Ed Miliband encouraged Chinese involvement in key parts of the UK’s critical infrastructure less than a month before the government wrested control of British Steel from its Beijing shareholders. The energy secretary heralded how “two-way trade and investment can bring mutually beneficial results” and signed an agreement promising “close co-operation” with Beijing in sectors including battery energy storage and offshore wind power during a visit to the country last month, The Times can reveal. Miliband signed a memorandum of understanding on a “clean energy partnership”, the first update to the agreement since the golden era of relations between China and Britain a decade ago. It outlined co-operation in key areas including the power grid, battery storage and offshore wind power. Ministers have taken direct control of British Steel’s Scunthorpe site ADAM VAUGHAN/EPAFresh doubts have been cast

A physiotherapist admitted to the claim that the hospital offered a makeshift pillow during her stay.Claire Sapwell, a 53-year-old physiotherapist from Cromer, was admitted twice in recent weeks. During her stay, on both occasions, she was given two towels stuffed into a pillowcase as a substitute.According to an EDP 24 report, Sapwell said it was utterly ridiculous that there were no pillows available. Previously in 2022, patients were given rolled blankets after they were left without a pillow. However, because of strict rules, these are not always accepted.A: The hospital has acknowledged that pillows often go missing and are frequently re-ordered. In the meantime, staff are providing makeshift alternatives to ensure some comfort for patients.A: While some have suggested donations, the hospital has stated this is unnecessary.

Among those steps, announced that Tuesday in 1975, was an increase in the basic rate of income tax. Mr Healey also raised almost all the other, multiple, rates of income tax. Only the top 83 per cent rate was left unchanged. More and more people have been dragged into higher rates of income tax. It is there because effective tax rates on, and tax takes from, high earners and corporate profits are at record levels.

UKGC began probe after poll announcementLive EventsParty spokesperson says charged staffers suspendedA tricky time for political betting? Meanwhile, a spokesperson of Conservative Party confirmed that charged staffers of the party were suspended. They added that the party, which is now under new leadership, is cooperating with the Gambling Commission.The UK betting scandal has spotlighted the ethical minefield of political betting, the SBC report stated. The incident has raised debate on whether political betting should be permitted at all and if such markets could remain credible given the volume of sensitive information available to insiders.On the contrary, political betting has been prohibited across all US states. A person found guilty could face two-year prison time or a fineUSA states outlaw political betting to discourage manipulation and ethical dilemmas.

Beijing warned Britain on Monday against "politicising" an unfolding spat over the future of Chinese-owned British Steel after legislation was approved to prevent the shutdown of the last British factory that can make steel from scratch. A spokesman for China's foreign ministry urged the British government on Monday to "avoid politicising trade cooperation or linking it to security issues, so as not to impact the confidence of Chinese enterprises in going to the UK". BEIJING: Beijing warned Britain on Monday against "politicising" an unfolding spat over the future of Chinese-owned British Steel after legislation was approved to prevent the shutdown of the last British factory that can make steel from scratch.The UK government rushed urgent legislation through parliament on Saturday to stop the blast furnaces at British Steel's plant in the northern English town of Scunthorpe from being turned off.The move came after owners Jingye said it was no longer financially viable to keep them burning.Britain's Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds later said London had been "naive" to let the Chinese firm take over part of the sensitive steel industry.A spokesman for China's foreign ministry urged the British government on Monday to "avoid politicising trade cooperation or linking it to security issues, so as not to impact the confidence of Chinese enterprises in going to the UK". "When it comes to the operational difficulties currently faced by British Steel, the two sides should negotiate a solution on the basis of mutual benefit," Lin Jian told a regular news briefing in Beijing.Beijing hopes London will "treat Chinese businesses that have invested and operate in the UK fairly and justly, (and) protect their legitimate and lawful rights and interests".Jingye, one of the world's biggest steel firms, is "a Chinese private enterprise that has undertaken cooperation with the British side based on market principles", Lin said.The company bought British Steel in 2020 and says it has invested more than £1.2 billion ($1.6 billion) to maintain operations but was losing around £700,000 a day.

Plans have been submitted for the installation of a World War 2 Hamilton Picket Fort Structure next to the Hudson Bomber, on the Silloth Green. The Hudson Bomber was first unveiled on the green in 2018, to celebrate the 100th birthday of the Royal Air Force and the town’s involvement in WW2. Now the Silloth Tourism Action Group are hoping to display a Hamilton Pickett Fort next to the statue, after it was excavated from Silloth Airfield, and is one of only 48 that exist in the UK. In a statement supporting the plans, the applicant said: "Silloth Tourism Action Group are wanting to display a World War 2 Hamilton Pickett Fort next to the Hudson Bomber on Criffel Street Green, post code CA7 4DQ. "This has been excavated from Silloth Airfield and is one of only 48 that exist in the UK (there are 2 others underground on Silloth Airfield).

THE SUNCrystal Palace are plotting a sensational swoop for Marcus Rashford if Aston Villa do not sign him at the end of the season. Image: Marcus Rashford celebrates after opening the scoring for Aston Villa at BrightonNewcastle are weighing up a swoop for Greek wonderkid Konstantinos Karetsas. Sir Jim Ratcliffe could lean on his Formula 1 connections to try and bring Manchester United back into pole position. DAILY MIRRORFormer Manchester United captain Roy Keane claimed Arsenal would storm to the Premier League title if they had Liverpool star Mohamed Salah at their disposal. Manchester United and Liverpool already had eyes on the Greek starlet, but Newcastle are now threatening to spoil the party with a bid of their own.

“The case is, in many respects, an old-school media libel action resurrected into a newly complicated defamation landscape,” University of Utah law professor RonNell Andersen Jones told the New York Times. open image in gallery Sarah Palin is getting another shot at the New York Times in a defamation lawsuit. The Times’ attorneys argued that the error was an honest mistake, and Rakoff initially dismissed the lawsuit before it reached trial. After the appeal court’s decision, the legal teams for the Times and Palin held talks about settling the case. At the same time, though, the case is taking place in New York after the state passed a lawstrengthening and expanding press freedoms.

China has warned the UK against politicising the British Steel crisis. On Sunday, Jonathan Reynolds, the Business Secretary, accused Beijing of trying to shut down the British steel industry by switching off the furnaces to make the UK reliant on Chinese stocks. Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in London said: “We are following closely the developments of British Steel involving the Chinese private company. “It is an objective fact that British steel companies have generally encountered difficulties in recent years. Thanks to the work of those at British Steel, and in my department, we have moved decisively to secure the raw materials we need to help save British Steel.

The British government ramped up actions to help protect businesses and households from some of the economic tumult created by President Trump’s decision to raise tariffs and upend the norms of global trade. The government said on Sunday it would suspend tariffs on 89 products for about two years to help businesses and consumers save money. The products include those for construction, such as plywood and plastics, and everyday household items, such as pasta and fruit juices. Officials will also increase financing support for exporters by 20 billion pounds ($26 billion), through partial loan guarantees, and give small businesses access to loans of up to £2 million. Officials have said they want to move quickly to support companies as they try to sustain fragile economic momentum.

A MURDERER who stabbed his neighbour 20 times has been killed by another prisoner in jail, it is understood. John Mansfield was jailed in 2007 for the brutal attack on his neighbour Ann Alfanso, 63. On Sunday, Mansfield was attacked by another prisoner and died despite the efforts of prison staff, The Daily Telegraph reports. A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “Police are investigating the death of prisoner John Mansfield at HMP Whitemoor on Sunday, April 13. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”Mansfield had 75 prior convictions and was serving a life sentence for the brutal attack on Ann Alfanso.

[LONDON] UK officials are rushing to secure the raw materials needed to keep Britain’s last primary steel manufacturer running, with other businesses offering to provide help. The government said on Monday (Apr 14) that dozens of companies, including Tata and Rainham Steel, have offered raw materials and managerial support to help keep the British Steel plant in Scunthorpe going. On Sunday, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds refused to confirm whether the government can get enough raw materials to keep the furnaces running. He said that British Steel had made a £233 million (S$402 million) loss in its latest accounts. These included refusing new raw materials and selling supplies it already had.

Photo credit- APChina has warned the UK government to treat the Chinese owners of British Steel fairly or risk undermining investor confidence in the country, two days after British authorities took control of the company.China’s Foreign Ministry made the comment on Monday as government-appointed managers raced to prevent British Steel from shutting down the last two blast furnaces in Britain that make so-called virgin steel from raw materials.Parliament on Saturday passed legislation authorizing the government to take control of the company and its Scunthorpe steelworks from Jingye Group , which has owned British Steel since 2020. Jingye still owns the company but British authorities have taken control of day-to-day operations.“We hope the British government treats Chinese enterprises investing and operating in the U.K. fairly and justly, protects their legitimate rights and interests, and avoids politicizing and over-securitizing economic and trade cooperation, so as not to affect the confidence of Chinese enterprises in investing and cooperating in the U.K.,” Foreign Ministry spokeperson Lin Jian said during the weekly press conference in Beijing.The U.K. government on Monday installed a new executive team at British Steel with the aim of ensuring “consistent and professional leadership” of the Scunthorpe works in northeastern England, British Steel said in a statement.Two longtime British Steel executives, Allan Bell and Lisa Coulson, were named as the company’s interim chief executive and chief commercial officer. The appointments were approved by Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds.Bell, who has worked at Scunthorpe for 14 years, said his main goal was to ensure continued steel production at the plant.“Our immediate priorities are securing the raw materials we need to continue blast furnace operations, ensuring we have the dedicated personnel to run those furnaces, and maintaining the highest levels of health and safety for our workforce,” Bell said in the statement.Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday took the dramatic step of recalling Parliament from its spring recess to pass emergency legislation authorizing the government to take control of British Steel. Authorities were concerned about the plant’s future after Jingye stopped ordering the iron ore and coking coal needed to keep the furnaces operating.Once blast furnaces are shut down, it is difficult and expensive to restart them, raising concerns that Britain might lose the ability to make high-quality virgin steel needed by builders and railroads as the government tries to spur economic growth. Other British steelmakers are already in the process of shifting to electric arc furnaces that make steel from scrap metal.

Together, these powerhouses are spearheading an effort to ramp up the country’s hydrogen production capacity to 1GW by 2030—a move projected to slash carbon dioxide emissions by one million tonnes yearly. It dovetails with the government’s recently announced shortlist of 27 electrolytic hydrogen projects, part of an overarching roadmap to build a robust, low-carbon hydrogen economy. Establish regionally targeted hydrogen production hubs that stimulate local economies while feeding directly into the national gas grid. Regarding economic ripple effects, HySpeed is expected to generate £2 billion in annual Gross Value Added (GVA)—driven mainly by new hydrogen production facilities and the growth of localised supply chains. “Comprising all elements of the hydrogen value chain from production to storage, transport and distribution, the initiative aims to locate green hydrogen generation in strategic locations across the UK.

Seamus Maguire, who was 29 and from Aghagallon near the Co Armagh town of Lurgan, was murdered and secretly buried by republican paramilitaries during the mid 1970s. He is one of four people whose remains are still being searched for by the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains (ICLVR). The ICLVR has issued a fresh appeal in Mr Maguire’s case, as it revealed it did not yet have sufficient information to identify any potential search site. Mark Pickard, who heads up the Seamus Maguire investigation, said that work has been ongoing on the case since it was referred to the commission by the Police Service of Northern Ireland in 2022. “With this appeal we are issuing a photograph of Seamus which we hope might jog someone’s memory and move us on.