International Headlines and Stories

From 1 August 2011, the parking fine will increase to 17 euros. This is stipulated in a government decree that will appear shortly.

Today, a motorist who does not pay parking fine pay a flat rate of only 11 euros. Either the same amount as in 1986 (75 francs). For years, local officials demanded an increase of the fine, arguing that it was no longer a deterrent cash advance. So they finally succeed.

Indeed, Baroin, the budget minister, had announced in February that the parking fine be raised from 11 to 17 euros. But the date of application was not known. This is now done. According to the costings of Bercy, the increase of the fine report 24 to 36 million euros per year to local authorities.

Back to normal view for luxury in Japan after the earthquake of 11 March. This is the forecast that are several French captains of this industry in Japan. While LVMH has announced a decline in sales of 9% in the first quarter, and even 25% on the month of March but the improvement is already noticeable. "Activity in our 58 stores is almost back to normal. Sales to daily are the same or even higher than those recorded last year. We lost the moment the customer of Chinese tourists, but it will come back, "said Yves Carcelle. The CEO of Louis Vuitton came last week to comfort his team from Sendai store, near the epicenter of the quake, which just reopened its doors. Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH, would go to turn in a few weeks.

Same story with Chanel."I gave my team early in the crisis time to turn around, put their family's safety. Today, they are very dynamic. Sales are surprisingly quite good in perfumes and beauty, excellent in fine jewelry and watches, and gradually resume mode, but it takes a little longer. The best way to respond to the earthquake is to resume activities as normally as possible, what we do, "said Richard Collasse, President of Chanel Japan.

Boom in marriages

They said the stores – whose sales have dropped 15% in March – irritated against the big brands who decided by mutual agreement to close a few days their "corners" at home in the middle of the crisis. Today, the page appears rotated. "Department stores have more need than the other French brands.It is we who generate the traffic, "the representative slides of a mark in the archipelago.

Beyond the earthquake and tsunami, the Japanese market trends toward a settlement will parallel the aging population. A study by Deutsche Bank, the Japanese consume a quarter of global luxury goods market. Japan still remains the largest market for Louis Vuitton (18% of its turnover, according to our sources), while the Chinese are the first customer in the world. "Luxury in Japan has long enjoyed a very favorable position, thanks to the strong yen. Today, the Japanese market is normalizing, affects older people, with sophisticated tastes.Consumers are more individualistic, as shown by the success of our offer personalized, "says Yves Carcelle.

More surprising factor and optimism: the explosion of the market for jewelry related to engagement and marriage for a month in Japan, observed by all brands in the industry. It comes in a parallel boom in marriages. "People want to live," says a French boss of the industry.

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"It's a relief." With these words Edouard Boccon-Gibod, head of production hub for the TF1 group, hosted a few minutes ago the ruling of the Court of Appeal of Versailles, which judged the dispute between TF1 and the 56 candidates the program "Island of temptation."

The Court condemned this morning TF1 requalify in standard employment contract involving 56 candidates who participated in the game of reality between 2003 and 2007. According to lawyers for the plaintiffs and chain, TF1 will have to pay sums of between 15,000 and 17,000 euros for each of them. Which is significantly lower than originally demanded candidates.

Indeed, the latter pleaded damages of between 400 and 600,000 euros per candidate."This is nothing compared to 1.25 billion euros in advertising revenue that relates the reality," had estimated in January, their lawyer, Maître Assous, stating that his clients were "to a producer 24 during 24 hours 12 to 17 days of filming. "

1400 euros per day of filming

But, as pointed Edouard Boccon-Gibod, president of TF1 Production, "neither their status nor the performer crime of clandestine work has been recognized by the Court low fee cash advance. The latter simply states the recognition of the employment contract and requires a reminder of the wages, what we had largely anticipated, "he says. One of the plaintiffs initiated this procedure had finally retired after having reached an amicable agreement with the chain.

"The court recognized the existence of an employment contract.It granted the payment of overtime, severance pay, welcomed his side Assous Master. The amount required by the Court "is an average of 1400 euros per day of shooting, multiplied by twenty shooting days old on average and 1,400 candidates for reality shows, this gives a total of nearly 39 million euros," said he added. "This is a victory which, again, permanently, to consider that participants from reality TV shows are employees of the production company."

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"On the Island of Temptation, it works!

The Energy Minister, Eric Besson, who attended Friday at Matignon in a meeting on the theme of soaring energy was delivered this Sunday on Radio J, a change in the calculation of gas prices . Keeps the current formula, partly indexed to oil prices, should indeed lead to a further price increase on 1 July. An increase that could go wrong with consumers who are already undergoing an increase of 5.2% in early April, an inflation of 20% over one year and 60% since 2005.

"The government's objective is very clear: it is, in a context of rising energy prices at the international level to protect the purchasing power of the French," said Eric Besson, who considers "unacceptable" the continued the increase could reach 7.5% under the current formula.The new method of calculation should be offered "in the coming weeks" after the arbitral panel Matignon and the Elysee Palace.

Since early 2010, the energy group GDF Suez, owned 35% by the state, which offers fares. The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) then verifies that the prices are consistent with the formula. But the government may "ask" GDF Suez does not apply the increase. The CRE has pronounced itself in recent days to a new formula for calculating rates to better reflect market prices (spot prices) at the expense of long-term price listed in the contract supply that GDF has signed with major suppliers. The spot prices now account for about 10% in the scale used.The regulator calls for increasing this proportion "as the market price continues to be lower than the average import price from the long-term contracts no credit check payday loans."

Curb rising fuel

Eric Besson else said the government was worried about soaring fuel prices. To curb the rates that affect the household budget, he plans to "make use" petroleum distributors.

He said he was "technically very difficult, if not impossible" to establish a "social tariff of gasoline, already ruled out last month by the Economy Minister Christine Lagarde. He believes, however, can mitigate the impact of soaring fuel prices, adding that discussions were under way but without giving further details on the nature of the contribution that would be applied to oil tankers.He also refused to talk to a tax on profits groups. "If we adopt a measure for the poorest households, it is necessary that, in one form or another, contribute to petroleum distributors," he said, referring only arbitration "in the days to come." Prices at the pump have been drawn up in recent weeks by revolts in Libya and the Middle East who have blazed the price of crude oil. In March, the super unleaded 95 had reached a high of 1.5179 euro parlitre.

(With AFP)

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This Friday, the Paris Bourse has eroded slightly, following a session of sharp increase of 2.47%. The Cac 40, which was back above the 3900 points, stumbled again below that level: the index fell 0.30% to 3892.71 points. The mood on Wall Street Monday and Asian markets this morning did not allow the index in Paris to stay in the green, as he had opened in early trading. Indeed, by mid-afternoon, while Wall Street was operating in yo-yo around Logne flotation, CAC 40 was off balance and moved into the red.

Other European markets are also evolving in decline: in London, the FTSE-100 index fell 0.41% to 5762.71 points while in Frankfurt the Dax was 0.52% folded at 6780.97 points.

Yet the hopes surrounding the nuclear site Fukushima supported the markets.On site, the nuclear situation remains uncertain but appears to have stopped deteriorating. The operator of the plant, TEPCO announced that the work of rehabilitation of cooling systems had resumed Tuesday morning after being suspended the previous day following release of smoke.

In addition, a further intervention by the BoJ also came reassure investissuers. This last Tuesday, in 2000 has injected billions of yen (17 billion) more on the money market to support the Japanese economy. It has increased to 39,000 billion yen from the money released March 11. In this atmosphere a little calmer, operators go hunting for bargains.

Criticized the offensive in Libya

But the lack of macroeconomic indicators, like yesterday, failed to sustain the trend. And the situation in Libya is still worrisome.The international coalition, headed by the United States, France and Great Britain continued its operations in the night of Monday to Tuesday. Critics, from Germany, Italy or Russia, rise against, however, the intensity of the bombing in the West.

This tension plays anyway back on oil prices. In morning trading, a barrel of light sweet crude for April delivery took 19 cents to 102.52 dollars. That of Brent North Sea crude for May delivery, however, yielded 15 cents to 114.81 dollars.

As for currencies, the euro against the dollar still progressing on Tuesday operating above 1.42 dollar to levels not seen since November.Around 11:20 in Paris, the euro bought 1.4238 dollars against 1.4218 late Monday.

Values ​​need to follow

PSA Peugeot Citroën – 2.73% to 26.55 euros (largest decline of ACC)

The automaker announced Monday that the halt in production at one of its Japanese suppliers affected by the earthquake of March 11 would cause a decrease in its activity in diesel engines and probably induce measures layoffs.

Furthermore, SAP continues to lead the ranking of patents published in 2010 by the INPI.

Renault – 2.64% to 37.73 euros

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has launched an appeal Tuesday for vigilance against the "vicious allegations" against China for stealing technology from foreign companies after the country has been implicated in the espionage case in the French group Renault .

Today, Dominique Gevrey, security officer of Renault indicted and jailed in the fraud case involving the builder, said he had done that "apply" the orders given by a management mode Management "paranoid."

Latecoere: + 8.51% to 9.69 euros, EADS: -0.72% to 19.43 euros

According to information of Figaro on Tuesday, Chinese Avic, Britain's GKN and the Dutch Stork Fokker-filed a complaint with a price estimate.EADS and Airbus are under pressure to attend a Franco-French solution.

Sanofi-Aventis – 0.70% to 47.65 euros

Merck and Sanofi Aventis announced Tuesday it had terminated the agreement in March 2010 through a joint venture in animal health, combining Merial Animal Health business of Sanofi, with Intervet / Schering-Plough animal health unit Merck.

Technip: + 1.80% to 71.41 euros

The group announced Tuesday it had won with TAQA Bratan installation contract for the development of Falcon Field, located in the North Sea about 560 kilometers northeast of Aberdeen (Scotland), for a water depth of 160 meters.

EDF – 1.42% to 28.46 euros

Edison, controlled jointly by the French EDF and Italy's A2A Monday issued an annual profit weighed down by asset writedowns and said it would not pay a dividend for fiscal 2010.

BNP Paribas: -1.15% to 52.57 euros

The bank granted a bonus of 1.67 million euros to its chief executive Baudouin Prot at the financial year 2010.

Audika: + 5.90% to 18.84 euros

Audika posted an operating profit in 2010 down to 17.55 million euros, against 18.76 million in 2009. The group's objective is a return to growth in 2011, with a turnover of at 115 and 120 million euros and an improved operating margin. It proposes a dividend of 0.42 euro no action.

SeLoger. com: 0.41% to 36.65 euros

The group announced Monday expect a double digit growth of its key financial indicators in 2011 thanks to record audience levels.

The markets are perplexed. The Cac 40, which attempted to regain the path to higher opening on Wednesday (0.53% to 3800.83 points) quickly changed his tune. At the midpoint the CAC 40 was down 0.72% to 3753.56 points.

Other European markets are also struggling: the Dax in Frankfurt Stock Exchange which had opened higher yields of 0.73% 0.08% mid-session at 6642.34 points and the London Stock Exchange which started on a slight gain of 0.10% was down 0.74% at 5653.40 points.

The operators first tried to follow the positive momentum from Asia this morning, which allowed the Japanese Nikkei to close on a technical leap of 5.68%, and led the other places in the region in the green . Intensive hunting for bargains in the indices increased in a climate a bit calmer after further intervention by the Bank of Japan (BoJ).This has injected 3.5 trillion yen Wednesday (31 billion euros) in the money market, bringing to 26,500 billion yen (234 billion) the total sum provided by the BoJ to the interbank market since Monday. But the trend remains fragile in the wake of widespread declines sessions to all European markets, and to a lesser extent, the U.S. exchanges.

The trust is indeed far from being restored while the nuclear situation in Japan remains very critical. Radioactivity measured at the entrance to the central Fukushima reached a new peak around 10:45 am local time, reported the Japanese Nuclear Safety Agency. "The level of radioactivity near the entrance varies greatly from hour to hour at levels that continue to be harmful to health," said government spokesman Yukio Edano.In addition, a strong earthquake occurred Wednesday at mid-day (this morning in Paris) east of Tokyo, where buildings have long trembled.

New flurry of indicators in the program

Markets should also keep an eye on indicators of the day, again numerous. In Europe, registrations of new cars rose 0.9% yoy in February, the first bounce after ten consecutive months of declines, according to figures released Wednesday by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (Acea).

Inflation in the euro area rose to 2.4% in February over a year, Eurostat said Wednesday. It was 2.3% year on year in January from 2.2% in December and 1.9% in November. Rising prices rose 0.4% in February compared to January.

United States, the Labor Department will publish the price index for production at 13.30.At the same time will the housing starts and the balance of current accounts. Finally, at 15:30 will be published weekly petroleum stocks.

On the currency markets, the euro has stabilized at 1.3977 dollar.

Values ​​to follow

As for values, securities directly or indirectly exposed to catastrophe Japanese started to fall again after regaining some colors in early trading. LVMH fell by 0.87% to 103.03 euros and Hermes of 1.13% to 144.05 euros.Only the investment certificate Areva bounced 2.85% to 29.62 euros after its tumble over the last three sessions.

EDF: -0.49% to 28.42 euros

The electrician French and Italian A2a confirmed Tuesday the six-month extension of their shareholder pact in Edison to take the time to reach agreement on the restructuring of their partnership.

In addition, the group is preparing to send "teams" and "equipment" in Japan to help the company Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO), which operates the nuclear plant in Fukushima, cope with the consequences of the tsunami, said Wednesday the company's CEO, Henri Proglio on RTL.

L'Oreal: + 0.41% to 78.40 euros

The president of Yves Saint Laurent Beauté, a subsidiary of LVMH, told Reuters that his company intends to almost double its turnover in five years to reach the one billion euros, thanks to the lever Asian and climb well the club of top five global brands of cosmetics.

Alstom: + 0.50% to 38 euros

The CEO of Alstom, Patrick Kron, said he still opposed the entry of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in the capital of Areva.

Renault: + 0.31% to 37.67 euros

The money paid by the manufacturer to pay the false information intended to support the charges of espionage brought against three of its executives has been partially solved in a Swiss bank account opened by one of his security guards, shackled Duck wrote on Wednesday.

Note that the manufacturer has sales up 2.8% in February over a year, according to figures of registrations of the European Union. For his part, Peugeot (2.48% to 27.22 euros) sees his own shrink by 5%.

BNP Paribas: -2.21% to 50.81 euros, Societe Generale: -2.12% to 44.83 euros

The banks are down sharply after Moody's lowered the rating on Tuesday night in Portugal two notches to "A3" with negative outlook, raising fears about sovereign debt of countries known as peripheral euro area.

Bollore is optimistic

Bourbon: -5.37% to 32.01 euros

The group released Wednesday 2010 earnings fell sharply, mainly because of difficult market conditions, but the group estimated that the average utilization rate of its fleet to continue to improve gradually.

Transgene: -4.83% to 11.23 euros

The group referred to tackle 2011 with confidence even though the French biotechnology company has continued to widen its loss in 2010 and some of his projects have been delayed.

Mersen: 33.64 EUR -3.25 EUR

The group said Wednesday expect for 2011 a slight improvement in profitability and renewed growth, albeit slow, its sales from the electronics and solar energy.

Bolloré: + 1.18% to 154.15 euros

The group reported a 40% increase in operating profit in 2010 thanks to its growing transport business, logistics and port handling.

Zodiac Aerospace: + 1.62% to 47.72 euros

The group raised its revenue forecast for 2010-2011 after a second quarter better than expected thanks to the recovery of the aviation sector.

EPA will report on its February traffic. Ruby, Stallergenes and Boiron reveal their annual results after market close.

Consumers do not win, but dentists can rejoice. The senators voted Wednesday for the removal of the requirement for practitioners to mention the purchase price of prostheses they provide to their patients. This indication was made mandatory since the implementation of the "hospital, patient, health, territory" (HPST) in March 2010 and aimed to introduce more transparency in the prices charged by dentists.

For the price of hearing varies almost by a factor of two firms, analyzed the organization last February mutuelle.com. Rates that depend on several factors: the quality of the prosthesis, the reputation of the dentist, the neighborhood where he practices, but also the level of medical coverage for the patient."It is almost a rule that the physician inquires about it, so that the topping facto contributes to drive prices up and enjoy in good part to the care provider," noted the Court of Auditors A report published last year.

No effect on import prices

Disparate rates are also particularly high. Citing a 2005 report published in Belgium, the Court of Auditors noted that the price of a prosthesis in France is 2.5 times that of a prosthesis in Germany, itself 25% more expensive that 'in the Netherlands.

Aggravating factor for the French practitioners: the growing share of imported models (about 15% in 2010 according to the French Dental Association) has never passed on the average price charged by dentists.Yet the cost of dentures made in China, Madagascar and North Africa is three times lower (40 euros against 120 euros) than models manufactured in France.

Competition poor '

Accordingly, it is 10% of the French population is forced to give dental care because of cost, says the Institute for Research and Documentation in Health Economics (Irdes). Generally, dental costs alone constitute more than half of medical benefits to which patients give up that ground.

It is under these facts that the Court of Auditors argued last year that the quotation offered to patients include the purchase price of the prosthesis. "Improving transparency would help to remedy a lack of competition today," thought the institution.

"Intensive lobbying"

The senators, however, have decided otherwise Wednesday. Gilbert Barbier, behind the amendment removing this requirement, explains: "The text was virtually unenforceable. If you want to calculate the cost of a prosthesis, we must delve a lot of ancillary costs, "he explains. Furthermore, why impose this requirement only to dentists, not the garage for example? "He asks. "Dentists have had the feeling of being stigmatized. Let us keep right, "came Wednesday in support of meeting the Minister of Health Xavier Bertrand.

Another argument advanced by Senators: prices of acts called "conservatives" (scaling, treatment of caries, decay …) would be undervalued by social security. "For ten years they have not been adjusted.This explains that dentists sometimes compensate by increasing their margin on prostheses, "suggests Gilbert Barbier. Yet, according to the ECA, some of these rates were revalued by 30% in 2006. Meanwhile, prices of prostheses continued to grow at an annual rate of more than 3% …

For UFC-Que Choisir, the situation is clear. "The intensive lobbying professionals was correct in the interest of patients," said Cedric Musso Thursday, director of institutional relations within the association, in the columns of "Paris-Today in France. "The dentists are not commercial professions. As health professionals, they do not make a profit on hardware sales. "

A few months before the end of his term – and then she is a candidate to succeed himself – Anne Lauvergeon, CEO of Areva, on Thursday presented the annual results scrutinized by the market. The year 2010 the French group is the world leader in nuclear contrast: while the net profit group share jumped over 60%, but this performance is largely attributable to the gain of 1.3 billion euros performed on the occasion of the sale of the transmission and distribution – divided between Alstom and Schneider.

But the operating profit shown in the red for the first time since the group's inception in 2001: the loss stood at 423 million euros, against a gain of 97 million in 2009.Two factors explain these difficulties: firstly, the delicate construction of the EPR in Finland, which required an additional provision of 367 million euros, on the other hand, the depreciation of mining assets of the group, s' has resulted in a provision of 426 million euros. All these provisions have been recorded in the first half of 2010, but in the case of mines, however, adding it took 126 million euros.

The – many – who oppose the reappointment of Anne Lauvergeon not fail to exploit the operating loss. Signs in their eyes, the president of Areva hard to conduct large-scale projects, even though the French nuclear industry seeks to invest in many markets abroad.Meanwhile, his opponents regularly stigmatize a deteriorated relationship with EDF, its partner of choice.

Backlog

In the camp of Anne Lauvergeon, the interpretation of the situation is obviously different. The CEO of Areva does not mask a "structurally difficult period, marked by a lot of investment, construction of a range of reactors and the scheduled end of the activity Eurodif (the uranium enrichment plant located in the Rhone Valley). " But she said the course and completed the transformation carried out since 2001. Enough to create, insists the president a lame duck, "a dynamic in which the group will soon reap the benefits.

Anne Lauvergeon underlines the progress of the order book for 2012 with the dual purpose of a turnover of 12 billion euros and an operating margin in double digits.In addition, a new order of the reactors is expected in the coming months, "in a country other than China or India."

Regarding the relationship with EDF, Anne Lauvergeon welcomes the conclusions of the last nuclear policy, "which has normalized the situation." The fact that the EPR is built in the reference product of the French sector and the lack of fundamental questioning of the integrated model of Areva underpin about the president's nuclear group. She is delighted that finally work towards the rebuilding of a great strategic partnership with EDF "progressing well". In charge now for the woman to win the battle for its renewal. She looks extremely tight.

The CGT has accepted a compromise. The union, all-powerful in the ports of France, conceded that the early retirement of port workers increased to two years instead of four. But the mode of application, scope and funding of the agreement have not yet been released.

Negotiations between EU ports of France and the National Union of Industrial and handling on one side and the CGT on the other forward, but it was not until next Wednesday to discover their content. "An important step was taken, but no agreement has yet been concluded," accurate, careful, a negotiator.Secretary of State for Transport is more enthusiastic: "I welcome the draft agreement taking shape," said Thierry Mariani Friday.

After four days of talks described as "intensive" by the CGT federation for ports and docks, all welcomed "the willingness of all parties to end the crisis," the CGT said yesterday in a statement business card.

The activity of French ports has been paralyzed for over a month by social movements on the recognition of the arduous work in the early departure to the retirement of certain categories of dockworkers.

Strikes suspended

In late October, the employers had given an agreement for early retirement four years. But after the pension reform, the government asked to review this agreement on the basis of two years of anticipation.The CGT said yesterday "welcomed the recognition of the difficult trade port repaired by early termination of two years." It also suspends strike action. But it adds a focus on the monopoly of the CGT in ports, denounced the left and right. According to the federation, "diversity and pluralism are the union bosses."

Source: Natixis, based on figures provided by the IMF (International Monetary Fund) cash advance loans.