Beijing has attempted to improve relations with Brussels since Donald Trump returned to the White House

Egypt has indicated that it plans to in the coming week finalize some purchases of liquefied natural gas for delivery over the next few years, as the country deepens its dependence on imports.

Whitehall sources say Starmer and Reeves aligned in seeing steel as of ‘huge strategic importance’ Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are actively considering nationalising British Steel in an escalation of plans first revealed in the Guardian last year. The prime minister said all options were on the table to secure the future of the Scunthorpe plant, which is owned by the Chinese firm Jingye and employs about 3,500 people. Defended the welfare cuts as being based on “dignity” and criticised the Office for Budget Responsibility for not taking into account possible behavioural changes of people affected by the cuts when assessing the consequences of the policy. Said threats from foreign powers targeting people in the UK were “growing” and the issue was constantly being raised in international talks. He added: “I think we generally underestimate that threat, and it’s very important we’re alive to it.” Stepped up his criticism of regulators, telling MPs he was “astonished” by how many there were and saying he was “frustrated” by the barriers they put up. Called for an inquiry into the killing of 15 aid workers in Gaza and said international law “underpins everything we do bilaterally and multilaterally” when questioned about the conflict in the Middle East. Said he would speak to the intelligence agencies and the Kyiv government after Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukraine president, said two Chinese citizens had been captured fighting as part of the Russian army. Said changes to the social care system could come as soon as next year amid a review led by Lady Louise Casey. Continue reading...

Also in this newsletter: Ireland’s pharma industry braces itself for Donald Trump’s tariffs

Ukraine’s military and Russian war bloggers say Russian special forces walked inside a gas pipeline to strike Ukrainian units from the rear in the Kursk region.

Remember the good as well as the bad and the ugly

L’électricité produite en France est à 95 % bas carbone grâce au nucléaire, alors que le gaz consommé dans le pays, importé, reste largement non renouvelable.

As oil companies shut down refineries, California policymakers are weighing whether the state should get into the refinery business to ensure steady supplies. An industry group says it's not so simple...

Tokyo aims to disrupt Beijing’s dominance of renewables and reduce fossil fuel dependence

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he will be announcing on Monday 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the U.S.

Rio Tinto is looking to add battery storage to contracted wind and solar to power its giant smelters in Australia, saying they have no future with coal generation because of high costs and emission…

More than 80% to be exempted by reforms aimed at cutting red tape and boosting productivity

Europe’s battery storage capacity is expected to grow around five-fold by 2030, bringing with it increasing returns for energy majors, project developers and traders, as the cost of new projects falls.

The Norwegian Government has proposed a set of new measures to lower the cost of consumer electricity bills. Under the new plan, consumers will be able to choose between subscribing to the general ele...