World News – International Headlines, Stories

For several months, the G20 and the IMF, but also Europe, Brazil, China, and rating agencies are urging the U.S. to clean up their deficit and debt dementia. Today, the U.S. federal government has the knife to her throat on Monday, the U.S. debt ceiling should touch her – already noted in January – set at 14.294 billion dollars, from which the U.S. can not borrow more.

In other words, the United States are on the verge of bankruptcy. Given the urgency of the situation, the Treasury secretary, Tim Geithner, has given a stay of 30 days to allow Congress to reach agreement with the White House. They have until August 2nd to negotiate a compromise, Republicans in Congress will not agree to vote on raising the debt ceiling until the government has not implemented an austerity budget.The United States shackle in effect three years of deficit exceeding 10% and no concrete and credible program of spending cuts are envisaged. Olivier Blanchard, chief economist of the IMF, the savings plan of 39 billion delivered on April 8 is "insufficient".

Barack Obama has set a goal of reducing the U.S. budget deficit of 4000 billion dollars over the next twelve years. It sets the fiscal deficit to 2.5% of GDP in 2015, and wants it to be achieved by three-quarters of declines in spending.Objectives, but no clear way to reach them: during a visit to Facebook, the president spoke reform fiscalité payday lenders.Sans give too many details, he has to attack the tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans, plans to limit military spending and aid to agriculture, and cutting in the health program, yet very popular Medicare.

"The financial equivalent of a nuclear bomb"

What would happen if the U.S. could no longer meet their debt, as was the case for Greece, Ireland, or Portugal? It would be "the financial equivalent of a nuclear bomb ', warns Aaron Kohli, a specialist in Treasury bills at Nomura Securities. The global cataclysm is such that people do not."They must find a solution, they can not leave the financial world explode," he reassured one analyst, who notes that the financial markets show no signs of concern about the ability of U.S. authorities to agree.

David Wyss, chief economist at ratings agency Standard and Poor's, which recently threatened the U.S. triple-A, not only the Treasury "may continue to operate until August (through accounting manipulations, Ed), leaving the time in Congress to agree, but again, in case of emergency, the government "will pass the debt service as a priority."

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"Frankly, I am interested in your money": this clash of the BNP did not last long in the 1970 No bank would dare today to show his frontispiece, yet it has never been so relevant. Whether at the counter or on the home pages of online banks, retailers are currently struggling to raise cash from businesses and some 200 billion saved every year by French households. All opportunities are good. A mortgage? Some lenders offer more attractive rates if the borrower is guaranteed to leave a cushion of deposits.

General Motors (GM) up big on green energy. In any case, what transpires from the study of law firm Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti Helsin, specializing in intellectual property. The latter, which compiles an annual index on the theme of clean energy, today announced that the manufacturer has registered more patents related to green energy than any other U.S. company in 2010.

In total, the manufacturer has filed 135 patents on this topic, or 14% of total 1881 patents related to green energy deposited by 700 companies or organizations. "Clearly, GM has made great efforts with a range of clean energy technologies, which puts top ranking for the first time," says Victor Cardona, an official of the firm. According to him, these patents relate to hybrid vehicles, batteries, solar energy and several improvements to existing technologies.

Reinventing the DNA of the automobile "

For the direction of the automotive group, this performance is the logic. "GM has gone to reinvent the DNA of the automobile, and this led to many innovations and technological advances," explains Alan Taub, vice president of research and development group.

GM, which has just released the Volt hybrid electric car, has bet on new technologies to raise, two years after filing for bankruptcy. Overall, the manufacturer has stepped up its efforts in R & D since a total, he filed 940 patents in 2010, placing it among the 25 U.S. companies that filed the most patents last year.

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On Thursday, the Paris Stock Exchange should make every effort to keep the 4000 points reached Wednesday. The CAC 40 was able to pick this threshold technique, driven by buying cheap and good results from JP Morgan. However, caution leads the ACC in this technical threshold for the opening and himself. The benchmark index in Paris lost 0.49% to 3986.26 points in early trade.

In Germany, markets follow the same path with a start down 0.24% at 7160.99 points for the Dax in Frankfurt. In London, the FTSE losing 0.37% to 5990.24 points.

Operators decide to follow the footsteps of their counterparts on Wall Street and Asian markets. Time to dissect the business publications across the Atlantic. Japan also remains a concern for markets.The situation remains tense nuclear posture in the country while the authorities claim that the islands have to find other means to cool the reactor number two at the nuclear plant in Fukushima-Daiichi because of the difficulty of evacuation contaminated water.

Entry in U.S. unemployment to menu

Side indicator, the markets will keep an eye on the German government's economic forecasts (13 hours). Overseas, the Labor Department will release the index of producer prices and weekly jobless claims (1430).

In France, Minister of Economy confirms the decrease to 2.25% of its growth forecast for 2012 against 2.5% previously. Its stability program should be forwarded to Parliament tomorrow Friday.

On oil markets, investors are plunged into doubt.Oil prices move in a disorganized in the morning, the market for assessing the impact of high prices on global growth. In morning trading, a barrel of light sweet crude for May delivery took 13 cents to 107.24 dollars and that of Brent North Sea crude for May delivery fell by 10 cents to 122.78 dollars.

Side currency, the euro is rising again against the greenback. A euro is worth 1.4501 in morning trading (+0.37%).

Schneider and Tyco: the series

Danone

The food group confirmed on Thursday its 2011 goals by announcing an increase of 19.6% of its sales in the first quarter thanks to the synergies of integrating Unimilk in fresh dairy products in Russia.

Schneider Electric

While the group denies any attempt at rapprochement with Tyco International, two sources familiar with the matter confirmed Wednesday that the leadership is seriously concerned by the project.Schneider Electric has approached banks, including French banks on the financing of a possible transaction.

Dexia

The Franco-Belgian bank has adopted a list of seven candidates for the resumption of its life insurance subsidiary Turkish Deniz Emeklilik, said Thursday the newspaper Les Echos.

Nexans

The group announced Thursday that it had been informed by the Competition Bureau of Canada to open an investigation against several cable providers and be part of groups covered by this survey instant payday loan.

TF1

The group announced a contract for sale of 100% of his company's games and online paris Solfive SPS, one of whose shareholders is the CEO of SPS.

Renault

The changes at the head of the manufacturer and the difficulties of the Japanese automobile industry have no immediate impact on the activities of automotive group in France, said Wednesday the director of manufacturing. Renault also believes that the Russian market could reach 2.4 million vehicles sold in 2011 against 2.2 million forecast earlier this year in favor of extending the scrapping in the country.

Morgan Stanley appreciates Accor

Accor

Morgan Stanley raised its recommendation on the value to be overweight, weight cons online before, and raised its target price from 32 to 37 euros.

Casino

Credit Suisse raised its recommendation to neutral cons underperformance before, and raised its price target on the basis of 50 to 70 euros

Carrefour

Several shareholders of the family Defforey opposes the draft that Carrefour plans to split its subsidiaries Property and Dia, reports La Tribune. Thierry and Sophie Defforey have announced their opposition, just weeks after Defforey Herve, son of the co-founder of the group, which had expressed early April. Their positions around the table were not disclosed.Sophie Defforey owns two million shares in conjunction with Xavier Kemlin, another individual shareholder, the newspaper said.

Total

The oil group announced at the conclusion of a works council the establishment of a voluntary redundancy plan than a hundred people per year until the end of 2017 in the refining industry in France, excluding staff posted , reports La Tribune.

Unibail Rodamco

The group announced Wednesday that yielded three malls and hypermarkets in Sweden to a consortium led by Grosvenor Fund Management for 268 million euros.

Cegedem

The group said on Wednesday it expected a 4% increase in net sales excluding currency effects in 2011, after recording a loss in 2010.

Bull

The group has been chosen to supply a supercomputer research center at Rokkasho in Japan as part of research into controlled nuclear fusion project ITER-related.

Direct Exchange

The group recorded an increase of 25% of its sales in the first quarter to 8.4 million. The online broker, Boursorama competitor, reported 52,000 accounts at end-March.

Pierre et Vacances Carrefour and publish their turnover in the second and the first quarter after market close. Stallergenes Mercialys and reveal their first quarter results at the same time.

"We will try to pass the big gap: to provide a wide range for all types of customers, low prices and downtown," said David Guilluy, director of Auchan City, the latest of group. By visiting the new mall area St. Kitts, the people of Tourcoing be the first to find out what type of store, which "is not a smaller version of the hypermarket," said the manager.

Smaller (4000 m2) a hyper, Auchan City offers 25,000 products anyway, a thousand local items. "We've adapted our offering.Textile range was reduced to underwear, while we propose a satisfactory choice in hardware, preferring to make more room for shelves school supplies, food and cosmetics, "explains Emile Sanchez, who oversees the range of non-food store.

In the world of green apple Auchan City, they are fresh products that are kings presented in the stands and highlighted at numerous events, strawberries, cheese and other fish should be given to some 5,000 customers daily expected the impression of strolling through a market.

Back to site

"We want to give pleasure to shop and prefer that the customer comes time to choose rather than try," said Emile Sanchez, recalling one of the main criticisms of hyper.This thinking explains the new organization of the rays, where the electric toothbrush alongside its classical variant, but where the different price ranges – discount store brand, national brand and organic – are included in the same radius.

"This is our opening symbolic because Auchan back where he was born fifty years ago," says Gerard Muller, who had opened his first store between Roubaix and Tourcoing "to sell products cheaper." Its offensive in the city center coincides with that of its competitors, who develop small areas. Auchan, building on a larger area as it continues to do for its hypermarket shopping area, invents a different business model yet. 16 million euros have been spent on this new concept."We will decide a second opening after only one year test," warns David Guilluy.

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How far will go the extravagant case of industrial espionage that poisons every day Renault? In the wake of testimony by Patrick Pelata has acknowledged for the first time in Le Figaro, "a number of elements lead us to doubt" and mentioned the idea of a "manipulation" before turning his position as Chief Operating Officer on the spot, the reactions have little overdue. They have mostly endorsed what looks like a sacrifice programmed. Friday morning, Christine Lagarde has considered the No. 2 company "had the dignity to indicate that he might be mistaken, and that if it was proved he was mistaken, he would draw all the consequences. ""I think it's worthy" by Patrick Pelata, said Minister of Economy in claiming that "we arrive at the truth, it gets there quickly, if the suspicions were unfounded, justice, confidence is restored and compensation is paid. "

In the same vein, his counterpart for Industry, Eric Besson, has confirmed that management problems are posed "if it is the manipulation hypothesis, which dominates in the end." Before adding: "I also noted that Mr. Pelata, very dignified and quite logically, has already warned that he would draw the conclusions for himself." Finally, the Elysee does not hide his irritation."This case, bad for the image of the company, not the show great professionalism," has dealt a collaborator of Nicolas Sarkozy.

• The direction of the group's safety should she not slipped by using methods of spooks?

The internal investigation, legal "point of French law", as claimed by Patrick Pelata, was conducted by a team composed of fairly baroque Remi Loincloth, formerly of the DGSE, Marc Tixador, the former PJ Versailles, and Dominique Gevrey defector from the Directorate of Protection and Security of Defense (DPSD) readily described as a "central figure" in this story.Like a bad spy novel, a sum of 100,000 euros has transited into five payments last fall in Madrid via L. Michel, a former paratrooper became a private investigator.

Agreeing to play the "biller for the defense of French interests," it is simply a "short circuit" used to confuse the trail to a mysterious Mabrouk and "external source" who reportedly discovered ghostly accounts opened in Switzerland and Liechtenstein by the three executives on suspicion of espionage. Since this information just communicated orally, have been questioned, the manufacturer does not even seem able to identify his "deep throat": the only employee of security service who knows stubbornly refuses to cooperate.To protect at all costs or to hide an embezzlement to the detriment of Renault? As a confession, Patrick Pelata conceded: "We erred in not involving the DCRI earlier."

• What are the collateral damage to Renault?

The damage in terms of image are significant. While the group had been traumatized by the suicide of three employees of Guyancourt Technocentre late 2006-early 2007, serious questions arise again on his management style. Renault seems to be a company where one can accuse and dismiss employees without evidence, solely on the basis of anonymous testimony. This case falls ill while the group was counting on its electric vehicles-those who have supposedly been spied-to repair its image.Sales of these cars and the entire range will suffer they? Hard to tell because the picture-in determining whether the act of purchase and also depends on products. But the group will leave with a disability. Adding that "it's all business operations that may be seized, as management has been discredited, analysis framework, which adds it will take time before confidence is restored."

• Carlos Ghosn is he in trouble?

If the spy case deflates, the group took a huge risk by raising its CEO at the forefront in the media. In the JDD, January 23, he said he "personally monitoring the progress of this process as and when." The same evening, on TF1, Carlos Ghosn has hammered that he had "certainty" about the guilt of the three frameworks and evidence had "multiple", but did not disclose.On 10 February, at the announcement of the strategic plan, the CEO drove home the point by asking him to "trust" because "tens of people have analyzed the facts." In case of "manipulation", the question remains whether the employees and the government will simply sacrifice his number 2.

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In the wake of massive demonstrations against employees of the pension reform in the month of September, the president promised to take better account of the drudgery. The daily Les Echos, the new rules allow for early retirement – at age 60 instead of 62 years – are ready to come into force. The draft orders were submitted Monday to the Commission of accidents and illnesses that must review them before publication in the Official Gazette.

These decrees provide that to continue to retire at age 60, the insured must prove that a disability rating of over 20% caused by illness or accident.The retirement age is then lowered from two years.

17 years of exposure

For insured persons with disability rate ranges between 10% and 20%, the process is rather more complex. This amounts to a lot of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Employees must then prove they were exposed for at least seventeen years of difficulty factors. These are precisely defined by the decrees. These include carrying heavy loads, uncomfortable postures, work at night …

The case of employees who apply for early retirement will be reviewed by a commission whose members are representatives of state and social security. The Commission will have four months to decide.

If proof of 17 years of exposure is not required for employees suffering from occupational disease, the trade unions believe it is inappropriate to TMS.The CGT said that this term does correcpond to any reality. according to the CFDT, over a quarter of TMS appears to exhibits ranging from one to ten years. Syncicats also denounced the lack of recourse against the decision of the Commission if it refuses the early departure. Only possibility to look to the court of social security which could be blocked quickly by the CFDT.

The new rules should come into force at the same time that the law on pension reform on 1 July.

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Congress has cooled the financial markets in the afternoon and the U.S. central bank disappointed them in the evening. At the close, the Dow Jones earns only 0.07% to 11,985.40, the S & P 500 rose 0.42% à1296, 63 points and the Nasdaq ahead by 0.74% to 2739.50 points.

The side indicators, crude oil inventories rose 4.84 million barrels to 340.57 million. Economists on average had expected a rise of 1.2 million barrels.

Sales of new homes fell 14% in 2010 to their lowest level since 1963 at least, with 321,000 transactions, according to official figures released Wednesday in Washington.The ministry said that sales of new homes jumped 17.5% in December compared to November (when adjusted for seasonal variations).

After the close of Wall Street, the U.S. central bank reiterated its caution about the U.S. recovery and thereby its share repurchase program of state assets.

New burst results

On the foreign exchange market, the euro was changing close to balance, on Wednesday afternoon. In the evening, the euro bought 1.3695 dollars against 1.3682 dollars late Tuesday, after the dollar rose to 1.3722 in the morning, a new high since November 22.

The side of values, Wall Street investors were expecting a new burst of results. United Technologies (-0.37% to 81.43 dollars), Xerox (-7.63% to 10.53 dollars), Boeing (-3.07% to 70.02 dollars), ConocoPhillips (2.62% to 69.25 dollars) were in the program.Also note, the Macworld San Francisco grand annual gathering of fans of the U paydayloans.S. computer group Apple to open its doors today and will run until January 29.

Yahoo!: -2.79% to 15.57 dollars

Always on the side of values, the U.S. internet group Yahoo! posted Tuesday a net profit doubled for both the year and for the fourth quarter, but with a turnover of patina, displayed down 2% for 2010 and still looks disappointing the first quarter. The annual net profit appears to 1.231 billion, while quarterly earnings totaled $ 312 million.The turnover 2010 was, however, slipped 2% to 6.324 billion dollars, with a particularly sharp fall in late: -12% to 1.525 billion dollars.

Boeing: -3.07% to 70.02 dollars

For its part, Airbus said Tuesday that the final report of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on U.S. aid to Boeing will demonstrate that its competitor has received substantial aid illegal and said that Europe could claiming $ 45 billion in compensation.

Juniper Networks: 6.41% to 37.05 dollars

The telecom equipment maker Juniper Networks has announced a profit of $ 190.2 million, slightly below expectations. The group's turnover is 1.19 billion dollars against 1.13 billion dollars expected by consensus.The operating margin was 24.5% against 24.1% in the third quarter.

Wal-Mart: 0.10% to 57.32 dollars

China has sentenced several distribution groups, including Wal-Mart fined for having lied about the price of their papers, said Wednesday the instance of economic planning.

SNCF has not been fully understood by the government. The expected increase in late January the price of train tickets will be "probably between 2 and 3%, a level higher than inflation but below that wanted the station, according to Minister of Ecology and Transportation, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet. "The station asked us 5%. It said it was not possible and it will probably be between 2 and 3%, "the minister said on Tuesday on radio station RMC. It justified the increase to come, considered reasonable by the government, through increased tolls that SNCF must pay Réseau Ferré de France (RFF) to operate its trains and the necessary investments in equipment renewal.

In 2010, RFF will receive 1.5 billion euros in tolls of the SNCF, for the use of its high-speed network.In early December, the company owns the rail infrastructure networks had sounded the alarm, believing that the future network of high-speed lines in France was not insured due to lack of investment for renovation . RFF said that in order to sustainably manage the network at high speed, he would receive two billion euros per year. And tolls should instead reach 40% of the price of train ticket, instead of 30% currently.

Angry users

Still, the prospect of higher rates of SNCF, even of 2 to 3% instead of 5% claimed by the railway company, could further increase the anger of the users. For several days, several lines of subscribers SNCF decided to observe a "strike" have their tickets in protest against the degradation of service provided by the carrier.Thus, after users online Angers-Le Mans-Paris are those of the TGV Paris-Tours which currently express their ras-le-bol. Some 300 lines connecting subscribers Arras, Douai, Dunkerque and Lille in the Ile-de-France will also join the strike.

"This mobilization is at the level of dissatisfaction of users, so that the TGV EST, according to Willy Colin, a spokesman for the Association of passenger rail users in the Western region (Avuc) has initiated a National Petition at Le Mans in early January fast cash online. The petition had "more than 7500 signatories" last Friday. The users are complaining about the repeated delays on the rail network and social movements.

Their anger, rampant for months, has also been fueled by heavy traffic disruptions that have resulted from episodes snow last December.The South Rail union and the association of users and FUT-SP had mocked the SNCF, estimating that the carrier was "afraid of the snow" and would put some lines TER "minimum service" for this reason. TGV, meanwhile, was slowed to 220 km / h in areas affected by the weather, which caused delays.

An "emergency plan" for the lines "sick"

In this tense environment, Guillaume Pepy, SNCF chairman of the group, announced an "emergency plan" for 12 rail lines "sick" as the Paris-Amiens and Paris-Tours or the RER A line. "On each line, we will set up a barometer of public satisfaction, which will be measured each month," he said at the "Grand Jury RTL-Le Figaro-LCI.Asked about the cost of such a plan, Guillaume Pepy said the bill would amount to "several tens of million euros", drawn from the "benefits" of the group are wholly reinvested. But according to Pascal Mignot, a spokesman for users of the Le Mans-Paris line, "these statements do not convince us, is to amuse the gallery …."

Mid-December, the boss of SNCF had promised in an interview with the Journal du Dimanche that the fares TGV lines remain "accessible to all." Today, users want more angry than promises. The set of associations seeking compensation per subscriber of 250 to 300 euros and a rate freeze for 2011.

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All observers are on the lookout: store traffic will she go in to this Wednesday, the first day of sales? As tradition dictates, the economy minister, Christine Lagarde and Secretary of State for Trade Frédéric Lefebvre, gave the kickoff event this morning at 8 am, flying in large Parisian department stores, first in the Galeries Lafayette and Printemps. They should be emulated by 300,000 visitors this Wednesday at Galeries Lafayette, and 150,000 visitors are expected through the doors of Spring. More generally, 85% of French people intend to participate in sales that begin today for five weeks, according to an Ipsos survey conducted for the National Council of Shopping Centers (CNCC).BVA about 67%, reflecting but also a real craze.

And for good reason, Frédéric Lefebvre believes that the balances are "now a budgetary necessity for millions of French. All the French out of the crisis. Moreover, the snowfall creates a very high expectation. "

The 2011 winter sales will be in effect all the more important that sales have been hampered by snow during the holidays, as well as deliveries, which helped to increase trade inventories. However, stocks are an important input in the dynamic balances.

Incentive scheme

And on the merchants, especially those of clothing, the stakes are also high: the turnover on the first day of the discount period is one of the most important year for large signs.Printemps Haussmann, for example, has traditionally run in the first day of sales in the amount of daily sales record. Until the end balances, set this year to 15 February, the business generated is the second largest after that of holiday season.

Everything is implemented to encourage the French to consume. It must be said that consumption is particularly bleak in France instant payday loans. In December, households' opinion on the economic situation worsened by 3 points, according to Insee. To mark the kick-off balances Christine Lagarde has justified maintaining the floating balances to boost consumption throughout the year.

For its part, the association "by Paris Shopping", with the support of the City of Paris, is mobilizing to encourage fashionistas to go to stores by offering shopping itineraries and walking free on board electric tricycles . The operation, launched in 2007, also aims to attract international tourists in the capital, month traditionally low for hotels.

The French plan to spend 219 euros in stores

On average, these followers of balances to spend 219 euros considering their purchases in stores, according to the BVA poll. If the intentions of the French materialize, the numbers will increase over the last markdown when the French spent an average of 199 euros.

The online trade is also affected by this downbeat trading.Two out of three Internet users are about to do because the sales on the Internet, according to the survey by Fevad Federation (e-commerce and distance selling) and Directpanel Research. On average, users were expected to spend 180 euros for their purchases on sale on the Internet.

It must be said that significant discounts are becoming the norm even in this first day of sales. In shops, the awards should be 20% to 70% and online sales, lower prices could reach 90%. And discounts should go crescendo until February 15, the day end balances. Until then, Happy shopping!

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