Royal Navy on alert to escort essential fuel cargo to Scunthorpe after MPs vote to seize control of British Steel from Chinese owners
The Royal Navy could be deployed to deliver an essential fuel shipment to Scunthorpe’s blast furnaces after MPs voted to seize control of British Steel from Chinese owners. While the new law stopped short of nationalisation, Mr Reynolds said full state ownership 'remains on the table' and may be the 'likely option' for British Steel. He also accused the plant's owner of trying to shut down Britain's steel industry, saying Jingye, which bought British Steel in 2020, has 'irrevocably and unilaterally closed down primary steel making'. The Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act gives the Government the power to instruct steel companies in England to keep the plant open, with criminal penalties for executives if they fail to comply. But opposition MPs accused ministers of a 'botched nationalisation', with Conservative MP Alex Burghart saying the Government had made a 'total pig's breakfast' of saving British Steel.
Source:The Times
April 13, 2025 10:41 UTC
Masters star punished for breaking rules as officials issue statement
Min Woo Lee of Australia reacts on the fourth tee during the third round of the 2025 MastersAustralian golfer Min Woo Lee was handed a one-stroke penalty by Masters officials during the third round, capping off a challenging day for the PGA Tour star. The event boasts a substantial prize purse, with Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson set to earn significant amounts despite missing the cut. After assessing the situation, officials determined that Lee's actions had indeed caused the ball to move, resulting in a one-stroke penalty and ultimately leading to a bogey six on the hole. 13, Min Woo Lee asked for assistance after his ball moved on the fairway. "It was determined his actions near the ball did cause it to move and one penalty stroke was added to his score under Rule 9.4b."
Source:The Times
April 13, 2025 09:31 UTC
MPs demand explanation as colleague refused entry to Hong Kong
Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse told The Times newspaper she had arrived at Hong Kong airport on Thursday, where she was detained by security, questioned and then put on a flight back to the UK. Ms Hobhouse, a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac) that criticises Beijing’s handling of human rights, said she had been given no explanation for being refused entry to Hong Kong. Labour MP and Foreign Affairs Committee member Phil Brickell said: “That a British MP was barred from entry without any justification is unacceptable. Ms Hobhouse said: “I am the first MP to be refused entry on arrival to Hong Kong since 1997. “I hope the Foreign Secretary will recognise that this is an insult to all parliamentarians and seek answers from the Chinese ambassador.”
Source:The Times
April 13, 2025 09:05 UTC
What time is Rory McIlroy playing today? Masters final day tee times and pairings
A memorable Sunday at the 2025 Masters is in store, with Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau set to go head-to-head in their battle for victory. Both players are chasing a maiden green jacket, with the Northern Irishman two clear of his rival after moving to 12 under par on Saturday. Corey Connors is four off the lead on eight under par, with the likes of Patrick Reed and Ludvig Abgerg, both six under, still in contention. It’s set to be a night of tension and drama at Augusta National, with the support from the patrons likely to be divided between McIlroy and his LIV Golf rival. The final day will get underway shortly before 3pm, and you can follow it all live with Express Sport….
Source:The Times
April 13, 2025 09:02 UTC
Manchester United transfer news: Ruben Amorim's side lead chase for Lyon forward Rayan Cherki - Paper Talk
The top stories and transfer rumours from Sunday's newspapers...SUNDAY MIRRORManchester United are leading the chase for exciting Lyon forward Rayan Cherki. Image: Rayan Cherki (left) scored a stoppage-time equaliser for Lyon against Man Utd this weekChelsea are ready to do a £50m cash-plus-player deal to recapture Marc Guehi this summer. Cesc Fabregas has issued a hands-off warning to Manchester United over in-form 19-year-old Como winger Assane Diao. Image: Andre Onana's errors contributed to both of Lyon's goals against Man Utd earlier this weekSUN ON SUNDAYChelsea's owners have lost £1bn over the last two seasons despite the club posting profits. MAIL ON SUNDAYNewcastle will make a £62.5m move for Wolves forward Matheus Cunha this summer.
Source:The Times
April 13, 2025 08:18 UTC
Trump is giving Britain the chance to take back control
It’s time for the government to take back control — but this time to do it properly and mean it. Rather than wasting time discussing the rights and wrongs of reciprocal tariffs, we should focus unashamedly on the things that are within our control and that we can influence. We should no longer rely on the goodwill of an increasingly volatile US administration, or our traditional allies from Europe. In the mould of Dubai and Singapore, it’s time for us to set our own path and strike out as the open, trading superpower we once were. The UK has some of the brightest and best minds in the world — hungry to take risks, test existing standards and transform markets.
Source:The Times
April 13, 2025 08:02 UTC
UK government to take control of British Steel under emergency law
The UK government said it was taking control of Chinese-owned British Steel on Saturday after rushing an emergency law through parliament to avert the shutdown of the country's last factory that can make steel from scratch. The Times newspaper said British Steel workers had seen off a "delegation of Chinese executives" trying to enter critical parts of the works. Jingye bought British Steel in 2020 and says it has invested more than £1.2 billion ($1.5 billion) to maintain operations but is losing around £700,000 a day. British Steel has said US President Donald Trump's recent tariffs on the sector were partly to blame for the Scunthorpe plant's difficulties. British Steel has its roots as far back as the Industrial Revolution but took shape in 1967 when the Labour government nationalised the industry, which at the time employed nearly 270,000 people.
Source:The Times
April 13, 2025 05:28 UTC
In Pictures: Thousands of fans gather for Comic-Con Prague 2025
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Source:The Times
April 13, 2025 04:41 UTC
UK gangster owns up to west Delhi businessman's murder
Poll Should the police increase their efforts to track down hired shooters in gang-related crimes? New Delhi: Gangster Kapil Sangwan , who is based in the UK, claimed responsibility on Saturday for the murder of a real estate businessman in west Delhi's Paschim Vihar. They had conducted a recce earlier and knew that the victim used a Fortuner SUV. Around 7am, they ambushed the target and shot him dead.Meanwhile, in a social media post, Sangwan alleged the victim's association with rival gangster Mahal, attributing the shooting to this. Sangwan claimed that the victim and his brother worked for Mahal, illegally taking over plots on his behalf.
Source:The Times
April 13, 2025 04:31 UTC
F1 Bahrain GP 2025 LIVE: Qualifying start time, schedule, results and race start time
✕ Close Lewis Hamilton 'confident' that Ferrari can close gap to McLaren at Bahrain grand prixF1 returns to Sakhir this weekend for the Bahrain Grand Prix and round four of the 2025 F1 season. It was another difficult weekend for Ferrari in Suzuka, short of pace compared to the frontrunners, with Charles Leclerc finishing in fourth and Lewis Hamilton down in seventh, though the Brit hinted that a change is forthcoming to the SF-25 car. Now, the grid returns to Bahrain - where pre-season testing took place in February - for the second race in the Asian triple-header. Verstappen won last year’s race in Bahrain, leading home a Red Bull one-two. Follow live updates from the Bahrain Grand Prix with The Independent - qualifying starts at 5pm (BST).
Source:The Times
April 13, 2025 03:53 UTC
UK passes emergency law to save British Steel
“The most important thing is we’ve got control of the site, we can make the decisions about what happens, and that means that those blast furnaces will stay on,” he said. The Times newspaper said British Steel workers had seen off a “delegation of Chinese executives” trying to enter critical parts of the works.Police said officers attended the scene “following a suspected breach of the peace,” but no arrests were made. “They also refused a condition to keep the blast furnaces maintained.”Saturday’s legislation allowed for criminal sanctions and gave the government powers to take over assets if executives fail to comply with instructions to keep blast furnaces open. However, fierce competition from cheaper Asian steel has heaped pressure on Europe’s beleaguered industry in recent years. British Steel has its roots as far back as the Industrial Revolution but took shape in 1967 when the Labour government nationalised the industry, which at the time employed nearly 270,000 people.
Source:The Times
April 13, 2025 01:02 UTC
UK Parliament meets on rare Saturday to rescue Scunthorpe steel plant
This screen grab from PA video shows a view of the British Steel plant in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire. (AP)The strategic importance of steelThe financial strain and international factorsThe political responseHistorical context and steel industry declineA pivotal momentIn an extraordinary Saturday parliamentary debate, UK lawmakers discussed a government-backed emergency bill aimed at preventing the closure of the country's last steel plant that makes steel from scratch. The Scunthorpe plant, owned by Chinese firm Jingye , has been struggling financially and is at risk of shutting down, potentially decimating what remains of the UK’s steel industry.Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s administration is now poised to "take control" of the facility to keep the blast furnaces running. “Today's legislation will help ensure that we can retain that steel-making capability here in the UK, both now and for years to come. The company has stated that the Scunthorpe facility is no longer financially viable under its current operations.
Source:The Times
April 13, 2025 01:02 UTC
Check-in and boarding passes may be axed in airport rules
The change could mean that passengers will be able to upload their passports onto their phone and pass through airports using face verification. The privileges would be part of the ‘digital travel credential’ introduced by the ICAO, reports The Times. Boarding passes and check-ins could be scrapped at airportsIf the airport rule changes were to go through, it would mean passengers could download a ‘journey pass’ when booking flights, removing the need to check in and boarding passes. The ‘journey pass’ would update automatically if any changes are made to the booking, hoping to make travel easier. The Times reports that without check-ins, airlines will be told of passengers 'intention to fly when they arrive at the airport and their face is scanned.'
Source:The Times
April 13, 2025 00:32 UTC
UK’s rarest coin sells for nearly 300 times its face value after eBay bidding war – check your change
THE UK's most-wanted rare coin has sold for 292 times its face value after an intense bidding war on eBay. The collectable 50p coin is stamped with a Kew Gardens design and eventually went for £146 online. The Royal Mint website says: "Nothing gets people excited quite like this original 2009 design." There are hundreds of millions of 50p coins in circulation, so the odds of you coming across one of these are slim - but not impossible. Another extremely rare 50p coin was up for sale for a staggering 10,000 times its face value.
Source:The Times
April 12, 2025 21:02 UTC
The six surprising UK attractions that overseas tourists can’t get enough of
Where to stay The smart and central No 12 Hotel and Bistro in North Berwick (B&B doubles from £170; no12hotelandbistro.co.uk)2. Where to stay The revamped Harbour Hotel in Padstow (B&B doubles from £135; harbourthotels.co.uk)• Read our full guide to Cornwall3. Where to stay The rustic and highly rated Saltmarsh Farmhouse and Café, within the Seven Sisters Country Park (B&B doubles from £190; saltmarshfarmhouse.co.uk)Advertisement5. So it’s no wonder that so many overseas visitors head to the designer-outlet shops at the purpose-built Bicester Village instead. Where to stay The boutiquey Lion at Bicester, a short drive from Bicester Village (B&B doubles from £106; thelionbicester.co.uk)Are there any unlikely tourist attractions in the UK that we’ve missed?
Source:The Times
April 12, 2025 20:31 UTC