International News

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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Nicolas Sarkozy has opened Tuesday morning the first edition of "e-G8 in Paris. Faced with a thousand decision makers and observers of the Internet – including Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of social networking site Facebook and Eric Schmidt, Google CEO, who made the trip – the president has invited the giants of the Internet to form a delegation to attend Thursday and Friday at the G8 summit in Deauville. Because, for Nicolas Sarkozy, "think the Internet is a historical responsibility to be shared between you (the Internet players, Ed) and we, the Heads of State" have the duty to "recognize the role (the web) in the course of history (…).States wishing to initiate a dialogue with you for a balanced approach might one day be found between your interests, those users who plébiscitent you every day and finally those of the citizens and taxpayers of each nation who also have rights, " the president said. "There is much to do together," he held, inviting them to renew the holding of an e-G8 annually.

The head of state welcomed these Internet giants that have revolutionized the world. Revolution "that belongs to nobody, which has no flag, no slogan, which is a common good," which took place in an "historic" registered "in pacifism." Nicolas Sarkozy also praised the Internet to be a few years become the vector of "unprecedented power of freedom of expression," referring to the revolutions that challenge the Arab region since the beginning of the year.For the head of the state, Internet giants, who have "changed the world just as Galileo, Columbus and Newton, have shaken the foundations of the global economy (they are) become major players" .

Introduce rules on the Web

Still, he stressed the need to control the Internet. "The technology must remain neutral, but the uses are not," he said, arguing that actors do not let it web "convey evil, without hindrance, or restraint" and for the respect of a minimum values ​​and rules on the Web."Full transparency, one that never leaves the man in peace, sooner or later faces the very principle of individual freedom," stressed the French president, arguing that the Internet can not escape "of minimum values, minimum of rules. "

He returned to the issue of intellectual property rights: "I know that the French conception of this principle is different from that of other countries, but nobody should be expropriated with impunity the proceeds of his ideas, his work, his imagination, his intellectual property. "

The Chair recalled that by virtue of that right as creator of those who draw the contours of the Internet have been able to build empires."The writer, director, musician, performer must have the same rights and a fair return for their ideas and their talents."

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It was the next level to reach for gold. The 1500 dollars, a level ever recorded for the yellow metal, have been hit on Wednesday in Asian trading. At the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong specifically, an ounce of gold reached 1,500.70 dollars in the afternoon. This performance was predictable when reached 1,499.32 dollars an ounce the previous day in London. The pace of growth is dazzling but in less than a month, gold has made close to $ 53. March 24, the yellow metal was trading at 1447.82 dollars yet.

This acceleration reflects a broad movement of deferral of investors in risky assets to what they see as the ultimate safe haven. Gold is indeed a physical asset with intrinsic value is backed by any issuer. He is considered an effective barrier to escape threats currently facing inflationary in most economies.China announced last Friday that inflation rose to 5.4% in March. In Europe, inflation rises to 2.4% while in the U.S., it reached 0.5%.

Alert on debt

The surge in gold can also be explained by rising concerns over the sovereign debt of countries in the euro area. Rumors of the restructuring of debt of Greece sow confusion in the markets. In parallel, operators wonder if Portugal, which will launch an austerity measures, will overcome its difficulties. The degradation of the sovereign rating of Ireland only complicated the situation. Very worried investors finding more than in Finland, nationalists opposed to helping fragile countries, became the third force in the country.

More ominously, investors realize that even the world's largest economy is not immune.For the first time in its history, S & P has downgraded the debt of the United States. Monday, the day the ad crashing, gold has gained almost 10 dollars to 1496.50 dollars. The purchases were supported by a bout of dollar weakness which makes it even more attractive purchases of commodities, including gold.

For the rest, the next goal is the threshold of $ 1600. According to experts from research firm specializing in the GFMS gold, it will be reached and even exceeded by the end of the year.

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"SPECIAL – Now the race record

Nintendo 3DS landed Friday in the French shops. This portable game console that lets you play in relief, without needing to wear special glasses, is a boon for video game publishers. They swung their great success in 3D. It's a way to recycle old titles and launch new ones. Prices are driven up. The games will be sold between 45 and 50 euros. 5 to 10 euros more than the price of those of the previous generation.

During the presentation of the console, Satoru Iwata, Nintendo's CEO, indicated that a large number of publishers have decided to design specific titles for this console that render stereoscopic images. It is clear that the omen of the CEO is found.Alongside Nintendo (with three games Nintendogs), publishers Capcom (Street Fighter IV), Electronic Arts (Sims 3), Namco Bandai (Ridge Racer), Konami (PES 3D), LucasArts (Lego Star Wars III, The Clone Wars ), Sega (Super Monkey), Tecmo Koei (Samurai Warriors) and Ubisoft offering specific titles.

Among these actors, the French publisher is betting on a successful series of the 3DS. "The public, already extended by Nintendo with the DS, is expected to increase. The boot should be two times faster than the DS in the early years, "said Yves Guillemot, CEO of Ubisoft. Today, the French publisher will offer four of the fifteen titles available at launch for the handheld. Three of the four games have been developed at Ubisoft's fourth and its sister company, Gameloft, specializing in adaptations of games for smartphones and internet tablets.It was she who designed the race cars Asphalt 3D.

The French had also focused on the adaptations of Tom Clancy's universe, which has exclusive rights, with the stealth game Splinter Cell 3D and especially the strategy game Ghost Recon Shadow Wars, developed specifically for 3DS in studio Ubisoft Montreal.

A stronger anti-piracy

These songs contain small videos to stunning 3D graphics effects. In addition, the Rayman character, developed by the team of French Michel Ancel, gains in depth, with its version in relief. During the second phase of launch, which could happen in June, Ubisoft will also be the most prolific alongside Nintendo, especially with The Raving Rabbids.

This commitment to his backhand. A quarter of Ubisoft's revenue in 2008 was linked to games for the DS, the ancestor of 3DS, sold 130 million units worldwide.When sales fell because of piracy, the French publisher has suffered severely. With 3DS, "the anti-piracy mechanism was strengthened," says an editor who will not be more specific. The manufacturer is no more eloquent.

Anyway, the 3DS contains new communication features (challenges, blindly, in the street) or augmented reality games (using the camera to generate images in relief).

France-Soir has missed its target. Relaunched on January 17 with great fanfare with a promotional campaign for a $ 4.5 million, the newspaper of the young Russian Alexander Pugachev can not take off in sales. According to data reported to OJD, the distribution of the daily France paid amounted to 71,361 copies in January 2011 against an average of 74,531 copies in 2010. The new France-Soir has witnessed a drift of its newsstand sales. These are lowered in January to 46,000 copies, the worst month ever recorded the title since its first revival in March 2010, where he sold more than 73,000 newsstand copies. The situation had deteriorated again in February.At the same time, sales by third parties (airlines, restaurants …) journal has never been higher, at 22,000 copies in January, compared to less than about 4,000 copies in March 2010.

The new formula was launched under the leadership of Remy Dessart, managing editor since last August, would enable France-Soir "to pass more quickly to more than 100,000 copies," hammered in early owner. But Alexander Pugachev, who has already invested over 50 million euros in the newspaper, took the risk of destabilizing its faithful readers.It has increased the selling price of 10 cents to 0.60 euro for a paging maintained at 32 pages, and especially his book horse was reduced to almost nothing, pagination as the racing decreased from 8 to 3 pages .

Crédit mutuel sought

The son of Russian oligarch Sergei Pugachev, who plans to inject another 20 million euros this year, he will continue long to replenish the paper? "Everything goes well, we work hard to make the newspaper," Remy loose Dessart, who does not wish to comment on the financial difficulties of France-Soir. Last Tuesday, Alexander Pugachev convened a crisis meeting with his directors, as revealed by Press News. While its monthly losses always exceed two million euros, France-Soir was hoping to break even in 2012 with a circulation of 150,000 to 170,000 copies.Goals that are too far pushing Alexander Pugachev to seek partners. He recently asked Michael Lucas, chairman of Mutual Credit and leading publisher of regional newspapers throughout the Group Ebra.

Relegated to fifth in the world when he was number two behind General Motors in 2004, Ford, the only major U.S. manufacturer to have happened in Washington's help in 2009, returned to growth. It even displays an appetite of an ogre, with the goal of producing up to 8 million vehicles this year, against 5.3 million in 2010.

To support this ambition, the group's strategy rests on two pillars: "One Ford" and Sync. "One Ford" for the universal car pooling and industrial resources, sales and marketing group. Sync technology. The group invests heavily inspired by the universe created around smartphones and other mobile uses.

Indeed, earlier this week, while the motor show in Geneva in full swing, the CEO of Ford himself is in Hanover for the CeBIT, an electronics show.

LE FIGARO.- What is the importance of technology in the strategy of Ford? This change does your brand?

Alan Mulally. – Our brand has steadily improved over the last four or five years. Ford's strategy is to offer a full range of vehicles, from small city to the big family. Each being the best in its class and meet four criteria: quality, safety, reduced CO2 emissions, technological intelligence. All for a price accessible to the greatest number. What we can do with our size and standardization. The Ford Focus Sync is sold between 16,000 and 20,000 dollars, its European price has not yet been determined. Today, 70% of cars bought in the U.S. are equipped with our technology Sync, and 80% of people who use the recommended spontaneously to their surroundings. Ford Sync and MyTouch are real vectors of purchase.To borrow a metaphor from the world of smartphones, Ford is working with Microsoft and acts like Apple. Ford is the latest in mobile technology.

Why high-tech rather than low cost?

We want to be a leader in providing useful services for the driver. With our system, voice commands, the driver can access their phone, including his music, without ever leaving the road. We make the road safer. We started with 1000 voice commands, we are now at 10,000. Ultimately, it will be possible to have a real conversation with his car payday loans. All with simplicity. The car has no onboard equipment, it facilitates the connection of consumer electronic devices.

How does this fit into your strategy "One Ford"?

As you know, we sold our other brands to focus on Ford.This represented 45% of our sales a few years ago. It is almost 100% today, with a full range of vehicles. For this, we rely on our industrial platforms. Focus is produced in five plants worldwide and will be split into ten versions, with 80% common parts. The remaining 20% correspond to the necessary adaptations to local demands. We find the spirit of Henry Ford who wanted to reach the largest number of customers by sticking to their expectations.

Will this be enough for it to regain market share that you lost?

Ford sales have risen dramatically. The four pillars of our strategy are almost universal. Sync is a vector of purchase: consumers want to stay connected to their digital world. Yet there had never been on the market for small vehicles with many capabilities.We will continue our growth by responding better to the expectations of our customers. This year we aim to produce between 7.5 and 8 million vehicles worldwide. This is a tremendous increase in a year!

You are attached to environmental issues. What type of engine for the vehicle of tomorrow?

We improve the performance of our engines, both petrol and diesel, and we are developing both hybrid, plug-in hybrids and electric cars. The recent development is intrinsically linked to the electrical infrastructure, the ability to manage networks. This will require public-private partnerships. Electricity is also a solution for emerging countries seeking to secure their energy independence. Finally, in the longer term, I think the hydrogen engine.Everything will depend on technological advances in the field of batteries, but an engine that emits only water is fantastic!

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In the alleys of the Geneva Motor Show

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge the graphic.

At one week of the ceremony of the Caesars, Men and Gods Xavier Beauvois is figure favorite. But it is not only a highly successful film. It is, according to the French Film, French film along the most profitable in 2010. With a budget of 4 million euros, it attracted 3.1 million viewers. Consequently, it has reached a rate of return of 229.3%.

Behind this nice surprise, there are two comedies that have been very successful. The Heartbreaker Pascal Chaumeil, with Vanessa Paradis and Romain Duris totaled 3.7 million tickets. With a budget of just under 10 million euros, its profitability stood at 113.43%. More surprising is the presence on the podium Mammuth. The film Delepine and Gustave Kervern Benedict has done a somersault with a return of 100%.I must say it was done with a limited budget to 2.5 million euros, despite the presence of Gerard Depardieu. An astonishing performance when we know that, on average, the profitability of French films is 25%. In 2010, 32 French films have exceeded this symbolic threshold, six more than last year short term personal loans.

This record pushes some ideas. For years, the French film world think that the example of major Hollywood productions, inflation budgets that ensures success.

However, in 2010, major productions have not fulfilled their contract. Ocean, directed by Jacques Perrin with a budget of Pharaonic 49 million euros, had a return of 16.7%. The highly anticipated Camping 2 Fabien Onteniente, has met its audience, with 3.9 million cinema admissions, but was penalized by a budget of 23 million euros.

The 10-year champion Sticks

Its producers are doing anyway, with a return of 49%. Not bad, but two times worse than Camp 1, which in 2006 recorded a rate of 118%.

For the first time, the French film released the ranking of most profitable films of the decade. Unsurprisingly, the film records of all Welcome to the Sticks is securely attached to the first place. With 20.5 million admissions to a budget of 11 million, the movie Dany Boon posted a profit of 565%! The Chorus is in second position with 486% return.

Angela Merkel changes course. Reluctant for months about the idea of "muscle" financial rescue fund for the euro, it is now endorsed. But it sets the conditions by imposing Germany as a model for future European discipline and embracing the method – dear to Nicolas Sarkozy – an "economic government" to own the euro area.

The price of rallying German competitiveness is a pact designed and detailed in Berlin on behalf of European integration. It grows stronger and far beyond the code of conduct economic, fiscal and social Europeans update every bout of weakness of the euro.Implicitly, the Chancellor and his finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, stressed what passes for evidence in Germany: if Germany pays for others, it is entitled to set the rules of the game

Wages, pensions, deficits

The new pact, finalized Wednesday by the German coalition government, promises to be the decisive contribution to political debate, far more technical, the strengthening of the European financial stability. To counter the next market turbulence, Berlin agreed to increase the capacity for effective intervention to 440 billion euros, against 250 billion today. But it would be at the cost of a course of orthodoxy Pan: indexation of wages, raising the retirement age, leveling of taxation and the establishment of constitutional limits on deficits of the German model.The whole may be accompanied by penalties.

Berlin can claim to have weathered the crisis better than others payday lenders. She also cleaning the support of Paris for the first time Angela Merkel gives up his plan to enroll within the EU to twenty-seven. Left to cringe at Brussels, Germany opted for the euro area, even the few major countries that are prepared to follow. This is precisely the approach that the French president had in mind when it launched in 2009, the idea of an "economic government" of the euro, considered more effective than injunctions Brussels.

Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy will defend the new assembly line Friday at an EU summit in Brussels. The German pact is subject to ongoing discussions, confirm what we in Paris. It will be discussed between Angela Merkel and Jose Luis Zapatero on Thursday in Madrid.The long awaited return of "directorate" Franco-German, could be expanded to other large euro as Spain or Italy, cast already concern in the ranks. Belgium, champion of the indexation of wages, fear of having to waive such as Luxembourg, Portugal and Malta. Ireland and Slovakia are concerned about having to raise taxes on corporations, their weapon of seduction in the eyes of multinationals.

The puzzlement is especially palpable in the Barroso team, always convinced that it must prevail in the recovery of the EU and the euro in the period. "Wanting to act outside of established European institutions is clearly a step backwards," said a senior Commission official.

Apple will once again have to operate without the presence of Steve Jobs on a daily basis. On Monday, the founder and CEO of Computer announced he was returning on sick leave for health reasons which were not specified. "At my request, the board gave me a medical leave so I can focus on my health," he wrote in a letter to its employees. "I remain CEO and involved in strategic decisions are most important to the company," says he. But it is the COO Tim Cook who will ensure the smooth running of daily business.

This is the third time that Steve Jobs was forced to distance itself with the direction Apple for several months. He was absent for the first time in 2004 to treat pancreatic cancer.Then it became very thin during the various presentations of new Apple and had to take a leave of six months in early 2009, to undergo a liver transplant. The lack of transparency from Apple, which had first suggested a "hormonal imbalance" Benin, was then criticized by the press and certain minority shareholders, to trigger an investigation Exchange Commission following the publication of information deemed too reassuring.

A destiny linked to Apple

The fate of Apple is intimately linked to the personality of its charismatic leader, now aged 55, who came to embody fully the company he founded in 1976 in his parents' garage in Cupertino , California payday loan lenders.Presented as a visionary of the personal computer after the launch of the Macintosh in 1984, Steve Jobs saved Apple from bankruptcy when he returned to command in 1997. For ten years, he has a lot of success with the iPod, iPhone and iPad. Under his leadership, Apple has become the third largest stock exchange in the world. She now weighs 320 billion dollars, ahead of Microsoft and Google.

Shortly after announcing the withdrawal, the Apple stock plunged more than 7% in Frankfurt, while the NYSE was closed for the holiday in the United States. In his letter, Steve Jobs says it is certain that Tim Cook and his team "will work great for putting into practice the very exciting plans we have for 2011." One way to understand that the road is already paved for the next few months, while the output of an iPad 2 and 5 are specified an iPhone."I hope to be back as soon as possible. But in the meantime, my family and I greatly appreciate that our privacy be respected, "he concludes.

Received, two on two! Wednesday after Portugal, Spain and Italy have passed their test in the financial markets Thursday. The only problem is that the two countries have conducted such operations in interest rates sharply higher: 4.542% for Spain (against 3.387% in the previous issue) and 3.67% for Italy ( against 3.24%).

As a result, the CAC 40 moved closer still just over 4,000 points at 3974.83 points exactly. The index in Paris Will it ended the week by breaking the psychological barrier? It would take an increase in the CAC 40 0.63% reach the milestone. Nothing is less certain, after Wall Street finished Thursday down slightly disappointed by the increase in weekly jobless claims.

And especially after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has urged caution after the success of these bond issues.The IMF considers that Europe is still struggling to reassure investors.

Trading volumes higher

At the opening, the CAC 40 index opened slightly lower Friday morning: -0.34% to 3961.04 points. At the London Stock Exchange, the FTSE-100 fell by 0.11% to 6017.25 points, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, the DAX 30 lost 0.28% to 7055.42 points.

Amidst all these economic uncertainties, there are still signs of hope: the trade volumes have returned to normal levels even higher. Thursday, 4.8 billion euros were traded and 4.2 billion on Wednesday.

On the macroeconomic front, are scheduled:

In France:

– The benchmark index reached 119.17 in rents in the fourth quarter of 2010, according to figures released Friday by the INSEE.In one year, increases of 1.45%.

In Europe:

– Sales of new cars fell 5.5% in 2010 in the EU compared to the previous year at 13.36 million cars.

– Foreign trade in November (11:00) and the second estimate of inflation in December (11:00) in the euro area

United States:

– Inflation in December (14.30)

– Retail sales in December (14.30)

– Industrial production in December (15.15)

– The first estimate of the index of consumer confidence from the University of Michigan in January (3:55 p.m.)

– Inventories and business sales in November (16 hours)

On the currency markets, the euro fell back against the yen at 1110.39 (-0.1%), and continued its momentum against the dollar at 1.3372 (+0.18%).

Carrefour confirms its objectives

Carrefour: 1.99% to 34.06 euros

Carrefour on Thursday confirmed its objective of operating income during 2010. The group last year recorded a growth of 5.8% of its sales to current exchange rates, thanks to the good performance of emerging countries payday loan.

Technip: 1.54% to 74.97 euros

Technip announced Friday it had won a contract from Chevron for the field development Jack and St. Malo, located in a water depth of approximately 2100 meters in the Walker Ridge area in the Gulf of Mexico.

Accor: 0.98% to 35.45 euros

Accor announced the sale of the walls of 49 hotels in France, Belgium and Germany to a consortium of Predica, Crédit Agricole subsidiary of Insurance (80%), and Land Walls (20%), amounting total of 378.4 million euros.

Renault: +0.40% at 48.44 euros

The complaint against X Thursday by Renault industrial espionage which he says victim is a foreign corporation, said the Paris prosecutor.

For his part, Peugeot climbed 1.38% to 32.32 euros, despite the decline of 5.5% of new car registrations in the European Union last year.

Intel's results boost values computer

After the good results on Thursday from Intel, the computer values show the largest increases in the CAC 40: Cap Gemini rises from 1.43% to 36.23 euros, ST Microelectronics rose 1.32% to 8.98 euros.

Aeroports de Paris: +0.08% at 59.05 euros

The government and airline officials agreed Thursday in a dozen measures to better cope with falling snow have disrupted traffic in late December.

Sanofi-Aventis: 0.29% to 51.95 euros

The U.S. ally Sanofi-Aventis, Bristol-Myers Squibb said Thursday the recall of 64 million tablets of Avalide, a treatment against hypertension in the United States and Puerto Rico.Moreover, the French laboratory hopes to conclude its takeover bid for Genzyme around $ 76 per share against 69 previously.

Bank stocks battered

Despite the success of bond issues, bank stocks were battered on Friday: Societe Generale, biggest drop of the CAC 40 lost 1.79% to 44.40 euros, Natixis was down 1.11% to 3.84 euros, Credit Agricultural loose 1.01% to 10.30 euros and BNP Paribas dropped 0.93% to 51.21 euros.

First U.S. bank to issue this year, JP Morgan Chase will present its fourth quarter results on Friday to 13 hours.

Stallergènes: -0.02% to 58.89 euros

Stallergenes reported Thursday of a rise of 12% of its turnover in 2010 but he confirmed anticipate a slowdown in growth for its new fiscal year.

Veolia: -0.57% to 22.77 euros

The city of Paris should entrust its lighting contract of 900 million euros sweat ten years to a consortium consisting of Bouygues (-0.09% to 33.11 euros) and Vinci (+0.05% at 41.22 Euro) at the expense of a subsidiary of Veolia Citelium, and EDF (+0.34% to 31.2 euros), according to Les Echos.