International & World Report

There is a driver for the nuclear industry, the State. On a visit Thursday to the site of the EPR – the new generation reactor – in Flamanville (Manche), Francois Fillon has tried very firm. This displacement of the Prime Minister had been finalized at the last moment in a very specific purpose: to redefine the roles of each operator after Henri Proglio, barely reached the head of EDF, has hammered the leadership role of the public company.

We can talk about reframing. "That the State (…) is responsible for ensuring the overall coherence of this strategy to ensure that France will retain the place to be hers in the resumption of global nuclear "said Francois Fillon. While the central role of EDF is welcomed, but not from exercising a supervisory role on the track.So that Areva "is also a major player, including the integrated model (mine uranium reprocessing fuel through the construction of power plants) is not questioned.

As for GDF Suez or Total, they affirm their progressive positions in the nuclear, noted the Prime Minister."All this contributes to strengthening our credibility and aggregate supply," said Francois Fillon still surrounded by the Chairmen of EDF and Areva.

Moreover, the chief government hammered his confidence in the RPE, while this major project currently several critical towel on its cost, time of construction or security control command.

Bidding in Abu Dhabi

Alongside its political dimension, this development also involved the Matignon at a crucial time for French industry abroad, the four players mentioned above (EDF, Areva, GDF Suez and Total) are indeed united in a consortium to sell two plants EPR in Abu Dhabi. A contract that all benefits included, exceeds 40 billion dollars.However, for several weeks, rumors from the Emirates are not good: supply lights moving too dispersed to be truly effective.

That is why Fran?ois Fillon sought explicit: "In some cases, the" Team France "nuclear must be able to bid combined. In others, it is better to leave one or another of its members act alone. "

Also EDF, hitherto known for the last hour in the consortium, now has a central place in the new device. Nothing says that confirmation of Francois Fillon, who promised a "new installation" to permit France to win the day: Abu Dhabi, offering Korean, much cheaper in particular, has strong arguments. Decision expected in coming weeks.

"INTERVIEW – How Proglio will revive EDF

In addition, the situation in France deteriorated since 2008, when she pointed again at 160 th place. It must be said that 20 countries have lowered their corporate tax this year. "France has made efforts, including the tax-credit research. But this device, for some SMEs, is not included in the study. And in the future, reform of business tax should have a positive effect 'grade Philippe Durand, a lawyer at Landwell (the law firm of PWC).

The tax burden is not the only criterion taken into account

Above all, the tax burden is not the only criterion taken into account in the study. A rightly so because the number one country for low taxes is East Timor, little known for its overall competitiveness.To measure the overall tax appeal, the study also includes the time spent by businesses to report and pay their taxes and the number of payments. But on these two points, France is ranked (40th in the first case, the 9th in the second). She even won ranks.

This is the result of political modernization efforts for several years with the proliferation of TV-declarations via the Internet and creating a single direction at Bercy managing the assessment and collection of taxes (the General Directorate of Public Finance) . Through this effort, France back in the overall attractiveness of the tax from the 66 th place in 2008 to 59th place in 2009.

Gold continues to see progress during his flying record after record for over a month and a half. This Monday, November 23, ounce of gold was traded on the London Bullion Market cons 1170 U.S. dollars, the highest price ever recorded on the market.

This new record was set when the confidence of investors vis-?-vis the dollar continues. On Monday, the euro gained ground against the dollar, approaching the bar $ 1.50 per euro.

The persistent weakness of the dollar encourages central banks to diversify their reserve assets, and increase their gold reserves. India and Sri Lanka have recently made massive purchases of precious metals. India has procured 200 tonnes of gold via the International Monetary Fund earlier this month.Sri Lanka's share increased its gold reserves of 5.3 tonnes in September.

The yellow metal continues to play its role as a safe haven

Although enshrined in recent weeks in a bullish pattern, the uncertainty surrounding the stock markets is another factor increasing the demand for gold. The yellow metal continues to play its role as a safe haven, especially in the period probably know that currently the world's economies, but seems even become a fully fledged investment.

"For the first time in twenty years that I see so many prestigious managers share the same strategy (investment in gold)," said Bradley Alford, the hedge fund Alpha Capital Management, Market Watch. "Some of these investors are icons of the industry, with more than fifteen years of management at their counter. He is lost in advance to play against their tendency.They have not become billionaires by making bad paris "he adds.

However, markets are unique in that a widespread enthusiasm for asset class often ends by the service, building up and then burst the bubble that this enthusiasm had itself generated.

In the competitive global economy, information is a strategic data. A leak on a response to tender may lose a market. Data protection is a key issue for companies, as control of its communication. To educate businesses, particularly SMEs, to these strategic challenges, the Supreme Council of Military Reserve organized a seminar on Wednesday and Thursday at the Hotel National des Invalides in Paris.

Having explained the concept of intelligence and have identified the countries most active in the field, mainly Anglo-Saxons and China, methodologies have been submitted for planning an operation to protect its information or develop an operational decision.Each topic is synthesized in a small pamphlet, a "Survey" conducted by the consulting firm Strategy ITB, downloadable from its website. "A fifth Handbook, explaining how to develop a strategy of influence, will be available soon," said Brice de Gliame, CEO of ITB. "These concise booklets are intended to help businesses be more competitive, while remaining within the law."

Speakers at the seminar and participating companies explain the challenges of these military methods suitable for businesses:

The PC market is expected to avoid breakage. According to research firm Gartner, PC sales should grow 2.8% this year to 289.9 million units, including 162 million laptops, and 29 million netbooks (or Netbooks). Until now, the firm had already revised upwards its forecast, but each time it expected a contraction in sales. In September, he estimated that they would shrink by 2% over the year, when they had risen from 10.9% in 2008. "Sales in the third quarter was much stronger than expected," so that "we should have a positive growth this year, said analyst George Shiffler, quoted in the press.

For the full year, the increase will be paid to arm's length by notebook PCs, with sales expected to grow by 15.4%. These desktop computers will however fall 9%.The release of Windows 7, the latest operating system from Microsoft, will have limited impact on the sales season, says the firm.

But it was really in 2010 that the market will reconnect with a double-digit growth. Sales should rise and 336.6 million PCs in total, an increase of 12.6 compared to 2009. Again, the laptops will carve the most beautiful piece of the pie, with sales approaching 200 million units.

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Gemalto has announced that exclusive negotiations with the group Xiring to acquire its banking activities. The statement showing the transaction has not been clarified, but it should be limited, given the turnover in the banking business Xiring in 2008, which reached 16 million euros. Still, business is plummeting, the latter has reached 5.3 million euros in 2009, a decrease of 45.5%.

The contribution of this activity will strengthen Gemalto, the plan provides for 2010-2013 "complementary acquisitions" to reach an operating result of 300 million euros in 2013, up more than 50% compared to 2009. The plan also includes the payment of a dividend for 2009 of between 0.20 and 0.25, which is subject to shareholder approval in May.

In the field of secure transactions as well as for safety, the 2010-2013 plan for 2011 provides a margin "to one situated in the upper portion of the top ten. The operation today and should allow him to qualify for this purpose.