- November 16, 2011

The European Commission on Tuesday launched its third offensive regulatory three years to reduce the power of rating agencies, suspected of fanning the debt crisis. Hardening through the option of civil action for misconduct or neglect, and a tight control of conflicts of interest.

The blunder of Standard & Poor's, mistakenly announcing the loss of the prestigious AAA of France, may have facilitated the political work of Michel Barnier."We need to ensure themselves of the risk we take," says Michel Barnier.

To achieve this, Brussels lists practical steps payday loans in 1 hour. Any investor can sue for damages "for serious misconduct or gross negligence" of a rating agency. A state will have a period of 24 hours to respond to a rating before it is published. Agencies should be transparency in their methodology.

A special chapter is intended to reduce conflicts of interest. It limits cross-ownership between the agencies and their clients. It also introduces the requirement for a borrower to change the agency after three years (or six if two competing uses).

Sarkozy wants to tax the new financial exchanges - November 4, 2011

The G20 summit opened in Cannes on Thursday in an acute crisis. President Nicolas Sarkozy had to leave an extraordinary meeting of the euro area to hold under a rainy sky guests, leaders of 20 leading world economies.

The crisis in the euro area has so encroached on the official program that the French president had to cancel his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Sing. French President Barack Obama had previously met face-to-head and seems to have gained the support of the United States for its proposed financial transactions tax.

The political changes in Athens have also punctuated the start of the summit. Returning to Greece after being scolded by Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel on Wednesday, Prime Minister George Papandreou is facing the sling of his own ministers.

- October 29, 2011

In the first five days of strike by cabin crew of Air France, the company is organized to provide as announced 80% of its flights. The company has temporarily restricted on Saturday morning to 100 passengers the ability of its medium-haul flights Orly. Consequence: passengers can wait a little and minor delays can be saved.

This management method was chosen to avoid having to put down passengers for lack of a sufficient number of hostesses and stewards. "It blocks the flights a minimum. Is completed according to the presentation of the crews as and when. But we have managed so far to complete the flight and make them go as planned, "says the director of Air France at Orly, George Daher. A strategy that annoys some customers. "We were placed on a waiting list by explaining that there was not enough staff.

Sony headphones for movies and 3D games - October 21, 2011

The immersion is total. Sony caused a sensation at the Salon of video games Porte de Versailles in Paris, showing for the first time in France, his helmet virtual reality video games and movies in 3D.

By this headset, the viewer looks at the images as if they were in the middle of a movie theater in front "of a screen 19 feet wide and 20 meters away," providing its designers. Perception is indeed surprising. Two small screens (in the technology known as OLED, the most advanced flat panel displays) replace the glass of each pair of glasses. As each screen projects an image of the other complementary to each eye, the viewer has the perception of stereoscopic vision. Refreshing images done in record time (0.01 seconds), giving an impression of fluidity. Immersion increases when the music and the sounds coming out of headphones.Better than a stereo sound quality was improved (as 5.1, for the purists). Suitable for a game console PlayStation 3, Sony headphones, codenamed HMZ-T1, provides a home theater payday loans for bad credit.

Price from 800 euros

Technology has made progress since the first generation of virtual reality goggles in the late 1990s, designed by the American group including Silicon Graphics.

In the show, to demonstrate the immersion in video games, Sony has coupled his special helmet to the video game Uncharted 3: the illusion of Drake, launched exclusively for the PS3. With a gesture of the hand on the joystick, and the gun is triggered, another movement, the landscape of the game is running.

This revolutionary headset will be sold in mid-November. But technology has a price, very high in this case: 800 euros.What Sony does not expect to sell hundreds of thousands on the occasion of Christmas.

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Air France strike threat to Halloween - October 16, 2011

The human resources department of Air France is under pressure. Three cabin crew unions (PNC) filed a strike notice for the weekend of All Saints, Saturday 29 October to Wednesday, November 2.

The unions believe that their company "wants to charge PNC" his "poor economic performance." They denounce downsizing that "degrade their working conditions." The strike affects all flights from Orly, Roissy and Marseille.

This was already burning the cloth between the management of Air France and its flight attendants. Seven unions had filed a notice of four days in late July, one of the busiest of the year. Finally, the threat was not carried out.

The hostesses and stewards who work on short flights and medium-haul are directly affected by the restructuring plans announced by Air France to regain ground in a market dominated by low-cost airlines payday advance lender. Air France seeks to improve its productivity by organizing more such flights by plane and rotation by offering volunteers a more intense pace of work. This time, a new rating system hostesses and stewards with their heads cabins, instead of "inspectors controllers" would have set fire to the powder.

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Moody's attacks British institutions - October 9, 2011

Moody's warned that it was British banks in the crosshairs. So she lowered the notes yesterday of seven small establishments that specialize in mortgages but also five major banks such as Lloyds Banking Group, which comes down a notch to "Aa3" to "A1", and Royal Bank of Scotland , which loses two notches to "A2". She also announced plans to lower the rating for long-term debt of Belgium, currently the second best possible "Aa1." The rating agency said in a statement it would review the country's vulnerability to the crisis of debt in the eurozone, growth prospects and uncertainty surrounding the possible support to the banking system, particularly the establishment Franco-Belgian Dexia.

Moody's, which has deteriorated in the wake of 9 banks in Portugal, is the difference between Portuguese and British situations.If Portugal is the financial institutions that is pointed, this is not the case in the United Kingdom. The decrease is only due to the fact that the government committed to a policy of strict fiscal discipline, is less inclined to support the bankruptcy of its banks, especially smaller ones, "It is more likely that the government is now its most smaller institutions to fail no fax cash loans. The damage does not reflect a deterioration of finances of the banking system or the government. "

Controversy over RBS

So it's the same reason that is invoked only for a few weeks ago degradation of U.S. Citigroup, Bank of America and Wells Fargo on the grounds that the state might be reluctant to help them. Political discourse is to throw doubt on the determination of the support if any one bank.The British finance minister, George Osborne, told the BBC: "People ask me how to prevent the British deposit banks to be in the future? The government is to prepare. As a result, the rating agencies believe that banks will have to prove that they themselves can pay their bills. "

Indeed, the government wants to avoid having to replicate the scheme in 2008. The State had then had to inject billions into troubled institutions, including 22 billion for RBS.

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Exchange: 216 billion euros went up in smoke - October 3, 2011

The market decline occurred in August and September did go up in smoke the equivalent of 216 billion euros over the market value of CAC 40 companies since January 1. During the one day of 22 September, falling 5.25% of the benchmark index of the Paris Stock Exchange has removed 40 billion euros, as much as the market capitalization of the size groups of EDF and L'Oreal!

Today, all forty major French companies weighed on the stock exchange the equivalent of 794 billion euros. This figure may seem high to the uninitiated, but it is actually little more than the book value of assets of companies entering the CAC 40.The fall in prices has reached such proportions that the largest industrial groups in the rating on the stock exchange deal at the price of factories, stocks of goods or land on which are built warehouses or stores.

Employees of Lafarge in hunger strike - September 28, 2011

To save their jobs, twelve employees of the Lafarge plant in Frangey, in the Yonne, have chosen the weapon of hunger. They begin on Tuesday the eighth consecutive day without food. Their camp of five tents in which they placed cots, is placed just under the windows of the direction of the cement business of the group at Saint-Cloud in Hauts-de-Seine.

With this strong action, these employees, joined by the mayor of the commune of the Yonne, hoping to push Lafarge to reverse its decision, announced in late May to close their factory. Frangey site, dating back over 80 years and employs 74 employees, should gradually close its doors next year to a permanent closure in April 2013.Lafarge justify its decision with "a local market that is reduced by 40% over-capacity and an inability of the site to produce cement that meets new environmental standards."

The CGT, the majority union in the factory, these sweeping arguments. "The business is viable and profitable. And if the activity of the furnaces is low, it is because the traditional customers come from other sites such as Le Havre. And when asked why they prefer to Lafarge as trucks do 500 km to deliver, they can not be explained, "protested Sylvain Moreno, union leader, who understands that this is part of" the strategy of large ". False, answer a spokesman for the cement, "There was never any agreement between Lafarge and its competitors."

"A pool damaged"

As the situation escalates, Lafarge insists that the closure will be without pay.The group "has provided 100% of reclassification with a job on a site of Lafarge Cement in France," said a spokesman. Other support measures include a support for moving expenses, payment of the new rent for 15 years, or the accompanying spouse in finding a new job. "We want a smooth transition because we understand the emotion and anxiety of employees," said she. "If the goal of Lafarge, CAC 40 company, is close to reclassify, industrial activity in France has fallen very low," said Sylvain Moreno for his part.

Meanwhile in Saint-Cloud, Lafarge claims to be in contact "permanent" with the striking employees who received a "medical assistance, psychological and technical" from the group instant payday loan. Lafarge, which does not want this movement drags on, wants to "find an expeditious solution."But the ground is hard to find since the cement does not reverse its decision so that the strikers call for maintaining a pure and simple activity on the site. "I do not know how long this can last, says Sylvain Moreno. But I know that employees are determined to stay the course. We are ready for us to launch legal proceedings against the group to prove a lack of economic reasons, "said trade unionist.

"What is annoying is that it's 74 fewer jobs in the basin of Tonnerre is already quite damaged. Since 2003, 1,100 jobs have already been lost here, "says Maurice Godard, representative of the local union CGT de Tonnerre (Yonne).

Political turn

An extraordinary central committee (CEC), during which the situation will be discussed Frangey, is expected on Thursday. "There will be others.We want to continue the dialogue process, "says one at Lafarge. "There is no social dialogue, slice Sylvain Moreno, who says that management plans to relocate the appointment for he did not take place in Saint-Cloud," which will result in throwing fuel to the fire, "he warns.

Meanwhile, the movement takes a turn more and more political. Yesterday, Manuel Valls, a candidate for the primary PS, passing the camp, said that "Lafarge is able to maintain this site. This is the direction to move because you have to maintain this site. " Before him, the President of the Republic Standing, Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, came to see these "employees thrown like dogs" on the basis of arguments that "does not hold water."

The movement seems however not have the desired resonance within the company.A call to stop work was issued Monday on other sites but there has been little follow-up, pushing the CGT to regret "what little humanity" by other employees of the group.

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Wall Street closed higher, optimistic for Europe - September 26, 2011

After signing Friday its worst week in three years the New York Stock Exchange rebounded on Monday following the trend-driven European stock markets, boosted by rumors of bank recapitalization. At the close, the Dow gained 2.53% to 11,044.17 points. While the Nasdaq rose 1.36% to 2517.10 points.

The trend, however, may be fragile. Concerns about the strength of global growth and the crisis of public finances in Europe and the United States still weigh investor sentiment. Markets expected a lot more than a joint statement of finance ministers and central bankers from the G20 at the end of the meeting in Washington Thursday. The United States has put pressure again on Saturday for Europe to act more quickly on the public debt."All of us who watch Europe (…) must have admiration for what they are doing and recognize the difficulty," said the BBC the U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner .

Week crucial for Greece

In the euro area is a race against time to be playing this week to save Greece. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that a delegation will travel to Athens this week to determine whether or not the country can benefit from the sixth round of eight billion euros, it vital to avoid bankruptcy. Moreover, Germany will vote Thursday the agreement for the expansion of the scope of the relief fund of the zone (EFSF). Sunday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed confidence the outcome of the vote.Evangelos Venizelos, Greek Minister of Finance, for his part spoke with Jean-Claude Trichet, head of the ECB, a debt restructuring Greek. In an effort to reassure global markets, finance ministers of the euro area are committed in a common text, to "do everything necessary to solve the crisis of debt and financial stability of the area in whole and its Member States. " The idea of ​​taking office faster than expected EFSF has also been raised by Germany this weekend.

EU Commissioner Olli Rehn himself has said that Europeans reflected to provide the EFSF additional instruments, beyond those agreed in July to give "more power" in an interview with Die Welt newspaper.

If no key indicator is not on the agenda of investors on Monday, the rest of the week will be charged.The program includes the index of investor confidence and U.S. consumers (Tuesday), due to the latest estimate of U.S. growth for the second quarter (Thursday).

As for currencies, the euro still appears under the $ 1.35 this morning at 1.3435 dollar. Oil prices, however, went up the slope in morning trading, amid hopes of an agreement to increase the reserve fund for the eurozone. A barrel of "light sweet crude" for delivery in November gained 18 cents to 81 low interest personal loan.04 dollars a barrel and Brent North Sea crude for November delivery took 42 cents to 104.39 dollars.

Values ​​to follow

The Boeing 787 (1.10% to 60.16 dollars) will finally become operational after three years behind schedule. The manufacturer delivered its first Dreamliner yesterday at the Japanese company All Nippon Airways for $ 200 million.The reduction of the unit would save 20% of fuel consumption, according to the manufacturer.

The video sharing site online Netflix (5.08% to 135.93 dollars) has signed a replay of movies with DreamWorks, who has produced the animated film Shrek. Previously linked to the pay channel HBO, the studio is the first American to prefer a website with a conventional chain. The operation could yield $ 30 million per film to DreamWorks, according to analysts.

Note CocaCola (1.29% to 68.29 dollars) intends to invest nearly $ 3 billion (2.2 billion euros) in Russia over the next five years, his strategy being to to increase its presence in emerging markets, said CEO Muhtar Kent told Reuters Insider.

Chevron (0.34% to 90.32 dollars) Monday gave its final green light to a proposed 29 billion Australian dollars (28.4 billion dollars, 21 billion euros) in the liquefied natural gas (LNG ) to Wheatstone, in Western Australia.

Dollar Thrifty (0.70% to $ 60) The car rental group said it expected that its adjusted EBITDA shows a jump between 17% and 28% in the third quarter, and noted the amount of its share buyback program to $ 400 million against 100 million previously.

Bristol-Myers Squibb (0.79% to 31.14 dollars) will be able to cope with the expected drop in sales next year due to the expiration of its patent on Plavix in the U.S. in May , one of the most important drugs in the pharmaceutical group, announced Monday its managing director Lamberto Andreotti.

The website site group purchasing, which aims Groupon a valuation of $ 20 billion, would call into question the timing of IPO. The group is cooled by a volatile market but faces above the federal authorities who refused certain elements of his record says the Wall Street Journal. In addition, the group's director of operations resigned five months after his arrival ..The same day, Groupon has revised down its sales in its IPO document, placing it now at $ 688 million for the first six months of the year, instead of the more than 1.5 billion yet he claimed last month. The net loss was revised down slightly to $ 204 million instead of 205 million. And according to the Wall Street Journal.

Reduced deposit insurance in Germany - September 23, 2011

Excellent sense of timing for German banks … By the time the security deposit is again a concern for investors, the association of German private banks – which include Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank, and some 170 players bank – announced Thursday to reduce the protections afforded to their clients.

In Germany, the system operates at two levels. First level, all deposits are guaranteed by law up to 100,000 euros, as in France and in Europe parrout, in case of bankruptcy of a bank. This floor does not move then. What changes is the second level: it is the voluntary scheme set up by private banks. So far, they guarantee all deposits up to 30% stake in the troubled bank no faxing payday loan.Example, an investor putting his money into a small bank capitalized at 5 million the minimum guaranteed to see the money of 1.5 million.

By 2025 this will rise to 437,500 euros. "It's always much more than the legal minimum," pleads Mon officer of the association in Berlin. Not sure as long as this reform is very well received in the current tense situation. Knowing that, across the Rhine, and cooperative state banks maintain 100% protection on deposits.

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