A Russian general was shot and wounded in Moscow, while Japan prepares for a snap election and Bitcoin prices plummeted to their lowest point in over a year, according to multiple reports. These events, alongside the ongoing search for the mother of US news presenter Savannah Guthrie and reports questioning the value of smart motorways, dominated headlines.
Lt Gen Vladimir Alexeyev, 64, was attacked in a residential area in the north-western outskirts of Moscow and is in serious condition, according to BBC World. The attacker fled the scene. Alexeyev holds a high position within Russia's GRU military intelligence, making him the latest high-ranking military figure targeted near Moscow since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but senior Russian officials immediately blamed Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Japan is heading to the polls on Sunday for its second general election in two years, a snap vote that has caught many off guard, as reported by BBC World. Sanae Takaichi, Japan's first female prime minister, is betting on her personal popularity to secure a clear public mandate for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), a move that some see as a gamble. This follows a similar unsuccessful attempt by her predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba.
In the financial sector, the price of Bitcoin fell to its lowest level since September 2024, reaching $60,000 (44,000), despite former US President Donald Trump's public support for the cryptocurrency, according to BBC Technology. The drop followed months of rising prices, which had seen Bitcoin hit an all-time high 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.
Adding to the news, police are investigating a new message related to the suspected abduction of the mother of Savannah Guthrie, as reported by BBC World. Authorities are examining the information provided in the message for accuracy. The development comes after the first deadline passed in one of the alleged ransom letters.
Finally, newly released reports from National Highways indicate that many smart motorways are failing to deliver the expected value for money, according to BBC Business. Two schemes, involving sections of the M25 and the M6, were found to offer "very poor" value. The AA, representing motorists, called the schemes a "catastrophic waste of time, money and effort."
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