Software giant Oracle commenced its high stakes trial over smartphone technology against internet concern Google in a California court. The case represents the first big court challenge for Android technology and at an estimated $1bn claim it is expected to become one of the largest ever technology trials. Oracle first accused Google’s Android team of…
There are about 5000 languages spoken around the world. In terms of popularity, Spanish is number four, after Chinese, Hindi and English. In the United States there are 37 million native Spanish speakers, making up 15% of the country’s population, according to a 2010 census – and that number keeps going up. The Hispanic sector…
Kunlun Energy, the China-based gas supplier which is a wholly owned subsidiary of PetroChina, on Tuesday raised $1.35bn through a top-up share placement to help fund expansion of its LNG business. The gas supplier hopes to tap into equity markets to assist in developing its liquefied natural gas arm and fund possible acquisitions. The plan…
DryDocks World, the owner of the Middle East’s biggest shipyard, has filed a claim with a special tribunal in an effort to move forward its $2.2bn debt restructuring through a government decree. The company filed a notification under Decree 57 with the Dubai World Tribunal, which will protect it from any claims coming from creditors….
Spain’s newly elected Prime Minister Mariano Rayoy on Friday is expected to push ahead with one of the nation’s most hard-hitting budgets in recent times. The news comes as almost a million protestors took to the streets late on Thursday after a general strike paralysed heavy industry and disrupted transport in Madrid and Barcelona. But…
Retail sales in Japan rose 3.5 percent year on year in February, said the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry on Thursday. Japan’s retail figures saw the largest advance since August 2010 and beat analysts’ expectations of 1.3 percent, published figures showed. Sales were helped by a strong demand in the motor industry, according to…
High profile Abu Dhabi investors have been in talks concerning a £10bn investment into Royal Bank of Scotland it was alleged on Wednesday. Shares in the UK bank rose sharply by 4.6 percent in early trade following the news that Abu Dhabi’s ruling family including Sheikh Mansour and other Abu Dhabi and Middle Eastern investors…
Coutts, the 320-year old private bank famous for handling the finances of the Queen, has been fined £8.75m late on Monday by the FSA for money laundering violations in its dealings with high risk customers. The RBS-owned bank, which specialises in private banking and wealth management, was found to suffer “serious and systematic” failings, which…
Spanish lender CaixaBank, the Barcelona-listed arm of La Caixa, and smaller competitor Banca Civica SA have both suspended trading on Monday, said stock market regulator CNMV. The move is in anticipation of a deal announcement that could see CaixaBank take over Banca Civica in an all-share deal that will value the bank at €1.1bn or…
Federal prosecutors in Rio de Janeiro late on Wednesday filed criminal charges against 17 Chevron and drill rig operator Transocean’s executives and the companies for an oil leak in the Atlantic off the coast of Brazil in November. According to Chevron, the leak was stopped within four days and none of the oil that leaked…
