Sundial of world news

Wall Street began the week slightly up on Monday after the Friday on sustained growth markets. The Dow Jones gained 0.18% at 10,585 points, the S & P 500 rose 0.17% to 1141 points and the Nasdaq ahead by 0.16% to 2330 points.

In the United States, week market will be under the sign of the American consumer. The two major economic indicators this week, published Friday, will be the sales details for the month of February and the preliminary estimate of consumer confidence. For specialists Aurel BGC, household consumption should remain strong after the employment figures released Friday very reassuring. Analysts fear, however, that severe winter weather does not disturb the profile of these two indicators in the short term unsecured personal loans . His case is not isolated as 52 000 hectares of land have been invaded by salt water after the passage of Xynthia. "It will take years and years for desalination," said the farmer. Bruno Mayor announced a plan to tens of millions of euros to farmers (see box below)."I shall return in a few weeks to see how its implementation takes place," he said.

A plan dedicated to farmers

A budget of several million euros to farmers. This was announced on Wednesday the Minister of Agriculture, Bruno Le Maire, the operators hit this weekend by storm Xynthia. In detail, two types of aid are considered. Firstly, a reduced specific financial burdens and also social. The state with the Agricultural Social Insurance Agency has raised 5 million euros for the first strand.

Then, after a case-by-case damage caused by Xynthia field, another package will be released under the National Guarantee Fund for Agricultural Disasters (FNGCA)."Given an initial estimate and according to recent experiments, this should be in the tens of millions of euros," said one familiar with the matter. The new aid will complement those of the plan emergency support and to the extent permitted by Brussels (De minimis 15 000 per farm). For their part farmers have asked for clemency for the administration, for example, identification of dead animals or statements in order to benefit from the CAP.

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La France, Germany and other euro countries are preparing to establish a cordon sanitaire around Greece. To avoid the contagion of the fiscal crisis in southern Europe. The decision Wednesday by mature finance ministers must be confirmed Thursday by a special economic summit convened in Brussels.

Past Time denials on a "bailout plan", the sixteen Ministers of Finance have written Wednesday afternoon, the scenario during a videoconference decided in haste with the ECB president, Jean-Claude Trichet, and the new Commissioner of Economic Affairs Olli Rehn. Thursday it was the turn of the Heads of State and Government. Paris seemed to confirm an impending decision by saying that Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel will speak together at the end of the summit."This is a response to market concerns," said President of the Eurogroup Jean-Claude Juncker.

Risk of contagion

The capitals of the euro area are found immersed in financial emergencies. It is no longer helping private banks threatened with bankruptcy, but sovereign states, victims of speculative attacks that threaten the stability of the euro.

Greece, whose fiscal situation is dramatic, can not find a buyer for the debt markets, less than 6% for a state loan to ten years, a price two times higher than Germany.The scenario of failure refinancing of Greece, with an explosion of interest rates, leading to bankruptcy of the country, hanging over all Euro zone.

The risk of infection, reported by the European Commission itself has closed the debate on whether to isolate and treat the first victim vigorously payday advance . "Greece is affected, and everybody crosses their fingers on a much more cumbersome: Spain", notes one diplomat. Treatment thought Wednesday could well be applied to others. "We envision all possible scenarios," said one senior European official.The draft promises to be bitter for the country ill: an infusion of bridging loans and short-term government guarantees, with counterpart, a say close to Europe and / or creditors in the reorganization undertaken by the governments.

These are the states at the forefront Paris and Berlin, who took the initiative. The French and German banks hold nearly 40% of the Greek foreign debt, which is active in mueraient balls if the crisis drags on trust.

Even with a label "European", the injection of state funds – for example French and German – to help a national treasure would be a first in the euro area. The creditors will not invest lightly in countries that already spend for pierced baskets. "Yes, help arrives.No, there is no question of releasing the pressure on Athens, Wednesday secured a European negotiator.

In practice, they are also the states should ensure, with an assiduity worthy of the IMF, that Greece meets the rigor period prescribed by Prime Minister Papandreou.

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Around 14 hours, the Paris Bourse more clearly reflected the upward path after hesitating throughout the morning. The CAC 40 wins 0.75% to 3788 points in a trade volume of over 1.5 billion euros. At the opening, the CAC 40 index showed a greater increase of 1.07% to 3800.36 points. The finding is similar to London and Frankfurt: the FTSE-100 is progressing more than 0.21% at 5228 points (cons an opening 5261 points) and Dax from 0.19% to 5654 points (5687 points cons).

But investors in Paris were relieved by the publication of results of U.S. companies. In the vast majority of companies have reported results in line or better.Indeed, many companies publish their accounts in the fourth quarter: Ford, AT & T, Procter, Colgate, Motorola ….

Although business leaders and consumers in the euro area have found morale in January, for the tenth consecutive month, the sharp rise in unemployment in Germany (+8.6% in January) lead the growth indices European financial.

This morning in Japan, the Nikkei ended a spate of four sessions down to it lost 5%, to close a significant increase (1.58%).On Wall Street yesterday, the Dow Jones also finished in the green at 0.41%.

The U.S. Senate will vote Thursday on the reappointment of Ben Bernanke to head the institution.

Across the Atlantic, investors Parisian keep an eye on applications weekly unemployment benefits and orders for durable goods in December, at 14:30.

The bank ran out of steam

Consequence of slowing the renewed financial indices, values faltering: BNP Paribas (0.87% to 52.20 euros against 2.42% at the opening), Societe Generale (+0.69% at 43 14 euros against 2.46%), Credit Agricole (+1.86% at 11.77 euros against 2.81%) and Dexia (1.55% to 4.53 euros against 2.39% ) Payday Advance .

Plastic Omnium (3.14% to 23 euros) has announced a turnover of 2.458 billion euros in 2009, down 8.8%.In the fourth quarter alone, however, sales jumped 16.8% to 716 million euros. The group expects an operating margin up sharply for the full year 2009.

Many publications expected

Areva has returned to mid-session, the title losing 0.15% to 338 euros, having opened up slightly from 0.13%.The group will unveil its revenues for the fourth quarter of 2009, after having asserted yesterday held extensive discussions with GDF Suez for partnership in the French nuclear.

Are also expected publications: JCDecaux (1% to 18.6 euros, after opening up 2%), Sperian Protection (-0.38% against a rise of 0.30% at the opening) Etam (-2.89% to 17.45 euros), Eramet (+2.09% to 222.30 euros), Fleury Michon (+ 0.56% to 36.20 euros), Carbone Lorraine (+2.97 % to 25.45 euros) Vicat (-1.45% to 54.45 euros) and Norbert Dentressangle (+1.17% at 42.49 euros).

Beneteau (+2.36% to 12.6 euros) will hold an annual financial information to 17:30.

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To increase its capacity from 6 to 8 million passengers per year, the airport of Toulouse, who is now a publicly owned company, had decided before the crisis, to build the new hall. A very bright and functional addition to three already existing.

The architect Toulouse Gerard Huet, who was responsible for this achievement which cost more than the 100 million euros. A terminal voluntarily generalist who will be able to accommodate both the needs of low cost carriers as majors. It has been sized to be extended if the request came. There is, for example, 12 banks record that could very easily become 24. "This is not because we built a terminal that airlines and passengers rush!" Says, however, very pragmatic, Jean-Michel Vernhes, Chief Executive of the airport.

Without falling into the trap of subsidy per passenger demanded that certain low costs "of practices which we reject," he says talks continue with low-cost airlines, which now represent 17% of the traffic bad credit payday advance .

For the year 2010, Air Nostrum, a subsidiary of Iberia, will reopen the line to Barcelona operated twice a day, however, EasyJet will increase its capacity to Charles de Gaulle and Air Austral to La Reunion. To facilitate access to the airport road has been reviewed and a new 3 700 parking spaces is under construction. It will then improve the service between the airport and downtown."We do not oppose the construction of parking and improved public transport," says the President to the attention of elected officials.

An open house is scheduled Saturday, March 6 just before the commissioning.

The French game publisher Ubisoft video Wednesday revised downward its financial targets for its fiscal year 2009/2010 lagged, partly because of disappointing sales of some games and the postponement of several launches.

The number three European industry now expects sales for the third quarter of 495 million euros against 540 expected before, and 860 million euros for the full year, against 1.04 billion expected before.

Furthermore, the group, who expected a positive result of at least 70 million euros over the year, now provides a loss of about 50 million. Its business casual "(games for the family) loses a year to the next almost 160 million euros, a drop of almost 50%."Despite successes like Assassin's Creed 2, which is expected to reach 9 million units through March, or Just Dance, our very successful Christmas on the Wii, Ubisoft has not met its financial goals," says CEO Yves Guillemot , quoted in a statement.

Ubisoft announced it will refocus on its core franchises and games consoles Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It promises to last two outings a catalog of "very substantial", which should enable it, on the period 2010-2011, "to gain market share and improve (its) profitability."

Ubisoft lost over 9% in one week

The market, worried about developments in the industry have fully incorporated this announcement. At the Paris Bourse, the stock has indeed closed down 1.95% to 10.07 euros in a market almost stable (+0.02%). In five days, the stock has lost 9.12%.Its competitor, Electronic Arts, anticipated loss from 1.94 to $ 2.24 per share (cons – 1.2A $ 2.05 per share on the previous forecast) in its fiscal quarter ending March 30, for a turnover between $ 3.6 billion rather than $ 3.9 billion for its fiscal year.

Ubisoft is also penalized by the decision of the firm Sterne Agee analyst lowered his rating to "neutral" cons "buy" before. For the moment, "there is no reason to confirm a recommendation to buy, analysts say. The analyst firm also shown Aurel disappointed by sales of "Avatar: The Game", "well below" their expectations.They recommend to "sell" in their notes.

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Proponents maintain flirtation with the mystery on its exact size, but with over 800 meters high, the Burj Dubai will have no trouble to climb to the summit since it exceeds by at least 300 meters above the current building in the world, Taipei 101 Taiwan (508 meters). The question is whether this will be the last great Pharaonic site long before the emirate in the Middle East crisis.

The story goes that the emir of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum, had returned to its initial project promoters with poor 90 floors. "We thought little of beating the record held by the Taipei 101 tower. But the client asked us each to go higher, but we set limits, "says architect Bill Baker, the firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill of Chicago, developer of the skyscraper.

Click on thumbnail for larger graphic

Coup de théâtre to the Constitutional Council. Tuesday night is no less a pillar of the 2010 budget that the Sages retoque in deciding to cancel the carbon tax in its entirety. In their decision, the constitutional judges – seized last week by the Parliamentary Socialists – have ruled that the law created too many exemptions, which is "contrary to the objective of fighting against global warming" and creates an inequality in tax."Less than half the emissions of greenhouse gas emissions would have been subject to contributions to carbon, because many of these exemptions, they argued.

In detail, the Constitutional Council has stressed that "were totally exempt contribution of carbon emissions from power plants generating electricity, emissions from industrial sites in 1018 the most polluting (refineries, cement, coke …) "emissions from aviation" or "those of the public transport of passengers by road. "These exemptions have led to only 93% of emissions from industrial sources, excluding fuel, are exempt from carbon contribution," according to the text.The tax would have "focused on fuel and heating products that are only one source of emission of carbon dioxide.

An alternative is proposed by Fillon January 20

Shortly after the publication of the decision of the Elders, Matignon has announced that Francois Fillon presented January 20 in Council of Ministers a new scheme taking "full account of the observations of the Constitutional Council. The prime minister maintains, however, that this contribution is needed to guide the behavior of firms and households in terms of energy consumption and reduce emissions of greenhouse gas emissions. "The cabinet of Jean-Louis Borloo for its part indicated that the Minister of Ecology and Sustainable Development Wednesday react to this defeat.

For its part, the Socialist Party – through its National Secretary for the Environment, Laurence Rossignol – did not expect to qualify the decision of the constitutional judges of "heavy defeat for the president. It is both the sanction of a working method that is to do everything in a hurry and a series of announcement effects. For the federation France Nature Environment (FNE), a cancellation is "catastrophic." "The carbon tax is clearly in agony.Copenhagen has shown that political will was not enough in the fight against climate change and today is the leverage that tax is lowered, "lamented spokesman FNE, Arnaud Gosse.

A measure dear to the Head of State

Wanted by Nicolas Sarkozy, the tax, renamed "carbon contribution" by the Senate, was a key measure of the proposed 2010 budget. In total, it would have resulted in 4.1 billion euros in tax revenue next year, including 2.2 billion paid by households. The Head of State himself had described as a "revolutionary tax" and a "major shift" to "lasting change" behavior of the French. The tax was aimed at encouraging individuals to reduce their CO2 emissions by applying the energy consumption of households and businesses, with compensation to individuals.For businesses, the carbon tax would replace the business tax, which was abandoned, however, been validated by the Constitutional Council.

According to calculations by INSEE, the entry into force – scheduled for 1 January – would be to effect a general price increase of 0.3% in first quarter 2010, an increase of about 4 cents per liter gasoline pump. Set at 17 euros per tonne of carbon dioxide (CO2), but she had raised important challenges left, but right where some denounced the introduction of a new tax.

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After a year and a half behind schedule, the military transport plane A400M will finally soon make its first flight. A spokesman for the German Ministry of Defense said Thursday that the first flight will take place on 10 or 11 December in Seville (Spain). He said that "of 11 is most likely. For its part, Airbus Military has just announced a flight to "the end of the week" next. The exact date will depend on the results of ground tests and the weather.

The transport aircraft propellers powered by four turboprop engines have been flying in summer 2008 but has suffered many delays because of development problems, particularly related to its engine. Deliveries to the armies are in turn delayed by at least three years and will not occur before late 2012 at the earliest.Germany, France, Spain, United Kingdom, Turkey, Belgium and Luxembourg have ordered a total of 180 aircraft.

Dark period for producers of solar energy. Q-Cells, one of the world's leading manufacturers of solar cells, reported a loss of nearly 1 billion euros over the first nine months of the year, against a profit of 150 million euros over the same period in 2008. Its turnover in nine months has, meanwhile, fell sharply by 40.9% yoy to 550.3 million euros.

The group Q-Cells said the decline coupled turnover and results by falling prices of photovoltaic cells, a background of economic crisis and increased competition from Chinese manufacturers, which enjoy much lower costs and massive government aid programs.

The Conergy Group, number two German industry has recorded its share down 41% of its sales in the third quarter while its counterpart Phoenix Solar, which specializes in installing solar panels on the roofs of buildings, revised downward its forecast for growth in turnover.

The Chinese group JA Solar is one of those who profit from the current weakness of its European competitors. With a volume of record quarterly shipments, the Asian group could return to profitability in the third quarter.

To adapt to this changing market, Q-Cells, as rival Norwegian Renewable Energy, has already started to transfer Asian part of its production to reduce costs.

Listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, the action Q-Cells lost 3.86% to 10.93 euros in mid-session while Phoenix Solar yielded 4.88% to 35.10 euros.Conergy was also in the red, falling 2.53% to 0.77 euros.