Plus: The Swiss city that accepts bitcoin payments ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. The US seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela marks a sharp escalation in Washington's pressure campaign against Caracas. My colleagues have the details. Business reporter John Laurenson discovers how easy it is to pay with bitcoin in the Swiss city of Lugano. And finally, watch some nail-biting footage of skydivers facing parachute mishaps. | |
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TOP OF THE AGENDA | Trump says US plans to keep seized oil |
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| | Maritime risk company Vanguard Tech identified the vessel as the Skipper. Credit: US Attorney General/Handout via Reuters | US Attorney General Pam Bondi has described the vessel seized by the military off the coast of Venezuela as a "crude oil tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran". Caracas has condemned the seizure as an act of "international piracy". When asked by reporters what the US would do with the oil tanker, President Donald Trump said: "I assume we're going to keep the oil." The Trump administration accuses Venezuela of funnelling narcotics into the US and has intensified its efforts to isolate President Nicolas Maduro in recent months, as Latin America editor Vanessa Buschschlüter explains. Venezuela has, in turn, accused Washington of seeking to steal its resources. |
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| BEYOND THE HEADLINES | The Swiss city that lets you pay with bitcoin |
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| | | Some 350 shops and restaurants across Lugano now accept bitcoin payments. Credit: AFP via Getty Images | The Lugano city council has been distributing machines enabling crypto currency payments to local businesses. Business owners find that processing fees for bitcoin transactions are cheaper than those charged by credit card companies. But, as John Laurenson discovers, not everyone thinks it's such a good idea. |
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