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Robert Jenrick, the Reform Party's spokesperson for financial affairs, will state on Wednesday that if the Reform Party wins the next general election, it will carry out comprehensive reforms of the Bank of England and the Office for Budget Responsibility. The Reform Party plans to strip the Bank of England of its auxiliary responsibilities in areas such as net zero emissions, allowing it to focus on reducing inflation, and will require the Office for Budget Responsibility to include a wider range of opinions in its economic forecasts. Jenrick will also confirm that these adjustments will not affect the independence of either institution. Reform Party leader Nigel Farage has previously questioned the independence of both institutions.

PANews reported on February 18 that, according to the official website of the U.S. Department of Justice, a man from Glendale, United States, has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for selling various drugs and engaging in other illegal activities on dark web marketplaces, receiving cryptocurrency as payment. Law enforcement agencies disclosed that all related illegal transactions were settled in cryptocurrency. This operation is part of a cross-agency effort to combat transnational crime, drug trafficking networks, and human smuggling, aiming to systematically target criminal organizations and their supply chains that rely on dark web operations.

The head of the International Monetary Fund's Japan delegation stated that the forecast assumes the Bank of Japan will raise interest rates twice this year and once more in 2027.