World and National News

Two to three hundred passengers forced to spend the night at Paris's Eve. Two thousand blocked the previous day in airports due to snow and frost. The Minister of Ecology, responsible for Transport, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, said Monday it was considering the possibility of identifying the airlines do not fulfill their responsibilities to their passengers in case of bad weather .

Noting the existence of "blacklists of aircraft safety," the minister said on RTL, there was also reason to be "a little more indicative of the quality of care and service" for airlines "not assuming their responsibilities payday advances."

Companies, the minister called for mid-January with "all partners of the platform at Roissy", "are liable for passengers stranded, their support, possibly an alternative routing, except for force majeure, "said NKM.

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It's a modern gold rush. Investors worldwide seek to take advantage of incredible success of social networks like Facebook and Twitter. The latter are not publicly traded, a gray market has been organized on platforms such as online or Sharespost SecondMarket to bring together investors and shareholders eager opportunists. At stake, a price surge in valuations two to three times higher than official estimates and a growing concern for start-ups that are so subject to these intense exchanges.

In effect, pending a hypothetical IPO of Facebook or Twitter, these platforms are the only way for outside investors to access capital rising stars of the Web, like social networks Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, or successful application vendors like RockYou and Zynga.These platforms also enable existing shareholders of a site to reinforce their presence. This was the case of Russian DST Global Fund, which has acquired 100 million shares on Facebook gray market to complement its investment of $ 200 million made at a fundraiser.

The shares are made available by former employees or investors of the first hour wishing to recover a little liquidity. SharesPost on a potential buyer and find "lots" of 1000 or 1500 shares offered Facebook between 25 and 38 dollars apiece, valuing the social network between U.S. 57 and $ 86 billion! The average valuation of Facebook rises, it at $ 42.3 billion. It thus remains even more "affordable" units to afford the microblogging site Twitter, whose shares are being priced between 20 and 24 dollars.The platform, valued at $ 3.7 billion during its last fundraising in December, saw its value increase to $ 5.4 billion.

Investigation of stock market watchdog

Transferred to high price, those shares are nevertheless lessee as the dazzling success of these start-up attracts bankers in Silicon Valley. In one year, Facebook has recruited more than 200 million members and over 550 million today. Its revenues could reach $ 2 billion in 2010, before the development of virtual goods market further boosts its business in 2011. Advantage of lower, Twitter announced that it has attracted 100 million new members and is, too, the focus on income.

Transactions on the gray market has boomed and parallel to that of Facebook, Twitter and other Zynga this year. SharesPost on, their number has tripled in one year.SecondMarket on nearly 400 million were traded in 2010, according to the Wall Street Journal, which is four times more than a year ago.

The intensity of trade has obviously aroused the curiosity of Constable American Stock Exchange, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The New York Times, the SEC had issued requests for information by actors in the parallel market. Its rules already provides that a private company should not have more than 500 shareholders and buyers and sellers have the same information on the valuation of a company. Fearing the leak of confidential information, Facebook has adopted rules of procedure in the spring to oversee the sale of its shares on the gray market.

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What's better than Christmas Day to make decisions watched by the markets without them in panic now? The People's Bank of China (PBOC), China's central bank has raised interest rates modestly interest on loans and deposits of a sentence issued on December 25 on its website. They go respectively to 5.81% and 2.75%, or 0.25% more than their previous level. After an initial surprise increase in mid-October, or a gradual appreciation of the yuan over 2.5% since June, the markets were expecting a use interest rates to curb effectively the new bete noire of the central authorities: inflation.

Change of course

In November, the index of consumer prices rose 5.1%, a scale not seen in almost two and a half years.Driven by real estate and food prices soaring this give cold sweats to the central government, fearing above all the social consequences. A recent study by the Academy of Social Sciences of China, published in early December, showed that 85% of Chinese households can not afford to own. On the street markets, rising prices became the only topic of conversation and the Chinese Internet relays readily these concerns. Recently, a blogger, hosted by the leading Chinese portal Sina, amused himself by drawing up a comparative table of prices of vegetables and meat in Hangzhou, one of the richest cities of China in two hours drive from Shanghai, with those of Boston faxless pay day loans.Finally, some foods are more expensive in the affluent Chinese city on the East Coast.

Facing the dull discontent of the masses, the power distills his actions slowly and remember that everything is under control. Sunday, Premier Wen Jiabao, wanted reassurance. "I think we can keep prices at reasonable levels through our efforts. As head of government, I have responsibility but I have confidence, "he replied to one of the listeners. To effectively curb rising prices, China is mainly the influx of cash that flood its economy since the beginning of the recovery plan launched in late 2008 to avert the crisis. Chinese banks have already exceeded government targets by paying 857 billion euros between January and November, when the bar 863 billion was set for the whole year.What trade surplus added up each month.

In early December, the central government had officially announced a shift from a monetary policy "relatively soft" to a political "conservative." Clearly, Beijing reported tightening. The battery of measures already adopted is only the beginning. Besides a wider appreciation of the yuan, analysts expect rising interest rates that could reach a total of 1% before the summer.

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The meeting this Friday is no exception to the tradition of Christmas. The few remaining open scholarships break records for inactivity. At the ndemain a day of decline, the CAC 40 and increases its losses after a start in the red (-0.11%) it decreased by 0.35% to 3897 points in mid-day. The 3900 escape points in a trading volume of 224 million euros.

The session will be shortened and the Paris Stock Exchange will close at 2:00 p.m. as that of London, who plunges into the red (-0.24% to 5981 points). The Frankfurt Stock Exchange and Wall Street will remain closed.

The day before, the U.S. stock markets have proved indecisive. The Dow Jones gleaned 0.12% to 11,573 points and the Nasdaq gained 0.22% at 2666 points. In Asia, the Tokyo Stock Exchange closed in the red because of a resurgence of the yen against the dollar and euro.

In Europe, the news was again marked by a wave of snow to the adverse effects on the economy. In fact, at the airport of Roissy, 50% of flights are canceled. In case the snow and especially supply problems of aircraft deicing fluid, glycol, said the DGAC. On the roads, a possible shortage of salt could make it difficult to return to normal. These disturbances have resulted in losses of 100 million euros for airlines operating in France. The shops themselves evoke evoke a drop in attendance from 10 to 25% of store traffic. The bill is also salty to the state and road transport.

As for statistics, bad news came on Christmas Eve. After the rally of October, the labor market recorded a further decline in November.According to the latest figures published on Friday, the Dares and employment center in this period account for more than 4 million people looking for work no fax pay day loans.

Oil continues to evolve for its record highs and is trading above 91 dollars a barrel. The euro remains stoic at $ 1.31 per euro.

Snow penalizes Air France

The news business is very busy. All eyes will turn to the transport sector, including Air France (-0.82% to 13.84 euros) whose title could be penalized by bad weather and flight cancellations. The snow has already cost 35 million euros to the company.

Automakers expect in turn to a run on vehicles before the end of the scrapping. About 600,000 scrapping should be paid in 2010, a figure similar to that achieved in 2009, said the Department of Transportation.Peugeot (-2.09% to 29.58 euros) and Renault (-2.04% to 43.85 euros) was down.

In addition, Belvedere (1.79% to 57.60 euros) on Thursday denounced market manipulation in its stock price, which closed on a jump over 18%, and asked the AMF to investigate

The Areva Group shareholders in general meeting Thursday approved the capital increase of EUR 900 million reserved for the sovereign funds of Kuwait and the French State at a price of 32.50 euros per ordinary share. The title climbed 0.14% to 358 euros.

Technicolor (+5% to 0.42 euros) announced Thursday it had received a firm offer from the German Capital Partner for part of its Grass Valley division, which supplies equipment for television and film.

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The day after a session down slightly in Paris, the CAC 40 takes the path gently rising, following U.S. markets and as the Japanese market remained closed. At the opening, the benchmark index in Paris climbed 0.07% to 3922.74 points. Same atmosphere on other European markets: the London Stock Exchange gained 0.21% to 5996.39 points while the Frankfurt Stock Exchange also takes 0.21% to 7083.08 points. The meeting looks very calm. Skins balance year-end are a source of arbitration pending the release of durable goods orders in the United States.

In Paris, volumes should remain particularly weak. In early trading, they reach only 95 million.

Side of macroeconomic announcements in France, spending on household consumption of manufactured goods rebounded 2.8% in November, after a slight decline in October, an increase spurred by last weeks of scrapping has INSEE said Thursday.

Overall, the French plan to spend less in the next three months because they are pessimistic in purchasing power, according to a poll conducted for ViaVoice BPCE, France Info and Les Echos. Thus, 35% of respondents planning to spend less in the first quarter of 2011 for food and clothing. And only 3% of respondents are considering a property purchase.

The producer prices in France rose 0.4% in November after rising 0.8% in October, show statistics released Thursday by the INSEE. Economists forecast an average increase of 0.2% in November.

Euro and oil up

On the foreign exchange market, the euro rises slightly against the dollar. At the opening of markets on Thursday, the euro is worth 1.3144 dollars. Tuesday the euro was again on the decline against the dollar, wiping out the gains earlier in the day. As for the Swiss franc, it has continued to gain ground against the euro in passing for the first time on Wednesday to below 1 faxless cash advances.25 Swiss francs per euro. The Swiss franc fell to 1.2439 per euro, a new record after those of the previous day where the Swiss currency had reached the milestone of 1.26 per euro.

As for oil, the price of oil has exceeded the threshold of 90 dollars late Wednesday in New York. That had not happened since October 2008.

Areva wins contract in Germany

In terms of values, the eyes are on NYSE-Euronext (-0.88% to 22.52 euros).In fact, the Anglo-Saxon trading platforms titles BATS and Chi-X have entered into exclusive negotiations regarding the potential sale of Chi-X Europe to BATS.

Subsidiaries of Bouygues and Plastic Omnium has been condemned by the Competition Authority to pay fines for unlawful agreement on road signs with six other groups. Bouygues title remains insensitive to this infiormation and earns 0.42% to 32.54 euros. Plastic Omnium, however, fell slightly from 0.05% to 55.89 euros.

Areva (0.65% to 357.35 euros) shall hold a general meeting must decide on a capital increase. The group also announced Thursday it has won a contract worth 400 million euros in Germany.

Russia will announce Friday or Saturday that DCNS, which Thales (-0.32% to 26.57 euros) holds 25%, won the tender for four helicopter carriers to equip its navy, reports the Tribune , citing corroborating sources in Moscow and Paris. Moreover, the objectives of the "performance plan" unveiled a year ago by Thales are "realistic," said CEO Luc Vigneron in an interview published Thursday by the Financial Times.

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Rating agencies do not observe the truce confectioners, tightening every day a little more, their grip on Spain and Portugal, two countries listed as probable future beneficiaries of the European financial stabilization (FESF). The agency Fitch is considering, in turn, lower the grade of Greece, currently set at BBB -.

Very worried about the Spanish public finances, Moody's downgraded on Tuesday, two regions: Murcia (Southeast) and Castilla-La Mancha (Central), after having lowered on Friday, the note of the Basque Country, one of three richest regions of the country and threatened to worsen the debt of the State within three months.The U.S. agency has also warned about a possible deterioration in Portugal "a notch or two" of its A1 rating, because of the risks posed by the austerity plan on growth.

Books of accounts

These alerts have not failed to revive tensions on the bond markets in the south of the euro area. Moody's believes that "the deterioration than expected financial performance of Spanish regions in 2010 and 2011" makes it unlikely that the target set by Madrid with a deficit of 2.4% in 2010, while in Spain, regions and councils absorb almost half of public spending.

The Economy Minister, Elena Salgado, had yet made public Monday the budgetary implementation of the autonomous communities in the first nine months of the year, hoping to reassure investors.At this Stae, the deficit areas, which reached 1.24%, remains in line with the target of 2.4%. A figure that has clearly not been enough to allay Moody's.

Borrowing rates in Spain rose to ten years on Tuesday, to 5.54%. For his latest show of the year, 3.876 billion, the Treasury had to concede a price up sharply from 2.59% at six months. The Portuguese rate reached a decade, meanwhile, 6.55%, which makes access to markets of Portugal in 2011, very dangerous.

According to Standard & Poor's placed the rating of Portugal as "negative watch" in late November, Moody's is considering downgrading a notch or two by three months, arguing that the austerity kills growth.The conservation of Portugal aims at reducing the deficit from 7.3% of GDP this year to 4.6% in 2011, with growth expected in the red next year, due to weak domestic demand and indebtedness of the private sector. Portuguese banks are also under fire because of their "dependency" on the European Central Bank.

A new disturbance snow runs quickly on the basin of the Channel this Sunday. It crosses the north of the country today with substantial accumulations of snow and high winds near the coast of Brittany. There are up to 20 inches of snow in the Yvelines.

Meteo Consult place until Sunday evening 24 departments on alert orange snow and ice. 12 other departments have a significant risk of snow and ice. The interministerial crisis center was activated at the Ministry of Interior.

• THE WEATHER THROUGH MONDAY

Improvement emerges from the Northwest, especially in Brittany and Normandy, as it continues to snow, but more weakly to the northeast of the Seine, between Upper Normandy, northern Paris Basin, Ardennes and Lorraine.

In the evening, the snow will shift to the east.In the Northwest, a cold but drier before being put in place a further deterioration expected in the night. Some flakes are still likely on orange alert in the departments. Note the rapid drop in temperature during the night of Sunday on the areas affected by snow. The freeze is to be expected on soils with snowy driving conditions very difficult.

On Monday, some rain come again through the Atlantic and cause a brief episode of freezing rain and snow in Lower Normandy and Beauce to the west of Paris at dawn on Monday. These snow and freezing rain reached the Seine (Haute-Normandie and Ile-de-France).But this episode should be shorter, urged on by a thaw, making the rain back to the mid-day.

• TRAFFIC ON THE ROADS

The bad weather has disrupted transportation and Saturday departures on holiday in much of northern France. On the road network in the Ile-de-France, driving conditions Sunday morning were "normal in the majority of Mainline" except a few areas "where they are delicate or difficult," according to the National Center for Traffic Information (CNIR). Secretary of State for Transport, Thierry Mariani, said on RTL expect a "very difficult day."Interministerial Crisis Centre located in the Ministry of Interior called the French to "restrict their movements to situations of absolute necessity" to avoid being trapped by snow.

In a shopping center Eragny, Val d'Oise, hundreds of motorists were trapped on Saturday night. In Gironde, the ice has caused a major traffic accident earlier on the A62. A semi-trailer 38 tons caught fire. Five people were injured, one critically. The ice storm caused between 50 and 70 material accidents in the Landes, about 25 in the Charente-Maritime, a dozen in the Ile-de-France guaranteed unsecured personal loan.

The prefecture of the zone defense and security in Paris on Saturday announced the activation of PC 8 hours Zonal circulation.The sixteen wheeled armored vehicles to the police, already positioned in the departments of the outer suburbs of Paris, where thousands of motorists were stuck on 8 and 9 December, are maintained.The prefecture is advising motorists to leave the Paris area by noon.

As in the Ile-de-France since Saturday afternoon, many of prefectural orders prohibiting truck traffic have been taken in other departments and regions, including highways, including the A84 in Lower Normandy, the A1 in the direction Lille-Paris, the A28 in a south-north.

"More information at 0800 100 200, radio 107.7 FM and on the websites www.bison-fute.gouv.fr, www.sytadin.fr

• IN TRANSIT

Bus traffic in the suburbs of Paris was always interrupted Sunday morning due to weather conditions in the Ile-de-France, while the bus traffic in Paris was difficult, said RATP.

Public transport were suspended in several other cities and towns, as in Evreux, as sometimes the county bonds, as in the Calvados.In Oise, transit of children have been suspended for the day.

• THE SNCF

SNCF NNOUNCEMENT carry "all passengers who booked their tickets for a departure on Friday and Saturday. But the TGV to the East and South-East record on Saturday up to an hour and a half late because of bad weather leading to a reduction in train speed to 220 km / h or 230 km / h .

The lines to and from the North, as well as Eurostar and Thalys, record delays of 20 minutes to an hour. Traffic to the west and south-west France is normal.

"More information about http://www.infolignes.com/

• AT AIRPORTS

Only two of the four runways at Roissy-Charles-De-Gaulle greeted Sunday noon planes taking off and landing.Two runways were plowed and snow removal of the other two was undertaken, the source said. At midday, the snow had stopped falling in Roissy. The closure of half the tracks were announced shortly after 9 o'clock. Hundreds of passengers whose planes were diverted to Roissy due to the closure of London's Heathrow airport, spent the night in the terminals.

Several regional airports have also been disrupted, as Brest and Quimper.

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In banks, among advisers in wealth management, vacation time has not yet come. That, in recent weeks – and even for a few days – the traditional "rush" end of year tax exemption on investments, those that allow taxpayers to reduce next year the amount of their income tax , if they subscribe before December 31. "We generally receive two-thirds of sales between Christmas and New Year's Day," said Fabrice Imbault, associate director at A Plus Finance, a company which manages the innovation funds (mutual funds in innovation).

But already, major trends are emerging. This year, investors flocked to the SCPI Scellier. Those companies that invest in new homes offer their subscribers a tax reduction of 25%, for now, over nine years.The minimum investment is a few thousand euros.

In the first half, more than 100 million euros have already been collected on that investment. "In the second half, we should reach 650 to 700 million at the national level, bringing the collection to 750 or 800 million for the year 2010. A record for this type of investment, "says Didier Degraeve, in Ciloger. This success is due to the popularity of the French for stone. But probably because he was trying to invest immediately: the tax benefit will be reduced for subscriptions made next year.

Sofica, a rare investment

Sofica success also for these companies who finance films, cartoons … The tax reduction is attractive (48%). And the amount of the collection is capped by the Department of Budget (sixty million euros in 2010).Each year, investors snapped up so that investment is too rare.

The year was however more complicated for investment capital of unlisted companies, particularly through specialized funds, such as innovation funds for innovative companies, or FIP (local investment funds). Certainly, customers are eager to profit before tax reduction (25%) is reduced. "But some remained in limbo. The parliamentary debates around the Finance Bill and the measures envisaged for these funds have disturbed, says Fabrice Imbault. However, most measures are applicable only next year. " In recent years, flourishing as many small companies, which taxpayers can fund to take advantage of tax savings (25%), and thus invest in the most varied sectors.For example, Forest Land, created at the initiative of Financière de Champlain to buy and manage forests, recruits shareholders from 2100 euros!

Is this a sign of the enthusiasm of investors? Investment tax exemptions, long marketed mainly by consultants IFAs and private banks are now increasingly also distributed in the banking networks.

CGG Veritas did not wait for the new year to make good resolutions: the group specializes in geophysics for petroleum, announced Thursday it is launching a plan that will save 75 million euros in 2011 and 150 million by end 2012.

The cut in costs for operating costs (administrative costs and overheads) and purchases of supplies in particular, and covers all activities of the group with a significant contribution to the marine division.

The plan includes a capital budget of $ 600 million for 2011 and aims to "generate a positive cash flow, even during low cycle. Its implementation should lead in the fourth quarter 2010 special charges of about $ 130 million.

At the Paris Bourse, the news is appreciated tes: the action has jumped by more than 2% in early trade, while already since the beginning of the year, it soared 42%.It lacks a bit of lorries under 4 euros to regain its high of the year, to 25 euros, reached last April.

The fleet range up

"In a market recovery, CGG Veritas will benefit, in addition to these internal efforts, the strength of its processing activities and equipment (Sercel) and a land market where demand for complex studies in the Middle East remains strong," according to Natixis Securities analysts instant credit report.

The plan also covers the further repositioning of the fleet toward the high end, to "provide the most advanced seismic technology in a market with expected growth in demand is expected to reduce the overcapacity of the fleet from the second half of 2011, CGG Veritas said in a statement.

Land for the division, the plan calls for strengthening partnerships in the group key markets such as the Arctic region and the Middle East, while optimizing its business in North America outside the winter season.

The aim is also to further improve the profitability of the "treatment, imaging and reservoir, including accelerating technological innovation efforts.

CGG Veritas is also "a better geographical balance of (his) syndicated investments, which will be targeted on new promising basins around the world including areas of unconventional resources."

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A simple radio for a child's skull fell from bike? "If the head injury is uncomplicated, it is useless. If there are complications, it is not enough, says Dr. René Mornex, who led for one year to the Hospital Federation of France (FHF) a working group on the appropriateness of medical procedures.Yet we continue to have more than 900 000 skull radiographs per year. "Routine screening for breast cancer after 75 years? "For small lesions, which can take thirty years to become serious, you bring the person in the world of cancer: biopsy, surgery, chemotherapy …" As for prostate cancer, "everyone has a beyond 80 years, but its evolution, slow, whether the patient whose tumor was detected at this age is more likely to "die at 100 years shot by a jealous husband," quips the endocrinologist, former dean Faculty of Medicine of Lyon. Therefore, screening leading to a heavy and debilitating treatment seems unnecessary.

These examples support the President of the FHF relaunch his crusade against unnecessary procedures. "We could do better instead of doing more," says Jean Leonetti, a cardiologist and UMP deputy mayor of Antibes.The objective is qualitative but also financial. We could have a lower health expenditure of at least 10%. "Or, at the very least, several billion euros – enough to bring the accounts of Medicare to balance.

René Mornex however, recognizes the complexity of the work to be undertaken. In 10% of cases appear to have appendectomies were performed without any real indication. But should we blame the practitioners, knowing that the transaction is risky and that without quick decision when there are many appendicitis, the outcome can be fatal? CD rates are higher in the private sector so that it does not accept the pregnancy the more complex the chic clinic la Muette in Paris, in practice in 37.7% of births, against 20.2 % national average. But the increase in the percentage of caesareans each year may also be linked to the age of the parturients."It's not because it is difficult we should not do," says John Leonetti.

A "cash machine"

FHF, which includes almost all public hospitals, therefore makes a dozen proposals to try to improve the situation. These tracks meet the possible causes of these excesses. To determine the clearest of cases, "we must make the" best practices "prejudicial," pleads Vincent Gerard, managing director of the FHF. In other words, no longer reimburse the exams that do not meet internationally accepted recommendations – such as radios in case of single head injury, the cost would exceed 30 million per year, excluding fees. "It would be much more legitimate than the current controls on Medicare," said he.What cause an outcry among many medical unions, who have always refused such measures.

The Hospital Federation of France also asked that the fee schedule provided by the "Safely" in hospitals as doctors to be reviewed city, better pay for clinical consultations, the intellectual work of the physician. And what to avoid, for example, that some endocrinologists consider ultrasound as a "cash machine" to compensate for the low valuation of the rest of their work, Professor Mornex dixit.

If coronagraphs are two and a half times more frequent in the Nièvre in the Rhone, this may come from different teachings of a university in another. "In the Hospital, it often teaches the discipline most exceptional, not the most common specialty in the specialty, observed the President of the Federation.It is seeking interns pathology most exceptional rather than the usual. "The FHF advocates a return to a" sober medicine "in the words of René Mornex.

It will also, for that deal directly with patients to convince them to waive the exams, tests and other radio stations "to reassure" – the campaign is on antibiotics as an example.

Finally, the Federation calls for Medicare to better disseminate statistics showing disparities from one institution to another in the frequency of a particular act.

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