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.

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.'

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.

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?

Keith Kellogg, U.S. President Donald Trump's Special Envoy to Ukraine, suggested British and French troops could adopt zones of control in the country, in an interview with The Times newspaper published Saturday. He suggested that a demilitarized zone could be implemented along the existing lines of control in eastern Ukraine, The Times said. To make sure that British, French, Ukrainian and other allied forces do not exchange fire with Russian troops, Kellogg said a buffer zone would be needed. In discussions of partitioning, I was referencing areas or zones of responsibility for an allied force (without U.S. troops). Kellogg said relations between Ukraine and the United States were now "back on track", citing resumed talks over a proposed deal on Ukraine's mineral resources.

Ulster University staff at the Times Higher Education Awards ceremony in Birmingham where UU was crowned University of the YearUlster University took 32 members of staff to a higher education awards ceremony in Birmingham at a cost of more than £24k, it can be revealed. A trade union has said it was unaware of the high spend, adding that UU should prioritise staffing and student support during “difficult financial times” across the higher education sector.

US Special Rep Kellogg: The Times article misrepresents what I said regarding areas of responsibility in UkraineGeneral Keith Kellogg, President Trump's special envoy to Ukraine, said an article in the British ezine The Times distorted his words about the possible division of Ukraine, he wrote on his Facebook page on Saturday. “The Times article misrepresents what I said. In discussions of partitioning, I was referencing areas or zones of responsibility for an allied force (without US troops). I was NOT referring to a partitioning of Ukraine,” Kellogg stressed. Earlier, The Times reported that US Special Representative Keith Kellogg allowed for the possibility of deploying British and French troops in western Ukraine as part of the so-called pacification force after the ceasefire.

The British government moved swiftly on Saturday to take control of operations at the country’s last large crude steel producing facility, in what appeared to be a major step toward nationalizing the plant. In an unusual and dramatic move, the government had summoned lawmakers back from vacation on Saturday to approve the government’s emergency legislation. The government said it was acting to prevent the owners of the British Steel complex in Scunthorpe, a Chinese company called Jingye, from taking steps unilaterally to close the blast furnaces, potentially costing 2,700 jobs.

Trump envoy suggests ‘zones of control’ in UkraineAFP, LONDONKeith Kellogg, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, suggested British and French troops could adopt zones of control in the country, in an interview with The Times newspaper published yesterday. He suggested that a demilitarized zone could be implemented along the existing lines of control in eastern Ukraine, The Times said. “You have a ... DMZ that you can monitor, and you’ve got this... no-fire zone,” Kellogg said. Kellogg admitted that Russian President Vladimir Putin “might not accept” the proposal. London and Paris describe the possible deployment as a “reassurance force” aimed at offering Ukraine some kind of security guarantee.

“It’s your jobs, your lives, your communities, your families.”Relief swept the town, even spilling into Scunthorpe United’s soccer match, where steelworkers were welcomed on the field with cheers. The local club’s nickname, “The Iron,” stands as a tribute to the town's industrial roots.The blast furnaces are not just vital to Scunthorpe — they represent the UK’s last capacity to produce steel from raw materials. He accused Jingye of making “excessive” demands during negotiations and warned that without intervention, the company was on track to “irrevocably and unilaterally” shut down primary steelmaking.Though the new law does not nationalize British Steel, Reynolds acknowledged that a future transfer of ownership to the state remains on the table. It also raises uncertainty over Jingye’s role going forward. Should the company fail to comply with the law, it and its executives could face legal action.British Steel, acquired by Jingye in 2020, has yet to comment on how it will respond to the government’s move.

More infoWe have reached the halfway stage of the US Masters and Rory McIlroy is bang in contention. Friday's blistering round of six-under-par helped erase the late double bogeys in Thursday's opening round. McIlroy is trying to win a first ever Masters title, and complete the career grand slam. The top two on the leaderboard - Rose and DeChambeau - will tee off at 7.40pmIreland's Shane Lowry gets his third round under way at 7.20pm alongside Matt McCarty. Scottie Scheffler underwhelmed with a second-round 71, seeing the defending champion drift from 21/10 favourite out to 15/4.

Huxley Marshall works hard and plays hard. Just 12 years old, he has made £350 over the past year from self-taught barbering, cutting the hair of friends (and friends’ dads) at £8 a chop. Huxley is a rugby enthusiast, so when the team at his Wimbledon school were looking for a haircut to match their on-field prowess, the choice was an obvious one: the mullet. “Our team is planning on bringing the mullet back for rugby season,” he says. When I play someone with a mullet, I think they’re tough — it gives me that vibe that they don’t really care.

Ukraine could be divided like Berlin after the Second World War, Donald Trump’s envoy to the war-torn nation has said. “You could almost make it look like what happened with Berlin after the Second World War, when you had a Russian zone, a French zone, and a British zone, a US zone,” he told The Times, before clarifying that the US would not provide any ground troops under this scenario. The proposal would require Ukraine to cede control of its eastern territories, which are currently under Russian control. Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly voiced opposition to relinquishing land to Russia without Nato protection for its remaining territories. “Ukraine will never recognise territories that are occupied by Russia as Russian territory.

Write to letters@thetimes.co.ukSir, We are in danger of fatally underestimating the significance of President Trump’s decision to suspend his tariffs (“Trump puts the brakes on tariffs for 90 days”, news, Apr 10; “Unknown territory”, leading article, Apr 11). Bond investors (the world’s canary in a coalmine) were dumping Treasury bonds, but not simply to cover losses. This was also the day investors lost confidence in America — a profound shift. President Trump’s trade war is causing a fundamental reassessment of the US economy and its financial markets. Investors will demand higher returns for buying Treasury bonds, which means higher borrowing costs for an economy already

What are the start times for the Bahrain GP race this Sunday, April 13th? The Bahrain GP race weekend is spelling a disastrous story for Red Bull. Bahrain Grand Prix 2025 Start TimesFormula 1 has already released the official schedule for the race on their website. Bahrain Grand Prix 2025 Start Times UKThe Bahrain GP will be streamed for the viewers in UK from 3:00 PM according to GMT time zone. Bahrain Grand Prix 2025 Start Times USIn the USA, viewers can watch Bahrain GP from 11:00 AM as per the Eastern Time zone.