16 h. ago BBC Antiques Roadshow guest flustered as expert probes her on vital detail of valuable lantern

BBC Antiques Roadshow expert Lars Tharp was on hand to offer a valuation on a valuable Chinese lantern, while the owner was left red-faced by his probing question

Culture

28 h. ago Nominee for South Carolina's top doctor toppled by lingering COVID anger

A South Carolina Senate committee has rejected the Republican governor's nominee to be the state’s top doctor after hearings dominated by the state's response to the COVID pandemic

Science

36 h. ago Luton airport expansion given green light by Government despite advice to reject plan

Luton was the UK’s fifth busiest airport last year, with 16.9 million passengers travelling on 132,000 flights

Politics

66 h. ago Trump to consider final proposal on TikTok future as US ban deadline looms

Owner ByteDance required to find non-Chinese buyer for video app’s American operations by SaturdayDonald Trump is preparing to consider a final proposal to decide the future of TikTok before a deadline for the app to find a non-Chinese buyer or face a US ban.The US vice-president, JD Vance, the commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, the national security adviser, Mike Waltz, and the director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, will meet in the Oval Office on Wednesday to discuss the issue, Reuters reported. Continue reading...

Politics

66 h. ago Trump to consider final proposal on TikTok as US ban deadline looms

Owner ByteDance required to find non-Chinese buyer for video app’s American operations by SaturdayDonald Trump will consider a “final proposal” over the sale of TikTok’s US operations on Wednesday, according to reports, as a Saturday deadline looms for the Chinese-controlled app to find a buyer.The White House is finalising plans for a deal involving US investors, possibly including the tech firm Oracle and the private equity firm Blackstone, CBS News reported. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: If Net Zero nutjob Ed Miliband gets his way, will the last factory worker in Britain turn off the lights...

The Government is considering using emergency powers to renationalise British Steel and save the Scunthorpe works from closure.

Culture

4 d. ago British Steel’s auditors warn of ‘material uncertainty’ as it battles to survive

Company had £736mn of debt at end of 2023, much of it from entities controlled by its Chinese parent Jingye

Events

4 d. ago Louisiana voters reject constitutional amendments championed by Republican governor

Louisiana voters soundly rejected four constitutional amendments championed by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry related to crime, courts and finances

Politics

4 d. ago British Steel blames outages and costs for losses after owner rejects deal

The company said challenging trading conditions impacted its profitability in 2023, in its latest annual results published on Monday.

Economics

7 d. ago Government urged to nationalise British Steel if deal cannot be reached

The company has reportedly rejected a £500 million Government offer to help its transition.

Politics

8 d. ago Thousands of jobs at risk as British Steel threatens closure of blast furnaces

A consultation has been launched on closing blast furnaces at Scunthorpe steelworks

Events

8 d. ago Thousands of jobs at risk as British Steel announces plan to close blast furnaces

Trade unions have responded by calling this a 'dark day' for the nation's steel industry - while calling for urgent government intervention.

Events

8 d. ago Thousands of British Steel jobs at risk after owner rejects government offer to go green

The Chinese parent company have rejected the government’s subsidy offer to aid transition to producing green steel

Politics

9 d. ago Reeves rejects own government’s findings of cuts pushing 250,000 into poverty

An impact assessment, published today by the Department of Work and Pensions, said 3.2 million families will lose an average of £1,720 a year as a result of the changes

Politics

9 d. ago British Steel’s Chinese owner rejects UK government subsidy offer

Move triggers fears over future job losses at company’s flagship Scunthorpe site

Politics

9 d. ago Italy’s Pirelli pushes Chinese owner to cut stake amid fears of Trump freeze

Management will demand Sinochem reduce its stake in tyremaker at board meeting on Wednesday

Politics

1 week ago No more wonky sourdough: in search of the perfect kitchen knife

When your old knives no longer make the grade, should you buy British or Japanese, stainless steel or carbon steel, factory-made or handmade?In Deptford, south-east London, Holly Loftus hand-crafts between 10 and 15 knives a month. The least expensive of these could be yours for £160, while the dearest might set you back as much as £580. What do you get for your money if you seriously splash out? Loftus, who was born in Ireland and is soft spoken and gently thoughtful, takes her time with this question. “It’s to do with how much time I’ve spent combining different steels,” she says, hesitantly. “Some of the knives involve a layering technique – people know it as damascus steel – which creates a pattern on the blade. It takes a long time. There’s a lot of folding and cutting and hammering.”Such a knife is likely to be with its owner for a good while – perhaps for ever. “I’m lucky,” she continues. “The people who buy my knives have a strong sense of what they’re ge...

Politics

2 w. ago Greenpeace to appeal verdict ordering them to pay at least $660m to energy firm for pipeline protests – live

Organisation condemns verdict that could bankrupt its US operation and risks ‘destroying right to peaceful protest’Greenpeace must pay hundreds of millions over Dakota pipeline protests, says juryDemocratic congressman Glenn Ivey told constituents at a town hall meeting in his Maryland district that Chuck Schumer, the Senate’s Democratic minority leader, should step down from his position after a bitter intraparty fight over government funding last week, HuffPost reports.Ivey is the first member of Congress to say Schumer should leave his leadership position, after the leader supplied enough votes to pass a Republican-backed government funding bill through the Senate. House Democrats had near-unanimously rejected the measure, and many in the party believe Schumer, who argued the bill was better than allowing a shutdown that could be exploited by Donald Trump and Elon Musk, gave up leverage he could have used against the administration. Continue reading...

Economics

2 w. ago Trump’s press secretary attacks federal judge in deportation case by name and calls him ‘Democrat activist’ – live

Karoline Leavitt singles out James Boasberg in briefing attacking federal judges as court battle over deportations continuesDemocratic congressman Glenn Ivey told constituents at a town hall meeting in his Maryland district that Chuck Schumer, the Senate’s Democratic minority leader, should step down from his position after a bitter intraparty fight over government funding last week, HuffPost reports.Ivey is the first member of Congress to say Schumer should leave his leadership position, after the leader supplied enough votes to pass a Republican-backed government funding bill through the Senate. House Democrats had near-unanimously rejected the measure, and many in the party believe Schumer, who argued the bill was better than allowing a shutdown that could be exploited by Donald Trump and Elon Musk, gave up leverage he could have used against the administration. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Judge grudgingly extends deadline for Trump administration to give details on deportation flights – live

US government has until noon ET Friday to either provide details of the flights or to invoke a doctrine shielding information on national security groundsDemocratic congressman Glenn Ivey told constituents at a town hall meeting in his Maryland district that Chuck Schumer, the Senate’s Democratic minority leader, should step down from his position after a bitter intraparty fight over government funding last week, HuffPost reports.Ivey is the first member of Congress to say Schumer should leave his leadership position, after the leader supplied enough votes to pass a Republican-backed government funding bill through the Senate. House Democrats had near-unanimously rejected the measure, and many in the party believe Schumer, who argued the bill was better than allowing a shutdown that could be exploited by Donald Trump and Elon Musk, gave up leverage he could have used against the administration. Continue reading...

Events