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Bitcoin flirted with $17,000 on Thursday, triggering a warning the cryptocurrency was like a &quot;train with no brakes&quot; and prompting fresh concern about its looming launch on mainstream markets.

Still under $14,000 in Asian trading hours, it smashed through $15,000 in European trading and got as high as $16,777 before pulling back, according to Bloomberg data. Near 2145 GMT, bitcoin stood at $16,070.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/a-little-bit-of-coins-bitcoins-explained-via-a-comic-strip-45">The rally came just a day after the virtual currency,</a> which has been used to buy everything from an ice cream to a pint of beer, hit the $12,000 mark for the first time. The eye-popping rise has seen the currency&#39;s value soar more than 50 percent in just one week, and from just $752 in mid-January.

Bitcoin, which came into being in 2009 as a bit of encrypted software, has no central bank backing it and no legal exchange rate.&nbsp;

It has surged dramatically in the past month, driven by growing acceptance among traditional investors of an innovation once considered the preserve of computer nerds and financial experts, and sometimes more shady users.

But some, including the US Federal Reserve, have warned against dabbling in bitcoin as it could threaten financial stability, and fears of a bubble have increased as the price has soared.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/bitcoin-soars-beyond-15000-climbs-2000-in-under-12-hours-26161">&quot;Bitcoin now seems like a charging train with no brakes,&quot; </a>said Shane Chanel, from Sydney-based ASR Wealth Advisers. &quot;There is an unfathomable amount of new participants piling into the cryptocurrency market.&quot;

But he warned: &quot;Once the hype slows down, we will most certainly see some sort of correction.&quot;

Financial industry concerns&nbsp;

There also are mounting concerns about its introduction into the mainstream financial system after a US regulator last week cleared the way for bitcoin futures to trade on major exchanges, a decision which analysts say has helped spur the recent rally.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission decision allows bitcoin derivatives to be offered on the Cboe Futures Exchange starting this weekend and on the world&#39;s biggest futures venue, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), from December 18.

But the Futures Industry Association, which groups some of the world&#39;s biggest derivatives brokerages, criticized the CFTC&#39;s move in a letter to the regulator, saying contracts are being rushed through without properly weighing the risks.

&quot;A more thorough and considered process would have allowed for a robust public discussion among clearing member firms, exchanges and clearing houses,&quot; the association said.

Bitcoin transactions happen when heavily encrypted codes are passed across a computer network.&nbsp;

Goldman Sachs, an FIA member, plans to clear bitcoin futures contracts for some clients, meaning it will serve as intermediary to enable transactions, a spokeswoman said.&nbsp;

&quot;Given that this is a new product, as expected we are evaluating the specifications and risk attributes for the bitcoin futures contracts as part of our standard due diligence process,&quot; she said.&nbsp;

The NiceHash marketplace was meanwhile on Thursday investigating a security breach resulting in the theft of bitcoin.

&quot;Clearly, this is a matter of deep concern and we are working hard to rectify the matter in the coming days,&quot; NiceHash said in a statement.&nbsp;

&quot;In addition to undertaking our own investigation, the incident has been reported to the relevant authorities and law enforcement and we are co-operating with them as a matter of urgency.&quot;

Bitcoin and other virtual currencies use blockchain, which records transactions that are updated in real time on an online ledger and maintained by a network of computers.

In 2014 major Tokyo-based bitcoin exchange MtGox collapsed after admitting that 850,000 coins, worth around $480 million at the time, had disappeared from its vaults.

Bitcoin&#39;s use on the underground Silk Road website, where users could use it to buy drugs and guns, also raised suspicions about the virtual money.

Still under $14,000 in Asian trading hours, it smashed through $15,000 in European trading and got as high as $16,777 before pulling back, according to Bloomberg data. Near 2145 GMT, bitcoin stood at $16,070

Bitcoin flirted with $17,000 on Thursday, triggering a warning the cryptocurrency was like a "train with no brakes" and prompting fresh concern about its looming launch on mainstream markets. Still under $14,000 in Asian trading hours, it smashed through $15,000 in European trading and got as high as $16,777 before pulling back, according to Bloomberg data. Near 2145 GMT, bitcoin stood at $16,070. The rally came just a day after the virtual currency, which has been used to buy everything from an ice cream to a pint of beer, hit the $12,000 mark for the first time. The eye-popping rise has seen the currency's value soar more than 50 percent in just one week, and from just $752 in mid-January. Bitcoin, which came into being in 2009 as a bit of encrypted software, has no central bank backing it and no legal exchange rate. It has surged dramatically in the past month, driven by growing acceptance among traditional investors of an innovation once considered the preserve of computer nerds and financial experts, and sometimes more shady users. But some, including the US Federal Reserve, have warned against dabbling in bitcoin as it could threaten financial stability, and fears of a bubble have increased as the price has soared. "Bitcoin now seems like a charging train with no brakes," said Shane Chanel, from Sydney-based ASR Wealth Advisers. "There is an unfathomable amount of new participants piling into the cryptocurrency market." But he warned: "Once the hype slows down, we will most certainly see some sort of correction." Financial industry concerns There also are mounting concerns about its introduction into the mainstream financial system after a US regulator last week cleared the way for bitcoin futures to trade on major exchanges, a decision which analysts say has helped spur the recent rally. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission decision allows bitcoin derivatives to be offered on the Cboe Futures Exchange starting this weekend and on the world's biggest futures venue, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), from December 18. But the Futures Industry Association, which groups some of the world's biggest derivatives brokerages, criticized the CFTC's move in a letter to the regulator, saying contracts are being rushed through without properly weighing the risks. "A more thorough and considered process would have allowed for a robust public discussion among clearing member firms, exchanges and clearing houses," the association said. Bitcoin transactions happen when heavily encrypted codes are passed across a computer network. Goldman Sachs, an FIA member, plans to clear bitcoin futures contracts for some clients, meaning it will serve as intermediary to enable transactions, a spokeswoman said. "Given that this is a new product, as expected we are evaluating the specifications and risk attributes for the bitcoin futures contracts as part of our standard due diligence process," she said. The NiceHash marketplace was meanwhile on Thursday investigating a security breach resulting in the theft of bitcoin. "Clearly, this is a matter of deep concern and we are working hard to rectify the matter in the coming days," NiceHash said in a statement. "In addition to undertaking our own investigation, the incident has been reported to the relevant authorities and law enforcement and we are co-operating with them as a matter of urgency." Bitcoin and other virtual currencies use blockchain, which records transactions that are updated in real time on an online ledger and maintained by a network of computers. In 2014 major Tokyo-based bitcoin exchange MtGox collapsed after admitting that 850,000 coins, worth around $480 million at the time, had disappeared from its vaults. Bitcoin's use on the underground Silk Road website, where users could use it to buy drugs and guns, also raised suspicions about the virtual money.

Bitcoin surges above $16,000 as concerns mount

Cryptocurrency Bitcoin plummets over 12 percent to below $15,000. Bitcoin went from $1000 to over $14,000 in less than a year.

Your Story: Bitcoin drops below $15,000 mark

The dollar rose to its highest level in two weeks on Thursday over the optimism about the United States would successfully push through tax reforms, while world shares rebounded after two straight days of losses.

The U.S. currency slipped against the safe-haven, Japanese yen on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel - a move that imperiled Middle East peace efforts and provoked widespread condemnation.&nbsp;But amidst a broader climb in global stocks on Thursday, the greenback rose 0.3 percent against the yen to trade at 112.60 yen and hit a two-week high against a basket of peers.

The MSCI World Index, which tracks shares in 47 countries, was up 0.1 percent.&nbsp;Underpinning some of the dollar&#39;s gains analysts said was some cautious optimism on progress over U.S. tax reforms.&nbsp;

U.S. Senate Republicans agreed to talks with the House of Representatives on sweeping tax legislation on Wednesday, amid early signs that lawmakers could bridge their differences and agree on a final bill ahead of a self-imposed December 22 deadline.

&quot;The dollar is fighting back a little bit but there&#39;s still some caution, as it could still be a few weeks until we know the outcome of the tax reform bill&quot;, said Rabobank currency strategist Jane Foley, in London. She further added, &quot;The yen will be sensitive if geopolitical tensions rise again, and I think there&#39;s an inevitability to that, so I don&#39;t think there&#39;s going to be too much upside for dollar/yen in this environment&quot;.

Upbeat U.S. private-sector employment data released on Wednesday also provided some support to the dollar. But strategists said the currency would trade in narrow ranges until the release of the closely watched non-farm payrolls report on Friday.&nbsp;Bitcoin soared to a record high of more than $14,500, up almost 7 percent on the day and continuing a staggering surge from less than $1,000 at the beginning of the year.

Stock Recover

European stock markets appeared to take their cues from a general recovery in tech stocks overnight in Asia and Wall Street.&nbsp;The pan-European STOXX 600 was up 0.2 percent with tech stocks initially up 0.5 percent. Financials, industrials, and healthcare shares also added points to the index.

&quot;We have seen some aggressive moves in Asia, whereas Europe seems to be a bit more subdued&quot;, said David Madden, an analyst at CMC Markets in London. He further said, &quot;It&#39;s almost like European markets look for an excuse to selloff but it takes them a lot to be convinced to actually push higher&quot;.

Shares in the energy sector, which weighed on shares earlier in Wall Street and Asia, rose in Europe, as oil prices recovered from a big fall on Wednesday.&nbsp;U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures traded at $56.13 per barrel in European trade, up 0.3 percent on the day.&nbsp;Brent futures gained 0.4 percent to $61.45 per barrel.

MSCI&#39;s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan edged up 0.2 percent as some technology bellwethers rebounded, with Tencent rising over 3 percent and Alibaba more than 2 percent.&nbsp;In Japan, the Nikkei jumped 1.5 percent, recouping much of its 2.0 percent loss the previous day, which was its biggest fall since late March.

The price of copper, seen as a barometer of global economic health because of its extensive industrial use, also fell sharply earlier this week, raising worries about the world growth outlook.&nbsp;Copper traded at $6,576 a tonne, up 0.5 percent on the day and above a two-month low of $6,507.5 touched on Tuesday.&nbsp;

European stock markets made general recovery in tech stocks overnight

The dollar rose to its highest level in two weeks on Thursday over the optimism about the United States would successfully push through tax reforms, while world shares rebounded after two straight days of losses. The U.S. currency slipped against the safe-haven, Japanese yen on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel - a move that imperiled Middle East peace efforts and provoked widespread condemnation. But amidst a broader climb in global stocks on Thursday, the greenback rose 0.3 percent against the yen to trade at 112.60 yen and hit a two-week high against a basket of peers. The MSCI World Index, which tracks shares in 47 countries, was up 0.1 percent. Underpinning some of the dollar's gains analysts said was some cautious optimism on progress over U.S. tax reforms. U.S. Senate Republicans agreed to talks with the House of Representatives on sweeping tax legislation on Wednesday, amid early signs that lawmakers could bridge their differences and agree on a final bill ahead of a self-imposed December 22 deadline. "The dollar is fighting back a little bit but there's still some caution, as it could still be a few weeks until we know the outcome of the tax reform bill", said Rabobank currency strategist Jane Foley, in London. She further added, "The yen will be sensitive if geopolitical tensions rise again, and I think there's an inevitability to that, so I don't think there's going to be too much upside for dollar/yen in this environment". Upbeat U.S. private-sector employment data released on Wednesday also provided some support to the dollar. But strategists said the currency would trade in narrow ranges until the release of the closely watched non-farm payrolls report on Friday. Bitcoin soared to a record high of more than $14,500, up almost 7 percent on the day and continuing a staggering surge from less than $1,000 at the beginning of the year. Stock Recover European stock markets appeared to take their cues from a general recovery in tech stocks overnight in Asia and Wall Street. The pan-European STOXX 600 was up 0.2 percent with tech stocks initially up 0.5 percent. Financials, industrials, and healthcare shares also added points to the index. "We have seen some aggressive moves in Asia, whereas Europe seems to be a bit more subdued", said David Madden, an analyst at CMC Markets in London. He further said, "It's almost like European markets look for an excuse to selloff but it takes them a lot to be convinced to actually push higher". Shares in the energy sector, which weighed on shares earlier in Wall Street and Asia, rose in Europe, as oil prices recovered from a big fall on Wednesday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures traded at $56.13 per barrel in European trade, up 0.3 percent on the day. Brent futures gained 0.4 percent to $61.45 per barrel. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan edged up 0.2 percent as some technology bellwethers rebounded, with Tencent rising over 3 percent and Alibaba more than 2 percent. In Japan, the Nikkei jumped 1.5 percent, recouping much of its 2.0 percent loss the previous day, which was its biggest fall since late March. The price of copper, seen as a barometer of global economic health because of its extensive industrial use, also fell sharply earlier this week, raising worries about the world growth outlook. Copper traded at $6,576 a tonne, up 0.5 percent on the day and above a two-month low of $6,507.5 touched on Tuesday.

Dollar hits two-week high on US tax reform optimism, world shares climb

India Centre Foundation (ICF), a nonprofit and non-governmental organisation, which has been working for over two decades towards nation&#39;s socio-economic development, brings to India for the first-time ever, The Global Partnership Summit (GPS) 2017 which is scheduled to be held at Aerocity, New Delhi from December 11 to 14, 2017.

The GPS will focus on clean energy, healthcare, infrastructure and logistics, energy, tourism, art and culture, agro-economy, banking and finance, education and skill development, and information communication technology. The visionary behind the initiative is Vibhav Kant Upadhyay who has been at the forefront of many key development initiatives in the past two decades. He is also the Founder Chairman, GPS which is evolved from the successful - India-Japan Global Partnership (IJGP) Initiative.

Inspired by Japan&#39;s process of successful nation-building, India Center Foundation believes, a global partnership between India and Japan is not only of mutual national interests but will contribute to the rest of the world. GPS 2017, will witness the presence of 3000 delegates and over 200 speakers participating, including the prominent business leader, policymakers, think tanks, social change makers, youth leaders, influencers, and academicians.

This year&#39;s summit is expected to lay the foundation for a long-term mutually beneficial dialogue on key issues affecting the world as a whole. The event GPS 2017 is lead by Global Chairman Toshihiro Nikai, Founder Chairman, Vibhav Kant Upadhyay with co-chairmen Dr. Subhash Chandra and Dr. Subramaniam Swamy.

Eminent dignitaries and policy makers from India, speaking at the event include Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport and Highway, Gajendra Singh Sekhawat, Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister at Ministry of Science and Technology, Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Earth Sciences, J. P. Nadda, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Alphons Joseph, Minister of Tourism, to name a few.

Other distinguished Indian and Global leaders, speaking at the event include Masayoshi Son, Founder, Chairman and CEO, SoftBank Group Corp, Shervin Pishevar, Co-founder and Executive Chairman, Hyperloop One, Manoj Kohli, Chairman, Softbank Energy, James Scott Mccallum, Former Governor, Wisconsin, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Founder, Art of Living, Amitabh Kant, CEO &amp; CEO, NITI Aayog, Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi, children&#39;s rights activist and Founder of Kailash Satyarthi Children&#39;s Foundation, Bhavish Aggarwal, Founder and CEO, Ola Cabs, Daisaku Kadokawa, Mayor, Kyoto City, Japan, to name a few, will also speak at the event.

There will be around 40 sessions and about 10 plenaries during the summit that will be focused towards devising efficient and sustainable measures for achieving the set goals.

The global Partnership Summit is going to be held in India for the first time. With 40 sessions and 10 plenary, the summit will focus on efficient and sustainable measures

India Centre Foundation (ICF), a nonprofit and non-governmental organisation, which has been working for over two decades towards nation's socio-economic development, brings to India for the first-time ever, The Global Partnership Summit (GPS) 2017 which is scheduled to be held at Aerocity, New Delhi from December 11 to 14, 2017. The GPS will focus on clean energy, healthcare, infrastructure and logistics, energy, tourism, art and culture, agro-economy, banking and finance, education and skill development, and information communication technology. The visionary behind the initiative is Vibhav Kant Upadhyay who has been at the forefront of many key development initiatives in the past two decades. He is also the Founder Chairman, GPS which is evolved from the successful - India-Japan Global Partnership (IJGP) Initiative. Inspired by Japan's process of successful nation-building, India Center Foundation believes, a global partnership between India and Japan is not only of mutual national interests but will contribute to the rest of the world. GPS 2017, will witness the presence of 3000 delegates and over 200 speakers participating, including the prominent business leader, policymakers, think tanks, social change makers, youth leaders, influencers, and academicians. This year's summit is expected to lay the foundation for a long-term mutually beneficial dialogue on key issues affecting the world as a whole. The event GPS 2017 is lead by Global Chairman Toshihiro Nikai, Founder Chairman, Vibhav Kant Upadhyay with co-chairmen Dr. Subhash Chandra and Dr. Subramaniam Swamy. Eminent dignitaries and policy makers from India, speaking at the event include Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport and Highway, Gajendra Singh Sekhawat, Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister at Ministry of Science and Technology, Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Earth Sciences, J. P. Nadda, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Alphons Joseph, Minister of Tourism, to name a few. Other distinguished Indian and Global leaders, speaking at the event include Masayoshi Son, Founder, Chairman and CEO, SoftBank Group Corp, Shervin Pishevar, Co-founder and Executive Chairman, Hyperloop One, Manoj Kohli, Chairman, Softbank Energy, James Scott Mccallum, Former Governor, Wisconsin, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Founder, Art of Living, Amitabh Kant, CEO & CEO, NITI Aayog, Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi, children's rights activist and Founder of Kailash Satyarthi Children's Foundation, Bhavish Aggarwal, Founder and CEO, Ola Cabs, Daisaku Kadokawa, Mayor, Kyoto City, Japan, to name a few, will also speak at the event. There will be around 40 sessions and about 10 plenaries during the summit that will be focused towards devising efficient and sustainable measures for achieving the set goals.

First-time ever in India: The Global Partnership Summit 2017

In a move to further strengthen offerings for merchants, Paytm has become the majority shareholder of the entity formed through the merger of Nearbuy&nbsp;and Little Internet.

Paytm&#39;s strategic holding in Nearbuy-Little will provide its merchant partners with an opportunity to offer deals to acquire new customers and grow their business. Additionally, Paytm will serve its consumer base by showcasing a large number of exciting deals on its platforms and will further strengthen its presence in the offline commerce space.

&quot;This combination of Nearbuy and Little marks a great opportunity for us to reinforce our commitment to support small and large retailers in the new age of mobile commerce and payments. I am sure consumers will love the greater selection and the reach of everyday deals and discount offers&quot;, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder and CEO, Paytm said.

Nearbuy&nbsp;and Little Internet have merged to create India&#39;s largest discovery and deals platform for local merchants and it will help offline merchants by enabling them to acquire new customers through deals. Nearbuy and Little work with over 40,000 small and large merchants across food, beauty, travel and other categories. The combined entity will continue to enable customers to discover deals and save money whenever they step out, and also help merchants effectively utilize their inventory and acquire new customers. The existing shareholders of Nearbuy including Sequoia India will also become shareholders of the merged entity.

&quot;The merger of the 2 of India&#39;s leading deals platforms in the country and the partnership with Paytm will help merchants and customers, bring business synergies and will further strengthen Paytm&#39;s presence in the O2O space in India&quot;, Manish Chopra, Co-founder, Little said.

Paytm has become the majority shareholder if the merger entity of Nearbuy.com and Little Internet, which is Nearbuy-Little. With this, Paytm's merchant partners will be provided with an opportunity to expand their customer base

In a move to further strengthen offerings for merchants, Paytm has become the majority shareholder of the entity formed through the merger of Nearbuy and Little Internet. Paytm's strategic holding in Nearbuy-Little will provide its merchant partners with an opportunity to offer deals to acquire new customers and grow their business. Additionally, Paytm will serve its consumer base by showcasing a large number of exciting deals on its platforms and will further strengthen its presence in the offline commerce space. "This combination of Nearbuy and Little marks a great opportunity for us to reinforce our commitment to support small and large retailers in the new age of mobile commerce and payments. I am sure consumers will love the greater selection and the reach of everyday deals and discount offers", Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder and CEO, Paytm said. Nearbuy and Little Internet have merged to create India's largest discovery and deals platform for local merchants and it will help offline merchants by enabling them to acquire new customers through deals. Nearbuy and Little work with over 40,000 small and large merchants across food, beauty, travel and other categories. The combined entity will continue to enable customers to discover deals and save money whenever they step out, and also help merchants effectively utilize their inventory and acquire new customers. The existing shareholders of Nearbuy including Sequoia India will also become shareholders of the merged entity. "The merger of the 2 of India's leading deals platforms in the country and the partnership with Paytm will help merchants and customers, bring business synergies and will further strengthen Paytm's presence in the O2O space in India", Manish Chopra, Co-founder, Little said.

Paytm to be majority shareholder in Nearbuy-Little merger entity

Sensex surged nearly 400 points today with capital goods, auto, power, metal, banks, gas and telecom stocks leading the way on Thursday.

BSE Sensex ended 1.08 per cent higher at 32,949.21 ensuring biggest single-day rise since November 1.

The Nifty closed up 1.22 per cent at 10,166.70, the biggest single-day gain since May 25.

The NSE Nifty reclaimed the 10,000 level rising to 10,150 during the day.

Bharti Airtel rose over 5 per cent and Idea Cellular rose 4.5 per cent in intra-day trade.

State-run GAIL rose over 7 per cent with Mahanagar Gas, Indraprastha Gas and Petronet LNG leading the rally today.

The Nifty closed up 1.22 per cent at 10,166.70, the biggest single-day gain since May 25.

Sensex surged nearly 400 points today with capital goods, auto, power, metal, banks, gas and telecom stocks leading the way on Thursday. BSE Sensex ended 1.08 per cent higher at 32,949.21 ensuring biggest single-day rise since November 1. The Nifty closed up 1.22 per cent at 10,166.70, the biggest single-day gain since May 25. The NSE Nifty reclaimed the 10,000 level rising to 10,150 during the day. Bharti Airtel rose over 5 per cent and Idea Cellular rose 4.5 per cent in intra-day trade. State-run GAIL rose over 7 per cent with Mahanagar Gas, Indraprastha Gas and Petronet LNG leading the rally today.

Sensex surges over 350 points on auto, gas and bank stocks

Most Asian currencies drifted on Thursday, with investors shying away from risk ahead of key central bank meetings next week and due to political uncertainty in the Middle East.&nbsp;Market players expect the mood to be cautious in the run-up to next Thursday when both the U.S. Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank are expected to hold policy meetings.&nbsp;

A Reuters poll showed a rate rise was almost certain at the Fed&#39;s Dec. 14 meeting, with three or more rate hikes expected next year. Expectations for a more vigorous rate cycle in 2018 got wind from progress in President Donald Trump`s tax cut plans.&nbsp;On the other hand, the ECB is expected to stand pat on policy at its meeting next week in Frankfurt.

Elsewhere, Trump on Wednesday reversed decades of U.S. policy and recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, imperilling Middle East peace efforts and upsetting the Arab world and Western allies alike.&nbsp;The dollar on Thursday shook off losses against the yen, buoyed by optimism on U.S. tax reform and ahead of payrolls data on Friday.&nbsp;Meanwhile, a potential U.S. government shutdown looms if Congress fails to agree on a spending package.

&quot;The debt ceiling limit is another source of worry as emergency measures are only likely to last for 2/3 months before the Treasury runs out of funds,&quot; DBS Group strategists Eugene Leow and Philip Wee said in a note.&nbsp;&quot;Politics is likely to dominate macro cues at a time when valuations for risky assets appear lofty. Brace for volatility ahead.&quot;&nbsp;All local currencies in Asia were subdued, with the Malaysian ringgit the weakest among its peers against the dollar, easing 0.2 percent.

&quot;There&#39;s still quite a lot of equity outflow happening,&quot; said Andy Ji, a strategist for Commonwealth Bank of Australia in Singapore.&nbsp;&quot;The ringgit is still outperforming though&quot;. The Malaysian currency has been on an uptrend since early November, helped by a strong economy and rate rise expectations.

The South Korean won, the region`s biggest decliner in the previous session, was 0.16 percent firmer against the dollar, despite a 0.8-percent fall in the Kospi index.&nbsp;Ji said the won could be trading on the notion of &quot;a very hawkish central bank at this point in time despite a dovish rate rise&quot;.

Last month, the Bank of Korea raised its benchmark rate by 25 basis points to 1.5 percent from a record low level.

Indian Rupee

The rupee firmed marginally on Thursday after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) kept rates unchanged in its policy meeting the day before, as expected, and left its policy stance &quot;neutral&quot;.&nbsp;The central bank was also seen as slightly softening its language on inflation by saying risks were &quot;evenly balanced&quot;.&nbsp;

The RBI raised its headline inflation projection in the range of 4.3 to 4.7 percent for the second half of 2018, compared with 4.2 to 4.6 percent earlier.&nbsp;&quot;Further upside to inflation and growth will nudge the RBI to turn hawkish, the likelihood of which is steadily rising,&quot; said DBS Group economist Radhika Rao.&nbsp;

With investors shying away from the risks due to anticipated central bank meetings next week, most of the Asian currencies drifted on Thursday.

Most Asian currencies drifted on Thursday, with investors shying away from risk ahead of key central bank meetings next week and due to political uncertainty in the Middle East. Market players expect the mood to be cautious in the run-up to next Thursday when both the U.S. Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank are expected to hold policy meetings. A Reuters poll showed a rate rise was almost certain at the Fed's Dec. 14 meeting, with three or more rate hikes expected next year. Expectations for a more vigorous rate cycle in 2018 got wind from progress in President Donald Trump`s tax cut plans. On the other hand, the ECB is expected to stand pat on policy at its meeting next week in Frankfurt. Elsewhere, Trump on Wednesday reversed decades of U.S. policy and recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, imperilling Middle East peace efforts and upsetting the Arab world and Western allies alike. The dollar on Thursday shook off losses against the yen, buoyed by optimism on U.S. tax reform and ahead of payrolls data on Friday. Meanwhile, a potential U.S. government shutdown looms if Congress fails to agree on a spending package. "The debt ceiling limit is another source of worry as emergency measures are only likely to last for 2/3 months before the Treasury runs out of funds," DBS Group strategists Eugene Leow and Philip Wee said in a note. "Politics is likely to dominate macro cues at a time when valuations for risky assets appear lofty. Brace for volatility ahead." All local currencies in Asia were subdued, with the Malaysian ringgit the weakest among its peers against the dollar, easing 0.2 percent. "There's still quite a lot of equity outflow happening," said Andy Ji, a strategist for Commonwealth Bank of Australia in Singapore. "The ringgit is still outperforming though". The Malaysian currency has been on an uptrend since early November, helped by a strong economy and rate rise expectations. The South Korean won, the region`s biggest decliner in the previous session, was 0.16 percent firmer against the dollar, despite a 0.8-percent fall in the Kospi index. Ji said the won could be trading on the notion of "a very hawkish central bank at this point in time despite a dovish rate rise". Last month, the Bank of Korea raised its benchmark rate by 25 basis points to 1.5 percent from a record low level. Indian Rupee The rupee firmed marginally on Thursday after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) kept rates unchanged in its policy meeting the day before, as expected, and left its policy stance "neutral". The central bank was also seen as slightly softening its language on inflation by saying risks were "evenly balanced". The RBI raised its headline inflation projection in the range of 4.3 to 4.7 percent for the second half of 2018, compared with 4.2 to 4.6 percent earlier. "Further upside to inflation and growth will nudge the RBI to turn hawkish, the likelihood of which is steadily rising," said DBS Group economist Radhika Rao.

Asian currencies drift as investors shy away from risk

Bitcoin charged <a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/rbi-warns-users-against-the-risks-of-virtual-currencies-like-bitcoin-25981">past $14,000, touching a high of $14,485</a> but slipped back to $14,485 in Asian trade.

The virtual currency has risen exponentially this year from $752 in January to a present high of $14,485, the surge has surprised experts and economists alike.

However, the bitcoin have no central bank backing. On Tuesday, the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) had warned about risks involved in trading in Bitcoin.

The currency which lacks backing from any financial institution, governments across the world are looking at the surge in prices of bitcoin very closely as it surges &quot;like a charging train with no brakes&quot;.

According to a Reuters report, &quot;more than 980,000 bitcoins have been stolen from exchanges, either by hackers or insiders. That&#39;s a total of more than $10 billion at current exchange rates. Few have been recovered.&quot;

Regulators in the US, Germany, Malaysia and Dubai have warned against using bitcoins.

China and South Korea have banned digital coin sales.

Regulators in the US, Germany, Malaysia and Dubai have warned against using bitcoins

Bitcoin charged past $14,000, touching a high of $14,485 but slipped back to $14,485 in Asian trade. The virtual currency has risen exponentially this year from $752 in January to a present high of $14,485, the surge has surprised experts and economists alike. However, the bitcoin have no central bank backing. On Tuesday, the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) had warned about risks involved in trading in Bitcoin. The currency which lacks backing from any financial institution, governments across the world are looking at the surge in prices of bitcoin very closely as it surges "like a charging train with no brakes". According to a Reuters report, "more than 980,000 bitcoins have been stolen from exchanges, either by hackers or insiders. That's a total of more than $10 billion at current exchange rates. Few have been recovered." Regulators in the US, Germany, Malaysia and Dubai have warned against using bitcoins. China and South Korea have banned digital coin sales.

Bitcoin surge past $14,485 in Asian trade

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/bitcoin-surge-past-14485-in-asian-trade-26123" target="_blank">Bitcoin surge</a> hit another milestone when it rocketed above $15,000 for the first time on Thursday.

In under 12 hours, the cryptocurrency&nbsp;recorded more than&nbsp;$2,000 in its price to see more than a fifteenfold surge in its value since the start of the year.

Bitcoin&#39;s value soared to $15,344 on the Luxembourg-based Bitstamp exchange around 1420 GMT when it had traded just above $13,000 12 hours earlier.

The surge accounted for a 12% hike in its value recorded on a day. The value of all cryptocurrencies now stands at around $415 billion, according to Coinmarketcap.&nbsp;

&quot;Futures trading will mean more demand...and is a form of ratification of the underlying tech - bitcoin and cryptocurrencies in general. They are now on the main stage,&quot; said Charles Hayter, founder of cryptocurrency data analysis firm Cryptocompare.

The ongoing surge of Bitcoin is now been attributed to the launch of bitcoin futures by CBOE, one of the world`s biggest derivatives exchanges.

Market-watchers and experts believe it to give a helping hand in driving up the price on expectations it would draw more investors to the market.&nbsp;

&quot;Aggressive traders, such as hedge funds and algorithm-driven funds, (will be able) to use this futures market to enter bitcoin trading with high levels of liquidity for aggressive short-selling and knock the prices really low,&quot; said Think Markets analyst Naeem Aslam.

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With crypto-currencies on the rise around the world, there are concerns being raised about the technology being used by terrorists and criminals to evade digital tracking. WION&#39;s Archit Sinha brings you this report. (WION)
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Bitcoin has more than tripled in price since the start of October, putting it on track for its best quarter since the end of 2013, when it surged above $1,000 for the first time. It slumped in 2014, after Mt Gox, then the world&#39;s biggest bitcoin exchange, collapsed, saying it had been hacked and had 650,000 bitcoins stolen.&nbsp;

But some are warning that the launch of bitcoin futures, which will allow investors to take speculative &quot;short&quot; positions on the cryptocurrency, as well as &quot;long&quot; positions, could cause even greater volatility.&nbsp;

The latest surge brought bitcoin`s &quot;market cap&quot; - its price multiplied by the total number of bitcoins in circulation - to more than $260 billion, according to Coinmarketcap, a trade website.

That, in theory, makes its market value higher than that of Visa.

In India, the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/rbi-warns-users-against-the-risks-of-virtual-currencies-like-bitcoin-25981" target="_blank">Reserve Bank of India</a>, on Tuesday, warned investors against the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bubble-or-not-bitcoin-triggering-terror-finance-and-fraud-25623" target="_blank">risks linked to Bitcoin</a>.

The RBI stated rapid growth in Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) as a cause for concern which also makes virtual currencies highly volatile and risk-involving tools of investment.

The ongoing surge of Bitcoin is now been attributed to the launch of bitcoin futures by CBOE

Bitcoin surge hit another milestone when it rocketed above $15,000 for the first time on Thursday. In under 12 hours, the cryptocurrency recorded more than $2,000 in its price to see more than a fifteenfold surge in its value since the start of the year. Bitcoin's value soared to $15,344 on the Luxembourg-based Bitstamp exchange around 1420 GMT when it had traded just above $13,000 12 hours earlier. The surge accounted for a 12% hike in its value recorded on a day. The value of all cryptocurrencies now stands at around $415 billion, according to Coinmarketcap. "Futures trading will mean more demand...and is a form of ratification of the underlying tech - bitcoin and cryptocurrencies in general. They are now on the main stage," said Charles Hayter, founder of cryptocurrency data analysis firm Cryptocompare. The ongoing surge of Bitcoin is now been attributed to the launch of bitcoin futures by CBOE, one of the world`s biggest derivatives exchanges. Market-watchers and experts believe it to give a helping hand in driving up the price on expectations it would draw more investors to the market. "Aggressive traders, such as hedge funds and algorithm-driven funds, (will be able) to use this futures market to enter bitcoin trading with high levels of liquidity for aggressive short-selling and knock the prices really low," said Think Markets analyst Naeem Aslam. With crypto-currencies on the rise around the world, there are concerns being raised about the technology being used by terrorists and criminals to evade digital tracking. WION's Archit Sinha brings you this report. (WION) × Bitcoin has more than tripled in price since the start of October, putting it on track for its best quarter since the end of 2013, when it surged above $1,000 for the first time. It slumped in 2014, after Mt Gox, then the world's biggest bitcoin exchange, collapsed, saying it had been hacked and had 650,000 bitcoins stolen. But some are warning that the launch of bitcoin futures, which will allow investors to take speculative "short" positions on the cryptocurrency, as well as "long" positions, could cause even greater volatility. The latest surge brought bitcoin`s "market cap" - its price multiplied by the total number of bitcoins in circulation - to more than $260 billion, according to Coinmarketcap, a trade website. That, in theory, makes its market value higher than that of Visa. In India, the Reserve Bank of India, on Tuesday, warned investors against the risks linked to Bitcoin. The RBI stated rapid growth in Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) as a cause for concern which also makes virtual currencies highly volatile and risk-involving tools of investment.

Bitcoin soars beyond $15,000, climbs $2,000 in under 12 hours

As the year-end draws closer, Apple has revealed a list summing up best apps and top games of the year. &#39;Enlight Videoleap&#39; was rated as the best app. &lsquo;Affinity Photo&rsquo; was the best app of the year on iPad. The list of top apps for 2017 includes WhatsApp, YouTube, Facebook, PayTm, Messenger, SHAREit, Instagram, Google Maps, Uber, Hotstar, Amazon, Ola cabs, Gmail, Wynk, MyJio, My Airtel, Google Chrome, Flipkart, Snapchat and imo video calls and chat. Aurora HDR 2018 emerged as the best app of the year for Mac. Calm featured as the best app of the year on iPhone in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, USA and the United Kingdom.&nbsp;

For die-heart gamers, the list also revealed the top game of the year, Splitter Clitters topped the list in most countries. The Witness featured as the best game on iPad in a host of countries. The world of apps and gaming saw a significant boost this year. Augmented Reality was one of the top features across some of the most noticeable applications and games this year. Besides this, real-time competitive gaming also garnered much popularity in 2017.&nbsp;

Not only this, Apple also revealed the most popular movies, music across Apple Music, iTunes and iStore for the year. &quot;Our App Store editors have chosen the most download-worthy games and apps based on topics and trends that were popular on the App Store throughout the year,&quot; noted the official release.&nbsp;

It must be noted that the list varies from country to country.&nbsp;

Apple also revealed the most popular movies, music across Apple Music, iTunes and iStore for the year

As the year-end draws closer, Apple has revealed a list summing up best apps and top games of the year. 'Enlight Videoleap' was rated as the best app. ‘Affinity Photo’ was the best app of the year on iPad. The list of top apps for 2017 includes WhatsApp, YouTube, Facebook, PayTm, Messenger, SHAREit, Instagram, Google Maps, Uber, Hotstar, Amazon, Ola cabs, Gmail, Wynk, MyJio, My Airtel, Google Chrome, Flipkart, Snapchat and imo video calls and chat. Aurora HDR 2018 emerged as the best app of the year for Mac. Calm featured as the best app of the year on iPhone in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, USA and the United Kingdom. For die-heart gamers, the list also revealed the top game of the year, Splitter Clitters topped the list in most countries. The Witness featured as the best game on iPad in a host of countries. The world of apps and gaming saw a significant boost this year. Augmented Reality was one of the top features across some of the most noticeable applications and games this year. Besides this, real-time competitive gaming also garnered much popularity in 2017. Not only this, Apple also revealed the most popular movies, music across Apple Music, iTunes and iStore for the year. "Our App Store editors have chosen the most download-worthy games and apps based on topics and trends that were popular on the App Store throughout the year," noted the official release. It must be noted that the list varies from country to country.

Best of 2017: Apple reveals top games and apps of the year

Bringing an end to the patient wait for the launch of Apache RR 310 in India, TVS motors on Wednesday launched its flagship motorcycle at an ex-showroom price of Rs 2.05 lakh.

With the engine being mated to a six-speed gearbox, the latest model of Apache is powered by a 312.2cc, single-cylinder, DOHC motor that makes 34hp at 9,700rpm and 27.3Nm at 7,700rpm.

The fully faired motorcycle flaunts nose down-tail up design which further enhances its sporty appeal.&nbsp;The bike is equipped with first-in-class Bi-LED projector headlamps and LED DRLs, while the rear boasts of the devil&#39;s horn-shaped LED taillights.

Expected to be available in two colour options - red and black, the motorcycle is capable of achieving 60kmph from a standstill position in just 2.63 seconds.&nbsp;

The bookings of the bike will commence soon while the deliveries are expected to start from this December end.&nbsp;

With the engine being mated to a six-speed gearbox, the latest model of Apache is powered by a 312.2cc, single-cylinder, DOHC motor that makes 34hp at 9,700rpm and 27.3Nm at 7,700rpm.

Bringing an end to the patient wait for the launch of Apache RR 310 in India, TVS motors on Wednesday launched its flagship motorcycle at an ex-showroom price of Rs 2.05 lakh. With the engine being mated to a six-speed gearbox, the latest model of Apache is powered by a 312.2cc, single-cylinder, DOHC motor that makes 34hp at 9,700rpm and 27.3Nm at 7,700rpm. The fully faired motorcycle flaunts nose down-tail up design which further enhances its sporty appeal. The bike is equipped with first-in-class Bi-LED projector headlamps and LED DRLs, while the rear boasts of the devil's horn-shaped LED taillights. Expected to be available in two colour options - red and black, the motorcycle is capable of achieving 60kmph from a standstill position in just 2.63 seconds. The bookings of the bike will commence soon while the deliveries are expected to start from this December end.

TVS Apache RR 310 wait ends, launched at Rs 2.05 Lakh in India

The Reserve Bank of India(RBI) today kept the policy rate unchanged at six per cent, deciding to keep the rate &#39;neutral&#39;.

The RBI also kept the reverse repo rate unchanged at 5.75 per cent.

Experts had predicted the RBI would keep the rates unchanged due to high inflation and a strong economic growth which did not require monetary stimulus.

The rate is lowest since November 2010, reports said a five-member committee voted to keep it unchanged with one member voting against it.

The Sensex had slipped during the day ahead of the repo rate announcement as the market expected the Reserve Bank to keep rates at neutral.

The Finance ministry had announced recently India&#39;s growth in the second quarter had risen 6.3 percent in July-Sept period signaling an uptake in economic activity which was one of&nbsp;the reason for RBI to keep the policy rate at six per cent.

The RBI also kept the reverse repo rate unchanged at 5.75 per cent.

The Reserve Bank of India(RBI) today kept the policy rate unchanged at six per cent, deciding to keep the rate 'neutral'. The RBI also kept the reverse repo rate unchanged at 5.75 per cent. Experts had predicted the RBI would keep the rates unchanged due to high inflation and a strong economic growth which did not require monetary stimulus. The rate is lowest since November 2010, reports said a five-member committee voted to keep it unchanged with one member voting against it. The Sensex had slipped during the day ahead of the repo rate announcement as the market expected the Reserve Bank to keep rates at neutral. The Finance ministry had announced recently India's growth in the second quarter had risen 6.3 percent in July-Sept period signaling an uptake in economic activity which was one of the reason for RBI to keep the policy rate at six per cent.

RBI keeps repo rate unchanged at 6 per cent

The Reserve Bank on Tuesday warned the public against the risks of virtual currencies (VCs) after the recent spurt in the valuation of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bubble-or-not-bitcoin-triggering-terror-finance-and-fraud-25623" target="_blank">Bitcoin</a>. Rapid growth in Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) is a cause for concern, making VCs highly volatile and risk-involving tools of investment.

&quot;There is no underlying or backing of any asset for VCs. As such, their value seems to be a matter of speculation. Huge volatility in the value of VCs has been noticed in the recent past. Thus, the users are exposed to potential losses on account of such volatility in value,&quot; the central bank had said in a statement issued on December 24, 2013.&nbsp;

Simply put, Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency or currency in the digital form similar to Paytm or BHIM. A cryptocurrency is not issued by any bank, financial institution or a central authority. It isn&#39;t tangible and floats in and through digital wallets, making it an entity that is difficult to control, regulated or manipulated by international financial authorities, governments or institutions.&nbsp;

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With fin-tech on the rise around the world there is an increasing focus on cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin. But how do these currencies operate and how are they managed? (WION)
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The price of a single Bitcoin skyrocketed to up to US&nbsp;$11,000 last week in a rally which puzzled watchers. The apex bank had previously noted having studied the sector but emphatically clarified that it is uncomfortable with &quot;non-fiat&quot; cryptocurrencies. The RBI had also said that the exchange platforms on which Bitcoins are traded are set up in various jurisdictions whose legal status is also unclear.

&quot;The creation, trading or usage of VCs including Bitcoins, as a medium for payment are not authorised by any central bank or monetary authority. No regulatory approvals, registration or authorisation is stated to have been obtained by the entities concerned for carrying on such activities,&quot; the RBI had said in its first comments in September 2013.

Reportedly, the ministry of finance has been mulling over launching a cryptocurrency called &quot;Lakshmi&quot; and has set up a committee for the same.

(With inputs from PTI)

Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency or currency in the digital form similar to Paytm or BHIM

The Reserve Bank on Tuesday warned the public against the risks of virtual currencies (VCs) after the recent spurt in the valuation of Bitcoin. Rapid growth in Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) is a cause for concern, making VCs highly volatile and risk-involving tools of investment. "There is no underlying or backing of any asset for VCs. As such, their value seems to be a matter of speculation. Huge volatility in the value of VCs has been noticed in the recent past. Thus, the users are exposed to potential losses on account of such volatility in value," the central bank had said in a statement issued on December 24, 2013. Simply put, Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency or currency in the digital form similar to Paytm or BHIM. A cryptocurrency is not issued by any bank, financial institution or a central authority. It isn't tangible and floats in and through digital wallets, making it an entity that is difficult to control, regulated or manipulated by international financial authorities, governments or institutions. With fin-tech on the rise around the world there is an increasing focus on cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin. But how do these currencies operate and how are they managed? (WION) × The price of a single Bitcoin skyrocketed to up to US $11,000 last week in a rally which puzzled watchers. The apex bank had previously noted having studied the sector but emphatically clarified that it is uncomfortable with "non-fiat" cryptocurrencies. The RBI had also said that the exchange platforms on which Bitcoins are traded are set up in various jurisdictions whose legal status is also unclear. "The creation, trading or usage of VCs including Bitcoins, as a medium for payment are not authorised by any central bank or monetary authority. No regulatory approvals, registration or authorisation is stated to have been obtained by the entities concerned for carrying on such activities," the RBI had said in its first comments in September 2013. Reportedly, the ministry of finance has been mulling over launching a cryptocurrency called "Lakshmi" and has set up a committee for the same. (With inputs from PTI)

RBI warns users against the risks of virtual currencies like Bitcoin

The benchmark BSE Sensex fell further by 100 points in early trade today due to selling in interest-sensitive stocks ahead of RBI&#39;s policy announcement later in the day.

The rupee&#39;s weakness against the dollar too dampened the overall mood.

The 30-share index fell 100.07 points, or 0.30 per cent, to 32,702.37, with sectoral indices of banking, auto, metal and PSU trading dropping up to 1.76 per cent.

The gauge had lost 67.28 points in the previous session.

The NSE Nifty too shed 39.15 points, or 0.38 per cent, to settle at 10,079.10.

Brokers said sentiment remained somewhat subdued as investors kept their positions at a low ebb amid expectation that the central bank may keep rates unchanged.

Major losers were SBI, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC Ltd, Maruti Suzuki, Bajaj Auto, Hero MotoCorp, Tata Steel, ITC Ltd and Wipro.

Among the Asian bourses, Hong Kong&#39;s Hang Seng was down 1.12 per cent while Japan&#39;s Nikkei shed 0.90 per cent. Shanghai Composite Index too fell 0.61 per cent in early trade today.

The US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.45 per cent lower yesterday.

The 30-share index fell 100.07 points, or 0.30 per cent, to 32,702.37

The benchmark BSE Sensex fell further by 100 points in early trade today due to selling in interest-sensitive stocks ahead of RBI's policy announcement later in the day. The rupee's weakness against the dollar too dampened the overall mood. The 30-share index fell 100.07 points, or 0.30 per cent, to 32,702.37, with sectoral indices of banking, auto, metal and PSU trading dropping up to 1.76 per cent. The gauge had lost 67.28 points in the previous session. The NSE Nifty too shed 39.15 points, or 0.38 per cent, to settle at 10,079.10. Brokers said sentiment remained somewhat subdued as investors kept their positions at a low ebb amid expectation that the central bank may keep rates unchanged. Major losers were SBI, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC Ltd, Maruti Suzuki, Bajaj Auto, Hero MotoCorp, Tata Steel, ITC Ltd and Wipro. Among the Asian bourses, Hong Kong's Hang Seng was down 1.12 per cent while Japan's Nikkei shed 0.90 per cent. Shanghai Composite Index too fell 0.61 per cent in early trade today. The US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.45 per cent lower yesterday.

Sensex down 100 points as RBI policy decision looms

Lamborghini, the fabled Italian sports car manufacturer,&nbsp;on Monday, unveiled its new Sports Utility Vehicle, accelerating into a fast-growing market already crowded with upmarket rivals.

The Urus, as the four-wheel drive &quot;super SUV&quot; will be known, was revealed at the Volkswagen group-owned company&rsquo;s historic home near Bologna.

It will reach a top speed of 305 kph (190 mph), can go from zero to 100 kph in 3.6 seconds and brake from 100 kph to zero in 33.7 metres, company officials said.

Building the Urus, which will be sold in Europe for 171,500 euros ($203,000) excluding taxes, was &quot;challenging at every level,&quot; said Lamborghini CEO Stefano Domenicali.

With its 650-horsepower, twin-turbo V8 engine, the Urus is something that has never been seen before on a road, according to the firm`s design director, Mitja Borkert.

He said the SUV was inspired by two emblematic models from the past -- the LM002 that was the company`s first foray into SUVs (it was dubbed the Lamborghini Truck), and the distinctively wedge-shaped Countach sportscar of the 1970s and 1980s.

The SUV &quot;allows you to travel on any terrain: on road, off road, on ice but also on sand dunes,&quot; said Lamborghini research and development director Maurizio Reggiani, suggesting it will be the fastest SUV on the market.

In the battle to capture the attention of wealthy drivers, the new entrant will be up against the likes of Bentley`s Bentayga, the Mercedes G-Class and footballers` favourite, the Porsche Cayenne.

Aston Martin, Rolls Royce and Ferrari are all either in the process of or considering joining the high-rev party, despite the reservations of purist fans of those famous brands.

Sales of SUVs and CUVs (crossover utility vehicles) have increased by 233 percent in the last 10 years, creating a market of 26,47 million units in 2016.

Analysts expect the broader market to expand a further 30 percent by 2020, although the ultra-expensive super SUV sector will represent only a tiny niche part of the increase.

The Lamborghini plant has been redesigned and its capacity doubled with the addition of 500 new staff to meet anticipated demand from one of the auto industry`s most dynamic sectors.

In 2016, nearly 21,000 super SUVs were sold, up 346 percent&nbsp;in five years, according to IHS Markit.

Lamborghini made 3,457 sports cards last year and is expecting to sell a similar number of the Urus by 2019. The first models will be registered next year.

Building the Urus, which will be sold in Europe for 171,500 euros ($203,000) excluding taxes, was 'challenging at every level,' said Lamborghini CEO Stefano Domenicali

Lamborghini, the fabled Italian sports car manufacturer, on Monday, unveiled its new Sports Utility Vehicle, accelerating into a fast-growing market already crowded with upmarket rivals. The Urus, as the four-wheel drive "super SUV" will be known, was revealed at the Volkswagen group-owned company’s historic home near Bologna. It will reach a top speed of 305 kph (190 mph), can go from zero to 100 kph in 3.6 seconds and brake from 100 kph to zero in 33.7 metres, company officials said. Building the Urus, which will be sold in Europe for 171,500 euros ($203,000) excluding taxes, was "challenging at every level," said Lamborghini CEO Stefano Domenicali. With its 650-horsepower, twin-turbo V8 engine, the Urus is something that has never been seen before on a road, according to the firm`s design director, Mitja Borkert. He said the SUV was inspired by two emblematic models from the past -- the LM002 that was the company`s first foray into SUVs (it was dubbed the Lamborghini Truck), and the distinctively wedge-shaped Countach sportscar of the 1970s and 1980s. The SUV "allows you to travel on any terrain: on road, off road, on ice but also on sand dunes," said Lamborghini research and development director Maurizio Reggiani, suggesting it will be the fastest SUV on the market. In the battle to capture the attention of wealthy drivers, the new entrant will be up against the likes of Bentley`s Bentayga, the Mercedes G-Class and footballers` favourite, the Porsche Cayenne. Aston Martin, Rolls Royce and Ferrari are all either in the process of or considering joining the high-rev party, despite the reservations of purist fans of those famous brands. Sales of SUVs and CUVs (crossover utility vehicles) have increased by 233 percent in the last 10 years, creating a market of 26,47 million units in 2016. Analysts expect the broader market to expand a further 30 percent by 2020, although the ultra-expensive super SUV sector will represent only a tiny niche part of the increase. The Lamborghini plant has been redesigned and its capacity doubled with the addition of 500 new staff to meet anticipated demand from one of the auto industry`s most dynamic sectors. In 2016, nearly 21,000 super SUVs were sold, up 346 percent in five years, according to IHS Markit. Lamborghini made 3,457 sports cards last year and is expecting to sell a similar number of the Urus by 2019. The first models will be registered next year.

Lamborghini launches SUV Urus which can hit 100kmph in 3.6 seconds

Fans and loyalists of the Star Wars series have another reason to rejoice! The upcoming release of the latest in the franchise, Star Wars: The Last Jedi will also coincide with the release of the exclusive <a href="http://www.wionews.com/topic/oneplus" target="_blank">OnePlus</a> 5T Star Wars Limited Edition phone in India.&nbsp;

OnePlus&#39;s flagship handset OnePlus 5T was previously launched only in black colour after which it was also released in attractive &#39;Lava Red&#39; for Chinese users last week. The launch of Star Wars Limited Edition handsets is another move for the company to spur sales of its flagship device of the year. The handset will sport an all-white back and black exteriors on the front. A fingerprint sensor is located at the back, right above the standard OnePlus logo.&nbsp;

OnePlus 5T launched in India a month back with specifications like 6.01-inch full optic AMOLED display with full-HD+ (1080 x 2160) resolution and 18:9 aspect ratio. The Star Wars Edition will retain all specifications similar to the standard version, it will runs on 2.5GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC and shall come in two variants -- 6GB RAM/64GB of internal storage and 8GB RAM/128GB storage. The handset also boasts of a rear-facing fingerprint scanner and a pre-installed Face Unlock feature.

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It is not known if the Limited Edition smartphone will be exclusive to India. There is no word on the pricing of the feature phone as well. Amazon India has been chosen by the Chinese smartphone making giant make the Star Wars handset available in the country, besides this, the phone will also be available on oneplustsore.in and select experience stores.&nbsp;

The official website states that the phone will be launched at 7 pm on December 14 at Carnival Cinemas Wadala - Mumbai. Ticket sale for the official launch event will start on the official website on December 7th, 10 am. Customers attending the event will get free popcorn and soft drinks on the house; an official Star Wars T-shirt (worth Rs.999) and a OnePlus Star Wars Laptop bag (worth Rs.1999) at the launch venue.

OnePlus 5T was launched in India along with its international release on November 16.

The phone will be launched at 7 pm on December 14

Fans and loyalists of the Star Wars series have another reason to rejoice! The upcoming release of the latest in the franchise, Star Wars: The Last Jedi will also coincide with the release of the exclusive OnePlus 5T Star Wars Limited Edition phone in India. OnePlus's flagship handset OnePlus 5T was previously launched only in black colour after which it was also released in attractive 'Lava Red' for Chinese users last week. The launch of Star Wars Limited Edition handsets is another move for the company to spur sales of its flagship device of the year. The handset will sport an all-white back and black exteriors on the front. A fingerprint sensor is located at the back, right above the standard OnePlus logo. OnePlus 5T launched in India a month back with specifications like 6.01-inch full optic AMOLED display with full-HD+ (1080 x 2160) resolution and 18:9 aspect ratio. The Star Wars Edition will retain all specifications similar to the standard version, it will runs on 2.5GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC and shall come in two variants -- 6GB RAM/64GB of internal storage and 8GB RAM/128GB storage. The handset also boasts of a rear-facing fingerprint scanner and a pre-installed Face Unlock feature. It is not known if the Limited Edition smartphone will be exclusive to India. There is no word on the pricing of the feature phone as well. Amazon India has been chosen by the Chinese smartphone making giant make the Star Wars handset available in the country, besides this, the phone will also be available on oneplustsore.in and select experience stores. The official website states that the phone will be launched at 7 pm on December 14 at Carnival Cinemas Wadala - Mumbai. Ticket sale for the official launch event will start on the official website on December 7th, 10 am. Customers attending the event will get free popcorn and soft drinks on the house; an official Star Wars T-shirt (worth Rs.999) and a OnePlus Star Wars Laptop bag (worth Rs.1999) at the launch venue. OnePlus 5T was launched in India along with its international release on November 16.

Ready for the Limited Edition OnePlus 5T Star Wars device? Amazon to make it available in India

The benchmark BSE Sensex fell over 108 points in opening trade following a cautious stance adopted by participants ahead of the RBI policy review amid weak Asian cues.

The 30-share index fell by 108.10 points, or 0.32 percent, to 32,761.62 as power, metal, infrastructure, capital goods, IT, tech, banking and auto stocks declined. 
 
The gauge had gained 36.78 points in the previous volatile session.

The NSE Nifty too was quoting 28.30 points, or 0.27 per cent, down at 10,099.45.

The RBI&#39;s two-day monetary policy review kicks off today and the decision is due tomorrow. This has led to selling by investors, which added to the negative mood. 
 
Weak Asian cues as technology stocks tracked a sell-off in their US counterparts that saw the Nasdaq tumbling over 1 per cent overnight, weighed on the sentiments, brokers said.

Major losers that dragged down the key indices include Adani Ports, NTPC, Tata Steel, Power Grid, Bajaj Auto, Wipro, Coal India, Hero MotoCorp, HDFC Bank, ONGC, L&amp;T, Dr Reddy&#39;s and SBI.

Among other Asian markets, Hong Kong&#39;s Hang Seng was down 0.39 percent while Japan&#39;s Nikkei shed 0.42 per cent in early session today. Shanghai Composite Index too shed 0.02 per cent. PTI

The NSE Nifty too was quoting 28.30 points, or 0.27%, down at 10,099.45

The benchmark BSE Sensex fell over 108 points in opening trade following a cautious stance adopted by participants ahead of the RBI policy review amid weak Asian cues. The 30-share index fell by 108.10 points, or 0.32 percent, to 32,761.62 as power, metal, infrastructure, capital goods, IT, tech, banking and auto stocks declined. The gauge had gained 36.78 points in the previous volatile session. The NSE Nifty too was quoting 28.30 points, or 0.27 per cent, down at 10,099.45. The RBI's two-day monetary policy review kicks off today and the decision is due tomorrow. This has led to selling by investors, which added to the negative mood. Weak Asian cues as technology stocks tracked a sell-off in their US counterparts that saw the Nasdaq tumbling over 1 per cent overnight, weighed on the sentiments, brokers said. Major losers that dragged down the key indices include Adani Ports, NTPC, Tata Steel, Power Grid, Bajaj Auto, Wipro, Coal India, Hero MotoCorp, HDFC Bank, ONGC, L&T, Dr Reddy's and SBI. Among other Asian markets, Hong Kong's Hang Seng was down 0.39 percent while Japan's Nikkei shed 0.42 per cent in early session today. Shanghai Composite Index too shed 0.02 per cent. PTI

Sensex slips 108 points ahead of RBI meet, on Asian cues

The Google Doodle is celebrating 50 years of Children&#39;s programming language by introducing the first ever coding doodle, &quot; Coding for Carrots&quot;.

The Interactive doodle shows how users can program by helping a white rabbit to pass through six levels and reach carrot.&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Celebrate <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSEdWeek?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSEdWeek</a> &amp; 50 yrs of kids coding languages by checking out our VERY FIRST coding <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoogleDoodle?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoogleDoodle</a>! ??????&rarr; <a href="https://t.co/Kr7pjrLXOr">https://t.co/Kr7pjrLXOr</a> <a href="https://t.co/V0aJFBBAM2">pic.twitter.com/V0aJFBBAM2</a>
&mdash; Google Doodles (@GoogleDoodles) <a href="https://twitter.com/GoogleDoodles/status/937550459195203584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The users can reach the carrot by putting together coding blocks based on a Scratch programming for kids.&nbsp;

The Scratch programming was developed by Lifelong Kindergarten Group at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).&nbsp;

In 1967, the first coding language, Logo, was designed for&nbsp;kids.

The programming involved a green turtle that moved around and drew lines on a black screen.&nbsp;

The Google Doodle is the outcome of the collective efforts of three teams- Google Doodle team, Google Blocky team and researchers from MIT Scratch.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Interactive doodle created by Google shows how users can program by helping a white rabbit to pass through six levels and reach carrot

The Google Doodle is celebrating 50 years of Children's programming language by introducing the first ever coding doodle, " Coding for Carrots". The Interactive doodle shows how users can program by helping a white rabbit to pass through six levels and reach carrot. Celebrate #CSEdWeek & 50 yrs of kids coding languages by checking out our VERY FIRST coding #GoogleDoodle! ??????→ https://t.co/Kr7pjrLXOr pic.twitter.com/V0aJFBBAM2 — Google Doodles (@GoogleDoodles) December 4, 2017 × The users can reach the carrot by putting together coding blocks based on a Scratch programming for kids. The Scratch programming was developed by Lifelong Kindergarten Group at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In 1967, the first coding language, Logo, was designed for kids. The programming involved a green turtle that moved around and drew lines on a black screen. The Google Doodle is the outcome of the collective efforts of three teams- Google Doodle team, Google Blocky team and researchers from MIT Scratch.

Google Doodle celebrates 50 years of kids programming language

Bitcoin-powered to a record high just below $11,800 on Sunday, continuing its surge from below $1,000 at the start of the year.

The cryptocurrency, which trades 24 hours a day and seven days a week, climbed as high as $11,799.99 on the Luxembourg-based Bitstamp exchange at around 2100 GMT on Sunday.

It was not clear what caused the move higher over the weekend other than new investors joining the upstart market, with so-called wallet-providers reporting record numbers of sign-ups over the past week.

Analysts said Friday&#39;s announcement by the main U.S. derivatives regulator that it would allow CME Group Inc and CBOE Global Markets to list bitcoin futures contracts had turned sentiment positive after a choppy week.

&quot;The price rises are triggered by continued media interest driven by the expectation of futures trading on CME,&quot; Charles Hayter, founder of data analysis website Cryptocompare, said.

By 1230 GMT on Monday, bitcoin had slipped back to around $11,250, still up more than 100 percent over the past three weeks. Sunday&#39;s high marked a 1,121 percent increase since the start of the year.

Think Markets analyst Naeem Aslam said reports Britain wants to increase regulation of bitcoin and other digital currencies by expanding the reach of European Union anti-money-laundering rules that force traders to disclose their identities and report suspicious activity, had knocked bitcoin off its highs.

But others said greater regulatory scrutiny would help.

&quot;If anything, regulation will only increase bitcoin&#39;s rate of growth as regulation lends credibility and engenders trust,&quot; Nicholas Gregory, CEO of London-based cryptocurrency firm commerce block, said.

Sunday&#39;s record high for bitcoin came as Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced the launch of the &quot;petro&quot;, which he said would be a cryptocurrency backed by oil reserves, to shore up a collapsed economy.

Opposition leaders said the digital currency would need congressional approval and some cast doubt on whether it would ever see the light of day in the midst of turmoil.

&nbsp;

The cryptocurrency, which trades 24 hours a day and seven days a week, climbed as high as $11,799.99 on the Luxembourg-based Bitstamp exchange at around 2100 GMT on Sunday

Bitcoin-powered to a record high just below $11,800 on Sunday, continuing its surge from below $1,000 at the start of the year. The cryptocurrency, which trades 24 hours a day and seven days a week, climbed as high as $11,799.99 on the Luxembourg-based Bitstamp exchange at around 2100 GMT on Sunday. It was not clear what caused the move higher over the weekend other than new investors joining the upstart market, with so-called wallet-providers reporting record numbers of sign-ups over the past week. Analysts said Friday's announcement by the main U.S. derivatives regulator that it would allow CME Group Inc and CBOE Global Markets to list bitcoin futures contracts had turned sentiment positive after a choppy week. "The price rises are triggered by continued media interest driven by the expectation of futures trading on CME," Charles Hayter, founder of data analysis website Cryptocompare, said. By 1230 GMT on Monday, bitcoin had slipped back to around $11,250, still up more than 100 percent over the past three weeks. Sunday's high marked a 1,121 percent increase since the start of the year. Think Markets analyst Naeem Aslam said reports Britain wants to increase regulation of bitcoin and other digital currencies by expanding the reach of European Union anti-money-laundering rules that force traders to disclose their identities and report suspicious activity, had knocked bitcoin off its highs. But others said greater regulatory scrutiny would help. "If anything, regulation will only increase bitcoin's rate of growth as regulation lends credibility and engenders trust," Nicholas Gregory, CEO of London-based cryptocurrency firm commerce block, said. Sunday's record high for bitcoin came as Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced the launch of the "petro", which he said would be a cryptocurrency backed by oil reserves, to shore up a collapsed economy. Opposition leaders said the digital currency would need congressional approval and some cast doubt on whether it would ever see the light of day in the midst of turmoil.

Bitcoin hits record high of nearly $11,800 after futures lift

Facebook on Monday unveiled a version of its Messenger application for children, aimed at enabling kids under 12 to connect with others under parental supervision.

Messenger Kids is being rolled out for Apple iOS mobile devices in the United States on a test basis as a standalone video chat and messaging app.

Product manager Loren Cheng said the social network leader is offering Messenger Kids because &quot;there&#39;s a need for a messaging app that lets kids connect with people they love but also has the level&nbsp; of control parents want.&quot;

Facebook said that the new app, with no ads or in-app purchases, is aimed at 6- to 12-year-olds. It enables parents to control the contact list and does not allow children to connect with anyone their parent does not approve.

The social media giant added it designed the app because many children are going online without safeguards.

&quot;Many of us at Facebook are parents ourselves, and it seems we weren&#39;t alone when we realized that our kids were getting online earlier and earlier,&quot; a Facebook statement said.

It cited a study showing that 93 per cent of 6- to 12-year-olds in the US have access to tablets or smartphones, and two-thirds have a smartphone or tablet of their own.

&quot;We want to help ensure the experiences our kids have when using technology are positive, safer, and age-appropriate, and we believe teaching kids how to use technology in positive ways will bring better experiences later as they grow,&quot; the company said.

Facebook&#39;s rules require that children be at least 13 to create an account, but many are believed to get around the restrictions.

Cheng said Facebook conducted its own research and worked with &quot;over a dozen expert advisors&quot; in building the app.

She added that data from children would not be used for ad profiles and that the application would be compliant with the Children&#39;s Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA).

&quot;We&#39;ve worked extensively with parents and families to shape Messenger Kids and we&#39;re looking forward to learning and listening as more children and families start to use the iOS preview,&quot; Cheng said.

Messenger Kids is being rolled out for Apple iOS mobile devices in the United States on a test basis as a standalone video chat and messaging app

Facebook on Monday unveiled a version of its Messenger application for children, aimed at enabling kids under 12 to connect with others under parental supervision. Messenger Kids is being rolled out for Apple iOS mobile devices in the United States on a test basis as a standalone video chat and messaging app. Product manager Loren Cheng said the social network leader is offering Messenger Kids because "there's a need for a messaging app that lets kids connect with people they love but also has the level of control parents want." Facebook said that the new app, with no ads or in-app purchases, is aimed at 6- to 12-year-olds. It enables parents to control the contact list and does not allow children to connect with anyone their parent does not approve. The social media giant added it designed the app because many children are going online without safeguards. "Many of us at Facebook are parents ourselves, and it seems we weren't alone when we realized that our kids were getting online earlier and earlier," a Facebook statement said. It cited a study showing that 93 per cent of 6- to 12-year-olds in the US have access to tablets or smartphones, and two-thirds have a smartphone or tablet of their own. "We want to help ensure the experiences our kids have when using technology are positive, safer, and age-appropriate, and we believe teaching kids how to use technology in positive ways will bring better experiences later as they grow," the company said. Facebook's rules require that children be at least 13 to create an account, but many are believed to get around the restrictions. Cheng said Facebook conducted its own research and worked with "over a dozen expert advisors" in building the app. She added that data from children would not be used for ad profiles and that the application would be compliant with the Children's Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA). "We've worked extensively with parents and families to shape Messenger Kids and we're looking forward to learning and listening as more children and families start to use the iOS preview," Cheng said.

Facebook to launch chat app for kids, with parental controls

Xiaomi&#39;s latest was unveiled on Thursday and shall be available in India at Rs 4,999 onwards, making it one of the most affordable handsets in the country. Xiaomi Redmi 5A is a successor to Redmi 4A which sold four million units within eight months of its launch.

The Redmi 5A will be available from December 7 across Flipkart, Mi.com, and Mi Home stores, followed by offline retailers including Mi Preferred Partners in the subsequent weeks.

Xiaomi Redmi 5A was previously launched in China in October and so far was being marketed as &#39;Desh ka Smartphone&#39; in the country.

Redmi 5A&#39;s 2GB RAM/16GB storage variant is priced at Rs 4,999 while the 3GB RAM/32GB storage version shall be available for Rs 6,999.

Reportedly, the 2GB RAM version will be made available for Rs 5,999 after its first five million unit sale.

&quot;The Rs 1,000 discount reflects a gift from Xiaomi India towards all its Mi Fans for making the brand No 1 in the country,&quot; an official statement noted.

Redmi 5A will have a 5-inch display, 1.4GHz quadcore Qualcomm processor, 5MP front and 13MP rear camera along with a 3,000 mAh battery.

The handset is dual-sim enabled and can contain a microSD card up to 128GB.&nbsp;

Offering up to 8 days of standby time, Redmi 5A &quot;comes equipped with a 13MP rear camera with Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF) for fast focusing and a f/2.2 aperture that guarantees excellent picture clarity. It comes with a metallic matte finish, and will be available in three colours: Dark grey, Gold and Rose gold,&quot; notes the official press release.&nbsp;

Reliance has put up an exciting offer which will provide Xiaomi&rsquo;s Redmi 5A smartphone users with free unlimited calling (local and STD), 1GB data per day and unlimited SMS.

The plan offers the free subscription for the Jio apps and comes with a validity of 28 days. Redmi 5A users will also be entitled to a Rs 1000 cashback on 12 months of continuous recharge with the Rs 199 per month plan.

The cashback will only be available in the form of vouchers worth Rs 1000 which will be credited to customers account under MyJio app.&nbsp;

Additionally, customers will be given 10 vouchers of Rs 100 denomination right after the end of 12 months.

A customer will need to recharge their account with Rs 199 plan every month for a year to get Rs 1000 cashback. Rs 199 plan will be available for the first 12 months.&nbsp;

Xiaomi's latest was unveiled on Thursday and shall be available in India at Rs 4,999 onwards

Xiaomi's latest was unveiled on Thursday and shall be available in India at Rs 4,999 onwards, making it one of the most affordable handsets in the country. Xiaomi Redmi 5A is a successor to Redmi 4A which sold four million units within eight months of its launch. The Redmi 5A will be available from December 7 across Flipkart, Mi.com, and Mi Home stores, followed by offline retailers including Mi Preferred Partners in the subsequent weeks. Xiaomi Redmi 5A was previously launched in China in October and so far was being marketed as 'Desh ka Smartphone' in the country. Redmi 5A's 2GB RAM/16GB storage variant is priced at Rs 4,999 while the 3GB RAM/32GB storage version shall be available for Rs 6,999. Reportedly, the 2GB RAM version will be made available for Rs 5,999 after its first five million unit sale. "The Rs 1,000 discount reflects a gift from Xiaomi India towards all its Mi Fans for making the brand No 1 in the country," an official statement noted. Redmi 5A will have a 5-inch display, 1.4GHz quadcore Qualcomm processor, 5MP front and 13MP rear camera along with a 3,000 mAh battery. The handset is dual-sim enabled and can contain a microSD card up to 128GB. Offering up to 8 days of standby time, Redmi 5A "comes equipped with a 13MP rear camera with Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF) for fast focusing and a f/2.2 aperture that guarantees excellent picture clarity. It comes with a metallic matte finish, and will be available in three colours: Dark grey, Gold and Rose gold," notes the official press release. Reliance has put up an exciting offer which will provide Xiaomi’s Redmi 5A smartphone users with free unlimited calling (local and STD), 1GB data per day and unlimited SMS. The plan offers the free subscription for the Jio apps and comes with a validity of 28 days. Redmi 5A users will also be entitled to a Rs 1000 cashback on 12 months of continuous recharge with the Rs 199 per month plan. The cashback will only be available in the form of vouchers worth Rs 1000 which will be credited to customers account under MyJio app. Additionally, customers will be given 10 vouchers of Rs 100 denomination right after the end of 12 months. A customer will need to recharge their account with Rs 199 plan every month for a year to get Rs 1000 cashback. Rs 199 plan will be available for the first 12 months.

Xiaomi Redmi 5A launched in India

Indian shares edged lower on Friday as economic growth data came in largely as expected, failing to boost a market weighed down by concerns about the country`s fiscal deficit and global risk factors such as rising crude prices. 
 
Data late on Thursday showed India`s gross domestic product grew 6.3 percent in July-September, in line with expectations, as businesses started to overcome troubles after the bumpy launch of a national sales tax.

The data failed to lift sentiment after India reported its fiscal deficit reached 96 percent of the budgeted target for the fiscal year ending in March 2018, sending shares sharply lower on Thursday. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is also meeting next week at a time of rising concern about a rally in crude prices, which rose following OPEC`s decision to extend production curbs.

Nearly all analysts expect the central bank to keep rates on hold.&nbsp;

&quot;Since there was a sharp run-up in the markets last week, there is a bit of profit-booking. Even though the GDP number is along expected lines, there is concern building up on the fiscal deficit front,&quot; said Hitesh Agarwal, EVP &amp; Head &ndash; Retail Research, Religare Securities Ltd.

The broader NSE Nifty was down 0.15 percent at 10,211.40 as of 0644 GMT, while the benchmark BSE Sensex was 0.12 percent lower at 33,108.34. Both indexes were down around 1.7 percent for the week, heading for their biggest weekly loss since late September.

Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd led losses on the NSE index, falling as much as 2.1 percent. The stock had gained in the last five sessions. Banking stocks weighed on both indexes ahead of the RBI meeting. State Bank of India fell as much as 0.9 percent while ICICI Bank Ltd lost 0.8 percent.

However, the Nifty auto index gained about 1 percent as automakers reported sales for November. A private survey on Friday showed factory activity accelerated last month to the fastest pace since late last year, driven by a surge in new orders.

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd rose 1.1 percent after posting a 14 percent rise in November sales. Tata Motors Ltd, expected to report later in the day, rose as much as 1.4 percent.

Data late on Thursday showed India`s gross domestic product grew 6.3 percent in July-September

Indian shares edged lower on Friday as economic growth data came in largely as expected, failing to boost a market weighed down by concerns about the country`s fiscal deficit and global risk factors such as rising crude prices. Data late on Thursday showed India`s gross domestic product grew 6.3 percent in July-September, in line with expectations, as businesses started to overcome troubles after the bumpy launch of a national sales tax. The data failed to lift sentiment after India reported its fiscal deficit reached 96 percent of the budgeted target for the fiscal year ending in March 2018, sending shares sharply lower on Thursday. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is also meeting next week at a time of rising concern about a rally in crude prices, which rose following OPEC`s decision to extend production curbs. Nearly all analysts expect the central bank to keep rates on hold. "Since there was a sharp run-up in the markets last week, there is a bit of profit-booking. Even though the GDP number is along expected lines, there is concern building up on the fiscal deficit front," said Hitesh Agarwal, EVP & Head – Retail Research, Religare Securities Ltd. The broader NSE Nifty was down 0.15 percent at 10,211.40 as of 0644 GMT, while the benchmark BSE Sensex was 0.12 percent lower at 33,108.34. Both indexes were down around 1.7 percent for the week, heading for their biggest weekly loss since late September. Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd led losses on the NSE index, falling as much as 2.1 percent. The stock had gained in the last five sessions. Banking stocks weighed on both indexes ahead of the RBI meeting. State Bank of India fell as much as 0.9 percent while ICICI Bank Ltd lost 0.8 percent. However, the Nifty auto index gained about 1 percent as automakers reported sales for November. A private survey on Friday showed factory activity accelerated last month to the fastest pace since late last year, driven by a surge in new orders. Maruti Suzuki India Ltd rose 1.1 percent after posting a 14 percent rise in November sales. Tata Motors Ltd, expected to report later in the day, rose as much as 1.4 percent.

Sensex slips as fiscal deficit concerns weigh; banks fall

Reliance Industries <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/data-the-new-oil-should-ensure-access-for-every-indian-mukesh-ambani-20737">chairman Mukesh Ambani declared today</a> that India will become a $5 trillion economy in the next 20 years.

The<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/mukesh-ambani-draws-salary-of-rs-15-cr-for-9th-year-in-a-row-17371"> Jio founder speaking at a conference</a> said: &quot;By the middle of the 21st century, India&#39;s rise will be higher than China&#39;s rise. And more attractive to the world,&quot; adding,&quot;India will provide a superior and different development model which creates equitable and inclusive growth based on technology, democracy, good governance and a society-wide culture of empathy.&quot;

Ambani said that he had predicted in 2004 that India would become a $ 5 trillion economy in 20 years, it was then a &nbsp;$500-billion economy.

&quot;Today, that prediction seems certain. Indeed, it will be achieved well before 2024,&quot; he declared.

The Indian economy will triple to $7 trillion in the next 10 years to become the third-largest economy in the world,&quot; he added.

India is ranked 126th in GDP per capita, according to the International Monetary Fund(IMF). The IMF ranks over 200 countries in terms of per capita GDP based on purchasing power parity (PPP).

India&#39;s GDP per capita went up to $7,170 (Rs 4.66 lakh) in 2017 from $6,690 last year.&nbsp;

Ambani, however, was bullish about the Indian economy, saying: &quot;The fourth industrial revolution is now upon us. The foundation of this revolution is connectivity, computing, data and artificial intelligence, it&#39;s my firm conviction that India can not only participate in the revolution but has the opportunity to be a leader.&quot;

On government&#39;s Aadhaar initiative, Ambani said it was the &quot;largest and the most sophisticated, biometric ID system&quot;.

He also highlighted India&#39;s recent launch of 104 satellites with a single rocket as examples of India&#39;s technological strength.

Ambani said that he had predicted in 2004 that India would become a $ 5 trillion economy in 20 years, it was then a ?$500-billion economy

Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani declared today that India will become a $5 trillion economy in the next 20 years. The Jio founder speaking at a conference said: "By the middle of the 21st century, India's rise will be higher than China's rise. And more attractive to the world," adding,"India will provide a superior and different development model which creates equitable and inclusive growth based on technology, democracy, good governance and a society-wide culture of empathy." Ambani said that he had predicted in 2004 that India would become a $ 5 trillion economy in 20 years, it was then a $500-billion economy. "Today, that prediction seems certain. Indeed, it will be achieved well before 2024," he declared. The Indian economy will triple to $7 trillion in the next 10 years to become the third-largest economy in the world," he added. India is ranked 126th in GDP per capita, according to the International Monetary Fund(IMF). The IMF ranks over 200 countries in terms of per capita GDP based on purchasing power parity (PPP). India's GDP per capita went up to $7,170 (Rs 4.66 lakh) in 2017 from $6,690 last year. Ambani, however, was bullish about the Indian economy, saying: "The fourth industrial revolution is now upon us. The foundation of this revolution is connectivity, computing, data and artificial intelligence, it's my firm conviction that India can not only participate in the revolution but has the opportunity to be a leader." On government's Aadhaar initiative, Ambani said it was the "largest and the most sophisticated, biometric ID system". He also highlighted India's recent launch of 104 satellites with a single rocket as examples of India's technological strength.

India will become $5 trillion economy in next 20 years: Mukesh Ambani

The BSE Sensex fell by 185 points in early session today due to losses in realty, power, PSU, metal and infrastructure stocks amid weak Asian cues.

Besides, investors were cautious ahead of September quarter GDP data to be released later in the day.

Offloading of positions by participants with today being the last trading session of November series contracts in the derivatives segment pulled down the index, brokers said.

The 30-share flagship index was down 185.24 points, or 0.55 per cent, at 33,417.52 with sectoral indices led by realty and power falling up to 0.88 per cent.

The gauge had fallen 121.68 points in the previous two sessions.

The 50-share NSE Nifty too was quoting lower by 57.50 points, or 0.55 per cent, at 10,303.80.

Weakness in the rupee, which slipped 24 paise to 64.55 against the dollar today, too weighed on the sentiments.

Among laggards Kotak Bank, Cipla, Adani Ports, ONGC, M&amp;M, Reliance Industries, Coal India, Axis Bank, Hind Unilever, Tata Motors, Bharti Airtel, HDFC Ltd, Tata Steel and Lupin dropped up to 1.71 per cent.

Hong Kong&#39;s Hang Seng weakened 1.21 per cent while Shanghai Composite lost 0.26 per cent in early trade. Japan&#39;s Nikkei too shed 0.10 per cent.

US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.44 per cent higher yesterday.&nbsp;

The BSE Sensex fell by 185 points due to losses in realty, power, PSU, metal and infrastructure stocks

The BSE Sensex fell by 185 points in early session today due to losses in realty, power, PSU, metal and infrastructure stocks amid weak Asian cues. Besides, investors were cautious ahead of September quarter GDP data to be released later in the day. Offloading of positions by participants with today being the last trading session of November series contracts in the derivatives segment pulled down the index, brokers said. The 30-share flagship index was down 185.24 points, or 0.55 per cent, at 33,417.52 with sectoral indices led by realty and power falling up to 0.88 per cent. The gauge had fallen 121.68 points in the previous two sessions. The 50-share NSE Nifty too was quoting lower by 57.50 points, or 0.55 per cent, at 10,303.80. Weakness in the rupee, which slipped 24 paise to 64.55 against the dollar today, too weighed on the sentiments. Among laggards Kotak Bank, Cipla, Adani Ports, ONGC, M&M, Reliance Industries, Coal India, Axis Bank, Hind Unilever, Tata Motors, Bharti Airtel, HDFC Ltd, Tata Steel and Lupin dropped up to 1.71 per cent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng weakened 1.21 per cent while Shanghai Composite lost 0.26 per cent in early trade. Japan's Nikkei too shed 0.10 per cent. US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.44 per cent higher yesterday.

Stocks fall ahead of GDP numbers, F&O expiry

In a startling revelation, a report by a global research institute&nbsp;said <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-gives-second-address-in-us-talks-jobs-20418">between 400&nbsp;million and 800&nbsp;million individuals </a>could be displaced by&nbsp;automation and they would need to find new jobs by 2030 around the world.

Research <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/why-is-indias-growth-not-creating-more-jobs-16771">firm McKinsey in its report highlights </a>that the global economy needs to&nbsp;boost productivity and growth at a time &quot;when ageing populations are acting as a drag on GDP growth.&quot;

&quot;Of the total displaced, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/edge/are-we-going-to-lose-our-jobs-to-robots-11850">75&nbsp;million to 375&nbsp;million may need to switch</a> occupational categories and learn new skills, under our mid-point and earliest automation adoption scenarios,&quot; the report says.

On India, the report says it&nbsp;is a fast-growing developing country which&nbsp; has &quot;relatively modest potential for automation over the next 15&nbsp;years.&quot;

&quot;Most occupational categories are projected to grow in India, reflecting its potential for strong economic expansion,&quot; it says, however, the report cautiously adds that employing new entrants in the formal sector jobs will require &quot;job creation on a much larger scale than in the past.&quot;

Automation will make this challenge more difficult in India with some fearing &ldquo;jobless growth.&rdquo;

However, it says India can create enough new jobs to offset automation and employ new entrants, if it undertakes the investments in &quot;step-up scenario.&quot;

The report says China faces the largest number of workers needing to switch occupations&mdash;up to 100&nbsp;million if automation is adopted rapidly, or 12&nbsp;per cent of the 2030 workforce, adding, the figure is relatively small compared with the huge shift in China out of agriculture in the&nbsp;past 25&nbsp;years.

China and Mexico have higher wages than India, and so are likely to see more automation, McKensey says.

China is still projected to have robust economic growth but will have a shrinking workforce like Germany, China&rsquo;s problem could be a shortage of workers. &nbsp;

As far as the advanced economies are concerned, up to one-third of the 2030 workforce in the United States and Germany, and nearly half in Japan would have to learn new skills and find work in new occupation is much eager.

&nbsp;&quot;Over time, labour markets will adjust to changes in demand for workers from technological disruptions, although at times with depressed real wages,&quot; the report observes.

The report says that with &quot;sufficient economic growth, innovation and investment, there can be enough new job creation to offset the impact of automation.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;But a larger challenge will be ensuring that workers have the skills and support needed to transition to new jobs,&quot; it says, adding that countries that fail to manage this transition could see rising unemployment and depressed wages.

Research firm McKinsey says 400?million to 800?million individuals could be displaced by?automation

In a startling revelation, a report by a global research institute said between 400 million and 800 million individuals could be displaced by automation and they would need to find new jobs by 2030 around the world. Research firm McKinsey in its report highlights that the global economy needs to boost productivity and growth at a time "when ageing populations are acting as a drag on GDP growth." "Of the total displaced, 75 million to 375 million may need to switch occupational categories and learn new skills, under our mid-point and earliest automation adoption scenarios," the report says. On India, the report says it is a fast-growing developing country which has "relatively modest potential for automation over the next 15 years." "Most occupational categories are projected to grow in India, reflecting its potential for strong economic expansion," it says, however, the report cautiously adds that employing new entrants in the formal sector jobs will require "job creation on a much larger scale than in the past." Automation will make this challenge more difficult in India with some fearing “jobless growth.” However, it says India can create enough new jobs to offset automation and employ new entrants, if it undertakes the investments in "step-up scenario." The report says China faces the largest number of workers needing to switch occupations—up to 100 million if automation is adopted rapidly, or 12 per cent of the 2030 workforce, adding, the figure is relatively small compared with the huge shift in China out of agriculture in the past 25 years. China and Mexico have higher wages than India, and so are likely to see more automation, McKensey says. China is still projected to have robust economic growth but will have a shrinking workforce like Germany, China’s problem could be a shortage of workers. As far as the advanced economies are concerned, up to one-third of the 2030 workforce in the United States and Germany, and nearly half in Japan would have to learn new skills and find work in new occupation is much eager. "Over time, labour markets will adjust to changes in demand for workers from technological disruptions, although at times with depressed real wages," the report observes. The report says that with "sufficient economic growth, innovation and investment, there can be enough new job creation to offset the impact of automation." "But a larger challenge will be ensuring that workers have the skills and support needed to transition to new jobs," it says, adding that countries that fail to manage this transition could see rising unemployment and depressed wages.

Job loss? India has modest potential but China likely to see more automation, says McKinsey report

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) today released India&#39;s second-quarter Gross Domestic Product(GDP) figures pegging it at&nbsp;6.3 per cent for the second quarter in July to September period.

Major gains were seen in mining and manufacturing sectors.

&quot;GDP growth has recovered to 6.3% in Q2 from a 3-year low of 5.7% in Q1,&quot; TCA Anant, chief statistician said.

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Government&rsquo;s reforms to push economic growth are working can be seen from that manufacturing has shown robust growth of 7% in Q2 and services at 7.1%. Gross fixed capital formation has increased from 1.6% in Q1 to 4.7% in Q2.
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India&#39;s GDP figure was at a thirteen-quarter low at 5.7 for the period of April-June.

Earlier, India&#39;s finance minister Arun Jaitley speaking at a seminar had said achieving a 10 per cent GDP growth rate &quot;would be challenging&quot; and will depend on how the world is moving.

India intends to follow the glide path as far as the fiscal deficit, the finance minister had said.

NITI Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar had said Indian economy during July-September period is likely to grow at 6.2 to 6.3 per cent.&nbsp;

GDP is&nbsp;the value of all goods and services produced over a specific period and is one of the indicators of the health of an economy.

NITI Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar had said Indian economy during July-September period is likely to grow at 6.2 to 6.3 per cent

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) today released India's second-quarter Gross Domestic Product(GDP) figures pegging it at 6.3 per cent for the second quarter in July to September period. Major gains were seen in mining and manufacturing sectors. "GDP growth has recovered to 6.3% in Q2 from a 3-year low of 5.7% in Q1," TCA Anant, chief statistician said. Government’s reforms to push economic growth are working can be seen from that manufacturing has shown robust growth of 7% in Q2 and services at 7.1%. Gross fixed capital formation has increased from 1.6% in Q1 to 4.7% in Q2. — Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) November 30, 2017 × India's GDP figure was at a thirteen-quarter low at 5.7 for the period of April-June. Earlier, India's finance minister Arun Jaitley speaking at a seminar had said achieving a 10 per cent GDP growth rate "would be challenging" and will depend on how the world is moving. India intends to follow the glide path as far as the fiscal deficit, the finance minister had said. NITI Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar had said Indian economy during July-September period is likely to grow at 6.2 to 6.3 per cent. GDP is the value of all goods and services produced over a specific period and is one of the indicators of the health of an economy.

India's GDP climbs to 6.3 per cent in Q2, recovers from 3-year low