Mar 10




 

LE FIGARO. – Must restart nuclear power plants in Japan?

Nobuo Tanaka. – Yes, as soon as possible. Iran represents a huge potential risk. Over 80% of our oil imports and 20% of our gas imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz. We have 170 days of oil stocks, only 20 days for gas. Iranian attack risk is much higher than that of a large tsunami! If we do jumpstart by plants, it could be missed 10% of electricity this summer.

How much would it cost to Japan to do without nuclear power?

At current oil prices, just to replace the current nuclear by fossil fuels, it would cost 3 trillion yen per year (28 billion euros, Ed).

To diversify your natural gas supplies, the construction of an undersea pipeline bringing Russian gas via the neighboring island of Sakhalin is feasible?

Just as the German decision to import Soviet gas in the 1970s improved the Germano-Russian relationship, build a pipeline could help solve the diplomatic dispute that pits Japan against Russia over the Kuril Islands. Russia's interest to diversify its customers in the Far East. Japan could also operate its own gas: methane hydrates on the ocean floor mats are a great potential, especially if oil prices continue to rise much.

How to develop renewable energy in Japan, which are still marginal?

I see no future for the solar wind, in Japan. The government will introduce a feed-in tariff incentive. This is necessary but not sufficient. To complement the intermittent energy, it takes gas or geothermal energy, and a soft market. There is also great potential in marine energy.

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Feb 24




 

Lefigaro.fr is the first news site in France in January. The study Médiamétrie / NetRatings, it was viewed by over 8.8 million unique visitors a month. A hearing is always the historic site of Figaro to a million users of the follower.

Development, the second place, occupied by Orange in December, was conquered by the Nouvel Observateur. High of 7.7 million unique monthly visitors, the site of the weekly benefits from the integration of "pure player" Rue89, bought in December.

Launched in late January, the site of the Huffington Post has also brought new visitors to the World, which brought together a total of 7.3 million Internet users in January. The web offers daily evening was nevertheless made the steal third place from the site of Le Parisien / Today in France, with nearly 7.5 million unique visitors.

January has generally drawn the hearings of the press line up. Portals and aggregators of articles edited by tech giants have, themselves, not take advantage of the French appetite for news. Orange News was relegated to sixth place in the ranking with 6.7 million unique visitors, Yahoo! News is eighth with 5.4 million visitors, MSN News and Google News are respectively the 11th and 13th.

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Feb 23




 

The knives are drawn between Casino and Galeries Lafayette, Monoprix owners. Both shareholders are certainly agree on one point: the Galeries Lafayette want to sell 50% of Monoprix, as they have indicated on December 7 at Casino, and it wants to redeem him. It will even soon have a war chest of 800 to 900 million euros, after its partial withdrawal of its subsidiary Mercialys. But both groups, associated for 15 years, do not agree on the valuation of Monoprix.

Casino, advised by Rothschild bank is willing to pay 700 million euros for 50% of Monoprix. Galeries Lafayette, advised by Societe Generale, in initially wanted $ 1.95 billion. The variance explained by the high volatility of the valuations of distribution groups, is such that JP Morgan, called to break the tie, threw in the towel.

Casino feels "taken hostage"

The conflict took a turn legal last week, when Galeries Lafayette Casino assigned to the Commercial Court of Paris to make their own estimate no fax payday loans. Meanwhile, Galeries Lafayette has made a new offer at $ 1.35 billion, still too far from the estimate of Casino.

Wednesday, a board of Monoprix, which was to convey, as of March 31, President of Monoprix to Jean-Charles Naouri, CEO of Casino, voted to maintain this position Philippe Houze, CEO of Galeries Lafayette … time an agreement is reached on the valuation.

The board is composed of three members appointed by Casino and three others by the Galeries Lafayette, but the chairman has the casting vote. Casino, who feels "taken hostage" will "seize the competent courts to uphold its commitments by Galeries Lafayette".

Feb 20




 

The commercial center of the Three Quarters, in front of the Madeleine in Paris, finding colors. C & A will move in March 2013 over Decathlon, hosted by the abandoned clothing store for men Madelios (Spring Group) a year ago. The Australian fund MGPA, owner of the building since 2009, has reached an agreement with the sign Germano-Dutch, who obtained all necessary approvals for its fifth store in Paris. "La Madeleine will be our new flagship, which will offer a younger, less traditional, to attract new consumers," says one at C & A France.  

This new formula will speak about 5400 m2, an area slightly smaller than that of C & A of the Rue de Rivoli or the Boulevard Haussmann online cash advance.

Renovations and expansion began in that outlet, situated opposite the spring, which will include codes store Velizy. This other concept of the sign refurbished clothing has "helped advance the traffic and sales," explained the group, without giving further details. After opening nine stores last year, bringing its network to 127 outlets, C & A opened this year between 13 and 14, in Angers, including Lyon and Troyes.

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Feb 10




 

A first for thirty years! The U.S. utility Southern Company said Thursday it would launch the construction of two new nuclear reactors at the site of the Vogtle plant in Georgia. The U.S. nuclear watchdog, the NRC has in fact given the green light, the final stage of an administrative process that began in 2005. The award of this license comes eleven months after the nuclear disaster at Fukushima and at a time when, in the opinion of most American experts, the historically low gas prices in the U.S., thanks to the abundance of gas shale, makes uncertain the profitability of the construction and operation of a nuclear power plant. Thomas Fanning, CEO of Southern Company, hopes the two new reactors of 1,100 megawatts each will respectively be operational in 2016 and 2017. They feed one million homes. The project represents an investment of $ 14 billion (10 paperless payday loans.6 billion euros).

Southern chose the long AP1000 designed by the American Westinghouse, now controlled by the Japanese giant Toshiba. If the last U.S. nuclear power plants came online in 1996, the NRC had not awarded a license since 1978, the year before the accident at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania, where a nuclear reactor had partially melted, causing no victims. Announced the revival of nuclear power in the 2000s has been slowed due to a combination of the accident at Fukushima in 2011 and the spectacular development of shale gas that made the United States, in the space of three years , an exporter of natural gas.

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Feb 7




 

Greece appears increasingly at an impasse. Last night, the various parties in the governing coalition failed to agree on the establishment of a new austerity plan, after five hours of discussion, and despite the urgency of the situation . Greek Prime Minister, Lucas Papademos, said the meeting would resume today. He announced advances on the magnitude of the savings (1.5 point of GDP), bank recapitalization and reforms to reduce production costs. In contrast,. Antonis Samaras, the leader of New Democracy (right), leaves little hope on the fact that a consensus could be reached soon: Troika "demand more austerity, that the country is unable to bear, I 'm fighting to prevent this, "he said last night.

The European Union and the International Monetary Fund called on Athens to make more efforts and implement a new fiscal tightening if the country wants to receive the necessary new loan of EUR 130 billion at least. And time is short because without that money the country will be unable to repay the 14.5 billion euros in loans it owes to its creditors by 20 March. Without this payment, the country will have no choice but to declare themselves insolvent.  

Saturday night, the Greek finance minister, Evangelos Venizelos, said that negotiations should be concluded on Sunday evening that Greece could ignore the threat of bankruptcy next. Similarly, the leader of the Eurogroup, Luxembourg Jean-Claude Juncker, has also increased pressure on the Saturday night party leaders Greek citing the risk of "bankruptcy" of Greece in March if required reforms were not carried out. Athens must indeed conclude negotiations as soon as possible, so that the exchange of Greek sovereign bonds held by private banks can be operated around February 13. With the key, the deletion of 100 billion euros of its debt.

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Oct 19




Moody's brandishing the sword of Damocles. The rating agency, which last week confirmed the AAA rating of the French debt, is now planning to revise its position on the "stable" outlook for this post. "Over the next three months, Moody's will monitor and evaluate this perspective in the light of progress made by the government to implement the measures announced to reduce the budget deficit," she says in a statement.

If the prospect should be revised to "negative", this would imply that Moody's would likely lower the rating over the medium term, most often at a maturity of three to twelve months.And France would become the new big country, after the United States to lose its prestigious rating that allows it to borrow on the current market conditions very favorable.

A budget supervision

In reaching its decision, Moody's analyze the ability of the French government to meet its budget commitments. She stressed that the financial strength of the French government "has weakened since the economic and financial crisis worldwide has led to a deterioration in its debt ratios, which are now among the lowest in AAA." In addition, "France could face a number of challenges in the coming months, such as the need for additional support to other European countries or its own banking system, which could increase significant commitments that must support the country's budget. "The remark came just after the adoption by the members of the guarantees provided by the French in the process of dismantling the Franco-Belgian bank Dexia payday loans for bad credit.

But Moody's does not forget to mention the strengths of the country where the government should build, "the large scale of its economy, high productivity, wide diversification, experience, innovation and a savings companies with high a moderate increase in financial liabilities of households and businesses. "These elements provide" a great capacity for shock absorption by France, as demonstrated by the strength of the demand during the global crisis, "reminds the statement.

France "will do everything possible" to keep the AAA

The rating agency said that the review is part of its annual financial statements for France and it is not yet a decision on the rating of the country.

But after this warning, the marathon budget to the Assembly for consideration of the budget 2012, which begins on Tuesday, should be closely watched.On France 2 last night, Prime Minister Francois Fillon warned it would take "new measures" austerity if France did not record a "minimal growth of 1.5%" in 2012, as the draft budget is "built on a projected 1.75% growth, but it works with a minimal growth of 1.5%."

Already, Tuesday morning, the Minister of Economy, Baroin, indicates that the growth forecast for 2012 is adopted "probably too high." He promised that France "will do everything possible" to maintain its excellent rating.

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Oct 17




Three million voters to the polls Thursday. This is not the third round of the socialist primary elections but in the professional civil service and state hospital. This election is both new and crucial for trade unions. Unpublished, so far as officials voted on different dates, department by department. Under agreements signed in 2008 Bercy between the government and six of the eight federations officials, this group deadlines must solemnize the event and end a kind of permanent election administration

He still suffers to this first edition of exceptions.The officers decentralized government (prefectures) just voted in 2010 after the reorganization of their services; territorial officials will be "aligned" in 2014, which will match the designation of their representatives with election of municipal councils, general and regional officials finally France Telecom will vote Nov. 22 … as well as those of the Department of Justice, after a last minute postponement of the delivery of ballots and professions of faith having made the most complete mess. Also new: the hundreds of thousands of contractors have the right to participate. Finally, the electronic vote is for the million polio Education.

Crucial deadline

If the vote is also crucial is that it will not only unions to gauge.Now, only those organizations that received the most votes will negotiate and sign agreements, both local (with the hospital director, the prefect …) and national (with "their" or the Minister of Public Service for subjects common to all directors). In that game, the CFTC or the CFE-CGC will play their survival in many instances of 5700 to renew check cash advance. The "big" unions will also receive a premium on how they are granted. They are mostly human, that is to say agents paid by the state or the hospital, but devoting all or part of their time to unionism (our editions of September 29).

Difficult to anticipate the results.Of Education in Ecology, Interior Economy, workers speak out more on issues and candidates in their own department or at their service, as a national discourse – discourse on which organizations found it difficult to differentiate. Certainly, FP campaigned on the "case of the public service", the CFDT has focused on the working conditions of workers, Bernard Thibault has been calling for more political "use the ballot CGT" to "deliver signs to the government. " But these are all ways to approach the same themes: policy review (RGPP), elimination of 150,000 jobs during the five-year term in the state civil service, late general wage increases, stricter rules on pensions 2010. Many reasons for discontent that should benefit most unions 'hard', as Solidarity, the CGT and the FSU.

But the mobilization failed when the pension reform, and made to flop back against the rigors. The previous elections were successful in the CFDT and UNSA, reformists, who could also benefit from the arrival of the contract in the electorate. And some of the most disgruntled employees could wait for the presidential and legislative elections in 2012 to settle their accounts. Where the other unknown: participation, far closer than two-thirds, will continue she?

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Oct 14




The benchmark index of rents (IRL) continues its momentum. Indexed to inflation, the index increased by 1.90% yoy in the third quarter 2011, according to INSEE, its largest increase since the first quarter of 2009.

Following the same curve as the price index, the benchmark rents had fallen sharply during the crisis, before recovering from the first quarter of 2010. However, according to figures released Wednesday by INSEE, inflation emerged up 2.2% year on year in September, despite a slowdown during the past month.

Consequence of this increase in the IRL, the owners can raise rents to their tenants under lease, 1.90% maximum per year. This ceiling is not to be confused with the increase that may require the owner at the end of the lease, and which itself is not subject to this limit.

Rising rents slows

They are also in the process of marking time, like the sale price. The latest observation Clamor, the rents charged to new tenants were up 0.9% over the first eight months of the year, against 1.4% a year earlier. In 34% of cities in France, this trend is even negative. This is for example the case in Paris (-0.1%), Bordeaux (-0.9%) or Toulouse (-0.4%).

In other cities of the Hexagon, however, rents remain strong on the upside. This is the case in Lyon (+1.2%), Nantes (+1.7%), Lille (1.9%) or Le Havre (+2%). For the full year, Clamor expects an average increase of 1.5% to 1.8% against 2.5% in 2010.

The Observatory notes wide disparities between the cities but also between the quality of rented accommodation.Owners who make improvements before entering into a new lease rent on average well 9.3% more than the previous occupant. However, when the property is rented without work, its rental value decreases by an average of 5.4%.

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Sep 4




RATP talk about an incentive for training. The unions see it as an attempt to affect the right to strike. According to them, the Paris Transport Authority plans to propose an annual premium of 1,200 euros (100 euros per month) to executives who volunteer to attend regular training and maintain their qualification of driver. "At the RATP, the operating framework is formed, has always been to run trains and buses with passengers. The training concludes with obtaining driver's licenses and requires maintenance, "says the authority. A training effort that the RATP wants to encourage and validate the allocation of a premium.Officially, there is no question of getting managers and trained in the cockpit, but only "to formalize a useful practice to social cohesion and understanding of the complex rules of railway operations," says RATP, which states that it is for the time that a project to be discussed, and will apply only to volunteers.

"On behalf of the Ethics and danger

Arguments that jump unions, especially the South who deplores the lack of response from other unions. Jean-Christophe Delprat following the record for the organization is still furious. "The creation of the premium is included in a document entitled" contribution in terms of predictability. " This plan is implemented in the event of a strike, "said Steward.For him, it is clear that the RATP will be given to its executives a new rating, rewarded 100 euros per month, and use cases of social conflict to break the strike. As the project progresses, SOUTH says the discussion stage must already be exceeded according to his information as "84 frames, about 150 volunteers expected by management, are currently in training Online payday loans."

Beyond the reservations expressed in terms of ethics and how to proceed in the company, the union warns of potential danger. "I do not recommend users to get on a train driven by a non-accustomed to driving metros and RER, which is more one day strike in which many users are on the docks," warns the delegate.However, it is unlikely that this warning benevolent comforts travelers stranded at the station during the next strike.

"Clumsiness managerial"

He also noted that the managerial level, "it's pretty awkward." If he does not doubt the success of the measure with executives who can "more money make progress by volunteering," he warns that "relations may be strained between the manager and drivers when they know he broke the strike. " The trade unionist said to illustrate that none of the executives who agreed to drive the RER during the strike of December 2009 is now in the position he then occupied. A word …

"It's a funny way to start the social return," he says.Jean-Christophe Delprat even sees a signal of bad omens, "if management is beginning to organize themselves to deal with the strike is that it anticipates social conflict. One can imagine for example that it intends to return soon to the agreements on the reduction of working time. "

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