Year: 2024

Local investment firms spearhead Israel’s foray into Bitcoin mutual funds with ISA’s approval.
Cover art/illustration via CryptoSlate. Image includes combined content which may include AI-generated content.
Israel is set to introduce six Bitcoin-linked mutual funds on Dec. 31, marking a significant step in the country’s crypto investment landscape. local media outlets Calcalist and Globes reported.s
The funds were introduced by Migdal Capital Markets, More, Ayalon, Phoenix Investment, Meitav, and IBI.
According to the report, the Israel Securities Authority (ISA) approved these funds last week. They will initially operate with single daily transactions, but future iterations may feature continuous trading capabilities.
Israel’s approval of Bitcoin-focused mutual funds reflects growing confidence in digital asset investments. This move highlights the country’s alignment with global trends and readiness to integrate crypto products into traditional financial frameworks.
The Israel mutual funds are launching at a time when crypto-based exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have shown remarkable success.
Since their January launch, the US spot Bitcoin ETFs have seen rapid growth since their approval in 2023, amassing billions in investor inflows and cementing their place as leading financial products in the sector.
Data from SoSoValue shows that these funds have amassed total inflows of $35 billion and collectively manage assets of more than $100 billion. BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) leads this growing market.
Considering this, market experts foresee an exciting future for crypto ETFs. Bloomberg ETF analysts Eric Balchunas and James Seyffart predict a significant boom in 2025, driven by potential shifts in SEC leadership.
They anticipate the launch of ETFs linked to major cryptocurrencies such as Litecoin, Solana, and XRP, though some may face regulatory delays.
Coinbase has also highlighted the potential for innovation in the ETF space, including mechanisms like in-kind creations and redemptions. These advancements could improve efficiency and reduce costs, strengthening ETFs as a cornerstone of the evolving crypto ecosystem.
Oluwapelumi values Bitcoin’s potential. He imparts insights on a range of topics like DeFi, hacks, mining and culture, underlining transformative power.
AJ, a passionate journalist since Yemen’s 2011 Arab Spring, has honed his skills worldwide for over a decade. Specializing in financial journalism, he now focuses on crypto reporting.

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Traders have pivoted to options as Bitcoin encountered resistance at $99,000.
Holiday excitement lifted Bitcoin past $99,000, but it quickly corrected to $98,000 where it still holds strong support.
BlackRock’s IBIT saw its largest outflow on record during Christmas.
Gen Z crypto investors skyrocket post-election, driven by Trump’s pro-Bitcoin rhetoric and favorable market conditions.
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Wilder World’s seamless blend of AI, blockchain, and NFTs empowers a player-driven economy like no other.
Bitcoin, a decentralized currency that defies the sway of central banks or administrators, transacts electronically, circumventing intermediaries via a peer-to-peer network.
Solana is a high-performance blockchain platform that utilizes a unique consensus algorithm called “Proof of History” to achieve fast transaction speeds and low fees.
The XRP Ledger is a decentralized cryptographic ledger powered by a network of peer-to-peer servers.
BlackRock, synonymous with global asset management, is an American multinational investment management corporation based in New York City.

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Every James Mangold Movie, Ranked  Vulture
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PHOENIX – Merry Christmas! Here's a look at some of our top headlines for the holiday on December 25:
(Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Mega Millions left a lump of coal in players' stockings for last night's big Christmas Eve drawing, but the good news is that a much bigger prize is now up for grabs! Read more.
If you find yourself in need of some last-minute groceries or gifts on Christmas Day, you may be out of luck. Most stores, restaurants and other businesses are closed on Christmas Day to give workers a chance to spend time with their own families, but there are a few you’ll find with their doors open (albeit with limited hours). Read more.
If cooking isn’t in the cards for the Christmas holiday, there's no shortage of restaurants serving meals on Christmas Day. As always, hours can vary by location, but here is a list of some major restaurants whose doors will be open: Read more.
With the explosion of streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Tubi, finding where your favorite holiday films are available can sometimes feel like hunting for a needle in a haystack. Whether you're in the mood for a nostalgic family favorite or a new holiday release, here’s a look at where you can find many holiday films, saving you the hassle of scrolling endlessly through menus. Read more.
Sugar, thumbprint and gingerbread; these are some of the more common cookie recipes some may think of during the holidays. While those classic flavors are tried and true and Santa certainly seems to like them, some Americans like to shake things up during the holidays and venture to try a more unique cookie recipe. Read more.
 
Expect cooler temperatures compared to what we’ve seen so far in December.
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Syria’s new leaders try to unite rebel factions under a gingle government  Deccan Herald
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Ferrari’s Gilles Villeneuve — a master of cold-weather racing conditions — took victory at the frigid 1978 Canadian Grand Prix.
For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, the holiday season is a time of cooler temperatures and maybe even the threat of snow — all well and good for Christmas, but what about during a Formula 1 race?
In 1978, the Canadian Grand Prix — the first hosted in Montreal — brought with it a biting wind and freezing temperatures. It was the coldest Formula 1 race in history, and it should come as no surprise that it was ultimately won by a master of the winter sports scene.
A “biting wind.” The “threat of snow from the north.” Such is how Motor Sport Magazine described Formula 1’s 1978 season finale, which took place for the very first  time at the Île Notre-Dame Circuit in Montreal.
Since 1967, the Canadian Grand Prix became a regular feature on the Formula 1 calendar, with only a brief exception in 1975. For those first years, the race bounced between Mosport Park in Ontario and Mont-Tremblant in Quebec — and, in order to cut down on travel, the event was usually tied up with the US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen.
The end-of-season scheduling often saw the Canadian race scheduled for October, bringing with it cooler temperatures — but none were as frigid as 1978’s race.
On race day, temperatures were as low as five degrees Celsius (or 41 degrees Fahrenheit, for the Americans). The circuit was constructed entirely of public roads on a local island — but the whole weekend saw drivers struggle for traction in wet and chilly conditions.
👉 The good, the bad, the ugly: Gilles Villeneuve
👉 Villeneuve Pironi: An unrelenting tragedy through the eyes of their families
One driver stood out from the rest: Gilles Villeneuve.
The Canadian driver was wrapping up his first full season as a Formula 1 driver, having signed onto the legendary Scuderia Ferrari team. It had been a challenging season for the retirement-prone driver, and up to that point, his best finish of the year was a third place in Austria.
Villeneuve, though, had a secret up his sleeve.
Growing up in the small town of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Villeneuve’s on-track racing season was cut short by long and harsh Quebec winters — but his determination to compete remained. Instead of taking a few months off when the snow fell, Villeneuve hopped on his snowmobile and started entering it in races.
And he was hugely successful, despite the massively challenging conditions. Local snowmobile races were often held on oval tracks, and the packed fields kicked up so much snow that it was like driving in a blizzard.
Per Villeneuve’s biographer Gerald Donaldson, this gave the Canadian racer a “finely tuned sense of balance and an almost delicate sensitivity to know just how far he could tempt the centrifugal force that contrived to throw his mount off into the haybales surrounding the slippery circuit. His point of no return became much farther than most as he honed his reflexes to a lightning degree and trusted them to rescue him from the brink at the very last moment.”
For much of Villeneuve’s late teens, snowmobile racing was how he made his money, which should give you an indication of how successful he was.
So, even though the 1978 Canadian Grand Prix dawned dry, the cold temperatures led to a low grip that played right into Villeneuve’s hands.
His start left something to be desired, as he dropped down the grid — but Villeneuve held steady. Drivers like Niki Lauda, Mario Andretti, and Bobby Rahal began to retire, either from contact or from mechanical problems, leaving the field clear for Jody Scheckter to slip into the lead, followed closely by Villeueve.
On lap 25, Villeneuve muscled past Scheckter — the man who was to be his teammate in 1979. That saw him slip into a lead that he held to the end of the 70-lap event, even as he began to feel spooked by strange noises in the car in the final laps.
He crossed the line to take his first Grand Prix victory in Formula 1.
“To win a Grand Prix is something,” Villeneuve recalled after returning to the pits, reported by Gerald Donaldson in Villeneuve’s biography. “But to win your first Grand Prix at home is completely unthinkable.
“I have to thank Mr. Ferrari and all the team. It’s an enormous satisfaction. This is the happiest day of my life.”
As often happens with racing drivers, once Villeneuve won his first F1 race, it was easier to find success as his career went on. In 1979, he secured wins at Kyalami, Long Beach, and Watkins Glen, with victories in Monaco and Spain following in 1981.
In almost every case in 1979, wet and/or cool weather allowed Villeneuve to exercise his exceptional talents of fine-tuned balance and car control. Thus, the coldest race in Formula 1’s history was no match for a master of the snow.
Read next: Revealed: The 10 best racing films to watch this Christmas

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Amma is a humanitarian Hindu spiritual leader whose life’s mission is to preach peace, tolerance, and love to the masses. (Courtesy of Amma’s media team)(Courtesy of Amma’s media team)
Editor’s Note: The author of this article is a Curtis High School student who participates in the Advance/SILive.com High School Journalism Immersion program. The initiative is designed to help young people explore the world of community journalism.
December is a month of giving and recognition, which is why I would like to recount my experience meeting a woman who I believe embodies that.
In August, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, more commonly known as Amma, traveled to the Javits Center in New York City as a part of her North America tour. Thousands of people gathered during this three-day period in hopes of catching a glimpse of the revered “Hugging Saint.”
Amma is a humanitarian Hindu spiritual leader whose life’s mission is to preach peace, tolerance, and love to the masses, according to her official website amma.org. Her official website also notes she was born in 1953 to a fishing family in Kerala, India, and at 9 years old, Amma’s mother fell ill which forced Amma to drop out of school to help look after her family. Despite the hardships she was facing, Amma continued to be a beacon of light in her community. Even though she and her family were struggling, she always gave back to those who were less fortunate in any way she could.
Amma is known around the world as the "Hugging Saint." (Courtesy of Luis Lopez)(Courtesy of Luis Lopez)
From a young age, Amma was drawn to the ways of spirituality. This was a driving force in her later activism and humanitarian work. She later became known for her powerful hugs, which the people of her town would line up to receive. In 1987 Amma embarked on her first world tour, giving out her wisdom and cathartic embraces en masse.
This year, I saw Amma for the first time. I went with my father, who had seen her once before. I wanted to see Amma because I thought it would be an interesting experience. I would not consider myself a religious or spiritual person, however I am interested in other cultures and ways of life. When my dad told me who Amma was and encouraged me to look at her website, I became more excited to see such a remarkable woman.
When we got to the event, we were separated into two lines. One line was for people who had encountered Amma before, and the other was for people who were meeting her for the first time.
On the first-timers line, organizers gave us a yellow ribbon to put around our necks, and told us we would be the first to be able to receive a hug from Amma.
On the line, I met a lot of different people from all walks of life. I was surprised to find out how far Amma’s reach really is. There were even people from France, like Anne Laure and Virjinie, who traveled all the way to New York City just to meet Amma.
The author, Genevieve Lopez, with her father Luis at Amma's event in August. (Courtesy of Luis Lopez)(Courtesy of Luis Lopez)
Anne Laure told me that she had been to one of Amma’s two ashrams in France after being persuaded by her friends.
“Many years ago friends told me, ‘Anne Laure, you should go to Amma’s ashram… you will love it.’ And one day I felt the call so I went there and I met Amma, not physically, but spiritually,” she said.
Virjinie explained to me that she was introduced to Amma by Anne Laure, and offered to take Anne Laure to New York to meet Amma for Anne Laure’s birthday.
Another of the women I met, Ramadevinina, is a disciple of Amma who was originally born and raised in New York. Ramadevinina met Amma in 1987 during Amma’s first world tour, and fell in love with her teachings. Originally named Nina, Ramadevinina explained to me that she got her name changed by Amma. She asked for a name that would guide her in life and Amma gave her a name that means “one who gives happiness to the hearts of others.”
“Amma’s teaching is universal. All religions are petals of one flower, the fragrance is the same,” said Ramadevinina.
Ramadevinina’s final remark to me was to keep my mind and heart open throughout my experience with Amma. So, that’s exactly what I did.
It was very interesting to me that Amma’s reach spread so far. I was under the impression that the majority of the attendees would be people who had met Amma in the past, however in reality the majority of the people there were meeting Amma for the first time, just like me.
We all waited in a line outside for about an hour and a half to two hours before we were led inside. Our group would be the first group to actually receive a hug from Amma when the time came.
The author said the experience of meeting Amma gave her a stronger sense of respect for other ways of living and the message Amma and her followers aim to spread throughout her teachings. (Courtesy of Luis Lopez)(Courtesy of Luis Lopez)
Inside the venue there were several tables open selling merchandise relating to Amma, spirituality, Hindu fashion, and even herbal soap. On the far side toward the wall there were tables set up with information about the humanitarian work Amma and her team are involved in, and how attendees could sign up to be a part of it.
Before the ceremony there was an entire lunch buffet of incredible food. I was worried there wouldn’t be lunch so I was pleasantly surprised by the abundance of food.
Once the ceremony was about to begin we took our seats in the front row. The stage where Amma would be leading the religious ceremony was adorned with beautiful yellow and orange flowers, rugs, musical instruments, and tapestries. On either side of the stage there were giant screens which would be used to display the prayers and songs being used during the ceremony for the audience to follow along with.
When Amma finally came out onto the stage the entire atmosphere in the room changed. The excitement and awe in the crowd was palpable as she made her way onto the stage, followed by her disciples.
I wasn’t completely sure of what exactly was happening during the ceremony, however the songs and hymns being sung were beautiful and extremely soulful. They lit a fire on the stage and played live music with some instruments that I’d never seen before. Toward the end of the ceremony Amma started to have flowers thrown at her by her closest disciples while the fire burned brightly.
When it was finally time to receive the hug from Amma, my group and I were ushered onto the stage and put into a single file line.
I’ll admit I was pretty nervous walking onto the stage as I had no idea what to expect. My dad stood right next to me as we neared the front of the line and when the time came we received a duo hug from her.
While the embrace didn’t give me any sort of spiritual enlightenment, the entire experience gave me a stronger sense of respect for other ways of living and the message Amma and her followers aim to spread throughout her teachings.
I left the event with stories from many different people all coming together with open hearts and open minds. Overall I would definitely recommend going outside of your comfort zone and opening your mind to ideas and lifestyles different from your own.
I contacted Amma’s team after the event, to ask how Amma was able to push past all the negativity of the world and keep going with her mission.
She graciously answered my question.
“You cannot change the world and its ways, but you can certainly change your own outlook,” Amma began. “For example, if we try to straighten a dog’s curly tail by putting it into a tube every day, the tail will still curl once removed from the tube. However, through this process, we will get stronger. It is our own self-improvement that is most important. Once that takes place, others will also be inspired to change. In general, we need to focus on the good in people. In this way, both of us will both be uplifted. Even a broken watch tells the correct time twice a day. As for me, I am not like a train track, only going in one direction. I am like a river. When an obstacle is put before a river, it simply flows around it.”

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