People using bitcoins and other virtual currencies are on their own when it comes to losses, the EU banking watchdog said on Friday in a formal warning to consumers on the risks of using unregulated online currencies. The European Banking Authority said there was no protection or compensation for people whose "digital wallets" are hacked, or when a transfer of virtual money goes wrong or a platform is shut. The warning follows a similar announcement from the Bank of France. The EBA stopped short of telling consumers not to use online currency markets but said if they end up out of pocket there will be no safety net like compensation given to deposit holders when a mainstream EU bank goes bust.
"Currently, no specific regulatory protections exist in the EU that would protect consumers from financial losses if a platform that exchanges or holds virtual currencies fails or goes out of business," EBA said in a statement.
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The 2011 scare about Chinese control of rare earth elements critical for defense manufacturing has faded, with market forces boosting production outside China and prompting a shift to alternative substances, according to a new Pentagon report.
China, Japan and the US are the biggest consumers of rare earth elements, which are used in everything from wind turbines, hybrid vehicles, earphones and computer hard drives to television sets and energy-efficient lamps.
A jump in prices for rare earth elements in 2011, 95pc of which came from China, led to Pentagon concerns that the supply of rare earths for defense manufacturing might dry up.
But an annual report sent to Congress stated: "Global market forces are leading to positive change in rare earth supply chains, and a sufficient supply of most of these materials likely will be available to the defense industrial base."
The report, dated October 2013 but not yet released publicly, said there was a "significant reversal" in the situation with rare earth elements between 2011 and 2012, with one expert projecting a 20pc drop in global demand.
Rusia si Ucraina au semnat, marti, un acord destinat eliminarii obstacolelor comerciale dintre cele doua tari, in cadrul unei vizite in Rusia a presedintelui ucrainean Viktor Ianukovici la Moscova.
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Acest acord a fost semnat alaturi de alte documente, la incheierea negocierilor intre Ianukovici si omologul sau rus, Vladimir Putin, in timp ce opozitia ucraineana manifesteaza la Kiev de la renuntarea, la sfarsitul lui noiembrie, la un Acord de Asociere cu Uniunea Europeana, potrivit Mediafax.
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Anuntul pentru toti romanii care alearga in aceste zile dupa cadouri de Craciun
Imediat dupa semnarea acestui acord, Vladimir Putin a anuntat o scadere a pretului gazelor rusesti vandute Ucrainei.
Putin a afirmat ca Rusia a acceptat sa micsoreze cu o treime pretul gazelor pe care le exporta in Ucraina.
Acestea vor costa 268,5 dolari 1.000 de metri cubi, fata de peste 400 de dolari in prezent.
La un import de circa 26 de miliarde de metri cub de gaze din Rusia, economiile realizate de Ucraina se vor cifra anul viitor la aproape 3,5 miliarde euro.
Mai mult, Rusia va împrumuta Ucrainei 15 miliarde de dolari prin achiziţii de obligaţiuni emise de Ministerul Finanţelor de la Kiev, în 2013 şi 2014.
El a declarat, de asemenea, ca problema aderarii Ucrainei la Uniunea Vamala condusa de Moscova, de care se temea opozitia proeuropeana de la Kiev, nu a fost discutata in cadrul acestor negocieri.
"As vrea sa asigur pe toata lumea ca nu am discutat astazi despre aderarea Ucrainei la Uniunea Vamala", a declarat el.
De asemenea, protestatarii se tem si de faptul ca Ucraina ar putea semna aderarea la Uniunea vamala cu Rusia, lucru ce ar indeparta Kievul de Uniunea Europeana.
Protestatarii nu s-au lasat descurajati de vestea ca Uniunea Europeana suspenda discutiile privind acordul de asociere cu Ucraina, din cauza apatiei afisate de puterea de la Kiev.
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