Japan's first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, is gambling on a snap election this Sunday, while the price of Bitcoin has plummeted to its lowest level in 16 months, and thousands of Malawi businesses have closed in protest over tax changes. These are just some of the significant developments making headlines around the world.
In Japan, Takaichi is hoping to secure a clear public mandate for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), according to BBC World. The snap vote, the second general election in as many years, has caught many off guard. This is a political gamble, mirroring a similar attempt by her predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba, who lost badly. Voters will now decide whether Takaichi's strategy will pay off.
Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency market has experienced a significant downturn. Bitcoin's price fell to $60,000 (44,000), its lowest point since September 2024, as reported by BBC Technology. This drop followed a period of soaring prices, with Bitcoin reaching an all-time high of $122,200 in October 2025. Joshua Chu, co-chair of the Hong Kong Web3 Association, told Reuters that investors 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." Despite US President Donald Trump's public support for cryptocurrency, the price continued to fall.
Elsewhere, in Malawi, thousands of businesses closed in protest against new tax changes. Demonstrations across Malawi's four main cities led to a delay in the introduction of a new tax regime that business owners claim will cripple their livelihoods, according to The Guardian. Tens of thousands of people signed petitions, which were presented to tax authorities this week.
In other news, China overturned the death sentence of Canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, as reported by The Guardian. Schellenberg was detained on drug charges in 2014. This decision, a Canadian official said, could signal a diplomatic thaw as Prime Minister Mark Carney seeks to boost trade ties with Beijing.
Finally, a BBC Business report revealed that many smart motorways in England are not delivering the expected value for money. According to National Highways, two schemes, involving sections of the M25 and the M6, were found to be offering "very poor" value. The AA, representing motorists, described the schemes as a "catastrophic waste of time, money and effort."
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