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The first domestic violence specialists have been placed in 999 control rooms in memory of a woman who was murdered by her ex-husband despite ringing police on the night she died.

Raneem’s Law has been launched in five pilot areas – West Midlands, Northumbria, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and Humberside.

The legislation – promised in Labour’s manifesto – is named after 22-year-old Raneem Oudeh and her mother Khaola Saleem, 49, who were murdered by Ms Oudeh’s ex-husband in August 2018.

Ms Oudeh had called 999 more than a dozen times in the months leading up to her death, including to report threats to kill her, but police did not log the reports correctly, did not follow up and did not assess them correctly.

Khaola Saleem and Raneem Oudeh
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Khaola Saleem and Raneem Oudeh

On the night she was killed, she rang 999 four times but the police did not respond in time.

The new domestic abuse specialists will ensure that calls for help are properly assessed, managed and responded to, the government said.

Their duties will include advising on risk assessments, making referrals to specialist services and identifying missed opportunities to safeguard victims.

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The first phase will inform plans for a national rollout across 43 police forces in England and Wales and will be underpinned by £2.2m funding over the next financial year.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Every 30 seconds, someone calls the police about domestic abuse – over 100 people every hour seeking urgent help.

“That’s why we are determined to overhaul the police emergency response to domestic abuse, making sure that victims get the specialist support and protection they need. That must be Raneem and Khaola’s legacy.”

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Desperate 999 call hours before murder

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Domestic abuse victim speaks out

On the night she died, Ms Oudeh was told to go to her mother’s house and officers would visit her the next day. She was on the phone to West Midlands Police when she was stabbed by Janbaz Tarin, her estranged husband, one of the many calls she had made about him that night.

Ms Oudeh had broken up with her husband in the weeks before the attack after discovering he had three children and a secret wife who was pregnant with a fourth child in Afghanistan.

Tarin admitted the murders and was jailed for life with a minimum of 32 years in December 2018.

An inquest found the police force “materially contributed” to their deaths. Five officers were disciplined over the failures.

Nour Norris, the sister and aunt of victims Khaola Saleem and Raneem Oudeh. Pic: PA
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Nour Norris, the sister and aunt of victims Khaola Saleem and Raneem Oudeh. Pic: PA

Nour Norris, Ms Oudeh’s aunt and Mrs Saleem’s sister who has been campaigning to improve outcomes for domestic abuse victims, said today’s announcement would help save lives.

“Raneem called for help, and today, the system finally answered,” she said.

“I can’t express enough how deeply emotional and significant this moment is.”

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Crypto industry is not experiencing regulatory capture — Attorney

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Crypto industry is not experiencing regulatory capture — Attorney

Crypto industry is not experiencing regulatory capture — Attorney

Brandon Ferrick, general counsel at Douro Labs, said that the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) openness to public input on crypto policy and their roundtable discussions are positive signs that the crypto industry is not currently experiencing regulatory capture.

In an interview with Cointelegraph, Ferrick identified signs of regulatory capture including, a public-to-private sector revolving door of employees, the same roster of attendees at regulatory events, and special treatment given to certain crypto projects. However, Ferrick added:

“The reason why I am not worried today is that a lot of what you’re seeing from the regulatory side, like the SEC, for example, is totally open, public, and there are available opportunities to have conversations with the regulators about changing or thinking about the regulatory structures.”

“[The SEC] has a public portal where you can just submit written commentary on your thoughts for the crypto regulatory environment, and you can schedule meetings with them,” the attorney continued.

Crypto industry is not experiencing regulatory capture — Attorney
Crypto Industry executives and panelists discuss cohesive crypto regulation at the SEC’s first crypto roundtable in March 2025. Source: SEC

As the crypto industry becomes more integrated with the traditional financial system and engages state regulators more, some analysts and executives are worried that the industry is experiencing regulatory capture that will skew incentives and politicize the burgeoning crypto sector.

Related: SEC staff gives guidance on how securities laws could apply to crypto

SEC hosts several roundtable discussions on crypto policy

The SEC has hosted several crypto roundtable discussions and panels, with more slated in the coming months — a sharp contrast from the agency’s regulation-by-enforcement approach under former SEC chairman Gary Gensler.

On March 21, the regulatory agency hosted its first crypto roundtable, which featured crypto industry executives, SEC officials, and even opponents of the crypto industry.

Former SEC official John Reed Stark was highly critical of the industry and opposed comprehensive regulatory reform, arguing that digital assets must comply with existing securities laws.

Crypto industry is not experiencing regulatory capture — Attorney
Former SEC official John Reed Stark addresses the SEC’s March 2025 crypto roundtable. Source: SEC

The SEC’s April 11 roundtable focused on trading rules and included a different set of panelists, including representatives from Uniswap and Coinbase.

The next SEC panel will occur on April 25 and focus on establishing guidelines for crypto custodians and other firms holding crypto on behalf of customers.

Magazine: SEC’s U-turn on crypto leaves key questions unanswered

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UK firm buys $250M Bitcoin as analysts eye quiet Easter weekend

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UK firm buys 0M Bitcoin as analysts eye quiet Easter weekend

UK firm buys 0M Bitcoin as analysts eye quiet Easter weekend

Whales and institutions are increasing their Bitcoin holdings ahead of Easter, as market analysts predict a weekend with less volatility after two weeks of heightened volatility driven by escalating global trade tensions.

London-based investment firm Abraxas Capital acquired 2,949 Bitcoin (BTC) worth more than $250 million during the four days leading up to April 19.

In the latest transaction, the firm bought over $45 million worth of Bitcoin from Binance on April 18, according to crypto intelligence firm Lookonchain, citing Arkham Intelligence data.

UK firm buys $250M Bitcoin as analysts eye quiet Easter weekend
Source: Arkham Intelligence, Lookonchain

The investment came days after Michael Saylor’s Strategy bought $285 million worth of Bitcoin at an average price of $82,618 per BTC, as the world’s largest corporate Bitcoin holders signal continued confidence in Bitcoin, amid global tariff uncertainty.

Large Bitcoin investors, or whales, continue accumulating, absorbing over 300% of Bitcoin’s yearly issuance as exchanges continue losing coins at a historic pace, Cointelegraph reported on April 18.

Related: Spar supermarket in Switzerland starts accepting Bitcoin payments

Crypto analysts eye quiet Easter weekend after weeks of turmoil

Despite continued accumulation from whales and institutions, volatility concerns were raised by significant movements from the medium-term Bitcoin cohort, which holds coins for an average of three to six months.

Over 170,000 Bitcoin entered circulation from the medium-term cohort, a development that may signal “imminent” crypto market volatility, according to pseudonymous CryptoQuant analyst Mignolet.

“The effect of this metric on LTF moves is overstated as large onchain movement of coins hardly ever affects weekend price action since it’s not on liquid markets or CEX markets,” analysts at Bitfinex exchange told Cointelegraph, adding:

“It is important to note that funding rates remain relatively flat currently. Moreover, US markets are closed as we have a long weekend for Easter, so volatility could be suppressed barring headlines from the White House.”

Related: Crypto, DeFi may widen wealth gap, destabilize finance: BIS report

Marcin Kazmierczak, chief operating officer of RedStone Oracles, added that the recent movements may be operational transfers, not necessarily signs of imminent selling pressure.

Still, concerns over weekend volatility have been amplified over the past two weeks after the Mantra (OM) token’s price collapsed by over 90% on Sunday, April 13, from roughly $6.30 to below $0.50, triggering market manipulation allegations and highlighting “critical” liquidity issues in the industry.

Two weeks ago, on April 6, Bitcoin fell below $75,000 on Sunday, as investor concerns spread from a record-breaking  $5 trillion sell-off from the S&P 500, its largest on record.

UK firm buys $250M Bitcoin as analysts eye quiet Easter weekend
BTC, SPX, year-to-date chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The correction was caused by Bitcoin’s 24/7 trading availability, which made it the only large liquid asset available for de-risking on Sunday, Blockstream CEO Adam Back told Cointelegraph.

“On a weekend, there’s not much volume. So you have a worse risk of rapid sort of flash crashes or flash dips that get filled in again,” he said.

Magazine: Bitcoin ATH sooner than expected? XRP may drop 40%, and more: Hodler’s Digest, March 23 – 29

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Crypto, DeFi may widen wealth gap, destabilize finance: BIS report

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Crypto, DeFi may widen wealth gap, destabilize finance: BIS report

Crypto, DeFi may widen wealth gap, destabilize finance: BIS report

The growing adoption of cryptocurrencies may pose risks to the traditional financial system and exacerbate wealth inequality, according to the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).

In an April 15 report, the BIS warned that the number of investors and amount of capital in crypto and decentralized finance (DeFi) have “reached a critical mass,” with investor protection becoming a “significant concern for regulators.”

The size of the crypto market signals that authorities should be worried about the “stability of crypto over and above the role it may have for TradFi and the real economy,” the report states, highlighting the role of stablecoins, which the BIS said have “become the means through which participants transfer value within crypto.”

Crypto, DeFi may widen wealth gap, destabilize finance: BIS report
BIS report on crypto and DeFi’s functions and financial stability implications. Source: BIS

The report calls for targeted stablecoin regulation on stability and reserve asset requirements that will guarantee the redemption of stablecoins for US dollars during “stressed market conditions.”

Related: Spar supermarket in Switzerland starts accepting Bitcoin payments

The report comes two weeks after the US House Financial Services Committee passed the Stablecoin Transparency and Accountability for a Better Ledger Economy, or STABLE Act, with a 32–17 vote on April 2.

Cryptocurrencies, Banking, Banks, Central Bank, Bitcoin Price, Investments, Bitcoin Regulation, United States, BIS, Stablecoin, Cryptocurrency Investment, Bitcoin Adoption
Source: Financial Services GOP

The STABLE Act aims to create a clear regulatory framework for dollar-denominated payment stablecoins, emphasizing transparency and consumer protection.

On March 13, the GENIUS Act, short for Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins, passed the Senate Banking Committee by a vote of 18–6. The act aims to establish collateralization guidelines and require full compliance with Anti-Money Laundering laws from stablecoin issuers.

Related: $400M Web3 investment fund ABCDE halts new investments, fundraising

Crypto may exacerbate wealth gap

The BIS also raised concerns about how crypto markets may worsen income inequality by enabling larger investors to capitalize on the emotions of less sophisticated retail participants, as seen during the FTX collapse in 2022.

Crypto, DeFi may widen wealth gap, destabilize finance: BIS report
Whale vs retail activity after FTX collapse. Source:  BIS

“As prices tumbled in 2022, users actually traded more,” the BIS report noted. “Most disturbingly, large bitcoin holders (“whales”) were selling as ordinary retail investors (“krill”) were buying.” It added:

“This implies that the crypto market, which is often presented as an opportunity for inclusive growth and financial stability, can be a means for redistributing wealth from the poorer to the wealthier.”

The report concludes that DeFi and TradFi have similar underlying economic drivers, but DeFi’s “distinctive features,” like “smart contract and composability,” present new challenges that need proactive regulatory interventions to “safeguard financial stability, while fostering innovation.”

Magazine: Uni students crypto ‘grooming’ scandal, 67K scammed by fake women: Asia Express

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