Facebook Sues Lawyers Over Ownership Claim

Facebook is suing a global law firm which represented a man who claimed to own half of the social network.

Paul Ceglia sued Facebook and founder Mark Zuckerberg in 2010, claiming he had struck a deal in 2003 that gave him a large stake in the service.

After submitting emails and a contract which were allegedly forged, he was later arrested by the FBI on fraud charges.

The bureau said he had doctored original documents, and a federal grand jury indicted him for fraud.

Facebook's complaint states: "The lawyers representing Ceglia knew or should have known that the lawsuit was a fraud - it was brought by a convicted felon with a history of fraudulent scams, and it was based on an implausible story and obviously forged documents.

The website homepage of law firm DLA Piper

"In fact, defendants' own co-counsel discovered the fraud, informed the other lawyers, and withdrew. Despite all this, defendants vigorously pursued the case in state and federal courts and in the media."

Several legal firms worked for Ceglia during the case, but those that dropped him did so without giving reasons publicly.

Facebook says their reluctance to state that his documents may have been forged meant it was forced to continue litigation with Ceglia unnecessarily.

Those targeted by the lawsuit include: global law firm DLA Piper, Ceglia's original lawyer Paul Argentieri, and lawyers at Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman and Milberg.

In a statement Facebook's general counsel Colin Stretch said: "We said from the beginning that Paul Ceglia's claim was a fraud and that we would seek to hold those responsible accountable.

"DLA Piper and the other named law firms knew the case was based on forged documents yet they pursued it anyway, and they should be held to account."

A spokesman for DLA Piper said: "This is an entirely baseless lawsuit that has been filed as a tactic to intimidate lawyers from bringing litigation against Facebook."

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Range Rover Evoque Now Made in China

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent

For the first time in its history, the iconic Land Rover brand is no longer exclusively 'Made in Britain' but now 'Made in China' too.

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has opened its first factory in China and production of a Chinese-made Range Rover Evoque will begin within a few months.

The factory, in Changshu, north of Shanghai, is the consequence of a joint venture with Chinese automobile firm Chery.

Built over two years, the 40,000 square metre site represents a £1.9bn investment plan which JLR hopes will significantly increase its profits.

The opening came as the company acknowledged that its China sales growth this year was 20% up, compared to a 40% figure last year.

Company bosses attribute that to a slightly slower Chinese market and point out that sales in China remain strong.

The Evoque models built in China will not be available to export

Since the Range Rover Evoque was launched, one in five of the cars have been sold to Chinese customers.

The company will be wary though of the fickle nature of the Chinese consumer; always searching for something new and different.

If too many people drive Range Rovers, their popularity could wane quickly.

JLR dismisses concerns that the decision to make cars in China represents a shift in production from its plants in the UK.

It says it represents an expansion which will benefit the wider company.

At the plant inauguration, Dr Ralph Speth, CEO of JLR, said: "The opening of this world-class facility is an important milestone for Jaguar Land Rover.

"Our decision to manufacture the Range Rover Evoque in Changshu is a result of our commitment to bringing more Chinese vehicles to Chinese customers."

The plant will eventually produce 130,000 cars annually

The company says the plant is the most efficient, advanced car manufacturing facility in China. British control processes, health and safety standards and the company's corporate culture are all to be replicated at its Chinese operation.

By 2016, a total of three JLR-badged vehicles will be built at the plant with a total capacity of 130,000 vehicles a year.

JLR has seen extraordinary sales across China.

In the 2013-14 financial year, the company sold more than 100,000 cars to Chinese customers.

China is now JLR's largest market.

Chris Bryant, president of the Chery Jaguar Land Rover joint venture, said:  "The plant opening marks the completion of our start-up phase of which we are incredibly proud, and now we will continue to build."

In Beijing it is not possible to drive more than a few hundred metres without passing a Range Rover, most with gaudy paint jobs.

JLR is by no means the first automobile company to build its cars in China. Audi, Mercedes and Volkswagen all have huge Chinese manufacturing facilities.

Last year, the boss of Mercedes' China operation told Sky News that survival in the automotive industry was based on success in China.

By manufacturing cars in China, JLR can cut out heavy import duties and price its vehicles more competitively in a luxury car market dominated by Audi and Mercedes.

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Wage Threat To Osborne As Borrowing Rises

Evidence is mounting that a rise in self-employment, low-wage jobs and stagnating levels of pay could mean the Government misses its fiscal targets.

A widening hole in the public finances emerged on Tuesday when the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that public sector borrowing for September was £11.8bn - £1.6bn ahead of the same month last year.

It meant that halfway through the financial year, the Treasury looked to be well behind the target for a 12% fall in the annual deficit expected by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).

Borrowing for April to September stood at £58bn, 10% higher than for the same period in 2013/14.

The additional borrowing - which took place against a background of rising employment and economic recovery - was blamed on the six-year squeeze on earnings growth in addition to tother employment-related statistics.

Video: Thousands March In UK Wage Protest

Taxes on income and wealth for September of £13.1bn were flat on the same month last year and just 0.6% ahead for the year to date.

OBR chairman Robert Chote had previously warned that the squeeze on pay growth was hitting the Government's revenues from income tax, despite record numbers in work.

Annual pay growth has been lagging behind inflation since 2008 and latest official figures showed it was just 0.7%.

The property market was among the best winners for the Treasury - with stamp duty on land and property rising to £1.1bn for September, matching a high in July that was a seven-year record.

Underlying public sector debt was £1.45trn, or 79.9% of gross domestic product (GDP), compared to 79.2% last month and 77.9% in September last year.

Video: Life On NHS Wages Is 'Demeaning'

Samuel Tombs, of Capital Economics, said: "The continued run of poor UK public borrowing figures looks set to severely hamper the Chancellor's ability to announce giveaways to address his party's deficit in the national opinion polls before next year's general election."

Chris Leslie, shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, said: "These figures are a serious blow to George Osborne.

"Not only is he set to break his promise to balance the books by next year, but borrowing in the first half of this year is now 10% higher than the same period last year.

"As the OBR said last week, stagnating wages and too many people in low-paid jobs are leading to more borrowing."

A Treasury spokesman said: "We have seen stronger growth in receipts this month, but as today's figures show, the impact of the great recession is still being felt in our economy and the public finances."

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Apple Revenues Up 12% After iPhone Launch

Apple has posted a 12% jump in revenue - exceeding expectations following its best ever iPhone launch.

Sales of the smartphone hit 39.27 million in the quarter ending in September, up 16% on last year.

This surpassed the roughly 38 million some on Wall Street had expected, and excluded sales in China, its largest market outside of the United States.

The new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models went on sale last month and have already surpassed the previous-generation model in volumes, according to chief financial officer Luca Maestri.

This helped Apple record sales of $42.12bn (£25bn) and profits of $8.5bn (£5.2bn).

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1. Gallery: The Man Who Took Over From Steve Jobs

   Tim Cook, pictured here with Steve Jobs in August 2007, was born in 1960 in Alabama. He grew up in Robertsdale, finishing second in his year at the local high school

2. He has two degrees, the first in industrial engineering from Auburn Uni. He later received an MBA from Duke Uni in 1988

3. Cook was a part of the so-called Computer Revolution. He worked at computer giant IBM for 12 years, before moving to Intelligent Electronics in 1994

4. Cook gained a reputation as an excellent operations executive, next taking his skills to Compaq

5. He struck up a rapport with Steve Jobs immediately, joining Apple in 1998 when it was barely afloat

6. Within a year, he had helped Apple to swing to profit in 1998, later managing the resurgent Mac division

7. Promoted to Apple's No 2 spot in 2005, he ran the company as chief operations officer during Mr Jobs' medical leave

8. Widely liked, he is a dedicated supporter of Auburn Tigers football team and a keen sportsman

"Our fiscal 2014 was one for the record books, including the biggest iPhone launch ever with iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus," Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, said.

"With amazing innovations in our new iPhones, iPads and Macs, as well as iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, we are heading into the holidays with Apple's strongest product lineup ever."

However, the iPad continued to struggle amid a general decline in tablet sales.

Video: Sept: Complaints Of Bendy iPhone 6

The device slid more than 13% to 12.3 million units.

Apple hopes its recent alliance with IBM will help drive more tablet and phone sales to corporate customers.

Shares in Apple were roughly flat at about $100 (£62) in after-hours trade.

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1. Gallery: Apple Unveils New iPads

   Apple has launched its new iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 just hours after their details were apparently leaked by mistake on the technology giant's website

2. The devices feature Touch ID fingerprint sensors and a camera 'burst mode'

3. Burst mode lets a user take multiple shots within a split second of each other on the Air model

4. Extra features complement the boosted processor power and better camera optics which come with each new iDevice iteration

5. Apple CEO Tim Cook claims there are now 675,000 apps available for the iPad

6. Apple has also confirmed that its desktop computer, the Mac, is also receiving an update to mark its 30th birthday

7. Tim Cook says the upgrades make it Apple's "strongest ever line up"

Video: Sept: Supersize iPhone 6 And Watch

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ASOS Profits Slip 14% As Spending Hits

Shares in ASOS have surged depsite the online fashion retailer posting a 14% fall in annual profits.

The firm, which had issued three profit warnings this year, made a pre-tax profit of £46.9m in the 12 months to 31 August.

During the year ASOS had to cope with a costly fire at its Barnsley warehouse in June - saying the impact could have cost it up to £30m though the running total was currently £8.5m.

It also launched a new business in China and confirmed last month it would cut prices to reverse a slowdown in sales growth in international markets.

The warehouse fire destroyed stock worth millions. Pic: Tim Ansell

Founder and chief executive Nick Robertson said: "We are in a period of major investment that comes at a short-term cost, but the medium-term benefits will be significant.

"ASOS has always been about the longer journey to a very big prize: to be the world's leading fashion destination for twentysomethings."

He added the firm was now focused on a sales target of £2.5bn.

Total retail sales, reported last month, rose 27% on a constant currency basis to £955.3m for the year, with UK sales up 35% and international sales up 22%.

Until this year ASOS had been the great success story of British retailing and a darling of the stock market though shares had been hit  - by 68% in 2014 ahead of today - in the wake of the profit warnings.

They recovered some of that ground in early trading on Tuesday, rising 15% in the first hour.

ASOS had previously stated it expected 2014/15 profits to be in line with those of its previous financial year because of the extra costs.

The firms also said today it had promoted chief financial officer Nick Beighton to the chief operating officer role.

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Staples On Alert After Card-Theft Hack Attack

Cash registers at some Staples stores in the US may have fallen victim to card-stealing malware that lets criminal make counterfeit copies of cards.

Banks have traced a pattern of fraudulent transactions on some cards that had been previously used at a number of Staples stores in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey.

The fraudulent transactions occurred at businesses including supermarkets.

The claims were made by respected online security blog Krebs On Security.

Staples spokesman Mark Cautela said the firm is "investigating a potential issue involving credit card data and has contacted law enforcement."

He added: "We take the protection of customer information very seriously, and are working to resolve the situation.

"If Staples discovers an issue, it is important to note that customers are not responsible for any fraudulent activity on their credit cards that is reported on a timely basis."

It is the latest in a long line of attacks on point-of-service machines at major US chains.

In 2013 Target saw 40 million credit and debit card accounts compromised, and personal information from as many as 70 million customers stolen.

And last month Home Depot began investigating a possible attempt to hack its computer systems.

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Govt Aims To Increase Football Fan Power

By Paul Kelso, Sports Correspondent

The Government is to consult on ways to increase supporter involvement in the running of professional football clubs.

Sports minister Helen Grant is convening a panel of experts to examine ways supporters can have "stronger links with executives and owners" and make it easier for clubs to become "community-owned assets".

The announcement comes three days after the Labour Party revealed more ambitious plans that would require clubs to give supporters direct representation on boards.

Under the Labour plans, which are set to feature in its 2015 election manifesto, supporters would have two seats on club boards, and supporters' trusts would have the right to buy up to 25% of shares when a club is sold.

The Government proposal is confined to a consultation with what appear to be more constrained parameters.

A supporter ownership and engagement panel will include representatives from government, the Premier League, The FA, the Football League and Supporters Direct, the organisation that promotes fan ownership via trusts.

Lawyers, insolvency and tax experts and representatives from clubs that are run by supporters, including Portsmouth, AFC Wimbledon and Wrexham, will also be part of the group.

Portsmouth is one of the few Football League clubs already owned by fans

It will be chaired by Joanna Manning-Cooper, the director of marketing and communications for England Rugby 2015 and a member of the Portsmouth Supporters' Trust. 

The Government and Labour initiatives come amid disquiet about the apparently increasing gap between football clubs and the communities from which they spring.

With ticket prices rising faster than the cost of living, and owners increasingly drawn from a pool of the international super-rich and investors, many supporters complain of being disconnected from their club.

Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats pledged at the last election to remove barriers to fan ownership, but in coalition the Lib Dems have failed to deliver.

Areas the group will look at include seeing what can be done to help supporter groups have stronger links with the executives running clubs and looking at removing barriers to clubs becoming community-owned assets when that is a sustainable option.

Ms Grant launched the group on a visit to Portsmouth Football Club, which is owned by its supporters following a takeover in 2013 after the club fell into administration for a second time.

The minister said: "We want to see what more we can do to give fans a stronger voice in how their club is run, as well as looking at ways in which we can help remove some of the barriers to supporter ownership."

Supporters Direct chief executive Robin Osterley added: "It is very gratifying to see the Government addressing the problems that prevent an increase in supporter ownership.

"This is something that can directly and tangibly benefit supporters' trusts, and we look forward to making swift progress on the issues."

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China Growth Weakest Since Financial Crisis

The slump in China's property market contributed to a further slowdown in the country's economic output in the third quarter of the year.

Official figures showed GDP growth at its weakest level since early 2009 during the period, rising by 7.3% on an annual basis.

The performance, while better than some analysts had expected, followed growth of 7.5% in the previous quarter, and the slowdown reinforced expectations that Beijing would announce more targeted stimulus measures.

Communist leaders are trying to steer China toward growth based on domestic consumption instead of over reliance on trade and investment but the deterioration in output growth raises fears of politically dangerous job losses.

Premier Li Keqiang has stated repeatedly that the country can tolerate slightly lower growth.

The Chinese economy - while still growing an an enviable rate - has a number of problems with the collapse in property values currently at the top of the list.

The government took action to help arrest house price declines and falling construction last month by cutting mortgage rates for some home buyers for the first time, though it was too early for the impact of those measures to be felt in the third quarter.

Developers have huge inventories of unsold homes, and increasingly risk-averse banks are wary about financing new mortgages which would only increase their exposure to the weakening sector.

Separate property data for September also released on Tuesday showed that the slowdown had deepened in the quarter, with real estate investment falling compared with a year ago, while revenue from property sales dropped 8.9%.

High infrastructure spending has helped maintain robust employment but that mini-stimulus is now fizzling out - hence the focus now on Beijing's policymakers.

A majority of economists do not see aggressive action, in the form of interest rate cuts, in the short term.

Leaders have previously ruled out massive stimulus as China is still struggling with a mountain of local government debt built up in 2009 when Y4trn (£401bn) was spent to cushion the impact of the global financial crisis.

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Tesco Tapped Up For Fresh Asian Website Funds

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

Tesco is being tapped up to inject tens of millions of pounds into an Asian e-commerce business even as the UK's biggest retailer's balance sheet is under pressure from a £200m-plus profit shortfall.

Sky News has learnt that Tesco has been asked to stump up in the region of $125m (£77.4m) in order to maintain a 25% stake in Lazada, which sells non-food products to consumers in south-east Asia.

Sources said that Dave Lewis, Tesco's new chief executive, and Robin Terrell, the interim UK boss who also oversees its digital activities, had not yet made a decision about whether to invest the money.

One insider said, however, that it was "highly unlikely" that Tesco would divert capital to a non-core business such as Lazada at a time when the company's finances are under intense scrutiny/

Mr Lewis will update the City on Thursday about Tesco's first-half performance after it emerged last month that profits had been overstated by around £250m in earlier statements.

Sky News revealed at the weekend that the final number is likely to be less than £250m, although the overstatement will nevertheless be material.

Lazada is controlled by Rocket Internet, an internet incubator which recently listed its shares on the New York Stock Exchange.

Sources said it was looking to raise $500m at a pre-fundraising valuation of $1.5bn, implying that Tesco would need to invest $250m in order to avoid seeing its stake diluted.

Tesco's initial investment in Lazada, made in December 2013, was one of the more obscure deals sanctioned by Philip Clarke, who was ousted as the retailer's chief executive during the summer.

The retailer's operations in south-east Asian countries including Thailand are now viewed by analysts as a candidate to be sold as Mr Lewis seeks to streamline the group and recapture lost ground in the UK.

There was further bad news for Tesco on Tuesday when data from Kantar Worldpanel, a closely watched research agency, showed that its sales fell by 3.6% to £7.01bn during the 12 weeks to October 13, a fall worse than any of its main rivals.

Tesco declined to comment on its shareholding in Lazada.

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Total Oil Boss Dies As Plane Hits Snow Plough

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent

The driver of a snow plough involved in the fatal collision that killed Total CEO Christophe de Margerie at a Moscow airport was drunk, according to Russian investigators.

Frenchman De Margerie and all three of the crew on board his private jet died in the incident on the runway at Vnukovo international airport on Monday night.

"It has been established that the driver of the snow plough was in a drunk state," the investigative committee said in a statement, adding that preliminary inquiries would focus on "an error by the pilots and the actions of the snowplough driver."

The driver's lawyer denied the claim, saying that his client has a heart problem and never touches alcohol.

"My client has chronic heart disease, he doesn't drink at all. His relatives and doctors can confirm this," lawyer Alexander Karabanov told Interfax news agency.

A fire engine at Vnukovo airport following the crash

"At the moment of the accident he was sober."

The collision happened just before midnight local time (9pm UK time) as De Margerie's Dassault Falcon jet was preparing to take-off from Moscow bound for Paris.

Weather conditions at the time were poor, with dense fog and heavy rain reducing visibility to 350 metres.

Investigators said airport employees were being questioned as witnesses, and several may be suspended.

De Margerie had been in Moscow for a Russian government meeting on foreign investment.

Snow ploughs at Vnukovo airport

Russian president Vladimir Putin paid tribute to the 63-year-old, who had defended Kremlin energy policy and cautioned against reducing European dependence on Russian gas.

In a telegram to French president Francois Hollande, Mr Putin said: "I was shocked to hear the news about a plane crash at Moscow Vnukovo airport that claimed the lives of Total's Chairman and CEO Christophe de Margerie and members of the crew.

"I kindly ask you to convey my sincere condolences and words of sympathy and support to the family and friends of Christophe de Margerie, an outstanding French businessman, who stood at the origins of many joint projects that laid the foundations for a long-term fruitful co-operation between Russia and France in the energy sector.

"We have lost a true friend of our country but he will remain in our memories."

Foreign minister Laurent Fabius described de Margerie as a "visionary" and an "exceptional leader".

Christophe de Margerie was a staunch defender of Russia's energy policies

"The tragic loss of Christophe de Margerie comes as a deep shock for our industry and our country," he said.

Total is one of the biggest foreign investors in Russia, where it is involved in a $27bn joint venture to tap natural gas reserves in northwest Siberia.

The company has said that international sanctions will not affect its work on the Yamal project, and forecast that Russia would become its biggest source of oil and gas by 2020.

In a statement, the group said: "Total confirms with deep regret and great sadness that Chairman and CEO Christophe de Margerie died just after 10pm (Paris time) on October 20 in a private plane crash at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow, following a collision with a snow removal machine."

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