World’s first insured Bitcoin vault opens in UK
The world’s first Bitcoin storage service that insures deposits of the digital currency against hackers and accidental loss has opened in London.
Bitcoin is a virtual currency that can be generated through complex computer software systems with solutions shared on a network.
Although, the digital currency is gaining popularity, concerns about its security are on the rise. Online wallets used to store Bitcoins have been subject to a number of cyber-attacks and some users have also suffered from accidental loss.
The new Bitcoin storage service offering insurance in U.K., named Elliptic Vault, uses “deep cold storage” techniques to secure the digital currency.
Bitcoin keys are encrypted and stored offline. There are multiple copies, protected by layers of cryptographic and physical security.
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Hasina Sworn in for 3rd Time as Bangladesh PM
Sheikh Hasina was sworn in on Sunday for her second straight term as Bangladesh's prime minister and third overall, following one of the most violent elections in the country's history.
Hasina took the oath of office a week after her Awami League party won an election marred by street fighting, low turnout and an opposition boycott that made the results a foregone conclusion.
President Abdul Hamid also swore in 29 cabinet ministers and 19 deputies.
The election was one of the deadliest since Bangladesh's 1971 independence, as an opposition alliance led by Khaleda Zia, former prime minister and Hasina's archrival, attempted to derail the vote by calling weeks of strikes and blockades.
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TN a hotspot for Japanese investors, says Consul General
Tamil Nadu has become a hotspot for Japanese investors and the number of Japanese business establishments in the State is likely to increase shortly, Japanese Consul General Masanori Nakano said in Chennai on Thursday.
As of October 2012, over 1,800 Japanese establishments are operating in India, of which 344 are in Tamil Nadu, followed by 228 in Karnataka, 88 in Andhra Pradesh, 53 in Kerala and four in Puducherry. There are 1,000 expats in Karnataka and 800 in Tamil Nadu.
“The number of establishments operating in the State is likely to touch 400 soon. The latest data will be released within the next two weeks. The Japanese firms are also looking at other States which are offering good environment for investment.”
Japanese majors have invested in Tamil Nadu, particularly in and around Chennai, Oragadam and Sriperumbudur due to factors such as investor-friendly environment, availability of skilled manpower, presence of major ports, stable government and closer proximity to South East Asian countries.
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SBI supports charging customers for ATM usage
Stating that its ATM operations are making losses, nation’s largest bank SBI has said it is all for charging customers for transactions. It also said a commercially viable model is needed for ATM network expansion.
“Whatever services we give, ultimately it has to be a win—win situation.... We just want a commercially viable model, I cannot afford to lose month after month,” State Bank of India (SBI) Chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya told PTI in an interview. SBI is having the largest network of ATMs.
Ms. Bhattacharya also said barring in a few states, the ATM operations are making losses. She did not name the states where the ATM segment is making money. She said SBI cannot subsidise ATMs forever.
“The loss from ATMs is very concerning. I would like to roll out many more ATMs. I am ready to do that, but I need to explain also how I am going to sustain this,” she said.
When asked about the industry demand that customers be charged for ATM services, especially after the push in costs of ATMs after the Bangalore incident wherein a woman was attacked inside the ATM kiosk, she said SBI supports the idea of charging even its own customers.
“If you are looking at extending the ATM network and making it available to more and more people, there has to be a commercially viable model,” she said.
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National Road Safety Week being observed across India
The Union road transport and highway minister Oscar Fernandes is likely to launch the logo for road safety on Friday. The annual road safety week is being organised from January 1 to make roads safe.
Transport department is conducting road safety week from Jan 11, 2014. In this regard, slogan on road safety ideas are invited from people who will be rewarded with cash prizes. Entries should be sent before January 7.
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3000 girls enrolled under Sarva Siksha Abhiyan in Assam
WASHINGTON: NASA's latest sky-mapping spacecraft has discovered a new potentially hazardous asteroid, 43 million kilometres from Earth.
It is the Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE)'s first such discovery since coming out of hibernation last year.
The spacecraft discovered a near-Earth asteroid designated 2013 YP139 on December 29. The mission's sophisticated software picked out the moving object against a background of stationary stars.
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Young Shetty, Ankita become TT national champions
Youngsters Sanil Shetty and Ankita Das were crowned men's and women's singles champion respectively at the 75th Senior National Table Tennis Championships on Sunday.
No. 2 seed Shetty defeated his PSPB team mate Harmeet Desai 4-2 and No. 4 Ankita Das, also of PSPB, drubbed AAI's Krittwika Sinha Roy 4-0 to take home the winners' purse of Rs 2.30 lakh and Rs 1.45 lakh, respectively.
Incidentally, Shetty is the first national champion to emerge from Mumbai after the great Kamlesh Mehta, who last won the title in 1995.The men's singles had all the ingredients befitting the final, unlike the women's final which never rose to any dizzy heights.
The left-handed Shetty proved too hot for Desai who, in the morning, had upset all calculations to account for Achanta Sharath Kamal at the Patliputra Sports Complex.
Desai, however, failed to raise his game in the final and his game lacked aggression.
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Ranji Trophy: Maharashtra enters semifinals
Defending champions Mumbai were shockingly shown the door by minnows Maharashtra, who showed tremendous resilience to record a come-from-behind eight-wicket victory on Saturday for a place in the Ranji Trophy semi-finals.
Set a target of 252 to chase for only their third outright victory in the long-running competition over the 40-time winners, Maharashtra rode on an unbeaten century from Kedar Jadhav (120 not out) and his superb 215-run unconquered third-wicket stand with 19-year-old Vijay Zol (91 not out) to turn the tables on the home team on the fourth day of the five-day match.
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Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Dies AT 85
Former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon died at 85 on Saturday, after eight years in a coma, Israeli media reports said.
Mr. Sharon, one of the country’s most prominent military and political leaders for decades, served as prime minister between 2001 and 2006.
He suffered a massive stroke while campaigning for re-election on January 4, 2006, in a race he had been tipped to win.
Being Israel’s prime minister from 2001-06, he courted controversy and defied critics throughout a long military and political career that had a profound impact on the Middle East.
He was felled by a massive stroke on January 4, 2006 while campaigning for re-election. He had been tipped to win.
Small in physical stature but forceful in personality, Israelis called him the “bulldozer.” In the Arab world he was labelled the “Butcher of Beirut” for leading Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon when he was defence minister.
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