Sitting comfortably above the $ 76 barrel of oil has had a week to rebound. Monday on the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex), the light sweet crude for August delivery ended at 76.54 dollars (75.60 dollars in London). "Things have been pretty quiet on the front of the oil market. After all the volatility of last week, investors taking a breather, "and watching Adam Sieminski of Deutsche Bank.

On Tuesday, investors had boosted the morale and the prospects for a decline in crude reserves in the U.S. and the possible formation of a tropical low off the island of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic) . In New York, a barrel to 77.44 dollars has completed while in London he displayed up to 76.44 dollars.Then suddenly bamboo Wednesday: the U.S. Department of Energy announced that gasoline stocks, closely watched during the summer due to extensive travel by car increased by 1.1 million barrels over a week. These distillates (including diesel and heating oil) rose by 3.9 million, twice as anticipated by analysts. The turnaround is not expected on the markets: the barrel of light sweet crude dropped to 76.56 dollars while London Brent clings to 75 dollars.

On Thursday, another change of mood: the price of oil surged by 3.5% in New York while a tropical depression threatens to disrupt the operation of oil facilities in the Gulf of Mexico. The U.S. National Hurricane Center emits a tropical storm warning for the Bahamas and parts of Florida that concentrates approximately 30% of crude production in the United States.The barrel ends at 79.30 dollars in New York and Brent 77.25 dollars in London. Friday, investors marked a pause, which fall to 78.98 dollars a barrel in New York and 77.60 in London.

Chaotic week ended with a gain of 2.98% for WTI and Brent to 1.44%.

The weak dollar boosts gold

The precious metals have been worn all week by a weak dollar. The dollar fell Tuesday to 1.3029 dollars per euro, its lowest level since May 10 In terms of gold, the psychological threshold of $ 1,200 an ounce is not yet valid. While the stock market regains its vigor, the yellow metal lost some its appeal as a safe haven.On the London Bullion Market, an ounce of gold finished at 1190.50 dollars at auction Friday evening.

The money has followed suit, finishing at 18.17 dollars Friday, against 18.25 dollars the previous week.

Platinum and palladium have been a positive week. The platinum price rose Friday to 1,548.75 dollars per ounce, its highest since late June The reason: pressure on supply, particularly in South Africa, the main producer. The country should not review its production is rising while demand continues unabated. In London, an ounce of platinum finish to 1541 dollars on Friday. The deck had also received reassuring news on the state of the automotive sector. The manufacturer Audi announced in particular that, like its competitors, it would be difficult to meet demand from China.

Following the ounce of palladium finished $ 460 dollars against 456 the week before pay day loan no fax.

Renewed confidence for base metals

Fears about the economic recovery would they be erased? This suggests that the evolution of metal prices based on last week. The good response of equity markets in the wake of U.S. companies has cheered the markets. Just as the announcement of a reduction in stocks of copper on the London Metal Exchange. A key barometer of the market, the red metal posted Thursday its highest level for over two months in 7050 dollars per ton.The U.S. Freeport McMoRan, the second largest copper producer in the world, has also contributed to the general euphoria, thinking "optimistic" about prospects for demand with order books "more solidly filled some time ago" .

A voltage supply would also increase beyond the original copper. BHP Billiton recorded in the second quarter, a drop of 5% a year from its copper production, and announced an expected decline of 5 to 10% over the next 12 months of mine production of copper from Escondida (Chile), the largest in the world. However, according to the monthly report of the International Study of copper (ICSG), the demand keeps augmnter. Global consumption of refined copper jumped 5.8% year on year in April.

In the wake of copper, aluminum has increased, supported by fears of a shrinking market.World production fell in June to 3.423 million tonnes against 3.476 in May. Friday, was worth 2038 dollars per ton. Lead, tin, nickel and zinc respectively won 10%, 6.7%, 7.5% and 7.5%.

The weather pushed wheat

Like last week, the weather boosted wheat prices in Chicago. Wheat prices reached their highest level in 13 months Thursday at $ 6.10 a bushel. The sources of concern are found on the side of excessive rainfall in Canada or the ten million hectares of crops destroyed by drought in Russia (20% crop of the country).

The wheat contract expired in September stood at 5.9625 dollars against 5.8725 dollars a bushel a week earlier, an increase of 1.53%.In contrast, the corn contract for December delivery finished at 3.8450 dollars per bushel (-5.59%) while the contract of soybeans mature in November closed at 9.8150 dollars per bushel (- 0.36%).

Note that during the brown bean were down significantly from last week have reached their highest level in 33 years due to suspected distortion of courses by the British fund Armajaro. On Liffe in London, the price of cocoa for September delivery was trading at 2,302 pounds on Friday against 2452 vune week earlier.

Coffee prices have also shown a decrease to 1724 dollars per ton. Sugar prices have instead reached their highest level since March 1, to 18.66 cents a pound in New York.With the approach of Ramadan, August 10, a time when global consumption is increasing significantly, the announcement of monsoon rains 17% lower than normal in India were fears of a drop in supply. On the LIFFE, a tonne of white sugar for October delivery was worth 555 pounds 527 pounds on Friday against the previous week.

But the revolt against the old promise of Jacques Chirac, applied from 1 July 2009 thanks to the activism of Nicolas Sarkozy, also scolded the Assembly. Without naming the VAT on food, the general rapporteur for the Budget, Gilles Carrez (UMP), has questioned "a number of consumer items that are 5.5% and that should not be at 5.5 %. He advocates instead an intermediate rate to 12%.

Since the introduction of the measure for the restoration, the context is not the same.The government, which has hitherto led a recovery policy, had to change tack in recent months under pressure from the markets. It is now to reduce the deficit. Especially in the planing tax loopholes.

Nevertheless, the statements and Gilles Carrez Baroin were poorly received by restaurants. "It's absolutely outrageous to say that the 5.5% VAT tax is a niche!" Reacts Philippe Villalon, president of the National Federation of the restoration (FNRF). "We buy our products and we sell 5,5% to 5.5%. As is the case for all areas of the mouth.Moreover, if we repeat the policies they want to end VAT at 5.5%, we should not translate that we lower our prices, nor that we hired, as the state would break its part of contract. "

During the implementation of the measure, the restorers had promised to lower prices, to invest and hire. These commitments, which would take over in case of cancellation of VAT at 5.5%, would have been more or less respected. The Court of Auditors estimated last October that the measure would involve only 6,000 new jobs. The profession claims to the contrary today promised 21,700 against 20,000 a year.

The amount reported sales, which fall into falling 2.7% on a comparable basis, excluding the activities in the United Kingdom, merged with T-Mobile, the French operator said in a statement.

"The group has again demonstrated its ability to maintain its performance in terms of turnover and profitability in an economic and regulatory environment remains difficult," said the CEO of France Telecom, St?phane Richard, quoted in statement.

The operator maintains its 2010 goal of cash generation of around 8 billion euros, "before possible acquisition of new frequencies and without taking into account the impact related to the business tax in France before 2003" .

In its home market, France Telecom has recorded a turnover of 5.77 billion, a decrease of 2.4% (-2.1% on a comparable basis). Spain is even worse, with sales decline of 3.3% (-2.8% on a comparable basis).

In contrast, "Africa and the Middle East are growing more than 7% (on a comparable basis) due to" the rise of our business especially in C?te d'Ivoire, Kenya, Senegal and Uganda, " said St?phane Richard.

On Tuesday, France Telecom was willing to pay 300 million dollars, or about EUR 224 million, allowance to Orascom Telcom under its agreement with the group in Cairo to settle their dispute over Mobinil.

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This brutally violent blow brought to Goldman Sachs by an American authority has given new force to the criticism that rained down on the bank already, although it became a symbol of a fund that has too quickly found the way of profits.For the first time since 1986, when the first attack against the bank Drexel Burnham Lambert, the SEC declares the war a pillar of Wall Street! And this time, Goldman Sachs sees his reputation reached in a way that can impair depth to his "business" as it is accused of having "played" against the interests of its customers.

In Germany, a spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel said that her own financial policeman, BaFin, demanded an explanation from the SEC and considering, where appropriate, prosecutions: one of two customers cheated named to United States is another qu'IKB, a German bank bailed out that Berlin. Asked by the BBC, the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he was "shocked" by what he calls "moral bankruptcy" of investment banks. He asked that the FSA, British counterpart of the SEC, in turn opens an investigation.Finally, the European Commissioner for Economic Affairs, Olli Rehn, has promised an investigation "deep thrust" on the role of Goldman Sachs vis-?-vis Greece. The bank, which he denies and which has been cleared by the U.S. Federal Reserve in this regard has been criticized for several weeks helping Athens to hide, via financial products, the actual deficit.

The lawyers are already working actively to bring proceedings against Goldman Sachs on behalf of other investors potentially affected by the product under investigation by the SEC. In addition, the whole complex financial instruments and addicted to subprime will be winnowed at Goldman Sachs, but also in other banks.

In turn, the bank Goldman Sachs has reacted strongly against the accusations made against it in civil also, and not criminal.First line of defense: it has itself lost $ 90 million in the case, for only $ 15 million of revenue. The SEC estimated the total loss for investors to 1 billion. Then Goldman would reject the caricature of IKB, for example, an investor easily fooled. IKB had an active market sophisticated CDOs, says the firm on Wall Street.

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A "golden boy" among many other French

A mobile police squad has been deployed around the plant. After being evicted on Thursday morning a roundabout they occupied, the employees were cut to 15 hours in their factory.

"They say they want to burn a tank of gas. They want socially is increased, said the prefecture. They demanded that negotiations be reopened with management.The state plays its role of mediator. "

The tank, four to five meters long, located outside the factory is surrounded by pallets "ready to be lit," according to employees.

The prefecture has reported working at a negotiating meeting "if possible as early as Thursday evening. "We do not know how it will end. People are focused, "said Eric Lemoine, of the CFDT plant. "People are starting to crack," he said.

A premium extra-legal of 21,000 euros per employee

The closure of the plant, which employs 92 employees, was announced April 10, 2009. Since then, negotiations between the social management and the employees have failed, despite mediation by the state. Employee representatives were received by early February at the Elysee by an advisor to the head of state, says Lemoine. "It would give us news. We're still waiting, "he said.The employees claim Sodimatex including extra-legal premium of 21,000 euros per employee.

They demonstrated Thursday morning on the outskirts of the plant, blocking access to a large industrial area and the logistics platform Crepy-en-Valois. According to the prefecture, they refused a round table to say their demands and kept blocking.

"The police intervened.They have restored traffic conditions allowing businesses to operate, "according to the prefecture, who said that the direction of Sodimatex" did not require intervention of the authorities. "

The mobile police intervened using tear gas, which was perceived by employees as "a real attack, told AFP Alain Lebrun, general secretary of the departmental union CGT de l'Oise.

"Employees demand that management come to the negotiating table, but not empty handed," he said.

He said the group Trier, owner of Sodimatex, received 55 million euros from the state under the plan to help automotive suppliers. "Today, we want to let employees go with the legal minimum," he denounced.Xavier Mathieu, the leader of the CGT employees of the factory Continental Clairoix (Oise), came to give his support Thursday night "to brothers of struggle."

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"When the state interferes in the affairs of industrial

The results of regional elections should have little impact on this strategy. The Elysee to environmental stresses that "the majority can not be further sanctioned in 2004, where she could keep only two regions. With this diagnosis, Nicolas Sarkozy has already said he would take the election results, but should still maintain its current balances in the government team, headed by Fran?ois Fillon.

However, he can thank Martine Aubry. By declaring in the first instance, supported a postponement of the age of retirement at age 62, the first secretary of the PS opened the debate much earlier than expected, and it gave credibility to the government's position.Polls in support, the Elysee is now convinced that the French are ripe.

The time has come for the act

Nicolas Sarkozy wants to move quickly on this issue. No way to let the unions take to the streets in October to protest against a proposed reform dashed again. Everyone remembers the November 1995 strikes against pension reform remains the worst memory of the line for fifteen years. Sarkozy wants then arbitrate on the reform of pensions as early as June And to pass a law "in the month of July," confirmed by several sources. He then turned to a mixed solution, combining the lengthening of the contribution period and delaying the legal retirement age.Symbolically, the change of the legal age of retirement would impact tenfold, and it seems that even the Elysee Raymond Soubie, the great clockmaker of social relations which advises the president, is convinced that the time has come proceed to act. Elysian source, a special session of Parliament in July appears to have "acquired" given the workload of the two assemblies.

Of course, the government expects a tough clash with the social partners. For now, the waters unions are barely wrinkled a few ripples. But beware of "the calm before the storm," warns a minister concerned about the mobilization of the month of May According to someone close to Nicolas Sarkozy, these events present at least the advantage of reform credibility with voters."Plus there will be parades, plus French will credit him for having the courage to decide on this matter," smiled one of his friends. Another adviser very point that "nobody has noticed the reform of universities because there were no strikes at the time." In addition to the mobilization of spring, the Elysee is also expected to fall very volatile. "There will be upward pressure on wages as the recovery will be felt," admits an advisor, providing an inflow of association necessarily muscular. It's time that Sarkozy chose to discuss other reforms in 2010, including the legal proceedings or fifth risk Social Security.

But he also intends to take this year-end 2010 to return in force on the international stage. "He will chair the G20 in the month of November 2010, and until summer 2011, said his entourage.The president wants to play again when the partition that had been so successful during the presidency of the European Union in late 2008. The regional elections, hopefully it will be so far.

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Hue on some sites, a company that has yet veneration of the leader, Didier Lombard, in his wheedling air and round cheerful, is affected. The mathematicians more comfortable in the labs among engineers that under the camera, commits some awkwardness of language that mark the spirit but do not reflect his thinking. Like when he talks of "fashion" about suicide.

The runaway media, which has a genius visionary, is suddenly switch to a boss with autism.A shift that shows how it is excessive as it is radical.

For Didier Lombard is fully committed to "home" and its employees, where he began his career as a young Polytechnique, before joining the Directorate General of Industry at Bercy. There he will manage all major industrial issues, Bull Thomson. It will keep the obsession with the voice of France and Europe in the "global digital village," between the American omnipotence and new ambitions Chinese Business Card Holders .

Capacity in countries emerging

When it comes to the head of France Telecom in 2005, replacing Thierry Breton became Minister of Economy, the company is just the head. Crushed by debt, it almost went bankrupt.Didier Lombard accelerates plan "TOP" drastic cost reductions initiated by Thierry Breton, and continues the transformation of enterprise fixed mobile integrated operator with its plan Next. A transformation vital to the survival of the group plunged into the competition, but that is no longer welcome by some of the employees in historical France. At the international France Telecom is strengthening in the emerging countries, but also in Switzerland and Great Britain, even if the marriage with the Nordic TeliaSonera fails.

In taking over, St?phane Richard will give a flat part of this strategy.Starting probably content, even if their weight in the group activity is inversely proportional to the media buzz they generate.

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