1. Bitcoin Surges to New All-Time High: Bitcoin reached a new all-time high of $107,000 due to increased demand for cryptocurrency-based exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The surge was also attributed to former President Donald Trump's confirmation of plans to establish a Bitcoin reserve. [Link](https://fortune.com/crypto/2024/12/16/bitcoin-trump-all-time-high-crypto-reserve/)

2. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz Loses Confidence Vote: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a confidence vote, which triggers an early election in Germany. Scholz's center-left coalition government faced criticism over its handling of the energy crisis. [Link](https://time.com/7202511/germany-olaf-scholz-confidence-vote-election/)

3. US Lawmakers to Make Last-Ditch Effort to Confirm SEC Commissioner: US lawmakers are making a last-ditch effort to confirm Caroline Crenshaw as a commissioner at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). If successful, Crenshaw would become the first Black woman to hold the position. [Link](https://cointelegraph.com/news/us-senate-last-chance-confirm-sec-commissioner-caroline-crenshaw?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound)

4. Turkey 'Did an Unfriendly Takeover' in Syria, Says Trump: Former President Donald Trump criticized the Turkish takeover of Syria as an "unfriendly takeover" and called for a deal to end the ongoing conflict. The comments came amid growing regional tensions and concerns over stability in Syria. [Link](https://www.foxnews.com/world/trump-says-turkey-did-unfriendly-takeover-us-brokered-cease-fire-appears-fail)

5. SoftBank to Make $100B US Investment: Japanese technology conglomerate SoftBank announced a $100 billion investment in the United States, with former President Donald Trump and SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son by his side. The investment is expected to create thousands of jobs and boost economic growth in the US. [Link](https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/softbank-100b-investment-trump-1.7411813?cmp=rss)