World News – International Headlines, Stories

NYSE Euronext raises the lusts but retains its preference for a union with the Frankfurt Deutsche Börse. The board of directors of the transatlantic exchange operator yesterday rejected unanimously the offer of participation of $ 11.3 billion made by Nasdaq, coupled with Intercontinental Exchange (ICE). The place specializes in new technologies and that on raw materials are intended to counter the approximation of the US-European space with Deutsche Börse.

But the directors of NYSE Euronext have found the offer of Nasdaq and ICE "strategically unattractive, with an unacceptable operational risk." Besides the issue of debt, the directors were concerned about the competition issues that would raise a takeover by Nasdaq OMX and ICE, with the risk of a monopoly of trading in shares in the United States.NYSE Euronext's boss Duncan Niederauer also said: "We can hardly call that an offer because it is a proposal formulated in vague terms and that is, from our point of view, an empty shell."

Conversely, the officer believes that a strategy has been defined and that "the combination with Deutsche Börse is consistent with this strategy." NYSE Euronext believes that a merger with Deutsche Börse to the new entity will position itself to become the leading operator of global market and create substantially more long-term value for its shareholders.

Nasdaq OMX was formalized on April 1 its alliance with ICE to add to NYSE Euronext. And despite this rejection, Nasdaq plans to maintain its proposal.

ALSO READ:

"Deutsche Börse, NYSE: other actors?

Flat screens, sleek … TVs are becoming more beautiful, too bad the picture is marred by the son. Chinese manufacturer Haier has designed a wire-free, not even electricity. The promise's dream.

On paper, the principle is very simple. "Within a radius of two meters, no need son. We create a magnetic field in which the electric current pass, and the image data, "said Rene Aubertin, president of Haier Europe. So just to have a box placed near the TV. The housing is connected by wire to the sector and possibly a cable or antenna reception ADSL and sends waves energy and information without loss of quality or power.

The advantage of such a solution would be to achieve dispense with all cables and son, including those connecting the TV to DVD players, Blu-ray … "We're obviously going to test the impact of technology on health" adds Rene Aubertin, who put on a launch of the first products in 2011 in China and Europe in early 2012. Haier, which is convinced that wireless "is a real argument for consumers' experiences another solution in the field. It is like this time the principle of induction. Just this time to ask its receptor (provided it is designed for) on a shelf, connected to electricity payday loans for bad credit. The current then flows between the post and the plate. The gain is a priori small, since it is necessary to connect the shelf and not the receiver.But Haier has wanted to go further in this direction and consider making this plate a kind of universal charger for all electrical appliances in the home. "Imagine, you go home, you put your phone on the plate and presto, it recharges itself," enthuses Rene Aubertin. Ultimately, the principle can be extended to objects as diverse as a PC, a kettle, a shelf …

Positioning in the midrange

Haier, which makes $ 20 billion in sales worldwide, including 600 million in Europe, wants a fivefold increase its presence in mature countries shortly. Television weighed barely a third of European sales in 2010 (the balance coming from appliances), it should represent more than half of next year."We develop products to make them more responsive to the expectations of European consumers," said Rene Aubertin, who wants to position products in Haier midrange. At year end, the brand will launch its first television sets connected and 3D with passive glasses (or polarized) at a price "significantly lower than competitors'.

While China has already provided support to European countries struggling with debt problems, such as Spain or Portugal, it could again give them a boost. The central bank governor, Zhou Xiaochuan, said on Friday that "despite difficulties in some European countries, China supports strong to overcome their budgetary difficulties and succeed in their economic recovery."

Moreover, Zhou Xiaochuan said China is "very confident in the euro area and its ability to overcome the crisis. What about European countries in difficulty, the governor said: "We have confidence in their economic prospects." A response to the wave of downgrades by Moody's sovereign these days, that hit Greece and Spain.

China pledged last year to support the euro zone countries face the rising cost of sovereign debt, worsened by U.S. rating agencies. The Spanish daily El Pais had reported in early January that the Chinese government planned to buy six billion euros of debt in Spain. In December, the Portuguese daily Jornal de Negocios wrote that Beijing was ready to buy five billion euros of debt Portuguese. At the end of last year, the chief economist of the bank Natixis, Patrick Artus, had considered buying Chinese Greek debt to several hundred million euros. Beijing has never confirmed any of these amounts.

ALSO READ:

"The" many challenges "in China for 2011

"Debt: China to the rescue of Spain

Back to square one for the mutual insurer Groupama. His plan of conquest of Italy was thwarted Friday by Consob, the Milan stock market watchdog. This is a new blow to the French who dreams of European expansion for years. To this end, Groupama in 2003 had offered an observation post of first choice in Italy. With the help of Vincent Bollore, the insurer had entered the capital and the board of directors of the powerful Milanese merchant bank, Mediobanca.

After years of observation, this investment was to finally pay. A beautiful operation, acquisition-Sai Fon, the first Italian car insurer, crippled by disastrous financial results, was in sight. To achieve this goal, a long-term plan had been mounted.The direction of Groupama had close family Ligresti, the majority shareholder of a financial holding, Premafin, which owns 41% of Sai Fon.

In financial difficulty, the Ligresti had agreed to sell 17% of their company Groupama for 145 million euros. Once in place, the French hoped of course gradually take control of Fon-Sai creditreport. Despite plans IPO of Groupama, the financing of such acquisition, estimated at between 2 and 3 billion euros, however, seemed complex.

Political reading

To achieve his ends, Groupama wanted to remain a minority in the capital of Premafin. The mutual had therefore conditioned its investment to the lack of obligation to Consob to launch a takeover bid for the entire holding. The authority has no doubt considered that Groupama Ligresti and acted in concert. Permission has been refused.Groupama said it would "examine the situation created when it is properly informed" by Consob of "motives of his decision."

The decision of the Milanese can also lead to a political reading. The prospect of a French acquire a large insurance company had caused an outcry in Milan. "We will keep the Italian spirit of our company" and had promised Ligresti at the last general meeting of their society.

ALSO READ:

Groupama will always go public

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.

ALSO READ:

"Pensions: Sarkozy ahead of the hardship

"The arduous work, a difficult concept to define

The French idealize their retirement

"SPECIAL – retirement: the challenges of reform

"Leaving early in retirement can affect your health

The solar industry is in turmoil. On December 9, professionals taking short, the government declared a three-month moratorium on photovoltaic systems. In other words, all projects – other than small panels for individuals – are frozen. The measure follows the successive falls of subsidized tariff and tax incentives designed to burst the "bubble".

"The Prime Minister wanted to develop new rules of the game to progress without inflation," said Eric Besson, Minister of Industry, responsible for energy. For his part, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, Minister of Ecology, co-pilot consultation exercise with industry. The new framework was announced in mid-February.

At Bercy, actors, SMEs and energy giants, are involved in consultation meetings, with more or less good grace as their respective interests."Everything is played or nearly so, the services of the department have already prepared the ground well. We are moving towards a minimum service, including a further reduction in tariffs, "said one participant.

Daniel Bour, president of Sunnco GC, messages from the administration are daunting: "To suggest as the basis for the future a maximum of 500 megawatts (MW) connected annually in France, while in 2010 almost 700 MW were connected, is amazing. In Germany, more than 7000 MW have been connected by 2010, a ratio of 1 to 10. "

The solar sector ahead in unity. More than eighty companies, grouped under the banner of the association without borders ecology, chose confrontation judiciary.The State Council must consider today an application for annulment which is to suspend the effects of the decree, said Mr. Alexander Faro, lawyer of Ecology without borders. Particularly affected, the retroactive nature of the text that sometimes froze the projects undertaken over the past two years payday loan lenders.

Whatever the legal consequences of this episode, many in the industry does not seek to discuss the phenomenon of overheating. "The industry has experienced abuses, sometimes wacky projects driven by the only hunting for grants. This wave will stop, says Stanley Nahon, director in the consulting firm Booz & Company. Meanwhile, smaller players, the weakest will disappear.Large, declaring that they accommodate themselves to lower subsidies of 10% to 15%, already anticipating this concentration. "Some SMEs are pointing the finger EDF New Energies whose dominance could, they fear, allow remain the only survivor.

Electricity bill

Ed despite the difficulties, the industry will at least enjoy the dialogue to halt attacks considered systematic. Beginning with the rise in electricity prices that would be due to the growth of photovoltaics: "At most, the entire cost of solar energy production in late 2010 represents less than 1% of the electricity bill paid by consumers, "says Daniel Bour.About the argument for the invasion of Chinese solar panels, the boss of SunncoGC argues that "the development of power plants in France has actually started two years ago." In other words, it takes a minimum of time, volume and visibility to develop this industrial sector.

"Right now, solar is viable in any country in the world: everyone should have this in mind, says Stanley Nahon. But unlike others, France has been slow to react to market overcapacity, marked both by falling prices of panels and the high amount of subsidies. "

ALSO READ:

"The photovoltaic-attack against the Council of State

The government suspends aid to photovoltaics

"Dialogue on photovoltaics

In the aftermath of a euphoric meeting for exchanges of Tokyo and Shanghai, the soufflé is quickly back down. Concerned Fed statements that blamed the weak recovery in the United States to the European crisis, Asian financial markets were down Wednesday. With the exception of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong won 0.08% to 23,668.40 points and the Singapore Exchange, which takes 0.09% to 3253.29 points.

Otherwise, the Nikkei 225 Index was down 0.35% to 10,361.50 points. Registrations of new vehicles in Japan, excluding mini-models, dropped 28.3% in December on a year to 179,666 copies, but rose 10.6% in 2010 to 3.23 million vehicles sold (cons 2.92 million in 2009).However, automakers are facing the stock market Wednesday: Toyota, who faces prosecution of seven U.S. insurance companies, climbed 1.07% and Mitsubishi rose 1.26% to 2319 yen, and Mazda is 2.54 % to 242 yen. By contrast, Honda lost 0.62% to 3210 yen.

Other value for Tokyo, Toshiba, climbing from 2.23% to 459 yen. The industrial conglomerate of Japan has developed two prototypes of new LCD TVs larger sizes displaying images in three dimensions visible without special glasses no fax pay day loan.

Record investment for Samsung

Moreover, the CSI 300 Index of Shanghai lost 0.25% to 3181.61 points, the Taiwan TAIEX Index 1.59% to 8853.96 loose points, the Kospi in Seoul dropped 0.24% to 4448.39 points and the S & P / ASX Sydney was down 0.58% at 4714.90 points.

Note that the South Korean Samsung, which announced it would invest $ 38.3 billion investment in 2011 in research and development of new activities, fell 1.67% to 942,000 won, with Seoul Stock Exchange.

Qantas Airways hopes to relaunch its A380

Furthermore, the Australian company, Qantas Airways, confirmed Wednesday hope reactivate its Airbus A380 on flights to Los Angeles from January 17.At the Australian Stock Exchange, the share fell sharply from 1.21% to 2.45 Australian dollars.

Crude prices were trending lower Wednesday in electronic trading in Asia on profit taking after the recent rise, analysts said. In morning trading, a barrel of light sweet crude for February delivery yielded 38 cents to 89.00 dollars. Of Brent North Sea with identical maturity let go 49 cents to 93.04 dollars.

Manuel Valls, a candidate for the presidential primary PS, stands out from its competitors.Guest of Grand appointment 1/The Europe Parisien / Today in France on Sunday, he said: "Yes, we will unlock the 35 hours that no longer exist as they have really been challenged since 2002 gradually .

"This should allow the French, for those who are fortunate to have a job, more work-two hours, three hours …- without necessarily resorting to overtime that cost the state much," said said the deputy mayor of Evry, in the Essonne.

Supporter of "work more and better," he hammered, "Is what you've seen a socialist who is now proposing to extend the 35 hours for example to all SMEs that were not affected by 35 hours? Is the world as it is today, with the competition we know we can afford to be on ideas of the 70, 80 and 90? No! This is my brand, we must go beyond the issue of 35 hours. " In 2012, "we can not go to the French with the same proposals, the same ideas the 35 hours, youth employment, in 1997.The world has changed so we too must change in our proposals, "Manuel Valls insisted, also favor the opening of negotiations between social partners to" raise wages. "

Debate

Implemented in the Jospin government by the current boss of the PS-Martine Aubry then Minister of Employment, the 35 hours is considered a social gain by Socialist leaders, who today put more heart in this issue political debate.

UMP side, the new secretary general of the UMP, Jean-Francois Cope, has reignited the debate about the end of 35 hours in mid-December announced a "reflection" on the subject, conducted by two Liberal MP and Novelli Chairman of the UMP group in the Senate, Gerard Longuet.But the government spokesman, Francois Baroin, as Labour Minister, Xavier Bertrand, have made a plea of receiving, considering that the government did not intend to reopen this debate.

Management side, the CGPME, resolutely hostile to the 35 hours, she also believes that the "problem" was "resolved" in small and medium enterprises and that this site should not be reopened.

ALSO READ:

"The Elysee does not reopen the record of 35 hours

"SELECT YOUR FIGARO – The imbroglio of removing 35 hours

At least for employment, 2011 under the auspices looks a bit better than 2010. If unemployment figures have rather played with a yo-yo last year, registering sometimes downward, sometimes upward, the trend should start to reverse in 2011. After a number of job losses record for forty years in 2009, the upturn has a restart sluggish job creation from the beginning of 2010: the first three quarters of the year 74,000 jobs were created according to the latest figures from INSEE in the market sectors. A figure far short of the 334,000 jobs lost during 2009 alone, and that was not enough to compensate for new entries into the labor market, and hence to a lasting reduction the number of unemployed registered at employment center.

In 2011, this time the situation should improve, but slowly.Forecasts of relatively weak growth, an uncertain economic environment and a context of fiscal restraint may lead to a very gradual reversal of the job market. Especially in 2009 and 2010, the adjustment of the workforce was less important than would suggest the magnitude of the economic crisis, surprised economists. "The measures implemented by the government and the rigidities inherent in the French labor market have helped cushion the impact of the crisis on the labor market," said Axelle Lacan, an economist at Credit Agricole. With a corresponding improvement less straightforward once the downturn started.

Lower productivity firms

Job creation seen early in the year 2010, however, leave some analysts wondering. "The early resumption of employment raises questions," said INSEE."Either the companies have not completed their adjustment and should continue to destroy jobs, or they have lost productivity," says Matthew Plane, an economist at the French Observatory of Economic Conditions (OFCE). If OFCE, rather pessimistic, expects a dark new year on the employment front, INSEE, in its note of economic, leans towards this second hypothesis. "Given the magnitude of the shock suffered during the crisis and the increased uncertainty, it is possible that some companies have delayed the implementation of new production methods more efficient workforce," the judge statistician.

Given a "horizon of uncertainty and caution of industrial, employment center in early December judged that the use of non-temporary" should not really bounce in the coming months. "Depending on different assumptions of growth, new jobs are expected to vary between 45,000 and 130,000, said the public institution. But "whatever the growth assumptions, the number of job seekers is expected to fall" in a range between 19,000 and 109,000 for the first three categories (A, B and C), predicted employment center. More optimistically, Unedic expects a decline of 128,000 job seekers in categories A, B and C. Although according to the Council for Strategic Analysis, employment should not regain its pre-crisis levels by 2015.

ALSO READ:

"BLOG – Employment: true emergencies in 2011

"The recovery in employment is confirmed

A system where the employer hires employees based on their needs. All very normal in the business world. This is also what is trying to establish the government in the high administration, removing the classification output of the ENA. The project is as simple as it seems and arouses strong resistance – for evidence, it was launched by Nicolas Sarkozy three years ago! But a further step was taken with a Senate vote on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday.

So far, students from the Ecole nationale d'administration choose their assignment at the end of their schooling, according to their scores. The bodies of remunerative and prestigious as the Inspectorate of Finance, the Audit Office or the State Council, are favored by ENA graduates out into the "boot", that is to say in the lead."A competition spent 25 years directing a professional life," lamented the head of state in early 2008.

The former ministers Eric Woerth and Andre Santini launched the file. A decree establishing a new procedure has been drafted. But in examining the State Council said that the law provided an explicit allocation based on the classification output of the ENA for … the young magistrates of the State Council. An order may violate a law, while the site was blocked. The bill Warsmann simplification of the law under consideration in the Senate, gave an opportunity to remove this obstacle. That's what the senators come to … more than a year after members! And the process is not complete since it takes a second reading.

"A committee of transparency"

The future allocation system, the government now to see applied in 2012, "is in all our reforms on the careers of officials: Replacement of the notation for the assessment interviews, validating experience, removing age limits cash advance no fax… "said Secretary of State for Public Service, Georges Tron. Young énarques indicate the positions that interest them. Governments express their preferences on the candidates after reviewing CVs and interviews conducted anonymous collegially. Given these factors, a "transparency commission" – by Jean-Pierre Jouyet, technocrat, Inspector of Finance and Chairman of the Financial Markets Authority, which devised this procedure – decide assignments.Everything is supposed to allow a match between the skills and desires of candidates and the needs of the state.

This complex system must address the concerns of nepotism, "pistonage" or political patronage. Ranking is indeed perceived by its supporters as the guarantor of equal opportunities, ensuring that merit alone leads to better jobs. "Yes, it is a system incongruous, but it is an incongruity that we have 150 to build!, Pleads Arnaud Teyssier, president of the Alumni Association of the ENA. Governments are not businesses, because they are subject to policies. Their boss, the minister. The risk is that the most prestigious body n'accueillent the brightest but most Parisians, the most militant, who have the best address book. "Proponents of reform will see these concerns as" corporatism "of great body.