New standards were released in Europe this week for a universal USB phone charger that will let Europeans use one charger for different phones starting early next year. The standards are based on MicroUSB and were embraced on Wednesday by the European Commission, which says they will be helpful to both consumers and the environment.

Two of Britain's biggest retailers shrugged off the impact of this month's heavy snow by revealing strong Christmas trading.

European flights are almost back to normal after air passengers spent the night at airports in Paris and Brussels because of the freezing weather that disrupted Christmas travel.

Nokia sued Apple on Thursday in Britain, Germany and the Netherlands, alleging that the U.S. technology company used 13 of its patents, including a basic touch-screen maneuver, without its permission.

Theoretically, that makes sense: The more dollars in the economy, the less valuable the currency. But from what we've seen - at least so far - the critics are wrong. The greenback's gains have been surprisingly good recently.

Europe certainly sounds like they are years ahead in BIPV compared with the US.

Trina Solar said it is interested in teaming with or investing in developers in Europe, where solar-panel makers have extra capacity.

Chipmaker Qualcomm wants to expand in Europe via both organic and acquisition-fueled growth, its top man in the region told a German daily in an interview published on Wednesday.

If rumors are true then these will be the first Motorola dual SIM handsets available in Europe. After Nokia launched its own C1 and C2 dual SIM feature-phones a few months ago, Motorola will be among the few important brands that are releasing dual SIM phones in Europe.

Korea-based specialty IC foundry Dongbu HiTek has revealed plans to open sales offices in France and Italy, gearing to expand its customer base in Europe.

Japan's Sharp is investing almost 4 billion yen (US$46 million) at a plant in Britain to double production of solar cell modules to meet growing demand across Europe.

Google posted a note on the Nexus One website to explain that it no longer will sell its Nexus One phones online. While it will continue to sell through Vodafone in Europe, KT in Korea and a few others, the experiment of Google selling a phone direct to consumers online is dead.

Germany's move comes as Italy plans a 30% cut in its FIT for next year. That could force Italian developers to build as fast as possible in the 2H10, much like German developers did in 1H. The lower drop in FIT gives manufacturers time to make a transition to markets such as the United States and Canada, which have the possibility of being larger than Europe, based on combined electricity demand and land available for development.

"...it is not China bailing out Spain but without doubt, the Chinese involvement was helpful," according to a banker.

Applied Materials said demand for semiconductor and solar-panel manufacturing equipment in Europe is growing rapidly, a sign the region's debt crisis isn't crimping spending.

"However, global economic recovery that started in the second half of 2009 is in danger of slowing down due to macroeconomic problems such as the Euro crisis, continued high unemployment in the US...," said IDC analyst. "In such a scenario, the expected growth in the second half of 2010 may be pushed into early 2011."

Shares of most DRAM makers have underperformed their respective benchmark indexes in Asia so far this year, as European sovereign-debt troubles surfaced and clouded views on global economic growth.

Wind turbine farms are set to expand rapidly across Europe's coastal waters, throwing up challenges and opportunities for industry, according to a Reuters analysis of a leaked draft of EU energy strategies.

Exporters have eyed Europe cautiously, with the safe-haven yen soaring in recent months on European debt worries, which if sustained will dent exporters' repatriated profits and make their goods more expensive overseas.

The rise of Asian millionaires is being tracked by the industry that manages the fortunes of rich individuals, with banks shifting senior staff to Singapore and Hong Kong to chase new clients.

The euro kept falling against the dollar on June 7, after plummeting below US$1.20 and posting fresh four-year lows late last week.

US stocks have plummeted amid fears of contagion from the eurozone debt crisis and a pending vote on overhauling financial regulation.

The Commission has adopted a decision settling a cartel investigation and imposing a fine totalling about 331 million euros (US$409 million) on Samsung, Hynix, Infineon, NEC, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Toshiba, Elpida and Nanya.

The eurozone managed only modest economic growth in the first quarter of 2010, with Germany's performance, held back by the bitter winter, failing to kick-start a broader recovery in the 16-country region.

The measures include speeding up current plans to integrate Europe's air space, creating a "single European regulator for a single European sky."

Research institute IMEC has appointed Kees Den Otter, former president of TSMC Europe, to the position of vice president of emerging business.

Infineon Technologies has raised its 2010 outlook for a second time this year on higher demand from automotive and industrial customers for chip cards and security applications. The chipmaker's fiscal second-quarter net income was 79 million euros (US$104.2 million) compared with net lossES of 239 million euros a year earlier.

Mitsubishi Motors Corp.'s battery- making venture with GS Yuasa Corp. is considering producing lithium-ion cells in Europe as demand in the region for electric cars grows.

Airports across Europe are gradually reopening, but travellers are still dealing with delays as airlines try to clear the massive flight backlog caused by a cloud of volcanic ash.

Passengers face further disruption after flight restrictions were extended until 1900 BST on Sunday (Apr. 18) as the danger from Icelandic volcanic ash continues.

Dell and Telefonica will joint fores in developing "smart mobile products" and services,which would expand its smartphone business in Latin America and Europe.

The unemployment rate across the 16-nation eurozone hit 10% in February 2010, the first time it has reached double figures since the euro was introduced.

Europe and North Africa could be powered solely by renewable electricity by 2050 through the implementation of a SuperSmart Grid, according to a report issued this week by global advisory firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Ford Motor has signed a US$1.8 billion deal to sell its Volvo brand to Geely in a move seen as emblematic of the shift in the global car industry's centre of gravity from the US and western Europe to China.

Renewable energy investment may rise by 23% this year as government stimulus funds mainly in the US and Europe are spent wind turbines and solar panels.