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The gas leak that caused the evacuation of 238 people on the platform of Total Elgin in the North Sea, 240 km east of Aberdeen in Scotland, still has a risk of explosion.

The BBC said that the flare used to burn non-exploitable gas was left burning on the Elgin platform, despite the risks involved with all the gas that is brought to the surface. A surprising situation, considering that the oil company has yet taken every precaution to avoid an explosion, especially by cutting the current on the farm. A spokesman for Total, quoted by the BBC, ensures that risks are limited, since the flare is 90 m high and the winds are favorable, causing the gas cloud in the right direction.

Preston Martin, an expert in marine pollution at the University of Liverpool, in turn ensures the BBC that the explosion risks persist and that "nobody will be able to approach the platform as the flare is lit . As it burns, they will have to find a plan B, "he said.

The director of health, safety and environment at Total, David Hainsworth, also acknowledged that a risk of explosion existed.

The flare is not supplied with gas, and had decreased in size Tuesday night. It can not be turned off remotely, but should eventually go out of itself, according to the spokesman for Total television quoted British public.

The evacuation of the platform Elgin has avoided a repeat of the worst disaster in the history of oil, the explosion of the Piper Alpha platform, which had 167 deaths in July 1988 after a gas leak on a similar offshore operations.

According to the British magazine New Scientist, quoting a source at Total, the leak did not come from the main geological reservoir in which natural gas is extracted, but an intermediate layer, closest to the surface. The gas goes back to the surface by the casing surrounding the drill pipe.

This would explain why all the efforts of staff the platform to plug the leaks found Sunday were unsuccessful. Only positive, the amount of gas in the intermediate tank should be smaller, and lower pressure than the main tank, which in turn, was secured.

Total would not confirm or deny this information, providing only that "studies are underway to analyze the causes of the leak." Industry experts estimate it will take several days to positively identify its origin, which is made very complicated by the fact that nobody left on the site.

Vivendi confirmed Monday, after market, the departure of Frank Esser, CEO of SFR, revealed by Le Figaro. This departure will be effective from the end of the week. Jean-Bernard Levy, CEO of Vivendi, this function takes live indefinitely. No other redesign teams SFR is expected. The announcement of a smooth transition reassured the 10,000 employees of SFR, where the announcement of the departure of Frank Esser, who presided over the destiny of the group for twelve years, has been a bombshell.

Vivendi wants to take the time to find a new boss for its subsidiary SFR, a pivotal moment in its history. Greatly shaken by the arrival of Free in the mobile sector, Vodafone is obliged to rethink its economic model. And why the research group "rare bird". Several names of potential candidates circulate: Bertrand Meheut (current CEO of Canal +), Thierry Breton (CEO of Atos), Didier Quillot (former CEO of Lagardère Active), Michel Combes (CEO Vodafone Europe), Gilles Pelisson (ex- Accor CEO) and Jacques Veyrat (Direct Energy) … But none is needed.

One thing is certain, the chosen one will have a profile of "cost killer" while SFR expects a decrease of 12% to 15% of its EBITDA margin in 2012 and Jean-Bernard Levy said at the Vivendi earnings presentation in early March, the need to "tighten the bolts." The future head of SFR should be able to reassure financial markets, while the declining profitability of SFR weighs on Vivendi. The stock has lost 17% since the beginning of the year.

The departure of Frank Esser was decided Friday afternoon during a supervisory board of Vivendi, and presented Monday at 5:00 p.m. in the Board of SFR. It does not seem to be a coup as often in the wars of succession, but a decision by mutual agreement. Friday, same day that his fate was sealed, Frank Esser was attending a lunch with the entire executive of Vivendi, in which Jean-Rene Fourtou, director of Vivendi, and Jean-Bernard Levy have sent him some very complimentary. Frank Esser, Mannesmann's German came (acquired by Vodafone), is indeed recognized and appreciated by both teams by his peers.

Free to adjust the face

But, before the onslaught of Free Mobile, it was essential to give new impetus to SFR, which lost 200,000 customers between 10 January and late February. "Jean-Bernard Levy knows SFR. We are confident in its ability to revitalize all appear the beginnings of a stabilization of the situation. After the initial excitement, Free began to experience a certain loss, "said a spokesman for Vivendi.

The task does not look easy. We'll have to cut some expenses without burdening the future. "In the hundreds of service developments underway at SFR, it will have to choose between those that are essential for the future and those who can be stopped, says an inside source. Always painful choices that force teams to redeploy réinternalisant projects that were previously outsourced to external service providers. "The suppliers and providers of SFR should be the first affected by this clampdown.

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It will also have to rethink the positioning packaging opportunities. Free Mobile face, all operators have launched entry-level offerings, sold only on the Web at very aggressive prices. But where Bouygues Telecom, the first chopping last July, has managed to impose "B & You", followed by Orange with "Sosh" SFR has not really enticing with its brand "Red" launched in late September.

But offers low-cost, direct response to Free, are not the only priorities. The operators were able over time to all-inclusive packages (visual voicemail, MMS, mobile Internet …). We must now all unravel for a basic package comparable to that of Free, which you must add a number of services at extra cost. A vast perspective.

In this book the day of 12 April 1992, there were a death and birth. While journalists of The Five announced the "definitive interruption of picture and sound," Euro Disney executives were celebrating in front of cameras and music from around the world the opening of Disneyland Paris, an amusement park of 51 hectares. The happy event welcomes all the French and much of their European neighbors. It must be said that the project, past six years in the hands of the Prime Minister at the time, Laurent Fabius, then his successor Jacques Chirac, had had time to stir curiosity. If the creation, California's first park Mickey (Walt Disney himself) was in 1955 and the Walt Disney World was born in Orlando in 1971, for our old continent, it was a novelty.

Twenty years later, the "baby" is all grown up but his fans do not get tired payday loan. With over 250 million registered users since its opening, Disneyland Paris, with its 57 attractions, its 62 shops, 58 restaurants and seven hotels, has become the first tourist destination européenne.Dès April 1, they should still be Many are not rushing. For if Disney has demonstrated his expertise with regard to birthdays, for 20 years, he predicted great. Great. (Mickey) Maousse. Night show revolutionary, unprecedented parade, being revamped, new decorations … many surprises imagined by the creators of the new company to delight guests and regulars. "This anniversary we celebrate the progress, ensures Philippe Gas, Euro Disney president since 2008. And we want to do with all those who have made Disneyland with us. "

The castle of Sleeping Beauty turned

"An explosion of magic, light and color"

At the initiative of the head of the DGB, the all-powerful central labor Angela Merkel received Thursday, union officials from ten European countries, including François Chérèque, the secretary general of the CFDT. Before the unionists Italian, Spanish, Greek, came to speak of the harmful effects of excessive rigor in Europe … Chancellor pleaded the necessity of fiscal consolidation and structural reforms in the countries in difficulty.

"We came to tell him that the tax agreement, alone, alone will not solve Europe's problems," says the boss of the German DGB. Like the European social democratic parties, trade union representatives are calling for initiatives to boost growth and employment on the continent. "I told him I was going to be jealous of the political class in France, where they are likely to want to meet her!" Welcomed Francois Chereque, who claims to have provoked a smile with his reference to Merkel visit you failed to François Hollande. Before taking his own way in the electoral debate Merkel French: "This is all the more symbolic of being received by the Chancellor, the intermediate bodies are treated fairly contemptuous by the French president." …. ….

On the merits, the chancellor has remained true to its principles. The Greeks, she explained that including the minimum wage in their country is still too high compared to that of the Portuguese. However, it also recognized the need to implement investment programs to support employment in Europe.

"Merkel is the head of the most powerful country in Europe and it imposes its austerity," Judge Chérèque denouncing the "wage dumping" across the Rhine, where wages are "of 5 euros per hour against 10 euros in Alsace in the food industry ", resulting in his relocation to Germany French in this branch. And explain that "the European trade unions have agreed to the adoption of a social pact" based on a convergence in this area including the adoption of a "minimum wage" that would be European "60% the average wage of each country "of the Union.

Merkel told them that Germany could not afford a general minimum wage of € 8 per hour.

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In the context of the presidential campaign, while the left and right compete with virulence, it is an image that does not lack piquancy: two former prime ministers of opposite edges, on a single platform, providing in substance that not a leaf of cigarette paper between their appreciation … not on the investment program for the future. "We welcome the results of this initiative," assured Alain Juppé and Michel Rocard, both co-chairs of the supervisory board of investment for the future, the program led by Rene Ricol.

Two years after the decision to launch a national loan of 35 billion euros to fund the priorities of France tomorrow (higher education and research, industrial sectors and SMEs, sustainable development, digital economy), 894 projects are already funded, according to the latest report released Tuesday. To date, 25 billion euros have been allocated to projects and "several thousand companies benefit directly or indirectly cash advance loan." The leverage of the device should also allow the injection of private money euro per euro of public money.

The General Commission for Investment, has been praised for not having done dusting, not to have been influenced by considerations of land use and to have "ended the French habit of the grant ".

The program funds both campuses of excellence that future vehicle projects, digitization of French films, new generation nuclear reactors or the refurbishment of some thermal units. Tuesday, ten projects were selected in the field of e-education (8.3 million euros in total). Two poles university hospital oncology (Ile-de-France and Toulouse) were also selected (10 million each).

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The French beheaded their king. Do they want to behead the richest of them? One might think that it is in the order of things and words. "King" in Latin rex, and "rich" that just in Gallic rix (as Vercingetorix), share the same etymological family. Both mean "powerful". To cut down?

Francois Hollande and plans to impose 75% income in excess of one million euros, at the risk of appearing confiscatory and unconstitutional. Nicolas Sarkozy wants to tax the tax exiles, threatening implication of deprivation of nationality, and is also limited vis-à-vis the Constitution. The both are attacking a minority that is the envy. Paradoxically, the rich more concerned about public opinion that the poor in the Hexagon. Poor little rich girl, sang Claude François.

Who do we speak? In the U.S., the debate on the "1%" has become a dominant theme of the 2012 presidential campaign. It was launched by the movement Occupy Wall Street ("Wall Street deal"), with the slogan "We are the 99%" ("we are the 99%"). It is stigmatizing growing inequality. Today, 1% of the population accounts for 17% of national income, according to statistics from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), IRS. This proportion more than doubled since the early 1980s throughout the country. It even reaches 44% in the city of New York, according to the Fiscal Policy Institute, an independent body to observe the living conditions of the city.

To be part of the "top 1%" across the Atlantic, he had declared to the tax authorities .927 343 dollars of income in 2009 (before various exemptions, ie "tax loopholes"), about 265, 000 euros. In France, the club's ticket is much more modest. According to INSEE, it was enough for a single person to have a "stated income" of 88 200 euros in 2008 (latest figures available) to be among the 602 most successful French .500 (1% of the 60.250 million population metropolitan France which reports income). Paradoxically, the threshold is proportionately much lower for a couple (132 euros exactly .300), as INSEE reason in what he calls "consumption units". Example, a two-person household accounts for only 1.5 units of consumption: statisticians feel they have less to spend, if only because they share the same roof

. The rich must prove they are effective and useful

The "rich French", the "very high income" in the language of INSEE (at least 7 .350 euros per month for a single), are three times less than Americans. The main reason is that in France the club "of 1%" focuses 7% of national income annually, instead of 17% across the Atlantic, where the overall wealth of the country is also higher (by about a quarter capita) low fee payday advance. Another major difference from both sides of the Atlantic, nine-tenths of the French who are part of the "top 1%", ie 540, 000, with annual sales revenue of less than 239, 000 euros, according to INSEE. This does not allow them to figure in the American Club!

More and more observers believe the criterion of 1% insufficiently selective and that the group is too heterogeneous. It would be more appropriate to focus on the cream of the crop, "one thousandth" of the highest incomes, we believe more in the United States. We are 99.9%, "headlined last fall Paul Krugman, columnist featured in The New York Times, also Nobel Prize in Economics in 2008.

In doing so, it intends to develop two arguments. First of all this "super-elite" – whose annual revenues are on average 5.3 to 7.5 million – has seen its resources after tax increase by 400% since 1979 (increase in real terms, net of inflation and after taxes). But for the average American, who is in the exact middle of the income distribution, purchasing power has increased by just 21%.

Paul Krugman denounces especially the claim of "super-elite" to justify its gains by descréations job. "Very few of them are innovative type of Steve Jobs," he said. He noted that 18% are from finance, 12% are lawyers or real estate industry, "professions where there is no evidence of a clear link between income and contribution to the economy." The rich must prove they are effective and useful. Today more than ever when growth just to leave.

The debate is as old as time. "What the rich have they more than others?", Asked in the 1920 F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby. "Money," replied his friend Ernest Hemingway. As if the wealthy had neither merit nor talent. The opposite attitude is that of the famous parable of the talents: "The master gave five talents to one of his servants, who knew them for profit and is rewarded, while those who did not receive that one hastens to bury in the earth … "This is the origin of the word" talent ". He pointed coins, it became "the gift that is made fruitful." The ability to create jobs for example.

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The marketing of the new iPad Friday has generated less than tails on the sidewalks, but probably more sales than at the launch of the iPad2 a year ago. Apple stores of the largest cities in the world have often opened their doors earlier to satisfy customers eager to see, touch and hold the new object is critically acclaimed. In April 2010, the first iPad has sold 300,000 copies the first day. Estimated Friday night, over a million buyers have fallen for this model faster, with a screen resolution of unprecedented and consistent with the fourth-generation telephone networks. Among them, ironically, Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, who stood in line Friday in Los Angeles as an ordinary customer.

Reducing queues at Apple Stores in the U.S. is explained by the supply of new iPad by many other retailers, like Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy and by telephone companies and AT & T Verizon payday loans lenders. Sold in Wi-Fi setup to 499 American dollars, 489 euros in Paris, 42,800 yen in Japan, the new iPad promises to consolidate for now ahead of Apple on the niche of digital tablets against rivals such as Samsung and Amazon. Gartner estimates that by 2015 this market will be as important as that of PC with 368 million units will be sold this year. The guts of the new iPad show including a screen made by Samsung and electronic components from Qualcomm, Broadcom, ARM Holdings, Toshiba and Avago Technologies. This information will drive some to buy the shares of these companies to take advantage of the popularity of the iPad Apple has already made the company the world's most expensive with a capitalization of $ 546 billion, twice that of Microsoft.

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1040 new aircraft worth $ 145 billion. This, according to the latest Airbus market research, the need for airlines in India in the next twenty years. Of these, the vast majority of planes (860) will be ordered to meet the growth in air traffic – to + 7.2% per year, it is already growing faster than the average in Asia (5.9%) . In total, the current fleet will more than triple to 1080 devices.

According to Airbus, the airline purchases will be predominantly (646 copies) on medium-haul aircraft type A320 and A320 Neo (version remotorisée). It to meet soaring domestic traffic should move quickly on a rate of 10% per year, which will make India one of the strongest markets in the world. The European manufacturer estimates that the market for 308 long-haul A350-type and 66 copies of the ultra-high capacity aircraft type A380.

Two giant orders

Airbus hopes to win a beautiful place in this promising market. Already, the European manufacturer claims "70% market share of new orders," his "ambition is to retain its leadership in the Indian market." To support its strategy to win business, Airbus has established local partnerships for forty years. It is manufactured locally A320 passenger doors, his best-seller. It is also recruiting Indian engineers in its Engineering Center opened in 2006 in Bangalore. The manufacturer employs 270 in total and has to hire another 180 by 2014 payday loan lenders.

Airbus' strategy has paid off. In 2011, the manufacturer has scored a major coup by winning two giant commands from Indigo (180 A 320 150 of Neo) and Go Air have ordered that, between them, 252 units.

Two threats

But the clouds on the horizon. On the one hand by the poor health of major customers such as local Kingfisher.Depuis his birth in 2005, the company has never made any money – it lost $ 90 million in the third quarter of fiscal year – and has accumulated a debt of $ 1.3 billion. Kingfisher international flights still canceled Wednesday, postponed delivery in 2014 of A 380 and ordered it does not exclude cancellations. In total, current orders are of 32 A320s, 20 A330 long-haul, long haul lonq five A350s and five A380 super-jumbo. The company promises tonight released a recovery plan within two to three days.  

Moreover, the implementation of the carbon tax by the European Union in January, also poses a threat to aircraft orders. Just as Beijing has frozen the purchase of 45 Airbus A 380, including 10 of its airlines, New Delhi is opposed to this tax. India may decide to retaliate. It threatens to bar its airlines to fly to Europe.

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"My proposals are known, I made 60, which will not prevent me to add one or two during the campaign," warned Tuesday Francois Hollande, the move in the Drôme. Indeed, the Socialist candidate has completed his list of promises last week. On the theme of the University and Research, Monday to Nancy on the family and gender, in Reims for Women's Day; for associations, Saturday and finally on low wages, on Sunday M6 , in "Capital".

At first glance, additions marginal to the program announced in late January, which accounted for 20 billion annual expenditure. Yet, according to Enterprise Institute, which projects sales of the leading candidates (www.debateco.fr assumptions and calculations), the addition is not negligible: in a week, from 3.9 to 6.5 billion of additional annual expenditure.

A real public service early childhood

The largest piece is the creation of places for young children, with the goal of "creating a true public service early childhood." The think tank is assumed between 200,000 and 400,000 people plus, half in and half manger among childminders (for reference, the 2009-2012 plan, the government provides 200,000 spaces created). Result: 1.8 to 3.7 billion spending per year by 2017.

These amounts include the provision of services for young children (Paje, paid by the family allowance funds in custody cases by a "nanny" approved), the construction of nurseries and their staff costs, tax credits on income, net of savings on benefits paid to parents on parental leave free online credit report. "This will encourage the return of parents to the labor market, with positive effects on value creation and contrasted the unemployment rate," said the Business Institute.

Second major expense: the change in calculating the minimum wage. At the current formula, based mainly on inflation, would add a "bonus" equal to half the growth rate. Companies bear most of the cost, but public finances will be affected, mainly in two ways: higher salaries for civil servants – who can not be less than the minimum wage – and reduced charges granted between 1 and 1.6 SMIC. The total estimated cost is between 1.3 and 1.6 billion euros in 2017.

"These measures, the Socialist candidate did not state financing, in addition to others in the draft (…), whose cost does not appear in the detail of spending 20 billion new release by the PS, "notes the Institute: ecological transition, valued at $ 1.8 billion for the state, very high rates over 100% of the territory (1 billion), hires employment center (0.8 to 1.2 billion), energy retrofit one million homes a year and establishment of a fifth branch of social security to fund addiction (to encrypt).

The time was expected. First of the three major presidential candidates invited to decline on Tuesday his plan at a symposium on "the challenges of competitiveness," co-organized by the French private companies (which brings together 100 companies from the Hexagon ), Francois Hollande has held the outlines of his program: a list of measures already known (contract generation, modulation of the corporate income tax according to their size, targeting of state subsidies on exporting companies, strengthening the research tax credit, development of strategic sectors, removal of certain tax loopholes …).

The Socialist candidate has also confirmed its intention to bring the public accounts in balance in 2017, through increased levies on businesses and wealthier households, as well as via a public expenditure control. Confirming that an effort would be de facto called on business, without raising disapproval in the audience, he said he was ready to "deal individually" each boss in the room who would care

.

Francois Hollande also recognizes a problem of labor costs in France in some sectors, particularly in relation to Germany. But he believes that cost almost the same on both sides of the Rhine in the manufacturing industry. Consequently, he criticizes "the so-called social VAT" the President has enacted before the end of the legislature: a measure "unjust, ineffective and inconsistent." He said the social VAT will have only a modest effect on exports as it will particularly benefit sectors not exposed to competition.

"There's a bidding war right now"

Only novelty of the discourse of the socialist candidate: the proposal for implementation of a "national pact of competitiveness" that would combine the State, enterprises, social partners and also, perhaps, the financial system quick cash. All this small world would agree to set "goals of competitiveness," which could exceed the cap of a five-year term. "The State would be to set the vision, through taxation, regulation, avoiding social change all the time and especially in the last week of five-year," said Francois Hollande.

The former head of PS is also expressed in two recent tax measures unveiled by Nicolas Sarkozy. Minimum taxes on corporations that do not pay taxes in France? This provision would penalize, he said, companies that have decided to keep their headquarters in France. It was much more verbose, and verve, on the taxation of tax exiles made Monday night on TF1 by the Head of State.

"There's a bidding war right now," he quips, perhaps in reference to his own project to tax at 75% on incomes above one million euros per year. "Whether the measure is an illusion because ultimately, if it does not apply to artists, athletes and those who put their heritage in the countries concerned, it's about that? Only those who have capital income?, He tried. Or the measurement is much stronger and the question of the overall tax exile and assume it all to negotiate tax treaties with the countries concerned. "

Lapidary conclusion: "I feel that right now there is a candidate who will do anything except renegotiate the treaty has been signed." Francois Hollande has indeed drawn the ire of Nicolas Sarkozy, to want to add a component on the growth of fiscal discipline pact, signed but not ratified by European states. "I leave you with this judgment on how to campaign," decide the favorite in the polls.

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