The Guardian

World’s largest crypto exchange said it had not confirmed whether funds had been pilferedBinance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, said on Thursday it is investigating reports of a potential security issue as its founder said the incident “does look like a hack on Binance”. The company said cryptocurrency firms had frozen about $3bn in funds by Thursday evening.It was not immediately clear the extent of the damage hackers might have been able to accomplish and Binance had not explicitly confirmed that funds had been pilfered, but stablecoin issuers quickly froze funds Thursday evening. Continue reading...

Reform UK leader ‘shocked’ by £10bn pledged to Ukraine and doubles down on cutting tax for crypto investorsBudget 2026: key points at a glanceNigel Farage skipped the chancellor’s first budget because he was worried he would get in a “physical altercation” with another MP in a row over seating arrangements.The Reform UK leader was not present in the House of Commons but gave a press conference afterwards in which he said he was “shocked” by the £10bn going to support Ukraine and doubled down on his party’s policies on cutting tax for crypto investors. Continue reading...

The prime minister previously said that he wanted a debate on how Britain can establish a closer relationshipSpeaking at his rough sleeping summit in Downing Street this morning, Andy Burnham expanded on the claim he made on Good Morning Britain about tackling rough sleeping being cheaper than ignoring the problem. (See 11.13am.)He said:We’ve also got to be conscious when we speak to the rest of the country, the taxpayers of this country, that actually to leave people sleeping rough has financial consequences. It doesn’t work for anybody and it doesn’t work for the public purse, because if you leave people in a position where they are in and out of A&E, and in and out of a hospital bed, that doesn’t make sense for anybody.There is a rock-solid business case to do something to end homelessness, to put people on a path to recovery, so that they can contribute once again. And that should be the thinking that we take to this conversation.Burnham is throwing another £432m at a problem he failed to solve in Greater Manchester. Under Labour, rough sleeping has hit record highs – yet their answer is always more taxpayers’ money and more empty promises.[John] Healey must use his budget this week to cut taxes for working people, get the ballooning benefits bill under control, and stop pushing up energy prices.John Healey is expected to confirm on Wednesday that the full state pension will rise by £489 to £13,036 – equivalent to 3.9%.However, the rise will push about one million people on low incomes who rely on the state pension above the £12,570 personal allowance threshold, meaning they would be dragged into paying income tax. Continue reading...

Former investor alleges BitMEX sold products in UK despite not being regulated by Financial Conduct AuthorityA cryptocurrency exchange founded by the billionaire Reform UK donor Ben Delo is being sued for £20m over claims that the company mis-sold financial products in the UK.Lewis Barber, who is a software engineer, alleges that BitMEX offered crypto derivative products to investors in the UK, despite not being regulated or approved to do so by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Continue reading...

Reform UK leader was interviewed for half an hour last month over money from crypto billionaireNigel Farage has been interviewed by the standards commissioner for an investigation into whether he should have declared a £5m gift from the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne.The Reform UK leader spent about half an hour being questioned over the money, the Sunday Times reported. Farage maintains the gift was for his personal security. Continue reading...

Josh Babarinde wants to target big tech and crypto billionaires while giving power and cash back to the publicStanding outside Toynbee Hall in the East End of London, Josh Babarinde doesn’t exactly look like a rabble-rouser. But despite the well-cut suit and disarmingly large smile, the president of the Liberal Democrats is, apparently, up for a fight.“There are big modern giants that are getting in the way of people’s ability to thrive, and it is the job of Liberal Democrats to address that,” says the 33-year-old. “How are we going to do that? Well, first of all, we’ve got to flip the table over and rise up.” Continue reading...

French president Emmanuel Macron earlier said he put measures in place to protect the country’s critical infrastructureMicheál Martin, the taoiseach (Irish PM), thanked Andy Burnham for his stance on Israel as the two men met at No 10 North today.Support for the Palestinian cause is particularly strong in Ireland because of its historical experience of colonialism, and, in a reference to the sanctions on West Bank settlements imposed by Burnham’s government, Martin said:I think for the United Kingdom under your leadership to take the stance that it’s taken, I think, is important for … standing up for humanitarian values and justice and fulfilling the rights of all in the Middle East to security, to peace and to some decent future for their children and generations to come.Formed in 1999, the UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) sees more than 300 children aged 11 to 18 democratically elected by their peers to represent young people in their area, who then debate and campaign on a variety of issues.Once a year, they hold a debate in the House of Commons chamber. Continue reading...

Readers respond to the news that Christopher Harborne has given £36m to Reform UK, matching a donation from Ben DeloCryptocurrency is often sold as decentralised and democratic, yet its real behaviour resembles gravity: wealth is pulled inexorably into a few vast centres while draining from everyone else (Christopher Harborne matches £36m Reform donation of Ben Delo, 12 September). Early adopters, insiders and whales acquire huge holdings at negligible cost. Their size then shapes the market, drawing in ordinary investors whose money ultimately fuels those already at the top.Because crypto generates no cash flow and produces little real economic output, it becomes structurally zero‑sum. One person’s gain is another’s loss, and the system relies on a continual inflow of participants whose contributions sustain the fortunes of a minority. Continue reading...

Reform UK have just been showered with £72m in donations by billionaires. What does that money buy and what will the party do with it? Peter Walker explainsOn Friday Ben Delo, a 42-year-old businessman – and convicted criminal – donated £36m to Reform UK. That works out to £1m for every month between now and the latest possible date for the next general election. It brings the total Delo has donated to the party this year alone to £44m.Not to be outdone, less than 24 hours later, Christopher Harborne, the 63-year-old billionaire, pitched in with another £36m donation. That’s a cool £72m over one weekend. The Guardian’s senior political correspondent Peter Walker, says: “This is potentially a game changing amount. It’s more in total than the big four or five parties spent altogether in the 2024 general election.” Continue reading...