Britain secures fuel shipment to keep its last steel blast furnaces alight

Britain said on Tuesday it could keep the country's last steel blast furnaces burning for at least the next few weeks after securing a delivery of fuel - the latest step in a last-gasp government scramble to save domestic virgin steel production. The government had been racing to secure enough coking coal and iron ore to keep the loss-making furnaces running after passing emergency laws on Saturday to take operational control of the site in northeastern England from Chinese owners Jingye Group. Without them Britain would be reliant on imports for its rail, construction and automotive industries at a time of trade wars and geopolitical instability.