Business
Co-op expected to reveal financial hit from cyber attack
The Co-operative Group is expected to shed light on the impact of a damaging cyber attack in its first financial update since being targeted by hackers.
Shoppers were faced with empty shelves and issues with payments during the fallout from the cyber incident in April, as a raft of retailers were hit.
On Thursday, the retail and funerals specialist will reveal its results for the first half of 2025, covering the period when it was hit hard by the cyber attack.
The company shut off parts of its IT systems after the attack, in which hackers accessed and extracted members’ personal data.
In July, the company confirmed that all 6.5 million members of the Co-op had their data stolen in the incident.
Chief executive Shirine Khoury-Haq said she was “devastated” by the impact of the incident on workers and members.
She told the BBC that “names, addresses and contact information” for all of its members were accessed.
The boss said the hackers created a copy of one of the firm’s files but were unable to attack its platforms further and install planned ransomware.
However, the company has not yet revealed the full financial impact of the crime, which affected store transactions and product availability.
The cyber attack was one of several against UK retailers, with both Marks & Spencer and Harrods also significantly impacted.
Marks & Spencer, which stopped all online sales for six weeks following its hack, said it faced a £300 million financial hit.
The Co-op’s cyber incident came amid a challenging period for the retailer, which is facing higher costs and pressure on consumer confidence from the rising cost of living.
Last year, the company reported improved profits but warned in April it would face more than £200 million in costs and spending pressures in 2025.
The retail group warned cost hits would include another £80 million from the impact of shoplifting across its retail estate, following a similar bill in 2024, and £50 million from the increase in national insurance contributions.
The group saw revenues grow by 1.5% on a pro-forma 52-week basis to £11.3 billion for last year.
Recent statistics from industry experts at Worldpanel have pointed to weaker sales in recent months.
Figures from earlier this week, indicated that the Co-op saw sales slip by around 2% over the 12 weeks to September 7, compared with the same period a year earlier.
The data also indicated that the retailer has lost market share in the UK grocery sector over the past year as a result.
Nevertheless, the data focuses purely on the group’s grocery business and compares the retailer directly with much larger supermarket stores from rivals including Tesco.
Business
Christmas spirit offered ‘right through the year’
Caitlin Klein,in Jersey, St Helierand
Julia Gregory,in Jersey
Chris Craddock/BBCA charity which supports vulnerable people in Jersey says it has “the Christmas spirit right through the year”.
The Grace Trust which helps between 700 to 750 people a year struggling with poverty, loneliness or addiction issues said it was seeing “a much wider range” of people from all layers of society, including more older people needing community support.
General manager Vinni Jones said the charity aimed to put a smile on people’s faces from its drop-in base at Lewis Street in St Helier.
It helped 500 people at the food bank every year and also ran singing, art and Saturday lunches.
‘Just come down’
He said there were extra festive goodies at the food bank and 92 people recently sat down to an “absolutely brilliant” Christmas meal at St Paul’s Centre with 20 volunteers on hand to help out.
Entertainment was provided by Fiddler’s Green and the trust’s Parklife choir.
Mr Jones said they saw more people at Christmas because it can be a challenging time.
“Just come down, knock on the window and we’ll give you what we’ve got.”
‘Offer understanding’
He explained that “we can offer a lot more than simply the food and Christmas goodies” and said people are often surprised at all the activities on offer and encouraged them to have a go.
He said the charity also had a fund to help younger mums and links with other agencies so it can offer toy vouchers at Christmas.
Support was also available year round for struggling islanders.
“It’s just a matter of being able to offer that understanding and to talk about January, talk about February for them. We’ll still be here for you,” Mr Jones said.
The government has also reminded islanders about mental health support over Christmas.
There is 24 hour support available from the Adult Mental Health crisis team, on 445 290 and online support from Together All.
Business
‘Made strong entry’: Amit shah hails semiconductor sector’s growth despite being ‘bit late’; confident of ‘exports soon’ – The Times of India
NEW DELHI: India would soon establish itself in the semiconductor industry by starting exports, even though it’s entry was late, said Union home minister Amit Shah.“We have made a strong entry into the semiconductor industry, although a bit late. In no time, we will not only become self-reliant in the semiconductor sector, but will also start exporting it,” he said, addressing the ‘Abhyudaya Madhya Pradesh Growth Summit’.Speaking at the summit, Shah highlighted Madhya Pradesh’s attractive geographical location and fertile land.He also inaugurated industrial projects worth Rs 2 lakh crore, on the occasion of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee‘s 101st birth anniversary. He remembered Vajpayee as “a great orator, a sensitive poet, a leader dedicated to public welfare and remained ‘ajatashatru’ (person without enemies) in politics.”He noted that even small investments in the state could yield substantial returns. He praised Madhya Pradesh’s transformation from a power-deficient state to one with surplus electricity. He also commended the state’s achievements in cleanliness, saying it has surpassed other states in this aspect.During the event, Shah also paid tributes to Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya on his birth anniversary and C Rajagopalachari on his death anniversary. The Growth Summit attracted 25,000 beneficiaries and thousands of entrepreneurs and investors. Officials confirmed that the industrial projects launched during the event will create 193,000 new jobs.Shah’s visit also included inaugurating the Gwalior Fair and dedicating the renovated Atal Museum to the public, further marking the celebrations of Vajpayee’s birth anniversary.
Business
Planning Your Taxes For 2026? What Freelancers And Gig Workers Should Know
Income doesn’t come regularly
Freelancers earn from different clients at different times, making it hard to know the final income figure early

Multiple clients mean scattered TDS
Tax is deducted by many payers under different sections, and details don’t always update together in AIS or Form 26AS.

Income details settle very late
Many payments and TDS entries appear only near the year-end, delaying tax calculations.

First-time taxpayers lack clarity
Young gig workers often don’t know ITR deadlines, advance tax rules, or penalties for late filing.

Paperwork isn’t ready on time
Forms like 16A, invoices, bank statements, and expense bills are often unorganised or missing.

TDS deducted ≠ filing done
A common myth is that if tax is already deducted, filing the return is optional. It’s not.

Refund expected, filing delayed
Many assume that if no tax is payable or refund is due, filing late won’t matter — but penalties still apply.

E-verification gets ignored
Returns filed but not verified within 30 days are treated as invalid, almost like not filing at all.

Portal issues at the last moment
Heavy traffic, OTP failures, and technical errors near deadlines push filings beyond the due date.

No regular income tracking system
Not maintaining client-wise records of invoices, payments, and TDS creates confusion at filing time.

Deductions are gathered too late
Proofs for insurance, mutual funds, PPF, health cover, or tuition fees are often collected at the last minute.
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