International News

Thursday milestone for the general construction equipment from France in optical fiber, the network of the future which must provide high-speed Internet to homes and replace the old telephone network today. France Telecom offers to all competitors who wish to offer access to its future fiber optic network in sparsely populated areas, with the possibility of co-financing. He has published Tuesday offers a very detailed in this direction. And it seems to do so fair play as Free immediately signed a co-financing rates ruling "economically reasonable".

After roaming agreement on 3G mobile, the partnership of the fiber is the second major agreement signed between France Telecom and Free in the space of a few months. But the incumbent would also be discussion of the fiber with SFR and Bouygues Telecom.This agreement will give a boost to fiber deployment in France, whose government is a priority. "What are the different actors as their strength together and avoid a dispersion of investment is really a giant step, which launches the real start of the top fiber," said Pierre Louette, secretary general of France Telecom.

If the number of Internet subscribers high-speed barely reaches 150 000 in late June, Nicolas Sarkozy has set a target coverage of 100% of the country with broadband by 2020. In the heart of major cities, very densely populated areas and therefore profitable, Orange, SFR and Free deploy each with its own fiber network. But the issue is acute in areas less dense. France Telecom's offer and provide an initial response to the many local officials who want high-speed on their territory.

Sixty cities

In concrete terms, with the agreement signed between France Telecom and Free the cities of Dijon, Brest, Reims, Le Havre, the community of loops of the Seine around Chatou near Paris, some sixty in total, representing 1,300 Public and 5 million homes will be equipped from 2011 to 2012. France Telecom will deploy its network and will own in the end. But competitors can participate in the financing and get strong trading network usage. "It's very flexible. Our competitors can buy access rights for every 5%. They are true indefeasible rights of use, kind of very long-term concessions, renewable, and can assimilate into their investment accounts, "said Yves Parfait, program director at France Telecom fiber.Since France Telecom agrees to work with its competitors, exit the idea of ​​a centralized national structure "Fibre France" imagined by some. "This fantasy of a national operator vanishes," said Pierre Louette.

The agreement validates the framework established by the regulator (Arcep) and meet in Brussels considered it too little binding. "The framework adopted in France is good, since it works, that France Telecom did what was expected of her and it avoids wasting public money," says Pierre Louette.

In total, France Telecom will invest 2 billion euros by 2015 in deploying fiber. It has covered 3600 and communes, 3440 outside the areas dense. It aims to cover 10 million households in 2015 and 15 million in 2020, nearly 60% of French households.

Against all odds, the enthusiasm of the French for the stone has not really denied the first half. After the euphoria of 2010, rising prices and rising interest rates on loans, the housing market remained strong. Despite a decline in the second quarter, the production of housing loans has increased by 17.5% year on year, according to the study by the home loan / APF.

"The demand does not seem to have reacted to the rise in interest rates," says Michel Mouillart, professor of economics at the University of Paris X-Nanterre, who led the study. However, credit rates climb since November 2010."After increasing by 0.1% per month between November 2010 and late March, they rose by 0.5% per month in the second quarter." As a result, rates increased from 3.22% (excluding insurance) on average in October 2010 to 3.9% in late June, returning to their levels of September 2009 or "even in the summer of 2006, when the market was booming."

For borrowers, this change is not painless. For a loan of 200,000 euros over twenty years, the monthly payment rose from 1,160 euros in October 2010 (with a rate of 3.5% excluding insurance) to 1244 euros today (with a rate of 4.3%) by Empruntis . com.

Longer loan periods

In seven months, the total cost of this loan was therefore adds more than 20,000 euros, 78,400 euros from 98,560 in October.However, the recent rise in rates could be partly offset by a lengthening of the duration of loan (215 months on average in June) and the significant increase in the personal contribution (10.5%) coming in part of the first resale of property.

In Ile-de-France and the rise of the personal contribution is the fastest. "If there are significant cost differences, but they are erased when comparing income levels," Michel Mouillart into perspective. In 2010, the average cost of an acquisition accounted for an average 5.8 years of income, against 5.5 at the national level. "We're trying to restore the normal activity of normal and resale market. When he is returned to the pace that it had before the crisis, the price growth will be slower, "predicts Michael Mouillart. It anticipates higher prices in the former between 6% and 7%, but with wide regional disparities.But the market for home ownership could slow. "The year is expected to stabilize the production credit," predicted Michael Mouillart.

As for lending rates, they should not move at short notice. But "it is very unlikely to go down ', say experts.

The difference is certainly on the thickness of the line but it still twists his neck to popular belief. An evaluation of the Ministry of Labour with the redeployment of unemployed Le Figaro has obtained, employment center gets better results that private placement (OPP) to which the accompaniment of hundreds of thousands of job seekers job was outsourced. In other words, the public would be more effective than the private sector to find new jobs for the unemployed.

This assessment focuses on two categories of job seekers who have benefited, in November 2009 and March 2010, a reinforced support: the unemployed far removed from the market (long-term, seniors …) and CTP-fired economic CRP (devices for one year guaranteeing a subsidy equivalent to 80% of the last gross wage). Just under 5000 people were interviewed.In both cases, the rate of return to work thirteen months after the start of the support is higher for employment center.

47% of retrenched in CTP-CRP followed by public service employment benefit and employment (employed or not), against 43% for those followed by a private placement (employment agency, company … reclassification). Less than one in three point still unemployed after thirteen months, against 38% for a PPO. The private sector, which offers support more regular and reinforced, in the end proves better than the public service on one point: the rate of CDI won, higher than 5 points to the result displayed by employment center.

More CDI

The difference is greater for the second cohort of unemployed: the unemployed far removed from the labor market.49% are employed and thirteen months after the start of their employment center for support, against 43% for those followed by a PPO. Unlike the retrenched, the CDI rate is even higher in the public service (44% against 39%). Worse, the number of unemployed, thirteen months after the start of the accompaniment, are higher in PPOs (45% against 41%).

These results revive the controversy over the use of OPP – the cost of an unemployed investment returns twice as expensive (2200 euros on average per year, against 1100 at employment center) – to relieve the crews of the public service of employment in case of downturn. The popular option is to use only an "outsourcing of specialty", on a more targeted, less numerous and where the added value of OPP is proven. Should, in this case, review their terms of payment by paying more in income.PPOs now affecting half of their performance in support of an unemployed, 25% when in use and 25% if there is still six months later. The idea is often put forward to move to a 35% share in the care and placement for 65% effective (against today 50/50). A useful discussion since the OPP always accompany nearly 150,000 job seekers.

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"Avada Kedavra!" From the Aramaic "adhadda kedhabhra" meaning "that the thing be destroyed", the magic world of Harry Potter describes perfectly how the saga has shelved the James Bond and Other War stars of a economic point of view. On the eve of the release of the eighth and final installment of the series in dark rooms ("Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"), the figures give the spin: in total, the first seven films have generated some 6 , $ 4 billion (4.4 billion euros) in revenue worldwide, according to the U.S. studios Warner Bros. By itself, the first film adaptation in 2001 was worth almost a billion dollars.

Most successful in the history of cinema, the adventures of the bespectacled wizard is also the most successful global publishing.Since the release of first installment, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in 1997, over 400 million books were sold, having been translated into 69 languages ​​and 200 territories.

Consequence of its popularity, the saga has been an all-out merchandising. In all, video games and other clothing, stuffed animals and candy bearing the image of the heroes of the series would yield more than a billion a year, according to AFP. In June 2010, a theme park has even opened its doors in the United States. Stamped "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" ("The Wizarding World of Harry Potter"), the attraction has cost $ 200 million, and would experience a growing success since its opening.

20 million books sold in France

Well represented in the saga (including the Academy of Magic Beaubâtons), France has not escaped this wave.According Gallimard Jeunesse, which has an exclusive publishing contract, the figure of 20 million copies sold recently passed. In the dark rooms of the Hexagon, the adventures of Harry made a card, even if the number of entries went out over the decrescendo. The first movie ("Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone") has attracted some 9.4 million entries, against almost 6 million for the first part of the seventh installment.

Olivier Snanoudj, vice president of Warner Bros France, the decline in the number of entries "not surprising" since, over the episodes, movies, like the books have become "increasingly dark ". "As a young child, and by extension their parents or grandparents, came to the movies less," said he. This does not prevent targeting "a minimum" the bar of the six million tickets for the final film in the series."All fans want to see the end" of the adventures of young wizard, he bet.

Gallimard reissued the series in October

Display, advertisements in the press, promotion on the Internet … Nothing in any case been left to chance to boost inflows. Thus, the film was scheduled at the beginning of the school holidays and in the wake of the film festival, a promotional weapon of choice. Highlight of the campaign, a preview was held by Warner Bros. on Tuesday evening at the Palais Omnisports de Paris Bercy. "We installed the largest 3D screen in the world with six projectors, for an audience of 8000 people," recites the vice president of the distributor.

Via this strategy, the distributor looks forward "to revive the cash machine in particular in view of Christmas sales, or special boxes will probably days," slips a specialist.Hand books, Gallimard Jeunesse has relatively good performance of the game first, "the release of the latest installment in the film is likely to boost the sale of books, as has always been the case in the past," said Frédérique haunch, responsible for the communication of the publisher. And to project, announcing a repeat of the saga, in Volume by volume, from the month of October. With the menu, "new coverage to be carried out by the famous English designer Jonathan Gray," she says. Thus, Gallimard Jeunesse renewed the assault of a young audience, "from 8 to 10 years, as we did 15 years ago." On the commercial side, Harry Potter has not said its last word.

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While markets plunged Monday on fears of contagion from the debt crisis in Europe, central bankers in the euro area have tried to reassure. "This is to resist the risk of contagion" in Italy, which seems to be the new target markets, or to Spain, and "maintain financial stability in the euro area," said the head of the Eurogroup Jean-Claude Junker.

Thus, the finance ministers of the euro area, following a meeting that lasted nine hours Monday, were willing to increase the size of the Financial Assistance Fund, which has now a lending capacity 440 billion euros. They are also considering a "lengthening of maturities of loans" made to give more time to countries in difficulty to repay their debt and reduce interest rate loans to Greece.Other measures are also being considered to "improve the sustainability of government debt." No specific plan of support for the country, however, has been announced. What angered the Prime Minister George Papandreou who believes that "there is no room for indecision and errors", and regrets that European leaders are indulging in "cacophony".

For its part, the executive director of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, said she, that the effort of Greece to reduce its budget deficit is still "not enough". The patron of the institution has also sought to reassure over Italy. While the surge in borrowing rates to 10 years in Italy has shown concern on the situation of the country, Christine Lagarde said that "some of the Italian figures are excellent easy pay day loans."She added that "it is clear that Italy is currently facing problems which are essentially driven by the markets." Former Economy Minister further stated that the rating agencies' role "without elaborate. These are singled out: besides the Brussels wants to silence forbade them to assess a country subject to an assistance plan.

The international community "can not save Spain"

But nothing works. Markets are not satisfied and the stock markets tumbling again Tuesday morning. Bank stocks have been particularly affected. In Madrid, the Ibex index lost more than 2%. The Spanish Minister of Economic Affairs, Elena Salgado, said Tuesday he was "not logical" that Spain and Italy are "affected by market volatility," because their economies are "strong and diversified. ""If we are able to transmit the determination that we all, markets should reasonably calm down," she said.

But markets, they do not see things this way: "While the international community can save Greece, Ireland and Portugal, it will not save Spain, too important contributor to the euro area" , said Monday Laurent Geronimi, director of rate management at Swiss Life Private Banking.

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"The project of the PS does not the road." The essayist Alain Minc does not beat around the bush to try the program of the Socialist Party should he win the presidential election in 2012.

In addition to his friendship with Martine Aubry, Alain Minc believes that this project is "totally unsuited to the economic situation." "This is a project that was modern in 1981!, Says in an interview with the daily Le Parisien / Today in France. Youth employment is the world of yesterday. We can not, with the blade of the debt so close to our neck, having a Keynesian program. " The essayist and remember that "debt represents 80% of our gross domestic product. 20% is what he had to do to end the crisis. The remaining 60% are the result of thirty years of accumulated cowardice, left and right wing. "

Alain Minc goes even further in his indictment.He said a victory for the Socialist Party in 2012 would be penalized by financial markets. "The application of the socialist project would lose to France's 'AAA'," says Alain Minc. If for now the rating agencies have confirmed the rating of the country, it could be questioned if France did not take more drastic measures to reduce its deficit.

Lagarde IMF: "A decisive push Sarkozy"

Among the various proposals of the PS, Alain Minc attacks the merger of the income tax and social contribution. It considers the measure "extremely devastating for the middle class. I have long been convinced that all European countries should increase VAT by 2%. It will not escape, "said he.

Another topic discussed: compensation of top managers.While Nicolas Sarkozy and François Fillon supported the measure to overtax Xavier Bertrand and Jean-Francois Cope was cautious, Alain Minc "tearing his hair" when he sees the boss of Renault, Carlos Ghosn, will reach 10 million euros for fiscal 2010. "The selfishness of the ruling classes should encourage them to be more moderate in terms of pay. I persist and sign: we must know to practice self-regulation, "says he.

On the euro, Alain Minc said the German attitude to save Greece "intelligently selfish." "If Germany was up to the Deutschmark, it would be in recession," said he.

Finally, he welcomed the appointment of Christine Lagarde to head the International Monetary Fund."It's miraculous! Obviously there was a decisive push to Sarkozy, "he enthuses.

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The emerging markets are facing a "problem-rich" fight against the overheating of their economies – from 6 to 7% last year – when developed countries are seeking to boost their low growth. "Their macroeconomic management faces a dilemma: keep inflation that accompanies this growth through restrictive monetary and fiscal policies, knowing that increases in interest rates contribute to the massive influx of capital," says chief economist of Coface, Yves Zlotowski. Some countries are better equipped, such as Brazil, the driving force of the South American continent and one of the first to respond, noting early on interest rates and imposing taxes on capital inflows.

Dilma Rousseff, Lula's successor as president, also began to impose fiscal restraint.If the funds continue to flow, growth has slowed down somewhat in the first quarter to 4.2% against 7.5% previously. "Brazil is a highly diversified economy in its exports, with an internal market dynamics. Above all, the country has lead the last ten years important structural reforms, "adds the analyst.

"Institutional delay"

Conversely, the credit insurer is more concerned about the neighbor Argentina, faced with high inflation of 23%, where the industry is operating at full capacity, supported by consumption and fiscal and monetary policy very accommodative. Overheating is very important in part masked by a current account surplus driven by exports of soybeans in China. But the landing is likely to be brutal crash.

In Asia, the weakest link is located in Vietnam, with a very open economy model of development with Chinese characteristics, based on the investment, mainly Asian. Iran is benefiting from rising costs in China, resulting in even relocation. This generated a huge credit bubble, whose share in GDP increased in ten years from 30 to 120%. The difference is that it does not have the same cash reserves that China and he is obliged to regularly devalue its currency, the dong. "There is a real institutional delay, the risk is, in a skid, discourage investment, which finance the huge current account deficit," Yves Zlotowski analysis.

However, the restrictions put in place gradually in the large emerging economies – China, India, Turkey, Brazil – should provide a soft landing.The challenge is to develop real consumer markets that go through a reduction in inequalities and a growing middle class and to provide for future growth in developed countries.

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Announced in January, the IPO was expected Groupon. The figures that he has revealed in the record filed Thursday with the U.S. stock market authorities were much less. The website, which plans to raise $ 750 million in stock on a valuation estimated at between 15 and 20 billion dollars, in fact displays significant losses.

Created in November 2008 by Andrew Mason, a student of music, with one million dollars entrusted by entrepreneur Eric Lefkofsky, Groupon offers users to receive promotions from local businesses – florists, beauty salons … – provided that a specified number of Internet users subscribe to the offer. Over 83 million users have subscribed to the service. They were 1.8 million at end 2009. The turnover increased from 94,000 dollars in 2008 to 713,400,000 dollars in 2010.In 2011, revenues could exceed $ 2.4 billion. Growth driven by the acquisition of 13 companies, including Citydeal in Europe.

413 million loss

Groupon losses widen at a rate just as dramatically. In 2010, the net deficit of the site has reached 413 million dollars. For the first quarter of 2011, it already stands at nearly 114 million, says the briefing book. Abysmal losses that already raise doubts as to analysts who fear a new Internet bubble.Sucharita Mulpuru, e-commerce specialist at Forrester, and wondered how can one "lose so much money?" This is crazy with these numbers is that it should model extremely profitable, "he said The Wall Street Journal.

"Groupon has a very healthy business model, based on e-commerce, thus capable of generating cash," said Jonathan Besnaïou, co-founder of Oh My Deal, a site that aggregates and compares the offerings from its competitors and Groupon. "We must not forget that this is a service where the consumer pays first Groupon, which then pays the merchant on the one hand," he recalls.

If Groupon now displays such losses, it is because it invests heavily in customer acquisition – both businesses and users. The start-up business on account 3500 7000 employees worldwide.Considerable labor costs for a startup but can eventually turn into competitive advantage.

Another advantage of Groupon: the site has steadily expanded its offering – one coupon per day to more targeted deals, for example – to stick as closely to the needs of its users. His dedicated service to the mobile, Groupon Now, promises to be the next growth driver Groupon. Andrew Mason, the young CEO of the company, clearly displays the color in a statement of intent that reveals the very special culture Groupon: "As with any young company of 30 months, the road to success is strewn with pitfalls, punctuated moments of brilliance and sheer stupidity of others, "he wrote, convinced that" Groupon is better positioned than anyone to redefine the local business "and determined to focus on" a long term growth. "

SNCF would she yielded to the temptation of quotas? A belief in Le Parisien, Aujourd'hui en France, SNCF controllers have actually quantified targets to be achieved. A confidential memo was sent in April to all employees of a commercial Train (ECT) in Paris to show them to achieve "four cases per day, with 41% of the amount of PV cashed directly for a minimum of 50 euros per day, the newspaper said.

A bonus system also encourages officers to be zealous by directly targeting travelers who can pay right away, writes the daily. On each transaction, the agents receive a percentage of the total amount, the newspaper said, noting that this system is much more advantageous for controllers if passengers pay on the spot.And that can pay big dividends: The Parisian-Today in France indicates that controllers can receive monthly bonus of up to 700 euros, depending on the zeal and grade. But often, these bonuses, paid from the thirtieth euros harvested, have little impact on total compensation for officers, the newspaper said.

"It will help you be muted

Better performance would also facilitate subsequent ascension of hierarchical controllers. "Everyone knows that if you're a good little soldier, you will have more incentive and it will help you be transferred to the TGV, where you will be better paid," says Sebastian Tarbes, Controller and activist South Rail at Paris- Today in France. Conversely, agents that do not quite verbalize would be punished, according to the newspaper, which cites the case of three officers who received a layoff of five days.They would not have achieved their objectives.

In an interview with Le Parisien, Aujourd'hui en France, Patricia Lacoste, director of operations at the station, says "there is no political figure but a political fight against fraud." The ruling added that "the objectives are defined in terms of rate control and non-regularization. "The number of adjustments made by a skipper is measured and observed by the average of its capital," says Patricia Lacoste. It also states that "controllers have four objectives: safety, security and backup service."

"Contrary to company policy"

Contacted by lefigaro.fr, CFDT Railwaymen also stresses that "controllers are primarily responsible for sales agents Security and welcoming travelers.In addition, the organization said they had not been aware of the note and "if such guidelines were handed down to us, we would have intervened with management," said a spokesman. The union added that this type of instructions is "contrary to company policy which is not in a logic of repression but rather in a desire to preserve revenue. As for the Advancement of supervisors, the union says they are based on passing examinations, seniority and rating agents.

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Just e-G8 closed, rumors of geeks running since this morning. And if true, it confirms a big strategic move for Facebook. After launching with Warner Bros VOD (video on demand), the giant with 500 million profiles, whose boss Mark Zuckerberg is one of the VIP guests to meet the eight G8 Heads of State on Thursday – would be a fortnight of launching a music service straming, through a partnership with the nugget Spotify, according the U.S. magazine Forbes.

It is rumored that on the Facebook profiles, left, would be inserted an icon whose name is not yet known, but could be "Facebook Music" or "Spotify on Facebook.It is also said that the alliance would take place without any commitment of money: it would therefore Spotify to be known to great speed in the world, and Facebook, to finally be on the market for music online, like Google, Amazon and Apple.

With these revelations Forbes this morning, citing sources familiar with the social network, shakes blogs, feeds and awakes the twits websites. According to the magazine, if a Facebook user – which is located in a country where this is Spotify – click the new tab, the application will install on his computer screen and allow access to Spotify music library directly from their Facebook profile. Be music, free, for a few hours, or unlimited for those who choose the Premium connection to 10 euros per month.It would be possible to share the song and listened to his "Facebook friends" could enjoy together.

Spotify: a million users and a launch in the U.S.

This partnership would be a real boon for Spotify direct competitor to Pandora or Rhapsody in the U.S. or the French Deezer. The European site for streaming music over the Internet, launched in 2006 in Sweden and in seven European countries, in particular going to launch its first services in the United States this summer, said yesterday one of its shareholders, Sean Parker , Contractor's flagship web world, visiting Paris for e-G8.

Mainly known for founding Napster, the music-sharing software who first shook up the classical model of the music industry, Sean Parker Spotify commme sees a way to encourage people to accept new pay to listen music."I would not say that Spotify is intended to compensate Napster. I would rather call it to finish what I started with Napster, "said the contractor in an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of the e-G8. Spotify claims a million users to date premium total in England, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Spain, France and the Netherlands, and over ten million subscribers for free.

When e-G8, Neil Rimer, co-founder of Index Ventures investment fund, which invested in several start-ups, said he had "identified a list of companies in Europe are approaching the Cape of billion dollars in sales and who have what it takes to go public. "Among them he cited Spotify.

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