On Tuesday, Bitcoin experienced an upsurge of nearly 10 per cent, hitting its 18-month high at $34,872. This increase was triggered by growing conjecture about the introduction of an exchange-traded bitcoin fund (ETF).

Not only has the bullish momentum impacted the broader cryptocurrency market, it has also been noticeable in associated stocks.

It is projected by the market that considerable demand could be spurred by the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) endorsement of a spot bitcoin ETF.

The argument is that an ETF like this could allow investors, who were previously unsure, to invest in cryptocurrencies via the stock market, possibly leading to a significant influx of funds into the sector.

Bitcoin, a digital asset known for its high volatility and whose price has surged two-fold this year, is now priced at $34,020. This is the peak value it has reached since May 2022.

The price briefly soared past $35,000 during trading hours in Asia. Concurrently, Ether – ranked as the second most significant cryptocurrency – also witnessed a surge of 4.50 per cent to achieve a record high since August of $1,786.30.

Bitcoin’s rise isn’t just influencing the cryptocurrency market. Stocks linked to the crypto industry, such as the prominent US exchange Coinbase Global and Bitcoin owner MicroStrategy, experienced increases of over 7 per cent and 12 per cent respectively.

Reuters reported a statement from Antoni Trenchev, who co-founded the digital asset company Nexo.

“A sense of excitement has erupted in the crypto market and now it’s just a case of waiting to see if and when something concrete emerges from the SEC.” 

The expectation of a Bitcoin ETF getting approved soon is being strengthened by major US financial companies like BlackRock that have ongoing ETF applications. Information suggests that the listing of BlackRock’s iShares ETF on DTCC clearing house’s website has added more fuel to this conjecture.

This month’s reports, including a Reuters article, hinted that the SEC would not challenge a court decision which found the agency guilty of unjustly denying an ETF application from crypto company Grayscale Investments.

Reuters reported that Geoffrey Kendrick, the leader of digital assets research at Standard Chartered, commented after the court officially confirmed its verdict on Monday and redirected the application to the SEC for further review.

“The SEC being pressured by the courts increases the probability of an ETF approval.” 

(With inputs from Reuters) 

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The world mourns the loss of Burt Young, the celebrated actor who gained fame for his unforgettable performance as Paulie Pennino in the iconic Rocky film series. At 83 years old, he has left behind a lasting legacy in the hearts of fans worldwide.

On 8 October, his daughter Anne Morea Steingieser confirmed his demise without providing any explanation for the cause.

Young’s career boasted remarkable performances in acclaimed films such as Chinatown and Once Upon A Time In America, as well as notable contributions to popular TV series like The Sopranos. However, it is his unforgettable depiction of the gruff yet endearing Paulie, Sylvester Stallone’s brother-in-law in the Rocky movies, that has endeared him to audiences for generations.

Audiences were mesmerized by Paulie’s portrayal of a disillusioned meat packer in the 1976 film. Set in Philadelphia, the raw authenticity of his character captivated viewers, while Young’s remarkable ability to embody middle-aged roles regardless of his actual age added layers to his acting.

The Rocky series experienced extraordinary triumph, launching Stallone into the realm of stardom and cementing Young’s position in the annals of film.

Stallone commemorated their initial collaboration by sharing a picture and expressing, “You were an incredible man and artist, Both I and the World will miss you very much.” I and the world will deeply mourn your absence.

Rocky garnered 10 Oscar nominations, including a recognition for Young’s outstanding performance as a supporting actor.

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After suffering a devastating defeat in the Champions League against Newcastle United, Paris Saint-Germain managed to redeem themselves by securing a 3-1 victory over Rennes in Ligue 1 on Sunday. Meanwhile, the match between Montpellier and Clermont came to an abrupt halt due to an incident where a firecracker was hurled at the opposing goalkeeper, Mory Diaw. PSG’s previous loss against Newcastle had cast doubts on their performance and chances in Europe this season, but their triumph against Rennes demonstrated a resurgence of form. Despite historically struggling at this particular venue, PSG’s win propelled them to third place in the standings, trailing leaders Monaco by only two points.

Coach Luis Enrique asserted that our happiness is consistently tied to our victories; however, I also experienced contentment following the defeat at Newcastle.

After giving up on his experiment with playing four forwards, the returning midfielder Vitinha scored the opening goal with a spectacular arcing strike into the top corner from an assist by Ousmane Dembele just after 30 minutes of play.

In just four minutes, Achraf Hakimi capitalized on Warren Zaire-Emery’s unmarked cross and headed the ball into the net, extending their lead to 2-0.

Rennes found a lifeline in the 56th minute when Amine Gouiri nodded home from close range. However, their hopes were short-lived as PSG swiftly responded with another goal just two minutes later. Randal Kolo Muani redeemed himself after being benched by converting Hakimi’s precise low delivery at the near post.

Despite Kolo Muani’s efforts, his goal was disallowed due to an offside infringement, and Kylian Mbappe’s impressive run past the goalkeeper ended in frustration as he inexplicably shot over the crossbar.

“He might not have scored today, but he has been performing at a really high level since the start of the season,” Luis Enrique said of Mbappe.

It’s somewhat unusual when Kylian doesn’t find the net, but it’s just a minor detail.

Consequences await Montpellier.

In Montpellier, as the match approached its end and entered stoppage time, television footage revealed a firecracker landing dangerously close to Clermont goalkeeper Diaw’s feet before detonating with a deafening noise.

Diaw, visibly shocked, fell to the ground and had to receive medical assistance before being transported out on a stretcher. As a result of this incident, the game was temporarily suspended and ultimately canceled after a crisis meeting took place.

At the Stade de la Mosson, referee Florent Batta shared with reporters that after examining the Clermont goalkeeper, it was determined by a certified doctor that he was unfit to resume play. Consequently, this led to an immediate and permanent halt of the match.

Montpellier had a comfortable 4-2 lead and were on the verge of securing their first victory at home this season. However, everything changed after the incident, putting them in jeopardy of facing severe consequences, including the possibility of replaying the game without their supporters.

The arrest of the alleged culprit was confirmed by a representative from the police department during their conversation with AFP.

According to the club, Diaw was cleared to travel back to Clermont with his teammates following the game and is scheduled for additional tests on Monday.

Montpellier president Laurent Nicollin openly acknowledged his feelings of disgust, disappointment, and sadness, stressing that the actions of an individual had the potential to harm the entire team.

Lyon remains without a victory

In their inaugural triumph with coach Gennaro Gattuso at the helm, Marseille emerged victorious with a resounding 3-0 win against Le Havre. The goals were a combination of an own goal and exceptional strikes from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ismaila Sarr.

Before the first half ended, Rassoul Ndiaye received a second yellow card and Le Havre’s team was reduced to 10 players.

Lens continued their impressive form after defeating Arsenal in the midweek Champions League clash by staging a remarkable comeback to salvage a 1-1 draw against Lille in the intense northern derby held at their home ground.

Lille took the lead thanks to Benjamin Andre, but Lens quickly responded with an equalizer from Deiver Machado, maintaining their unbeaten streak of five games.

Despite leading by two goals, Lyon’s ongoing struggle continues as they fail to clinch a win this season, settling for a 3-3 draw against Lorient.

Eli Junior Kroupi provided Lorient with the initial advantage, however, Ernest Nuamah swiftly leveled the score in the 21st minute, followed by Alexandre Lacazette propelling Lyon into the lead just a minute later.

Before the first half ended, Lacazette converted a penalty to give Lyon a 3-1 lead. However, Lorient displayed resilience in the second half as Kroupi found the back of the net once again, followed by Darlin Yongwa’s equalizer.

Following a 3-1 triumph over Reims, Monaco now sit one point ahead of Nice at the top of the table. On the other hand, Nice continued their undefeated run this season with a narrow 1-0 win against Metz.

Similar to PSG, Brest find themselves just two points away from the top position following a 1-1 draw against Toulouse.

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For the first time, September experienced six days with temperatures exceeding 30C.

According to the Met Office, Saturday has been declared as the hottest day of the year so far, with a scorching temperature of 32.7C recorded in Heathrow, west London.

The UK has experienced an unprecedented five consecutive days of temperatures surpassing 30C in September, a record that is expected to extend for one more day before cooling down next week.

Not only will the daytime temperatures be high, but it will also stay uncomfortably warm throughout the night, with a minimum temperature of 24C. Wisley, Surrey had previously set a new record for the highest temperature of the year on Thursday, reaching 32.6C.

The amber heat health alert issued by the UK Health Security Agency indicates that the health service will likely experience weather-related effects, posing a higher risk to individuals over 65 years old or those with pre-existing respiratory or cardiovascular conditions.

In the meantime, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has released a warning about air pollution, marking the first one since June. He is urging residents of London to avoid idling their engines and refrain from burning wood or garden waste. Mr. Khan emphasized that on Saturday, in addition to the current high temperatures, there will also be elevated levels of air pollution. The mayor stressed the potential danger posed by the combination of pollution and heat and urged Londoners to take care of themselves by following his recommendations.

It is of utmost importance to prioritize this, as it safeguards the wellbeing of the most vulnerable individuals and contributes to the creation of a safer and more environmentally friendly London for everyone.

According to the Met Office, London is expected to experience scorching temperatures of 31C on Sunday, followed by a drop to 25C on Monday, signaling the conclusion of an unprecedented week of heat.

Thunderstorms and downpours are possible across the UK. The Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Paul Gundersen, stated that while most of the UK will experience high temperatures and sunny weather on Saturday, there is a chance of thunderstorms.

As a result, a Yellow Warning has been issued for central England and parts of east Wales. Temperatures will start to decrease from Saturday in the far northwest of Scotland, as a cold front moves south throughout the weekend. This front brings the risk of heavy rain and thunderstorms on Sunday. However, the southeast will retain high temperatures for longer and could still reach 32C on Sunday.

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The police authorities in Pakistan have taken into custody ten close relatives of Sara’s father for further inquiry. In light of discovering Sara’s deceased body at their home in Woking, Surrey on August 10th, Urfan Sharif (41) along with his partner Beinash Batool (29) left behind their life in the UK and journeyed towards Pakistan.

During the post-mortem examination, it was discovered that she had endured a prolonged and repetitive infliction of severe injuries.

The father and stepmother of the deceased girl from Jehlum are currently evading authorities as reported by a police representative located 108 miles north-west of Lahore.

Alongside this information came news that ten close relatives have been apprehended for questioning as part of ongoing investigations. The spokesperson named Mohammad Sharif along with his brothers, cousins, and Urfan Sharif’s father among those who were detained by law enforcement officials.

It is worth noting that it is customary for Pakistani authorities to hold close relatives of wanted individuals without imprisonment to avoid legal complications. The stepmother made her first public statement on Wednesday after the tragic discovery of the little girl’s lifeless body.

The father and stepmother, along with their five children aged between one and 13, left Britain and are now of interest to Surrey Police in relation to Sara’s death.

In an interview with a Polish television program called Uwaga!, Sara’s mother, Olga Sharif, recounted the harrowing experience of seeing her daughter’s lifeless body.

She vividly described one cheek appearing swollen while the other side showed signs of bruising, a memory that remains etched in her mind even when she closes her eyes.

In 2015, Ms Sharif separated from her husband, resulting in Sara and her older brother living with their father since 2019 based on a ruling by the family court. However, Ms Sharif’s visitation rights gradually diminished over time despite initially being equal to those of her husband.

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The successful arrest occurred shortly before 11:00am, resulting in Khalife being held in custody.

After escaping from HMP Wandsworth earlier that week by disguising himself as a cook and hiding under a delivery lorry, authorities had launched a nationwide search for him since his military dismissal in May.

During his speech at the G20 summit location in New Delhi, the Prime Minister expressed contentment with this development while extending gratitude to both law enforcement officers for their exceptional efforts and members of the public for providing significant leads during their investigations.

Home Office minister Chris Philp expressed his gratitude towards the police force for their quick apprehension of fugitive terror suspect Daniel Khalife.

In a social media post, Philp commended the Metropolitan Police for their efficient work in capturing Khalife without delay. This operation serves as an exemplary display of law enforcement expertise and deserves praise for all participating officers.

Furthermore, on Friday law enforcement offered a £20,000 reward to individuals who could provide valuable information leading to Khalife’s arrest. The accused already faced trial for allegedly planting a hoax bomb at an RAF base and acquiring intelligence that could be useful to terrorists or those opposing the UK’s interests.

According to reports, Khalife managed to escape from prison kitchens at 7:50 am on Wednesday while disguised in a cook’s uniform. It is believed he evaded capture by hiding beneath a food delivery van, which was discovered at 7:32 am attached to the left side of HMP Wandsworth. Just 18 minutes later, at 7:50 am, he was officially declared missing. Authorities were notified at 8:15 am and promptly intercepted the van on Upper Richmond Road near its intersection with Carlton Road at 8:37 am.

Officers pondered over the possibility that Khalife sought refuge by clinging onto the undercarriage of the lorry, evidenced by the discovery of strapping affixed to it. To locate the ex-soldier, officers initiated a lockdown in Richmond Park and subsequently redirected their search operation towards Chiswick.

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