The European Union has launched a legal challenge against Canada at the World Trade Organization to protest against provincial backing for solar and wind energy projects, the bloc's executive said on Thursday.

Despite a significant increase in sales in the second quarter of 2011, Q-Cells has warned that losses reached ??95.8 million in the first half of the year, due to price declines, inventory write-offs and other one time issues.

Samsung Electronics has retained its unrivaled leadership in 3D TV both in North America and Europe where TV makers compete fiercely.

First Solar Inc. has announced the sale of its 9.9 megawatt solar plant near Zamora, Spain to European Solar Power Fund, a renewable energy-focused fund for institutional investors managed by KGAL.

A $1.2 billion write-down by solar equipment maker REC on Tuesday highlighted the pain being inflicted by aggressive Chinese competition and may herald wider consolidation in the sector and flattening of prices.

The European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) will, for the first time, bring together industry leaders and the financial community for a Photovoltaic Investors Day on September 6.

Acer dropped from No. 2 to the No. 4 position in the worldwide PC market in the second quarter of 2011, according to Gartner. It had a great deal of inventory in the distribution channel in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. Acer's problems stemmed from its low-price, high-volume business model, which is no longer effective.

One of the biggest solar panel factories in Europe has been launched in Italy as a U.N. report says photovoltaic modules have become more price-competitive.

Satcon Technology has released preliminary unaudited results for revenue and gross margin for the second quarter of 2011, which show that the company has revised its gross margin for the quarter downwards from 17-20% to within the 7-11% range. Revenue for the quarter, previously forecasted at between US$50 and US$60 million, now looks set to come in at between US$45 and US$47 million.

It was "probably inevitable" that highly indebted economies would be given a way to quit the single currency, said financier George Soros.

Q-Cells SE (QCE), the German solar-cell manufacturer that's fallen 56 percent in Frankfurt trading over the past year, is open to a takeover bid, Chief Executive Officer Nedim Cen said.

Playing host to the world's largest exhibition for the solar industry, the Messe M羹nchen has once again opened its doors to Intersolar Europe. Thousands of visitors and exhibitors are expected to attend this year's event, which is estimated to see more than 2,200 companies from 47 countries showcase products and services in the areas of photovoltaics, PV production and solar thermal technology.

Germany has grounded air traffic across its northern airspace because of ash from an erupting volcano in Iceland.

Canadian Solar Inc.'s first-quarter profit soared as shipments jumped and gross margins expanded, although the bottom line missed analysts expectations as silicon costs increased and the company recorded a derivatives loss.

Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. and First Solar Inc., the world's top solar panel suppliers, warned Monday that potential cuts in European government subsidies for solar power could lead to both lower demand and prices for their products, a combination that could hit their bottom lines.

Norway's Renewable Energy Corp posted forecast-beating earnings on Wednesday, but warned of waning demand, oversupply and price pressure as political uncertainty clouds key European solar markets.

First Solar Inc.'s (FSLR) first-quarter earnings fell 33% because of lower sale prices, higher costs and a slowdown in Europe's solar market, prompting the U.S. solar-panel maker to aim for new markets.

"Nintendo 3DS has not been selling as expected since the second week [of availability], and this is not just in the Japanese market but also in the US and Europe, where no direct impact from the great earthquake has occurred," said Nintendo president Satoru Iwata.

The crisis in Japan has revived anti-nuclear passions worldwide, putting governments on the defensive and undermining the nuclear power industry's recent renaissance as the clean energy of the future.

A gauge of manufacturing in the euro region rose to 59 last month from 57.3 in January, London-based Markit Economics said in an e-mailed report. That's the highest since June 2000. A reading above 50 indicates expansion.

Eurozone manufacturing and service activity in February 2011 hit levels last seen in July 2006 but inflation, an increasing concern, also jumped sharply, a closely watched survey has shown.

TomTom said consumer business revenues would "contract modestly" in 2011 due to a decline in the size of the market for personal navigation devices. To compensate, the firm expects to sign more agreements with car manufacturers and license its products to more commercial customers.

German exports rose 0.5% in December to round out a year of strong growth, increasing 18.5% in 2010, figures show.

STMicroelectronics, Europe's largest chipmaker, fell the most in five months in Milan trading after the company's ST-Ericsson wireless venture reported increased losses in the fourth quarter.

In Japan, Toyota will recall 1.28 million units of models including the Voxy, Noah and Isis minivans and RAV4 sport- utility vehicles, according to statements from the company. Separately, Toyota said it would conduct a voluntary safety recall of 245,000 Lexus luxury cars in the US to inspect installation of fuel pressure sensors and call back 135,000 Avensis sedans in Europe for potential defects in fuel systems.

The sales decline during the quarter was driven primarily by weaker than anticipated wireless communications sales to customers in Europe and North America.

Analysis was sparked by a Morgan Stanley survey suggesting that Nokia could have sold 2.5 million N8 smartphones during Q410, and 9 million in 2011. The survey included 150 handset retailers in 5 countries across Europe.