United States President Donald Trump’s executive order to establish a Bitcoin strategic reserve and a stockpile of other digital assets has failed to impress crypto markets, with Bitcoin’s value plummeting following the announcement.
Bitcoin fell as much as 6 percent following Trump’s order on Thursday, which did not include plans for the government to actively buy Bitcoin.
After dropping as low as $84, 900, the cryptocurrency was trading at about $87, 700 as of 05: 00 GMT.
In a statement announcing the order, Trump’s crypto tsar David Sacks said the “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve” and “Digital Asset Stockpile” would be capitalised with assets forfeited in criminal or civil proceedings.
“This means it will not cost taxpayers a dime”, Sacks said on X.
“It is estimated that the US government owns about 200, 000 Bitcoin, however, there has never been a complete audit. The E. O. (executive order) directs a full accounting of the federal government’s digital asset holdings”.
Sacks said the order also called for the Secretaries of Treasury and Commerce to develop “budget-neutral strategies for acquiring additional Bitcoin” provided they are at no cost to the US taxpayer.
Trump’s order came after he repeatedly flagged plans to establish a cryptocurrency stockpile or reserve as part of his pledge to turn the US into the “crypto capital of the planet”.
Some crypto enthusiasts, however, were less than impressed.
Shayan Salehi, a German tech entrepreneur, described the announcement that the government would not acquire additional assets as “famous words than can unleash a bear market”.
“Market muted”, Spencer Hakimian, the founder of New York-based Tolou Capital Management, said in a post on X alongside a screenshot of a graph showing Bitcoin’s fall.
Hakimian said the plan was “very underwhelming”.
“They will not currently buy any new Bitcoin unless they can do it in a revenue-neutral way. Nothing the federal government does is revenue neutral”, he said.
The US owns an estimated 200, 000 Bitcoin seized during criminal and civil forfeiture.
Sacks suggested the reserve would function like a “digital Fort Knox” by helping Bitcoin retain its value.
“Premature sales of Bitcoin have already cost US taxpayers over $17bn in lost value. Now the federal government will have a strategy to maximize the value of its holdings”, he said.
In addition to a Bitcoin reserve, Sacks said a separate stockpile would be established for “digital assets other than Bitcoin forfeited in criminal or civil proceedings”.
That stockpile could include tokens such as ether, XRP, Solana and Cardano – assets named by Trump earlier this week in a social media post detailing his plans for a cryptocurrency reserve.
The value of Bitcoin soared after Trump was elected in November, hitting a record peak of $109, 071 in mid-January.
The president’s support for cryptocurrency has come under scrutiny, as his family has amassed billions of dollars in crypto wealth, including through a Trump meme coin launched in January.
The Nigeria Sanctions Committee (NSC) has designated controversial Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, and 16 entities as alleged terrorism financiers in the country.
According to a document obtained from the committee on Thursday, those named on the list include Simon Ekpa, Godstime Promise Iyare, Francis Mmaduabuchi, John Onwumere, Chikwuka Eze, Edwin Chukwuedo, Chinwendu Owoh, Ginika Orji, Awo Uchechukwu, and Mercy Ebere Ifeoma Ali.
Others are Ohagwu Juliana, Eze Okpoto, Nwaobi Chimezie, Ogomu Kewe, Igwe Ka Ala Enterprises, Seficuvi Global Company, and Lakurawa Group.
READ ALSO: Tinubu Commends Finland For Intervening In Simon Ekpa’s Case
The list was approved by the President upon the recommendation of the Attorney General of the Federation.
“The Nigeria Sanctions Committee held a meeting on March 6, 2024, where specific individuals and entities were recommended for designation following their involvement with terrorism financing”, the document read.
“The Attorney General of the Federation, with the approval of the President, has thereupon designated the following individuals and entities to be listed on the Nigeria Sanctions List.
” In accordance with Section 54 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, you are required to:
“(a) Immediately identify and freeze, without prior notice, all funds, assets, and any other economic resources belonging to the designated persons in your possession and report the same to the Sanctions Committee.
” (b) Report to the Sanctions Committee any assets frozen or actions taken in compliance with the prohibition requirements.
“(c) Immediately file a Suspicious Transactions Report to the NFIU for further analysis of the financial activities of such individuals or entities.
” (d) Report as an STR to the NFIU all cases of name matching in financial transactions prior to or after receipt of this list. “
The committee ordered the immediate freezing of bank accounts and financial instruments associated with the listed individuals and entities across multiple banks, payment platforms, and financial institutions.
” Freezing measures should be extended to all accounts associated with the designated subjects. For designated entities, this should include accounts linked to their signatories and directors to ensure comprehensive enforcement of the sanctions regime, “the document added.
After winning rave reviews for her turn in the film “The Last Showgirl”, Pamela Anderson is now dreaming of doing theatre as the 1990s glamour model seeks to reinvent herself again.
The 57-year-old one-time Playboy pin-up, who shot to global fame as lifeguard CJ Parker in “Baywatch”, told AFP that playing a fading showgirl in Gia Coppola’s recently released film had made her feel like a real actress for the first time.
“This (role) came to me as a surprise, when I thought it was the end of my career as an actress”, she said during a trip to Paris.
“Now I feel like an actress. But I didn’t really know if I was before. I was just doing the best I could”.
The New York Times said Anderson was “dazzling” in the role, while Britain’s The Guardian said it had “single-handedly rewritten the way she is viewed as an actor”.
Coppola, granddaughter of “Godfather” director , Francis Ford Coppola, pursued Anderson for the role in “The Last Showgirl” after watching a Netflix documentary about her life, “Pamela: A Love Story”.
Anderson’s late-career bloom echoes the success of another 1990s icon, Demi Moore, who also challenged the entertainment industry’s treatment of older women with her brilliant performance in Oscar-nominated “The Substance” last year.
The public endorsements of Anderson’s showgirl portrayal — including a Golden Globe nomination — have given her the confidence to reveal new ambitions and challenge the perceptions forged by her early career in a swimsuit.
“I think being part of pop culture can be a little bit of a curse because you become famous for one thing”, Anderson said.
“But I’ve always loved cinema. I’ve always loved theatre. I hope to do a Tennessee Williams play one day. I would love that. Why can’t you imagine it? You’ve just gotta keep surprising people. That’s my goal”, she added.
(FILES) Canadian-US actress and model Pamela Anderson attends the 31st annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles, California on February 23, 2025. After winning rave reviews for her turn in the film “The Last Showgirl”, Pamela Anderson is now dreaming of doing theatre as the 1990s glamour model seeks to reinvent herself again. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)
‘ Wasn’t boring ‘
Anderson’s personal life has had as many turns as her career, but she said she is now at peace with her “messy” trajectory.
She has been married at least six times — twice to the same man — and one union, with movie mogul Jon Peters, lasted just 12 days.
“I have appreciation for my wild and messy life because I have so much to draw from”, she told AFP. “And it definitely wasn’t boring. Hard at times, and silly at times, ridiculous at times.
” But that’s the way you’re supposed to live. “
She is back living on Vancouver Island in her native Canada, where she grew up, making pickles and working on recipes for her new sideline as a plant-based cooking guru.
She has her own TV cooking show” Pamela’s Cooking with Love “and released a cookbook , last year.
As well as animal rights activism, she released an autobiography in 2023, insisting publicly that she wrote it herself after rejecting advice from her literary agent that she should employ a ghostwriter.
” I can write, you stupid shit, give me some credit “was her reaction, she told The Times newspaper afterwards.
” And so I wrote it. “
(FILES) Canadian-US actress and model Pamela Anderson poses on the red carpet upon arrival at the BAFTA British Academy Film Awards at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, in London, on February 16, 2025. (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP)
It revealed her tumultuous upbringing with volatile parents, as well as childhood sexual abuse.
A teenager has been arrested in Australia after boarding a commercial aircraft with a loaded shotgun, police have said.
The 17-year-old boy was overpowered and detained by crew and passengers following the incident at Avalon Airport, about 60km (37 miles) from Melbourne, on Thursday, Victoria Police said.
None of the approximately 160 passengers and crew on the Jetstar Airways plane were hurt.
Police charged the teen with eight offences, including endangering the safe operation of an aircraft and possession of a firearm.
During an appearance by the teen at a juvenile court on Friday, police alleged that he had planted a fake homemade explosive and threatened passengers and crew, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
Victoria Police Superintendent Michael Reid told reporters on Thursday that the teen had been overpowered by several passengers.
“No doubt this would have been a very terrifying incident for the passengers of that plane, and Victoria Police really commend the bravery of the passengers who were able to overpower that male”, Reid said.
Barry Clark, one of the passengers who tackled the suspect, told local media that he had sprung into action after noticing the suspect becoming agitated while arguing with a flight attendant about the firearm.
“I saw the barrel butt, and when I saw the complete gun, I said we’re in trouble here and I saw it toward her chest, and so I thought, well, I’ve got to do something”, Clark said in an interview with Network 10.
“This is all happening in a matter of seconds. So I got up quietly. He had his back to me, the young girl was facing me, and the gun was only visible”, Clark said.
Danny Jones ‘ kiss with Maura Higgins could be “one step too far” for his struggling wife Georgia Horsley, it is said.
The McFly singer is believed to have given his wife a grovelling apology following the smooch with Maura at a BRITs afterparty. However, Georgia has reportedly pulled out of all her upcoming work engagements, including an appearance at The Baby Show at London’s ExCel Centre with Kelsey Parker this weekend.
Her friend is said to have told Mail Online: “She’s more forgiving than most. But this might be one step too far”. Sources also told the publication Georgia, mother to Danny’s seven-year-old son, is “a very patient wife”.
But the quality might not be enough to save their marriage as the kiss has reportedly left Georgia, a model, “struggling” and “humiliated”. Another friend said: “Georgia is trying to find a way forward for her family… She is mortified at how this has all played out and can’t help but feel humiliated. It’s blown apart her world. The idea of doing any more work in the near future is also something she couldn’t bear to think about right now”.
Danny embraces Georgia and their son after his I’m a Celeb win (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Danny, 38, was yesterday spotted in photographs with McFly co-star Tom Fletcher as they spoke to Queen Camilla at a celebrity event. The footage was pre-recorded and aired on Thursday’s The One Show, a special episode for World Book Day.
But neither he or Georgia have spoken publicly about the scandal. Danny, from Bolton, Greater Manchester, is yet to address criticism he has faced from fans on Instagram. One fan, for instance, said: “Wtf Danny. You are married with a child. Fans are meant to respect you but how can they when you don’t even respect yourself”.
And 2019 Love Island contestant Maura, 34, has also faced a backlash on her Instagram page. One Instagram user posted: “Oh dear very disappointing” among the string of comments this week.
Danny and Georgia met in 2008 but it took one year for the singer to convince Georgia, from York, to go on a date with him. She initially believed Danny would be match the typical musician stereotype, and thought he would be “a top shagger”.
When former EastEnders actress Gemma McCluskie went missing at the very beginning of March 2012, her disappearance made headlines. A large search was organised for the 29 year old star, who played Kerry Skinner in more than 30 episodes of the BBC soap between 2000 and 2001, alongside stars including Dean Gaffney and Michelle Ryan.
But the true tragedy didn’t unfold until a headless torso was found in a London canal , a few days later, with a friend of Gemma’s family telling the Mirror at the time: “We’ve been told the police have found the body of a woman and we’re now waiting to find out if it’s Gemma”. Sadly their worst fears came true – Gemma had been brutally killed, chopped up and dumped in the canal. She was identified by a distinctive tattoo but her head, arms and legs had been separated from her body. Her head would not be discovered for another six months. Later, mourners packed her funeral service in Hoxton, east London.
Gemma, as Kerry, and Dean Gaffney, as Robbie, in EastEnders in the early noughties (BBC)
Gemma’s brutal murder is revisited today on ITV, in the true crime documentary series Murder In The Family: True Crime Presents. The programme explores the grisly events and – as its title may suggest – the shocking revelation that her own brother, Tony, turned out to be the cold-hearted killer. It was only the relentless work of police detectives that brought him to justice.
As a youngster, Gemma’s acting talent had secured her a place at drama school, and she later scored the role of Kerry Skinner in EastEnders at 17. After her stint on EastEnders came to an end, she took a shot at running a bar. At the same time, her mum sadly needed brain surgery, so Gemma took on the financial burden.
Meanwhile, Tony’s employment was erratic, bouncing from building sites to window cleaning jobs, while routinely indulging in cannabis “from morning until night”. When Gemma went missing, he was spared from early suspicion as he had never been seen as violent by acquaintances.
Gemma and her brother, Tony, who brutally killed her then dumped her body in a canal (No credit)
Tony pretended everything was normal, joining search parties and comforting his brother, Danny (Met Police)
But psychologists have since suggested that envy of Gemma’s success might have been a driving force behind his actions — a deadly detail missed by many at the time. It later transpired that she had endured 20 years of sickening abuse from her brother and was “petrified of him”.
Initially when Gemma disappeared, her family suspected she might be with a friend. Recalling the events, her other brother, Danny, explained: “On the Sunday morning, me and a friend met up with Tony and got some pictures developed of Gemma. We took them down to Bethnal Green Police Station”.
In the grim aftermath, Tony pretended everything was normal, joining search parties and comforting Danny, plus their estranged parents. Danny conveyed the difficulty in obtaining any coherent information from Tony, saying: “I just thought it was just him just stoned out of his nut again”.
The family’s desperate search for missing Gemma turned to horror, as Danny vividly recalls the gut-wrenching moment when parts of her body were found, and how Tony reacted, saying: “Out of nowhere he walks in and puts his arms round us and he starts saying, ‘ Please don’t let it be Gemma. ‘ I’ll never forget it”.
She appeared in more than 30 episodes of the BBC soap between 2000 and 2001
A unique tattoo on Gemma’s body made identification painfully swift – a blow that left Danny reeling. He remembers the intense promise he received from a police officer at the scene: “I turned round and went to the police officer, I said, ‘ You’d better catch whoever did this’. And he kept saying to me, ‘ I promise, we’ll catch him, we’ll catch him'”. He continues: “That broke me”.
Relaying the tragic news to their mother was a task that overwhelmed Danny: “I ended up breaking down, crying. I was just overwhelmed. I’ve just found out it was my sister and now I’ve had to go and break the news to my mother. She’s laying there in hospital, you know, she’s just had a big operation”.
Danny (pictured) confronted Tony, who was under police suspicion (No credit)
Eventually Danny confronted Tony, who was under police suspicion, demanding the stark truth, as he remembers: “I said to him, ‘ You look me in the eye and you put your hand on your heart you ain’t done this to my sister? ‘ And he just said to me, ‘ The police are fitting me up'”.
Yet a court later heard that Tony had brutally killed Gemma during an argument while high, the situation escalating when she ordered him to leave, because of a flooded bathroom.
Under the influence of drugs, his anger led him to violently attack Gemma with a blunt object, tragically resulting in her death from a cerebral haemorrhage. He chillingly admitted later that, failing to sever his sister’s limbs with a knife, he then unfeelingly procured a meat cleaver, bin liners, and cleaning products.
In a horrifying twist, he even sent a text message from his sister’s phone – while her body was still in the house – saying: “Morning, sorry crashed out last night. Woke up too late to get back to you. Feeling a bit better today”.
He even tried to make things appear normal by texting his dead sister: “Hi Gem, letting you know I’m at the hospital. Mum is doing really good and the doctors are pleased with her. Going to look at the throat and swallowing today. Love ya xx”.
That same evening, he gruesomely forced her lifeless form into a suitcase and coldly took a taxi to dump her body in the Regent’s Canal.
CCTV issued by the Met Police showing Tony McCluskie dragging a large bag into the boot of a taxi (PA)
Yet when Tony was arrested, Danny struggled to believe it – with a friend even saying she felt sorry for him – as he remembers: “My head was all over the place, you know. It was like, this ain’t right. I phoned the police and I said to them, ‘ You’d better show me some evidence it’s him, otherwise he’s in that jail, he’s in that jail suffering'”.
Then Danny was shown chilling CCTV footage of his brother lifting a heavy suitcase into a minicab on his way to dump the body – the proof he needed. In court, Danny could only feel fury towards his brother, confessing: “I just thought, I wanna smash his face in. Because he was guilty”.
After Gemma’s stint on EastEnders came to an end, she took a shot at running a bar (PA)
What deeply disturbed Danny were Tony’s perpetual lies and fabrications. Even when admitting to the deadly act, he shunned the label of murderer, pinning the blame on a sudden loss of composure, blackouts, tensions with his girlfriend, and even wildly claiming Gemma had assailed him with a knife.
“He was saying he couldn’t remember what happened. I’m just thinking, is this geezer for real”? Danny recounted, bewildered by his brother’s persistent denial despite glaring evidence. Yet, come January 30, 2013, Tony earned a guilty verdict for the murder, receiving a sentence of at least 20 long years behind bars.
Tony’s dad disowned his son, while Danny spoke out over Tony’s devastating actions, saying: “He took her life away. She didn’t even hit 30 years old, she didn’t get married, she didn’t have kids, he took all that away from her”. Her EastEnders co-star, Dean Gaffney, also said he was “utterly devastated” by Gemma’s brutal murder
Watch Murder In The Family: True Crime Presents – Gemma McCluskie on Friday, 7 March at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX
