A Russian general was shot multiple times in Moscow, the price of Bitcoin plummeted to its lowest level since 2024, and Japanese voters prepared to head to the polls in a snap election, according to reports from BBC News. These are among the top stories emerging from the news cycle.
Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alexeyev, 64, was attacked in a residential area in the north-western outskirts of Moscow and was taken to the hospital in serious condition, according to BBC World. The attacker fled the scene. Alexeyev is the second-in-command in Russia's GRU military intelligence. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but senior Russian officials immediately blamed Ukraine. This incident marks the latest in a series of attacks targeting high-ranking military figures in or near Moscow since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Meanwhile, the price of Bitcoin fell to its lowest level in 16 months, dipping as low as $60,000 (44,000), despite former US President Donald Trump's public support for cryptocurrency, BBC Technology reported. The drop followed months of rising prices, which saw the cryptocurrency hit an all-time high of $122,200 in October 2025. "Those who bet too big, borrowed too much or assumed prices only go up are now finding out the hard way what real market volatility and risk management look like," Joshua Chu, co-chair of the Hong Kong Web3 Association, told Reuters.
In Japan, the country prepared for its second general election in as many years. Sanae Takaichi, Japan's first female prime minister, is betting on her personal popularity to secure a clear public mandate for the long-ruling but unpopular Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), according to BBC World. This snap vote caught the ruling party, the opposition, and much of the electorate off guard. This is a political gamble, one her predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba, made and lost. Voters will decide if it will pay off.
In other news, police are investigating a new message sent to a local TV news station that might be linked to the suspected abduction of US news presenter Savannah Guthrie's mother, according to BBC World. Authorities are inspecting the information provided in the message for its accuracy. The new development comes amid public pleas from the Guthrie family for proof that their mother is still alive and after the first deadline in one of the alleged ransom letters passed on Thursday evening.
Finally, a new report from National Highways revealed that many smart motorways are failing to offer the value for money expected when they were originally planned, BBC Business reported. Two of the schemes, involving sections of the M25 and the M6, were found to be offering "very poor" value. Just three out of a total of sixteen projects across England were on track to deliver the financial benefits expected, although in most cases they were delivering safety benefits in line with original forecasts National Highways said. The AA, representing motorists, said the schemes had turned out to be a "catastrophic waste of time, money and effort".
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