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  • ‘Adolescence,’ ‘The Celebrity Traitors’ Lead BAFTA Television Craft Awards

    ‘Adolescence,’ ‘The Celebrity Traitors’ Lead BAFTA Television Craft Awards

    “Adolescence” and “The Celebrity Traitors” led the BAFTA Television Craft Awards with two wins each.
    Netflix’s hard-hitting teenage drama won a fiction director award for helmer Philip Barantini while the sound team also won in the fiction category.

    Meanwhile “The Celebrity Traitors” brought home two wins in the entertainment craft team category as well as factual sound.

    Disney+ series “A Thousand Blows” saw costume designer Maja Meschede take home an award alongside the hair and make-up team for Sky’s classical music drama “Amadeus.”

    Jessica Dannheisser also won a BAFTA for factual original music for “The Last Musician Of Auschwitz” while Tom Rowlands won in the fiction original music category for “Mussolini: Son Of The Century.”

    “Slow Horses” scribe Will Smith also took home his first BAFTA for drama writing for the hit Gary Oldman show from Apple TV.

    The awards took place on Sunday 26 April at The Brewery in London, hosted by Maisie Adam. The BAFTA Television Awards, which honor the shows and on-screen talent, will take place on May 10. Greg Davies will host.

    Check out all the winners of the BAFTA TV Craft Awards below:

    Children’s Craft Team
    Ben Bocquelet, Joe Sparrow, Luke Allen, James Lancett, Adrian Cathie, Andy Goodman “The Wonderfully Weird World Of Gumball”
    Lucy Izzard, Andrew Mitchell, Fernando Lechuga, Jean-Marc Petsas, Owen Peters, Bronwen Slater “The Very Small Creatures” — WINNER
    Samantha Cutler, Jeroen Jaspaert, Steven Bloomer, Terry Davies, Adrian Rhodes, Shannan Taylor “The Scarecrows’ Wedding”
    Simon Partington, Andy Farago, Simon Couzens, Sandy Nuttgens, Alex Copley, Andy Brittain “Boosnoo!”

    Costume Design
    Emma O’Loughlin “Trespasses”
    Maja Meschede “A Thousand Blows” — WINNER
    Michael Wilkinson “Andor”
    Rhona Russell “Lockerbie: A Search For Truth”

    Director: Factual
    Benedict Sanderson “See No Evil”
    Karim Shah “Gaza: Doctors Under Attack”
    Olaide Sadiq “Grenfell: Uncovered”
    Rob Coldstream “Vietnam: The War That Changed America” — WINNER

    Director: Fiction
    Dawn Shadforth “Trespasses”
    Janus Metz “Andor”
    Philip Barantini “Adolescence” — WINNER
    Sam Donovan “Severance”

    Director: Multi-camera
    Ben Archard, Eddie Lewis, Marieke Barker-benfield “The Celebrity Traitors”
    Ben Hardy “Last One Laughing”
    Diccon Ramsay “Ve Day 80: A Celebration To Remember”
    Laurence Cawsey “Super Sunday – Liverpool V Tottenham Hotspur” — WINNER

    Editing: Factual
    Jennifer Asheitu Hampson “Attack On London: Hunting The 7/7 Bombers”
    Mel Quigley, Andy Kemp “Gaza: Doctors Under Attack” — WINNER
    Paul Hammacott “Louis Theroux: The Settlers”
    Samuel R. Santana “Grenfell: Uncovered”

    Editing: Fiction
    Fiona Brands “Slow Horses (Episode 6)”
    Úna Ní Dhonghaíle “Prisoner 951” — WINNER
    Simon Smith “The Last Of Us”
    Yan Miles “Andor”

    Emerging Talent: Factual
    Alexandra Lacey (Writer/Director) “The Twister: Caught In The Storm”
    Elle Mower (Director) “Convicting My Ex”
    Olaide Sadiq (Director) “Grenfell: Uncovered” — WINNER

    Emerging Talent: Fiction
    Chloe English (Director) “G’wed”
    Emily Mcdonald (Director) “Am I Being Unreasonable?”
    Eros V (Director) “Juice”
    Janice Okoh (Writer) “Just Act Normal” — WINNER

    Entertainment Craft Team
    Ben Archard, Siggi Rosen-Rawlings, James Tinsley, Stuart Frossell, Martin Adams, Nathan Lindley “The Celebrity Traitors” — WINNER
    Diccon Ramsay, Rikki Finlay, Mat Weekes, Ben Norman, James Tinsley, Robert Mansfield “Squid Game: The Challenge”
    Graham Proud, Toby Wilkinson, Sam Turner, Alex Weeks, Jennifer Ford “Rob & Romesh Vs…”
    Philip Barantini, Nyk Allen, Jacob Smith, Joe Blodgett, Frank Larson, Brendan Poutier “One Shot: With Ed Sheeran”

    Make Up & Hair Design
    Lucy Sibbick, Victoria Money “Slow Horses”
    Sjaan Gillings “Lockerbie: A Search For Truth”
    Sian Wilson, Caroline Greenough, Clare Ramsey, Cheryl Garvey, Madlen Mierzwiak “A Thousand Blows”
    Vickie Lang, Nik Williams, Barrie Gower “Amadeus” — WINNER

    Original Music: Factual
    Anne Nikitin “Pangolin: Kulu’s Journey”
    Jessica Dannheisser “The Last Musician Of Auschwitz” — WINNER
    Louis Dodd, Matthew Sanchez “The Sycamore Gap Mystery”
    Sophy Purnell “Moon: Nature’s Secret Force”

    Original Music: Fiction
    Ariel Marx “Hotel Reverie (Black Mirror)”
    Federico Jusid “A Thousand Blows”
    Nick Cave, Warren Ellis “The Death Of Bunny Munro”
    Tom Rowlands “Mussolini: Son Of The Century” — WINNER

    Photography: Factual
    Camera Team “Secrets Of The Penguins”
    Jordan Bryon “Our Land: Israel’s Other War” — WINNER
    Marcel Mettelsiefen “State Of War: Fighting The Narcos (Exposure)”
    Stefano Ferrari, Tim Cragg “Surviving Black Hawk Down”

    Photography & Lighting: Fiction
    Catherine Goldschmidt “The Last Of Us”
    Matthew Lewis “Adolescence”
    Ryan Kernaghan “Trespasses” — WINNER
    Suzie Lavelle “Severance”

    Production Design
    Gillian Devenney “Trespasses”
    Luke Hull, Rebecca Alleway, Toby Britton “Andor”
    Philippa Mumford “Juice” — WINNER
    Tom Burton, Grant Bailey, Barbara Herman-skelding “A Thousand Blows”

    Scripted Casting
    Nathan Toth “What It Feels Like For A Girl”
    Nathan Toth, Julie Harkin “Reunion” — WINNER
    Shaheen Baig “Adolescence”
    Shaheen Baig “Get Millie Black”

    Sound: Factual
    Andy Deacon, Kevin Duff, Will Thomas Jonathan Gibson “The Lost Music Of Auschwitz”
    Sound Team “The Celebrity Traitors” — WINNER
    Sound Team “Formula 1: Drive To Survive”
    Tristan Powell, Will Chapman “The Last Musician Of Auschwitz”

    Sound: Fiction
    Andrew Sissons, Martin Jensen, Ben Tisdall, Joe Beal, Duncan Price, Conor Thompson “Slow Horses”
    Danny Hambrook, David Acord, Margit Pfeiffer, James Spencer, Josh Gold, John Finklea “Andor”
    James Drake, Jules Woods, Rob Entwistle, Kiff Mcmanus, Kyle Pickford, Adam Méndez “Adolescence” — WINNER
    Lee Walpole, Stuart Hilliker, Saoirse Christopherson, Andy Kennedy, Lee Crichlow, Chris Campion “Lockerbie: A Search For Truth”

    Special, Visual & Graphic Effects
    James Maclachlan, Josie Henwood, Union Vfx, Stargate Studios Malta, Magic Lab Studios, Sam Chynoweth “Uss Callister: Into Infinity” – “Black Mirror”
    Luke Murphy, Mohen Leo, Neal Scanlan, Jean-Clément Soret “Andor” — WINNER
    Russell Dodgson, Framestore, Andy Jones, Simon Bland, François Dumoulin, Gavin Mckenzie “Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age”
    Sara Bennett, Richard Reed, David Stephens, Jet Omoshebi, Caimin Bourne, Scanline “The Witcher”

    Titles & Graphic Identity
    Huge Designs “Code Of Silence”
    Isabella Eklöf, Luke Dunkley, Mike Holliday, Tony Kearns, Dean Wares “The Death Of Bunny Munro”
    Light Creative “A Thousand Blows”
    Nicos Livesey, Bart Yates, Rebecca Little, Aron Sidhu, Steven Lownes “Uefa Women’s Euro 2025” — WINNER

    Writer: Comedy
    Daisy May Cooper, Selin Hizli “Am I Being Unreasonable?”
    Jack Rooke “Big Boys” — WINNER
    Kat Sadler “Such Brave Girls”
    Steve Coogan, Rob Gibbons, Neil Gibbons “How Are You? It’s Alan (Partridge)”

    Writer: Drama
    Ailbhe Keogan “Trespasses”
    Jack Thorne, Stephen Graham “Adolescence”
    Paris Lees “What It Feels Like For A Girl”
    Will Smith “Slow Horses” — WINNER

  • Ford’s Mustang Cobra Jet sets a new EV quarter mile record at 6.87 seconds

    Ford Racing’s Mustang Cobra Jet 2200 just ran a quarter mile in 6.87 seconds at 221 mph at an NHRA event in Charlotte, setting a new world record for an EV. The run smashed Ford’s own previous EV record of 7.62 seconds, set by the Cobra Jet 1800 last September, by an impressive 0.75 seconds.

    As the name suggests, Ford’s Cobra Jet 2200 puts a massive 2,200 horsepower to the wheels thanks to a newly designed electric motor and inverter combo. Ford elected to use two motors and inverters instead of four of each as before to reduce complexity and boost efficiency to 98 percent. Overall power is up by 600 horsepower, but the motors and inverters weigh half as much as before. Everything runs on a 900-volt architecture and 32 kWh battery that charges in 20 minutes, easily enough for the NHRA’s 45-minute turnaround rule.

    The car has some unusual features for an EV like a clutch that lets the driver dump all the power to the road instantly for maximum acceleration. It also uses a multi-speed transmission that allows the car to run in its ideal power band through the duration of the run — reducing the quarter-mile time by up to a second, according to Ford. The battery design also allowed the team to tune weight distribution for optimal traction. Another racing touch is a pyrotechnic circuit breaker that can instantly break the high-voltage connection via a small explosive charge to align with NHRA safety rules.

    Some of this tech, like the high-efficiency motors and 900 volt system, could conceivably trickle down to consumer vehicles. Unfortunately, Ford and other US automakers have significantly reduced their investment in BEV technology of late. Ford recently announced that it would reboot the F-150 Lightning as an EREV with a gas generator, while last week GM delayed its next-gen full-size EV pickups and SUVs — all in the face of rapidly rising gasoline prices.

  • Bitcoin hits wall at $80,000, one analyst says the pullback is temporary

    Bitcoin hits wall at $80,000, one analyst says the pullback is temporary

    Bitcoin is doing that familiar dance just below a big round number, $80,000, stalled by sellers even as fresh stablecoin liquidity, ETF demand and a risk-on equity market suggest the breakout may be delayed rather than denied.

    The leading cryptocurrency briefly climbed above $79,000 during Asian trading hours before slipping back to trade below $78,000 recently. Over the past 24 hours, bitcoin has lost about 0.4%. Ether (ETH) has fallen 0.6%, $XRP ($XRP) is down 0.8% and Solana’s SOL has dropped more than 1%. Broader market benchmarks, including the CoinDesk Memecoin Index and Smart Contract Platform Select Capped Index, were also under pressure, falling more than 1% each.

    According to Alex Kuptsikevich, chief market analyst at FxPro, the $80,000 level is acting as a near-term ceiling due to concentrated sell orders.

    “Bitcoin has approached the $80K mark for the second time in the last few days, but has since experienced significant downward momentum. As it approaches this round figure, a build-up of sell orders is preventing the coin from moving further upwards,” he said in an email.

    Still, Kuptsikevich argued the pullback appears temporary and consistent with a broader uptrend that began in late March.

    This is an excerpt from CoinDesk newsletter ‘Daybook.’ Sign up here, if you haven’t already.

    On-chain and ETF data offer support for that view. Crypto exchange Binance has recorded a net inflow of roughly $3.4 billion in stablecoins so far this month, following $3 billion in March, according to CryptoQuant data. That suggests fresh capital inflows, waiting for a entry point.

    “This indicates an influx of new capital waiting to participate in the recovery,” pseudonymous CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost wrote on X.

    Institutional demand remains strong. U.S.-listed spot bitcoin ETFs have pulled in $2.44 billion in investor money this month, the most since October, when bitcoin hit record highs above $126,000.

    But not everything is hunky-dory. Security risks in decentralized finance (DeFi) continue to weigh on sentiment. On Sunday, the $SUI-based lending platform Scallop was exploited, resulting in the loss of roughly 150,000 $SUI, or about $142,000. While small, it adds to a growing list of attacks this month, including the massive Drift and KelpDAO exploits.

    Together, DeFi protocols have lost an estimated $623 million to hacks in April alone, according to Memento Research. Since inception, total losses from DeFi-related exploits have climbed to roughly $7.72 billion, according to data source DeFiLlama. This underscores a persistent structural risk for the sector.

    In traditional markets, WTI crude oil prices continue to hover above $90 per barrel, with Brent above $100 as supply remains constrained. The latest pricing is significantly higher than $70 or below before the Iran war began in late February, and threatens to destabilize global economy with high inflation. Stay alert!

    Read more: For analysis of today’s activity in altcoins and derivatives, see Crypto Markets Today . For a comprehensive list of events this week, see CoinDesk’s “Crypto Week Ahead.”

    What’s trending

    • A long-time developer wants to split Bitcoin blockchain and reassign Satoshi coins. The community is calling it a theft (CoinDesk): Paul Sztorc has been trying to overhaul Bitcoin’s architecture since 2015, but the broader community hasn’t budged. He now proposed the eCash hardfork, which involves copying Bitcoin’s code to launch a separate version in August.
    • Oil rises and stocks waver as peace talks stall (The New York Times): Oil prices rose and stocks were mixed on Monday after President Donald Trump called off a trip to Pakistan by two of his top negotiators for a new round of peace talks with Iran.
    • China blocks Meta’s $2 billion acquisition of AI firm Manus (Bloomberg): China blocked Meta Platforms Inc.’s acquisition of agentic AI startup Manus, a surprise move to unwind a controversial deal that’s drawn fire for the leakage of technology to the U.S.

    Today’s signal

    The pie chart shows the breakdown of total losses suffered in crypto hacks by different methods of attack, including private key compromises, phishing exploits, access control issues and other smart-contract vulnerabilities.

    Since inception, the biggest vulnerability has been private key compromises, accounting for 40% of the total.

    Think of a private key as the master password to your crypto wallet. It’s a long, random string that proves you control your wallet and own crypto funds in it, allowing you to transact onchain. The issue, however, is that there is no reset password option if you lose the key.

    So, once the hacker has it, you have lost your wallet and funds. This is known as the private key compromise and the fact that it’s the biggest security risk indicates that audits need to focus beyond just smart contracts.

  • The Long-Awaited Critical Report for Bitcoin (BTC) and Altcoins Has Arrived! What’s the Latest Situation with Bitcoin, Ethereum (ETH), and XRP?

    Bitcoin ($BTC) surged above $79,000 before the opening of Asian markets. News of a new offer from Iran to the US played a role in this rise, but it was short-lived.

    After $BTC experienced a sharp drop, quickly falling to levels around $77,600, Coinshares released its cryptocurrency report, stating that there was a $1.2 billion inflow last week.

    “Cryptocurrency investment products saw inflows of $1.2 billion. This marks the fourth consecutive positive week.”

    Bitcoin ($BTC) Inflows Remain Strong!

    Looking at crypto funds individually, inflows are concentrated in Bitcoin. $BTC experienced inflows of $932.5 million, while the largest altcoin, Ethereum (ETH), saw inflows of $192.4 million.

    Looking at other altcoins, $XRP saw a $25 million inflow after last week’s surge. Besides $XRP, Solana (SOL) also saw a $31.8 million inflow, and Chainlink (LINK) saw a $6.8 million inflow.

    “There has been an inflow of $932.5 million into Bitcoin, bringing total inflows since the beginning of the year to $4 billion. There has also been an inflow of $16.5 million into Bitcoin short positions. This indicates that demand for hedging continues, but it is not high.”

    Ethereum saw $192 million in inflows, marking the third consecutive week above $190 million.

    Looking at regional fund inflows and outflows, the US ranked first with an inflow of $1.08 billion.

    After the US, Germany ranked second with $61.7 million in inflows, while Switzerland came in third with $35.2 million.

    These inflows resulted in Hong Kong experiencing outflows of $1.3 million, while France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden saw smaller outflows.

    *This is not investment advice.

  • ‘Alex Rider’ Producer Eleventh Hour Developing Legal Drama With Victoria Asare-Archer Inspired by Eco-Lawyer’s Book ‘A Barrister for the Earth’ (EXCLUSIVE)

    ‘Alex Rider’ Producer Eleventh Hour Developing Legal Drama With Victoria Asare-Archer Inspired by Eco-Lawyer’s Book ‘A Barrister for the Earth’ (EXCLUSIVE)

    “Missing You” writer Victoria Asare-Archer is developing a new environmental legal drama for Eleventh Hour Films.

    Asare-Archer was lead writer and executive producer on Netflix’s Harlan Coben adaptation “Missing You” and previously wrote on “Stay Close” for Netflix and VR Game “Doctor Who: The Runaway,” which was nominated for an Emmy.

    Based on Monica Feria-Tinta’s 2025 book “A Barrister For The Earth,” the series will focus on the people working in cutting-edge environmental law as they seek to defend the earth against climate change.

    Feria-Tinta, whose book was shortlisted at the Westminster Book Awards, will also serve as inspiration for the series. The lawyer, who specializes in public international law, has appeared in courtrooms across the globe in her quest for environmental justice. In 2020 she brought the first “rights of nature” case in the world before the Constitutional Court of Ecuador and in 2022 she helped convince the UN Human Rights Committee to find a sovereign state responsible for a lack of action regarding climate change in the Torres Strait Islanders case.

    Sony Pictures-backed Eleventh Hour, best known for shows such as “Alex Rider” and “Magpie Murders,” are teaming on the project with global organization Climate Spring, whose mission is to revolutionize how climate change is represented on screen and in popular culture.

    “I’m honoured that Eleventh Hour Films and Climate Spring see the potential for this story to reach a wider audience,” said Feria-Tinta. “The issues at the heart of this book – environmental justice, the beauty of the natural world, and the power of the law to protect it – deserve to be seen and heard.”

    Eve Gutierrez and Paula Cuddy, co-CEOs of Eleventh Hour Films said: “Monica is a fearless legal mind who has written a book that deftly demonstrates how the law is a powerful tool for the survival of our planet. More than anything she offers us what we’re all looking for right now – hope for the future.”

    “We’re delighted to have the brilliant screenwriter Victoria Asare-Archer spin an original contemporary series set in this exciting new world of environmental law, and to partner with Climate Spring who share our vision to deliver commercial scripted content in this space.”

    Lucy Stone, founder of Climate Spring, added: “We’re thrilled to bring our partnership and climate narrative expertise to this project. Legal drama is an exciting storytelling lens to explore the climate crisis, with huge potential to reach audiences who come for the entertainment, while thoughtfully unpacking questions of justice, accountability and power.”

  • Bitcoin reverses from $79,500 as oil surge triggers broader crypto selloff

    Bitcoin reverses from $79,500 as oil surge triggers broader crypto selloff

    Volatility returned to crypto markets Monday as bitcoin spiked up to $79,480 before quickly reversing to $77,800.

    The move began around 23:00 UTC with the opening of U.S. equity and CME bitcoin futures, a period that often sees heightened volatility.

    By 05:30 UTC, the price began falling after it failed to break above the $80,000 level, dropping 2% in an hour.

    The decline occurred as oil reached its highest level since the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran began. Brent crude trades at $107 per barrel after U.S. President Donald Trump canceled plans to send U.S. officials for talks in Pakistan on Saturday.

    Ether (ETH) recently traded around $2,320 after losing 2.2% since midnight UTC, underperforming bitcoin, which is down by 1.1%, but not falling as precipitously as several altcoins.

    Derivatives positioning

    • Nearly $300 million in crypto futures bets have been liquidated in the past 24hours. Most of these have been bearish short plays, which likely faced the brunt of the cryptocurrency’s brief rally to nearly $79,500.
    • Open interest (OI) in $XRP futures rose by nearly 2.5% in 24 hours. That’s the biggest increase among major tokens, including bitcoin, ether and solana (SOL). The OI touched a one-week high of 1.82 billion $XRP alongside negative perpetual futures funding rates and OI-adjusted cumulative volume delta. This combination paints a bearish picture, consistent with the bitcoin and ether markets.
    • Analysts, however, said that persistent negative funding rates in BTC are mainly due to institutions hedging their bullish exposure in related markets and do not represent an outright bearish bet on the market.
    • HBAR, CC, XLM and HYPE are other standout OI gainers of the past 24 hours.
    • $SUI records the most negative CVD, suggesting sustained aggressive selling through market orders. A Sui-based DeFi protocol named Scallop was hacked early today, and the perpetrators walked away with approximately 150,000 $SUI tokens valued just over $140,000.
    • Bitcoin and ether’s 30-day implied volatility indexes extended declines, painting a picture of market calm that supports continued price rallies in the two assets. This is consistent with the recent drop in Wall Street’s VIX index, a gauge for the S&P 500 index, and record highs in other key measures, including the Nasdaq.
    • On Deribit, bitcoin and ether options continue to show a bias for puts across all time frames. Ether options expiring in December and next March are notably less bearish than their bitcoin counterparts.
    • Bitcoin’s $80,000 strike call option is the most popular on Deribit, boasting a notional open interest of over $1.5 billion. The dealer gamma here is positive, which implies that dealers (market makers) could sell on a potential breakout above this level and similarly buy the dip, arresting the price volatility.
    • Speaking of flows, Laser Digital said investors are favoring risk reversals over outright puts. This means traders prefer options strategies that profit from price swings and differences in how options are priced at different strike levels.

    Token talk

    • While the broader market was volatile on Monday, the altcoin sector was hit hardest during the 05:30 UTC selloff.
    • Liquid restaking token Lido (LDO) led losses, giving back all of Sunday’s gains to fall around 17%.
    • The bitcoin-heavy CoinDesk 20 (CD20) Index is down 1.5% since midnight UTC, while the DeFi Select Index (DFX) has lost 2.3%, with only the Smart Contract Platform Select Index (SCPX) performing worse, down 2.5%.
    • A handful of tokens managed to avoid the selloff, notably PENGU, JUP and CHZ, which rose 9.1%, 4% and 3.1%, respectively.
    • CoinMarketCap’s “Altcoin Season” indicator sits at a neutral 39/100, unchanged from last week and well below last month’s high of 51/100.
  • EU’s largest measures against Russia yet include escalation of crypto sanctions evasion

    EU’s largest measures against Russia yet include escalation of crypto sanctions evasion

    The European Union (EU) released its “biggest package” of sanctions in two years against Russia, describing the measures as far-reaching and restrictive. They specifically target crypto with a total ban on providers and platforms established in that country.

    “Russia is becoming increasingly reliant on cryptocurrencies for international transactions,” the EU said in an April 23 statement. “The EU is introducing a total sectoral ban on providers and platforms established in Russia that allow the transfer and exchange of crypto assets.”

    The bloc also banned Russia’s central bank digital currency (CBDC), the ruble-pegged RUBx stablecoin and all EU support for the development of the digital ruble.

    The sanctions include measures against 20 Russian banks and four third-country financial institutions and entities connecting to the Russian System for Transfer of Financial Messages (SPFS), the Russian banking messaging network, according to a Chainalysis report.

    The blockchain intelligence firm said the EU also imposed sanctions on TengriCoin, a Kyrgyz crypto exchange operating as Meer.kg, where significant amounts of the government-backed stablecoin A7A5 are traded.

    That measure follows years of escalating enforcement targeting the wider Garantex–Grinex–A7A5 ecosystem that has been extensively tracked, Chainalysis noted.

    As documented, A7A5 has been prolific, processing $119.7 billion to date and functioning as a purpose-built settlement rail designed to bridge sanctioned Russian businesses into the global financial system, the firm said. In the 2026 Crypto Crime Report, that figure exceeded $93.3 billion in less than a year.

    “The new measures now create an ecosystem-wide crypto restriction on Russia and Belarus,” the blockchain intelligence firm said.

    The firm said that people from the EU are now no longer allowed to transact with cryptocurrency service providers (CASPs) and decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms from Russia and Belarus. They are also barred from providing Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) crypto services to Belarusian individuals and entities.

    The EU also stated that “netting transactions with Russian agents are now forbidden, to prevent the circumvention of EU sanctions.”

    Countries referenced in the sanctions package in connection with financial services, trade flows, or intermediary activity include Kyrgyzstan, China, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Belarus.

  • Dynamic pricing adding to ‘dystopian’ 2026 World Cup, ex-Liverpool CEO says

    Dynamic pricing adding to ‘dystopian’ 2026 World Cup, ex-Liverpool CEO says

    If the 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup has become prohibitively expensive – with tickets fetching prices at more than $2m for the final – blame dynamic pricing, along with greed, says longtime gaming and sports executive Peter Moore.

    “Dynamic pricing doesn’t belong in the World Cup and football,” Moore told Al Jazeera in a recent interview from his home in Santa Barbara, California.

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    “It works with music, but for the World Cup, there are hundreds of thousands of people booking trips in advance. They’re asking themselves, ‘Do we want to visit and pay $2,000 for a third-tier game, Saudi Arabia versus whomever?’ And FIFA taking a 30 percent cut of dynamic pricing is outrageous”.

    The 71-year-old former chief executive of Liverpool FC from 2017-20 is calling out FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, in interviews and on social media.

    “Gianni Infantino misread the situation and thought he could get away with it,” Moore said.

    “Now, tickets are in the hands of bots and speculators, who don’t intend to go to games. They are harvesting tickets and hoping they can sell them in the next six to eight weeks, and I don’t see that happening.”

    He added: “I just hope enough people are there to add to the atmosphere of the game”.

    Certainly, there’s a gloomy feeling hanging over this World Cup – at some US venues, anyway; from high prices for tickets and transportation, to the luck of the draw on getting a visa (hopefully you haven’t visited Cuba lately).

    When you arrive, there’s the spectre of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents targeting fans. Finally, you get through the turnstiles and you could be greeted by lots of empty seats.

    How FIFA is rolling things out also raises questions about who the World Cup is for.

    The demographic could be more corporate, less diverse socio-economically, with fewer authentic fans attending than in previous tournaments.

    Under travel bans imposed by Trump in an executive order, fans from four participating countries – Ivory Coast, Haiti, Iran and Senegal – cannot enter the country unless they already have valid visas.

    “It’s the world’s game, but who is this World Cup for if the world can’t get in?” Moore said.

    “FIFA is taking advantage of the unique commercial opportunities in the US, dynamic pricing and the secondary market being legal here, to make money – Infantino has said [he expects FIFA revenues from the World Cup to exceed] $11bn. Why not make it more reasonable and accessible and make, maybe, $8bn?

    “FIFA is a nonprofit, built to serve players and fans of the world. That’s its remit, not to be like a commercial organisation and maximise the opportunity to make as much money as possible.”

    FIFA expects to gross $3bn on ticketing and hospitality sales alone.

    Soccer Football - Champions League Group Stage draw - Grimaldi Forum, Monaco - August 29, 2019 Liverpool CEO Peter Moore and Ian Rush before the draw REUTERS/Eric Gaillard
    Moore, right, with legendary Liverpool striker Ian Rush in 2019 [Eric Gaillard/Reuters]

    Infantino has defended high ‌‌ticket prices, saying ⁠⁠that ⁠⁠the tournament held every four years is FIFA’s only source of income and that it reinvests the revenue to develop football in all 211 member nations.

    MLS commissioner Don Garber recently called FIFA’s dynamic pricing policy “a good idea”, adding that Infantino compared the World Cup to “dozens and dozens” of NFL Super Bowls, which feature some dynamic ticketing. And, Garber added, US fans are accustomed to paying high prices for “premium” events.

    But the Super Bowl’s appeal is based on the contest being held once a year, not dozens of times. One way to devalue the Super Bowl would be to schedule several of them a year.

    As for supporters from the other 47 countries taking part? They thought they were going to a World Cup, not a Super Bowl. And they are probably not used to dynamic pricing or legal profiting from ticket resales.

    In the US, though, above-value ticket resale is legal, and FIFA being involved in reselling “changes everything,” Moore noted. “It means: tickets are no longer just for fans. They’re tradable assets.” Which brings in speculators, who conduct business “like traders, not supporters”.

    Maybe it was inevitable that the spirit of the World Cup would be hijacked by savage capitalism. But it doesn’t seem everyone is ready for that, just yet. The World Cup is not only a sporting competition, but a universal gathering. Or so we thought. Perhaps it is just another “premium event”, like so many Taylor Swift concerts – but with worse dance moves.

    Welcome then to the first soulless World Cup?

    “It’s dystopian, and it’s an existential threat to the game,” Moore said, referring to both the ticketing situation and broader problems of the World Cup.

    “Ultimately, is this going to be the first of every World Cup where FIFA maximises profit, rather than allow as many as possible to come and support their country?”

    Moore said he is reluctant to attend the World Cup, though he could zip down the Pacific Coast Highway to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

    “For me, I look every day, on StubHub, SeatGeek, TicketMaster,” Moore said. “I’m used to it with live music. We can stand outside Allegiant [Stadium, in Las Vegas] and watch our phones for when ticket prices go down, when touts need to unload tickets for the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Shakira. But the international fan can’t do that for the World Cup, fly to America and book hotels, and hope prices will go down”.

    If you are planning on being there, Moore advises checking the resale market close to game times.

    “I’d just watch, and as the weeks go on, if tickets aren’t moving, the secondary market will come down,” Moore said.

    “But to a reasonable price? I don’t know. It’s the regular fans that create the excitement at the World Cup, from Brazil, Colombia, Africa. How are they going to afford to travel and come to games when it’s $1,000, $2,000, $3,000 [per ticket]. Who’s got that kind of money?”

    For the fans who do get through the turnstiles, maybe the power of football will overcome everything and they’ll experience what we think of as the eternal World Cup vibe. But a part of them might also feel like they just got fleeced by FIFA.

  • World Cup 2026 prize money, fees to be increased for all teams: FIFA

    World Cup 2026 prize money, fees to be increased for all teams: FIFA

    Football’s global governing body promises to increase the funding for the tournament to help cover participation costs.

    Published On 27 Apr 2026

    FIFA says it is ‌‌in discussions with national football associations to increase prize money for all ⁠⁠48 teams participating ⁠⁠in the World Cup.

    In response to requests by ‌‌European teams to increase prize money and to assist with costs ⁠⁠associated with ⁠⁠their participation this summer in the World Cup, the world governing body is set to fulfil ⁠ ⁠those wishes, it said on Sunday.

    The proposal must be approved at Tuesday’s FIFA Council meeting, being held before the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver, Canada.

    FIFA announced in December a record World Cup prize fund of $727m, with the winning team taking home $50m and each team receiving ⁠⁠at least $10.5m. Since that December announcement, FIFA ⁠⁠and national associations have engaged in talks and aim to resolve the issue.

    UEFA, European football’s governing body, contacted FIFA after ‌‌hearing from several of its member associations regarding the costs of participating in the World Cup, including travel, operations and taxes, particularly in the United States. Canada and Mexico are the other host countries.

    FIFA said the prize money on offer is set to increase, with the world governing body projected to surpass $11bn in revenue in the current ‌‌four-year cycle of 2023 to 2026.

    “FIFA can confirm it is in discussions with associations around the world to increase available revenues,” a FIFA spokesperson told the Reuters news agency.

    “This includes a proposed increase of financial contributions to all qualified teams for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and of development funding available to all 211 member associations.

    “The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be groundbreaking in terms of its ⁠⁠financial contribution to the global football community, and FIFA ⁠⁠is proud to be in its strongest ever financial position to benefit the global game through its FIFA Forward programme.”

    INTERACTIVE-Football FIFA History of the World Cup-1776670773

    The biggest slice of FIFA’s initial funding package for the North American showpiece – $655m – ⁠⁠was to be performance-based payments to the 48 participating nations.

    Additionally, each qualified nation would be entitled to $1.5m to cover preparation costs.

    FIFA’s 2025 annual report said ‌‌93 percent of its total budgeted revenue had already been contracted by the end of 2025, thanks to the success of the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup held ‌‌in ‌‌the US last year.

    The World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19.

  • Initiative Addressing Hair and Makeup Equality in U.K. Film and TV Industry Gets Backing From Networks

    Initiative Addressing Hair and Makeup Equality in U.K. Film and TV Industry Gets Backing From Networks

    A number of major U.K. networks and industry partners have teamed to launch a new masterclass-focused training initiative aimed at raising industry standards when it comes to textured hair and dark skin tones.

    The ‘Textured Hair & Make-up for Deep Skin-Tones Accelerator,’ comes from Dandi, the diversity and inclusion service from the team behind the TriForce Creative Network, and builds on the 2025 Hair & Make‑Up Equity Guidelines. According to Dandi, it provides a “practical, scalable solution to ensure equitable, culturally competent styling across the UK’s screen industries.”

    In a recent survey, 71 % of actors from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds still reported that hair and makeup departments were unable to meet their needs, something that undermining wellbeing, authenticity and production values.

    The accelerator — giving hands-on training, industry insight and direct access to employers — is backed by Prime Video Pathway, following their pilot programme in Scotland in 2025 as well as BBC, Sky, Channel 4, ITV and Screen Alliance North. Two 2026 programs, featuring masterclasses in partnership with the Kevin Fortune Hair Styling Academy, have been set for both the north and south of the U.K., with each course to recruit 10 participants.

    “Working with such incredible partners, we can shift the landscape tangibly with solutions that directly address the fundamental issues surrounding Black hair and make-up. Where the guidelines set the standard, the Accelerator delivers the solution. Inclusive styling is essential, not optional,” said Dandi CEO Fraser Ayre.

    In 2024, Variety reported how Afro hair had been shockingly overlooked by the U.K. industry in terms of on-set provisions and knowledge, with many Black British actors — including many majors names — turning up to shoots to find hair departments without the necessary skills to handle Afro-textured hair as compared to their white co-stars. In many cases, artists were forced to arrive hours earlier to do the hair themselves or even send over their own video tutorials to explain certain processes.