IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Solar contest sets scene for energy ties

DENVER, Colorado - In the hot desert sun northeast of downtown Denver, a small cluster of buildings erected almost overnight is drawing attention.

Hidden treasures brought to life in British film vault

BERKHAMSTED, England - In a refrigerated vault outside London filled with old film reels, a team of curators is bringing to life forgotten masterpieces of early cinema history.

Glacier damage threatens trekking, tourism at Annapurna Base Camp

KATHMANDU - Melting glaciers have eroded huge swathes of land in the Annapurna Base Camp over the years, casting a shadow over the prospects of trekking in the region.

Japan zoo mourns death of love-struck penguin

TOKYO - An elderly penguin who shot to fame in Japan after falling in love with a cardboard cutout of a cartoon character has died, at the ripe old age of 21.

Mountaineer legend says it's down to luck

FRANKFURT - Italian mountaineer Reinhold Messner is perhaps one of the world's last great adventurers: he has conquered the planet's highest peaks, crossed Antarctica and hunted for the elusive yeti.

PBOC inches closer to digital currency

The People's Bank of China, China's central bank, has completed trial runs on the algorithms needed for digital currency supply, taking it a step closer to addressing the technological challenges associated with digital currencies, according to a top official associated with the project.

Tsingtao revs up on Asahi stake sale

Shares of Tsingtao Brewery Co Ltd rose nearly 5 percent on Friday after the beer maker confirmed that its second-largest shareholder Asahi Group of Japan was selling all or part of its stake in the Chinese company.

Great Wall confirms talks with BMW for 'Mini' in China

Great Wall Motor Co has confirmed that it is in talks with BMW to produce the latter's Mini brand cars in China, which analysts see as a prelude to the German carmaker's attempt to seize greater success in its largest market.

Motorola plans transformation

US data communications and telecoms equipment provider Motorola Solutions Inc is transforming from a manufacturer of critical communications equipment to an integrated solution provider utilizing artificial intelligence, cloud computing and big data analytics in a mobile intelligence era, according to its head of Chinese operations.

China retains No 1 spot in renewable energy

China continues to be the world's most favorable market for renewable energy development and investment, according to a new study.

Winds whip new terror into California wildfires

SONOMA, California - Fueled by the return of strong winds, the wildfires tearing through California wine country exploded in size and number on Wednesday as authorities ordered new evacuations and the death toll climbed to 23, a figure that is expected to rise.