International & World Report

Attracted by the extraordinary growth of China, European companies are worried that Chinese law is hardened against them after the 2010 survey of business confidence (Business Confidence Study) published on Tuesday by the Chamber of EU in China.

80% of firms surveyed are optimistic about the growth of their sector in China. The country, which registered a growth of 11.9% in the first quarter of the year, "has become an even more important to their overall business strategy," reports the study.

But the good economic health is not enough to reassure European investors worried about the Chinese regulations.40% of respondents fear and regulations discriminate against foreign firms worsen in the next two years no fax pay day loan.Only 10% of survey participants say they are rather optimistic on the subject.

Specifically, the Europeans are worried "a discretionary application of laws and regulations, while the registration process, issues of intellectual property rights and inconsistencies in the local application of national criteria continue to be subjects of frustration ".

The study, European companies operating in China have a clear message to convey: their continued involvement in China as an investment is not unconditional and would be improved by a more clear and more predictable. "

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The signing took place in presence of Nicolas Sarkozy and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Saturday in St. Petersburg, Russian promoter Hermitage is committed by a Memorandum of Understanding with the EPAD to build by early 2016 two towers of 91 floors of a new kind of defense. Today, the skyscraper highest in the business district tu 220 m The twin towers designed by architect Norman Foster-star will climb to 323 m, "a meter below the Eiffel Tower to avoid offending local sensitivities," says Emin Iskenderov, CEO of Hermitage. Importantly, this will be the first high-rise (high rise buildings) mixed in France combining housing, offices and shops.With the key equipment in unprecedented tours: a theater of 1,300 seats, a contemporary art gallery, a five star hotel, restaurants, swimming pools, a student residence …

As for the apartments have a spectacular view of Paris, they will be positioned in the niche market of luxury with a price of 12,000 euros per square meter. A challenge for Defence is not today a prestigious address for individuals and Parisians are not rushing to live in towers.

Introduced in March 2009, the Hermitage Plaza project has also met with some suspicion among the French real estate professionals. First, because this promoter Russia has never built a tower in France. Then because it is a huge operation to two billion euros.

Buildings slated for demolition

But since then, Hermitage has provided some safeguards.Including funding. "We have already invested $ 150 million, Emin Iskenderov details. And in all, we will bring 250 to 280 million euros in equity. Furthermore, we are in advanced discussions with a pool of European banks to grant us a credit line of 700 million. And the marketing of our area we will bring the remaining one billion euros. "According to our information, Hermitage is also negotiating with the Four Seasons hotel group to host one of its locations in the towers. On the marketing of 540 apartments, Emin Iskenderov was also very confident: "I have already received 3,200 letters of prospects who want to buy from us."

Another thorny issue: the relocation of 250 families who lived in the buildings slated for demolition to build the towers Plaza. For now, Hermitage has found a solution for 235 to 250.That leaves five families to relocate in the year. A task is not insurmountable. But there is still a few steps before this project happen. In late July, demand for building permits will be filed. It should be granted in early 2011. And work should start right away. With delivery scheduled for late 2015-early 2016.

Advertising on Mediapart, illegal recordings of Liliane Bettencourt and its asset manager, Patrice de Maistre, have not finished splashing the heir to L'Oreal. Besides the suspicion of interventions Labour Minister Eric Woerth for Liliane Bettencourt, the records reveal the existence of two bank accounts based in Switzerland, which houses are owned by Liliane Bettencourt, amounting to nearly 80 million.

"I'm leaving in Switzerland just now to fix things. He does not let you be caught before Christmas, "says the richest woman in France Patrice de Maistre. The asset manager refers to the agreement on taxes in the summer of 2009 between France and Switzerland that the Swiss authorities should lift banking secrecy in cases of suspected fraud in a French taxpayer.It was originally scheduled to come into force on 1 January 2010.

To protect itself from a tax audit, Patrice de Maistre therefore plans to transfer to an account, funded to the tune of "12 to 13 million euros" in Singapore "in Singapore because they can not ask" . The same for the second account, an amount, this time, 65 million euros. "I'm planning the fact of sending in a country other than Switzerland: Hong Kong, Singapore and Uruguay advance online payday. That way you'll be quiet. [...] Many people now bring money in France, but for you, I do not believe it, "says he.

An island paradise unreported

These two accounts are not the only treasures hidden heir to L'Oreal mentioned by recordings made at the initiative of his butler.Liliane Bettencourt also owns an entire island of Seychelles, informally offered the photographer François-Marie Banier through a foundation. "I also considered the fact that you declare your island to France, then explains Patrice de Maistre. But again, I think that we should not do it because it's too complicated. I fear that the tax takes a thread.

Counsel for Mr Kiejman Liliane Bettencourt, who also filed a complaint for invasion of privacy, theft and perjury, preferred not to comment Friday on the content of such records. "On the one hand, I do not exclude that they have been tampered with.And secondly, I do not wish to comment on records obtained illegally and are therefore of a criminal nature, "today said the AFP Mr Kiejman.

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His first thoughts as the new chairman of Fiat was to his grandfather, the legendary Avvocato Giovanni Agnelli: "How I wish he could be here." John Philip Elkann Jacob took over the destinies of the industrial group the age of thirty-four years. Giovanni Agnelli was forty-five when he did in 1966.

There is an analogy of destiny in the Agnelli family. In a slight difference: the little son-burning steps faster than his grandfather. It did not take more than six years to take all the power in the dynasty, while the hall Avvocato had for twenty years under the tutelage of a trust manager, Vittorio Valletta.

He is now head of the three levels of command. President of the Family Partnership "Giovanni Agnelli and Co, when the current owner Gianluigi Gabbetti, a close family, will conclude his term in MayPresident since 2008 of the holding company Exor, the holding company controlled by the family. And now chairman of its main industrial participation, Fiat in this case.

Between U.S. and Europe

This course Emeritus, John Elkann was accomplished with a reserve and discretion authentically Turin, and casual air of one who "does that happen." Those who have followed him have still yet noticed that the young man knew where he went and made every effort to do so.

Born April 1, 1976 in New York, he has five when his parents divorced, the writer and journalist Alain Elkann Franco-Italian and the daughter of the Avvocato, Margherita Agnelli. With his brother Lapo and his sister Ginevra, he spent his youth between the U.S. and Europe, attended high school in Paris where he passed his baccalaureate at the Lyc?e Victor Duruy science.In 2000, he graduated from Polytechnic of Turin, nursery managers of Italian industry.

Without dwelling on trivialities like his grandfather had done after the war, he joined in 2001 at General Electric, as statutory auditor. Two years later, here he is already in IFI, the holding of a family: now associated with the first plan to revive Fiat, along with his uncle Umberto Agnelli. He succeeded in 2004 as vice president, at his death.

His cousin, Giovanni Alberto, the son of Umberto, was the designated heir to the head of the clan. His sudden death in 1997 at age 33, victim of cancer, created a vacuum. In December of that year, the Avvocato set foot in the stirrup to John by naming him director of Fiat.

In 2004, few were betting on its survival in a group adrift.Fiat collapsed under a huge debt, the family clan was divided, and cherry pie, General Motors threatened to seize the manufacturer. Several Agnelli were ready to pull out of the car.

Family unit

Near Gianluigi Gabbetti, the young Elkann took important decisions. He restored the family unit around an ambitious rescue of Fiat, the convincing to grab the wallet. On the other, it gave carte blanche to a manager of emergency, the Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne, supported by a family friend, Luca Cordero di Montezomolo named president. Understated but always present, he gave the endorsement of the clan in terms of a merger with Chrysler, which marks a new stage in the history of Fiat. Like his grandfather, John Elkann closely follows the exploits of Juventus. A "enough is enough" dry in 2008 lead to oust managers involved in a corruption scandal.He is also a sailing enthusiast and expects to complete another project dear to his grandfather to attend a race around the world. He told the skipper Giovanni Soldini, the task of representing him in October 2011 in the "Volvo Ocean Race with VOR70" Italia ", purchased with his own money.

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Bic has published its results on Wednesday the first quarter of 2010. Its turnover in this period reached 378.3 million euros, representing growth of 22.7% compared with the first three months of 2009 as reported, and 8.8% at constant scope and constant exchange rates. Net income group share of EUR 35.4 million was up 32.3% yoy.

The normalized IFO margin (excluding restructuring charges and capital gains on real estate) totaled 14.2%, against 11.8% a year earlier.Operating income increased 31.7% to 47.8 million euros.

Good results are mainly explained by Bic 12.3% increase in sales of consumer business (stationery, lighters, razors) and 107% for those in advertising and promotional products business cash loans Guaranteed approval ".

Mario Guevara, its director general, said: "We will continue to focus on growing our sales and profitability while maintaining our financial discipline. We also continue to invest for the long-term research and development, in supporting the brand and sustainable development. "

Investors appear to have been very sensitive to these good results. The title Bic to the Paris Stock Exchange was trading at 61.50 euros at 8.62% up to 9:50 on Wednesday.

While the CAC 40 is left below the 4,000 points on Friday night at closing, and the Asian market is changing globally in green (except the Nikkei) – but basically for local reasons – the Paris Bourse is expected to show hesitant opening on Monday. Especially since now, Friday night, Wall Street has ended without direction.

While Greece is saved, but the helm of the 4,000 technical points should be saved without being highly outdated. For the situation in Europe is not rosy either. The Portuguese and Irish records on the deficits are in the pipeline.

Around 8:20, the index futures on CAC 40 rose slightly, from 0.34% to 4001 points.

On Monday, the news is rather poor.In France, the publication will be more interesting day tomorrow, Tuesday: INSEE unveil quarterly national accounts in detail for the fourth quarter of 2009.

In the euro zone on Monday, the index of economic confidence in March will be released in 11 hours. In Brussels, will meet on Monday the European Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries. Last week, President Nicolas Sarkozy was willing to "a crisis in Europe" saver for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

In the U.S., investors expect the revenue and expenditure of households for the month of March at 14.30.Tomorrow, they watch the housing prices Case & Shiller, and consumer confidence in March.

The energy for

The dismissal of former chief investment officer of TCW, the U.S. subsidiary to 100% of Societe Generale, caused a stir in the U.S. cash advance . The bank believes that this case has "a very marginal impact" to its shareholders.

The fifteenth penal court of Nanterre Friday acquitted the former CEO of Vinci, Antoine Zacharias. Prosecutors, who had claimed two years suspended sentence and a fine of 375,000 euros, has appealed the ruling.His annual pension of 2.1 million, his early departure of 12.5 million and earnings of 4.2 million euros in 2005 are therefore assumed to septuagenarian.

Side energy, France is currently working on establishing a consortium of companies responsible for developing a vast network of power lines under the Mediterranean Sea, to deliver solar electricity produced in Africa to Europe.

This project, called Transgreen, bring together suppliers of electricity, electricity grid managers and manufacturers of high voltage equipment under the umbrella of EDF, confirming information from the daily special Enerpresse.

Furthermore, the organization of international environmental advocacy group Greenpeace accused Areva of endangering the health of residents of uranium mines it operates in northern Niger, in a report published Monday.

Finally, according to Les Echos on Monday, Total is in the process of selling the refinery Lindsey, England, in the northeast. "The first offers are expected in the coming days," reads the columns in the business daily. According to el Sunday Times published Sunday, Gazprom or Valero Essar would instantly.

Later results, Korian, Trigano and RATP unveil their accounts.

The French get a taste for self-medication: a drug used in September last year was bought without a prescription. And the turnover of these drugs increased by 0.9% compared to 2008. The products most in demand are those who treat headaches and respiratory diseases.

The Doliprane, marketed by Sanofi Aventis, prances at the head of sales, with 19% market share among the top ten selling drugs as self medication payday advance lenders . It is followed by Efferalgan Bristol Myers Squibb (12%) and Oscillococcinum (11%) of Boiron.

Driven by fears of flu, the little homeopathic pills made a remarkable surge. She moved to head of non-reimbursable drugs most sold and propels Boiron top of the podium manufacturers of products not prescribed, before Mc Neil Health (Imodium) and Sanofi Aventis.

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.