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Guildford families in need to receive household appliances

Guildford families in need to receive household appliances

BBC News27-04-2025

Families in need in part of Surrey are set to receive household appliances thanks to donations from a council's construction partner.VolkerFitzpatric, which helped build Chester Bridge in Ash, has donated white goods including fridge freezers and microwaves.The appliances had been used in site cabins during the development of the bridge.Carla Morson, Guildford Borough Council's lead councillor for community services, said: "We're grateful to the team for working with us to support those residents who are particularly impacted by the cost of living."
The goods will be distributed by the council's community wellbeing team to people referred to them for support.Chioma Fanawopo, social value and stakeholder manager at VolkerFitzpatrick, said: "I'm proud to share the significant contributions we've made to the Ash community over the past 18 months. "Collectively, these efforts have amounted to a social value contribution of £13m - just over £5m of this went to the local community."VolkerFitzpatrick's team and their partners had also organised Christmas toy drives, provided Christmas trees, made Easter donations and contributed to fundraising for a local scout hut.

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Terrifying message sent by ‘Chinese hackers' to M&S boss after crippling cyber attack on British retailer is revealed
Terrifying message sent by ‘Chinese hackers' to M&S boss after crippling cyber attack on British retailer is revealed

Scottish Sun

time5 hours ago

  • Scottish Sun

Terrifying message sent by ‘Chinese hackers' to M&S boss after crippling cyber attack on British retailer is revealed

The blackmail message is believed to have included a racist term RANSOM DEMAND Terrifying message sent by 'Chinese hackers' to M&S boss after crippling cyber attack on British retailer is revealed Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) 'CHINESE hackers' allegedly sent a terrifying message to the boss of Marks & Spencer following a crippling cyber-attack on the British retailer. Fraudsters, believed to be from the hacking group DragonForce, are said to have emailed the company's chief executive Stuart Machin and seven other key executives. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 High street retailer Marks & Spencer was hit by a cyber attack over the Easter holiday Credit: Alamy 2 M&S boss Stuart Machin, pictured, along with seven other company executives were emailed by the hackers, believed to be DragonForce Credit: PA The message, written in broken English, was sent on April 23, indicated that M&S was hacked by the ransomware group, although the retailer has not acknowledged this. 'We have marched the ways from China all the way to the UK and have mercilessly raped your company and encrypted all the servers,' the hackers wrote, according to the BBC. 'The dragon wants to speak to you so please head over to [our darknet website].' The link to the darknet shared in the email led to a portal for victims of DragonForce to negotiate a ransom fee. The hackers added: 'Let's get the party started. Message us, we will make this fast and easy for us.' DragonForce's attack during the Easter holiday has been hugely damaging for one of Britain's best-known retailer and is thought to have cost the firm an estimated £300million. After six weeks on from the attack, the retailer is still unable to process online orders. The email was sent to Mr Machin along with seven other top executives, according to the corporation. A racist term is also said to have been included in the blackmail message and also ended with an image of a fire-breathing dragon. Along with installing ransomware in order to cripple M&S's IT system the hackers are also believed to have stolen private data from millions of customers. The £3.50 M&S buy that'll make your whole house smell like a 'boujee candle' Three weeks on from the attack, M&S informed customers that contact details and dates of birth from some shoppers had been obtained by a suspected cyber cartel. M&S also admitted other personal details, including customers' order histories, had also been pilfered by online criminals. Bosses though have stressed that no data relating to shoppers' payment, card details or account passwords had been obtained. It is unclear how many customers have been affected by the data breach. According to the company's full-year results, it had 9.4million active online customers in the year up to March 30. The email apparently sent by DragonForce is thought to have bene sent using the account of an employee from IT company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), which has provided IT services to the retailer for more than a decade. The Indian IT worker, who is based in London, had an M&S email address but is paid employee of TCS. Timeline of the attack Saturday, April 19: Initial reports emerge on social media of problems with contactless payments and click-and-collect services at M&S stores across the UK. Customers experience difficulties collecting online purchases and returning items due to system issues. Initial reports emerge on social media of problems with contactless payments and click-and-collect services at M&S stores across the UK. Customers experience difficulties collecting online purchases and returning items due to system issues. Monday, April 21: Problems with contactless payments and click-and-collect persist. M&S officially acknowledges the "cyber incident" in a statement to the London Stock Exchange. CEO Stuart Machin apologises for the disruption and confirms "minor, temporary changes" to store operations. M&S notifies the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and engages external cybersecurity experts. Problems with contactless payments and click-and-collect persist. M&S officially acknowledges the "cyber incident" in a statement to the London Stock Exchange. CEO Stuart Machin apologises for the disruption and confirms "minor, temporary changes" to store operations. M&S notifies the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and engages external cybersecurity experts. Tuesday, April 22: Disruptions continue. M&S takes further systems offline as part of "proactive management". Disruptions continue. M&S takes further systems offline as part of "proactive management". Wednesday, April 23: Despite earlier claims of customer-facing systems returning to normal, M&S continues to adjust operations to maintain security. Contactless payments are initially restored, but other services, including click-and-collect, remain affected. Despite earlier claims of customer-facing systems returning to normal, M&S continues to adjust operations to maintain security. Contactless payments are initially restored, but other services, including click-and-collect, remain affected. Thursday, April 24: Contactless payments and click-and-collect services are still unavailable. Reports surface suggesting the attackers possibly gained access to data in February. Contactless payments and click-and-collect services are still unavailable. Reports surface suggesting the attackers possibly gained access to data in February. Friday, April 25: M&S suspends all online and app orders in the UK and Ireland for clothing and food, although customers can still browse products. This decision leads to a 5% drop in M&S's share price. M&S suspends all online and app orders in the UK and Ireland for clothing and food, although customers can still browse products. This decision leads to a 5% drop in M&S's share price. Monday, April 28: M&S is still unable to process online orders. Around 200 agency workers at the main distribution centre are told to stay home. M&S is still unable to process online orders. Around 200 agency workers at the main distribution centre are told to stay home. Tuesday, April 29: Information suggests that the hacker group Scattered Spider is likely behind the attack. Shoppers spot empty shelves in selected stores. Information suggests that the hacker group Scattered Spider is likely behind the attack. Shoppers spot empty shelves in selected stores. Tuesday, May 13: M&S revealed that some customer information has been stolen. M&S revealed that some customer information has been stolen. Wednesday, May 21: The retailer said disruption from the attack is expected to continue through to July. The retailer said disruption from the attack is expected to continue through to July. It's thought the worker was among the victims hacked. The company had previously said it is investigating if it was a gateway for the cyber attack. It has since informed the BBC the email was not sent from its system and had nothing to do with the security breach. M&S has declined to comment on the latest revelations. A spokesperson for the company told The Sun Online: 'We cannot comment on details of or speculation on the cyber incident, and we have been advised not to.'

Terrifying message sent by ‘Chinese hackers' to M&S boss after crippling cyber attack on British retailer is revealed
Terrifying message sent by ‘Chinese hackers' to M&S boss after crippling cyber attack on British retailer is revealed

The Sun

time5 hours ago

  • The Sun

Terrifying message sent by ‘Chinese hackers' to M&S boss after crippling cyber attack on British retailer is revealed

'CHINESE hackers' allegedly sent a terrifying message to the boss of Marks & Spencer following a crippling cyber-attack on the British retailer. Fraudsters, believed to be from the hacking group DragonForce, are said to have emailed the company's chief executive Stuart Machin and seven other key executives. 2 2 The message, written in broken English, was sent on April 23, indicated that M&S was hacked by the ransomware group, although the retailer has not acknowledged this. 'We have marched the ways from China all the way to the UK and have mercilessly raped your company and encrypted all the servers,' the hackers wrote, according to the BBC. 'The dragon wants to speak to you so please head over to [our darknet website].' The link to the darknet shared in the email led to a portal for victims of DragonForce to negotiate a ransom fee. The hackers added: 'Let's get the party started. Message us, we will make this fast and easy for us.' DragonForce's attack during the Easter holiday has been hugely damaging for one of Britain's best-known retailer and is thought to have cost the firm an estimated £300million. After six weeks on from the attack, the retailer is still unable to process online orders. The email was sent to Mr Machin along with seven other top executives, according to the corporation. A racist term is also said to have been included in the blackmail message and also ended with an image of a fire-breathing dragon. Along with installing ransomware in order to cripple M&S's IT system the hackers are also believed to have stolen private data from millions of customers. Three weeks on from the attack, M&S informed customers that contact details and dates of birth from some shoppers had been obtained by a suspected cyber cartel. M&S also admitted other personal details, including customers' order histories, had also been pilfered by online criminals. Bosses though have stressed that no data relating to shoppers' payment, card details or account passwords had been obtained. It is unclear how many customers have been affected by the data breach. According to the company's full-year results, it had 9.4million active online customers in the year up to March 30. The email apparently sent by DragonForce is thought to have bene sent using the account of an employee from IT company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), which has provided IT services to the retailer for more than a decade. The Indian IT worker, who is based in London, had an M&S email address but is paid employee of TCS. Timeline of the attack Saturday, April 19: Initial reports emerge on social media of problems with contactless payments and click-and-collect services at M&S stores across the UK. Customers experience difficulties collecting online purchases and returning items due to system issues. Monday, April 21: Problems with contactless payments and click-and-collect persist. M&S officially acknowledges the "cyber incident" in a statement to the London Stock Exchange. CEO Stuart Machin apologises for the disruption and confirms "minor, temporary changes" to store operations. M&S notifies the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and engages external cybersecurity experts. Tuesday, April 22: Disruptions continue. M&S takes further systems offline as part of "proactive management". Wednesday, April 23: Despite earlier claims of customer-facing systems returning to normal, M&S continues to adjust operations to maintain security. Contactless payments are initially restored, but other services, including click-and-collect, remain affected. Thursday, April 24: Contactless payments and click-and-collect services are still unavailable. Reports surface suggesting the attackers possibly gained access to data in February. Friday, April 25: M&S suspends all online and app orders in the UK and Ireland for clothing and food, although customers can still browse products. This decision leads to a 5% drop in M&S's share price. Monday, April 28: M&S is still unable to process online orders. Around 200 agency workers at the main distribution centre are told to stay home. Tuesday, April 29: Information suggests that the hacker group Scattered Spider is likely behind the attack. Shoppers spot empty shelves in selected stores. Tuesday, May 13: M&S revealed that some customer information has been stolen. Wednesday, May 21: The retailer said disruption from the attack is expected to continue through to July. It's thought the worker was among the victims hacked. The company had previously said it is investigating if it was a gateway for the cyber attack. It has since informed the BBC the email was not sent from its system and had nothing to do with the security breach. M&S has declined to comment on the latest revelations.

World's best beer 2025 named beating Budweiser, Guinness and Heineken
World's best beer 2025 named beating Budweiser, Guinness and Heineken

Scottish Sun

time12 hours ago

  • Scottish Sun

World's best beer 2025 named beating Budweiser, Guinness and Heineken

We reveal the full list of most popular beers with drinkers around the world below CHEERS TO THAT! World's best beer 2025 named beating Budweiser, Guinness and Heineken Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE world's best beer for 2025 has been named and it's beaten Budweiser, Heineken and Guinness. Corona, which originates from Mexico, has been crowned punters favourite pint. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Corona is the tipple of choice for punters across the globe Credit: Alamy That is according to data and marketing firm's Kantar's BrandZ 2025 Most Valuable Global Brands report. It comes after the crisp beer, usually served with a lime, recorded double digit sales growth outside of its home market. Its no-alcohol Corona Cero, which became the first beer to sponsor the Olympic Games in Paris last year, also saw a boom in demand. And it is the second year in a row the tipple, owned by drinks giant AB InBev, has come out on top. The light beer, celebrating its 100 year anniversary, trumped Budweiser which came second in the rankings. This was followed by Dutch giant Heineken, Mexican brew Modelo and America's Michelob Ultra, which is a hard find in the UK. Marcel Marcondes, marketing chief at global brewing giant AB InBev, said: "For Corona to be recognised as the most valuable beer brand in the world in the same year the brand is celebrating its 100-year anniversary shows the power of building brands for the long-term." Meanwhile, Kantar CEO Chris Jansen added: "With the right level of investment and strategic focus, brands have huge potential to drive growth for their owners. "Anheuser-Busch InBev is a perfect example of this in action. "Through Corona and their other brands, they have mastered the ability to cut through in the face of changing consumer behaviour." All the beers that have lowered in strength British pub classic Stella Artois came ninth in the ranks, while Guinness was at the bottom of the leader board. It comes after the Irish stout has risen in popularity in recent years. Owner Diageo was forced to ration supplies to pubs in the run-up to Christmas due to increased demand. You can see the 10 global beer brands for 2025 below: Corona Budweiser Heineken Model Michelob Ultra Brahma Bud Light Skol Stella Artois Guinness MORE BEER NEWS Punters are paying more for the price of a pint in both the supermarket and the pub. How to save money buying alcohol Alcohol can be pricey if you're planning a party or hosting an event but there are ways to cut costs. It's always important to drink responsibly, here, Sun Savers Editor Lana Clements share some tips on getting booze for the best price. Stocking up can mean big savings on drinks, especially if you want to buy wine or fizz. The big supermarkets regularly offer discounts of 25% when you buy six or more bottles of wine. The promotions typically run in the lead up to occasions such as Bank Holidays, Christmas and Easter. If you know you are going to need booze later in the year, it can be worth acting when you see offers. Before buying your preferred drink make sure you shop around to find the best price – you can use a comparison site such as or Don't forget that loyalty cards can unlock better savings so make sure you factor that in too. If you like your plonk, wine clubs can also be a good way to save money and try new varieties. You'll usually have to pay a membership fee in return for cheaper price so work out if you will be buying enough to make the one off cost worthwhile. Costs have risen steadily as manufacturers and pubs grapple with higher alcohol taxes, soaring utility bills and increased staffing costs. A new report from the The Morning Advertiser said London now tops the list for the priciest pints, with pub owners charging an average of £6.10. The cost of popular brands in the capital has also climbed, with a pint of Guinness reaching £6.45, Birra Moretti £7.17, and Camden Hells £7.05 since February. And it's not only London feeling the squeeze. The survey revealed that pint prices in the Midlands increased by 5.15% between January and April. You can see how much the cost of a pint has increased in your area here. 3 Guinness was named the 10th most popular beer in the world Credit: Getty

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