Why do States want a treasure in bitcoin?

The biggest advantage of a BTC reserve lies in its scarcity: there will be no more than 21 million coins. Unlike gold, bitcoin does not require complex management or costly security measures. The bitcoin-based strategic reserve project, promoted by Senator Cynthia Lummis – known on Capitol Hill as “The Queen of Cryptocurrencies” – has captured … Read more

Crowded boat capsizes in Congo; At least 25 dead, dozens missing

Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo – At least 25 people, including children, were killed and dozens missing after a packed boat capsized in a river in central Congo on Tuesday, officials and local residents said. The ship was believed to be carrying more than 100 passengers after leaving the city of Inongo, northeast of … Read more

UN envoy warns Syria conflict not over yet

A UN envoy warned on Tuesday that Syria’s protracted conflict “has not ended yet”, even as the country’s victorious Islamist-led rebels stepped up contacts with governments that deemed ousted president Bashar al-Assad a pariah. The UN’s migration chief, Amy Pope, warned against a “large-scale return” of refugees to Syria, adding that “sending people back will … Read more

Denmark frees anti-whaling activist Paul Watson – DW – 12/17/2024

Denmark’s Justice Ministry on Tuesday rejected a Japanese extradition request and released Canadian-American anti-whaling activist Paul Watson from a Greenland prison after five months in detention. Watson, one of the world’s most famous anti-whaling activists, was detained in the port of Nuuk in Greenland this July 21 on an international arrest warrant issued by Interpol. … Read more

No, the BBC did not report that Luigi Mangione ‘shot himself’ in prison

In the latest flood of misinformation regarding Luigi Mangione, indicted for the murder of health insurance CEO Brian Thompson, some users are sharing a fake BBC headline claiming that Mangione committed suicide while in prison. The notification was actually created using Apple’s latest AI tool. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or … Read more

Draft of Trump’s executive order to create the national bitcoin reserve released

This Tuesday, the draft of an executive order that proposes the creation of a strategic reserve of bitcoin (BTC) in the United States was released. All that remains is for President-elect Donald Trump’s team to review this document and for the president to sign it for it to come into force. The document, which was … Read more

‘This is the best moment for a comprehensive peace effort’ in the Middle East, expert says

The United States said Tuesday it felt “cautious optimism” on the prospects of reaching a ceasefire in the 14-month war in Gaza, although it acknowledged that similar hopes had been dashed before. Henri Barkey, Professor of International Relations at Lehigh University, says with Iran weakened and Russia essentially removed from the Middle East, this is … Read more