Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Taiwan and privately owned Formosa Petrochemical Corp (FPC) both announced fuel price cuts on Sunday lowering gasoline and diesel prices by NT$1.1 (US$0.036) and NT$1.4 per liter gasoline prices at CPC and Formosa stations will drop to NT$27.2 Premium diesel will fall to NT$25.7 per liter at CPC stations and NT$25.5 at Formosa pumps CPC adjusts fuel prices weekly based on a weighted formula that factors in changes in crude oil prices -- 70 percent Dubai crude and 30 percent Brent crude CPC's pricing mechanism also accounts for currency fluctuations The state-run refiner said the price cuts were prompted by a stronger local currency and a sharp drop in global crude oil prices Formosa Petrochemical said the recent sharp drop in crude oil prices was driven by market fears that the prolonged U.S.-China trade war could trigger a global recession and weaken demand The decline was also attributed to Saudi Arabia's plan to increase production capacity to expand its market share Brent crude fell to US$60.00 per barrel last Wednesday SEARCHThe global authority in superyachting The 60-metre Benetti motor yacht Formosa has rejoined the brokerage market in a new, exclusive sales listing with Stuart Larsen of Fraser Formosa was delivered in 2015, constructed in steel and aluminium to an in-house design from the Italian yard. She boasts a spacious interior from Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design which is said by her brokers to combine Italian craftsmanship and Dutch design with an "Asian-inspired elegance" She recently underwent refit works in 2025 which included the completion of her 10-year ABS survey With oriental themes throughout her design Formosa takes her name from the early term given to Taiwan by Portuguese sailors upon discovery meaning "beautiful" in Portuguese This is a strong influence across the interiors of her five decks which were designed by Sinot with a focus on "harmony meticulous craftsmanship and natural materials" Formosa accommodates up to 13 guests in seven cabins The star of the show is the owner's apartment that spans the entire upper deck The 70-square-metre space includes an office bathroom with a traditional wooden bathtub and a sheltered private deck with seating on the foredeck Guest accommodation comprises two VIP suites on the main deck forward plus two doubles and a twin with a Pullman berth on the lower deck There is a private TV area nearby to the VIP staterooms and easy access is ensured between decks thanks to a glass and bronze lift surrounded by a circular staircase The custom motor yacht offers an impressive volume of 1,089GT and broad 10.4-metre beam Her predominantly neutral interior colour scheme is complimented with light and exotic woods The main deck saloon features a spacious lounge and formal dining area while the upper deck sky lounge is ideal for unwinding and watching movies thanks to a state-of-the-art sound system and a cinema with a five-by-two-metre screen The sundeck is particularly geared towards outdoor life the secluded top deck offers a quieter deck space for relaxation al fresco dining can be enjoyed on the shaded aft deck or aft of the owner's upper deck there is a 26-square-metre fold-down swim platform and a tender garage that can house two tenders and numerous water toys The ABS-classed yacht for sale has a top speed of 16 knots a cruising speed of 14 knots and a range of 5,000 nautical miles - all thanks to twin 1,850hp MTU diesel engines Formosa is asking €39,500,000. Latest news, brokerage headlines and yacht exclusives, every weekday SubscribeSign up to our newslettersSign up to BOAT International email newsletters to get the latest superyacht news Boat International Media Ltd © 2008 - 2025 Content presented under the "BOAT Presents" logo is an advertising feature and Boat International Limited has been paid to include this content 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Taiwan-based Formosa Pharmaceuticals ("Formosa" 6838.TW) announced that the company has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Laboratorios Saval ("Saval") a Chilean-based pharmaceutical company operating in Central and South America for exclusive rights to the commercialization of clobetasol propionate ophthalmic suspension a marketed innovative treatment of post-operative inflammation and pain following ocular surgery.  Saval a family-owned pharmaceutical company founded in 1938 boasts its own internal R&D and GMP manufacturing facilities while holding international strategic partners Clobetasol propionate ophthalmic suspension Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in March was launched in the United States in September.  The licensing agreement includes upfront payment and milestones with additional considerations throughout the term of the agreement APP13007's active ingredient is the superpotent corticosteroid and is derived from Formosa Pharma's proprietary APNT® nanoparticle formulation platform.  The novel formulation enables a convenient and straightforward dosing regimen (twice daily for 14 days) while providing rapid and sustained relief of inflammation and pain.  In a recent US survey of 100 ophthalmic surgeons rapid resolution of pain (~80% pain-free four days post-surgery) and low incidence of adverse events (<2%) were highlighted as key drivers to prescribing APP13007.  APP13007 anticipates having significant potential in Saval's territories whose ophthalmic corticosteroid market is estimated at almost USD $7.5 million currently led by treatments with a less convenient dosing regimen (4 to 6 times daily) "We are pleased that Saval has identified APP13007 as a worthy therapy to include in their ophthalmology core business unit.  Saval's vast network throughout Latin America will guarantee that patients recovering from ocular surgery will have access to APP13007." said Erick Co President and CEO of Formosa Pharmaceuticals "At Saval we are committed to providing patients with affordable and high-quality products in a broad range of therapeutic areas throughout Latin America Ophthalmology is part of our core and APP13007 will provide physicians and patients with an innovative and valuable addition to the available treatment options  We are pleased to partner with Formosa Pharmaceuticals and look forward to working together for Latin American patients and physicians" said Nicolás Donoso Laboratorios Saval S.A. is based in Santiago, Chile and currently is present in 14 countries in Central and South America. For more than 85 years, Saval has provided patients and physicians with affordable and high-quality products in multiple therapeutic areas. For more information, please refer to www.savalcorp.com Taiwan-based Formosa Pharmaceuticals (6838.TW) today announced an exclusive licensing agreement with Cipla Limited (BSE: 500087; NSE: CIPLA EQ).. Taiwan-based Formosa Pharmaceuticals ("Formosa" 6838.TW) announced that the company has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Medvisis.. Pharmaceuticals Health Care & Hospitals Medical Pharmaceuticals Biotechnology Do not sell or share my personal information: Reporting by Mohi Narayan; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved indicating Formosa would be wise to drop the ill-advised project Factors such as petrochemical overcapacity and a shift to more sustainable commodities are depressing demand for its products Both Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s have downgraded Formosa’s credit rating because of concerns over the company’s profitability The weak demand and large-scale capacity additions suggest that the company would be wise to cut its losses and find more viable Formosa’s proposed petrochemical complex in St. James Parish, La.,  faces market challenges that are only getting worse, according to a new Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) report The IEEFA report finds that Formosa Plastics Corporation has experienced a significant decline in revenue overall since 2021 and the outlook for the polyethylene sector is poor The industry faces structural changes in the global economy that suggest a secular decline Factors putting demand growth at risk include: Analysts report that the operating rates of ethylene production facilities globally are at historic lows due to large-scale capacity additions and weak demand growth more capacity is set to come online in 2025 making a new facility in Louisiana a bad bet “Market conditions suggest that going forward with the proposed petrochemical complex in Louisiana would be a costly misstep,” said Abhishek Sinha IEEFA energy finance analyst and author of the report “The company would be wise to abandon the project and pursue more viable opportunities that align with market realities.” Formosa’s rising debt levels have weakened its financial standing and credit agencies have flagged concerns a significant change given the rating company’s previous expectations Standard and Poor’s in October 2023 downgraded Formosa’s overall credit assessment from stable to negative based on what it termed “weak profitability.” The macroeconomic environment for North American petrochemical projects also has worsened significantly since 2018 Formosa's plan to construct the petrochemical complex in Louisiana exposes it to competition from an already oversupplied market that has negatively affected its financials Formosa should cut its losses and pursue more viable opportunities that align with market realities and shareholder interests Abhishek Sinha is an Energy Finance Analyst at IEEFA He conducts in-depth research for our petrochemicals group analysing industry trends Every parent wants their child to be happy NJ –The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital (BMSCH) at Robert Wood .. the leading Region 2 provider for the state’s Bringing Veterans .. Three of Atlantic Health System’s hospitals NY - Cloudy skies did not stop more than 230 Hofstra students from going out .. NJ - The Rotary Club of Union honored an outstanding young man last week NJ — The Rodriguez & Wimbush campaign today called on the New Jersey .. Syngenta today announced plans to invest $77 million in the expansion of its corn seed production facility in Formosa Annual capacity will be quadrupled to 1.6 million bags by 2015 Corn production in Brazil is expected to almost double by 2020 spurred by growth in the pork and poultry sectors the value of Brazil's corn seed market is expected to reach $2.7 billion with increased second season production and greater technology adoption Syngenta's Formosa facility is located at the heart of 110,000 hectares of prime corn growing country The area's climate supports two growing seasons and Syngenta's leading hybrid seed portfolio is well suited to the area Formosa's location close to Brasilia means logistics infrastructure is also good providing better export market access for growers ProteiNext is an annual symposium that offers a platform for sharing insights on protein analysis Are you ready to elevate your pharmaceutical operations Download our exclusive whitepaper and discover how compliance with Good Distribution Practice (GDP) is essential for the safety and integrity of pharmaceuticals This story is published in partnership with Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for the ICN newsletter here. PORT LAVACA — Few people still fish for a living on the Gulf Coast of Texas dilapidated harbors barely recall the communities that thrived here generations ago one group of humble fishermen just got a staggering $20 million to bring back their timeless way of life They’re buying out the buyer of their catch starting the largest oyster farm in Texas and dreaming big for the first time in a long time It’s all thanks to one elder fisherwoman’s longshot crusade against the petrochemical behemoth across the bay a fourth-generation shrimper from the tiny town of Seadrift took on a $250 billion Taiwanese chemical company the largest sum ever awarded in a civil suit under the Clean Water Act that money is beginning to flow into some major development projects on this mostly rural and generally overlooked stretch of Texas coastline Wilson dreams of rebuilding this community’s relationship with the sea and reviving a lifestyle that flourished here before global markets cratered the seafood industry and local economies shifted to giant chemical plants “I refuse to believe it’s a thing of the past,” said Wilson “We’re going to put money for the fishermen The fishing cooperative has only just begun to spend its $20 million It’s the largest of dozens of projects funded by her settlement agreement Others include a marine science summer camp at the Port Lavaca YMCA a global campaign to document plastic pollution from chemical plants a $500,000 study of mercury pollution in Lavaca Bay and the $10 million development of a local freshwater lake for public access “They are doing some wonderful things,” said Gary Reese He also received grants from the fund to build a pier and a playground pavilion at other county parks The fund resulted from a lawsuit Wilson filed in 2017 under the Clean Water Act which enables citizens to petition for enforcement of environmental law where state regulators have failed to act By gathering evidence from her kayak over years Wilson demonstrated that Formosa had routinely discharged large amounts of plastic pellets into local waterways for decades These sorts of lawsuits typically result in settlements with companies that fund development projects managing attorney at the National Environmental Law Center in Boston But seldom do they come anywhere close to the dollar amount involved in Wilson’s $50 million settlement with Formosa “It’s a real outlier in that aspect,” Kratka said environmental organizations in Texas sued a Shell oil refinery in Deer Park and won a $5.8 million settlement in 2008 that funded an upgrade of a local district’s school bus fleet and solar panels on local government buildings In 2009 groups sued a Chevron Phillips chemical plant in Baytown and won a $2 million settlement in 2009 that funded an environmental health clinic for underserved communities One reason for the scale of Wilson’s winning was an unprecedented citizen effort to gather plastic pollution from the bays as evidence in court While violations of permit limits are typically proven through company self-reporting Wilson mobilized a small team of volunteers “This was done by everyday people in this community that’s what built the case,” said Erin Gaines an attorney who previously worked on the case for Texas RioGrande Legal Aid Wilson’s settlement included much more than the initial $50 million payment Formosa also agreed to clean up its own legacy plastic pollution and has so far spent $32 million doing so And the company committed to discharge no more plastic material from its Point Comfort complex — a standard which had never been applied to any plastics plants across the nation Formosa consented to regular wastewater testing to verify compliance a specially engineered contraption analyzes the outflows at Formosa Formosa pays a $65,000 penalty into Wilson’s trust fund It’s small change for a company that makes about $1 billion per year at its Point Comfort complex those penalty payments have totaled more than $24 million in addition to the $50 million awarded in 2019 It goes into a fund called the Matagorda Bay Mitigation Trust Wilson evaluated grant applications and allocated the money to government entities registered nonprofits and public universities Now an independent panel administers the fund Many locals who know her story assume that Wilson is rich now But she never got a penny of the settlement “They cannot believe I would do this for the bay and the fishermen,” she said “It’s my home and I completely refuse to give it to that company to ruin.” Formosa also writes grants for community development programs although none of them approach the size of the Matagorda Bay Mitigation Trust In response to a query from Inside Climate News, the company provided a summary of its community spending over 30 years including $2.4 million on local and regional environmental projects $2 million for a new Memorial Medical clinic $2 million to upgrade local water treatment systems $1.3 million for local religious organizations and $1.2 million on scholarships for high school seniors The company has contributed $6.3 million for regional roadway improvements donated 19 houses to the Calhoun County Independent School District and built a classroom in restored wetlands Its annual employee golf tournament raises $500,000 for United Way charities and its national headquarters in New Jersey gives $1 million each year to local charities In Point Comfort it has programs to plant trees protect bees and restore monarch butterfly habitat “Formosa Plastics has always believed in giving back to the community and approximately 30 years ago established education religious and scholarship trusts,” the company said in a five-page statement Formosa has taken steps to address environmental challenges and reduce the environmental impact at its Point Comfort complex Formosa has installed pollution control systems to reduce the release of plastic particles has partnered with industry experts to develop better filtration methods and is monitoring emerging technologies for opportunities to improve environmental stewardship The Point Comfort complex has also improved stormwater drainage to reduce plastics in runoff and is engaging with community advocates to identify sustainable solutions “We understand the importance of protecting the environment and the communities where we operate and we remain steadfast in our commitment to transparency and continuous improvement,” the statement said Wilson fondly recalls the bustling fishing community of her youth in Seadrift the thrill of the catch and a regular intimacy with spirits of the sea “That is as close to nature as you can get.” There are no fish houses in Seadrift today Almost all the old businesses were bulldozed or boarded up Wilson’s own brothers took jobs at the giant petrochemical plants growing onshore But every day off they spent back on the water when she started complaining about water pollution from Formosa Powerful interests denounced her and no one defended her But Wilson never gave up speaking out against pollution in the bay She is family and I will fight for her,” Wilson said “I think everyone else would let her be destroyed.” Wilson began to get calls from employees at the plant pastures and beer joints to talk about what they’d seen They told her about vast amounts of plastic dust and pellets washed down drains and about the wastewater outfalls where it all ended up she began to find the substance for her landmark lawsuit millions and millions of plastic pellets that filled waterways and marshes Wislon filed her petition in federal court then continued collecting evidence for years before trial It was the first case over plastic pellet pollution brought under the Clean Water Act then a contract attorney with the nonprofit RioGrande Legal Aid and lead attorney for Wilson’s case a researcher at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute named Jace Tunnell had just launched a project in 2018 to study water pollution from plastics manufacturing plants little was known about the scale of releases of plastic pellets into the oceans from those industrial facilities was beginning on a shoestring budget to methodically collect and catalog the nurdles in hopes of getting a better picture of the problem a fourth generation Gulf Coast native and a second generation marine scientist heard about a fisherwoman who was also collecting nurdles up the coast Wilson claimed to have gathered 30,000 nurdles in 10 minutes Tunnell would typically collect up to 200 in that time “The nurdles were just pluming up back there,” Tunnell said “It really was an eye opener for me of how bad Formosa was.” Wilson and her small team of volunteers were pulling up huge amounts of plastic from the bay system and logging it as evidence stinky plastic outside the federal courthouse and brought the judge out to see She also cited Nurdle Patrol’s scientific method for gathering pellets as a means to estimate overall discharges in the bay “Diane was able to use Nurdle Patrol data in the lawsuit to seal the deal,” Tunnell said finding Formosa had violated its permit limits to discharge “trace amounts” of plastics thousands of times over decades Formosa opted to negotiate a settlement with Wilson rather than seek a court-ordered penalty the two parties signed a consent decree outlining their agreement and creating the $50 million Matagorda Bay Mitigation Trust Wilson signed over $1 million to the Nurdle Patrol which Tunnell used over five years to build an international network with 23,000 volunteers and an online portal with the best data available on plastic nurdles in the oceans They’ve also provided elementary and high schools with thousands of teaching kits about plastics production and water pollution “There’s no accountability for the industries that release this,” Tunnell said as he picked plastic pellets from the sand near his home on North Padre Island in early December The trust’s largest grant programs are still yet to take effect Wilson allocated $10 million to Calhoun County to develop a 6,400 acre park around Green Lake The county will begin taking bids this month to build phase one of the project which will include walking trails and birding stands Later they’ll build a parking lot and boat ramp The county brought this property in 2012 with hopes of making a park county officials planned to build an RV park with plenty of pavement But funding from Wilson’s trust forbade RVs and required a lighter footprint to respect the significant Native American and Civil War campsites identified on the property “It’ll be more of a back-to-nature thing,” Reese said we hope to be able to provide a quality facility for the public thanks to Matagorda Mitigation Trust.” the largest grant from the trust has gone to the fishermen Wilson allocated $20 million to form a cooperative at the docks of Port Lavaca — an unlikely sum of money for seamen who struggle to feed their families well Wilson dreamed that this money could help bring back the vanishing lifestyle that she loved most of the remaining commercial fishermen on this Gulf coast come from Mexico and have fished here for decades retirement plans or guaranteed daily income But it’s an ancient occupation that has always been available to enterprising people by the sea “It’s what we’ve done our whole life,” said Homero Muñoz a board member of the fishermen’s cooperative who has worked the Texas coast since he was 19 widespread reef closures by Texas authorities and opposition from wealthy sportfishing organizations force the commercial fishermen to compete for shrinking oyster populations in small and distant areas the fishermen have little power to negotiate on low prices for their catch set by a few big regional buyers The buyers distribute it at a markup to restaurants and markets across the county “There isn’t anyone who helps us,” said Cecilio Ruiz a 58-year-old father of three who has fished the Texas coast since 1982 To help the fishermen build a sustainable business Wilson tapped the Federation of Southern Cooperatives an organization based in Atlanta originally founded to help Black farmers and landowners form cooperatives in the newly de-segregated South director of cooperative development and strategic initiatives at FSC money is the biggest obstacle for producers wanting to form a collectively owned business He’d never seen a case where a donor put up millions of dollars to make it happen “Opportunities like this don’t come around often I can’t think of another example,” Courtney said “We saw this as something that history was compelling us to do.” In 2020 Courtney started traveling regularly to Port Lavaca discussing the concept of a cooperative and studying feasibility had trouble understanding Courtney’s English at first But they knew someone who could help: Veronica Briceño the daughter of a late local fisherman known as Captain Ralph she translated between English and Spanish around her father’s business and the local docks and harbors a 40-year-old worker at the county tax appraisal office She’d learned to fish on her grandfather’s boat Her father left her four boats and she couldn’t bring herself to sell them She joined FSC as a volunteer translator for the project all they know how to do is really just work,” she said They leased an old bait shop with dock space at the harbor in Port Lavaca and renovated it as an office Then in February 2024 they officially formed the Matagorda Bay Fishing Cooperative composed of 37 boat owners with 77 boats that employ up to 230 people Now Briceño has a desk at the office where she helps the fishermen with paperwork permitting and legal questions while coordinating a growing list of contracts as the cooperative begins to spend big money Negotiations are underway for the cooperative to purchase a major local seafood buyer processing operations and supply contracts for about $2 million “I hope they help carry it on,” said Curtis Miller which was founded by his uncle in the 1960s “I would like to see them be able to succeed.” Many of the cooperative members have worked for Miller’s Seafood during the last 40 years The company handles almost entirely oysters now and provides them wholesale to restaurants on the East Coast The cooperative has also leased 60 acres of bay water from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to start the largest oyster farm in Texas FSC is now permitting the project with the Texas General Land Office and the U.S “That might be the future of the industry,” said Miller the members discussed options for a $2.5 million purchase of more than 7,000 oyster cages to install on the new farm They talked about plans to visit and study a working oyster farm The cooperative is finalizing a marketing and distribution plan for the farmed oysters The project would give two acres to each oysterman to farm and would finally do away with the frantic race to harvest the few available oyster areas before other boats do liberty to go to our own piece of water,” said Miguel Fierros third-generation fisherman and father of three “It’s a unique opportunity I don’t think we’ll ever get again.” hopes that the practice of oyster farming will bring a new generation into the seafood industry here Neither of her kids plan to make a living on the water like her father or grandfather who always encouraged the family to find jobs with health insurance and retirement can realize the dream of a local fishing industry with dignified pay and benefits maybe her grandkids will be fishermen someday “We’re going to get a younger crowd actually interested,” she said Most of their money still remains to be spent They would like to buy a boat repair business to service their fleet now an internationally recognized environmental advocate this all just proves how much can be accomplished by a stubborn country woman with volunteer helpers and nonprofit lawyers she hopes these projects will help rebuild a fishing community and bring back the fishermen’s way of life Disclosure: The Texas General Land Office and Texas Parks And Wildlife Department have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here Choose an amount or learn more about membership MEASLES - Measles is a vaccine-preventable disease The best way to protect against it is through the measles Contact:Kent DonahueKent.Donahue@flhealth.gov407-858-1418 — The Florida Department of Health in Orange County (DOH-Orange) has issued a health alert for the presence of harmful blue-green algae toxins in Big Sand Lake (from dock) and Lake Formosa (pedestrian bridge) The alert is in response to water samples taken on February 5 The public should exercise caution in and around Big Sand Lake (from dock) and Lake Formosa (pedestrian bridge) Residents and visitors are advised to take the following precautions: Blue-green algae are a type of bacteria that is common in Florida’s freshwater environments A bloom occurs when rapid growth of algae leads to an accumulation of individual cells that discolor water and often produce floating mats that emit unpleasant odors Blue-green algae blooms can also appear as scum, foam, or paint on the surface of the water in various colors. To learn more about the appearance of algae blooms, visit Protecting Florida Together Some environmental factors that contribute to blue-green algae blooms are sunny days Blooms can appear year-round but are more frequent in summer and fall Many types of blue-green algae can produce toxins Blue-green algae may not always be visible as a bloom which can be harmful to humans and pets as well as ecosystems the elderly and those who are immunocompromised) may still be at risk even at low concentrations and should avoid any exposure For additional information on potential health effects of algae blooms, visit the Florida Department of Health's harmful algae blooms webpage Current information about Florida’s water quality status and public health notifications for harmful algae blooms and beach conditions is available at Protecting Florida Together You can subscribe to receive notifications when water quality changes in your area If you have other health questions or concerns about blue-green algae The Department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state Follow us on X at @HealthyFla and on Facebook. For more information about the Florida Department of Health, visit FloridaHealth.gov Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInBATON ROUGE (WAFB) - Four people were rushed to a hospital after being exposed to ammonia at the Formosa Plastics facility in Baton Rouge All four injured employees were taken to Baton Rouge General Hospital so whenever you have a patient that’s been exposed to large amounts of ammonia like these patients were you really have to be concerned about their airway and their breathing because the boots from it can also cause burning to the airway and the lungs as well as the inside of the mouth,” said Brad Harris “So you definitely want to put them in high flow oxygen and then intubate them if necessary.” According to the Baton Rouge Fire Department a cylinder at the facility was compromised Officials stressed that there was no release from the facility and no danger to the public Officials with Formosa Plastics said the ammonia from the cylinder immediately vaporized and an all clear was issued shortly afterward They also said air monitoring was conducted to ensure the safety of employees and the community Of the four workers transported to the hospital officials with Formosa Plastics said on Thursday that one has been released and three remain in the hospital Formosa Plastics is located along Gulf States Utilities Road in East Baton Rouge Parish Click here to report a typo Click here to subscribe to our WAFB 9 News daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox This partnership aims to enhance ophthalmic care by providing better treatment for post-operative inflammation and pain in patients across 11 countries 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Taiwan-based Formosa Pharmaceuticals (6838.TW) today announced an exclusive licensing agreement with Cipla Limited (BSE: 500087; NSE: CIPLA EQ) referred to as "Cipla" for the commercialization of clobetasol propionate ophthalmic suspension Cipla has exclusive rights to market the innovative treatment for post-operative inflammation and pain following ocular surgery across 11 countries such as India patent protected and USFDA approved ophthalmic product It offers a convenient twice-daily dosing regimen for 14 days without tapering providing rapid and sustained relief from inflammation and pain This new steroid represents a significant advancement in the ophthalmic market "Formosa Pharma welcomes this partnership with Cipla a well-renowned and respected global pharmaceutical brand We appreciate their recognition and desire to add APP13007 to their rich portfolio of innovative medicines and look forward to working together to provide our novel therapy to ocular surgery patients to their audience." said Erick Co "The partnership with Formosa Pharmaceuticals marks a significant milestone for Cipla as it is our first multi-regional licensing agreement in ophthalmology It reinforces our commitment to bringing cutting-edge treatments to patients worldwide With exclusive rights to market APP13007 across 11 countries we are excited to expand access to this innovative therapy and strengthen our ophthalmology portfolio We look forward to leveraging Cipla's strong commercial presence to make a meaningful impact in post-operative eye care." Cipla's ophthalmology division is focused on developing therapies and technologies for glaucoma The strategic licensing agreement with Formosa Pharmaceuticals includes upfront payments and additional value-driven considerations throughout its term 6838.TW) announced that the company has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with.. Reporting by Florence Tan; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Janane Venkatraman Ltd (Pine Wind) has entered into an agreement to acquire from Macquarie Asset Management (Macquarie) its 26% equity and debt interest in Formosa 2 International Investment Co. a 376MW operational offshore wind farm located off the coast of Miaoli County (Formosa 2 Offshore Wind Farm) The proposed investment will be acquired through J&V Energy's wholly owned subsidiary and will be supported by capital commitments from its partners Taiwan Life Insurance Co Ltd and He Jun Energy Co Ltd will provide long-term asset management services to its partners The Formosa 2 Offshore Wind Farm is comprised of 47 Siemens Gamesa 8.0MW wind turbine generators which have been connected to the grid since March 2023 supplying power to approximately 380,000 Taiwanese households per year Macquarie developed the Formosa 2 Offshore Wind Farm one of Taiwan's first large scale offshore windfarms in partnership with JERA and Synera Renewable Energy said: "Formosa 2 Offshore Wind Farm represents a compelling scale opportunity for J&V Energy to secure long-term contracted cashflows with Taipower and demonstrates our continuing commitment to Taiwan's energy transition ambitions We look forward to joining JERA and Synera Renewable Energy in delivering lasting operational success for the asset." This transaction marks J&V Energy's first operational wind farm investment in Taiwan and comes on the back of its previous experience developing and investing into wind farms in Taiwan including Formosa 4 and 5 Chief Investment Officer of J&V Energy and CEO of JV Asset Management said: "We are delighted to partner with Taiwan Life and He Jun Energy on this landmark transaction matching long-term Taiwanese capital with world-class income producing assets JVAM is poised to be one of Taiwan's largest specialist renewable asset managers with this transaction bringing JVAM's assets under management half of the way to our target of US$1 billion AUM by 2026." Head of Renewable Energy and Head of Asia Pacific for MAM Green Investments said: "Macquarie was an early participant in the Taiwan's offshore wind industry combining local knowledge with extensive offshore wind expertise from Europe We proudly supported the early development and construction of offshore wind projects creating investment opportunities before bringing in long-term partners We are delighted to welcome J&V Energy three Taiwanese investors committed to supporting the Formosa 2 project during its operational life and Taiwan's energy transition." J&V Energy (6869.TW) is a publicly-listed leading circular economy and renewable energy developer J&V Energy employs a team of over 350 renewable energy professionals with expertise in solar, wind, energy storage and water infrastructure. Its regional footprint spans across Taiwan Japan, Philippines and Vietnam In 2023, J&V Energy secured the #1 spot amongst the Top 100 Fastest Growing Companies by CommonWealth Magazine and is a constituent of the MSCI Global Small Cap Index JV Asset Management is a specialist renewables asset manager headquartered in Taipei with ~US$500m of assets under management operations and asset management services through a turnkey end-to-end approach Supported by our team of investment and technical professionals JVAM is focused on delivering sustainable returns with a strong risk management approach.  Taiwan Life is the country's oldest life insurance company Taiwan Life became a subsidiary of CTBC Holding Ltd is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (2891.TW) with a market capitalization of c Taiwan Life is committed to building a sustainable financial ecosystem in support of the Government's Green Finance Action Plan 3.0 and has been recognized at The Asset's Triple A Sustainable Infrastructure Awards for three consecutive years He Jun Energy was established in February 2022 with funding support from Hotai Finance (6592.TW) and Hotai Motor (2207.TW) both listed companies on the Taiwan Stock Exchange He Jun Energy is dedicated to advancing ESG (Environmental Sustainability The company focuses on investing in and operating solar power plants while also expanding into electric vehicle charging stations and energy storage solutions aiming to create green energy and foster a sustainable financial ecosystem Macquarie Asset Management is a global asset manager integrated across public and private markets foundations and individuals to manage approximately US$633.7 billion in assets Macquarie Asset Management provides a diverse range of investment solutions including real assets Macquarie Asset Management is part of Macquarie Group a diversified financial group providing clients with asset management and risk and capital solutions across debt Macquarie Group employs over 20,600 people in 34 markets and is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange JNV Philippines Renewable Corporation has entered into an agreement to acquire the entire equity interest in a 180MW ground-mounted solar project.. 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The agreement grants Medvisis exclusive rights for the therapy in Switzerland and Liechtenstein Formosa Pharmaceuticals in Taiwan has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Medvisis Switzerland to commercialise clobetasol propionate ophthalmic suspension for post-operative inflammation and pain after ocular surgery APP13007 received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration in March 2024 The deal between Formosa and Medvisis includes upfront payments sales milestones and additional considerations throughout the term period Formosa Pharmaceuticals CEO and president Erick Co stated: “We are pleased to partner with Medvisis “Medvisis’ strong connections with their national regulatory agency and rich KOL [key opinion leaders] network give us great confidence that the Swiss public will benefit from this novel and effective treatment for ocular surgery recovery.” Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis APP13007 features the active ingredient superpotent corticosteroid clobetasol propionate and is based on Formosa’s APNT [active pharmaceutical nanotechnology] nanoparticle formulation platform The therapy’s formulation allows for a twice-daily dosing regimen for 14 days It was launched in the US market in September 2024 A US survey of 100 ophthalmic surgeons highlighted the rapid resolution of pain with 80% of patients pain-free four days post-surgery In August 2024, Formosa signed an exclusive licencing agreement with Apotex for the commercialisation of APP13007 Medvisis Switzerland CEO Manuel Ackermann stated: “We are pleased to provide patients with post-operative inflammation and pain following ocular surgery a new best-in-class treatment option that leads to faster symptom relief “APP13007 is of great value to Swiss patients while it sets the foundation for Medvisis to build a strong portfolio of innovative ophthalmology solutions.” Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network Recent activity seems to indicate that a new business could be coming to the spot that was also once home to the original Coppola's of Poughkeepsie I remember my friend Guy Alexander telling me about Formosa Cuisine in Poughkeepsie I went and tried and remember how amazing it was Shortly after my visit I noticed they had closed suddenly with no reason given Formosa Cuisine was a Taiwanese restaurant that was located in the same building that was once the Original Coppola's of Poughkeepsie (a fine Italian restaurant) at 825 Main Street in Poughkeepsie Formosa had been a popular spot with amazing food that garnered many 4 and 5 star Google reviews but only lasted a few years there it seemed a user posted: Does anyone remember Formosa Cuisine in Poughkeepsie It's been five years since they closed I'm still haunted by memories of great meals there It seems that there has been some new activity at 825 Main St in Poughkeepsie with the property being cleaned up and work being done inside the establishment as photographed a couple weeks back could Formos Cuisine be returning and making a comeback Recent activity seems to indicate that a new business could be coming to the spot that was also once home to the original Coppola's of Poughkeepsie.\nRead More The Formosa Plastics Corp.’s proposed petrochemical complex in St Formosa has experienced a significant decline in revenue since 2021 Analyst estimates for the 2025-26 period are bleak Profitability and stock performance have fallen over the past four years The outlook for the polyethylene (PE) sector is poor The industry faces structural changes in the global economy that suggest a secular decline.  Market conditions suggest that going forward with the proposed petrochemical complex in Louisiana would be a costly misstep and the company would be wise to abandon the project The Formosa Plastics Corporation (“Formosa”) a petrochemicals corporation headquartered in Taiwan faces market challenges to its proposed petrochemical complex in St Louisiana—and the conditions are getting worse Formosa’s own financial situation appears to be weakening IEEFA’s review of the financial and market conditions relevant to the proposed petrochemical complex reveals the following: and the company would be wise to abandon the project and pursue more viable opportunities that align with market realities 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Taiwan-based Formosa Pharmaceuticals ("Formosa" 6838.TW) announced that the company has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Medvisis Switzerland AG ("Medvisis") in Switzerland and Liechtenstein a marketed innovative treatment of post-operative inflammation and pain following ocular surgery led by industry veterans with experience in multi-national pharma such as Novartis and GSK Switzerland's independent registration authority was recently launched in the United States in September The licensing agreement includes upfront payment and sales milestones and is derived from Formosa Pharma's proprietary APNT® nanoparticle formulation platform The novel formulation enables a convenient and straightforward dosing regimen (twice daily for 14 days) while providing rapid and sustained relief of inflammation and pain In a recent US survey of 100 ophthalmic surgeons rapid resolution of pain (~80% pain-free four days post-surgery) and low incidence of adverse events (<2%) were highlighted as key drivers to prescribing APP13007 ophthalmologists collectively appreciated APP13007's convenient posology and remarkable safety profile APP13007 anticipates having significant potential in Switzerland which reports greater than 100,000 cataract surgeries These surgical rates have driven a single-agent corticosteroid market of greater than USD $2.1 million utilizing treatments with a less convenient dosing regimen (4 to 6 times daily) Medvisis' strong connections with their national regulatory agency and rich KOL network give us great confidence that the Swiss public will benefit from this novel and effective treatment for ocular surgery recovery." said Erick Co " We are pleased to provide patients with post-operative inflammation and pain following ocular surgery a new APP13007 is of great value to Swiss patients while it sets the foundation for Medvisis to build a strong portfolio of innovative ophthalmology solutions." Contracts Internationally known environmentalist & peace activist CODEPINKer Diane Wilson and several other activists March 10 and 12 for challenging Formosa Plastics About the Formosa 2 and March 10th Support:  2024 rally outside Formosa Plastics’ U.S.headquarters and author Diane Wilson and two other San Antonio Bay Waterkeepers were arrested for trespassing as they attempted to approach the public entrance of the company’s office building and peacefully deliver a letter requesting a meeting with company executives Their trial has now been set for March 10 in Livingston Location: Livingston Town Hall/Municipal Court Parking behind the building.9:00 am: Arrive9:30 am: Attend the Trial Press Briefing outside of the Livingston Town Hall immediately after the Trial CODEPINK is a non-profit charity with 501(c)(3) tax exempt status in the United States Our Tax Identification Number is 26-2823386 6838.TW) announced today that the company has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with DÁVI Farmacêutica ("DÁVI") in Portugal a marketed innovative medicine for the treatment of inflammation and pain following ocular surgery DÁVI is a trusted partner of Pharmathen Global Holding B.v. and Pfizer through marketing and promotion of Xalacom© (Latanoprost + Timolol) and Xalatan© (Latanoprost) for more than 12 years DÁVI is one of the key players in the Portuguese Market with over 100 years' history in the distribution and promotion of branded ophthalmology products The DÁVI licensing agreement includes upfront and is derived from Formosa Pharma's proprietary APNT® nanoparticle formulation platform In a recent survey of 100 ophthalmic surgeons APP13007 anticipates significant potential in Portugal which has around 90,000 cataract surgeries marks our first entry into a competitive EU market opening the door for growth into other EU territories DÁVI's experience and commitment to novel ophthalmic therapies is steadily apparent and Formosa Pharma appreciates their recognition of APP13007 as a worthy offering to patients recovering from ocular surgery." said Erick Co Business Development Manager of DÁVI Farmacêutica "We are excited at DÁVI to be partnering with Formosa and have the opportunity to offer this cutting-edge drug and technology to our ophthalmologists and patients reinforcing our strong position in the market and the commitment to enhance the well-being of our people." Licensing residents of Point Comfort find the news alarming This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grist’s weekly newsletter here Wilson found the news particularly alarming She has spent years fighting to clean up pollution from another petrochemical plant and won a $50 million settlement against its owners Exxon would build its proposed facility across from that factory and discharge waste into the same waterways Wilson has spent decades fighting to protect “We have been cleaning the piss out of [Cox Creek] and this is the very place where Exxon is going to try to put its plastics plant,” Wilson Exxon’s proposal calls for a steam cracker a facility that uses oil and natural gas to make ethylene and propylene — the chemical building blocks of plastic Factories like this produce and sell plastic pellets to other manufacturers who turn them into intermediary or final goods steam crackers produce climate pollution and hazardous chemicals like ammonia “It looks like a big facility,” Alexandra Shaykevich research manager for the Environmental Integrity Project said of the plan Exxon has dubbed the Coastal Plain Project But she said that because much of the application was redacted and the company hasn’t made a public announcement “We’re going to be looking at this one closely.” more than half of Point Comfort residents are people of color more than half have less than a high school diploma and more than half of households speak limited English “They talk about a sacrifice zone — this is the real deal,” said Wilson Exxon wrote in its application that it plans to apply for more abatements from the county the facility would create 300 jobs during its first five years in operation once it’s operating at full capacity in 2032 Exxon says the operation will raise the state’s economic output by $3.6 billion a year “These tax incentives have become one of the early battles in these facilities,” said Robin Schneider executive director Texas Campaign for the Environment She estimates that Exxon could get about $250 million in local tax breaks over a 10-year period — almost $1 million per job “Why is this massively profitable business getting this money from taxpayers?” she asked. Exxon brought in $33.7 billion last year, on record-high production and distributed more money to shareholders than ever before School district officials did not respond to requests for comment and, in an email, County Judge (the title given to county administrators in Texas) Vern Lyssy did not answer specific questions, only repeated the language used in Exxon’s statement. A county commissioner, Joel Behrens expressed support for Exxon and the economic development it could bring comparing the opportunity to his positive experiences with Formosa “If they were to pick this area to come to they’d probably be just as good a neighbor as Formosa,” he said “They’ve helped the county out when the county needed help.” Exxon did not respond to questions about the pollution a new steam cracker might create Company spokesperson Lauren Kight said the application for tax subsidies in Calhoun County does not mean Exxon has committed to building there The company indicated in its JETI filing that its focus was on “the U.S Gulf Coast” but that it is still considering other locations “The Gulf Coast presents tremendous advantages,” said Kight but it’s “very early in our evaluation process.” Plants like the one Exxon is planning are “the absolute opposite direction we should be going,” said Judith Enck a former Environmental Protection Agency official and president of the nonprofit Beyond Plastics Setting aside the environmental argument, financial analysts say it’s imprudent to invest in more plastic production All three credit rating agencies have issued warnings over expanding fossil fuel and plastics infrastructure including one from Standard & Poor’s in 2021 that cited oversupply of petrochemicals and “surging global pressure to reduce carbon emissions as well as chemical and plastic pollution worldwide.” “I think it’s going to be the same story that’s being told again and again,” Sinha said referring to Exxon’s proposed steam cracker “This is not going to be a positive value-add project for them; it’s going to be detrimental to the equity holders in the long run.” Kight did not directly address these concerns but said that Exxon would “continue to evaluate the market conditions before we make a decision.” The settlement funded dozens of projects, including cleaning up waterways, and provided $20 million for a fishing cooperative aimed at helping rebuild that battered industry But Wilson worries another mega-factory coming to the area would undermine that work “Where Exxon is going to put their bloody plant is smack-dab in front of [what will be] one of the largest oyster farms in Texas,” said Wilson, who is not convinced that any plastics factory can operate without polluting. She noted that Formosa has already violated its settlement agreement nearly 800 times “Exxon is going to be exactly like Formosa.” Wilson considers the fact that Exxon could still decide not to build in Calhoun County an opportunity to resist and plans to fight the company at every step of the process “A lot of people over the years have asked me what my one regret is and I always say: ‘I didn’t try hard enough to stop Formosa,’” reflected Wilson Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Learn more at Grist.org We’ve borne witness to a chaotic first few months in Trump’s presidency each executive order has delivered shock and bewilderment — a core part of a strategy to make the right-wing turn feel inevitable and overwhelming as organizer Sandra Avalos implored us to remember in Truthout last November the Trump administration is pushing through executive orders but — as we’ve reported at Truthout — many are in legal limbo and face court challenges from unions and civil rights groups Efforts to quash anti-racist teaching and DEI programs are stalled by education faculty And communities across the country are coming together to raise the alarm on ICE raids and protect each other in moving shows of solidarity Truthout plans to be there documenting and uplifting resistance join our community of sustainers by making a monthly or one-time gift Tik Root is a senior staff writer at Grist We fell short of our goals in our most recent fundraiser Help us meet our basic publishing costs by the end of April Make a tax-deductible one-time or monthly gift to Truthout today and despite looking like a 1950s-era sports racing car it’s actually a relatively new vehicle with a lightweight fiberglass body These cars from the UK company Formosa typically use period-correct chassis and engines for an authentic driving experience coupled with a body designed by Glan Richards to evoke the style of 1950s-era sports cars without being a replica of any specific model The Formosa was developed by Gary Jane a British automotive enthusiast who wanted to make the dream of 1950s sports car ownership available to a wider audience – those without seven He’s a well-known British hot rodder and the founder of the Sammio Motor Company who made a name for himself building vintage-style kit cars The car has a number of clever period-correct details like this switch panel with Italian notations The company that builds the Formosa kits is called Mid-Century Evocations and they’re based in England – a nation that has long been famous for its low-volume sports car industry Once Gary had the fundamental concept down he hired stylist Glan Richards (as mentioned above) who penned an all-new design It was crucial that this car not be a replica but a new design that could have rolled into the pits at the Circuit de la Sarthe in 1955 and not raised a single eyebrow It’s clear that Glan nailed the design there are hints at the design cues of the time but it remains very much its own character and simply matched them to common British sports car chassis of the time The short-nose Formosa fits neatly over a Triumph Herald chassis and the long-nose fits over the Reliant Scimitar chassis The bodies can be fitted with the engine and the rest of the drivetrain in place This makes road registration far simpler in most countries as it’s a modified vintage car rather than an all new vehicle that would need to pass current emissions and crash safety tests If you’d like to build your own Formosa you can contact Mid-Century Evocations here they’re taking orders at the moment and will help you through the ordering process The interior is finished in bare aluminum alloy sheet with two simple bucket seats and just the essential gauges mounted in front of the driver The car you see here is a Formosa 236 CM Roadster that was built years ago and then modified once again after 2022 with a new engine and some other upgrades This Formosa is based on a Triumph chassis but it was originally fitted with a Dutton kit car body which has now been replaced with a Formosa body Given the somewhat controversial styling of many Dutton cars the switch to a Formosa body was a good move The car is fitted with a Ford Escort axle in the rear and it’s powered by a 3.0 liter Ford Essex V6 which sends power back through a 4-speed manual transmission It’s clear that the car is going to need some recommissioning before any serious driving is attempted the engine looks like it will need some attention and there are age-related cracks appearing in the tires the 3.0 liter V6 producing approximately 148 bhp at 5,000 rpm and 187 lb ft of torque at 3,000 rpm is enough to move it along at a significant rate of speed Front disc brakes are fitted along with rear drums and the vehicle rides on independent double wishbone front suspension with coil springs and coilovers on that live axle in the rear The bodywork is finished in Blue with some patina and it has tastefully-aged La Carrera Panamericana livery The car looks like it just rolled over the finish line of the Carrera Panamericana in 1954 The car is now being offered for sale on Bring a Trailer out of Dorset in the United Kingdom. It comes with a British V5C registration certificate listing the car as a 1991 Dutton Formosa 236. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media This is a 1980 Holden Commodore VC HDT Brock part of the first generation of Peter Brock-developed Holden Dealer Team homologation specials based on… Read More in an older building behind a nondescript exterior lies a secret Meyers Manx facility where there can be over a… Read More This 1932 Ford was built by Chip Foose and his team earlier in its life it appeared in the Fox TV show Titus Read More The 1963 Ford Falcon Futura Sport would be one of the cars that provided the mechanical underpinnings of the first Ford Mustang Read More This is a 1981 “Bullnose” Ford Bronco that has been rebuilt into a vehicle with a 7.3 liter Ford Godzilla V8 up front turning… Read More It’s not everyday you come across a mid-engined V8 Mini pick-up truck and this one was built using a modified Ford GT40 replica frame… Read More The traditional “Silodrome” was a carnival sideshow attraction also called the “Wall of Death." You may have seen them at county fairs – the vertical velodromes were originally built from old grain silos Silodrome was founded in 2010 as a website dedicated to Gasoline Culture and all it entails - We write about modern cars, classic cars, motorcycles, racing, gear, gadgets, clothing, boats, planes, airships and the occasional submarine.Read more... 2025 at 3:30 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Diane Wilson and Camryn Edwards were among the demonstrators who took part in a protest at Formosa Plastics USA’s headquarters in Livingston Both were convicted of defiant trespassing on March 10 (Photo courtesy of Sam DiFalco/Food and Water Watch)LIVINGSTON NJ — Two environmental activists finally got their day in court earlier this week after they were arrested at a protest several months ago in New Jersey Convictions on charges of defiant trespassing Diane Wilson and Camryn Edwards – both Texas residents – were among the demonstrators who took part in a protest at Formosa Plastics USA’s headquarters on Peach Tree Hill Road in Livingston in December Prior to the protest, the coalition of activists held a national “week of action” against Formosa accusing the international petrochemical manufacturer of violating environmental laws and polluting communities overseas The week of protests wrapped up with a car caravan When activists arrived at the Formosa USA headquarters in Livingston entrances blocked and the grounds surrounded by police They rallied in the street nearby – which police had closed to traffic – singing songs making speeches and carrying signs that read “Our Health Our Future” and “Stop Formosa Plastics.” Footage of the protest shared by organizers shows a calm and respectful discussion between activists and police about the activities that would constitute “trespassing” – and potentially lead to an arrest Police offered to deliver the letter on their behalf but activists replied that they were worried it wouldn’t make its way to the top of the corporate ladder to the decision makers Wilson and Edwards were both charged with defiant trespassing and chose to fight the charge in Livingston Municipal Court A third protester was also arrested on the same charge and pleaded guilty Wilson and Edwards were sentenced to pay a fine said the ruling was “disappointing,” arguing that Wilson and Edwards were defying an illegal police order that violated their rights of free speech and due process urged other environmental activists to stay the course “I know one thing for sure: until we draw a line in the sand and say no more to plastic corporations' greed and wrongdoings and the air that we breathe will be destroyed,” she said in the wake of this week's court decision The December protest was the second major demonstration that has taken place outside of Formosa’s office in Livingston in the span of a year six activists were charged with trespassing after attending a protest on Peach Tree Hill Road Some of the demonstrators blocked entrance gates Nearly 100 people took part in the demonstration, most of whom voluntarily left the property at the request of local police, authorities said. The company told employees to work from home on the day of the protest, but did not shut down operations. See Related: Protest Against Formosa Plastics In Livingston Ends With Arrests Wilson was also among the six people arrested at the Aug. 2 protest, chaining her neck to the metal bars of the gate in a show of defiance Two of the arrested protesters pleaded guilty to the trespassing charge and received fines. But the remaining four took their case to trial, pleading not guilty at an initial hearing in Livingston Municipal Court. See Related: Activists Arrested In Livingston At Formosa Protest Plead Not Guilty In September, the activists – now calling themselves the “Formosa Four” – held an online media briefing about their legal strategy and plans to fight the charges (view it online here) The group is scheduled to attend a hearing for their appeal on April 1 in Newark one of the Formosa Four who was arrested in August 5 follow up protest in Livingston – but this time she didn’t end up in handcuffs “It’s an outrage that Formosa Plastics continues to violate its settlement of the Clean Water Act lawsuit and ordered that there be zero emissions and monitoring,” Rogovin said “Clearly Formosa Plastics sees the $24 million fines for 709 violations including dumping of toxins into waterways FORMOSA: ‘ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE AND IN COMPLIANCE’ Company spokespeople have pointed out that Formosa Plastics Corporation USA is a legally distinct entity from Formosa Plastics Group The Livingston office focuses on its operations in Baton Rouge The plastics manufacturing company employs hundreds of workers at their Livingston location who provide the majority of its “business support operations” such as management spokespeople told Patch that the company is using programs to prevent resin loss by implementing stringent containment measures throughout its facilities These programs focus on “minimizing pellet and powder loss at every stage of production and transportation.” “In Point Comfort, where our only pellet production operations are located, we've implemented state-of-the-art technologies to control the release of plastics into the environment,” spokespeople continued, sharing a video with more details (view it online here) “We remain committed to conducting our business in a manner that is environmentally responsible and in compliance with all applicable U.S “We are open to engaging in dialogue with concerned parties about our practices here in the United States and welcome the opportunity for constructive conversations.” Formosa Plastics says that “improved efficiency” has allowed it to reduce emissions by 50 percent over 10 years “Formosa seeks to reduce the impact of our operations by constantly improving and reducing water use, energy, emissions and waste,” the company’s website states “Goals are set every year and all facilities track their progress in detail Independent organizations like BSI audit our facilities to the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Standard every six months and conduct a full recertification every two years.” The solar power project at Formosa Plastics headquarters in Livingston has produced more than 4.60GWh of power to date has plans across our facilities to convert over 100 vehicles to EV/hybrid and provide more than 100 charging stations,” the company says Electric vehicle charging stations are already available for use by associates at the headquarters in Livingston ACTIVISTS: 'THIS BEHAVIOR IS UNACCEPTABLE' A 2021 report from the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and Earthworks claimed that Formosa Plastics Group’s six-decade track record is “riddled with environmental including devastating accidents and persistent pollution in multiple countries.” “From Point Comfort, Texas, to Ha Tinh, Vietnam; Illiopolis, Illinois; and Yunlin County, Taiwan, the Formosa Plastics Group has left a global track record that demonstrates how the rights and safety of local communities and workers, as well as the environment and public health, have become casualties of corporate profit,” the report alleged That year, Formosa Plastics agreed to pay $2.85 million in civil penalties and to improve its risk management program to resolve alleged violations of the Chemical Accident Prevention Provisions of the Clean Air Act at its petrochemical manufacturing plant in Point Comfort In 2022, advocacy groups persuaded Louisiana’s 19th Judicial District Court to cancel 14 air pollution permits granted by the state's Department of Environmental Quality, which would have allowed Formosa Plastics to build the largest plastics plant in the world After the December protest in Livingston – and her subsequent arrest – Camryn Edwards accused Formosa of “prioritizing profits” over the health of communities “Despite repeated calls for accountability and transparency Formosa Plastics has failed to address these critical issues and continues to downplay their impact,” Edwards said and it is time for the company to be held accountable for its actions.” Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Livingston Facebook page. Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. yesterday posted a small profit for its major four units of NT$715 million (US$21.69 million) for the fourth quarter and NT$8.37 billion for last year blaming languid demand and China’s overproduction The fourth-quarter results represented a comeback from losses of NT$8.03 billion in the preceding quarter The poor earnings came even though combined revenues last year slipped only 2.1 percent to NT$1.47 trillion amid lingering excessive supply induced by Chinese peers the group said it would issue moderate year-end bonuses equivalent to three months of wages for its employees later this month The conglomerate said it is looking at business improvement this year for petrochemical products but voiced concern that US president-elect Donald Trump’s planned tariff hikes would slow the pace of recovery engaged primarily in the business of refining crude oil selling refined petroleum products and producing and selling olefins from its naphtha-cracking operations last quarter emerged from losses by posting a profit of NT$1.27 billion indirect investment and foreign exchange benefits the company said in a stock exchange filing Similar reasons enabled the unit to book NT$5.944 billion of net income for the whole of last year whose main business involves producing processed plastic and chemical products last quarter saw its profit surge more than threefold to NT$280 million the company indirectly benefited from materials used in the development of artificial intelligence Nan Ya reported a net income of NT$3.32 billion as the negative impact of global inflation and monetary tightening lessened giving its customers renewed interest in rebuilding their inventories the figures indicated a 47.4 percent retreat from a year earlier which produces and sells petrochemical products nylon fibers and rayon staple fibers in Taiwan and abroad booked losses of NT$1.07 billion for the fourth quarter of last year dragged by the falling international oil price and a supply glut The subsidiary managed a tiny profit of NT$379 million for last year The company said it would seek to diversify its markets beyond China and focus on products that generate higher margins a vertically integrated supplier of plastic resins and petrochemicals climbed out of the woods in the foruth quarter with a net income of NT$234 million Core businesses continued to take losses and an investment in Fxuin Special Steel Co (福欣特殊鋼) a Chinese company based in China’s Fujian Province We take on many of the biggest environmental and health challenges of our time and stick with them. The law makes change. Press Room Stricter rules on soot pollution could put Formosa Plastics in danger of losing its permits to operate Dustin Renaud, drenaud@earthjustice.org it will increase soot air pollution beyond legally allowable limits meant to protect public health Wingra Engineering produced a cumulative impact report which found the air in St James Parish and vicinity is already heavily saturated with PM2.5 emissions especially in violation of the soot standard that protects residents against long-term impacts from exposure to soot of a year or more The report also found violations of the national short-term exposure standard for soot in 18 pockets across the same area Formosa Plastics would worsen many of these violations James Parish already suffers from some of the poorest air quality in the nation Local residents have raised public health concerns for decades The new modeling confirms their concern that the region is already oversaturated finding extensive violations of health-based standards for soot when including all sources of pollution in the area as well as Formosa Plastics’ proposed emissions Formosa Plastics’ massive amount of proposed soot pollution would make air quality significantly worse than it already is “The findings from this new modeling are deeply concerning for our community I worry everyday about the air our children are breathing James Parish already suffers from poor air quality and Formosa Plastics’ proposed complex would make it even worse We must protect our families and ensure that the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality works for the people.” Federal public health standards must be upheld for Formosa to be granted its operating permit then the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) must deny their Title V operating permit “This modeling makes it clear that LDEQ must substantially reduce Formosa Plastics’ soot pollution or deny its application to renew its expiring air permits altogether to comply with the Clean Air Act and state law,” says Michael Brown a nonprofit public interest environmental law firm James Parish which is already choked with unhealthy levels of soot pollution from existing industrial sources LDEQ has dragged its feet for many years while residents have suffered then the Environmental Protection Agency is obligated to step in.” Cumulative impacts on air quality from oil and petrochemical facilities in the region known as Cancer Alley are of particular concern to residents The Wingra Engineering report performs cumulative impact computer modeling using Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-approved methods and software showing the combined effects of Formosa Plastics’ and other industrial sources’ emissions of PM2.5 on the surrounding area’s air quality for soot It relies entirely on Formosa Plastics’ own data and assumptions that the company submitted to LDEQ as part of its application Earthjustice submitted a comment letter and the expert air modeling report on behalf of RISE St and Earthworks imploring LDEQ to uphold its legal obligation to address the wider air quality violations in St James Parish to bring the region into compliance is one of the criteria pollutants that EPA closely regulates for human health EPA announced that it was lowering the allowable levels of PM2.5 in ambient air a measure that would save Americans a lot of money the EPA projects “for every $1 spent from this action there could be as much as $77 in human health benefits in 2032.” A recent study found that soot or fine particulate matter causes between 85,000-200,000 deaths every year. According to the American Lung Association, 63 million Americans experience unhealthy spikes in daily soot and more than 20 million Americans experience dangerous levels of soot pollution on a year-round basis Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people's health to preserve magnificent places and wildlife We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer “It is my privilege to speak for these wild places and wild creatures in the federal court system.” Stay informed on how we hold accountable those who break our environmental laws © 2025 Earthjustice. We respect your privacy speaking out against pollution issues related to PVC production Ted Goldberg | August 2, 2024 | Business, Energy & Environment A large protest at Formosa Plastics’ American headquarters in Livingston led to the arrests of six people Friday morning Formosa Plastics has raised the ire of protesters hoping to bring more attention to the company’s history of pollution in Texas a Texas native who says she’s been arrested around 15 times while protesting was one of the people taken into custody by the Livingston Police Department “That is the only way to get attention with Formosa,” she said “You have to get right in their face and you got to make it so they don’t forget who you are.” Formosa Plastics did not respond to a request for comment Friday but told employees to work from home Friday in response to the protest Ted Goldberg is a correspondent for NJ Spotlight News with nearly a decade of experience telling stories about a wide variety of topics SUBSCRIBE NJ Spotlight is part of The WNET Group and is operated by WNET a non-profit organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code a pair of office buildings totaling 310K SF in Newport Beach the Orange County Business Journal reported to provide property management for 5000 Birch In September, Formosa bought a pair of 1980s-built San Diego office buildings known as Symphony Towers from Irvine Co Lincoln handles property management there as well Brian Russell has joined CBRE's national partners industrial and logistics capital markets team in Southern California as an executive vice president where he led the Southern California life sciences team as a managing director During his 13-year commercial real estate career he has been involved in over $20B in transactions Crescent Heights, a Miami-based investor, dropped $240M on a 350-unit, 25-story complex in Santa Ana, The Real Deal reported The deal works out to nearly $686K per unit CBRE facilitated the $11.6M sale of Poway Valley Center a retail property at 13314-13340 Poway Road in Poway to Badal Satasiya Joel Wilson and Michael Peterson represented the seller Strands Realty Group’s Jimmy Leach and Erik Ransdell along with Michael and Anthony Annunziata represented the buyer Spin Master signed a lease to expand and relocate its Los Angeles office to 132K SF in The Collective Tishman Speyer’s creative office campus in Playa Vista Spin Master signed a multiyear lease for space across three full buildings in the five-building campus UCLA Health signed a 22K SF lease renewal at a three-story 55K SF medical office building at 2825 Santa Monica Blvd The space primarily serves as a research lab and medical office space associated with the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center Chris Isola and Monica Enes represented the landlord UCLA Health was represented in-house by Matt Ceragioli and Greg Park NAI Capital Commercial’s Ivan Hopkins and Mark O’Brien brokered the deal on behalf of TMG The landlord was represented by Sep Melamed of Prime Properties in the transaction TMG will occupy the second and third floors following renovations The location will house independent beauty professionals Colliers Downtown Los Angeles retail team negotiated a ground lease with In-N-Out for a roughly 63K SF lot at the southwest corner of Atlantic and Gage avenues in Bell James Rodriguez and Michael Bohorquez of Colliers represented the ownership team 24-month loan in West Hollywood through its affiliate The loan supports the purchase and renovation of a multifamily property off of La Cienega Boulevard and Melrose Avenue at 626 N a mix of one and two bedrooms plus a two-bedroom penthouse The borrower is planning renovations to vacant units You are subscribed to the Bisnow Los Angeles Newsletter or click here to copy link to clipboard We will email you a link to reset your password Upcoming regulations in the European Union require us to show this pop-up and ask you to agree to keep using Bisnow.com We want to take 15 seconds to tell you what's going on: 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Formosa Pharmaceuticals (6838.TW) reports completion and successful top-line results from CPN-303 a Phase 3 clinical study of APP13007 (GPN00833) conducted in Chinese cataract surgery patients by licensee a novel ophthalmic nanosuspension formulation of the potent corticosteroid was recently approved and launched in the United States for the treatment of post-operative inflammation and pain following ocular surgery.  Grand Pharma obtained exclusive rights from Formosa Pharma in 2021 for the commercialization of APP13007 in Mainland China double-blind trial in China that evaluated APP13007 versus matching placebo (2:1 ratio) in 255 subjects following cataract surgery.  Similar to Phase 3 studies the primary endpoints were complete and sustained resolution of ocular inflammation and pain after cataract surgery 91.2% of subjects on APP13007 were free of ocular pain (ocular pain = 0) by POD4 and remained pain-free through POD15 as compared to only 55.3% of subjects taking placebo (p<0.001) APP13007 treatment was well tolerated with a safety profile similar to that of placebo and the pharmacokinetic profile also aligned with expectations "Formosa Pharma congratulates our partners at Grand Pharma on their successful and swift execution of this Phase 3 study in Chinese patients.  We are pleased to note that the results of their trial are consistent with observations and outcomes of our United States trials.  We look forward to working with Grand Pharma toward their commercial launch in China." said Erick Co This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Please email if you would like to be allow listed TechTarget and Informa Tech’s Digital Business Combine.TechTarget and Informa we power an unparalleled network of 220+ online properties covering 10,000+ granular topics serving an audience of 50+ million professionals with original We help you gain critical insights and make more informed decisions across your business priorities 'We know this isn’t ideal...But this approach lets us respect the ongoing strike while continuing to deliver new content.' Since League's PC version is a struck title union actors aren't allowed to record lines for it while the strike is active skins for champions with actors based in the United States will use already-recorded "base voiceovers (VO)" rather than lines done by different actors the studio will update those affected skins with new lines from their original actors "as soon as scheduling and availability will allow." and actors change their performance and record new lines to reflect that theming Riot said its new 'policy' only affects English-language voices so other languages will have custom VO "as planned." It also noted that while the mobile game League of Legends: Wild Rift is not struck it will ship character skins with similar base VO if an actor for that title opts to not record in solidarity with their peers and we understand it’s frustrating to have to wait for custom VO," said Riot "But this approach lets us respect the ongoing strike while continuing to deliver new content We’re committed to bringing you updated VO with the quality you expect as soon as we can." Riot was pulled further into the strike's orbit when the actors union filed an unfair labor charge against Formosa and accused it of seeking non-union talent on a struck game from Riot Shortly after, the developer released a statement saying it was uninvolved in Formosa's alleged behavior and that the project in question "relates to a non-Riot [title] and has nothing to do with League or any of our games." Formosa had also dismissed SAG-AFTRA's accusations at the time saying it "has not acted in any manner to undermine employee or union rights and talent to support global game development in a way that is safe and ethical for all." Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo Don't ask him about how much gum he's had because the answer will be more than he's willing to admit This website is owned and operated by Informa TechTarget influences and connects the world’s technology buyers and sellers Informa PLC’s registered office is 5 Howick Place As world leaders work on a global treaty to address mounting harms from plastics pollution, a Texas plastics plant seen as a “serial” corporate polluter is in the crosshairs of environmentalists who say the operation provides a prime example of the need for a halt to petrochemical development The Formosa Point Comfort Plant on the Central Texas Coast has achieved notoriety for its persistence in defying efforts to rein in pollution illegally dumping plastic pellets into area waterways for decades The facility racked up more than $23 million in fines as of Nov. 12 for failure to comply with a 2019 consent decree requiring it to achieve “zero discharge” of plastic waste and clean up nearby waterways according to records provided by the San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper The records indicate that the plant has committed more than 700 violations of the consent decree and the restrictions of its state permit by discharging plastic waste since the consent decree went into effect including over 140 violations this year alone “We can confidently say that they’re discharging plastic every single day into the bay,” said Diane Wilson, a Waterkeeper member and former fisherwoman who was arrested in August for protesting at Formosa’s US headquarters in New Jersey you can bet that all the other plastic plants out there Protesters plan to gather outside the Texas Formosa facility next week to highlight the plant’s ongoing environmental violations and to urge President Biden to issue a moratorium on petrochemical development in the final days of his term Activists also are planning a similar rally outside the Formosa Plastics US headquarters in New Jersey They also plan to march outside the branch locations of Bank of America and Wells Fargo to highlight their “financing of major plastic polluters.” a community infamously nicknamed “Cancer Alley” for its high cancer rates they are calling for an independent study to assess any lingering pollution from a Formosa chemical spill in Vietnam and the release of Vietnamese activists who spoke out after the incident The protests coincide with the meeting of delegates from the US and more than 170 countries in Busan, South Korea, where the world leaders are attempting to finalize a global treaty to address plastic pollution Plastic pollution is “one of the biggest environmental issues facing the planet,” according to the United Nations (UN). Each year, more than 430 million tonnes of plastic are produced creating “devastating consequences for wildlife human health and the global economy,” the UN states Plastic pollution is on track to nearly triple by 2060 according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Plastics are a major product of the petrochemical industry since their ingredients are derived from fossil fuels Refined petroleum called naphtha is used as a feedstock for making the building blocks of plastics Though Taiwan-based Formosa is but one player in the massive plastics/petrochemical industry it’s ongoing failures to limit its discharges and criticisms of regulators charged with overseeing the facility underscore the widespread issue with pollution from US plastics plants Earlier this month, the watchdog group Environmental Integrity Project released an analysis of 70 facilities across the US The report concluded that inadequate oversight from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state regulators has contributed to a growing pollution problem from facilities across the nation even as the plastics industry booms The report listed the Formosa Point Comfort plant as one of the 2022 top dischargers of dioxins which it calls “one of the most toxic chemicals known to science,” and a 2023 top discharger of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients that can lead to toxic algae blooms asserting that it is acting “responsibly.” Formosa ensures that plastic materials are managed responsibly reducing environmental impact and aligning with industry standards for sustainability,” a spokesperson for the company said “We believe we are an industry leader and continuously evaluate opportunities to enhance our containment efforts.” In a video about its sustainability practices the company said it has worked to reduce its environmental impact by limiting the amount of water it discharges and installing “sophisticated plastic removal technologies that provide ultra-filtration of its processed wastewater.” Formosa also said it is building a more than 150-acre stormwater collection system that will be able to contain a 50-year storm event Wilson has been fighting Formosa for years alleging the illegal discharges of plastic pellets and other pollutants the company agreed to a $50 million settlement pledging to put money into a trust to pay for pollution mitigation habitat restoration and other environmental work “You could just go out and see it,” Wilson said of the pollution “I would take a kayak and paddle right up to the [company discharge sites] and there would be plastic everywhere.” Wilson estimates that she and her team collected over 24 million plastic pellets from miles of shoreline near the bay the creek and surrounding wetlands and beaches which they later bagged and dragged into the courthouse on a cart Formosa agreed to build a wastewater sampling mechanism that measures plastic powder or pellets in samples of discharge which have been collected regularly since the equipment began operating in 2021 While the consent decree requires the company to report all violations to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Wilson says the agency has long failed to issue violations of its own accord “They know what Formosa has done,” said Wilson “They know that what’s been discharged could impact the bay they don’t want tough enforcement against industry In his June 2019 decision Hoyt called Formosa a “serial offender” with “enormous” violations citing the evidence for more than 1,000 days of plastic discharge brought forward by the plaintiffs The fact that Formosa had only received six citations from TCEQ “merely shows the difficulty or inability of the TCEQ to bring Formosa into compliance with its Permit restrictions,” wrote Hoyt Last March, more than 65 organizations signed a letter calling on TCEQ to require Formosa Plastics to update its monitoring “to accurately determine whether Formosa Plastics’ discharge is harming Lavaca Bay,” citing a 2022 study from the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico that found a long-term decline in the health of the bay In April of 2019, the agency issued a Notice of Enforcement that initiated an enforcement action after finding “floating white debris of various sizes” at an outfall discharge location in Lavaca Bay and near the mouth of the Lavaca River during investigations TCEQ staff also reported finding plastic pellets flowing past the facility fenceline at several outfalls “The matter is being litigated and TCEQ declines to comment on pending litigation,” said a spokesperson for the agency Formosa is currently in the process of applying for permits to operate 21 injection wells which would enable the company to dispose of its waste underground “The operator of an injection well permitted by the TCEQ is prohibited from conducting injection activities that would allow movement of fluid that would pollute an [underground source of drinking water],” said TCEQ adding that the agency requires monitoring of injection well activities and an annual test of the well’s integrity However, a petition submitted to the EPA by Texas environmental groups in March asked federal regulators to revoke the state’s injection well permitting program for oil and gas wastewater stating: “The conflict between Texas’ failure to protect drinking water resources and the State’s focus on the extraction of oil and gas resources is putting millions of acre-feet of drinking water at risk.” Wilson worries the wells are really a way for the company to skirt the consent decree and potentially open another can of worms you can bet they are going to be trying to push what they can put down these injection wells,” said Wilson “Everything’s self-reporting and it’s just another nightmare.” (Featured image: plastic pollution from the Formosa Point Comfort Plant Photo by San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper.) Receive the latest news and environmental insights by subscribing to our newsletter This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License © Environmental Working Group document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " This work, Marine Forces South commander visits Brazilian Marine Corps’ Exercise Formosa [Image 9 of 9], by Cpl Aaron TorresLemus, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. The G7 foreign ministers met in Rome last week, dedicating the bulk of their discussions to supporting Ukraine – its issues were highlighted immediately after the introduction in the final statement. The participants condemned the use of an Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile as reckless and escalatory behavior, warned North Korea against aiding Russia, and pledged to begin distributing funds from a $50 billion loan package to Ukraine by the end of the year. The choice of venue was no coincidence, as Italy holds the G7 presidency in 2024. Ukrinform spoke with the Italian Ambassador to Ukraine, Carlo Formosa, ahead of Italy handing over this role to Canada in 2025. In his first interview with Ukrainian media, Formosa discussed the G7 meeting and Italy's support for Ukraine. KYIV MUST BE IN STRONG AND SOLID POSITION FOR PEACE TALKS – During the meeting in Italy, the G7 ministers condemned in the strongest possible terms Russia's nuclear rhetoric, stating that the use of an intermediate-range ballistic missile on November 21 was further evidence of its reckless and escalatory behavior. Do you believe this statement is sufficient given the Kremlin's ongoing escalation? – Our ultimate goal remains to reach a comprehensive, just and lasting peace, capable of restoring full respect for the fundamental principles of international law, blatantly breached by Russia. To that end, we will continue engaging also with global partners and actors — let me mention China, India, and Brazil - to achieve the widest possible international support for the key principles and objectives of Ukraine’s Peace Formula, in line with international law. After more than 1000 days of war, the G7 support for Ukraine will remain unwavering, as it is necessary for Kyiv to be in a strong and solid position for any peace talks or negotiations. Yet we are not seeing any sign of openness to a peaceful solution from Russia, the aggressor State. – President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking at the European Political Community Summit in Budapest, emphasized the need to stick to the concept of "peace through strength" while warning of the consequences of making concessions to Russia. Do the G7 countries share this position? – I believe that this overall reflects a concept G7 countries have been defending since the onset of the aggression, which is that our support to Ukraine for as long as it takes is aimed at reaching the conditions for a just and lasting peace, based on the UN Charter and respectful of Ukraine itself. The ultimate goal is to put Ukraine in the condition of being able to decide how to shape any future negotiating process. G7 FULLY COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING DECENTRILIZATION OF UKRAINE'S ENERGY GRID – Russia is once again attacking Ukraine's critical infrastructure, trying to cause a humanitarian crisis this winter. What level of support for our power grid can we expect from the G7 countries? – The Italian G7 Presidency attaches the highest priority to recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine, with a specific focus on its energy sector. Timely protection, repair and reconstruction of its energy grid bear direct relevance for the Ukrainian people’s livelihood, as well as for the resilience of its production system. As winter approaches, Italy is ready to support Ukraine through concrete steps. Last September in New York, Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani co-chaired, together with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the G7+ Ministerial Meeting, to raise awareness and accelerate international support. VAST MAJORITY OF ITALY’S PARLIAMENT ENDORSED ALL MEASURES OF SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE – Democratic countries are facing the rise of populism, and the G7 countries are no exception. Some politicians tend to blame Ukraine for its internal problems and even accuse it of provoking Russian aggression. Do you see this as a challenge to your support for Ukraine? How can you consistently convey to the public who the true aggressor is and who the victim is? – I believe facts speak louder than words. As of September 2024, Italy has welcomed over 173 thousand Ukrainians — making us the fourth European country in terms of arrivals — showing great solidarity, supporting them and helping them settle into society, with full access to healthcare, education and other basic services on an equal footing with Italian citizens. – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's call to Vladimir Putin, reportedly coordinated closely with the G7 countries, was met with criticism in Ukraine, with some viewing it as a weakening of the Kremlin leader's isolation. Does this mean the G7 countries are changing their strategic approach to Russia, from isolation to seeking dialogue? Each country and each leader is free to make their own choices, but we feel that any step without previous coordination is doomed to be ineffective. The priority for Italy is to continue to act united to make sure there is a broad peace conference with all sides and relevant actors at the table to find shared, sustainable, just and lasting solutions. UKRAINE RECOVERY CONFERENCE IN ROME WILL FOCUS ON ENERGY, INFRASTRUCTURE, DEFENSE INDUSTRY, AND AGRI-BUSINESS – This year, the Italian Embassy in Kyiv has been responsible for coordinating the G7 Ambassadors' Support Group in Ukraine, focusing on supporting the government and people of Ukraine in their domestic reform efforts, with particular emphasis on strengthening the rule of law, tackling corruption, judicial reform, decentralization, promoting democracy, and transitioning to a green economy. What is the balance of activities for 2024? – Ukraine is now a candidate to the EU, with negotiations for its accession open and ongoing since last June: this is a historic milestone for Ukraine. Italy will continue its commitment in this field also through the next year in the framework of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome, which will have a specific focus, among others, on supporting country’s efforts in the alignment with EU’s acquis. – How will the agenda of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome differ from that of similar conferences held in Lugano, London, and Berlin? – By hosting the Ukraine Recovery Conference in 2025, Italy intends to foster an inclusive and results-oriented approach. In continuity with the Berlin edition, the agenda will focus on four key dimensions: the involvement of the private sector, the local dimension, the reform process for EU membership and the development of human capital. Preparatory events will be devoted to each of these areas, and the human capital event will take place in Kyiv. Italy aims to identify concrete deliverables for each area, in close cooperation with Ukraine, which will co-chair the event, and with the support of other international donors. There will be a special focus on crosscutting themes and strategic sectors for reconstruction, such as energy, infrastructure, defense industry, and agri-business. Online media entity; Media identifier - R40-01421. © 2015-2025 Ukrinform. All rights reserved. by Nicole Carpenter LinkImage: Riot GamesNicole Carpenter is a senior reporter specializing in investigative features about labor issues in the game industry as well as the business and culture of games.The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists announced Tuesday that it’s adding Riot Games’ League of Legends as a struck game — meaning union voice actors currently working on the game must stop SAG-AFTRA is also filing an unfair labor practice charge against sound company Formosa Interactive over what it alleged was an attempt to circumvent the ongoing strike obtained by Polygon from a SAG-AFTRA representative SAG-AFTRA went into further detail: It alleged Formosa transferred work to a company called Formosa Ocean Post which is not signed to the Interactive Media Agreement LLC and Formosa Ocean Post are listed with the same mailing address in California’s business directory; Formosa Interactive was filed for registration in 2013 while Formosa Ocean Post was filed in 2014 In addition to labeling the casting notices as “non-union,” SAG-AFTRA alleged that Formosa Interactive required in these casting notices “overly broad confidentiality provisions.” Riot Games “SAG-AFTRA charges that these serious actions are egregious violations of core tenets of labor law – that employers cannot interfere with performers’ rights to form or join a union and they cannot discriminate against union performers,” a SAG-AFTRA representative wrote in the news release “The unilateral and surreptitious transfer of union work to a ‘non-union shell company is an impermissible and appalling attempt to evade a strike action and destroy performers’ rights under labor law.” A League of Legends representative provided the following statement to Polygon: Notably, The League of Legends World Championship 2024 is slated to start on Wednesday. League of Legends Worlds are the pinnacle of the game’s esports scene and will span London, Paris, and Berlin over more than a month. Voice actors are rarely involved in the event, but if any plans were made to include them, the actors would no longer be able to participate while abiding by the strike rules. Following publication, Formosa Group senior vice president Paul Lipson told Polygon, via a statement, that the company “fully reject[s] SAG-AFTRA’s allegations.” It continued: We fully reject SAG-AFTRA’s allegations and have not acted in any manner to undermine employee or union rights, nor our relationship with the union. We believe the strike of League of Legends, a game unrelated to the union’s claims, is not appropriate. We stand with developers, publishers, platform holders, and talent to support global game development in a way that is safe and ethical for all. Update: This story has been updated to include details from SAG-AFTRA’s unfair labor charge, as well as a statement from Riot Games. Update (Sept. 25): We’ve updated this story to add a statement from Formosa Group. The best of Polygon in your inbox, every Friday. Formosa Smart Energy Tech has launched mass production at its NT$10 billion (US$320 million) battery cell and module factory in Taiwan's Changbin Industrial Zone Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site The acquisition will be supported by financial backing from J&V Energy's partners a wholly owned subsidiary of J&V Energy has announced an agreement with Macquarie Asset Management (MAM) to acquire 26% equity and debt interests in the 376MW Formosa 2 offshore wind farm.   The acquisition will be supported by financial backing from J&V Energy’s partners Taiwan Life Insurance and He Jun Energy.   will provide long-term asset management services as part of the transaction.  the Formosa 2 offshore wind farm features 47 Siemens Gamesa 8.0MW wind turbine generators that have been supplying power to approximately 380,000 Taiwanese households annually since their grid connection in March 2023 The project was developed by MAM in collaboration with JERA and Synera Renewable Energy and is one of Taiwan’s pioneering large-scale offshore wind projects MAM Green Investments head of renewable energy and head of Asia-Pacific Edward Northam said: “Macquarie was an early participant in Taiwan’s offshore wind industry “We proudly supported the early development and construction of offshore wind projects three Taiwanese investors committed to supporting the Formosa 2 project during its operational life and Taiwan’s energy transition.”  This acquisition represents J&V Energy’s initial foray into operational wind farm investments within Taiwan.   It builds upon the company’s previous experience in developing and investing in other Taiwanese wind projects such as Formosa 4 and 5 J&V Energy deputy CEO Kai Tan said: “Formosa 2 Offshore Wind Farm represents a compelling scale opportunity for J&V Energy to secure long-term contracted cash flows with Taipower and demonstrates our continuing commitment to Taiwan’s energy transition ambitions “We look forward to joining JERA and Synera Renewable Energy in delivering lasting operational success for the asset.”  View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network This partnership aims to enhance ophthalmic care by providing better treatment for post-operative inflammation and pain in patients across 11 countries.