France

- A + A KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 30): The Sulu sultanate heirs’ intention to enforce a questionable award in the Dutch courts against Malaysia’s assets in the Netherlands would be an abuse of any court process, said de facto law minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar. The Edge reported on Sept 29 that lawyers acting for the heirs of the late Sulu sultan, Sultan Jamalul Kiram II, are understood to be in the process of submitting an application to the Dutch courts to seize assets belonging to Petronas. Petronas via Dutch companies, such as Petronas Carigali Canada BV, Petronas International Power Corporation BV and PLI (Netherlands) BV, has extensive assets in Canada, India and Indonesia among others. In a statement, the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) said this latest attempt by “the purported heirs of the long defunct Sulu sultanate” to seize Malaysia’s alleged sovereign assets in the Netherlands “is nothing more than yet … [Read more...] about Petronas assets seizure attempt by Sulu sultanate heirs an abuse of court process, says Wan Junaidi

The gravity-defying jumps, full throttle engine sound, and the intense adrenaline rush of the riders, are some of the best pictures witnessed in the recent inaugural series of the Round 1 Cleanfuel Motocross Invitational Series held in Silang, Cavite. A total of 145 participant riders registered in the 16 category class consisting the 50cc Junior class, 50cc starter shaft drive single speed automatic, 50cc 2-stroke/70cc 4 stroke starter chain drive single speed, 50cc 2-stroke/70cc 4 stroke single speed, Junior MX, 85cc 2-stroke/150cc 4 stroke (production), mx ladies class, beginners KSA class, celebrity ladies class, local open endure, beginners open production, veterans B class, Cleanfuel OAS class, novice open production class, expert veterans, and the electric mini bike—the stacyc class. To kick off the event, Atty. Kevin Anarna, Mayor of Silang Cavite, officially welcomes all the participating riders, executives, guests, and members of the media in the opening … [Read more...] about Here are the winners of the round 1 Cleanfuel motocross invitational series

A man rides an electric bike past the Tencent headquarters in Nanshan district of Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China. REUTERS/David Kirton Chinese tech giant Tencent is increasing its minority stake in Ubisoft in a deal with the company’s founding family that values France’s biggest video game maker at more than 10 billion euros ($9.88 billion) amid a wave of buyouts in the industry. The deal underscores the appetite of deep-pocketed Chinese gaming giants for foreign studios and comes just a week after the acquisition by NetEase of unlisted French video games maker Quantic Dream. It also caps a difficult four-year period at Ubisoft, home to the “Assassin’s Creed” and “Tom Clancy’s” video game franchises, marked by a succession of delays of new video games and allegations of sexual harassment that led to a revamp of its top management. Ubisoft’s share price has fallen by more than half over the period, from about 100 euros to less than 44 euros on Tuesday. The transaction … [Read more...] about Tencent increases its stake in ‘Assassin’s Creed’ maker Ubisoft

France’s electrical grid operator RTE said Wednesday it would hand at least one billion euros back to major power users in early 2023, as its revenues have surged during Europe’s energy crisis. The exact amount will “match the one-off profit forecast for 2022 with the electricity market under stress,” the largely state-owned RTE said in a statement. It added that the reimbursement could reach a record of more than 1.5 billion euros ($1.4 billion). The move comes as public pressure is growing for an EU-wide tax on the “super-profits” generated by energy companies as prices have soared since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Almost 380 large-scale electricity buyers in industry would share around 130 million euros from the pot, RTE finance and purchasing director Laurent Martel told AFP. The companies include chemical plants, metalworking sites, steelmaking operations as well as paper and cardboard factories. But most of the payout — about 90 percent — will go to operators … [Read more...] about French grid operator to return 1B euros to clients

A shopper pays with a euro bank note in a market in Nice, France. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/File photo BRUSSELS  -Euro zone economic sentiment fell sharply and by more than expected in September, data showed on Thursday, as confidence dropped among companies and consumers, who are also downbeat about price trends in the coming months. The European Commission’s monthly economic sentiment index fell to 93.7 points in September from a downwardly revised 97.3 in August, compared with a decline to 95.0 forecast by economists polled by Reuters. Confidence fell in all economic sectors, including industry, services, retail trade and among consumers, Commission’s data showed, amid a rise in inflation expectations across the board. The fall in sentiment was most pronounced among manufacturers and consumers, with industry managers lowering their expectations for future production and exports. Households’ confidence fell to -28.8 points from -25.0, as consumers expected a worsened … [Read more...] about Euro zone economic sentiment falls sharply as inflation expectations rise

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing to annex swathes of occupied Ukrainian territory and vowed to defend Russian territory by any means necessary last Wednesday, including using nuclear weapons, a drastic and unprecedented escalation that has worried experts and ignited fears of nuclear war around the world. Key Facts While it’s hard to predict the specific details of a Russian nuclear strike in Ukraine, experts told Forbes that Moscow would most likely deploy tactical nuclear weapons — short-range devices designed for use on the battlefield—against troops or to destroy a logistics hub. Tactical nuclear weapons are much smaller than the strategic long-range warheads designed to destroy cities, but power is relative—the largest tactical weapons can be as big as 100 kilotons (1 kiloton equals 1,000 tons of TNT)—the bomb the U.S. dropped on Hiroshima was 15 kilotons—and Dr. Rod Thornton, a … [Read more...] about Here’s What Would Happen If Putin Ordered A Nuclear Strike In Ukraine

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Whether you’re flying to a remote, far-flung destination soon or mapping a fall road trip to check out local foliage, planning what you pack is just as important as where you go. With that in mind, ahead are 15 travel-friendly accessories, clothing items, and wellness products that’ll make life a little easier and a lot more comfortable while you’re on the road. Monos Metro Duffel, $230 To help you travel with even more ease, the Canadian lifestyle brand Monos recently revamped their best-selling Metro Collection. Among the updated pieces is the Metro Duffel , a versatile bag outfitted with a host of smart new features including room for up to a 15” laptop, interior magnetic snaps for quick packing and unpacking, and an enhanced QuickSnap™ system so you can swap out Monos’ interchangeable Metro Classic or Folio Kit to best suit your needs. Molecule 01 + Patchouli, $47 This groundbreaking genderless fragrance … [Read more...] about The 15 Best Travel-Friendly Accessories, Clothing Items, And Wellness Products For Your Next Fall Trip

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Balmain collaboration generates hype like it’s going out of fashion and the latest is no exception. Hot on the heels of this year’s successful partnerships with Barbie and Pokémon, Balmain has teamed up with fashion favorite thirst quencher, evian water . On the more commercial side, the two French giants will launch a 75cL Balmain X evian limited edition glass bottle from next month while a haute couture dress being unveiled as part of the Balmain Festival during Paris Fashion Week puts sustainable innovation and creativity front and center. The dress has been created by Balmain artistic director Olivier Rousteing, woven in a fine monofilament yarn crafted from recycled evian plastic bottle waste. Drawing inspiration from the magnetic pathway of a whirlpool, Rousteing harnessed the sculptural possibilities of this innovative recycled fabric, playing on volumes and using pleating techniques to multiply its … [Read more...] about Balmain’s Newest Ultra Sustainable Collab Unveiled At Paris Fashion Week With Lena Situations

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Simon Meffan-Main , Ph.D., Vice President, the Tetra Partner Network, TetraScience - the Scientific Data Cloud Company. The Covid-19 pandemic has been the greatest health crisis of our time. However, it crystallized once and for all that a transformation across life sciences to accelerate new therapies is not only possible but essential. Covid-19 is the classic example of a " black swan " event—something rare and unpredictable that catches us off-guard and dramatically alters the status quo. For biopharmaceutical companies that meant abandoning "the way we've always done it" to consider novel ways of working that they might have otherwise been slow to adopt. Prior to this black swan event, vaccine development typically took at least seven years . Yet once the industry set its sights on Covid-19 vaccines, it developed two incredibly effective vaccines in under one year. This speed can be credited to the … [Read more...] about No Turning Back For Post-Covid-19 Pharma, But How Quickly Can The Industry Move?

The Television Tower glows at dusk next to the Protestant Berlin Cathedral with a reduced lighting to save energy due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in Berlin, Germany August 5, 2022. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner MILAN/FRANKFURT- In the weeks after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, Claudio Descalzi, CEO of Italian energy major Eni, embarked on a whirlwind of trips to gas suppliers in Africa. The visits included meetings with officials in Algeria in February plus talks in Angola, Egypt and Republic of Congo in March, with Descalzi often accompanied by senior Rome officials, according to company and government releases. State-controlled Eni and Italy were able to leverage existing supply relationships with those nations to secure extra gas to replace a large part of the volumes it received from its top supplier Russia. It’s a nimble shift that many European countries have been unable to perform as Vladimir Putin’s war jolts the continent into an alternate reality. Take … [Read more...] about Energy crisis sires new European order: a strong Italy and ailing Germany