Chinese consumers travel and spend less, LVMH deupty CEO says
PARIS, May 28 (Reuters) - French luxury group LVMH (LVMH.PA), opens new tab has noticed Chinese consumers have been travelling and spending less over the past three months, Deputy CEO Stephane Bianchi said on Wednesday.
Demand in the United States, however, showed some first signs of a rebound, but as long as trade tensions with the European Union over threatened tariffs are not being eased, the climate will remain difficult, he added.
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The Sun
32 minutes ago
- The Sun
Drake UK and Europe tour 2025: How to get tickets — plus Manchester's Co-Op Live seating plan
Canadian superstar Drake has officially announced his 2025 UK tour — $ome $pecial $hows 4 UK. Marking his first UK and European performances since 2019, here's everything you need to know so you don't miss out on tickets. 3 3 In the summer of 2025, following on his headline appearances at the Wireless Festival in London from July 11 to 13, Drake will extend his presence in the UK with four additional tour dates. These shows will take place at two iconic venues — Birmingham's Utilita Arena and Manchester's Co-op Live: July 20, 2025 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham July 21, 2025 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham July 25, 2025 – Co-op Live, Manchester July 26, 2025 – Co-op Live, Manchester He's then going on a massive European tour: July 30, 2025 — Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam, Netherlands July 31 — Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam, Netherlands August 7, 2025 — Sportpaleis, Antwerp, Belgium August 11, 2025 — Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland August 15, 2025 — Lanxess Arena, Cologne, Germany August 16, 2025 — Lanxess Arena, Cologne, Germany August 21, 2025 — Avicii Arena, Stockholm, Sweden August 22, 2025 — Avicii Arena, Stockholm, Sweden August 24, 2025 — Royal Arena, Copenhagen, Denmark August 25, 2025 — Royal Arena, Copenhagen, Denmark August 29, 2025 — Unipol Forum, Milan, Italy August 30, 2025 — Unipol Forum, Milan, Italy September 7, 2025 — Accor Arena, Paris, France September 8, 2025 — Accor Arena, Paris, France September 11, 2025 — Uber Arena, Berlin, Germany September 12, 2025 — Uber Arena, Berlin, Germany September 16, 2025 — Olympiahalle, Munich, Germany September 18, 2025 — Olympiahalle, Munich, Germany September 22 and 23 at Barclays Arena in Hamburg, Germany Joining him on tour is special guest PartyNextDoor, a longtime collaborator and fellow OVO Sound artist, adding extra excitement for fans. Sharing the news on Instagram, Drake said: "FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 6 YEARS, DRAKE PERFORMING THE HITS, OLD AND NEW, ACROSS THE WATERS." This announcement set the stage for what promises to be a memorable summer of music, with fans eager to secure tickets as soon as they become available. Ticket information Tickets for the $ome $pecial $hows 4 UK tour will go on general sale on Friday, June 6, 2025, at 12 pm. They will be available through major platforms including Live Nation, Ticketmaster and AXS. To get ahead of the crowd, fans should ensure they have accounts set up on these sites before the sale begins. Presale Presale opportunities are available, starting Wednesday, June 4 at 12 pm via Live Nation, Ticketmaster, SeatUnique and AXS. There's another presale starting on Thursday, June 5 at 12 pm through SeatUnique. These presales offer fans multiple chances to grab tickets before the general public sale. Ticket prices Ticket prices have yet to be confirmed, but are expected to align with typical arena concert pricing for an artist of Drake 's caliber. For those seeking a premium experience, VIP ticket packages will be on offer. These include benefits such as faster entry through VIP entrances, premium seating in the best sections of the venue and access to hospitality lounges before and after the show, with certain VIP packages also featuring food and drinks. Fans interested in VIP tickets can register their interest via SeatUnique, which also hosts the official Co-op Live Premium Afterparty in the Hideaway, enhancing the overall concert experience. Seating plan Manchester's Co-op Live, where Drake will perform on July 25 and 26, is one of the UK's newest and largest indoor arenas, offering state-of-the-art facilities and a flexible seating plan. 3 The venue features a large standing floor area near the stage, tiered seating in lower and upper sections, accessible seating options and VIP areas. The stage is positioned at one end, providing excellent sightlines throughout the arena. Co-op Live is located on the Etihad Campus, approximately a 25-minute walk from Manchester Piccadilly Station, with frequent tram services to the nearby Etihad Campus stop. On event days, Metrolink travel is often included with tickets for four hours before and after the show. Parking is available, but must be booked in advance. Top tips Don't wait until the morning of the sale to register — set up accounts with suppliers ahead of time Don't leave accounts unverified — a phone number and passcode may need to be set up Avoid assuming old accounts are active — if you already have an account, check that it's still working, your billing info is accurate and saved, and ensure you know the password Poor internet connection — ensure your internet signal is strong Low batteries — check devices you use are plugged in and/or fully charged Avoid refreshing the page while in the waiting room — ticketing sites use queuing systems where the page updates automatically, so once in the queue it's a good idea to just wait and keep your fingers crossed Drake's 2025 tour is shaping up to be a landmark event, combining his classic hits with new material and supported by PartyNextDoor. Fans should act quickly to avoid disappointment.
Reuters
38 minutes ago
- Reuters
Sanofi to buy US biopharma group Blueprint for up to $9.5 billion
PARIS, June 2 (Reuters) - France's Sanofi has agreed to buy U.S.-based Blueprint Medicines Corporation for up to $9.5 billion to boost its position in rare immunology diseases, in the biggest deal struck by a European healthcare company so far this year, according to LSEG data. Blueprint (BPMC.O), opens new tab is a specialist in treatments for systemic mastocytosis, a rare blood disorder. Sign up here. The two companies said on Monday that Sanofi ( opens new tab would initially pay $129.00 per share in cash, or around $9.1 billion. Blueprint shares jumped 27% to $128.74 in premarket trade. Sanofi stock was down about 1%. Sanofi has ramped up research and development spending in recent years, prompting the company to abandon its long-term profit margin targets two years ago, as it seeks to build on the success of its blockbuster drug Dupixent for eczema and other conditions. However, it suffered a setback last week after an experimental drug for patients with a lung condition commonly called "smoker's lung" failed a late-stage trial. The Blueprint acquisition "represents a strategic step forward in our rare and immunology portfolios. It enhances our pipeline and accelerates our transformation into the world's leading immunology company," said Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson. The deal would add to Sanofi's portfolio the rare immunology disease drug Ayvakit, also known as Ayvakyt, approved in the U.S. and the EU, and a promising advanced and early-stage immunology pipeline. Ayvakit is the only approved medicine for advanced and indolent systemic mastocytosis, a rare blood disorder that occurs when the body makes abnormal mast cells - a type of white blood cell. It triggers a continuous allergic response. The acquisition would also bring elenestinib, a next-generation medicine for systemic mastocytosis, as well as BLU-808, a highly selective and potent oral wild-type KIT inhibitor that has the potential to treat a broad range of diseases in immunology. The deal makes "strategic and financial sense", said JP Morgan analysts in a note, noting that Blueprint expects Ayvakit to reach annual sales of around $2 billion by fiscal year 2030. "We see the transaction as a good fit for Sanofi at a sensible valuation, which investors should see as a positive with time," they added. It is the latest in a series of deals by Sanofi. Last month, it announced the $470 million purchase of Vigil Neuroscience (VIGL.O), opens new tab and in January 2024 it struck a $2.2 billion deal for U.S biotech firm Inhibrx. Hudson said the deal complemented Sanofi's recent acquisitions of other early-stage medicines and added that it still retained a sizable capacity for further deals. The company has said it plans to invest at least $20 billion in the United States through 2030 to boost manufacturing and research, joining other drugmakers in responding to President Donald Trump's drive to boost local manufacturing. Besides $129.00 per share in cash, Blueprint shareholders would also receive one non-tradeable contingent value right (CVR) per share, which would entitle the holder to receive two potential milestone payments of $2 and $4 per CVR for the achievement, respectively, of future development and regulatory milestones for BLU-808. The total equity value of the transaction, including potential CVR payments, is $9.5 billion on a fully diluted basis. It is expected to close in the third quarter, pending regulatory and shareholder approvals.
BreakingNews.ie
an hour ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Soft-focus interview positions Bardella as leader-in-waiting of France's far-right
Jordan Bardella, the 29-year-old wunderkind of France's far right National Rally (RN), says he grew up wanting to be Superman, or James Bond. These days, he dreams of marrying a tall brunette with a strong personality. Mr Bardella was profiled on "An Intimate Ambition", a Sunday night primetime TV show short on tough political questions but long on the kind of personal vignettes that could broaden his appeal for 2027, when he could well be the RN's presidential candidate at the expense of his mentor, Marine Le Pen. Advertisement She and Bardella have forged one of France's most formidable political tag teams in recent years, fusing her experience with his youthful drive to transform the once-taboo RN into France's largest single parliamentary party. But the woman once widely seen as a front-runner for 2027 has seen her chances of contesting a fourth presidential election collapse after receiving a five-year political ban in March for party financing offences. Far-right rift? She has appealed and insists she remains the RN's 2027 candidate. But Mr Bardella, who spearheaded the RN's parliamentary election campaign last year, has been quick to say he will run if she cannot, and the French press has been awash with speculation about a rift. Stephane Rozes, head of the political consultancy Cap, said Ms Le Pen's ban had boosted the RN's free-market wing, who prefer Mr Bardella's pro-business views to her more statist, socially oriented policies. Advertisement "The uncertainties surrounding the candidacy have sharpened the differences in approach," Mr Rozes said. Audience data suggested over a million people watched Sunday's show, which presented a softer, more approachable version of Mr Bardella, featuring teary chats with his parents and workouts in the gym. Recent trips to the United States, Israel and Abu Dhabi appear designed to counter suggestions that Mr Bardella lacks foreign policy experience. Real or imagine, Le Pen-Bardella rivalry looms Several opinion polls taken since Ms Le Pen's conviction have put her neck-and-neck with Mr Bardella in a putative 2027 first-round vote, suggesting voters do not view her as irreplaceable. Advertisement Ms Le Pen has become increasingly prickly about Mr Bardella. Last week, during a visit to the restive French overseas territory of New Caledonia, she sneered: "I'm not sure Jordan knows New Caledonia's problems very well." "I assure you," Mr Bardella replied the same day, "I understand the overseas issues very well." RN officials dismiss talk of tensions. "The media are on the lookout for a statement from Marine or Jordan to support the story they're imagining," said RN lawmaker and spokesperson Laurent Jacobelli. "They support each other, and I don't think the rumours affect our leaders." There have been consistent rumours of a feud between Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen. Photo: AFP via Getty Images Louis Aliot, RN mayor of the southern city of Perpignan, said Ms Le Pen's focus on New Caledonia demonstrated how they complemented each other. Advertisement "Marine has been following the New Caledonia situation for almost 20 years," he said. "Jordan has never been there. That means he doesn't know it like she does." But while RN officials deny the idea of a rift in private too, they acknowledge Ms Le Pen may be unable to overturn her ban, and say Mr Bardella would be a formidable candidate. "Either can win," said a senior RN official, declining to be named. In "An Intimate Ambition", which was filmed before Ms Le Pen's conviction, Mr Bardella was coy about 2027, but less so about his competitiveness in sport. "I really like to win," he said. "I don't like to lose."
