UK to double steel tariffs to 50% to save plants from collapse

The UK is to double tariffs on Chinese and other foreign steel in a bid to save its remaining plants from collapse.The new “steel safeguards” came weeks after bosses at Tata Steel in south Wales warned the government they had just two months to be saved.A target of 50% of steel used in the UK will be made domestically, and 50% of that is to be made in Wales, the business secretary, Peter Kyle, said during a visit to Tata Steel in Port Talbot.The new £2.5bn strategy aims to increase domestic production by 30%

What is the £1.3bn MFS mortgage scandal and what is private credit?

A £1.3bn worldwide asset freezing order has been granted against the tycoon accused of fraud after his UK mortgage lending business collapsed.Paresh Raja, the founder and chief executive of Market Financial Solutions (MFS), is now barred from dissipating assets worth up to the suspected value of funds allegedly missing from his mortgage and buy-to-let lending company, after orders from courts in London and Dubai.The orders, which follow an application from insolvency practitioners at AlixPartners, also impose a travel ban on Raja, who is now thought to be in the Emirates.A spokesperson for AlixPartners said: “We welcome the granting of these applications which follow two weeks of intense analysis and investigation into the operations and affairs of MFS and Paresh Raja

Actors, musicians and writers welcome UK U-turn on AI use of copyrighted work

Actors, musicians and writers have welcomed the UK government’s decision to backtrack on plans to let AI firms use copyright-protected work without permission.Technology secretary Liz Kendall said it no longer had a “preferred option” on copyright reform, having previously supported a proposal allowing tech companies to take copyrighted work – unless rights holders opted out of the process.“We have listened,” said Kendall on Wednesday, “we have engaged extensively with creatives, AI firms, industry bodies, unions, academics and AI adopters, and that engagement has shaped our approach. This is why we can confirm today that the government no longer has a preferred option.”The proposal had triggered a backlash from Elton John, who called the government “absolute losers” over the plans

How AI is actually changing day-to-day work

Hello, and welcome to TechScape. I’m your host, Blake Montgomery, chuffed about One Battle After Another’s big win at the Oscars. This week, we’re examining how artificial intelligence is changing the everyday reality of white-collar work in the US, the roots of the current appetite for AI in war, and the United Kingdom’s phantom datacenters.As part of the Guardian’s Reworked series on AI’s effect on modern work, we published two stories this week on how specific jobs are changing: those of university professors and Amazon’s technical employees. Both groups are wrestling with profound shifts

The WNBA’s new labor deal explained: what it means for pay, power and the league’s future

The WNBA and its players’ union (WNBPA) have reached a verbal agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement, ending 17 months of negotiations after players opted out of the previous deal and averting mounting fears of a strike.The agreement would be the sixth in league history and is being framed by both sides as a major step forward for player empowerment and the league’s growth.Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said Wednesday the two sides have “aligned on key elements”, though a formal term sheet still needs to be finalized. Union leaders echoed that sentiment, calling the deal a reflection of players using their collective voice.Full details have not yet been released, and the agreement must still be ratified

Oh deer! Rory McIlroy puts elk on the Masters champions dinner menu

Elk as the key to Masters success: who had any i-deer? Rory McIlroy will serve starters made from the meat of the North American animal at Augusta National next month in tribute to his food of choice before winning the Masters last year.The wine McIlroy drank to toast victory, food that conjures ­memories of his childhood in Belfast and a dish made by his mother, Rosie, also ­feature in the ­Masters ­champion’s dinner for 2026. In a nod to the venue’s attention to detail, McIlroy revealed that chefs from Augusta made a special visit to a New York restaurant to replicate his favourite tuna recipe.McIlroy will begin his Masters defence from 9 April. Two days ­earlier, he hosts fellow past ­winners in the annual gathering in the Augusta clubhouse