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The U.S. Justice had opened a criminal investigation against the U.S. investment bank Goldman Sachs, say several U.S. media including the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post.

"The federal investigators are conducting a criminal investigation to determine whether Goldman Sachs and its employees have engaged in securities fraud in connection with the brokering of mortgage products," wrote the Wall Street Journal quoted sources familiar with the matter.The investigation by a federal prosecutor in Manhattan is in the preliminary stage and would have begun as a result of a dossier submitted by Constable American Stock Exchange (SEC), the newspaper said.

The SEC has launched a lawsuit against the investment bank and one of its employees, French Fabrice Tourre, accusing them of deceiving customers by selling them financial products backed by the market very risky U.S. home which collapsed in 2007.

Many criminal investigations are launched without the government fails to file a complaint, and in this case, investigators have not yet decided whether they would do it or not, the sources said daily online cash advance.

A spokesman for Goldman Sachs told AFP reacted to news by stating that "given the attention given recently to the company, we are not surprised to articles about an investigation and we will work fully to all inquiries.

Amicable settlement with the SEC

The New York Post said on its side on its website Thursday that the bank could "soon" to end amicably prosecution of the SEC. Goldman Sachs could soon reach agreement with the SEC, choosing to end the standoff rather than endure the public embarrassment still suffered Tuesday in Washington, "writes the New York Post, referring to the hearing group before a U.S. Senate Commission that lasted nearly 11 hours Tuesday."It is almost certain that there will be an amicable agreement," the newspaper said, citing sources familiar with the matter.

A source close to the deal reached by AFP noted that "the SEC has so far not given the opportunity to Goldman Sachs to find an amicable agreement to bring prosecution purposes.

Agricultural commodity: cocoa finds form

The brown bean has been the stars of the markets in London and New Yorker last week. The tonne of cocoa for July delivery climbed to 2,350 pounds in London, its highest level since January 21 last. In New York, a ton for the same maturity has reached 3211 dollars, its best performance since February 1. Friday, prices were flirting with the same levels at 2336 pounds a ton on the Liffe, and 3186 dollars on the NYBOT.

The rebound by a recovery in global consumption of chocolate. The volume of cocoa stocks rose 16.17% in North America. Another factor in the rise: speculative buying. They returned in force in this market, driven by the potential of emerging countries including China.

In contrast, coffee prices fell, hit by rising dollar.The dollar rose Thursday to 1.3202 dollars per euro, its strongest level since April 2008, amid concerns Greek. On Liffe in London, the Robusta for July delivery was trading at around 1,325 dollars per tonne on Friday against 1385 dollars for the same term contract last Friday. On the NYBOT New York, he posted 131.60 cents 132.10 cents a pound against the pound last week.

From their side, wheat, corn and soybeans show a slightly more moderate increase than last week. Wheat finished 491.50 dollars on Friday in Chicago (2.24% on the week). A bushel of corn finished at $ 3.54 while that of soybeans ended 9.96 dollars on Friday in Chicago.

The plates still on top

As for precious metals, platinum rose to 1,754 dollars per ounce, a price he had not seen since July 2008.For its part, palladium reached 572 dollars per ounce, the highest since March 2008. Friday in London, an ounce of platinum finished 1725 against $ 1708 per ounce last Friday. The ounce of palladium finished at 555 dollars against 532 dollars a week earlier.

Gold however has continued to weaken. The courses have been affected by the case Goldman Sachs, like many other financial assets No fax pay day loan. On Monday, after the announcement of a prosecution for fraud by the SEC, gold has plunged to 1,124 dollars per ounce. The rising dollar has not helped to support markets.On the London Bullion Market, an ounce of gold ended at 1139.50 against 1151.50 dollars Friday dollars last Friday.

The ounce of silver followed gold ended down at 17.89 dollars Thursday.

Base metals: copper runs out of steam

Star of the market in recent weeks, copper has seen more difficult days this time by returning to below $ 8,000 per tonne, down over 2% in 5 days. The markets saw a dim view of the rising dollar.

Aluminum, which had hit its highest level since late September 2008 to 2494 dollars per ton during the Friday meeting, a cash drop of 6.5% over the week. According to analysts, the offer would be so abundant that China should become a net exporter of aluminum this year.

Nickel, which reached are higher in two years last Friday (27 595 dollars per ton) is decreased again.It was worth 26,930 dollars per tonne on Friday.

Oil boosted by good U.S. data

Oil ended sharply higher on Friday above 85 dollars a barrel. The contract on June U.S. light crude ended on an increase of 1.7%, to 85.12 dollars a barrel. For his part, Brent North Sea took 1.84% to 87.25 dollars.

"The very good statistics of new home sales was favorable to the crude," said Robert yawg, Vice President MF Global.Sales of new homes rebounded strongly in March to 26.9%, the fastest pace since April 1963, at 411,000 units annually against 324,000 in February, ending four straight months of declines.

Prices were also supported by rising demand in China and Greece's decision to engage the support mechanism of the European Union and the IMF.

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Laurence Parisot is now the only candidate to succeed himself at the head of MEDEF. Her rival, Sophie de Menthon, president of the employers' movement Ethic, confirmed Monday morning on BFM radio that throws in the towel, not wanting to go to court to assert his candidacy. The opponent has indeed encountered a stumbling block in his plan to run for President of the MEDEF: it accuses of late payment of contributions to Medef, and therefore can not seek the presidency as announced in Le Figaro April 13 last.

"I brought a check to pay my dues Medef late, said Sophie Menthon on BFM. They told me that before I can file my application, a preliminary investigation was necessary, and that the MEDEF could not decide on my application before JuneI will not lead employers in a legal battle. "

She believes however that the Board of Medef could meet quickly to endorse its regulation, and allow it to occur. It therefore deplored the reluctance of the employers' organization to focus on his record, leaving the way open for Laurence Parisot.

"It's a huge strategic mistake, says Sophie Menthon. Fear has won. There was no reason not to campaign. There's more dirty linen to wash the MEDEF. "She promises to give its program and its positions by means other than a campaign.

Thibault Lanxade "will not go"

Lanxade Thibault, head of the SME Aqoba, who had called for a "primary challengers last fall, has also withdrawn from the race for President of the MEDEF.

"I will not," he said on BFM Monday.Its share was "convinced" by Laurence Parisot as the debate that he dearly wanted to be actually carried out in case of re-election of outgoing President, and he should remain internal to the MEDEF. A rally that he claims to have made "without any pressure," believing that "the unit of employers is more than ever necessary" because of the crisis.

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LE FIGARO. – Activation Plan aid to Greece Will there be enough to reassure the markets?

BART VAN ARK. – Nothing is less certain. If using the rescue plan EU-IMF had become inevitable due to the rates imposed by markets, one plan will not help. It will take others. Because Greece can not simply put in order its public finances. She will have to undertake structural reforms, which, by definition, are long and painful. It must focus on its productivity, decreased significantly, and quickly find a way to create jobs.

Before release the money, should there be a new dose of austerity in Greece?

To have a chance to be swallowed, the pill should not be too bitter. If you cut too much spending, it will exacerbate the risk of recession.At the same time, Greece has to reassure the markets over the medium and long term, by engaging in a meaningful and specific reforms. It is not shocking to ask Greece for new safeguards.

The risk of contagion to other European countries there in recent days?

I do not think. Markets are well sorted. Portugal and Spain are in very different situations of Greece. Although Portugal has a similar financial problem and a serious deficit of structural reforms, the situation is less dramatic than that of Greece now payday loan. As for Spain, much larger economy, it began structural reforms, and its banking sector is stronger.

The cohesion of the euro area is at risk?

I do not think so.The eurozone saw, for sure, his first financial and economic crisis. But this is not the end of the Euro! This crisis, which I find exciting force, in contrast, Euroland more economic integration. Europe must urgently address this need for economic integration. There is no other way. The hypothesis of a breakdown of the euro area is not realistic to my eyes.

More integration, it means there a belt tightening for everybody?

In the short term it seems inevitable. Public deficits rise between 5% and 10% of GDP. They strike even the most virtuous countries such as Germany, which will perhaps five years to return to fiscal sanity. The euro area has become credible.In the medium term, more integration, it means more responsibility for each other in their economic policy.

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Hospitals, businesses, banks, universities, individuals … thousands of PC users have been victims of an error in Wednesday update their antivirus McAfee. The faulty update file analyzed a valid Windows XP Service Pack 3 (latest update from Microsoft) as a dangerous virus and placed under quarantine, preventing the normal functioning of the software. Consequently, the PC keeps restarting achieved, and entire networks remained off the time to repair.

The computer security company that provides pre-test all updates that address its customers, said the faulty update was passed quality control. The error was eventually detected only through the reassembled customers reporting the problem.McAfee quickly removed the update problem, thus limiting the number of infected computers by saving all the users who had not yet accepted the update of the antivirus. McAfee estimated that only 0.5% of its 125 million customers worldwide have been infected … Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Virgin Mobile, the University of Michigan, or the Upstate University Hospital … still represent enough people that stormed the homepage of the website of the company dedicated to discussions on technical issues becomes inaccessible.

A fix has been implemented on the McAfee website, accessible to all customers. It will replace the defective update with a new, valid one.The steady supply of company's blog by Barry McPherson, vice president in charge of technical assistance and customer service also allows the English-to have more information.

As for the affected computers, the intervention of an expert will probably be necessary. It must indeed get the Windows folder placed in quarantine on another computer to reintroduce the machine jammed. McAfee for now refuses to comment on possible compensation, while many bloggers are taking advantage of the error update to say all the good they think the system McAfee Twitter messages flooding the site murderers micro-blogging. Investors were not quick to show their discontent. Around noon on Thursday before the opening of Wall Street, as the accused McAfee already down more than 2%.

Meanwhile investors are turning away en masse Greek government securities. At midday, the rates of Greek government bonds to 10 years have reached a record high since the country's entry into the euro area. The yield on government bonds rose to almost 8.3% against a little over 7.85% yesterday. Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou has again tried to reassure, but in vain. The day before Athens had yet succeeded without any difficulty, to put 1.95 billion euros of Treasury bonds to three months at a rate of 3.65%.

Until Friday 20 hours, 23 French airports will be closed. Should the traffic resumed after that, it should be very disturbed, Air France warned. It is unnecessary to call the airports closed, which are unreachable. A?roports de Paris also discouraged to go there without checking with the airline that the flight is assured.

Telephone services of these companies are often saturated, websites are a good alternative, or the site of Aeroports de Paris to see which offers flights already canceled.

In general, European companies are obliged by offering passengers the choice between a refund within 7 days and a deferral of travel within 30 days after the originally scheduled departure date.However, they do not have to pay additional compensation because the delays and cancellations are related to unpredictable weather. It also means that companies are not obliged to cover costs incurred by this hazard (taxis, hotels, etc..).

Air France

The company ensures that passengers whose flights had been canceled may defer their travel or to redeem the tickets. However, Air France has added any details as to the details of the loan, but should do so in the day.

For more information:

Schedules, delays, cancellations

Phone: 3654 (0.34 euro per minute) or by sending SMS flight number 6 3654 (example: AF2062).

Lufthansa

In case of delay or cancellation, the German company committed to providing a place for the next available flight.It also offers ticket refund passengers who choose to cancel their travel and offers a change of booking without charge to people who want to postpone to a later date, stating that this change could be done "within existing terms of the note, "without elaborating.

For more information:

Schedules, delays, cancellations

Reservations and information: 0 892 231 690 (0.34 euro per minute)

Alitalia

No information on ticket refunds.

Schedules, delays, cancellations

Reservation Center: 0 820 315 315 (0.12 euro per minute)

BA

A change of date or destination is possible (or nearest town in the same country).The new trip must be held within three months after the date of the trip.

For more information:

Schedules, delays, cancellations

Change their booking online

Reservations and information: 0 825 825 400 (EUR 0.15 per minute)

Customer relations: or 0825 892 892 01 42 94 73 21

Iberia

The company will accept the changes of tickets purchased before April 15 and travel planned until April 17 departing or arriving in Paris, London, Dublin, Brussels, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Berlin and Moscow. Customers can choose a new date or another destination without having to pay penalties. These changes may be made until April 29, and new tickets issued will be valid until June 30The series aircraft IB7000 made by British Airways between London and Madrid will obey the same conditions.

For more information:

Schedules, delays, cancellations

Information: 0 825 800 965

Easyjet.com

You can take another flight or refund the amount in line after having verified its cancellation. EasyJet guarantees a refund within 30 days (follow the directions on the site). The flight changes may themselves be selected at any time within 30 days of cancellation.

For more information:

Schedules, delays, cancellations

Phone: 0 826 10 33 20 (0,15 euro per minute)

Ryanair

Nothing special on the website of Ryanair on this particular disturbance. General information on flight cancellations are available here.

For more information:

Schedules, delays, cancellations

Telephone: 0892 780 210 (0,34 Euro per minute)

Other companies

All numbers of airlines are available in the directory of Airports of Paris.

For their part, tour operators are not legally required to reimburse the expenses incurred for travel packages. "It's a case of force majeure which exempts professional liability indemnification, compensation or provide benefits to its burden," said Jean-Marc Roze, the secretary general of the National Union of Travel Agencies ( SNAV). The case of force majeure must meet three specific criteria: "to be unpredictable – the situation is unpredictable as ever happened before, and irresistible – we can not prevent the event from occurring, and insurmountable – the situation once arrived, they can not go against it.

However, tour operators, however, arguing Friday studying the best way to help their customers.

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"23 French airports closed until at least 20 hours

The U.S. stock market opened on a note undecided on Friday, after aligning Thursday for a sixth straight session of gains, led by the industry.

A technical correction was expected.But that was not expected, is the slamming received by Goldman Sachs, whose shares fell by more than 12.5% to 17.15, bringing with it the whole banking sector and stock market indices.

The U.S. stock market watchdog, the SEC announced Friday it was suing the U.S. investment bank Goldman Sachs to "fraud" on the sale of investment securities linked to subprime mortgages, known as subprime cash till payday.

Goldman Sachs and one of its leaders, Fabrice Tourre, are accused of defrauding investors face while making "misleading statements and omitting material facts on certain financial products linked to subprime loans when the market U.S. housing prices began to collapse. "

The Dow Jones, which retreated in early trading by 0.41%, slipping from 0.92% to 11,041 points. The Nasdaq slipping 1.23% and back below the 1,200 points, 1190 points exactly, and the S & P retrograde 1.8% to 2049 points.

The third Chinese airline, China Eastern is expected to sign later this week an agreement on joining the Skyteam alliance is located in, including Air France-KLM, the Tribune reported Tuesday. Companies Delta Airlines, Alitalia, Korean Air or another Chinese company, China Southern, are also part of Skyteam.

Air France-KLM had already signed a partnership with China Eastern on code share flights between Paris and Shanghai. For the French company and the alliance, the future agreement sounds like a win against other alliances Oneworld and Star Alliance are no teletrack payday loan. Skyteam marks indeed a great point against Luftahnsa who was also in the running.So would Skyteam alliance, the largest in China, probably the greatest future aviation market in the world.

More chess with Japan Airlines and Kingfisher Airlines, which joined Oneworld, Skyteam revives success. Oneworld not in its ranks as Cathay Pacific to Asia as the marginalized in this market.

However, doubts remain about the relationship with China Airlines Star Alliance, which had signed a trade agreement with China Eastern.

It was last January. At Matignon, Francois Fillon met Henri Proglio, CEO of EDF, and Anne Lauvergeon, president and CEO of Areva, to ask them, among other things, to settle their trade disputes in progress. Since then, several weeks have passed and little has changed. In any case the most sensitive issue, that of Eurodif, Areva plant located in the Rhone valley and which enriches uranium for the nuclear plants of EDF.

The contract between the two companies for these operations will run until the end of 2010. Then, or more precisely from 2013, is the brand new Georges Besse II plant – currently under construction – which will take over Eurodif. With, already, a solid contractual basis between the two groups since the short period 2013-2032.However, for the years 2011 and 2012 – the last two operations Eurodif – nothing is planned.

Specifically, EDF does not extend the current contract. Besides the fact that it has stocks of enriched uranium, the electrician lights will also appeal to other providers, namely the Anglo-German-Dutch Urenco and Russian Tenex. Moreover, Georges Besse II shall work more than 40% for EDF, while qu'Eurodif provides in recent years more than 60% of uranium enriched to EDF.While Areva did not deny the right of the speaker to act as he does, "except that before initiating a long lease on Georges Bessei, there is room for both groups based on a better footing," said an industry expert.

Mediation ultimately

But most importantly, the group led by Anne Lauvergeon, the end of the partnership with EDF on Eurodif is extremely penalizing financially. Even if he is careful to communicate officially on the subject, Areva made its accounts that would be tantamount pour2011 et2012, to an operating loss of around 500 million euros. This is not the spreading of the current production of enriched uranium to provide a solution.Similarly, for Areva impossible to find one or more replacements to EDF: In a sector as sensitive as the nuclear industry partnerships are formed very early.

As for EDF, the decision to discontinue its activities with Eurodif could pose problems on the technical level. Currently, two of the four reactors at the plant near Tricastin run on behalf of the enrichment plant, which alone consumes 5% of French electricity production. In other words, the electrician will have to "evacuate" a surplus of electricity on a very consistent network still inadequate. During negotiations, Areva has raised the possibility of reducing the power Eurodif to affect more than a reactor there.

The social aspect, too, is in question. Currently, a thousand people work at the site of enrichment. EDF has made a proposal for resumption of such personnel.But there is no indication of either side, both companies refused to comment on the developments of a commercial negotiation.

Now widely aware of the "problem Eurodif, governments have not yet decided. "The teams are working on it tend to consider separately the optimum of both companies, making it difficult to find a solution," said one expert dossier. In any event, the outcome is expected before summer.

We dare not imagine that these two companies majority-controlled by the State does not end up agreeing. In the meantime, the prime minister could still be forced to intervene. A mediation ultimately still destructive in terms of image for the French nuclear industry.

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