International & World Report

In a large show held at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris, Guillaume Pepy, the SNCF President, presented the major innovations that the railway was completed or tested in 2009, and especially those which it has proceed in the years to come. Some of them concern the heavy infrastructure such as Highway Railway Luxembourg-Perpignan, whose rate of rotation has been doubled to four daily return. Also programmed a line Bayonne-Lille and medium-term line of Great Britain to Italy through France.

The key innovations, however, concerns the field of multimedia.And such service "station line", available on 3G phone, which lists 600 stations to allow users to know the times of departure and arrival of trains, the number of platforms, location or price of the car … In 2010, SNCF will launch a radio, a little image of FM Highway, we will receive on his mobile phone or Internet. With a team of 30 journalists, all 15 minutes will flash information on traffic conditions and disturbances. Between the flashes, there is provided a musical thread, who wants very heterogeneous because it will "attract a clientele that ranges from 7 to 77 years.

Tariff Schedule

On the website "Voyages SNCF, a tariff schedule will allow customers to better understand and especially to see ticket prices depending on the train. A first version for small prize will be available in first quarter 2010.After the air is the railway, through the barcode and card flyer, opening gradually to the e-ticket, thereby avoiding the printed ticket. Tested over 14 destinations in 2009, this service will be extended in 2010 to all France, and international relations with Luxembourg, Switzerland and Germany.

Finally, the SNCF will use the experience of Thalys on Internet connection and gradually equip the 52 TGV Est network. Thus, passengers traveling to Metz, Nancy and Strasbourg can surf the Internet while traveling. An investment whose cost is 500,000 euros per ream.

In the field of health, SNCF began to equip the trains of the TGV defibrillators. Since last summer, 150 stations have been equipped. It's now the turn of the TGV trains to the East and Switzerland. Eventually, the entire network will be equipped.An investment of 10 million euros for 2,000 defibrillators.

While some are preparing to face the cold polar for finding deals, a growing number of consumers will continue this Wednesday, though warm at the computer … The survey conducted by Directpanel Research for the Federation of e-commerce and of distance selling (Fevad), three quarters of Internet users intend to make sales online. 16 million French, constant compared to last year.

Besides the practical aspect of the cyber shopping avoiding transport, cold and congestion, especially Internet landslide rates from Fevad. On the Web, customers have comparators which can not fail sizeable discounts that can reach 90% from the first day of sales.Another advantage, if any error or deception, online stores subject to the regulation of distance selling are required to return the items during the withdrawal period of seven days.

EUR 168 on average

Under existing regulations, the kickoff will be given 8 hours, although some sites have offered to their online shoppers fill their baskets to advance to validate not only the final fateful hour. As in the shops "physical" Moreover, the proposed articles are unsold new sold for over a month.

According to the survey, users hear and spend 168 euros on average. Some 10% of 990 respondents-are even willing to go up to 500 euros. The fashion, female as male, are the products most desired.Accessories, footwear and electronics complete the shopping list type.

Last year, the federation had found a 16% increase in sales over the internet in the first day of sales.

Forthe taxpayers with assets hidden abroad, it is too late to repent. The cell regulation introduced by the end of April Bercy for those wishing to come into line with the Inland Revenue closed Thursday at 18 hours. Reportedly, a few days before the deadline, it had treated more than 3 000 applications. On December 9, Eric Woerth, budget minister, spoke of 1 400 cases to bring back 500 million euros into state coffers. "Since the case of HSBC list started, we have achieved records, telling a lawyer a few days ago.

Still, the results obtained by the French in cell eight months paled in comparison with performance in Italy.The tax is to regulate trans 95 billion in three months! The state has recovered 5 billion of revenue, and the measure has been extended.

But in Italy, it was simply an amnesty: 5% tax on amounts settled, period. Not so in France, where the tax was due to pay (three years for income tax six years for the ISF and inheritance). The French Treasury not negotiating that penalties and interest.

20% of capital for tax

"It was interesting when he had inherited more than six years of hidden assets abroad and that you did not then fed into account. The additional tax due is three years and six IR EWB, was increased by 15% at maximum, "explains Val?rie Harnois-Mussard, a lawyer with Fidal. The taxpayer could get away with leaving 20% of its capital tax.The regulation was much more expensive if the death was within the last six years, because of inheritance. And the tax rebate did nothing fabulous for those who had actively concealed funds. Another obstacle: the documents to provide the tax authorities were numerous.

This relative lack of mercy has always been assumed by Eric Woerth, who would not hear of amnesty. But his all-out offensive against fraudsters – with, culminating in its Communication on a list held by the Treasury, 3 000 people with accounts in Switzerland – has not helped to create a serene atmosphere. Households were afraid of having to undergo inspections in fiscal 2010 and subsequent years if they showed up in the cell.Some taxpayers have hexagonal even made a more radical choice: to settle permanently in Switzerland.

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It must be with Air France, it will be finally on Tuesday with Trenitalia. Reportedly, the group Veolia is about to conclude an agreement with Trenitalia, the division of passenger transport operator of Italian public Ferrovie dello Stato, to ride the TGV in France in early 2012.

Neither partner can share in the unknown. The French group had initially started this project in 2008 with Air France before the airline waives last October. Veolia provides fruit and a year of joint discussions with Air France on the subject and plan of attack ready. For its part, Trenitalia is the first foreign operator to take advantage of the opening of international passenger traffic last December 13 to seek paths in France.The group is preparing to roll its TGV spring between Rome, Milan and Paris.

The liberalization of international trade makes it possible for an operator to run its trains in France if they have a path between two states. It is possible to make the Milan-Paris via Lyon and compete with SNCF on the Paris-Lyon section.

To ride the TGV early 2012, both partners are ready to draw: it takes at least six months to conduct the tender for rolling stock and nearly two years the builder to honor his order. Veolia should take over the project developed with Air France. It revolved around three TGV lines. An axis Brussels-Paris-Lyon which allows both to compete with the Thalys between Brussels and Paris and SNCF from Paris and Lyon. A Paris-London Eurostar rival but also competing with SNCF Paris-Lille.And finally, a Paris-Strasbourg line with after the Alsatian capital, a branch to Frankfurt serving lines Mannheim and Karlsruhe, and a branch to Basel with a stop in Mulhouse.

Ambassador of the French high-speed

With operating costs 30% lower than the station simply because of the social system of railway, Trenitalia Veolia and could become the low-cost airline of the TGV. Initial projections of rates which were estimated with Air France aimed at a Paris-Lyon to 30 Euros in second class cons 41 to 63.10 euros for the station (ticket Leisure in normal times), a Paris-Nantes to 22 euros second class cons from 36.50 to 56.80 euros for the SNCF and the Paris-Lille 19 euros against 25 to 38.90 euros for the station.

For Air France, this project means that the ally of yesterday will become a new competitor for its domestic flights.For the station, this is the end of a monopoly and the beginning of a battle that will necessarily lead the public company to lose market share.

For Veolia, the project is a first step since the group aims eventually to answer calls for tenders TGV abroad. The French would be very good in the role of ambassador of the French high speed in the world alongside the manufacturer Alstom. "To export the TGV, Alstom suffers from not being associated with an operator, said a close case. SNCF does not because she is not willing to take risks and cost of revenue abroad. "

Exxon Mobil launched a massive operation. The Texan oil giant announced Monday in a statement putting his hand on XTO Energy, a specialist in exploration and production gas field unconventional. The stock transaction is valued at 41 billion dollars (28 billion euros). An amount that includes 10 billion debt to XTO. The news that investors react. On Wall Street, the action XTO recorded a jump of 16.65% to 48.38 dollars, while Exxon Mobil abandoned as 2.99% to 70.65 dollars.

Through this transaction, expected Exxon 0.7098 new share issue by XTO title. This is equivalent to a 25% premium for shareholders of XTO, compared to the closing price on Friday, December 11, which served as basis for agreement. The deal should be finalized in the second quarter 2010 after the green light by shareholders of XTO and regulators.After the merger, Exxon plans to establish in Texas a new organization to manage development and resources that will bring him XTO Energy.

The exploration and production of unconventional gas represents a potential size of the United States. For Rex W. Tillerson, executive director of Exxon Mobil, this acquisition will be an opportunity to increase investment and create new jobs in the U.S. economy.

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.