Government takes control of British Steel under emergency law
The plant, owned by Chinese company Jingye, was facing imminent shutdown. Prime minister Keir Starmer said the government "stepped in to save British Steel" to prevent its blast furnaces from going out.
An aerial view of Steel Plant Industry in Scunthorpe. (Photo: iStock)
THE UK government has taken control of British Steel after passing emergency legislation to stop the closure of the country’s last factory capable of producing steel from raw materials.
The plant, owned by Chinese company Jingye, was facing imminent shutdown. Prime minister Keir Starmer said the government "stepped in to save British Steel" to prevent its blast furnaces from going out.
Parliament met on Saturday in a rare weekend session and passed the law without opposition.
The measure allows the government to take over the Scunthorpe site, which employs several thousand people and produces steel used in construction and rail transport.
The government considered the possible closure a threat to Britain’s long-term economic security, following a steady decline in the domestic steel industry.
Officials were prepared to take over the site on Saturday evening after the emergency bill became law, UK media reported.
Following the law’s approval, Starmer said the government was "turning the page on a decade of decline" and "acting to protect the jobs of thousands of workers." He added, "all options are on the table to secure the future of the industry," after a minister said nationalisation could be a likely next step.
Earlier in the day, Starmer travelled to the region and told steelworkers gathered in a village hall near the site that the move was "in the national interest". He called the action "pretty unprecedented" and said it would help secure "a future for steel" in the UK.
"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 decision followed protests at the site and reports that workers blocked executives from Chinese owners Jingye from entering key parts of the plant on Saturday morning.
Delegation turned away
The Times reported that British Steel workers prevented a "delegation of Chinese executives" from accessing critical parts of the plant. Police confirmed that officers were present "following a suspected breach of the peace," but no arrests were made.
Nationalisation remains possible
When asked in parliament whether the company would be nationalised, business and trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds said that while Saturday’s law did not transfer ownership, state ownership "remains on the table" and may be the "likely option".
He clarified that the legislation gives the government limited powers for now, and any transfer of ownership would need to be dealt with later.
Reynolds said no private company had come forward to invest in the plant. Jingye, which bought British Steel in 2020, has said it is not financially viable to continue running the two blast furnaces, putting up to 2,700 jobs at risk.
The company says it has invested more than £1.2 billion in operations but is losing around £700,000 a day.
Reynolds said "the effective market value of this company is zero," and that Jingye had suggested continuing operations in the UK by supplying slab steel from China.
The government has faced criticism from the opposition Conservative Party over how it handled the talks. Some left-wing politicians and unions have also pushed for full nationalisation.
Reynolds said the government had offered to buy raw materials to keep operations going, without any financial loss to Jingye, but the company refused.
He said Jingye demanded that the UK "transfer hundreds of millions of pounds to them, without any conditions to stop that money and potentially other assets being immediately transferred to China". Jingye also rejected a condition to maintain the blast furnaces.
The new law gives the government power to take control of assets and enforce compliance with orders to keep the blast furnaces running, including the possibility of criminal sanctions.
Emergency session and industry pressures
An aerial view of the British Steel Scunthorpe site on September 13, 2024. (Photo: Getty Images)
An aerial view of the British Steel Scunthorpe site on September 13, 2024. (Photo: Getty Images)
Saturday’s session of parliament was the first held on a weekend since the Falklands War in 1982. MPs had left for Easter recess on Tuesday and were not due back until April 22.
The Scunthorpe site is now the UK’s last virgin steel plant — one that uses raw materials instead of recycled steel — after Tata’s Port Talbot plant closed its blast furnace last year.
British Steel has partly blamed its problems on tariffs introduced by US President Donald Trump. The company, along with others in Europe, has also been under pressure from cheaper steel imports from Asia.
British Steel traces its origins back to the Industrial Revolution and was officially formed in 1967 when the Labour government nationalised the steel industry, which then employed nearly 270,000 people.
Sony has added Another Crab’s Treasure to its PlayStation Plus games library for free, offering the 2024 title to Extra and Premium tier subscribers. The announcement leaves PS Plus Essential users, the base-level tier of the subscription, out of the offer.
Another Crab’s Treasure is now available to download at no extra cost for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium members. Developed by Aggro Crab, the game launched on 25 April 2024 and marks the studio’s second title after Going Under in 2020.
The Soulslike action-adventure has received positive feedback, earning Metacritic scores up to 82 and a PlayStation Store user rating of 4.46 out of 5, based on nearly 3,000 reviews. In the game, players control Kril, a hermit crab who uses underwater trash as armour to survive against oversized enemies.
The official description reads: “As Kril the hermit crab, you’ll need to wear the trash around you as shells to withstand attacks from enemies many times your size. Embark on an epic treasure hunt to buy back your repossessed shell, and discover the dark secrets behind the polluted ocean.”
- YouTubeYouTube/ PlayStation
The game is expected to take between 14 and 22 hours to complete, depending on the player’s style and experience. It is only available on PS5, with no version for PS4.
The title usually sells for £24.99 but is now free for eligible PS Plus subscribers. However, Sony has not confirmed how long Another Crab’s Treasure will remain part of the PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium catalogues.
This latest update forms part of Sony’s ongoing effort to offer more recent and diverse titles to its higher-tier PS Plus members. PS Plus Extra and Premium plans include a broader and regularly updated game library, while the Essential tier continues to offer a more limited monthly selection and core multiplayer access.
Players interested in trying Another Crab’s Treasure through PlayStation Plus are advised to download the game while it remains available. Further updates and listings can be found on the official PlayStation blog and PS Store.
By clicking the 'Subscribe’, you agree to receive our newsletter, marketing communications and industry partners/sponsors sharing promotional product information via email and print communication from Garavi Gujarat Publications Ltd and subsidiaries. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in our emails. We will use your email address to personalize our communications and send you relevant offers. Your data will be stored up to 30 days after unsubscribing.
NatWest has slimmed down in recent years and focused on retail banking and on UK businesses.
THE BRITISH government said on Friday it had sold its last stake in the NatWest banking group, ending a state rescue that began in 2008 when the bank was at risk during the global financial crisis.
The "final share sale ends nearly 17 years of public ownership," the treasury department said in a statement.
It said the decision to invest £45.5 billion of taxpayers' money into the 2008–2009 rescue of what was then the Royal Bank of Scotland was to protect the national economy.
"That intervention prevented the UK economy and financial system from going over the edge — protecting millions of savers, businesses and jobs," it said.
Finance minister Rachel Reeves said: "That was the right decision then to secure the economy and NatWest's return to private ownership turns the page on a significant chapter in this country’s history."
The government stake in the bank, which was renamed NatWest in 2020, had dropped from 84.4 per cent at the time of the rescue to under 50 per cent in 2022.
The current Labour government, which took power in July last year, had said it would continue with the divestment. The stake dropped to 15 per cent in October, then fell under one per cent in mid-May.
The government did not recover its entire investment. So far, £35 billion has been returned through share sales, dividends and fees.
"While this is around £10.5 billion less than the original support, the alternative would have been a collapse with far greater economic costs and social consequences," the economic secretary to the treasury, Emma Reynolds, said.
NatWest has slimmed down in recent years and focused on retail banking and on UK businesses.
After years of losses, it reported a profit in 2017, before moving back into the red during the Covid pandemic. It returned to profit in 2021.
ASIAN billionaire Zuber Issa has made a strategic investment in Duckhams, the British oil and lubricants brand founded 126 years ago.
The investment values the Bolton-based company at around £50 million, reports said.
Duckhams employs 100 people and operates from its headquarters in Greater Manchester.
Zuber, who co-led the £6.8 billion purchase of Asda in 2021, plans to expand Duckhams across new markets and channels while investing in research and development to meet demands from modern engines and industrial machinery.
He said, “Duckhams is a brand with an extraordinary legacy and immense growth potential. I am confident the brand will resonate with customers both in the United Kingdom and globally given car manufacturers are producing more efficient vehicles that need premium grade oils and fuels.
“By investing in innovation, sustainability, and strategic market expansion, we can ensure Duckhams can establish itself to be a leader in the lubricant sector for years to come.”
Zuber sold his 22.5 per cent stake in Asda last year to focus on his petrol station business EG On The Move. He and his brother Mohsin built their forecourt empire from a single site in Bury and are estimated to be worth £6bn.
Mike Bewsey, global chief executive at Duckhams, said the latest investment showed confidence in the brand and its longterm vision.
“Zuber is a very successful entrepreneur and has a proven track record and strategic insights that will be invaluable as we scale our business both in the UK and globally,” Bewsey said. “This partnership opens exciting new possibilities for Duckhams.”
The investment comes as EG On The Move continues expanding its forecourt network. In January, the company completed the purchase of almost 100 sites from service station operator Applegreens, bringing its total to 151 petrol stations and 209 foodservice locations.
Alexander Duckham founded the oil company in 1899, and it became known for lubricant innovations including Europe’s first multigrade oil in 1951.
Keep ReadingShow less
The controversy centres on the city’s reported defence level of 99.9783%
Helldivers 2 has experienced a dramatic surge in negative Steam reviews, with over 2,600 posted on 29 May alone, representing a 40-fold increase compared to just two days earlier. The sharp rise in complaints comes amid accusations from players, particularly in China, that the game developer Arrowhead Game Studios is manipulating the in-game Galactic War narrative and misleading players through mistranslation in the Chinese version of the game.
Prior to the review spike, Helldivers 2 had maintained relatively stable feedback, with just 62 negative reviews logged on 27 May. However, tensions escalated as players began to question the integrity of the ongoing in-game conflict, specifically the defence of a strategic city called Equality-On-Sea. This city has been dubbed "Super China" by the community due to its resemblance to Shanghai (which translates as "upon the sea").
The controversy centres on the city’s reported defence level of 99.9783%, a figure which has since become a rallying cry among frustrated players. Despite near-total success in defending the location, the game did not register it as fully liberated, leading many to accuse Arrowhead of scripting the outcomes to push the Galactic War storyline in a pre-determined direction.
Further fuelling the discontent is a widely reported mistranslation in the Chinese version of the game. According to multiple sources, including a detailed post from a level 150 Chinese player known as Valkyri_Yukikaze, the Chinese localisation mistakenly suggested that the city could be completely reclaimed through player effort. In reality, game mechanics require the city to remain contested as part of the larger Illuminate invasion narrative. The confusion has led to feelings of betrayal among some Chinese players who believed they had been misled.
Arrowhead has introduced a dynamic war system in Helldivers 2, with player actions supposedly shaping the direction of the game’s storyline. However, some community members are now questioning whether outcomes are genuinely influenced by collective performance, or if major narrative beats are being enforced regardless of player actions. One theory posits that the game was always designed to culminate in a climactic battle for Prosperity City, regardless of earlier mission outcomes.
The controversy also sheds light on the broader challenge of managing a global gaming audienceArrowhead Game Studios
This theory is supported by patterns observed in the game’s progression, where despite significant player contributions, key objectives appear to remain just out of reach. While many players understand that a game master (GM) figure may guide the story to maintain pacing and drama, the suggestion that developer interference is overriding actual player results has caused backlash, particularly when it appears to conflict with transparent game design.
The 99.9783% figure has become symbolic of this debate. Although the number initially represented the defence progress of Equality-On-Sea, it has since been used in numerous reviews and forum discussions as evidence that the game is not accurately reflecting player effort. In Chinese gaming forums and across Reddit, players have accused Arrowhead of "cooking the numbers" to fabricate tension.
Some commentators, however, have pushed back against the criticism, suggesting that the misunderstandings stem from a lack of familiarity with how war mechanics function within the game. They argue that Helldivers 2, like many live-service titles, incorporates elements of persistent conflict, where cities can remain under threat despite overwhelming success, in order to preserve gameplay longevity and narrative tension.
As of now, Arrowhead Game Studios has not issued a formal response to the review spike or the allegations of misleading translations. The lack of communication has left portions of the player base feeling ignored, while others await clarification. Meanwhile, the Steam reviews continue to pour in, many of them referencing the contested nature of Equality-On-Sea and the perceived manipulation of the war effort.
Despite the controversy, Helldivers 2 continues to maintain a substantial player base, and many users remain engaged with the game’s cooperative missions and evolving warfront. Still, the incident highlights the fragility of player trust in live-service games, particularly when localisation errors and perceived narrative interference converge.
The controversy also sheds light on the broader challenge of managing a global gaming audience. Miscommunications arising from localisation mistakes can escalate quickly in tightly-knit gaming communities, especially when combined with high emotional investment and competitive in-game stakes.
The developer's next steps could prove crucial. Whether through improved communication, transparency about narrative direction, or localisation updates, Arrowhead’s response will likely shape the future relationship with its player base. Until then, the 99.9783% saga continues to be a point of contention, emblematic of broader concerns about authenticity and fairness in player-driven storytelling.
Keep ReadingShow less
The JLR sales network is currently spread across 21 cities in India, through 25 authorised outlets
JAGUAR LAND ROVER aims to double its business in India over the next three or four years amid plans to bolster its product portfolio and sales network, atop company executive said.
With the Indian luxury car market expected to grow at a steady pace over the next few years, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) India is bullish on growth prospects in that market.
JLR India managing director Rajan Amba said demand and appreciation for bespoke or differentiated car models remain high in India.
“Clearly, there’s a vacuum or a demand that we are kind of meeting and fulfilling and we have not even hit our peak running speed,” Amba said in Gaydon, Warwickshire.
The automaker, owned by India’s Tata Motors, has a natural demand potential for excess of 8,000 units per year having already crossed the 6,000 annual sales mark in FY25, he said.
“And therefore, we expect that in the next 3-4 years, we should be able to double our business in the country both in terms of volumes and revenue,” Amba added.
Jaguar Land Rover India reported its best-ever performance in a fiscal with retail sales of 6,183 units in FY25, a growth of 40 per cent over FY24. Similarly, dispatches to dealers rose 39 per cent year-on-year to 6,266 units last fiscal.
Amba said the company would expand its product range as well as sales network to grow its business in the country.
“We plan to double our sales network to around 50 outlets by 2030,” he said. New dealerships are planned for Rajkot, Goa and Nagpur in western India.
The JLR sales network is currently spread across 21 cities in India, through 25 authorised outlets. JLR India currently sells Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Velar, Range Rover Evoque, Defender, Discovery and Discovery Sport in the country.
Earlier this year, Range Rover announced manufacture in India of the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models.
JLR’s FY25 revenue remained flat at £29 billion. Its fourthquarter revenue stood at £7.7bn, a dip of 1.7 per cent year on year.
The company said in April 2025, it implemented a series of short-term actions to address the immediate impact of trade tariffs introduced by the US administration on the global automotive sector. JLR has lined up an investment spend of £18bn over a five-year period and the automaker aims to develop growth strategies for its four brands: Jaguar, Range Rover, Discovery, and Defender.