International & World Report

The "budget day" is not an easy feat in the UK. Wednesday morning after getting out of his office of 11 Downing Street hand with the red briefcase containing his proposed budget, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, was followed by a helicopter news channel Sky News on its journey to the seat of Parliament at Westminster, not far away. Before the deputies, he presented his proposals "pro-business without shame" for the fiscal year that starts in April.

The controversial reduction in higher rate of income tax from 50 to 45% is confirmed and a reduction in corporation tax from 26% to 24% next month, and 22% of by 2014.

Difficult to continue to blow that austerity for everyone, as pointed out by the opposition Labour leader Ed Miliband cash advance to savings account. The government counters that it compensates for these cuts by increasing taxes on real estate or a hunt for tax evasion. But one of the major economies is the reduction of social benefits, including family allowances, approved last month.

Despite this fiscal redistribution, the Minister of Economy did not budge from its priority to fiscal consolidation. The objective of removing the budget deficit in five years remains valid. But the euro crisis requires, it was shifted to two years to 2017. The deficit will still be 143 billion euros this year. It was only after 2015 that the debt could theoretically decrease.

Anticipated recovery of investments

French exports are beginning to suffer from the economic slowdown in some of its major European partners. The dynamism of third countries from America to Africa through Asia, have almost only from the French foreign trade in January, Customs reported on Thursday. Overall, the trade deficit widened in France the first month of the year from 272 million euros, to -5.324 billion euros.

Exports to Germany fell slightly, as exports to the Netherlands, Belgium and the UK. "Exports to Italy are stabilizing: far from the peak reached in August 2011, they do not recover their earlier pace of growth," describe the Customs. In contrast, sales in Sweden and Spain restart.

Aircraft deliveries to Asia and the Middle East, gasoline sales to Africa, exports of industrial machinery or chemicals to America … So these are emerging and North America that take French sales abroad, allowing them to increase slightly in January to just over half a billion euros a month, to 36.833 billion to euros. The last three months, they rose by 1%.

Auto sales crumble

By sector, exports of transport equipment shrink to 7.5 billion euros, after reaching a peak at 8.1 billion euros in November. Especially, "crumbling auto sales," note the Customs. Airbus sales, vary widely from one month to another depending on the timing of deliveries of the aircraft manufacturer, are down to 1.747 billion euros in January from 2.144 billion in December 2011.

Imports, if they contract by 0.9% over the last three months, rising again in January. They are ascending 42.157 billion euros, up 809 million euros a month. These are industrial purchases abroad that bounce, Customs noted, including purchases in Germany of parts for aircraft by Airbus in Toulouse for assembly. Reflecting the weakening of French consumption of months, "the purchases of automobiles and pharmaceuticals recorded significant declines," they emphasize.

The trade deficit figure for 2011 was also revised slightly upward, to 70.104 billion euros against 69.592 billion in the first estimate published Feb. 7.

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April 2012: fifty-four nuclear reactors in Japan are at a standstill. Not a nuclear power plant does not produce a kilowatt hour. Whereas before the cataclysmic tsunami of March 11, 2011, they provided 25% of the electricity of the Archipelago.

This scenario of a sudden release of nuclear energy in twelve months is not the political fiction. It is seriously considered by officials and experts. Asked about this possibility by Le Figaro last week during his visit to Paris, the new Japanese Minister of Economy, Yukio Edano, kicked into touch. And answered: "We have confirmed the safety of reactors stopped before restarting. I can not tell you when. "

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge the graphic.

Currently, only ten of fifty-four reactors are in operation cash advance in one hour.Besides the four Fukushima Daichi finally destroyed by the tsunami, forty reactors are stopped either because they were damaged on March 11, or to be auscultated. In the next six months, the ten operational reactors must undergo in turn scheduled maintenance shutdowns. Or, while mistrust of nuclear power lies in the opinion, the Government will take maximum precautions before giving the green light to restart.

A shortage of current threat does the Archipelago? The test of the summer was passed (read the story below). Yet he missed 10% of electricity generation capacity, equivalent to the production of the Netherlands, explains Laszlo Varro, head of markets for electricity, coal and gas to the International Energy Agency ( IEA).

The stamp goes digital. Editor trading stamp catalogs Yvert & Tellier, has posted its entire library – 760,000 stamps – by mentioning the price of each stamp duly photographed. The objective is to facilitate the evaluation of collections and transactions between collectors. Internet and flies to the rescue of the patch even though it destabilizes the activity of mail items around the world.

By choosing an annual subscriptions range from 29.90 euros to 99 euros, we can no longer ignore a stamp of Mauritius, "a penny vermilion," only two copies known to the world, worth 1.6 million euros (due to an error in color) or stamps printed in France before 1900 are still popular: "1 f.vermilion "to 90,000 euros is a safe bet.

"The rarity value is"

This world premiere is an unexpected encounter between two worlds less distant than it seems. "Before the Internet and television, the tone was a real openness to the world, says Christopher Yvert, CEO of Yvert & Tellier. After dinner, we found a family to sort, dream, learn. "Through the Internet, Yvert & Tellier, who will not abandon its print editions, intends to develop in distant countries. A growth driver for the SMEs to forty employees (8 million euros of turnover) which has invested about 100 000 euros in the operation instant credit report. "Simply subscribe to view, says Christophe Yvert. This is an advantage for philatelists distant Asia or South America and North. "

Surprise, even today, despite the Internet, 15,000 collectible stamps are published each year worldwide. "The more a country is small, unless the mail is working, and he is tempted to print, says the heir to a dynasty of six generations. For these states, the stamp is a promotional tool and a source of income. "France and its two million collectors is no exception: in 2010, the French post office has printed 220 new. It passed 600 million stamps (Miscellaneous) collection of a total of 3 billion stamps sold annually.

But do not expect to make a fortune with recent issues. "Scarcity is the value, says Christophe Yvert. The advantage of the Internet, but also to create a network of friends in the world, seeking to complete the same series you. "Note that a limited edition of requested specialized services of La Poste to share the birth of a child is not synonymous with wealth, because it will not be sought after by collectors.

The mood is gloomy Tuesday in the Paris Bourse. The debt crisis, fears of a default Greek and the difficulties of Dexia still saddled markets. The CAC plunged 2.7% in mid-session at 2 845.78 points after having been closed on Monday, down 1.85% to 2926.83 euros. Elsewhere in Europe, London was down 2.22% to 4,962.80 points and Frankfurt from 3% to 5 215.50 points.

Monday evening, the finance ministers of the Eurogroup announced after their meeting that they see "in October," the decision on the next tranche of 8 billion euros to Greece. Europe is planning to review the private sector in the second aid plan and is considering increasing the relief fund for indebted countries (EFSF).Finance Ministers have also agreed on the granting of collateral in exchange for loans to Greece.

Athens, meanwhile, announced new measures after Sunday warned that the country would not meet its deficit targets required by its creditors.

Oil down

Fears weigh on the euro area also on the European currency. The euro sank below the $ 1.32 in late morning, its lowest level since January against the greenback, carried away in the turmoil of the debt crisis and the postponement of a decision on Greece by the finance ministers of the euro area. Mid-session, the euro bought 1.3184 dollars against 1.3178 dollars late Monday.First thing in the session, he even fell to 1.3146 dollars, its lowest value since January 13.

Oil markets, concerns about the global economy weigh on prices: a barrel of "light sweet crude" for delivery in November lost 1.47% dollar to 76.47 dollars in the morning.

In terms of macroeconomic indicators, investors will pay attention to the publication of industrial producer prices in the euro zone in August expected at least 16 hours. Overseas, industrial orders in the U.S. for August are expected in 16 hours. At the same time, the president of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, scheduled to speak before a congressional committee on "economic forecasts".

Dexia has announced the sale of its flagship

The entire banking sector will be followed on Tuesday.The board of directors of Dexia (-20.77% to 1.03 euros) announced last night to have initiated a process to solve the structural problems of the group but did not mention track in particular. The Franco-Belgian bank should speed up the sale of its jewels and isolation of its non-performing assets in a "bad bank" quick guaranteed personal loans. His last note was placed on negative watch by Moody's. Deminor insists that the shareholders are consulted before any decision on a plan for the future of Dexia, said the consulting firm to shareholders in an open letter disclosed by Reuters.

For its part, Societe Generale (-3.95% to 18.22 euros) halved its need for long-term financing in 2012, she announced.The French bank will only need 10 to 15 billion euros.

Also in the European banking sector, the first German bank Deutsche Bank has abandoned its goal Tuesday to reach a record operating profit of 10 billion euros this year, but assured that it will profit in the third quarter.

The sugar group Cristal Union will acquire in a friendly group Vermandoise for nearly a billion euros to create the number five European sugar industry, which will be number two in France behind Tereos. Vermandoise group includes two companies listed on NYSE-Euronext Paris, the Society of Sugar Vermandoise (SVS) and the Sugar Company of the Old Pithiviers (SSPLV).The listing of the two securities is suspended.

Stallergènes (-3.63% to 44.81 euros) announced a reorganization of its governance, which will see the arrival of a new executive managing director in early 2012.

GDF Suez (-1.70% to 22.02 euros) has completed the sale of the Rete Gas G6 consortium of infrastructure funds F2i, AXA Private Equity and Enel Distribution. The sale values ​​the distribution assets at an enterprise value of 772 million euros, to 103% of the regulated asset base in 2010, 9.3 times Ebitda and 17.5 times net income. This was announced in June.

Bonduelle (-1.31% to 63.50 euros) reported a sharp drop in its annual net profit by 48% to 30.4 million but expects a rebound in profitability for the year 2011-2012.The food group is also in talks to buy the vegetables Aucy in Russia.

Naturex (-6.88% to 46.02 euros), a specialist in natural ingredients of plant origin, will launch a capital increase of € 49.3 million to fund acquisitions and increase its free float stock.

Group Gorge (9.95% to 6.74 euros) flames just after the announcement of its largest order in the nuclear industry, a contract of 30 million euros in China.

Brussels took the leap. Despite the opposition front in the UK and strong differences between capitals, José Manuel Barroso will propose Wednesday to create a tax on financial transactions in the twenty-seven EU countries. The tax would apply from 2014 to the field the largest stocks, bonds, derivatives and structured financial products. But with the lowest possible rate: 0.1% for transactions in securities and 0.01% on products, according to the latest assumptions of the Commission. This rate floors, each state is then free to burden the tax at will and profit, as is the case for VAT.

The TTF, as amended Brussels, aims to hit 85% of financial transactions. It will be collected from banks, stock exchanges and financial services providers. Individuals and businesses will be affected only indirectly.Bank loans and mortgages, foreign exchange, insurance contracts and other financial products for individuals not included in the base, according to the draft directive obtained by Le Figaro.

The idea of ​​the TTF is in the air since the beginning of the crisis. On the need to find new revenue for the budget adds a political justification: to charge the world at least part of the cost of public rescue operations conducted since the fall of 2008. The European Commission amounted to 4.6 trillion euros in three States' commitments to the financial sector.

Obama opposed this idea

The idea, for it may seem attractive to the taxpayer, has struggled to take off. G20, it was rejected by Barack Obama and emerging powers short term personal loan.In Europe, precisely because of global consensus, it comes up against the reluctance of countries like Sweden or the Netherlands, who fear that the EU put a bullet in the foot. Only Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel continues to bring the European project at arm's length. But the idea made its way to reduce the application to the smaller group of seventeen countries of the euro.

Parliament and the Council, where each state has a veto tax will decide the fate of the project in the coming months. For now, it is to revive the dice before the G20 summit in Cannes on November 3 and 4.The Commission expects the EU to play a pioneering role on the TTF as before on climate and other economic powers will eventually follow suit.

In this act of faith, there is still a loophole: the determined opposition of the British Treasury and the hostility of the City, which Europe generates more than half of its financial transactions. Tax in Europe "has no meaning if the markets scamper overnight to New York or Singapore, 'says there is little George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer.

The Brussels experts recognize the danger of "offshoring" noting in their expected "extreme mobility of most financial transactions." The Commission responds by imposing low, but also by raking off: a transaction conducted in Asia or America would be taxable, since it would be conducted by a firm established in the EU.

It will double or quits. Europe 1 was full of novelties for the start. This is to embody the renewal of the station of Lagardère Active, after a 2010-2011 season in any turbulence, which ended at the lowest in the polls, to 8.7% of total audience of the months of April-June

Europe had a well done one after two strategic hires at the end of last season, announcing the arrival of Bruce Toussaint morning to resume the abandoned during the year by Marc-Olivier Fogiel and signing Nikos Aliagas, starting from NRJ, for a chronic morning. The arrival of two icons a cathode showed indirectly that Europe retains its attractiveness to the small screen heavyweights.

In parallel, the station has increased the presence of familiar voices to its listeners.Michel Drucker is back with a daily late morning; Laurent Ruquier integrates the morning in addition to his appointment to 2:30 in the afternoon, Frank plunges Ferrand "At the heart of history" every day for one hour with a program which also promises future success of downloads podcasts, Michael Field found its followers in the evening. Finally, William Cahour, who led the morning safely after the defection of Marc-Olivier Fogiel, anime slice of information between noon and 13 hours.

A "media habit"

But these new appointments – even when they are carried by figures very "Europe 1", also include the risk of destabilizing a little more the station paydayloans. Indeed, radio is considered a "media habit", which does not change even from generation to generation. However, Europe 1 has already undergone several major revisions over the years.Upon arrival in the summer of 2008, Alexandre Bompard had thus hastened to abandon the format "info-talk", previously proposed by Jean-Pierre Elkabbach, to reposition it as a strong generalist radio sport and entertainment. Despite a slight revival of the hearings, he had to change his mind in the following season and slow down on the supply of sport. Last season, finally, was heckled by the departure of Alexandre Bompard in November, that of Nicolas-Demorand just happened to animate the early evening, in January and that of Marc-Olivier Fogiel early February.

For the new boss of the house, Denis Olivennes, it is both a balancing act and a distance race ahead.

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"Yes, I advocate a federalist vision of Europe," enthused Nicolas Sarkozy on Thursday before his counterparts in the eurozone. The Franco-German proposals for a better European governance are not intended to create a big night in which federal public opinions are not ready. The French initiative on the fact that the Greek debt crisis has revealed the interdependence of European economies. "We have reached a degree of interpenetration as the most federalist of us did not even imagine. The Stability Pact is not enough, "says one senior European official.

The proposals will set aside any supranational option. The proposal to create the office of Union Minister of Finance put forward by Jean-Claude Trichet, the head of the European Central Bank, was clearly rejected by Paris."The idea of ​​the president is to move towards more European integration. However, he does not want a supranational economic government, "said one close adviser. "He believes in a more close monitoring by peers, by the Commission, and also the creation of a European rating agency," it adds.

Among the possible ways, that of a regular meeting of Heads of State in the euro area. Until now, German Chancellor opposed any "institutionalization" of the summit to seventeen for three reasons: not to cut Europe into two hopelessly between those who use the euro and those that have no. Do not give the new speaker a casting vote in the Mediterranean countries (Greece, Portugal, Italy, Spain …) friends of France and are far from being paragons of virtue.And, ultimately, do not support the idea of ​​a Franco-German Executive which is expected to submit the rest of Europe.

A "European Fund"

For this reason, many MEPs protest against the double standards of Paris and Berlin. "The economic governance of the Franco-German dictatorship is not a solution," says MEP (Modem) Sylvie Goulard, who defends the idea of ​​involving the European Parliament to tax policy options. Other tracks include the gradual transformation of European Stabilization Fund into a "European Fund." Finally, many "federalist" believe we should give more resources to the European Commission. "The statements of intent for a greater convergence of economic policies were made in the Lisbon strategy, and it did not help," says Sylvie Goulard yet.

At the Élysée, it places great emphasis on the need to confront the high-level fiscal policy choices, budgetary, wage. "Between 1997 and 2004, the French and the Germans had a policy against it. In France, we opted for 35 hours in Germany, Schroeder was the opposite. It was the model of what not to do when you're in the euro area, "says one close to the head of state.

Asian stock markets continue to ride a wave of optimism after the Greek Parliament voted Wednesday austerity plan imposed on the country. Allowing it to qualify for the new tranche of international financial assistance of 110 billion euros was granted last year. As clashes continue between now expected between demonstrators and police, MPs are now called to vote on the bill of the plan voted on yesterday.

The Nikkei 225 gained 0.36% to 9832.72 points. The increase is significantly more pronounced in Chinese markets: the Hang Seng in Hong Kong climbed 1.70% to 22,436.80 points and the CSI 300 in Shanghai rises from 1.51% to 3045.50 points.

On the other Asian financial centers, the trend is similar. The Taiwan TAIEX advances 0.43% at 8610.54 points.In Australia, the S & P / ASX 200 is 1.49% at 4597.10 points, the FTSE Singapore Straits Times gained 1.04% to 3111.73 points and in India, the BSE Sensex was up 0.24% to 18,738 points.

South Korea, Asia's fourth largest economy, has lowered its growth forecast for 2011 to 4.5% against 5% originally planned, due to rising oil prices. In addition, inflation is expected to reach 4% for the year, against 3% originally planned. The Kospi gained 0.47% to 2104.21 points.

A successful introduction to Buy Your Dreams

This good news from Greece strongly supports the bank stocks. In Hong Kong, HSBC Holdings climbed 2.17% to 77.6 Hong Kong dollars and Bank of Communications is 1.91% to 7.46 Hong Kong dollars.In Japan, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group climbed 2.35% to 391 yen and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group was up 1.97% to 2485 yen.

Note that the Stock Exchange of Shenzhen (southern China), the action of the automaker Build Your Dreams (BYD), in which the American billionaire Warren Buffett owns 9.89%, soared 43.7% to 25.87 yuan for the IPO.

In addition, the South Korean giant Samsung Electronics filed a complaint against Apple to prevent it from importing to the United States several of its most famous products manufactured abroad. At the Seoul Stock Exchange, Samsung lost 0.84% ​​to 826 won.

Oil prices without direction

Oil prices were without leadership in electronic trading Thursday in Asia after sharp rise in the day following the adoption by the Greek Parliament of a tight budget, analysts said.In morning trading, a barrel of "light sweet crude" for delivery in August took 15 cents to 94.92 dollars. That of Brent North Sea crude for August delivery fell by 32 cents to 112.08 dollars.

Since mid-May, the United States exploded the ceiling set by Congress of American debt, around 15,000 billion dollars currently. This ceiling has been found in January. It would suffice to go back again to exit the United States from embarrassment: the country can theoretically borrow on the markets when the threshold is exceeded. Which is to say that the U.S. is in a situation of default.

But the maneuvers have pushed until August 2, the bankruptcy of the federal state. The White House and Congress have so until that date to agree. The first press the other to raise the ceiling, but he refuses to press the button until the government has not detailed a program foresaw and specific reductions in public spending. The United States shackle in effect three years of deficit exceeding 10%.It should reach around 1.6 trillion dollars this year.

If the financial world does not doubt the ability of great leaders of the first world power to agree, for the good of the global economy, the timetable is narrowing. And rating agencies do not fail to recall. Thus, after Standard & Poor's in April, Moody's puts a sudden extra pressure on Thursday by threatening to put the debt rating of long-term United States, currently at AAA, on negative watch, implying an actual deterioration in the coming months.

No to raising the ceiling

Yesterday, Wednesday, Barack Obama received dozens of Republican representatives in the White House. These, a majority in their meeting, refused to give the green light to an increase in the federal debt ceiling because of cuts in spending."We need to tackle this debt," said out of the meeting the head of the budget committee in the House, Paul Ryan, author of a draft budget with drastic cuts in funding for the welfare state and criticized by Democratic allies of Barack Obama.

Tuesday night, the House rejected by 318 votes against 97 an increase of 2,400 billion of debt ceiling, a move described as "irresponsible" Democratic side.

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