Business

‘Elite North Korean hackers’ blamed for $6.3bn Binance heist – business live
Posted on Friday October 30, 2026

Blockchain intelligence firm TRM says North Korea’s TraderTraitor hacking unit is responsible for the largest crypto theft on record

Most major cryptocurrencies have fallen in value since news of the Binance theft broke, Coinmarketcap data shows.

That includes:

Bitcoin: -2.35% over the last 24 hours, to $77,940

Ethereum: -3.6%, to $2,227

BNB: -5.6%, to $706

Solana: -2.67%, to $97

Chainlink: -3.1%, to $11.02

Temporarily suspended withdrawals while we complete a security revamp of the withdrawal service and its related addresses

Revoked the affected address authorizations

Engaged law enforcement and blockchain intelligence partners to trace and recover funds

Our team hasn’t stopped. We’re working closely with law enforcement to ensure the matter is handled appropriately - and I’ll share what I can, as soon as I can.

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Healey backs away from cutting welfare cost amid warnings of public finance shortfall
Posted on Thursday October 29, 2026

Experts round on chancellor over ‘scattergun’ budget, saying he ducked big tax and spending decisions

John Healey has backed away from cutting the cost of welfare this parliament, amid dire warnings his first budget could lead to brutal spending cuts because of a £28bn shortfall in public finances.

Experts rounded on Healey’s steady-as-she-goes budget on Thursday, with the Institute for Fiscal Studies saying he had left himself a mountain to climb by ducking big tax and spending decisions.

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BP profits jump as Middle East conflict drives up oil refining margins
Posted on Friday October 30, 2026

Third-quarter underlying ​replacement ⁠cost profit rises to $8.46bn, up from $2.2bn ​a year ​ago

BP has posted a jump in its quarterly profits as the war in the Middle East drove up oil and gas prices and led to “significantly higher” trading.

The energy company said on ⁠Friday ⁠that third-quarter underlying ​replacement ⁠cost profit – a key measure of its income – rose to $8.46bn, up from $2.2bn ​a year ​ago. Analysts had expected profits of $7.33bn.

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UK side-hustle tax-free allowance to rise to £3,000 next year
Posted on Friday October 30, 2026

Up to 1.4 million people could benefit from change to trading allowance announced in budget, with some saving hundreds in tax

The amount Britons can earn from a side hustle without paying tax will rise to £3,000 next year in a fillip for those who make extra cash from hobbies or reselling.

Up to 1.4 million people could benefit from the change announced in the budget, with the chancellor confirming the tax-free “trading” allowance will increase from £1,000 to £3,000 in April 2027.

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Opinion











Ben Jennings on the UK budget – cartoon
Posted on Thursday October 29, 2026



Technology

North Korean group blamed for $6.3bn Binance hack in biggest ever crypto heist
Posted on Friday October 30, 2026

Cryptocurrency exchange scrambles to freeze affected, with about $3bn located so far

The world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange has been hit by an industry-record $6.3bn (£4.6bn) hack, with experts identifying North Korea as the likely culprit.

Binance has scrambled to freeze the affected assets, with about $3bn located so far. The company gave no update on the other $3.3bn as Binance’s co-founder Yi He said the company would cover “all hacking losses”.

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Electrocutions, disease and no pay: how workers risk exploitation in Europe’s datacentres
Posted on Friday October 30, 2026

As thousands of datacentres are constructed across Europe, the Guardian and Investigate Europe have uncovered disturbing evidence that some workers building them are exposed to dangerous conditions and living in fear of speaking out

Sandu* checked his watch. He was winding down the last 15 minutes of his shift at a vast Google datacentre site in Saint-Ghislain, Belgium, in March, when the call came in. The 34-year-old electrical tester had already worked almost 10 hours, but says such last-minute jobs were normal: “I had no choice. People have been fired after saying no.”

The task was one Sandu had done many times before and involved a series of tests measuring the safety and integrity of the electrical wiring. A protective suit was locked away in an equipment room. The round trip would have added another 15 minutes to the job, he says, and people were waiting, so he decided not to retrieve the suit.

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Sport

Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend
Posted on Friday October 30, 2026

Bruno Fernandes owes Manchester United a performance, Mathys Tel has arrived at Spurs and Liverpool are improving

Michael Carrick and Bruno Fernandes held clear-the-air talks this week. Fernandes was an unused substitute against Bournemouth after criticising Carrick’s tactics during the Champions League defeat by Como but it seems the situation has been resolved – for now. Dropping Fernandes did not do United any good against Bournemouth, who ran riot at Old Trafford, and the captain is expected to return to the starting lineup for the trip to Chelsea. If that happens, he owes Carrick a performance. Fernandes has been poor this season and it is time he did his talking on the pitch. Jacob Steinberg

Chelsea v Manchester United, Saturday 12.30pm (all times GMT)

Manchester City v Brighton, Saturday 3pm

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Everton ease past Newcastle to set up Fleetwood trip after Grealish is dropped
Posted on Thursday October 29, 2026

The biggest night in Everton’s season started with a big call from David Moyes and demanded a big performance from his players. With the exception of Jack Grealish, they did not let him down. A quarter-final at Fleetwood Town is their prize after a clinical, committed display shattered Newcastle’s hopes of lifting the Carabao Cup for a second time in three seasons.

Newcastle dominated spells of the fourth round tie and the stats – registering 28 shots to Everton’s 11, although only nine visiting attempts were on target – but individual defensive errors and an ineffective attack proved a ruinous combination. Matthias Jaissle denied his team are a soft touch, despite persuasive evidence to the contrary, yet called Newcastle “naive” and the defeat, in front of almost 8,000 of their fans, “shocking”. Andy Burnham was among the many Evertonians in attendance grateful for Newcastle’s generosity.

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