International News

• "Fear is back"

President Nicolas Sarkozy said Thursday in Toulon that "fear has returned," that "for France to lose control of his destiny" in the crisis of the euro area. The Head of State spoke of "this fear that destroys trust" and "that paralyzes consumers, which prevents the investor to invest, the contractor undertaking the boss to hire the banker to lend" , ensuring that "the only way of averting this fear is to tell the truth."

• A cycle of debt

Nicolas Sarkozy announced a "new cycle", that of "deleveraging, which will bring the balance of the economy to work and production that developed countries have tended to sacrifice too."

Barack Obama has heard Warren Buffett. One month after the American billionaire's call to raise taxes of the richest in the United States, Barack Obama will propose on Monday during a speech at the White House – expected at 16:30 French time – a special tax on the income of taxpayers earning over a million dollars a year (about 725,000 euros). The U.S. president should not indicate the precise tax rate that it intends to apply or the amount it hoped to achieve by this. But according to The New York Times, the tax on millionaires only for 0.3% of taxpayers, less than 450,000 of the 144 million returns recorded in 2010.

Dubbed the "rule Buffett," this tax is in terms of reducing the budget deficit that the U.S. president must explain to Congress Monday.Its goal? Ensure that the wealthiest taxpayers pay at least as much taxes as middle-class homes. This is not the case, as pointed out by Warren Buffett this summer, because of certain provisions of the Tax Code.

1200 billion dollars in savings to find

Thus, capital income such as dividends or interest earned by the fund managers are taxed at 15%, while labor incomes are between 10 to 35%. "While the poorer classes and middle classes are fighting for us in Afghanistan, while most Americans struggle to make ends meet month we mega-wealthy continue to benefit from special tax exemptions," wrote Warren Buffett in an article published last month in The New York Times.

This tax should allow Barack Obama to approach a little more of his electoral base of the Democratic Party criticized him his "gifts" to tax the wealthiest people. The Republican majority in the House of Representatives have already announced that he would vote no tax increase.

While the United States must find 1.2 trillion dollars in savings by the end of the year, Barack Obama warned on Saturday the Americans that they would provide "pull their weight" to reduce the budget deficit. And pressed again, the Congress, including Republicans, to adopt his plan for the use of 447 billion dollars. "More games or impasses. More division or delay, "he said during his weekly radio address.

After launching its offer in May with mobile calls, text messages and unlimited internet for 24.90 euros monthly subscribers to its box (and 49.90 euro for non-subscribers), Numericable goes further. Reportedly, the operator will now enable call abroad from the mobile unlimited. An option to pay 10 euros per month, which will be available as of September 19 for all.

"This is a world first, exclusive service and unprecedented," enthuses Jerome Yomtov, general secretary of Numericable. "We want to bring all the mobile services already on the box at home, at home or abroad called unlimited," he says. Over 100 countries are included in this offer, including most major destinations throughout Europe, the DOM, the United States, Canada, Asia.It is extended to calls to Morocco and Algeria for Numericable subscribers who have subscribed to the "Maghreb More" on the NCbox.

This new offering "world" not only to make calls to landlines abroad, but also to the Chinese mobile, U.S. and Canada. And supply expected to be enriched in the coming months. "You can call the U.S. since its unlimited mobile to 34.90 euros a month. United States, to call a mobile to mobile unlimited is $ 70. In short, it will be cheaper to call the U.S. from France, than to be there! "Said Jérôme Yomtov.

Numericable says the offer will be profitable.While the cost of communications decline in Europe and the world, he found a business model by negotiating agreements with major international operators such as Verizon, Telefonica, Cable and Wireless, Tata Communications.

One way to cut the grass under the feet of Free which means lower prices but also change the mobile uses. "This is the mobile revolution continues," trumpets for days on Numericable Tweeter … which led to his being sued by Free, which considers the term as its slogan identity. Atmosphere!

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"Unlimited calls to less than 25 euros in Numericable

Remain in control at home. Such is the concern of Mark Pincus, founder of Zynga, the leading provider of video games for social networks, such as Farmville, with 232 million active players per month. To retain full authority in his business, despite its forthcoming IPO, Mark Pincus holds a special law, approved by its board of directors. This decision is consistent with her wishes because administrators have been selected by Mark Pincus himself, as his deputy director general John Shappert.

The founder of the start-up in 2007 in San Francisco, won each of its actions has 70 voting rights, according to a company document obtained by Bloomberg.It's better than what was originally planned or what has been practiced for IPO social network LinkedIn for business: 10 votes per share for the co-founders.

Thus, Mark Pincus, holder of 16% stake in his company, he will maintain his authority over every decision. This must still be approved by two-thirds of the shareholders, before September 2.

Then Zynga will take his first steps on the stock market and rising, as envisaged from the beginning of the summer, about one billion dollars. If all goes as planned, its market capitalization should be between 15 and 20 billion. The group would become the company most expensive in the world in video games at Electronic Arts (7 cash advance america.3 billion) and Activision Blizzard (13200000000), controlled by Vivendi.Earlier this year, the company was "valued at $ 5 billion," says an expert from PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Reversal of value

It is a real reversal of the hierarchy: the publisher of games for social networks could surpass traditional publishers of games for consoles and PC. Zynga is very profitable with its free games, such as Farmville, CityVille or MafiaWars, which cost little money to design and generate significant revenue. Proceeds from the start-up, with over 2000 employees, results mainly from the sale of real shadow, like a farm, factory or virtual fruit trees, which help the player to progress in his adventure. This model is thriving, thanks to Facebook as "friends" involved of challenges through simple little game.Therefore, Zynga should display in 2011 a turnover of around $ 1.5 billion, with, the key to a net income close to $ 500 million. In 2010, after three years of existence, the company became profitable, with $ 90.6 million in net profits for a turnover of 597.5 million and cash of close to one billion.

Traditional competitors, Activision Blizzard and Electronic Arts, respectively realized 4.44 billion in revenue and $ 3.58 billion.

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This is the kind of evening that annoys the purists. Last June, the Becca Cason Thrash wealthy Texan, Vice President of "Friends of the Louvre" U.S. and international, organized a charity gala in the largest museum in the world. The guests – celebrities such as Albert of Monaco and actress Fanny Ardant – were welcomed with a cocktail in the apartments of Napoleon III, before dinner – a sacrilege to some – among the sculptures in the Cour Marly. All these people then went under the Pyramid, transformed into a nightclub for a private concert by Janet Jackson. Fee, the event has raised 700,000 euros to restore the decorative arts galleries of the eighteenth century.

Henri Loyrette, the Louvre for ten years, of course, attended the festivities. The Conservative education devotes much of his time raising private money.It is, apparently, difficult to resist the charm of this man of culture nearly 2 meters. A boss of a U.S. real estate company said that the French, he was invited to spend a weekend at his home in Cincinnati, has enchanted by the couple's conversation about opera and architecture of the city, and has even cracked a speech to the local art museum. "At the end of the weekend, I gave him a check for $ 50,000," says the boss at the magazine Business Week.

Henri Loyrette unashamedly claims this fundraiser activity. And for good reason. The state reduced its funding by 5% in 2009 and again from 5% in 2011. Governments subsidize just over half the budget of the Louvre, against 70% in 2001."To finance its activities with a cultural, but also – more than in the past – educational and social, in a context of declining public subsidies, the Louvre has no other choice but to increase its own resources," he assures, noting that the establishment is not intended to generate profits. His office does not resemble that of an entrepreneur. In the room with ocher walls adorned with classical paintings, with windows overlooking the Pont du Carrousel, every corner is occupied by piles of files and books.

Thirty fundraisers

The Louvre, however, is not complaining. With 230 million euros last year (against 80 million in 2001), the institution has resources comparable to the Metropolitan in New York. Another reason for satisfaction, ticketing, clean source of income, has good prospects.The 8.5 million admissions in 2010, 5 million charge, reported 41 million euros. Attendance, up 70% since 2001, should continue to increase. The Louvre, which has raised interest rates from 9.50 to 10 euros in early 2011, taking advantage of the influx of tourists from emerging countries. If France makes a third of visitors, including foreigners, Brazilians ranked third last year behind the Americans and Italians.

Despite their popularity, the former royal palace could not offer a program as rich without its sponsors. The latter brought him 25 million euros last year, more than a quarter of own income. To attract them, the Louvre was created in 2003 a commando no equivalent in France: a team of thirty people dedicated to raising funds. They offer companies to fund projects until end 2013.This may include, for example, to affix its logo on the poster exhibition. Cost: between 100,000 and 400,000 euros for one of the Forbidden City, scheduled in September. Other possibilities, the redesign of the website or with the acquisition of a work of German Romantic painter Friedrich. The Department of Islamic Art, which opened in 2012, it should be 75% funded by the private sector. Saudi Prince al-Walid brings 17 million euros 100 million.

Tax benefits

Fundraisers of the prestigious institution have a strong argument: a tax system that allows the 2003 tax cuts equivalent to 60% of the expenses of artistic patronage, and even 90% for the purchase of a work art classified national treasure. However, they must scrap more than before the crisis.Main challenge, competition of social projects, popular with company employees. As a result, "we propose projects crossing artistic and social dimensions," says Hervé Barbaretta, deputy head of the Louvre. For the exhibition of ancient Macedonia in the fall, Total organize and discovery tours of the museum for troubled youth. To "preserve the scientific credibility," Henri Loyrette ensures that sponsors are funding projects already "tied". This applies to the exhibition "Paper Work", which indicates that the poster is presented by "the Louvre Museum and Canson." Exposure of the watchmaker Breguet in 2009 was cringe, with texts considered too partisan.

In exchange for their support, businesses are entitled to privileges such as the availability of spaces.Other firms pay dearly for these benefits: 100,000 euros for a night under the Pyramid. Unlike donors, they do not have their name engraved for eternity on the "wall of patrons" in the lobby.

In full the debt crisis, Joe Biden is timely in its largest creditor. The U.S. vice president hopes to strengthen ties with China, where he now starts an Asian tour that will take him then in Mongolia and Japan. This is the first official visit to Beijing the number two in the Obama administration since taking office. It is particularly meet the new generation of leaders, particularly Xi Jinping, tipped to succeed Hu Jintao in 2013, and will seek to reassure his counterparts about the destiny of the world's leading power.

Despite the rants of some official media who had called the United States to "live within their means" and the thrust carried by the rating agency Dagong Chinese, who, too, degraded the U.S. sovereign rating, the central seems to keep his confidence in the economy of the United States, it continues to bear. Between April and June, far from giving his titles like other countries, China has not slowed the pace of its purchases of Treasury bills. And in late June, Beijing held 1.17 trillion dollars of U.S. debt.

Investor confidence in Asia

Despite these reassurances, it is clear that the Middle Kingdom has more top in its bilateral relations with Washington us fast cash. As the world worries about the future U.S. investors place their trust in contrast to Asia, particularly China.Foreign direct investment (FDI) have increased by 19.83% in July compared to the same period in 2010. During the first seven months of the year, the People's Republic attracted 69.19 billion dollars in FDI. The business seems to rely in part on sustained growth, despite the weight on the economy of the tightening of Chinese monetary policy, and partly on a strong yuan. For the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, Beijing enjoys the disaffection of investors in Europe and the United States.

As for U.S. criticism that Joe Biden will take over on the low level of the Chinese currency, they may be blank. The yuan, also considered undervalued Washington, hit record highs Tuesday.The central bank, which sets every morning during a pivot around which the yuan can fluctuate by 0.5% above or below, identified Tuesday as the low point, the level of one dollar for 6.3925. In other words, the Chinese currency has appreciated by 7% since dropping the dollar in June 2010. But some investors are betting on the inflationary pressure to force Beijing to let its currency move more.

Buoyed by the announcement of a burst of mergers and acquisitions, Wall Street on Monday confirmed the rebound that started in last weekend. In limited volumes, it will erase all its losses from last week. All indices end in green: the Dow ends up sharply from 1.87% to 11,479.65 points. The index had opened up 0.48% to 11,323.44 points and continued to grow during the session. The Nasdaq index also closed with a gain of 1.87% to 2554.79 points.

Markets reacted to a volley of announcements of mergers and acquisitions. First, Google (-1.16% to 557.23 dollars) has announced the acquisition of the mobile phone manufacturer Motorola Mobility (55.78% to 38.12 dollars) to $ 12.5 billion in cash.Time Warner (-0.81% to 64.98 dollars), meanwhile, reached an agreement to buy the cable operator Insight Communications to Carlyle for $ 3 billion. Finally, Cargill will acquire the French specialist in animal feed Provimi to 1.5 billion euros.

As in Europe, investors are upbeat on the eve of an important meeting between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the reform of the governance of the euro area. They should discuss ways to implement to prevent contagion problems of sovereign debt to the rest of the region.

But Germany has already warned investors: this meeting will lead to "nothing spectacular"."It will be a working meeting on the governance of the euro area in line with European decisions taken in late July," said the spokesman of the Ministry of Finance. The latter also confirmed the skepticism German, joined by France, in respect of Eurobonds. These ads have already resulted in demoralizing the European investors.

In Asia, the announcement of a contraction much weaker than expected Japanese GDP has also reassured the markets.

Morale builders stable

The statistics published on Monday in the U.S. are, however, bleak. Manufacturing activity in the New York area declined for the third consecutive month at -7.7, 3.9 points lower than in July.

In real estate, the NAHB index released on Monday shows that the morale of the manufacturers was unchanged in August, close to its lowest historical levels.

Note that the currency market, the euro strengthened against the greenback at 1.444 dollar. Oil markets, oil prices closed up in New York. A barrel of "light sweet crude" for September delivery was trading at 87.88 dollars, up 2.50 dollar. Prices had fallen during the European trading, erasing their gains made in Asian trade in a market nervous and still haunted by persistent concerns about global growth and the debt crisis in the eurozone.A barrel of Brent North Sea crude for September delivery was trading at 107.56 dollars on the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) in London, down 47 cents from Friday's close.

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On the corporate side, Bank of America (7.93% to 7.76 dollars) has announced the sale of its activities in the international credit cards in Britain, Ireland or Canada.

The food distributor Sysco (-3.93% to 28.11 dollars) announced earnings per share (EPS), diluted to 57 cents under its fourth quarter, diluted EPS of $ 1.96 for all of its financial year, while its quarterly sales reached $ 10.4 billion.

Estee Lauder fell 6.64% to 94.15 dollars.Despite the publication of a net income group share record of $ 700.8 million, up 46.5%, the cosmetics group announced its annual results would be below Wall Street expectations.

Lowe (0.82% to 19.58 dollars) has already reported sales below expectations in the second quarter of its fiscal year and lowered its annual targets for the second time in three months, consumers pushing their development projects until later because of sluggish growth.

Boeing (1.54% to 62.70 dollars) announced it had completed with Air Lease Corp. an order valued at $ 2.5 billion on 14 737-800 aircraft and five 777-300ER.

Pfizer (2.69% to 18.34 dollars) announced Monday it had won before a U.S. court case against Teva Pharmaceutical Industries of Israel, preventing the global generics to produce a copy of Viagra before 2019 .

Transocean (2.97% to 57.26 dollars), listed in New York, wants to buy the Norwegian group Aker Drilling, for a total of 1.1 billion Swiss francs (1 billion), according to a statement Monday. Several large shareholders, representing 65% of the capital, have agreed to the deal, said the Swiss.

The American specialist craft materials Grainger (2.01% to 138.57 dollars) on Monday announced the acquisition of the Dutch distributor of fasteners Fabory Group for $ 344 million (242 million).

• Krys up big on Sun's

With Ray-Ban sunglasses, Sonia Rykiel or Armani 20% to 25% cheaper than the competition, the optician's Mon has seduced those who care about their spending, not to mention fashion. The group teaches Krys, an industry leader, was mostly created in 2009 to "anticipate the future perspective" with the rise of Internet players, the price will weigh more in the choice of this product . Fifteen stores Mon's, which also offer own branded glasses, are open this year, bringing the total to 30, while Krys already provides 200 points of sale in 2015.

• Total station experiences cheap

For over a year, the oil company is testing stations at low prices: 35 sites at baseline and 45 today – a fleet of approximately 2,000 outlets in total teaching, both in that city rural areas.Prices are likely to compete with supermarkets. For now, the group has not yet decided whether to extend the scheme. It will decide by the end of the year. The stations are scratched Total test, but it is not excluded that the group, he continues the adventure, is launching a new brand.

• Banks and insurers are betting on the Internet

They reject the term "low cost", but apply much revenue. In recent years, banks and insurance companies through subsidiaries disclaim Internet offerings of financial services at bargain prices and a la carte. ING Direct, the subsidiary of Dutch bank insurer, launched in 1997 this model of online banking. In France, Societe Generale offers a comprehensive range of services via Boursorama. Crédit Agricole target customers for its part with its private banking heritage online BforBank.As for the insurers, Groupama reserves its offer car insurance "Pay as you drive" customers of its subsidiary Amaguiz.

• Renault continues to expand the range of the Logan

Since its launch in 2004, the success of low-cost car for Renault, the only Western manufacturer to attempt the challenge, continues to grow. The group passed last year 685,000 low-cost vehicles, or 26% of its sales. Best of all, they bring him an operating margin above 6%. Logan began with the rustic to 7600 euros, the range now includes six models, the Sandero and the small 4 × 4 Duster. Originally designed for emerging countries, it paradoxically creates a strong demand in Europe, where it is marketed under the Dacia brand, produced in Romania. Tanger Factory (opening in 2012) will manufacture two new variations.Internationally, the range, made locally, is sold under the Renault brand. It is the spearhead of the group's expansion in Russia and Latin America.

• With Transavia, Air France attempting a takeoff in the low-cost

No way to leave Ryanair and easyJet monopoly on flights at bargain prices. Air France launched in spring 2007 its own low-cost airline, called Transavia, which carried 1.3 million passengers last year. From Orly-Sud, Lyon, Nantes and Marseille, eight Boeing 737-800 provide scheduled and unscheduled, mainly to the Mediterranean countries. These destinations are not served by Air France. The group does not wish to organize their own competition in order to avoid any risk of cannibalization. A draft Domestic Transavia has been abandoned.

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Two world champions, yet two totally separate financial realities. This is the observation made on Tuesday after Camille Lacourt Stravius ​​and Jeremy have jointly won the gold medal in 100 meter backstroke in Shanghai (China).

The first saw its revenues increased more than sixteen in less than a year with new advertising contracts. 42,000 euros per year in August 2010, Camille Lacourt thus rose to 700,000 euros, much of which end of advertising contracts. Jeremy Stravius, it has at present still no agent and a single sponsor, Tyr, obtained through the French Federation of Swimming.

Thanks to a physique, Camille Lacourt has attracted luxury brands like Clarins and beauty, and earns 200,000 euros a year for six years, and Chanel, which pays 70,000 euros a year to wear its watches. But not only.These three gold medals taken down on three different disciplines at the European Championships in 2010 convinced the sponsors to leverage the rising value of swimming. This choice is paying now. "We have no logic, because the muse is the star product, it says Clarins. Such a partnership is a new and unusual practice for us. It's Camille Lacourt who came to us. President Christian Courtin had a crush on the athlete who shared our family values. It has in fact explained that her grandmother was attached to our products payday advance low fees. It has become our first ambassador. What we do not regret today. "

Banking on new talent to one year of the Olympics 2012

A speech that could also take Tyre, the last date of the associate sponsor of the club swimmers Marseille.Last June, the U.S. supplier has signed with him a three-year contract for a minimum of 80,000 euros per year. This amount could go up to 150,000 euros.

The gap is large with Jeremy Stravius ​​which according to our information, does not own advertising contract. But in the basin of Shanghai, the swimmer's club has yet matched the Amiens time Camille Lacourt, which is considered as one of the specialists in the discipline. Jeremy Stravius ​​therefore affect the same amount as for this fellow gold medal.

Amiens and the swimmer is reassuring: the current situation is reminiscent of Camille Lacourt a year ago, before it exploded and sports media to the general public.As long as Jeremy Stravius ​​this week confirmed its performance on other distances, it is not inconceivable that a brand can be associated with his image, in just one year of London Olympics in 2012.

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Tenders for the smart grid and waste recovery, today announced the first six institutes of technology and equipment of the first wave of excellence, creation of national fund boot which will have 400 million to invest in young innovative companies … Just in recent days, the operations related to the investment program for the future have not failed! And it lasts for eighteen months …

The program, which must prepare "the France of tomorrow" will be the subject of the press conference of head of state this morning. "Nicolas Sarkozy is that this topic is important and can not talk enough about this initiative should restore the competitiveness of France," said his entourage. Yet René Ricol leads to the rod.Appointed commissioner-general for investment to drive the program, the former ombudsman of credit has one goal in mind: to create wealth and employment in France over time.

In December 2009, Nicolas Sarkozy set the priorities for the future supported by the large loan. Following the recommendations of the report Rocard-Juppe, he announced 35 billion euros of investment and ultimately rejected the idea of ​​a popular loan – a form of financing too costly at a time when the debt of France is under the eye markets. Five priorities were identified: higher education and training, research, industry and SME development and finally digital. Today, all 35 billion euros is in the hands of the public operators (ADEME, OSEO, the CDC …) that are responsible for distributing the money.