Buoyed by clearer US regulation, mounting institutional inflows and growing talk of pension-fund access, the value of global crypto assets has broken through $4tn for the first time, propelling Bitcoin to a fresh peak and sharpening the debate over how conventional finance should adapt.
The Lionesses advanced to the Euro semi-finals after edging Sweden on penalties, goalkeeper Hannah Hampton starring with decisive saves.
Nigel Farage contends that by lowering the voting age to 16 Labour could inadvertently dent its own election prospects, citing polling suggesting a growing share of teenagers would reject the party.
Plans to lower the voting age to 16 will enfranchise around 1.5 million teenagers at the 2029 general election, a shift expected to influence campaigning and the race for the next PM.
A vast cache of leaked Afghan documents has exposed the identities of hundreds of UK intelligence officers and special forces personnel, prompting the MoD to seek a fresh court injunction while urgent security reviews and political scrutiny intensify over the handling of sensitive data.
Police will deploy live facial-recognition technology at this year’s Notting Hill Carnival to identify individuals sought over serious offences and deter violence, prompting debate about the balance between public safety and privacy.
Diane Abbott has been suspended from Labour for a second time, after failing to satisfy the party’s requirements following its inquiry into her comments on prejudice.
Sir Keir Starmer is proposing to extend the franchise to 16- and 17-year-olds, a move billed by Labour as democratic modernisation yet denounced by Reform UK and others as a tactical bid to harvest youthful votes before the forthcoming election.
A law lowering the voting age to 16 is being enacted, with polling indicating the move could chiefly benefit Reform, Jeremy Corbyn and the Greens, as ministers emphasise the principle of taxation requiring representation while critics question whether the change is an electoral gambit.
The Starmer administration is lowering the voting age to 16 ahead of the next General Election, a move presented as enhancing democracy yet questioned by opponents who claim it favours Labour’s poll prospects.