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Concerns about the health of the U.S. economy once again weigh on the markets in Paris. In the wake of Wall Street the day before and Asian stock markets this morning, the CAC 40 lost more than 5%, falling well below the psychological threshold of 2800 points to 2791 points, having already fallen by 1.6% in the previous session. Same trend in other European stock exchanges: the London FTSE-100 lost 4.82% to 5150.06 points, the FTSE Mib in Milan, 3.73% to 13,593 points, the Dax in Frankfurt at 4.39% 5195 points, and the Ibex 35 in Madrid, 4.54% to 7837 points.

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In early May, to everyone's surprise, he had not been declared worthy of a palace by the jury. A great controversy at the time … Four months later, the George V, consistently ranked among the best in the world is finally named Palace …! On the recommendation of the jury, the Parisian hotel becomes the ninth luxury hotel to win the award, given by Frédéric Lefebvre, Secretary of State for Tourism, for a period of five years."At its meeting on 8 September and under the regulations governing use of the mark" palace ", the jury made a further review of the application of the Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris and decided to recommend to the hotel granting of the distinction palace, "said the jury in a statement issued by Trump France, responsible for the promotion of France.

"Since May, the board revisited the hotel and on the basis of new evidence, he said that George V was worthy of having the distinction," said Le Figaro academician Dominique Fernandez, his President. "We did not submit a new folder and nothing has changed in the hotel since last May," says the other hand a spokesman for George V.

The regulations governing use of the brand palace provides that a losing candidate to stand again (not three), without having to create a new folder.The jury, which decides on subjective criteria, is not required to explain his motives. Wednesday again, he was careful not to do so, despite the misunderstanding brought about by its decision to dismiss the first George V, before finally considering the palace, in a very short time. "This award palace, far from being an end, only reinforces the motivation of all employees to go deeper into the quest for perfection to continue to the Four Seasons Hotel George V reference in the Hotel World, "responded Christopher Norton yesterday, its chief executive.

A small score in the long term

A new session is scheduled for late November. Two hotels in Saint-Tropez, the Château de La Messardière and Byblos, are still candidates, and The Reserve at Ramatuelle. New applications are expected in January."The appointment of George V delights me, says Michel Jauslin, general manager of Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome. With us, the distinction has received a lot of the hotel, the echo went deep into China and Latin America. We have created interest because we are in an unexpected segment, the palace today. We saw this happen was a new customer, in addition to our loyal customers. Our occupancy rates are in the average Parisian palaces and the average price of our rooms – suites out – is 800 euros. "

Ultimately, how many hotels could become palaces? "We heard everything and anything. Given the excellence of this initial list of nine palaces, there should be a small twenty palaces in France in the short and medium term, providing Christian Mantei, director general of Trump France. Before the distinction is, too many luxury establishments said they were palaces.It ended happily. It is too early to measure the economic impact of the distinction on prices and attendance. "

"The train is France," exclaimed Nicolas Sarkozy on Thursday Auxon where is the new TGV station in Besancon on the new Rhine-Rhone, whose commissioning is scheduled for 11 December. The president, who had taken the TGV exceptionally Thursday, recalled the commitment of his predecessors that allowed France to become thirty years ago a pioneer in the field of high speed. "The train belongs to no, to any faction, the train is France," he judged. Accompanied by the former deputy mayor of Belfort, Jean-Pierre Chevenement, he placed himself above the political divisions in praise of a common heritage. "Investing in the TGV is the future, a future that we will not see necessarily," Sarkozy continued.

Preserving the territorial balance

To reassure the railway, with which the president was to speak in closed session during part of the trip, he exclaimed: "We will invest as ever," welcoming the four sites are launched simultaneously. "Never has our country had known that, and we must continue," he added. In fact, only three sites are actually involved: the Rhine-Rhone, including two of the three branches are not built, the LGV Bretagne-Pays de Loire, whose completion is scheduled for late 2016, and finally the LGV Sud Atlantic Europe, the Tours-Bordeaux section to be completed in 2017 cash till payday advance. However, the circumvention of Nimes and Montpellier has not started.

The president warned of possible critical investment phagocytosed by TGV train.The development of the "must not be at the expense of trains regional balance," he asked. Fear belied by the extent of work planned by 2015 to renovate the existing rail network: 13 billion euros will be spent. As for the trains to balance the territory, created last December to keep a forty unprofitable lines (Coral, Intercity, and Téoz Lunéa), they are partially funded by the activity TGV. Mere announcement of the day, creating a fund to modernize the railway, along the lines of that which was created in 2009 with the ISP to support the automotive industry including OEMs."We're going to work – government, companies and networks – for that French industry continues to gain market share." He added that to remain competitive with competitors from Germany, Spain and even China, the French industry had to restructure. "The state can not ignore the future of networks that fail if they do not have a powerful help of the state to innovate."

The horizon of the global economy darkens. The European Central Bank (ECB) has lowered on Thursday its growth forecasts for 2011 and 2012, warning that the level of uncertainty is extremely high. The guardian of the euro expected to grow 1.6% in 2011 and 1.3% in 2012 in the euro area, against 1.9% and 1.7% previously forecast.

"Uncertainty" was in this context, the key word of the monthly press conference of ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet: "There is a huge level of uncertainty in the world." The risk is now the forecasts rather than the ECB may be too optimistic, he implied. And, because of the negative effects of the crisis in financial markets observed this summer and the debt crisis in the euro zone in particular.

After a good start to the year, growth "will be very moderate later this year," warned the president of the ECB. Consumption may be lacking. "Unlike recent months, the ECB no longer considered as the confidence of consumers and entrepreneurs will support domestic demand," says Ken Wattret, chief euro zone economist at BNP Paribas. In the early morning, the Bank of France has published growth prospects for the Hexagon journals also down for the third quarter (0.1% versus 0.2% previously).

For inflation, the ECB has not touched its projections. It still expects 2.6% price increase in 2011 and 1.7% in 2012. As the guarantor of price stability in the euro zone estimated a few months ago that inflation was under pressure, it recognized that today the risks were "balanced."A code word meaning that it did not expect an acceleration in prices in coming months. It therefore left unchanged its interest rates, it increases instruments when it believes that inflation is accelerating payday loans lenders.

Despite the alarmist tone about the economic environment, "we do not think that the ECB will lower interest rates anytime soon," said Cedric Thellier, economist at Natixis. "We expect a rather long status quo accompanying amorphous growth and low inflation."

The rush of blood against the United States of Trichet

Questioned by a reporter relaying German criticism against the alleged lack of independence of the ECB under the European Treaties, Jean-Claude Trichet has lost some of his cool. "We're doing our job, which is not easy," he said."Our mission is to ensure price stability, what we have done so impeccable. I'd love to hear praise for the work today! "He exclaimed.

Some German observers, very attached to monetary orthodoxy, condemned the purchase of bonds by the ECB. "If we had to implement this program, because states have not acted properly. He did not exercise sufficient oversight they should have. Remember, in 2004 and 2005, some governments-France, Germany and Italy, not to name-calling for the relaxation of their obligations "deficit, he accused. "We have always asked the contrary full compliance criteria deficit.But we have not preached in the desert. "

In this context, Jean-Claude Trichet reiterated, on behalf of the ECB, the extreme urgency for the States to implement measures to restore the balance of public finances. "Governments must be prepared to cut spending if targets are not met," he said. He also called for the deregulation of regulated professions.

This is the first crash of a Russian cargo ship for thirty years. The ship Progress M-12M, which was to supply the International Space Station (ISS), catapulted the wrong orbit by the Soyuz rocket, crashed Aug. 24 in a desert region of Altai (South of Western Siberia) . A week earlier, the Russian space agency Roskosmos has lost contact with the Express AM4 communications satellite, launched by the Proton rocket. The Russian Space Agency (Roskosmos) has lost contact with six satellites over the last nine months, representing a total cost of 16 billion rubles (400 million), according to estimates.

A sector that has suffered from funding amnque

These few accidents have nothing to coincidence. A series of failures and a multitude of launch delays "for technical problems" are symptomatic of the troubles facing the aerospace sector in Russia.According to experts, they are the result of lack of funding in the 1990s. After the fall of the USSR, the government was not able to support programs in the aerospace industry in the long run, leaving this area for many years. Funding for this sector has taken the early 2000s, with an annual budget that has tripled between 2005 and 2011, increasing to $ 3 billion (2.1 billion euros), of which 700 million (490 million) in the form of commercial contracts. However, the salary of a junior engineer in a design office in Moscow Roskosmos always varies between 20,000 and 25,000 rubles (500 to 625 euros), while the average salary was over 40,000 rubles (1,000 euros) in the capital Russia in July this year.

A technology gap

Moreover, the funding problem, everything happened right after the fall of the Soviet Union, the sector has accumulated since its inception in the 1960s an important technological gap. According to the Scientific Director of the Space Policy Institute Ivan Moissev interviewed by the Russian daily Vedomosti, the current failures in the sector are linked with the Soviet legacy. At the time, the state spent a large budget for space exploration, and Russian rockets were cheaper than American rockets. As a result, all equipment were mass produced, not that special attention be paid to quality. "A satellite was lost soon be replaced by a new," recalls one specialist Roskosmos, noting that before 1991, the space agency was not used to account for missed assignments.Today, trying to fill Roskosmos somehow technological backwardness of its devices by integrating systems of foreign manufacture. But this poses problems of compatibility between them.

Soyuz is not affected in Guyana

European partners, however, remain optimistic about Russian involvement in the Galileo project. Russia announced in 2010 its intention to join the program launch navigation systems alternative to the American GPS. The project led by the European Space Agency (ESA), will start on October 20 with a deployment in orbit of the first two satellites from the Guiana Space Center (SMC), through the Soyuz. Asked by Les Echos Friday, Jean-Jacques Dordain, Director General of ESA into perspective. "We're doing a difficult job.The difference between success and failure is minimal, simply a failed component to move from one to another, "said he.

Having sacked the former head of the Russian Space Agency in April, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin ordered Roskosmos to make changes "radical" in the production cycle of spacecraft. The management agency has also decided to suspend for now the launch of all flights of Soyuz spacecraft until the cause of the accident with the vessel Progress to be clarified.

Since the withdrawal of the U.S. shuttle Atlantis, France and Russia are the only replenishment of the International Space Station with its Automated Transfer Vehicles (ATV), launched by Ariane and Soyuz.

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The denunciation was on a roll. While in Britain the government call the citizens to denounce the rioters, Greece, reports of suspected fraud to the Treasury affluent than ever. The local fraud squad has received 18,500 disclosures in 2010, against 4500 last year and 4,000 in 2008. The trend continues since 7500 reports have been recorded in the first half. In most cases, these phone calls or emails denouncing anonymous traders who have "failed" to issue receipts or the liberal professions (doctors, lawyers …) not issuing receipts.

Unpunished for decades, tax evasion is now seriously disputed by the authorities, under pressure from the EU and the IMF.In turn, the Greeks, hard hit by the austerity plans, are becoming more willing to report those who do not respect the rules of the game, however, they take care: this is almost twenty-five centuries of Athenian democracy suffered a lot of sycophants. These informers professionals who enriched themselves through their charges, have contributed to the decline of Greece.

"An appraisal contains an error of 2000 billion dollars speaks for itself." Lapidary, the only reaction to the loss of "AAA" rating from the U.S. Treasury, the equivalent of the Ministry of Finance, illustrates the strong tensions that occurred Friday between the Obama administration and the rating agency Standard and Poor's, crystallized around a miscalculation of 2000 billion.

As tradition dictates, S & P has informed earlier this afternoon the Treasury's decision before making it public. This is usually an opportunity for the government to point out any factual errors. At this meeting, U.S. officials soon discover that the projections of S & P over ten years the budget deficit and public debt do not coincide with the figures of the executive, from the work of the Office of Congressional Budget (CBO).The U.S. public debt stood at 93% of GDP in 2021 instead of the expected 85%, a difference of two trillion dollars.

Standard and Poor's emphasizes the "political risks"

Faced with protests from the government, the rating agency starts with defense. She claims to be part of the work of the CBO, a retaining projection "alternative" of government spending, considered more realistic. After discussions, however, she agrees to return to the initial forecasts. The Treasury advised her to give himself time to review the numbers cold.

Far from judging, Standard and Poor's does not reverse its decision to lower the rating of the United States to "AA +" with 'Negative' outlook. The agency submits a new version of its release to focus on "political risks" to see the country taking insufficient measures against its budget deficit.In another statement released at night, she explained that the correction of the error has changed only marginally forecasts of debt in 3 to 5 years to come, "decisive" for its decision. "This is a technical error, no serious consequences," says one within the agency payday loans for bad credit.

According to S & P, the political debate on these issues in the United States is indeed not up to the problems caused by a debt of more than 14,500 billion.According to a U.S. government source quoted by CNBC, this episode proves that the decision by Standard and Poor's was taken regardless of the numbers, while revised data showed that the deficit would be sustainable over the next ten years.

"Latest victim of the failure of Obama's economic"

The rating agency had in fact warned in mid-July the Obama administration she wanted a deficit reduction of 4 trillion dollars over ten years to maintain the triple-A, instead of hard-won 2.1 trillion. John Chambers, President of the Evaluation Committee of S & P, also found on CNN that Washington could have prevented the lowering of the notes within the ceiling as soon as the statutory debt.He said the responsibilities were shared by the Administration and Obama, but also "the previous administration."

The first political reaction in Washington have shown just block pointed to by S & P. Mitt Romney, candidate for the Republican primary for the 2012 presidential election, has described the downgrade of American "latest victim of the failure of Obama's economic" and the Republican president the House of Representatives "consequence of uncontrolled spending in Washington in recent decades."The Senate Democratic leader, Harry Reid, has instead called for "a balanced approach to deficit reduction," with lower costs but also increases targeted taxes, it rejected the Republicans, under pressure ultra-conservative "tea parties" in the recent discussions on the debt.

(With branches)

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To save its common currency, Europe is the part of the fire. The seventeen countries of the euro have violated a prohibition group, assuming the risk of a possible partial collapse of Greece. But national leaders have also pushed their own taboos in order to restore confidence and resolder the team in front of the fire.

The Brussels summit, cleared the day before by a dinner at three in Berlin, saw everyone had a role. Jean-Claude Trichet, haughty guardian of monetary orthodoxy, has reluctantly accepted the possibility of a "default" of Greece, even if he believes will be averted. Nicolas Sarkozy rempoché its bank tax – a project specifically designed to avoid trial in Athens of bankruptcy, albeit limited. Angela Merkel pays back.She agrees to substantially beef up the European bailout fund of indebted countries, ignoring the doubts that undermine his coalition in Berlin. And it sends a "very big thank you" to his interlocutors.

Unexpected, even courageous, the device stopped Thursday night is also a leap into the unknown. The danger was that the shock wave feared a possible default "selective" in Athens come sweeping new defenses in the euro area. The Head of State has carefully avoided the word "default" but he assured that the euro area lavish in time "all the necessary guarantees." Encouragingly, the agreement was welcomed Thursday by a rising euro and a market rebound.

Reduce the debt burden

By sacrificing a principle, the summit also seeks to limit the contagion. "What we do for Greece, we will not do for any other country," warns Nicolas Sarkozy.The summit's final declaration said that "Greece is in a unique situation of gravity in the euro area (…) Therefore it requires an exceptional solution." In contrast, the other 16 euro countries "reaffirm their inflexible determination to honor their individual signature" loan. No way to drift to other parts of the chain, such as Portugal and Ireland have a drip European, or like Spain and Italy regularly shaken up the markets.

For Greece, the immediate objective is to reduce the debt burden by involving banks and private equity funds. "This is to address the root of the problem" of insolvency, said Angela Merkel. The summit adopted a "menu of options," modeled on the plan proposed by the international financial community.It was also shown Thursday in Brussels by Baudouin Prot, Director General of BNP Paribas, and Josef Ackermann, head of Deutsche Bank. Voluntarily, but under strong pressure, banks must give up some money owed to them, particularly in France and Germany. Financially, the most dramatic innovation is the green light to EFSF to "intervene in the secondary market" in the clear to buy back government debt to investors. In the case of Greece, Ireland and Portugal, it would relieve the banks that hold securities impaired.

158 billion euros

Seventeen of the two, however, establish safeguards. The one at the request of Jean-Claude Trichet as the ECB will return to establish a priori the "exceptional circumstances".The other at the request of Angela Merkel, as the green light is given "by mutual agreement" of members of the rescue fund. This leaves almost a right of veto in Berlin, leaving no question of a European institution to have its way of guarantees provided by Germany

The summit amounted to 109 billion euros the amount of public funding in the second bailout of Athens. Taking into account the participation of the private bill climbs to 158 billion euros. The IMF confirmed its contribution in the evening, without specifying the amount. As expected, the euro area has decided to extend for 7.5 years "to a minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years' duration of its loans to countries in need. Meanwhile, the interest rate will be reduced to 3.5%. The summit finally evokes "a comprehensive strategy for growth and investment" in favor of Greece, through the European Structural Funds.He renounced the baptized "Marshall Plan" European and still has to quantify.

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Coincidence of timing, when the French government announced the rules for large PV installations, the producer of renewable energy Neoen and private equity investment Axa Private Equity participate in the consolidation of a growing industry but still very scattered. Neoen and Axa PE announced Monday the purchase of renewable Poweo activities. Founded by media Charles Beigbeder, Poweo is controlled by the group since 2009 Austrian Verbund. Its branch renewable 100% controlled by Verbund, is distinct from Poweo SA, the small challenger EDF is for sale. Taking advantage of the confusion, the action Poweo SA rose 18% on the stock market yesterday.

Active in offshore wind

The operation mounted by Neoen and AXA PE is around 50 million euros, according to Xavier Barbaro, CEO Neoen. The two buyers will share the assets of Green Poweo.Neoen take possession of 14 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaic systems in operation in France and a portfolio of projects. Totaling 50 MW in solar and wind power and 70 MW biomass project in the state approved.

Neoen also retrieves the trash from Poweo installed in the consortium recently with EDF to meet the tender of the State on the first offshore wind

This young company, founded in 2008 in the lap of Direct Energy, is now a "sister company", sharing the same shareholder, namely Jacques Veyrat.As part of his departure on June 30 of the Louis Dreyfus, one that Robert Louis-Dreyfus regarded as his spiritual son got in exchange of its shares in the group of trading, more active and which Neoen 39 2% of Direct Energy.

Supported by its new shareholder, the small Neoen sees far. With the acquisition announced Monday, "we will double our sales power," said Xavier Barbaro. And "it is only a first step," said the leader of this company recently opened an office in Portugal for investment in solar.

Xavier Barbaro time opportunists in photovoltaics in France is over. To evolve and grow in the highly capital-intensive renewable energy, whether solar or wind, "you have to reach critical mass."

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While the ongoing wrangle with Casino in Brazil has shifted in favor of its competitor, Carrefour has released Wednesday a turnover in line with expectations. Group sales in the first half amounted to 44.6 billion euros, up 2.7% at current exchange rates (+ 2.5% at constant exchange rates) and 0.1% in comparable excluding petrol, adjusted for the calendar effect. Sales for the second quarter amounted to 22.4 billion euros, up 1.6% at current exchange rates, but down 0.2% on a comparable basis, excluding petrol and excluding the calendar effect .

While the group had mid-June, revised down its operating income to 35% in France, it now expects a decline of 23%, due "mainly to France."Lars Olofsson said that "Carrefour has set up an action plan in order to achieve the target set by the Group to grow its sales and EBIT in 2011."

Uneven performance in France

In France, the performance is mixed. Lars Olofsson deplores a "unsatisfactory performance of hypermarkets," whose sales are down 3.3% excluding petrol in the second quarter and adjusted for the calendar effect, after falling 1% in the first quarter.

However, Carrefour welcomes the performance of its stores. Carrefour Market and saw its sales grow by 1.3%. As for Carrefour Planet, "the four stores models continue to show sales growth in double digits."The group said that "the deployment of 21 new stores in the second quarter Planet is broadly in line with the plan, these new stores outperform those of our traditional hypermarkets in Spain and Belgium in particular."

Abroad, the decline continues in Western Europe (down 2.1% in the second quarter and 2.6% in the first). The activity in Belgium, however, displays a successful turnaround, with sales growth of 10.1% in hypermarkets.

Emerging markets are, in turn, still the group's activity. Latin America was up 11% at constant exchange rates, excluding petrol and adjusted for the calendar effect. In Brazil, where Carrefour battle as to marry the first retailer in the country, sales rose 10.2%.In Asia, growth remained at 5.3%, with an increase of 8.3% in China.

In exchange, Carrefour began declining after the announcement of these results. After losing 3% on opening, the title was eventually closed up 1.52% to 22.325 euros in the last trade. The CAC finished up 0.51%

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