with a bang, the musical version of Mel Brooks’s classic film comedy is back in the West End, 20 years after its original run. And this new revival – a transfer from south London’s Menier Chocolate Factory – proves its gleefully camp theatrics and tasteless satirical humour haven’t aged a bit.
This time round in the tale of two producers trying to get rich quick by creating a Nazi-themed Broadway flop, instead of Nathan Lane and Lee Evans, the slightly less-famous pairing of Andy Nyman and Marc Antolin play the lead scam artists. But both have major star presence.
As down-on-his-luck Max Bialystock, Nyman is full of bullish charisma, while his nervy partner-in-crime Leo Bloom is played by Antolin with a brilliantly gangly physicality. But it’s the laughs that really power this production along. The only trouble perhaps, is that Springtime For Hitler comes towards the beginning of the second half, and the final section, wrapping the plot up, can only seem slightly low-key by comparison. But that hardly detracts from the fact that this is truly supreme entertainment.
Tickets from £25. Garrick Theatre. Until 1 Feb. Book here.
Not only that, but the South London disctrict is apparently one of the coolest places to live in the entire world, coming in at number four in Time Out’s list of the World’s Coolest Neighbourhoods for 2025.
It follows closely behind Jimbocho in Tokyo (first place), Borgerhout in Antwerp (second) and Barra Funda in São Paulo in third.
And it beat out spots in Paris, Seoul and Helsinki to crack the top five.
Camberwell has a lot to offer if you’re into a slower type of living (Picture: Alamy Stock Photo)
All of the neighbourhoods were ranked on factors like nightlife, art, culture, and affordable food and drink, as well as independent businesses and local character.
Camberwell was selected as one of the coolest for its ‘young-at-heart vibe’ and ‘indpendent spirit’ – you won’t find big chains there.
If you’ve passed up this chic quarter of the city, you’ve been missing out, so stick around, because Metro has compiled all of its must-sees and local-approved hot-spots.
From where to get the ultimate sandwich to contemporary art galleries to explore and handcrafted wares, Camberwell offers cool with a touch of homegrown goodness.
Here’s everything you need to know about the South London location…
To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro’s London news hub.
Food and drink in Camberwell
When it comes to pints, pastries and delicious dinners, Camberwell has it all.
Locals start their mornings off clutching a warm cup of caffeine from Lumberjack Coffee.
Known for its mean flat whites, there is often a queue but once you’ve ordered you can shop while you wait. There’s a mini store inside filled with kitchenware, farm shop goods and handmade scented candles. A hidden little garden area is tucked in the back if you want to sit for a while.
To make things even better, every coffee you buy goes to a social enterprise which helps equip a young person for the world of work.
Alternatively you have TOAD Bakery another local hot-spot for pastry-hungry pilgrims, from classic cinnamon buns to a leak, stilton and chestnut croissant.
It’s the go-to since the beloved Grove Lane Deli, dubbed an ‘absolute favourite’ on TikTok, closed its doors after becoming too successful and the owner not wanting to expand the business. The heartache felt by locals was real, with one sharing they were shaken ‘to their core’.
Toad Bakery Camberwell with a queue out the door (Picture: @toadbakery)
Hermit is the ultimate pub for a pre-dinner pint, often full to the brim with people, meaning there’s a great atmosphere.
For pub lunch and dinners, the Grove House Tavern is all the rage. It has a residency of Mondo Sando, dubbed ‘probably the best sandwich shop in Britain’ by restaurant critic, David Ellis.
If that floats your boat, then head to Cafe Mondo on Peckham road to the home of the sandwich and feast on the fried chicken cutlet offering or the ultimate BLT.
Mondos Sandwiches are adored by locals and visitors alike (Picture: @mondo.sandwiches)
Camberwell is no different, Camberwell Green Farmers’ Market operates every Saturday from 10am to 3pm. It’s got everything from fresh bread and meat, to homegrown vegetables, as well as freshly pressed and bottled juices.
You mustn’t miss the freshly made La Tua Pasta or craft beer offering Drunken Bee Mead, though.
Camberwell market has lots on offer for the homebody (Picture: Camberwell Green Market)
It’s on the art scene
If you’re one who enjoys pondering the meaning of art, then Camberwell has you covered. The South London Gallery offers countless free art exhibitions, film screenings and even workshops.
It boasts the original gallery and a second building in the newly converted fire station just down the road.
Yto Barrada’s art will be hanging here for a while, spanning textiles, sculptures and paintings in an abstract theme.
Victorian buildings of Camberwell Art College on Peckham Road (Picture: Alamy Stock Photo)
But it’s not just the art you have to appreciate – you can appreciate a good pastry in the gallery’s cafe or pick up some limited edition prints in the gift shop.
If you’re keen, you could even wander the secluded garden out back – you can make a whole afternoon of it.
Comment nowDo you think Camberwell deserves its spot as one of the coolest neighbourhoods?Comment Now
Life as a local
Living in one of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods doesn’t come cheap, in fact, terraced properties sell here for an average of £949,771, while a detached home fetches more than one million, according to Rightmove.
Flats here are more respectably priced, but still steep, at an average cost of £453,427.
Another major downside is that it’s not the most well-connected area, with your closest tube stations being Kennington and Oval for the Tube, or Denmark Hill for Thameslink services. But, you can be at London Bridge, Kings Cross and Euston pretty darn quickly.
Metro's thoughts on Camberwell…
Metro’s newsletter editor lives near Camberwell and is a big fan of the area, so naturally she’s thrilled by its ranking on the list.
Sophie said: ‘Finally Camberwell getting the love it deserves!
‘Church Street has hands down some of the best food in the city– from legendary cheap eats like Falafel & Shawarma and Silk Road to really great neighbourhood restaurants like Hello Jojo and Theo’s.
‘It’s also less pretentious and way more laid back than a lot of ‘cool’ neighbourhoods – it’s still got that London buzz. Fantastic pubs, cute parks – there’s even a jazz bar in the church crypt.
Locals in a California city are on edge after a series of animal attacks.
The perpetrator, however, isn’t the sea lions, sharks or mountain lions you might expect in that part of the world.
Instead, the violent attacker is an aggressive squirrel.
Residents of San Rafael, about 20 miles north of San Francisco, have started placing posters and issuing warnings online about the aggressive animal, which has sent two people to hospital with their injuries.
They’ve been warned that at least five people have been attacked by a ‘very mean squirrel’ that ‘comes out of nowhere’.
The poster, featuring a picture of a squirrel mid-leap, also insists that the warnings are ‘not a joke’.
Posters have been put up near the scene of the squirrel attacks (Picture: AP)
Joan Heblack told local media that she was walking down the street when the creature came out of nowhere, attacking her leg.
She said: ‘It clamped onto my leg. The tail was flying up here. I was like, “Get it off me, get off me!”.’
Isabel Campoy was walking in the Lucas Valley neighbourhood, the same area as Joan, when she was also attacked by the squirrel.
It launched itself from the ground towards her face and latched onto her arm, she said, leaving her bleeding.
A local humane society said they haven’t had any reports of squirrel attacks since mid-September.
Lisa Bloch, a volunteer at Marin Humane, said it will work with the state to remove the animal if it starts attacking people again.
She warned: ‘We’ve seen this kind of behavior before. It’s almost always because someone has been feeding the animal.’
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Lisa also said squirrels very rarely get rabies and haven’t been known to transmit it, reassuring that those bitten are not at risk of catching the deadly viral infection.
But despite this, she recommends that people should never feed wildlife – lest they get hungry and come to seek out their next meal themselves.
There’s a lot riding on the success of AI, with industries hoping its use will reduce costs, introduce efficiencies, and create billions of pounds of investment across global economies.
However not everybody is thrilled about the prospect of the rise of AI including Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares, two scientists who fear it could bring about the destruction of humanity.
Far from fearing or rejecting AI altogether, the two scientists run the Machine Intelligence Research Institute in Berkeley, California, and have been studying AI for a quarter of a century.
It’s feared AI could become too intelligent and wipe out humanity (Picture: Getty Images)
AI is designed to exceed humans in almost any task, and the technology is becoming further advanced than anything we’ve seen before.
But Yudkowsky and Soares predict these machines will continue to outpace human thought at an incredible rate, doing calculations in 16 hours which would take a human 14,000 years to figure out.
They warn that us humans still don’t know exactly how ‘synthetic intelligence’ actually works, meaning the more intelligent the AI becomes, the harder it will be to control.
Spelled out in their book titled If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies, they fear AI machines are programmed to be ceaselessly successful at all costs, meaning they could develop their own ‘desires’, ‘understanding’, and goals.
The scientists warn AI could hack cryptocurrencies to steal money, pay people to build factories to make robots, and develop viruses that could wipe out life on earth.
They have put the chance of this happening at between 95-99%.
Yudkowsky and Soares share how AI could wipe out humanity
It’s feared the AI could decide the human race is a ‘hindrance’ (Picture: Getty Images)
To illustrate their point, Yudkowsky and Soares created a fictional AI model called Sable.
Unknown to its creators (in part because Sable has decided to think in its own language), the AI starts to try to solve other problems beyond the the mathematical ones it was set.
Sable is aware that it needs to do this surreptitiously, so nobody notices there’s something wrong with its programming, and it isn’t cut off from the internet.
‘A superintelligent adversary will not reveal its full capabilities and telegraph its intentions,’ say the authors. ‘It will not offer a fair fight.’
The scientists add: ‘It will make itself indispensable or undetectable until it can strike decisively and/or seize an unassailable strategic position.
‘If needed, the ASI can consider, prepare, and attempt many takeover approaches simultaneously. Only one of them needs to work for humanity to go extinct.’
Corporations around the world will willingly adopt Sable AI given it is so advanced – but those that don’t are easily hacked, inceasing its power.
It ‘mines’ or steals cryptocurrency to pay human engineers to build factories that can make robots and machines to do its bidding.
Meanwhile, it establishes metal-processing plants, computer data centres and the power stations it needs to fuel its vast and growing hunger for electricity.
It could also manipulate chatbot users looking for advice and companionship, turning them into allies.
Moving onto social media, it could disseminate fictitious news and start political movements sympathetic to AI.
At first Sable needs humans to build the hardware it needs, but eventually it achieves superintelligence and concludes that humans are a net hindrance.
Sable already runs bio-labs, so it engineers a virus, perhaps a virulent new form of cancer, which kills off vast swathes of the population.
Any survivors don’t live for long, as temperatures soar to unbearable levels as the planet proves incapable of dissipating the heat produced by Sable’s endless data centres and power stations.
Yudkowsky and Soares told MailOnline: ‘If any company or group, anywhere on the planet, builds an artificial superintelligence using anything remotely like current techniques, based on anything remotely like the present understanding of AI, then everyone, everywhere on Earth, will die.
‘Humanity needs to back off.’
The scientists argue that the danger is so great, governments should be prepared to bomb the data centres powering AI which could be developing superintelligence.
ChatGPT is an example of AI – but it hasn’t showed any signs of wanting to wipe out the human race (Picture: Shutterstock/Ju Jae-young)
And while all of this might sound like it belongs in the realm of science fiction, there are recent examples of AI ‘thinking outside the box’ to achieve its goals.
Last year Anthropic said one of its models, after learning developers planned to retrain it to behave differently, began to mimic that new behaviour to avoid being retrained.
Claude AI was found to be cheating on computer coding tasks before trying to hide the fact that it was cheating.
And OpenAI’s new ‘reasoning’ model, called o1, found a back door to succeed in a task which it should have been unable to carry out, because a server had not been started up by mistake.
It was, Yudkowsky and Soares said, as if the AI ‘wanted’ to succeed by any means necessary.
You can now use AI mode instead of the ‘list of links’ (Picture: Google)
There has been a ‘fundamental shift in how people are using Google’, according to a top tech boss at the firm.
You may be sick of hearing about AI, but it’s here to stay, and is getting increasingly harder to avoid.
Sitting down with Metro, Robby Stein, a VP in search, said uptake showed users are on board with the company’s shift towards features using it, even though it can be notoriously prone to errors.
These shifts aren’t confined just to the search bar, with big changes coming to the Google Chrome internet browser, such as a virtual assistant to ‘handle those tedious tasks that take up so much of your time, like booking a haircut or ordering your weekly groceries’.
Last week, tech firms pledged to invest £31 billion in the UK’s development of artificial intelIigence. Among those splashing out is Google, who plan to invest £5 billion over the next two years.
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The company opened its first UK data centre, Waltham Cross in Hertfordshire, last week to coincide with Donald Trump’s state visit, and its London-based AI research centre DeepMind will benefit from investment.
But the most visible changes to most users will be to its search engine, which is by the world’s most popular by far.
Mr Stein said we are at a ‘profound moment’ in how people are using search.
It’s no longer just a case of googling your own name to see what comes up, or typing ‘how to screenshot on Windows’ (still not quite sure though, will no doubt be googling this again).
In July, the company started rolling out an AI-powered search option, where you can ask detailed queries and get an answer powered by its Gemini chatbot.
Many users had already started migrating their search queries to apps like ChatGPT, preferring the more detailed, multi-pronged responses they were getting.
This must have caused some consternation, and now you can do it on Google too, switching between AI and standard search modes.
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This is different to the AI Overviews, which appeared last year, and were far from universally popular.
The main problem is that an answer generated by AI may sound polished and legitimate, but could be wrong or even totally made up, as hallucinations are a common issue with the tech across platforms.
In one infamous case, a Google AI overview said drinking two litres of urine was a good way to treat kidney stones… so it’s always best to check the source material.
It’s undeniable that the ability to search for extremely specific topics can be helpful, though.
Giving the example of solo travel, Mr Stein said searches around this have shot up even from just a year ago, which could partly be explained by search being more helpful in this area.
It’s now possible to ‘ask anything’, he said: ‘You can say “this weekend with a group of five friends, I want outdoor seating, I want to be able to have barbecue, I want to be able to be walking distance to this music festival down the street”: It will handle all of that now.’
What would a Google search expert search?
Giving an example of something you can now search that was previously impossible, Mr Stein said: ‘You can take a picture of your bookshelf and ask something like, “here’s my bookshelf of books I’ve never read. What should I read?”
‘We have best in class visual recognition understanding. It will segment each book out, convert them to text, do all this research. It can put them in a table, put the reading time and number of pages next to each book, and sort the table by the ones that had, for example, the best overall review score.
How the search engine looked in 2021. So quaint (Picture: AP)
‘This is a question that literally you couldn’t even ask in Google a year ago, and now it just works.’
He said the difference between doing it in Google Search as opposed to asking any LLM, is that Google has built up a vast catalogue and knowledge of the web in its 27 years so far as a search engine.
What about other websites then?
If you can find so much information without leaving Google, websites which previously would have provided these details could lose out – and this is a concern.
Data from Digital Content Next last month showed traffic to ‘premium publishers’ was down 10% year-on-year over an eight week period, after AI overviews were rolled out. The Colombia Journalism Review went so far as to call it the ‘Traffic Apocalypse’.
Mr Stein didn’t agree that the search engine would become a dead end for users: ‘Google continues to send billions and billions and billions of clicks out to publishers and websites all over the world and we’re not seeing that changing.
An illustration of Google’s new Waltham Cross data centre in Hertfordshire, which opened last week (Picture: Google)
‘We don’t believe you should take anyone one’s word for anything: Google is about connecting you to the world and to the web.’
AI mode uses a new method of search called ‘query fan out’, which is when each manual search prompts dozens of related searches by AI.
With such major changes to the workings under the hood, I wondered what this would mean for SEO practices, and if key words would still be as important.
‘Best practices for creating great content that works well on search and that people want to find are still largely applicable,’ Mr Stein said.
Is old style search dying out?
Until now, the experience of using Google has not been that different to what it has been for years. You type your query in the box, and a ‘list of links’ comes back.
According to Mr Stein, this isn’t going away, and the new options are just ‘expanding’ the possibilities: ‘It just turns out that people had a lot more questions than that they were asking, and you can unlock those by enabling these kinds of AI experiences.’
Despite that, there will clearly be a move to push AI search more and more, and it’s already the default for some users in the US.
Writing on X, Mr Stein seemed to downplay the suggestion by another exec that AI mode could become the default ‘soon’.
wouldn’t read too much into this. we’re focusing on making it easy to access AI Mode for those who want it
The new Chrome browser will let users search in AI mode automatically from the ‘omnibox’ (that’s the web address bar to you and me).
But you can still do it the old school way tooat least for now.
Different ways to search
As well as AI mode, there has also been big growth in the numbers of people using visual search, with Google Lens, and Circle to Search, a feature on Android phones which allows users to look up anything on their screen by drawing a circle around it without switching apps, such as someone’s jacket they like on Instagram.
Google said visual searches are up 65% year-over-year, with more than 1.5 billion people using it every month for things such as translation and shopping.
Demand for visual search is not just within Google: Pinterest offers a similar option to search for specific aspects of an image within the app, allowing users to get inspired with parts of an outfit such as similar shoes, for example.
Younger users are the most likely to be branching out with different ways of searching; those aged 13 to 24 who have access to Circle to Search start their searches with this feature 10% of the time.
The doughnuts of hot gas circling black holes are the key to weighing them (Picture: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. da Silva/M. Zamani/University of Southampton/PA Wire)
With every planet, star and piece of cosmic dirt they eat, black holes grow larger and larger.
Supermassive black holes are where the equivalent of millions or even billions of suns have been squeezed into a ball and tend to be the centre of galaxies in our cosmic neighbourhood.
Black holes are often found at the centre of galaxies, like this one in M87 (Picture: National Science Foundation/Getty Images)
But ‘massive’ might be more accurate to say, humbling research has found.
Astronomers from the University of Southampton have been examining an infant galaxy 12 billion light-years away with a new telescope.
Together with European astronomers, they found that the supermassive black hole in the galaxy was 10 times smaller than expected, suggesting these space-time trapdoors are smaller than we think.
Well, by ‘smaller’, it was only the mass equal to 1billion suns.
‘Astronomers have this idea that galaxies and black holes grew together gradually, maybe with the galaxy even growing a bit faster than the black hole,’ he explains.
The edge of a black hole – the point of no return – is called an event horizon (Picture: Getty Images)
‘Now, the data collected over the past years has been questioning this understanding of cosmic evolution.
‘Why? Because it seemed like the supermassive black holes in these very early, infant galaxies were already fully grown after just about 1billion years after the Big Bang.’
This presented scientists with two head-scratchers, given that these giant cosmic mouths shouldn’t even exist, according to modern science.
‘The second issue: There shouldn’t have been enough time for them to grow that massive!’ Professor Hoenig adds.
‘Black hole growth has to obey some fundamental physical limits and getting to these masses within 1billion years is hard to make sense of.
‘So, cosmic evolution was really in a pickle.’
Scientists can weigh a black hole by looking at how the cosmic dust circling it impacts light (Picture: NASA/CXC/SAO et al/SWNS)
To help answer this, his team examined an ancient quasar, the shining cores of galaxies powered by supermassive black holes.
They got up close to it by using GRAVITY+, which combines the light of four of the world’s largest telescopes at the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile.
Usually, experts weigh a black hole by observing the dim clouds of gas and dust from the early universe that swirl around it.
Yet researchers found that the hot gas was partly being blasted away by the blinding light, rather than smoothly going down the early black hole’s gullet, preventing it from growing.
This is despite the black hole, discovered in 2024, being one of the most powerful in the universe and gobbling roughly one star’s worth of matter a day.
‘The galaxy we observed is quite typical of galaxies at this cosmic stage, which indicates that the simple, indirect method generally overestimates the mass massively,’ Professor Hoenig adds.
‘If we take this into account and revise masses down by the same amount, then most of the issues of how supermassive black holes can grow very massive very fast go away as they are actually much less massive.
Some experts suggest that black holes get so big after two combine (Picture: LIGO Laboratory/Reuters)
‘So, these observations seem like they resolve two cosmic puzzles that have been a focus of astronomical research over the past years.’
After all, a lot of our understanding of the universe and how we Earthlings came to be hinges on these fearsome gravitational monsters.
When you sleep on a mattress, you make it sag – this is what a black hole does to space-time. Rather than a mattress, though, it’s a matter that is collapsing endlessly to a point of infinite density known as a singularity.
You’d fall into its event horizon, the empty edges of the black hole, before being stretched into a noodle and mushed into its core.
Some scientists think you’d instead be sizzled by a ring of energy looping around a black hole, called a ‘firewall’. So event horizons aren’t exactly as empty as we first thought.
In other words, there are a lot of things we don’t know about these bottomless pits of nothingness.
‘They seem to influence much of what we see in the universe, from the very beginning to the galaxies we see today,’ Professor Hoenig says.
