Feb 21




If, on the political front, he has decided to maintain the suspense, the director general of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Dominique Strauss-Kahn did not go around the bush to discuss the global economic crisis. "Considerable progress is being made, [...], but they are much too slow, we are far from", says in an interview face to readers of Le Parisien, Aujourd'hui en France published Monday.

The crisis in Europe

As the world tries to get out somehow this economic and financial crisis, Dominique Strauss-Kahn warned, using its ambiguous wording. "You mouth holes but others are created. The act of drawing lessons does not guarantee that we will prevent all future crises. This is what is most worrisome, "he warns.

This does not preclude the IMF Managing Director to distribute good points."All of Asia is distributed, also Latin America, with the same risk of overheating," he says. Even Africa is complimented: "Africa is rather better," says DSK. However, if "Europe has avoided the catastrophe," it off again more slowly and it may last. Missing from the euro zone it has not since the beginning: more coordinated economic policies, "he says. And for that, he insists that "the States to waive part of their sovereignty. However, fashion is not so much to have more Europe today …».

"The euro

"There has not really had a crisis of the euro as its currency." Unsurprisingly, the IMF Managing Director supports the European currency, while some are calling for the abandonment of the euro. "A vast deception," he says.The countries that come out of the euro area would lose much of the confidence necessary for a good economic situation. "

For DSK, banks are as responsible as those who were to supervise "and did not the police." Thus, in regulating the banking sector, he lamented that the good will of the states have not been implemented. "What I find shocking is that banks today have returned to practice before the current crisis, including pay and bonus, he offended. Me, I heard some politicians say "never again". Result: The bonus came back as before. "Bad points for France or the United States, which claimed the control of a bonus in banks of their warhorses.

"The 35 hours

On social issues such as 35 hours, retirement or tax on capital, Dominique Strauss Kahn was less talkative.

About 35 hours, he recalls that "it is a historical process that is due to improvements in productivity and should be considered at the scale of life." He added: "Overall, the long-term time employment is still a downward trend in all developed countries," he says.

"Retirement

Regarding retirement, he confirms what he said on France 2 last May ("Retirement at age 60 is not a dogma")."If life continues to grow, we can not hold with fewer people working to pay the pensions of more and more people," he replies to other members of his party, the Party Socialists, with whom he disagrees on this issue. Without taking a position on the reform undertaken by the government, it simply states that "the purpose of a pension system is that it be fair to those who worked longer or shorter time, under conditions more or less difficult and just vis-à-vis assets.

"The tax on capital

Finally, while asserting that "the IMF has no vision on the TFR French," he recalls "the need for taxes on income, consumption and wealth. The more we diversify the sources of direct contributions, the more likely it is to be fair. "

Feb 19




The stage at Brussels was not to last as long. Friday night, two Thalys from Amsterdam to Paris and were forced to spend the night at the stop at Brussels Midi station, registering a total delay of about 14 hours on their arrival in Paris on Saturday morning.

The origin of this disruption, a technical default on the first train left at 6:16 p.m. Friday in Amsterdam. To remedy this, the train is coupled to a second train has left the Venice of the North one hour later.The operation takes a long time, so much so that the arrival of two trains in Brussels to 23 hours, it is too late to pursue the road: "The network of high speed rail network in France (RFF) was already closed at night for maintenance, "said a spokesman for Thalys, Patricia Baars.

"We tried everything, but it was not possible to make the trains run outside the operating hours of commercial network," French said the representative of the rail consortium.

Not enough room at the hotel

And the trouble does not stop there. As it is too late to implement an alternative system of transportation by bus, according to Patricia Baars, passengers are forced to spend the night there.But again, a new obstacle: "It was not possible to find hotels in the immediate vicinity of the Brussels-Midi station to house some 400 people," says Patricia Baars.

Some passengers decide to leave to go and look for a hotel in downtown Brussels, at their expense. The approximately 250 remaining up for the night. "They received a meal and hot drinks. The train was heated, and watched the train, "said Patricia Baars figaro.fr.

Not really a version shared by Marta Ayala, 38, transient. Station in Brussels, "everyone left the train. Workers, drivers, everyone is gone. Without telling us anything, "she testified. "The passengers left the train to get information. There was nobody on the docks. Thalys offices were closed, "she added, pointing to photos taken in the night.

"Around 0:15, the security personnel were brought boxes of food. Still no explanation. Then at 6:30 this morning, we were told to change trains, "she adds angrily. "I paid 200 euros, just the casual, the service terrible."

Thalys says that all passengers will be reimbursed for their tickets, and any other compensation – for nights hotels, missed connections – will be considered on a case by case basis.

Both trains were eventually depart at 6:40 Saturday morning, arriving with a delay of 14 hours for the first Thalys 6:16 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. respectively. This is roughly equivalent to that recorded by the drill nuitStrasbourg Port Bou / Nice, who had accumulated a series of incidents during the night of December 26 to 27.

Feb 8




Since February 1, it costs a few cents more for road tolls. On Tuesday, the price of train tickets which undergoes an increase of 2.85%. In both cases, among the reasons given to justify the rate increase include the funding of forty unprofitable rail lines, known as "trains balance of the territory".

These lines, the SNCF is required to serve on behalf of its public service mission, lost each year about 200 million euros to the company. For several years, SNCF is therefore seeking public support for their operations.This has been done since December 2009: the state has pledged an annual compensation of 210 million euros for three ans need a personal loan with bad credit.Un investment that will "sustain a vital public service for the balance of the territory" and "to meet the guidelines of the Grenelle environment," says Thierry Mariani, Secretary of State for Transport.

Offset a structural deficit

"The 210 million will compensate for a structural deficit with the objective of maintaining all these lines," said a spokeswoman for SNCF. This amount will be financed mainly by taxes on the station but also on the motorway companies, via the "Tax Planning".

Jan 28




Lefigaro.fr consolidates its position as the leading news site in France. Its audience grew strongly in December, reaching 7.1 million unique visitors, according to Médiamétrie NetRatings.

The site is ahead of Figaro Orange News (5.8 million unique visitors), lexpress.fr (5.3), Yahoo News (5.2), MSN News (5.2), lemonde.fr (5.1 ) and leparisien.fr (5). Internet audiences in December also show that the thread of economic and financial figaro.fr needed in the economic field: with 2.2 million unique visitors, he passes for the first time before lesechos.fr, down 1.9 million unique visitors.

In total, the Figaro Group button on the Web today 13.4 million unique visitors, one in three.

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Jan 26




A week after being suspended due to software piracy, the European Climate Exchange will not start to a trickle on Wednesday. The platform for exchanges of Paris, Bluenext, which handles about 40% of carbon credits exchanged for cash in the European Union, will not reopen, nor ECX London. Bluenext expects the market to be officially served the securities that were stolen last week. For it is a theft committed by breaking computer, this time, tarnish the CO2 market established in 2005, already tarnished last year by a wide VAT fraud.

On 19 January, a broker Czech warned the European Commission, coordinator of the market, 475,000 carbon credits, worth $ 6.3 million, had disappeared from his account.In total, according to Brussels, 2 million licenses (worth nearly EUR 30 million) were stolen by hackers from the registers Czech, Austrian and Greek.

The some 12,000 industrial sites in Europe subject to emission quotas of carbon dioxide (CO2) are enrolled in national registries. Companies that exceed their quotas can buy carbon credits (one credit = 1 tonne of carbon) while companies can sell virtuous.

"Restoring confidence"

Other actors, brokers, banks or even individuals can open an account on the register to exchange carbon credits for cash or futures (derivatives market) on various platforms like Bluenext. Protections computer half a dozen records are inadequate, found in Brussels."The Commission is finalizing the definition of minimum safety levels," said Peter Zapfel, Directorate General for Climate Action best payday advance. In France, Caisse des Depots et Consignations (CDC) is the keeper of the register, which, say several sources, was not attacked. "The market is shaken" by this new case, recognizes Keiron Allen, director of marketing for Bluenext, all players must restore confidence. " "But we must not forget that it works and it helps reduce emissions of greenhouse gas emissions," he adds.

Today, each tonne of carbon Virtual European market is identified by a serial number.A warning system would alert the brokers when loans are subject to suspicious transactions could be generalized, suggests there be in Bluenext.

Still in its infancy, the Exchange of CO2 must start its third phase in 2013, where the credits will no longer be allocated initially free but sold at auction. Brussels plans to bring together the twenty-seven national records in a single, more secure.

"If there is a market to watch, where the risk exists of Far West is that of CO2," warned last month Jean-Pierre Jouyet, the president of the Financial Markets Authority (AMF). That is why in the coming weeks Bluenext will officially become a regulated market, overseen by the AMF.

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Jan 18




Electroshock. The announcement from Steve Jobs yesterday (Monday) to take off again, should weigh heavily on investor sentiment. As usual, when the captain left Apple-temporarily-ship Apple, the first symptom is the sudden shiver, followed by the heart racing. And generally, the stock price of the third widest largest market capitalization in the world picks up, at least for a few hours.

But today, the scenario could be catastrophic. Already because the announcement was made Monday afternoon (evening in France), while Wall Street was closed all day to celebrate the Martin Luther King Day. Steve Jobs has been given time to reflect the financial world by the reopening of markets on Tuesday at 15:30. However, this type of ad – ie a departure of Steve Jobs – has already happened twice before. Once in 2004 and again in 2009.And it is already known that his replacement, Tim Cook, has broad shoulders.

According to Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, "every time Steve Jobs had to leave to sick leave, the impact on Apple stock was lower. The last time the boss's absence, between January and June 2009, the same as Apple has jumped 50% over the period. A few months ago, however, while the man had appeared weak and emaciated at a conference, he had plunged 10% in one week.

Quarterly results expected tonight

So even if the statement sent to its employees, only six lines and rather elusive – you know neither the severity of her condition or the duration of his absence – the mere fact of being "transparent" seems a better way Apple cash advance.Tim Cook has sought to clarify that "Jobs is not leaving his post as CEO, we believe that his absence will be both shorter and less serious than last time."

Finally, this Tuesday is the day that Apple unveils its quarterly results. Good numbers might cons-balance the bad news on the health front of Steve Jobs. However, unless major surprise, the publication of tonight should again be placed under the sign of growth and performance, including its flagship iPhone and iPad.

And nothing seems to stop the mad rise of the mark to market the apple. The Apple stock, which has exceeded for the first time in its history the 350 dollars last week, still rose 50% over the last six months.Last May, Apple has ousted its longtime rival Microsoft in terms of market capitalization, which topped the beginning of this year's $ 300 billion.

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Jan 8




In the strata of the arms industry is following with interest the first initiatives of Alain Juppe, the new Minister of Defense. After fiscal 2009 boosted by orders of the Recovery Plan in 2010 and more tense, the priority is to preserve the industrial "skills and research and development (R & D), leaves to produce less in Europe" in the words of one of them. In times of budgetary difficulties, "we must not repeat the mistakes post-fall of the Berlin Wall when Europe has focused on the size of armies at the expense of research. Recall that in the early 1990s, France was ahead in the drones. All credits were cut. And today, we are lagging behind the U.S. and Israel. "

The Department of Defense, it is reassuring on this point.No question of sacrificing R & D: "The envelope will be maintained around 700 million per year until 2013, told the entourage of Alain Juppe. It also stresses that some programs are sanctuarized: deterrence, intelligence and observation satellites.

Windfall

However, the department does not deviate from its roadmap budget. He has already decided to postpone the renovation of the Mirage 2000D fighter aircraft and the launch of Scorpio (modernization of the Army). Indeed, from the military budget law (PL) from 2008 to 2014 adopted in 2008, the department's budget was cut by 1.5 billion euros over the period 2011-2013.The army could not completely escape the efforts required throughout the state.

For now, the cuts are limited because the Department of Defense relies on windfall revenues of 2 billion euros by 2013. This year it expects to sell 850 million of radio frequencies by July and 150 million of real estate. Real estate transactions seem quite feasible. The army will give the barracks Lourcine in Paris at the Ministry of Higher Education who will make a schedule to the University of Paris I and student housing. Other assignments are initiated in Nantes or Montpellier.

Regarding frequencies in Bercy should start bidding early this year. This time, the timing is off.Remains whether the target price is reached.

For if the expected revenues are not there, then "we will screen all equipment programs except R & D areas sanctuarized. There will be behind schedule and the renegotiation of payments, "it warns the Department of Defense. Everything will play next summer.

Jan 7




It is a positive sign for the labor market. Accenture plans to hire by August 2011 60 000 people worldwide, including 1,400 in France, "in response to growing our business," said Myriam Couillaud, HR Accenture in France. In 2010, Accenture France had recruited 800 new employees, nearly half as much!

Half of recruitment in France for young graduates. Good news for them, the board has traditionally been seen as a first experience of the trainer. The industry gives them the opportunity to work within international and multidisciplinary teams on missions ranging from strategy consulting to implementation of the recommendations advocated. Specifically, the company recruits on its three core businesses: consulting organization and strategy, and technology consulting and systems integration, outsourcing.

Searched profiles? BAC +5 (engineers, business school, university) and experienced consultants for the trades councils, bin 2-5 in the IT professions.

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Dec 13




Employment center, the Musée du Louvre, Météo France, or the National Forests are part of the 497 state institutions that will have to tighten their belts in 2011. Baroin, budget minister, announced Sunday in an interview with Journal du Dimanche: they must "apply the same management rules as the state for the first time." In other words, all but the universities will be subjected to a rigorous regime that will be severe.

On the menu: a "retirement two will not be replaced," their park "of 17,000 vehicles" will be reduced "by nearly 3,000 vehicles, purchases of supplies will be" progressively reduced by 10% "and their surface properties will be "reduced to 12 m² per agent," says the Minister. "We will ban them from using any leverage.Merit pay their leaders should also be extended to the entire management team, "he adds.

All directors of public operators will gather Monday around the minister to know in detail the other decisions to be implemented.

Intensify the fight against fraud

The budget minister also announced that 2011 will be the year of intensifying the fight against fraud. "We will evaluate all types of fraud to prioritize our efforts," said Baroin, who has already announced a strengthening of the "legal arsenal". Employment center agents should be able to verbalize such offenses in clandestine work. For their part, customs officers may seize a drug dealer in all objects of daily life that would be "clearly improper" faxless pay day loans.

The fight against tax evasion also looks more intense.The Minister welcomed the work already in the cell regulation, closed last year, that would have allowed 4,600 people to "put their situation in the clear." Baroin is also pleased to have "cashed one billion euros rights penalties. We did return to France 7 billion euros of capital, "he says.

ISF tax shield, tax: Puzzles

Regarding taxation, the budget minister remains elusive. The thorny issue of abolishing the wealth tax (ISF), requested by the president, is not yet fully resolved. "There will be a tax reform of heritage in the context of a convergence with Germany," he says without elaborating.

Similarly, the removal of the tax shield is not yet decided. It is indeed an "element of the future taxation of wealth" but "it remains to be defined".A working group, composed of deputies and senators gathered around François Fillon, is currently working on the subject. "It is too early to say what are our conclusions," Baroin slice.

If both elements were deleted from the French tax landscape, could that lead to the creation of a new tax bracket? The response this time Baroin is very clear: "Our philosophy is not to increase the tax burden on labor income."

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Dec 6




Slowly, the empire collapsed Pugachev. The arbitral tribunal in Moscow has officially declared the bankruptcy of Mejprombank, the financial institution on which Sergei Pugachev, oligarch once underway with the Kremlin and whose family lives on the Riviera, had built his fortune and reputation. Its assets are valued at 32.2 billion rubles (780 million euros), an amount less than $ 30 billion in commitments. "This is the first big bankruptcy in Russia since the Yukos affair," wrote analysts at Nomura, in reference to bankruptcy in 2004 of the oil group run by Mikhail Khodorkovsky. In Moscow, no one is surprised by this failure. It illustrates the excesses of the Russian banking system where money and politics form an incestuous couple.

The country's banks downplay the matter, inglorious for the financial center of Moscow.According to analysts, Sergei Pugachev owed his fortune to his political friendships – notably with Vladimir Putin – who allowed him to pass through the cracks of Russian banking regulation.

With the financial crisis, these little arrangements were shattered. Besides its lack of capital, Mejprombank had become the bank for a single client, Sergei Pugachev himself, with its many assets: shipyards, delicatessen chain Hediard and probably the daily France-Soir. "Loans to companies in the real economy accounted for only 6% of financial commitments Mejprombank. The rest was spent on other goals, "says modestly Chairman of Russian Central Bank, Sergei Ignatev unsecured personal loans.The newspaper Vedomosti, there were loans granted to companies gravitating into the orbit of the empire Pugachev, through offshore companies registered in the BVI, which are themselves managed by leaders and son Mejprombank Pugachev himself, Alexander.

This system of horse collapsed with the financial crisis. In July 2010, to receive a credit of 32 billion rubles from the central bank (780 million), Pugachev has pledged its shipyards. She recently contracted a credit line of $ 200 million, maturing in February 2013 which did not prevent him having already defaulted on the repayment obligations of euros to 200 million euros.It must include close to 100 million euros in the steel giant Severstal.

Villas and business aircraft

How creditors manage to recover their assets? This question stirred up today in Moscow. Shipyards that already eyeing the boss of Russian military industrial complex, Igor Sechin – also deputy prime minister – would make a prey of choice. But the success of the operation is not guaranteed. "To get their bearings, creditors have an interest to get their hands on the assets hex Pugachev, and this by entering the French justice," said one banking source. The oligarch has two villas in Nice, two jets as well as shops Hédiard. Officially, the daily France-Soir belongs to his son, Alexander …

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