International Headlines and Stories

New trial for Yahoo!. The U.S. internet group announced Sunday it had appointed a new temporary chief executive, Ross Levinsohn, replacing Scott Thompson less than five months after the arrival thereof at the head of the company. "Scott Thompson left the company" Yahoo! justifies no further details. The group further states that Fred Amoroso has been named president of the board to replace Roy Bostock.

This change in the leadership of a pioneering Internet companies, now embattled, was announced a few hours after the release of information on the site dedicated to news reports All Things Digital. The article reported an imminent departure of former CEO in the wake of a controversy provoked by the discovery of falsification of his CV. A few days earlier, Patti Hart, director of the group, had also been forced to leave the band for the same reasons: she had embellished his CV.

According to All Things Digital, the reason for the "abrupt departure" is only due to the activism of hedge fund Third Point, a leading shareholder of Yahoo! with 5.8% stake. A shareholder who has been trying for several years to gain seats and influence within the board had asked the head of Scott Thompson on line pay day loans. And the fund has been successful. In fact, Yahoo! has agreed that the boss of Third Point, Daniel Loeb, and two persons selected by him, Harry Wilson and Michael Wolf, are seated on the board from Wednesday. The Board is pleased to announce these changes and this agreement with Third Point, and is confident they will be in the best interests of our shareholders, "we read in Yahoo! News.

The group did not, however, extends the strategy it intends to follow in the future, simply stating that "in as interim CEO, Ross Levinsohn will direct the day to day running of the company, helped by the existing team of executives from Yahoo! ". This last Sunday was up global director of the media branch of Yahoo! It is the fifth CEO to take the reins of the group in five years. The question is whether Yahoo! will manage to raise the head above water.

ALSO READ:

"The CEO of Yahoo accused of lying about his resume

"New case of forgery at Yahoo! CV

The egg hunt, chocolate bunnies or chickens will be open Sunday. Easter is indeed a special time to eat chocolate. A strong tradition since last year 12,500 tons of chocolate were sold at this time.

"We realize 20% of our turnover on this occasion. Easter with Christmas are the two highlights of the year for our business, "says Jean-Paul Burrus, president of Salpa, known for the brand Marquise de Sevigne.

The offensive of dark chocolate

The trend remains the great classics. "The most popular products are the egg, the chicken or the bells, with one exception in Alsace: the rabbit, a custom from Germany," says Jean-Paul Burrus. "After the eggs or square pyramidal and chickens conceptualized, the market returns to more traditional things," says Sylvain Quidel, head of Leonidas, whose bestsellers are topped with fried egg or rabbit. Dark chocolate is also continuing its offensive. At De Neuville, accounting for 40% of annual sales.

The chocolate does not seem to fear the consequences of the economic downturn, convinced that from twenty euros – the value of the average basket – it is a pleasure that is accessible. In addition, this year, consumption should be boosted by a calendar and a very favorable weather.

Bad news for laboratories and pharmacies. "In 2012, for the first time, the French market for reimbursable drugs sold in pharmacies will be in recession. After four years of stagnation, it will show a 2% drop in value, "Robert said Thursday Chu, president of research firm IMS Health France. A setback due in part to price cuts and delisting imposed by governments, but also to "a failure of innovation."

Other mature markets will not show very strong growth. By 2015, the pharmaceutical market will grow by +2% to +5% in Japan. It will gain +1% to +4% per year in the United States and other developed countries, IMS provides. "The other European markets are affected but the timing is different," explains Claude Le Pen, an economics professor at Paris-Dauphine and France consultant IMS Health no teletrek payday advance. In Germany, for example, the policy of price reduction was initiated before that of the Hexagon.

Profitability deteriorated

The expiry of patents that protect the original drugs is another factor, important for the retraction of the pharmaceutical market. The peak of these patent losses will be achieved in 2012 with $ 48 billion of revenue at risk of generic competition. In practice this means that four fifths of those sales (about $ 40 billion) will not occur. Generics, legal copies sold of 15% to 70% cheaper by country (55% in France), take place.

Apple will host a conference March 7 in San Francisco at 19 am, French time. Program, the announcement of the new iPad, whose invitation to deliver the first image appears.

As every year, rumors are rife about the specifications and new features in Apple's tablet, which should be examined with interest by its competitors.

Two years after the release of the first version, the iPad indeed still dominates the market with 50 million sales, all models, against 12 million Android tablets, and is a reference to the sector.

The new iPad should propose an improved screen, displaying four times as many pixels on the same surface, but could also integrate Siri and why not, be accompanied by an iPad Mini, smaller. This graphic provides an update on the major rumors, according to their reliability.

An agreement, signed last week between management and the Air France pilots' union (SNPL), reduces the scope of guaranteed service in the air, reveals Liberation. Transposition of the 2008 Act applicable to the SNCF, the text of UMP Eric Diard plans to compel the workers of the company to declare 48 hours in advance. The aim is both to predict future perturbations and thus inform passengers, and to minimize its effects through the reallocation of non-striking staff.

This second objective is compromised in part the agreement signed last week with the drivers. It provides that "the planning of the flight crew is stable [...] in all circumstances and at all times, without exception." Clearly, Air France can not as she wishes to reallocate its staff not on strike or on holiday to improve traffic. The reallocation of staff are still possible, but each driver will have to agree "on a case by case."

"Defusing a dispute with the pilots'

"This means that in case of strike, there will be fewer pilots recalled and more canceled flights. It is surprising that Air France has agreed, "says a government source in Liberation. This is particularly surprising that the strike sector personnel, which began in early February against it, had ended in failure, no recoil on the guaranteed service that has been obtained.

The management of Air France, meanwhile, denies having given wrongly. "This new agreement ratifies simply clarification of an agreement dating from 2006. It is unrelated to the upcoming vote in the guaranteed service, "justified a spokesman. The management also stresses that the redeployment of staff have always done on a voluntary basis. "It does not require a pilot to fly against his will, it would create a security risk," said a spokesman for Libération. Referring to an agreement "win-win", he concedes that it is also to "defuse a dispute with pilot population."

ALSO READ:

"Minimum Air Service: texted voted

SERVICE:

"All jobs in France and abroad with Cadremploi

FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS ON FIGARO:

"Twitter: @ LeFigaro_Emploi

Axa will grow in non-life insurance in Asia. The French group is about to get their hands on some of the activities of the Sino-British HSBC. The Ace Group and Zurich Australian QBE were also in the race. The announcement of the transaction could, according to a source familiar with the matter, taken as soon as next week, as reported by several Chinese newspapers. At the headquarters of Axa, there was no comment Tuesday.

HSBC hoped to sell all of its activities damage valued around 750 million euros to 1 billion of net premiums collected in 2011. But the British would have resolved to give the geographical batch. And it is on Asia, the birthplace of the banking group, Axa would concentrate.

If it ends, the operation would be part of the new strategic plan for 2015 Axa. This project includes the objectives of growth, cost reduction and redeployment of capital to business lines and countries most profitable. Axa has recently withdrawn and certain activities in developed economies, by disposing of assets in Canada and Great Britain.

The group tries to conquer China for several years. He began a partnership in China in late 2010, ICBC (Industrial and Commercial Bank of China), the country's largest bank. ICBC had entered the capital of the joint venture specializing in life insurance with Axa had founded the China Metallurgical Group Minmetal and was committed to a distribution agreement. HSBC had begun the sale of its non-life insurance in September.

ALSO READ:

"Axa is an ally to conquer the Chinese market

The liquidation of the company SeaFrance Channel whets the appetites of competing operators. The subsidiary of SNCF had indeed a great market share and operating three of the ten vessels that supplied the Calais-Dover.

Now provides a new ferry crossing. Friday, the "Norman Spirit", which can carry 710 cars and 1,100 passengers, has completed its first run between Calais and Dover. It is chartered by the consortium Louis-Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA)-DFDS. The financing package for the joint venture "is not yet completed and may change," said LDA.

Initially, the "Norman Spirit" had strengthened the Dunkerque-Dover DFDS, opened in 2004. He now will leave Calais, where the crossing is the shortest – a port that is far refused to DFDS and LDA. The first company operates trains north (Dunkirk, Amsterdam). The second is present in the south, with Le Havre and Dieppe, and had tried unsuccessfully to revive the line Boulogne-sur-Mer, Dover, 2009.

There would be room for everyone

Leader on the Calais-Dover, P & O operates seven vessels, sixty trips daily, and has recently invested 360 million euros in two superferries, which have been commissioned. The first, the "Spirit of Britain", was launched over a year ago, the second in early February no fax pay day loan. Each ferry can carry 1,059 cars or 180 trucks and 200 cars.

Crisis requires SeaFrance, P & O had postponed the shutdown of ferries replaced by these vessels. The company admits to being "in an observation period with respect to competition," while observing that studies of the expansion of the port of Calais "forecast an increase of traffic in the coming years." So there would be room for everyone.

For its part, Eurotunnel, the operator of the Channel Tunnel, plays spoilsport in the sea. The company has announced its interest in obtaining the three SeaFrance ferries. Eurotunnel would lease a second time to the workers' cooperative (scop) that plan to launch the elders of the CFDT-sea SeaFrance. "We are not in the context of a coup, says Fabienne Lissak, director of communications. The elders of SeaFrance have maritime skills: we absolutely need them, our ferry business from scratch. "

ALSO READ:

"Only 90 employees of SeaFrance seduced by the SNCF plan

"SeaFrance: cessation of activity delivered

"SeaFrance: Eurotunnel wants to buy three boats

Confusion will be enough oil to burn in minutes. Brent crude rose from $ 118 to $ 120 Wednesday at 13:30, while news agencies, citing the Iranian television channel Press TV evoked an immediate suspension of Iranian oil sales in six European countries including France, Greece, the Italy and Spain.

Finally, according to Al-Alam, Tehran has only "warned" that could disrupt its sales in retaliation for the embargo imposed on 23 January by the European Union (EU). But it will not do "for now and for humanitarian reasons because of the cold," said Al-Alam. Six European ambassadors were received by the Director for Western Europe of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hassan Tajik them said his country had found "other buyers". At 14:30, a barrel of Brent crude in London fell back side around 118.40 dollars. By climbing a few moments to 120 dollars a barrel returned to a level reached last summer, also close off the hook early 2011 highs at the beginning of the Libyan war.

Embargo unprecedented EU

The foreign ministers of the European Union adopted on January 23 a series of new economic sanctions against Iran, suspected of developing nuclear weapons program. An embargo "progressive" on imports of Iranian oil has been decided. The bill provides that existing contracts can be implemented until July 1. A delay obtained at the request of the European countries most dependent on Iranian crude, beginning with Greece, which buys 30% of its oil to the regime of Mullah, followed by Italy (13%) and Spain (12% ). Twenty-Seven took weeks to agree on the sanction regime. France for its part does not buy that about 3% of its black gold to Iran.

The progressive nature of the embargo would allow European countries to compensate for expected losses by supplies provided mainly by Saudi Arabia pledged to pump more crude. While Tehran, contrary to the statements of its leaders, is not guaranteed to sell its Asian customers that the oil would be shunned by Europe, the Islamic regime wants to use short-term increases in financial income generated by each spike courses. And perhaps divisions among its customers more or less vulnerable.

ALSO READ:

"" The embargo on Iranian oil is counterproductive "

"The EU upholds an unprecedented embargo against Iran

The enthusiasm was short-lived. Asian markets, which had welcomed yesterday the political changes in Italy, switch back into the red on Tuesday. The concern around European sovereign debt increases with the lines, the fear of spreading to other countries as Greece. The fears are rooted in the rising bond yields recorded yesterday in Spain and Italy. Spanish borrowing rate to 10 years rose to 6.082% (it did not exceed the critical threshold of 6% since early August), while a debt issue in Italy took place at rates above 6% for securities maturing five years. In Greece, the Prime Minister's speech Lucas Papademos, who promises to reduce government debt at 9% of GDP in 2011, is not enough to reassure.

In this context, the Japanese Nikkei ended the session down 0.72% to 8541.93 points.The broader Topix index has in turn reduced by 0.67% to 730.91 points. "We need to stabilize the situation in Greece, Italy and Spain for the Nikkei rebound," said Fumiyuki Nakanishi, a broker at SMBC Friend Securities. The export sector has been especially battered because of the renewed weakness of the dollar against the yen. The greenback fell in the early morning under the threshold of 77 yen before slightly recover. Elpida unscrews to 8.54%, 1.46% of Sony and Sharp 1%. Bank stocks are also in the red in the image of Resona (-1.45%) and Aozora (-3.13%). Only Olympus has distinguished himself on the rise: the title continued to climb started the day by winning 18.51%, the maximum allowed for the day.

In China, Hong Kong and Shanghai respectively unleash 19,295 points to 1.09% and 0.23% to 2522 points. Spirit takes the rating down (-3.10%) in Hong Kong, as Foxconn (-1.37%).

Warren Buffett returned to the Tax imposed on it wishes to super rich. In a letter to an elected Republican congressman, Tim Huelskample, billionaire furnish in support of his argument precise details of income and tax it performs.

The third richest man in the world it reveals an annual income of $ 62.8 million in 2010. But thanks to various deductions which it benefits, taxable income does not exceed $ 39.8 million, he had already made clear this summer, so he paid $ 6.9 million in U.S. Treasury as 2011au the tax. Either a tax rate of 17.3%, lower than that fulfill many Americans from the middle class, including his secretary, said, according to AFP, the billionaire in a letter dated Tuesday.

Call for Rupert Murdoch

Warren Buffett, who supports the Obama administration's desire to impose more richer to reduce the U.S. deficit, has also urged his countrymen to publish very easy to turn their tax form no fax cash loans. "It is clear that many ultra rich pay even lower percentages than me on the federal government, and get the amount of taxes could be useful to legislators to establish a fair tax code," he wrote to Tim Huelskamp.

Warren Buffett had called last week Rupert Murdoch, owner of the Wall Street Journal, to publish its tax-bill, after the publication of an editorial highly critical of the "Buffett tax" in the popular business daily.

A report published on October 7 by the Office of the U.S. Congress is in support of the speech of Warren Buffett.According to the report, 25% of American millionaires, or 94,500 people actually pay less tax than the 10.4 million households earning less than $ 100,000 a year. On average, however, the millionaires perform according to the report of a tax rate of 30% when these middle-class households are taxed at only 19%.