Oil prices jumped more than 2 percent on Friday and settled at their highest levels since the end of April, as traders braced for a potential escalation in the Iran war after the U.S. midterm elections, with an attack on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz highlighting supply risks. Brent crude futures for December, which expired on Friday, settled up $2.76, or 2.4 percent, at $117.64 a barrel, after touching a high of $118. The more active January contract gained $2.63 to $113.43. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures settled $2.12, or 2.08 percent, higher at $104.12. For the month, Brent finished 13.6 percent higher, while WTI rose 15.2 percent. "Traders will remain focused on oil flows out of the Middle East and the likely escalation by U.S. and allied forces," said Dennis Kissler, senior vice president of trading at BOK Financial. On Friday, a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz was hit by explosive devices attached by a small boat, said the UKMTO, the British maritime security service. It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack in the strait, the key sea outlet for Gul

Meta Platforms has settled with a teen plaintiff who accused the company of designing Instagram and Facebook to be addictive, causing her mental health problems and disordered eating, attorneys for the plaintiff said on Friday. The settlement came after jury selection began on Wednesday for a trial that was slated to test the claims of two teens, identified as S.J. and K.D.B., against Meta and Snapchat parent Snap Inc. Meta had settled with S.J. days before the trial, so Friday's settlement with K.D.B. means the trial is expected to proceed against Snap only. “We remain committed to improving safety for kids on social media apps and holding tech companies accountable, and we are pleased to have brought this matter to a just resolution on behalf of our client,” Emily Jeffcott, an attorney for K.D.B., said in a statement. A spokesperson for Meta said settlements, dismissals and trials are part of the process of testing cases like this. "We will continue to defend ourselves in court, and we stand by our record," the spokesperson said, noting that Meta has been building safety tools for

Hackers stole $6.3 billion from Binance in the world's biggest crypto heist, putting a spotlight on how cryptocurrency exchanges insure their digital assets against theft and cyberattacks. But insurance protection is far from uniform. Coverage depends on how assets are stored, how hackers gain access and the specific terms of the policy. Limited regulation and volatile crypto prices have long made insurers wary of the sector, despite growing demand for protection against digital asset theft and claims against company executives. While both crime and demand for protection have tracked cryptocurrencies' meteoric rise, underwriting such risks remains a niche business offered largely by specialist insurers in the Lloyd's market and in Bermuda. What is digital asset insurance? Digital asset insurance is a range of policies designed to protect cryptocurrency exchanges, custodians and other companies operating in the sector against financial losses arising from the theft of digital assets, cyberattacks, technology failures and other business risks. Unlike traditional insurance, these policies are

More than $2 trillion in market value is set to be wiped from the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 this month, as Big Tech earnings intensified investor scrutiny of whether the billions being poured into artificial intelligence can generate returns quickly enough. The wipeout would amount to slightly more than SpaceX’s entire market value. The index has fallen over 5.8 percent so far in October as the AI trade ran into turbulence, with hyperscalers Meta Platforms, Alphabet and Amazon.com raising spending forecasts further as they race to expand AI infrastructure. The prospect of ever-bigger AI outlays has unnerved investors, particularly as rising borrowing costs threaten to make debt-funded investment more expensive and harder to justify. Here's a roundup of megacap earnings so far, with Apple set to report next week and AI bellwether Nvidia due mid-November. Tech wipeout Alphabet suffered its biggest one-day percentage drop on record on Thursday after disappointing results in the core business of search advertising and a massive acceleration in cash burn. Meta's plans for a record $97.5 billion f

SINGAPORE/HONG KONG — Hackers stole $6.3 billion from Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, in what analysts say is the biggest crypto hack ever, an attack that could prompt investors to rethink the risks of owning digital assets. The hackers behind the raid were from North Korea, according to U.S. blockchain analysis firms TRM Labs and Chainalysis. The attackers targeted Binance wallets on 10 blockchains and shifted most of the funds in about 20 minutes, TRM Labs said in a statement. Binance said it worked with partners to freeze the affected assets with about $3 billion located so far. It did not mention the status of the remaining $3.3 billion, and its co-founder Yi He said the exchange would cover "all hacking losses." Binance said its deposits were unaffected and it expects to resume withdrawal services in the next 48 hours. TRM said several features of the attack matched earlier heists linked to North Korea, including a 2025 hack of crypto exchange Bybit that the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation had attributed to Pyongyang. "We make this judgment with high conf

SINGAPORE — North Korean hackers were behind a $6.3 billion raid on cryptocurrency exchange Binance, according to U.S. blockchain analysis firm TRM Labs. "An attacker moved approximately $6.36 billion out of Binance wallets on ten blockchains, most of it in about 20 minutes," TRM Labs said in a blog post on its website. "TRM attributes the attack to TraderTraitor, North Korea's elite hacking unit, based on robust on and off-chain intelligence. We make this judgment with high confidence."

SINGAPORE — North Korean hackers were behind a $6.3 billion raid on cryptocurrency exchange Binance, according to U.S. blockchain analysis firm TRM Labs. "An attacker moved approximately $6.36 billion out of Binance wallets on ten blockchains, most of it in about 20 minutes," TRM Labs said in a blog post on its website. "TRM attributes the attack to TraderTraitor, North Korea's elite hacking unit, based on robust on and off-chain intelligence. We make this judgment with high confidence."

Hershey on Thursday warned that increased pressure on shoppers due to high inflation and interest rates could impact how much consumers spend on candy this Halloween. U.S. consumer sentiment hovered near record lows in October as Americans head into the holiday season with their budgets under strain from high gas prices as a fallout of the U.S. war in Iran. Hershey lowered its annual organic net sales growth target to about 3 percent, citing weakness in channels such as convenience stores, where customers were budgeting for higher gas prices. The Milk Duds maker was banking on last-minute shoppers looking for bulk packs of candy ahead of Halloween on Saturday, October 31, executives said on a post-earnings call. "Now we need consumers to show up, we need them. The last few days are really critical," said Hershey CEO Kirk Tanner. A 51.03-ounce pack of Hershey assorted Halloween candy with 165 pieces cost about $23.87 on Walmart's website as of Thursday morning. "Halloween participation is expected to be in line with 2025, though financial pressures could shape final purchase decisions," Tan

WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday voted to bar all Chinese labs from testing electronic devices including smartphones, cameras and computers for use in the US, expanding a previous agency action targeting Beijing. The FCC said it will prohibit test labs and certification bodies in countries including China that deny reciprocal treatment to US-based test labs. The FCC prohibitions are slated to take effect in December 2028. FCC Chair Brendan Carr said that in 2025, 82 percent of electronics were tested in China, which does not have an agreement with the US. "These labs are a critical gateway into American communications infrastructure -- and their privileged role gives them access to sensitive and confidential information about electronic products often months before the devices enter the market," Carr said, adding they could "allow insecure gear into the U.S. market, disrupt communications networks, or even steal intellectual property." The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In 2025, the FCC banned testing of

WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy grew at its fastest pace in a year in the third quarter, shrugging off higher oil prices stemming from the conflict in the Middle East as consumers maintained robust spending and businesses doubled down on investment in AI. The better-than-expected increase in gross domestic product last quarter reported by the Commerce Department on Thursday was in stark contrast to households' downbeat assessment of the economy, reflected in President Donald Trump's record-low approval ratings and deterioration in consumer sentiment. The advance GDP report was published less than a week before Tuesday's midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress. Economists said the strong growth, together with other data on Thursday showing inflation accelerating and broadening out in September, bolstered the argument for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates in December. The U.S. central bank on Wednesday left its benchmark overnight interest rate in the 3.75 percent-4.00 percent range while acknowledging that inflation "remains elevated." "The consequences of an

KYIV — A Russian drone killed 13 people at the main railway station in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, hitting a platform crowded with people boarding a train, officials said. The state rail company, Ukrzaliznytsia, said a jet-powered drone had hit a platform where a commuter train was preparing to depart for the nearby southern city of Zaporizhzhia. Regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said in a post on Telegram that at least five more people were wounded. "Despite a warning of heightened danger, people were on the platform," Ukrzaliznytsia said, adding that rescuers were on the scene. "Many people were killed. Lots were injured," Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov wrote on Telegram.

URDA, Spain — A high-speed train slammed into another that had stopped on the tracks Wednesday in Spain, killing at least 68 people and injuring dozens in the second deadly rail collision this year. The regional government of Castilla La Mancha confirmed the death toll and said another 58 people were receiving medical treatment at hospitals. Rescue workers searched the wreckage through the day for survivors and bodies. The collision came just nine months after another deadly crash involving high-speed trains operated by the same two companies in southern Spain in January. “Today all of Spain is grieving,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said from the crash site, where he announced that his government would declare three days of mourning. Sánchez called for increased safety measures to restore confidence in a high-speed rail system that was once a source of national pride. “It is unacceptable for a country like Spain to suffer two high-speed rail accidents in the same year,” said Sánchez, who faces an election on Nov. 29. Spain’s rail system operator ADIF said the crash

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that he hoped that a trilateral meeting between peace negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States would take place in Abu Dhabi between November 6 and November 10. Zelenskyy said that Kyiv wanted Europe to be involved in the talks on how to end the war, adding that unity and stronger pressure on Russia were needed.

WASHINGTON — The leak website Distributed Denial of Secrets said on Wednesday it has released data on more than 40,000 Department of Homeland Security employees, including details about officials working in sensitive fields such as surveillance and human intelligence. DHS said in a statement it was "aware of a potential breach and is actively working to address the situation swiftly and effectively." The agency said it was working to ensure its employees were properly protected and would update the public "when more information is available.” The disclosure — which the nonprofit data transparency group says draws on information obtained by an entity calling itself "Department of Peace" — is the third major government data leak to have made headlines in the past month. In September, the hacking group ShinyHunters claimed the theft of a massive trove of data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, including sensitive job details and medical information from thousands of bureau employees. Last week, the Defense Department was hit with a class action lawsuit following a breach tha

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that he hoped that a trilateral meeting between peace negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States would take place in Abu Dhabi between November 6 and November 10. Zelensky said that Kyiv wanted Europe to be involved in the talks on how to end the war, adding that unity and stronger pressure on Russia were needed.

The Trump administration has issued more than 100 subpoenas demanding records on tens of thousands of voters in at least 13 states, part of an escalating effort ahead of next week’s midterm elections to uncover evidence of unlawful voting by people who aren’t US citizens. Most of the subpoenas documented by Reuters were issued to state and local election officials in the past three months, though some date to the start of the year. Many were previously unreported, revealing a federal effort to identify potential noncitizen voters that is broader than publicly known. It is illegal for noncitizens to vote in US federal elections. Legal experts say the records could be used to contest results in close midterm races, despite scant evidence that voting by noncitizens is widespread. Reuters identified the subpoenas through public-records requests and interviews with local and state officials. Many were issued in Democratic strongholds, including Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and other California cities. But they also reach into Republican-leaning states with competitive races, i

LOS ANGELES — Apple CEO John Ternus unveiled the company's first touchscreen MacBooks on Wednesday, abandoning a long-held aversion to the technology as it caps a burst of product launches ahead of the holiday shopping season. Ternus, a former Apple hardware veteran and the company's new CEO, took the stage at an Apple event in Los Angeles, part of a media blitz filled with new product launches. He launched a folding iPhone, Duo, at Apple's Silicon Valley headquarters in September and a smart home hub in New York earlier this month. While those products will test new markets for Apple, the Los Angeles event could rekindle an old question: should Apple put the touchscreens that it made mainstream in iPhones and iPads in its oldest product line? Apple executives long resisted the idea, with Steve Jobs saying in 2010 that touchscreens on laptops were "ergonomically terrible" and then-CEO Tim Cook saying in 2012 that such devices would be as pleasing to users as converging a toaster and a refrigerator. Before becoming Apple's latest CEO, Ternus argued that Apple already made a touchscreen c

NAZARETH, Israel — Israel's Palestinian citizens appear set to secure a record number of seats in parliament and could emerge as kingmakers after strong turnout in Tuesday's election, galvanized by what they describe as the racist policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. But while they may have helped block an outright win by Netanyahu and his far-right allies, parties representing Israel's 21% Arab minority have so far been shunned by the prime minister's main opponent, Gadi Eisenkot, who has no clear path to power without them. Vote tallies show the two main Arab parties on course to win around 19 of parliament's 120 seats, nearly double their current representation in the Knesset. Netanyahu's coalition bloc is on track for 53 seats, short of the 61 needed for a majority, with Eisenkot's grouping expected to win 48 seats. 'Getting rid of Netanyahu's government' Yousef Jabareen, the leader of the Arab-dominated Joint List, told Reuters his party would seek to use its projected 12 seats "to facilitate getting rid of Netanyahu's government and hopefully helping to cha

JERUSALEM — Benjamin Netanyahu looked set to remain Israel's caretaker prime minister after unexpectedly strong backing among Jewish voters left his opponents little apparent prospect of unseating him, despite his right-wing bloc losing its parliamentary majority. With nearly 86 percent of votes tallied on Wednesday, Israel's three main broadcasters projected Netanyahu's bloc of right-wing, far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties would win 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, well ahead of the 48 for rival Gadi Eisenkot's opposition bloc. Parties representing Arab Israelis were projected to win an unprecedented 19 seats, leaving Eisenkot little realistic path to power without their broad backing, which many Jewish political leaders reject. The results could still change as counting continued, but Eisenkot's bloc of anti-Netanyahu parties, ranging from the centre-left to the hard right, had fallen short of pre-election polls that forecast a tight race. Netanyahu would remain caretaker prime minister during any coalition negotiations and potentially until another election next year. While a ca

The United States imposed sanctions on Wednesday to target what the Treasury Department said were North Korean government-run schemes that use IT workers to defraud U.S. businesses and generate revenue for Pyongyang's weapons programs. The Treasury Department said the schemes involve North Korean IT workers fraudulently gaining employment with companies in the United States and elsewhere, and Pyongyang taking most of the workers' wages to fund its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs. "These networks permeate through the global financial system, necessitating a unified response to match the threat," the department said in a statement, adding that Australia and the European Union also imposed North Korea-related sanctions this month. North Korea's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The sanctions come as U.S. President Donald Trump has been eager to jump-start talks with North Korea, but Pyongyang has shown little interest in diplomacy aimed at containing its nuclear program. However, earlier this month Trum