Archive for the ‘life’ Category

Madrid: important parade against crisis

Posted in economic, life, money, opinions, top news by admin on June 19th, 2011 | Comments Off

"This crisis does not pay." One month after the birth of the movement of the "outraged" that has spread throughout the country, between 35,000 and 40,000 people, according to police, marched in Madrid against austerity. The crowd came in processions from all six districts of Madrid, gathered near the parliament in the center, opposite a row of blue gates and a dozen police vans blocking the road.

"Against unemployment. Organize yourself and fight. Let us march together against unemployment and capital, "proclaimed one of the great signs. "We are not commodities in the hands of politicians and bankers," said another banner in red letters.Under the slogans, demonstrators of all ages, families with strollers, young, unemployed and retired, came to testify of the same tired response to the crisis that is strangling the Spanish company.

Unemployment and corruption

Protesters targeted the Stability Pact in the euro area and its imperatives of fiscal discipline, politicians accused of corruption and not the voice of citizens, unemployment hitting 21.29% of the workforce in Spain, almost half the age of 25.

"We must prepare for a general strike 100% free credit score. We will paralyze this country, "said a speaker at the microphone."Banks and governments that have caused this situation should be aware that we do not agree with the measures and budget cuts, we intend to be heard, and that we will," assured the flat platform calling for demonstrations across Spain.

Broad popular support

Tuesday, June 13, the "outrage" had dismantled their camp from the Puerta del Sol in Madrid, a symbol of this wave of protest. Enjoying broad popular support, they now want to consolidate their movement through the neighborhood assemblies and other occasional events.

Other demonstrations were planned in the late afternoon on Sunday, including Barcelona and Valencia, and in several foreign cities, including Paris, where nearly 450 "outraged" gathered.

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Cucumber crisis: 4.8 million loss in France

Posted in life, online, opinions, people, top news by admin on June 3rd, 2011 | Comments Off

The damage is done. Although the cucumber is more pronounced as carrier of the bacterium E. Slayer coli (EHEC), the bill is very heavy for the French vegetable growers. Consumers stay still images as well as tomato salad and a time alleged by Germany.

"Nothing in a week, we estimate our losses to 3 million euros," said Friday afternoon at Figaro Angelique Delahaye, president of Vegetables in France. She just finished consolidating losses estimated at national level by some 3,000 growers of cucumbers and tomatoes. "We're going to report these figures in the service of the Ministry of Agriculture in the context of the experts meeting in Brussels next Tuesday," she says.

Half of the losses on the production of cucumbers and half the tomatoes."We lost earlier this week a program to supply 500 600 tons of tomatoes to 1.10 euro per kilo from the German central purchasing or 550,000 to 660,000 euros less," says Pierre Diot, president of the AOP (Association producer organization) cucumbers and tomatoes, producer Mordelles, west of Rennes.

Brittany produces half of the tomatoes of the Hexagon, 30% from the Deep South and the rest of the Nantes region. "After a week of total absence of trade in vegetables, we are angry because we have no alternative but to destroy our production," said Louis Vinet representing growers Nantes, tripling affected free business cards.

Salads down 20%

However, it is too early to assess damage on sales of salad, vegetable of which the French are especially fond of this heat – they consume nearly 7 pounds per year -."The production is spread among a multitude of gardening and it is more difficult to gather the numbers," says Angelique Delahaye.

The only certainty in Rungis, Ile de France, the second producing region of the Hexagon salads, "salads sold volumes dropped 20% in a dynamic market, however, except of course the cucumbers fall of 80%," says Michel Lemelin, president of the union of wholesale fruit and vegetable market of Rungis.

In this difficult context, French producers can always relativize their misfortune by saying that the situation is worse elsewhere. Particularly in the Iberian Peninsula. The Spanish Federation of Producers exporting fruits and vegetables (FEPEX) estimated losses on Tuesday "to about 200 million euros per week" for the entire sector, citing a "domino effect" affecting other Spanish products."All fruits and vegetables were impacted by Spain. Fortunately in France strawberries, zucchini, eggplant and continue to sell, "relativize Angelique Delahaye.

To break this cycle, the European Ministers of Agriculture are scheduled to meet around 17 June in Luxembourg for a special meeting on the subject.

French growth: accelerating the pace

Posted in economics, features, finance, life, technology by admin on May 15th, 2011 | Comments Off

It's definitely good news. Growth of 2011 has started on a flying, rising 1% in the first quarter, after the tiny increase of 0.3% in the last quarter of 2010, according to figures released Friday by the INSEE. Not only is it much better than what was expected, but it is also the best quarterly performance registered by France since 2006. You almost forget that the institute of statistics at the same time, lowered the growth figures for the previous three years!

The Economy Minister, Christine Lagarde, who blew the whistle on the previous evening, was immediately welcomed this figure, which confirms "that the French economy is set on a path of robust recovery."Jean-Francois Cope, secretary general of the UMP, for his part spoke of "excellent performance".

It must be said that, as the saying goes at Bercy, all the lights earlier this year are "green" to watching a few nuances in detail. Household consumption was slightly accelerated, rising 0.6% against 0.4% over the last three months of 2010. And proof that the expenses do not only with cars and the latest gaming effects of scrapping the service consumption rebounded sharply. Business investment has, meanwhile, performed well.

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge the graphic.

The institute noted however that the balance of trade "contributes negatively again" on GDP growth (-0.4 point), but that "this is more than offset" by changes in business inventories, which contribute positively to 0.7 percentage points to growth.

Industrial production finally jumped 3.4% and `show its strongest growth over the last thirty years," Christine Lagarde welcomes. Which does not specify that this rebound in industrial production is largely due to the production of refined products, which dates back strongly for technical reasons related to the correction of consequences "of social movements at the end of last year" in refineries , said Insee.

"A little less strong"

The Minister of Economy nevertheless acknowledged "very possible" that the second quarter "a little less strong.""One swallow does not make statistical economic spring," said, in his way, the number two PS, Harlem Desir.

For even if the number of start of the year is a reflection of economic situation improves, the pace may not continue. Rising raw material, exchange rate of the euro, higher inflation that continues in the purchasing power effect of stock-cons, or international situation deteriorates … So many reasons fear a slowdown in coming months .

Bercy, however, confirmed on Friday its growth forecast for 2011 to 2%. The goal now seems achievable because over for the current year is already 1.6%.Traditionally more pessimistic, the European Commission was asked to meet on Friday too, its growth forecast for the Hexagon, 1.7% to 1.8% over the year.

2008, 2009, two years of recession

Each year in May, INSEE revised the growth of the three previous years. This time, it's a bunch down! Growth in 2010 has not reached as planned 1.5% but 1.4%. The recession of 2009 was 2.6% and not 2.5%.But it is in 2008 that the difference is most significant: adjusted downwards by 0.3 percentage points, the year does not end on a growth of 0.1% as announced, but a decline in GDP of 0, 2%, according to Insee

Moreover, the institute has recalculated the slight increase in deficit (state, social security, local) of France in 2010 to 7.1% of GDP at year end as against 7% announced earlier.

As for the debt, it was 82.3%, instead of 81.7% predicted previously to 1 591.2 billion.

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Euro Disney has good results but fragile

Posted in life, news, online, resources, world by admin on May 12th, 2011 | Comments Off

The crisis has failed to overcome the magic of the park in Marne-la-Vallee. Euro Disney revenues increased its turnover by 7.7% in the first semester (from October 2010 to March 2011) to 559.1 million euros. Despite an economic environment that remains sluggish, the visitors came more numerous than in the first half of last year. Park attendance increased by 0.4 million people (5%), reaching 6.9 million people who trod the soil of the French parks of the group. On average, each spent 43.32 euros per visit, entrance fee included, which is stable. However, hotel guests of the site have spent more on them: improving spending per room, from 6% to 200.60 euros, is one of the most significant.

With this increased activity improves the group's biannual report even if it remains in the red.Euro Disney shows an overall net loss of 99 million euros, with a net loss after minority interests of 82.9 million euros in the first half, reduced by 13% over one year. In addition, net cash available now stands at 323.7 million euros, 40.2 million euros more than the previous year.

Few concerns despite the occurrence of Easter Monday

After the accident last April 25 in one of the top attractions "Mine Train", a decrease from the coast of confidence in the Euro Disney park could have been fear. However, according to a statement of management to AFP on Tuesday, closing the "Train of mine has had no impact" on traffic on the park.

The title had also not undergone any impact after the announcement, indicating that investors did not foresee a drop in visitors following the incident.Always about the accident, Philippe Gas, the CEO of the group, told AFP that the company would "never compromise on safety."

This enthused the "sharp increase" in attendance by customers French, Belgian and British, who are its key markets.

As for prospects for the second half, high season for the group, Euro Disney is confident. At Treasury, returned after borrowing up to 46 million euros this semester, the group expects a return of 77.5 million euros during the second half.

Around 14 pm on Euro Disney's stock price was 9.35 euros, down from 1.27% in a market up 1.56%.

Fuel prices go from record to record

Posted in economy, life, money, opinions, world by admin on May 2nd, 2011 | Comments Off

The crossing record fuel prices on record. Last week, prices at the pump have again reached record levels in the hexagon, noted that Monday's Directorate General for Energy and Climate. A liter of unleaded 95 has coined 1.547 euro on average, a liter of super unleaded 98 1.585 euro. Unheard of in living memory motorist. Fortunately, the price of diesel fuel – the most consumed – has however declined slightly last week, to 1.36 euro per liter. It remains for now below its 2008 record, when it exceeded 1.45 euros.

Prices at the pump in fact suffer from a barrel of oil costing has soared since the advent of revolutions in the Middle East. The price of Brent crude in London was quoted on Monday by $ 125.9 per barrel, when it cost just $ 95 in January (+32.5%).Therefore, INSEE memo in its last publication on inflation, the cost of petroleum products surged nearly 20% in March over a year.

The 2-liter of super €

To offset these price increases that weigh heavily on household budgets, the government announced in April the increase of 4.6% flat rate mileage. A tax measure that will ease the bill for some six million taxpayers who use their cars to work, then the estimated Economy Minister Christine Lagarde. Oil companies will contribute about the financing of the new measure to 115 million euros.

Consumer associations have been skeptical, however. "This is a drop in an ocean of expectation," lamented the UFC-Que Choisir.Increased dissatisfaction with grim outlook for consumers: in an interview in Paris, Total's CEO Christophe de Margerie had clearly drawn the trend. "The Super 2 €, there is no doubt," he said. The real question is when. "

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The companies and their customers pay expensive kerosene

Posted in features, life, money, publications, technology by admin on April 30th, 2011 | Comments Off

The airlines benefit they "fuel surcharges", the taxes levied on air tickets depending on how the fuel prices to maintain their financial stability? While fuel prices soar, airlines are perhaps a little heavy hand on these adjustment variables.

Kerosene prices have not reached the heights of the summer of 2008. Indeed, its current price is 22% below their peaks at the time, according to Bloomberg. However, fuel surcharges companies exceed all records.

In early April, British Airways increased the amount of its overhead for the third time since the beginning of the year to 326 euros for a return long-haul business class and 191 euros in economy class.At Air France – which has also boosted its overall rates April 1 – the peak is reached: for a return flight on a journey of more than seven hours, she weighs 242 euros and 222 euros for a seven-hour flight while in 2008 the company had not been as severe vis-à-vis its passengers: the overload was then capped at 192 euros for a round trip on a journey of more than seven and 172 euro beyond.

According to the U.S. website bestfares.com devoted to travel, U.S. airlines are at least as eager, with loads of up to $ 420 for a round trip between the U.S. and Europe and even $ 580 US- U.S. and South America when in 2008 they did not exceed $ 390.Some consultants do not hesitate to speak of price increase in disguise, so that overloading should really reflect the evolution of fuel prices free credit report and score.

Reduction of flight plans

The energy bill has become the largest item of expenditure of airlines from and to personnel costs. The latter are desperate to cover their costs.

The president of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Giovanni Bisignani, does not hide his concern: "It's a disaster. We tablions, earlier this year on an average price of a barrel of 96 dollars, but these projections were too optimistic. In an economy as fragile as today, it is impossible to pass on fuel surcharges to passengers.But that decision is up to each company, "he told The Tribune last week.

U.S. companies that have published these days their first quarter earnings plunge again: Delta Airlines posted a loss of $ 318 million when it had lost $ 256 million last year. American Airlines posted a loss of 436 million dollars against 505 million last year. According to the American Transport Association, U.S. airlines should have their fuel bill to increase by $ 3 billion more this year.

To face this new crisis, these majors have set up plans for "capacity reduction" that result in deletions of flights.Delta Airlines announced and a decrease of 4% of its flight schedule in the second half and, like its competitors, it leaves the aircraft in its fleet the most fuel-efficient.

Wall Street in the waiting but well oriented

Posted in Uncategorized, features, life, technology, top news by admin on April 25th, 2011 | Comments Off

Small volumes of trade and wait. This could be the profile of the session on Wall Street Monday. After closing up on last Thursday (Friday was a holiday), the NYSE was heading toward an opening in the green Monday. Upstream of the opening, the futures contracts reflected an increase of 28 points on the Dow Jones at 12,462 points, 4.4 points on the S & P 500 at 1335.4 points, 6 points and the Nasdaq , at 2381.5 points.

Investors should remain cautious earlier this week, pending statements from Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke on Wednesday. Forecasts of inflation and economic outlook: new publications the U.S. central bank should be explained at the first press conference after the meeting of the Governing Council.On the other hand, the first official estimate of GDP for the first quarter will be published Thursday.

Side companies, Ameriprise Financial, Johnson Controls, Kimberly-Clark and Radioshack should publish their results before-hours trading. The distributor of electronic products RADIOSHACK posted a quarterly profit of $ 0.33, $ 0.35 cons expected by the consensus. The turnover stood at 1.06 billion dollars as the anticipated 1.07 billion consensus.

On the other hand, NIKE could see its stock price reached a new high over the next 18 months if the OEM is able to raise prices without adversely affecting sales, according to investors cited by the magazine Barron's. After the record high reached last year to 92.49 dollars, as Nike declined to $ 80, due to the rising cost of oil, cotton and labor.On the other hand, the bank Wells Fargo has raised its rating on the pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson "market performance" to "outperform."

Finally, the title of the Chinese search engine Baidu might be heckled. The Chinese government will punish the search engine and 13 other sites for allowing illegal music downloads, reports the official Xinhua News Agency. No details on the nature of the sanctions has been published. According to Xinhua, the sites in question have left online illegal content despite several warnings from the authorities.

The course from Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) could also be active on Monday. The computer chip manufacturer announced Thursday after-hours trading that its net income had doubled in the first quarter quasimment.SanDisk also announced on Thursday its results for the first three months of the year, slightly down from last year. PG & E for its part, announced the sudden departure of its CEO Peter Darbee.

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France: The IMF is wary of 2012 elections

Posted in economics, features, life, online, technology by admin on April 13th, 2011 | Comments Off

Slipped into the 154 pages of the IMF paper, five lines attract attention, given the French context. "The risk exists that the electoral timetable in the United States, France and Japan and possibly elsewhere, may complicate the implementation of policies" to reduce deficits, says the institution of Washington. Institution led by Dominique Strauss-Kahn, a putative candidate for president in 2012 French …

"Experience shows that a divided Parliament or the impression of a weak political stability leads to poor execution plans aggressive fiscal consolidation," reads the report yet.Does this mean that the IMF is considering a change of government in France, and held that the right will make little effort to reduce the deficit before giving way to the left? Or that the Fund is betting on the absence of a clear majority? "It is especially typical example of arcane formula that emerges from the IMF, where every sentence is weighed by an army of technocrats before publication," quips a connoisseur of the institution cash advance.

Curiously, this passage of the document does not mention that Portugal has to appeal to the Fund in full political fog, with Parliament dissolved! "Behold the man who will lead the country's finances," headlined Tuesday local newspaper Correio da Manha popular with the photo on its front Poul Thomsen, head of the IMF mission to negotiate the plan of assistance Portugal, came in the wake of Lisbon.The Portuguese delegation welcomed with suspicion, as evidenced by this photo of a giant graffiti on the front page of Publico: "IMF, out!"

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Eurocopter gets help from 550 million

Posted in events, life, money, news, world by admin on April 7th, 2011 | Comments Off

Eurocopter will be able to develop a new civil helicopter. Matignon has indeed granted an aid of 550 million euro to the subsidiary of EADS, said The Tribune, to develop the successor to its flagship product, the Dauphin. The benefits should also be concerned subcontractors Eurocopter subsidiaries beginning with Turbomeca Safran Group and Sagem. And in total, the amount of manufacturing this new device is expected to reach 1.5 billion euros for commissioning by 2018-2020.

The aid granted by Matignon is part of the large borrowing for future investments. In fact, France wishes to maintain the production of these helicopters in France, the site of Marignane, near Marseille. Especially since the funds allocated by the State will fund the innovations on the new model guaranteed payday loans.Eurocopter had specifically requested funding for R & T (research and technology) and R & D (research and development) for his project X4 (4 helicopter as a 4-ton). The allocated budget will also develop "an ambitious technological program, says La Tribune in technology (turbines, avionics, rotor blades, fuselage …)» in a highly competitive range.

The newspaper said that the Steering Committee of the General Commission for Investment (CGI) was initially granted 400 million euros. It also specifies that arbitration government has not yet been an official signature.

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The sale of the iPad 2 braked by the Japanese crisis

Posted in life, money, opinions, people, top news by admin on March 19th, 2011 | Comments Off

The festival will she wasted Friday, scheduled for the Commercialization of the iPad 2 in 25 countries, including France? It is likely that the shelf is available in limited quantities. "We do not comment on rumors or speculation," says the firm at the apple, which states that the sale of its Internet Tablet in Japan will be delayed. Research firm iSuppli IHS is more worried: "The consequence of the earthquake in Japan may pose logistical problems and disruptions in the supply chain of the iPad 2."

Since its launch on March 11, success is such that the iPad two runs out. 0.5 to 1 million units were purchased, according to experts. Sales that underpin the world leader in this market to Apple, after the sale of 14.79 million in the first iPad 2010.Now, the Cupertino company will face "a lack of components produced in the devastated region, which includes the" electronic compass AKM Semiconductor, very difficult to replace the battery and, probably, advanced technology glass screen produced by Asahi, "says IHS iSuppli. Memory chips, supplied by Toshiba, can be replaced by those from South Korea's Samsung and Micron Technology of the U savings account payday advance.S.. However, despite the label "Made in China" battery, IHS iSuppli notes that its components are made by Apple in Japan, which buys Archipelago, due to the special shape of the battery polymer lithium-ion batteries.

Zero stock

Even if the iPad 2 is assembled in the land of factories, in Shenzhen, the Taiwanese Foxconn group, Apple claimed at its suppliers 'best practices' which include a "lean production with zero inventory", invented by Toyota.These difficulties are likely to affect the iPhone. Sony Ericsson mobile world number six, said that its smartphones could be in short supply. The handheld gaming Nintendo 3DS relief could also be lacking. "Japan will have an impact for all groups of consumer electronics," said Friday Crohas, CEO of Archos.

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