Scots-Chinese deal as Vice Premier Li Keqiang visits UK
Scotland and China have sealed a major green energy deal, as Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang began a four-day visit to the UK.
The agreement, worth $10m (£6.4m), will see technology pioneered in Scotland used at a new renewable energy conversion plant in China.
Confirmation of the deal came as Mr Li and his delegation arrived in Edinburgh for the first day of his visit.
The vice premier is also meeting Prime Minister David Cameron in London.
The visit has a focus on promoting trade and political links with the UK and other European nations.
Mr Li - widely tipped to become the next Chinese premier - will also meet key UK government figures in London, including Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, Chancellor George Osborne and Foreign Secretary William Hague.
Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond said the licensing deal was reached between Sino-Scots firm Shanghai Huanuan Boiler and Vessel Co/Cochran and Scotland-based engineers W2E Engineering, which specialises in generating electricity from domestic refuse.
Mr Salmond, who has led several trade missions to China over the past two years, said the visit was vital for building economic growth, especially in renewable energy.
"China already has the largest deployment of on-shore renewable technology, and Scotland is a world-leader in pioneering the technology and application of clean, green energy," he said.
"This announcement is another positive step forward in strengthening Sino-Scottish links and confirming Scotland's reputation as a global leader in the development of renewable energy."
Shanghai Huanuan chairman Dong Ping added: "This agreement will see the creation of new green power stations built in Scotland and in China and this will generate sustainable renewable energy at a reduced cost for our global customers."
On the first day of the trip, Mr Li held talks with Scottish Secretary Michael Moore and also visited the renewable energy firm Pelamis Wave Power.
Mr Moore described the meeting as "very constructive", adding: "China and the UK are key partners in growth for the future.
"There are a huge number of economic opportunities which exist between China and Scotland and I am keen to see us take advantage of our excellent trading links and create new routes to market in the near future."
Mr Li is also due to deliver a speech at a China-Britain British Council banquet, ahead of his return to Beijing on Wednesday.
The vice premier's stay in the UK comes after a three-day visit to Spain, where he signed $7.5bn (£4.8bn, 5.7bn euros) in trade deals.
Mr Li also reaffirmed his country would buy Spanish government bonds, despite the recent crisis of market confidence over eurozone debt.
China has already made several Scottish trade agreements, including a deal requiring all "Scotch Whisky" sold in China to have been made in Scotland.
Anne MacColl, of the economic agency Scottish Development International, said Scotland was in a strong position to contribute to many of China's key aims, which also included life sciences, financial services and academic connections.
Car spy case: Renault's Patrick Pelata remains upbeat
Renault's chief operating officer says the impact of industrial spying on the carmaker could have been much worse.
Patrick Pelata told Le Monde newspaper data about Renault's electric car programme may have leaked, but its vital technology secrets were safe.
Renault suspended three senior managers on Monday after an investigation into the possible leaking of electric vehicle secrets to rivals.
France's industry minister refused to speculate whether China was involved.
Eric Besson had previously described the case at Renault, which is 15% state-owned, as "economic warfare", and French President Nicolas Sarkozy has asked the intelligence service to investigate.
Sources within Renault suspect the final recipient of the stolen information was likely to have been a rival in China.
Advanced technology
Without pointing fingers, Mr Pelata said the theft, which was detected last August and led to four months of internal investigations, was "the work of professionals".
"Renault is the victim of an organised international network," he told Le Monde's weekend edition.
"After a few weeks, we came to the conclusion that we were facing an organised collection of economic, technological and strategic interests located to serve abroad," added Mr Pelata.
He said the theft may have included details about the costs and economic model of Renault's high-profile multi-billion euro electric vehicle programme, but not the "golden nuggets" of its technology, including some 200 patents that are being lodged.
Mr Pelata said the theft involved three key Renault executives, whose identities he did not wish to confirm.
One of the three - whom he said would face a preliminary hearing before facing a likely dismissal and possible criminal charges - is reportedly a member of the carmaker's management committee.
The right-leaning Le Figaro newspaper had reported earlier that the information passed on relates to the technology in the battery and the engine of electrical vehicles that will be rolled out after 2012.
But Mr Pelata said "nothing critical" about the company's innovative technology had been leaked.
"It's serious, but not as bad as if it had been the technology," he said. "Whether it's the chemistry of the electrodes, the structure of the batteries, the different elements of assembling, be it the charger or the engine itself, we feel ok."
He added that the programme had not lost "one day" as a result of the theft and was still on schedule.
The BBC's Christian Fraser, in Paris, says it is a mark of how seriously the French government is taking this breach of trust that it has asked the intelligence service to investigate.
Car manufacturing is an important part of the French economy, and a major employer, our correspondent says.
One of the biggest advantages that Western carmakers have is their advanced technology, which enables them to compete against cheaper labour costs outside Europe.
The carmaker, alongside its partner Nissan, has invested heavily in electric vehicle technology.
Both plan to launch a number of new electric vehicles over the next two years.
Facebook document 'reveals profits and suggests IPO'
The strength of Facebook's profitability has been indicated in a document circulated on behalf of the social networking site.
Reports say the document, sent by Goldman Sachs to its clients, shows that Facebook made a net profit of $355m (£230m) on revenues of $1.2bn in the first nine months of 2010.
The paper also reportedly showed the firm is seeking to raise $1.5bn.
The fundraising has fuelled speculation that Facebook is set to go public.
Facebook declined to comment.
Investor threshold
Any cash call is likely to attract additional investors meaning that the site could pass a key investor limit.
Under US securities regulations, companies with 500 shareholders or more are required to disclose financial information within 120 days of the end of the year in which they cross the 500-shareholder threshold.
The requirement removes one of the attractions of remaining a private company and often leads to firms going public.
Reports also suggest that the 100-page document states that Facebook expects to exceed the 500 investor limit by 2011.
If so, it would have to start revealing comprehensive financial information by April 2012.
Goldman was also reported this week to have valued Facebook at about $50bn after making a separate investment of $450m in the social networking site.
This valuation is at the high end of estimates and would make it worth more than Time Warner, eBay or Yahoo.
Source: BBC
Giffords shooting: Suspect Jared Loughner charged
US authorities have charged a 22-year-old man over Saturday's Arizona shooting in which a congresswoman was seriously wounded and six people died.
Federal prosecutors charged Jared Loughner with trying to assassinate Gabrielle Giffords, 40, and killing two other government officials.
Mr Loughner, who is due to appear in court, could face the death penalty.
Ms Giffords is in a critical condition after being shot in the head at a public meeting in Tucson, Arizona.
She had been holding an open-invitation meeting with constituents outside a supermarket when a man holding a gun approached and opened fire.
She was shot from close range by the gunman, who then began shooting into the crowd.
Among the dead were a nine-year-old girl and a federal judge. A total of 14 people were injured, in addition to the six who were killed.
Local Sheriff Clarence Dupnik said a woman tackled the gunman as he tried to reload, snatching a magazine of bullets.
He managed to reload with another magazine, but the gun malfunctioned and two men then restrained him.
The sheriff said they had prevented a much greater tragedy.
Police searching Mr Loughner's Tucson home said they had found an envelope with messages saying "I planned ahead", "my assassination", and the name "Giffords".
So far, Mr Loughner has been charged only with offences relating to the attack on government employees, which is the responsibility of federal prosecutors.
They charged him with two counts of first-degree murder for the killings of Federal Judge John Roll and Gabe Zimmerman, an aide of Ms Giffords.
He was also charged with attempted assassination over the shooting of Ms Giffords, and two counts of attempting to murder two other aides.
The Justice Department said he would appear in court in Phoenix on Monday.
State authorities are expected to bring charges against him later for attacking non government employees.
911 calls
US President Barack Obama has called on Americans to observe a "moment of silence" for the victims at 1600GMT on Monday.
On Sunday, police released tapes of emergency 911 calls made at the time of the attack.
In one, a caller says: "I see the man that was caught shooting was held down by some other... people.
"They took away his gun and they're holding him down so he can't do anything else."
Various former classmates have described Mr Loughner as "obviously disturbed".
He was said to be a loner who had posted a number of anti-government videos and messages on social-networking websites.
Shortly before the attack he had posted: "Goodbye friends. Dear friends, don't be mad at me."
Doctors at the hospital where Ms Giffords is being treated said they were "cautiously optimistic" about her recovery.
The congresswoman was described by Democratic colleagues as a rising star in the party.
All of next week's legislative debates in the House of Representatives have been postponed.
Source: BBC
Fourteen killed in Tunisia unemployment protests
The number of people killed in unrest over unemployment in Tunisia over the past 24 hours has risen to 14, officials say.
The deaths occurred in the towns of Thala, Kasserine and Regueb, in the west and centre of the country.
An interior ministry statement said that in Thala and Kasserine, police had fired in self-defence after rioters attacked public buildings.
The protests first erupted last month over a lack of freedom and jobs.
Tunisia's official news agency Tap said five people had died as a result of clashes in the western town of Thala on Saturday night, and five had been killed in nearby Kasserine.
"Several government buildings in Kasserine were attacked by groups who set fire to and destroyed three banks, a police station and a filling station and set fire to a police vehicle," the statement said.
"The police fired in the air but the crowds continued, and the police acted out of legitimate self-defence."
Four people were killed in Regueb, near the central town of Sidi Bouzid, Tap said.
'Ceasefire' call
Protesters say the total number of casualties is higher than officials have admitted.
The leader of the opposition Progressive Democratic Party, Ahmed Najib Chebbi, said he believed at least 20 people had been killed in clashes in the three towns.
He called on Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to "call an immediate ceasefire to spare the lives of innocent citizens and respect their right to protest".
The demonstrations began after a man set fire to himself on 17 December in Sidi Bouzid to protest against the police confiscating fruit and vegetables that he was selling without a permit.
He died on Tuesday, while another man is reported to have electrocuted himself as part of the protests.
Demonstrations are rare in Tunisia, where there are tight controls aimed at preventing dissent. The unrest has been linked to frustrations with the president and the ruling elite.
On Friday, the US expressed concern over the government's handling of the demonstrations.
Correspondents say the riots in Tunisia appear to have inspired similar violent protests in Algeria over food prices - forcing the government there to impose a cut on the price of some basic goods.
Source: BBC
French hostages executed during rescue mission, ministry says
Two French citizens who were kidnapped in Niger's capital were executed by their abductors during an attempted rescue mission, the French Defense Ministry said Sunday.
"During this rescue operation, the two hostages were killed, probably executed by their kidnappers. Two French soldiers were injured and many terrorists were killed," said a statement on the ministry's website.
The two were seized by masked gunmen who burst into Le Toulousain, a restaurant owned by a French citizen, in Niamey Friday night. A witness said the bar was crowded and many people did not realize what was going on at first.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defense said it's believed that "those behind the kidnapping were probably part of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). However, AQIM has not yet claimed responsibility. The group did acknowledge it was responsible for the abduction of five French citizens who've been missing since September.
The spokesman said French Defense Minister Alain Juppe will travel to Niamey Monday to hold a news conference.
No other details, including the identities of the two who were slain, were immediately available.
Niger's Voice of Sahel radio reported severe clashes between Niger army forces and the kidnappers early Saturday near the town of Ouallam, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) northwest of Niamey, the capital, and not far from the Mali border.
The leader of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Abu Musab Abdul-Wadud, has warned France that if it does not withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, more French nationals would be endangered.
"If you want safety for your citizens who are held captive by us, then you must move quickly to take your soldiers out of Afghanistan according to a specific time table that you announce officially," Abdul-Wadud said.
The five French citizens kidnapped in September were linked to French nuclear energy company Areva, which has been mining uranium for decades in Niger, one of the poorest countries in the world.
France has already said it may begin to withdraw some troops from Afghanistan next year. Minister Herve Morin told French radio station RTL in late October that France will begin to transfer the control of certain districts to Afghans in 2011.
Landlocked Niger is a former French colony. It's in West Africa, southeast of Algeria.
Source:CNN
Passenger plane crashes in Iran, killing 72, official says
Seventy-two people died and 33 were injured Sunday night when an IranAir passenger jet en route from Tehran to the northwest city of Orumiyeh crashed as it attempted to make an emergency landing in a snowy field, an official said.
In all, 105 people -- 93 passengers and 12 crew members -- were aboard the Boeing 727, West Azerbaijan's coroner told the semi-official Fars News Agency.
Severe weather at the site was making rescue operations difficult, the coroner, told the news agency.
All members of the crew were killed, according to the semi-official Mehr News Agency.
"Fortunately, reports say that the plane did not explode upon impact," and the crash may have happened as the plane was nearing its destination and close to the ground, the Mehr news agency quoted the head of Iran's Emergency Services, Reza Masoomi, as saying.
At least 10 of those aboard were hospitalized with severe injuries, said an emergency services official, Mojtaba Khaledi, according to the semi-official Iranian Labor News Agency.
The incident occurred at 7:45 p.m. (11:15 a.m. ET), he said
Crews were clearing the roads to make it possible for rescue teams to reach the site and 11 hospitals were on alert to receive the injured, Khaledi said.
Trichet urges more action on euro crisis
Jean-Claude Trichet has called on eurozone leaders to step up their efforts to combat the region's debt crisis, including slashing government deficits even more.
The European Central Bank president's comments highlighted widespread fears that the crisis that last year rocked Europe's 12-year-old monetary union could re-escalate in coming weeks as eurozone governments and banks raise funds in tense financial markets.
"In 2011, we must strengthen our efforts even more. We need to see further significant progress on the reduction of excessive fiscal deficits," Mr Trichet told a gathering of Germany's Christian Social Union, the Bavarian sister party of chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats.
His remarks may have referred particularly to Portugal, where the ECB may see the need for greater efforts to secure the government's fiscal goals. Portugal's borrowing costs have this week risen close to euro-era highs.
But Mr Trichet also repeated his call for eurozone leaders to beef-up their plans to reform the governance of the currency bloc to prevent a repeat of last year's crisis. "Europe cannot afford to rest halfway -- we need to be more ambitious," he said.
Speaking in Wildbad Kreuth in Bavaria, Mr Trichet, said Germany's economy had "fared much better than many had anticipated" and noted that the country was now seeing a revival in domestic demand.
As he spoke, official data showed German imports hit a record level in November and were more than 4 per higher than the previous month. However economists were disappointed by other figures showing retail sales fell by 2.4 percent over the same period -- which suggested much of the surge in imports was of goods required for the production of exports.
Mr Trichet paid tribute to Germany's increased competitiveness but warned that "the competitive gap between countries in the euro area has widened" as shown by unit labor costs, inflation differentials and mounting current account balances. "The long term damage could take the form of persistent differentials in output growth, income and welfare."
Germany's fiscal rules -- the "stability and growth pact" -- were originally written largely by the CSU's Theo Waigel, when he was finance minister in the late 1990s. Mr Trichet argued that the pact's dilution in the middle of the last decade had been a "grave" mistake. "Today, governments have no choice but to change their policies. And they must substantially reinforce the stability and growth pact," he said. Fiscal policies needed "to be brought back onto the path of virtue".
The ECB has criticized as too weak the proposals agreed so far for amending the stability and growth pact -- but remains hopeful that they will be reinforced before coming into effect.
In-form Federer makes history in Qatar
Roger Federer became the first tennis player to win the Qatar Open three times as he ended the reign of Nikolay Davydenko in Saturday's final.
The world no. 2 was beaten by his Russian opponent in last year's semifinals, but avenged that result with a 6-3 6-4 win as he claimed the 67th ATP Tour title of his illustrious career.
The Swiss star followed up his 2005 and 2006 triumphs to give himself a boost ahead of his Australian Open title defense in the opening grand slam of 2011 later this month.
"I have had a good week. I really appreciate the support I get here. I have had good preparation. I can't believe that I am on the board already this year," Federer told reporters.
The 29-year-old lost only one service game en route to the final, and did not even face a break point against fourth seed Davydenko -- who ousted world No. 1 Rafael Nadal in Friday's semis in a repeat of the 2010 final, but has now lost to Federer 15 times in 17 meetings.
"He was tough, really played fast," Davydenko told the ATP Tour website. "He gave me no chance on the return, and also he was returning good. His first serve was very good."
Nadal has been suffering with illness, but he teamed up with fellow Spaniard Marc Lopez to win the doubles title, beating Italy's Daniele Bracciali and Andreas Seppi 6-3 7-6 (7-4) in Friday's final.
"It's a perfect feeling for me to win my third doubles title here in Doha after a not easy week for me," Nadal said. "Now I'm going to work hard to try to be ready for the next tournament."
In Australia, defending champion Andy Roddick will take on world No. 5 Robin Soderling in the final of the Brisbane International event on Sunday.
The American second seed beat South Africa's Kevin Anderson 6-2 4-6 6-2 on Saturday, while Swedish No. 1 Soderling ended Radek Stepanek's hopes of a third successive final appearance when he beat the Czech 6-3 7-5.
Young Czech Petra Kvitova won the women's title, with the 20-year-old beating fellow unseeded player Andrea Petkovic of Germany 6-1 6-3 in the final.
The United States won the Hopman Cup mixed teams event for the sixth time on Saturday, beating stand-in finalists Belgium 2-1 in Perth.
With top seeds Serbia withdrawing due to Ana Ivanovic's stomach injury, Bethanie Mattek-Sands and John Isner won the decisive doubles 6-3 6-4 against Justine Henin and Ruben Bemelmans.
Former world No. 1 Henin won the women's singles rubber 7-6 (8-6) 6-3, but big-serving Isner leveled the tie with a 6-3 6-4 victory.
Tomas Berdych's preparations for Melbourne suffered a blow when the Czech top seed was beaten in the semifinals of the Chennai Open in India, losing 6-4 6-1 to last year's runner-up Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland on Saturday.
Wawrinka, beaten by Marin Cilic in the 2010 final, will take on seventh seed Xavier Malisse after the Belgian beat Serbian No. 6 Janko Tipsarevic 3-6 6-3 6-2.
In New Zealand, Hungarian veteran Greta Arn won her second WTA Tour title by beating defending champion Yanina Wickmayer 6-3 6-3 in the final of the Auckland Classic on Saturday.
The 31-year-old followed up earlier victories over top seed Maria Sharapova, No. 4 Julia Gorges and No. 8 Sofia Arvidsson, saving five match-points in that second-round match.
Arn is expected to break into the top-75 for the first time next week, having last won a title in Estonia in 2007.
2 killed, 300 injured in Algerian riots
At least two people have been killed and 300 others injured in riots that erupted across Algeria amid rising food prices and a housing crisis, state-run media said Saturday.
The protests began earlier in the week over spiraling costs of basic food items, including milk, oil and sugar. Some staples are subsidized by the government.
Trade Minister Mustapha Benbada said food prices were on the agenda for a Saturday meeting between lawmakers, state-run Algerie Press Service reported.
"I think we are beginning to contain this crisis and we want to find a solution early next week," Benbada said in a statement.
Similar protests, some violent, have erupted in neighboring Tunisia, where at least four people have died. Human rights groups have said the Tunisian government has cracked down on demonstrators with force.
Reporters Without Borders condemned the arrests and disappearances of bloggers and online activists across a number of Tunisian cities.
The worldwide press freedom organization said police arrested the bloggers to question them about hacking into government websites. One of those arrested was Hamadi Kaloutcha, who who has not been heard from since his arrest at 6 a.m. Friday, the group said.
U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Washington was monitoring the situation in both countries. The Tunisian ambassador was summoned to the State Department.
"We are concerned about demonstrations that have occurred over the past few days in Tunisia," Crowley said. "They appear to us to be the result of ongoing social and economic unrest. We, obviously, want to see restraint on all sides.
"The people of Tunisia have the right to exercise free -- public assembly." he said. "And we have conveyed our views directly to the Tunisian Government."
He said the United States was also concerned about the reports of cyber intrusion and was urging everyone -- from the government to activists -- to respect freedom of expression.
Crowley said it was "difficult" to say whether the protests in Tunisia were related to those in Algeria.
"We're not going to say that there's kind of an overlapping dynamic across the two countries," he said. "But we continue to review this and both engage the government in Algeria and as well as look after the safety of our own citizens."
A national soccer league in Algeria has canceled matches scheduled for Friday and Saturday after riots in the capital and elsewhere this week.
The matches were canceled in an effort to prevent large groups of young people from gathering, a local newspaper, Al Watan, reported.
The protesters have been mostly young men who have broken into buildings and burned tires on the streets.
Adding fuel to the protesters' anger are the high rates of unemployment and housing issues, socio-economic problems that have been festering for some time.
The government has blamed the rising prices and other issues on the global economic crisis.