October 15, 2011

France-Soir, a newspaper who wrote the history of the press

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Few newspapers have a history as brilliant and desperate that France-Soir. A heroic birth, with the brilliant Pierre Lazareff transforms, at the end of the war, a newspaper born in the underground resistance, Defence of France, in large tabloid. Shattering debut, with prints that quickly reach over a million copies. Illuminated by a succession of prestigious feathers. A slow but inexorable fall, punctuated by numerous changes in ownership.

France-Soir has become the first French daily Liberation from. Acquired by Hachette in 1949, the newspaper saw its heyday in the 1950s and 1960s. He crossed the bar of a million copies in 1953-1954, while France mired in the wars of decolonization in Indochina first, then to Algeria.The French go to the front and France-Soir draws more than 1.5 million copies. A banner on the front proclaims: "The only daily selling over a million copies."

By dint of scoops of hard-hitting headlines and large photographs, France-Soir is a reference. "Pick the world in a day and throw it to the men every morning," the newspaper endorsed this definition of journalism by Joseph Kessel, who covered the trial of Petain and Nuremberg. The anthology pieces by Lucien Bodard, Françoise Giroud, Jean Philippe Labro Ferniot or alongside the venomous "Gossip gossip of" Carmen Tessier, the soap with rose Angélique, marquise of angels and the "facts div" sordid as the Dominici affair. The cocktail is perfect.

At the height of his fame, France-Soir is working out up to 400 journalists and eight editions per day.Sales over two million copies in November 1963, after the death of John F faxless pay day loans. Kennedy and after the November 1970 General de Gaulle.

The tide is turning in the 1970s. When Lazareff died in 1972, the daily press is beginning to be shaken up by radio and television. The editorial line is less clear. Like its competitors, France-Soir tabloid balance between the Anglo-Saxon and the general log. Frequent changes of shareholders from that time do not help matters. The "avid reader" Robert Hersant, which then has to Le Figaro, took control of France-Soir in 1976. First bleed to the editor that loses 80 of 200 journalists … But in 1983, the distribution still falls to 400,000 copies.

Following is a series of stimulus packages and restructuring.Between 1982 and 2004, eleven editors will succeed at the bedside. In 1998, Yves de Chaisemartin, who told Robert Hersant the keys to Socpresse, the paper goes tabloid significantly lowering the selling price. But the title is seriously deficient. It changed hands in 1999, 2000 and 2002. Philippe Bouvard, who has officiated in the newspaper between 1973 and 1989, then back at the helm. France-Soir +, refocused on television and sport, does not return to its glorious past.

Bloodless, without cap, France-Soir is placed in receivership in late 2005. The following year, the newspaper was bought by the developer Jean-Pierre Brunois. Journalists on strike brandishing leaflets "Bal tragic in court: 80 dead." Inspiration always comes from English tabloids. But the newspaper has lost the recipe for success.The two stimulus packages Alexander Pugachev, who acquired the newspaper in 2009, failed to reverse the trend.

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October 13, 2011

The instability disrupts the Libyan oil

From our special correspondent in London this small affable man with a mustache in suit and tie eight months ago was still at the heart of the Libyan regime of Colonel Gaddafi. Chokri Ghanem presided over the national oil company, NOC, key partner for foreign producers. Yesterday and Tuesday, Ghanem was in London one of the guest stars of the annual Oil & Money ("Oil and Money"). For in the oil industry, the former Libyan dignitary has always enjoyed a reputation as a respectable career.

Prime Minister of the Guide, he was the architect of the return of Libya in the comity of nations before being dismissed in 2006. He had the good sense to defect in May, and moved between Vienna (OPEC headquarters where he has long represented his country) and London.It was at Vienna that Chokri Ghanem was the guardian of one of Gaddafi son, Seif al-Islam, which was regarded as before the rebellion, modernization.

With this pedigree, the diagnosis of Ghanem on the prospects for black gold in Libya was carefully listened to by the cream together oil on the edge of Hyde Park. He said Libya will not return to its level of production before the war (about 1.6 million barrels per day) prior to eighteen months while the production may rise to 350,000 barrels a day currently to 500,000 in the coming weeks .

Workers protest

More than massive destruction, looting Ghanem evokes parts and piping of oil installations. Two thousand and 4×4 have gone, stolen by the rebels or simply stolen. But the main problem, according to the former official, is the lack of security of oil fields.Added a new unimaginable before the war: the oil workers increasing protests and claims.

A fellow Ghanem, Abdallah Salem el-Badri, the current Secretary General of OPEC, also present in London, is more optimistic. He expects a return to 1.6 million barrels per day within a year. Neither of the two Libyans anticipate any changes in short-term contracts with the "majors" Foreign strong support for Libya.

Chokri Ghanem there a future in the new Libya? "I do not think it's a good idea to go," says the former "Mr. Oil" Gaddafi by announcing months of instability. Far from Tripoli, he just turned 70 years old and aspires to peace.

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October 12, 2011

The Asian market takes hope

Asian stock markets on Tuesday were in turn carried by the optimism that won the scholarships in Europe and the United States yesterday. The promise, made Sunday in Berlin speaks French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, are bearing fruit. Hopeful, investors await the answers to the debt crisis in the euro area are expected before early November. They also expect to learn more about the plan to recapitalize weak banks in the region.

Meanwhile, the Japanese Nikkei sets the tone. Around 7:00, he climbed 2.15% to 8790 points. The Tokyo Stock Exchange was closed yesterday because of a holiday and had not yet responded to the ads of the Franco-German. The Nikkei is notably supported by exporters who find the values ​​of the force with the weaker yen against the euro.The single currency is changing around 104.50 yen this morning, well above its record low reached in ten years on October 4, at 100.76 yen. Sony gained 5.58%, 5.64% Ricoh, Sharp and Toshiba 3.44% 5.55%. The automotive sector is doing well also: Honda Motor rising from 6.03% Hyundai 3.6% and 2.12% of Toyota.

State intervention with Chinese banks

The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong and Shanghai are also in the green. At 7:00, they earn 3 cash advances pay day loan.26% respectively to 18,287 points and 0.72% at 2361 points. Financial stocks pull the score up after a share buyback of the main state banks by sovereign wealth fund China Huijin. According to brokers, this operation is to stabilize the financial system in China.In Hong Kong, around 7:15, the actions of the banks concerned fly: Agricultural Bank of China jumped 15.09% so, Industrial & Commercial Bank of China of 7.92%, China Construction Bank gained 7.04% and of China 8.94%.

Other markets in the region are also in good spirits. The Korean Kospi gained 1.89% to 1799 points, the S & P Australian advance of 0.47% to 4220 points and the Indian Sensex climbed 0.86% to 16,699 points.

Oil stabilizes

Oil was steady Tuesday in Asia, maintaining its gains made the previous day, in a market supported by the will of France and Germany to resolve the crisis of government debt in Europe and disruptions in oil exports to Kuwait due to a strike by customs officials who demanded an increase in their wages.

The barrel of "light sweet crude" for November delivery gained 18 cents to 85.59 dollars.A barrel of Brent North Sea crude for November delivery gave a small 14 cents to 108.81 dollars.

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October 10, 2011

The Summit of the euro could be delayed

Euro countries, including France and Germany plan to push a few days at least the Euro Summit in Brussels originally scheduled for Oct. 18, according to European sources consistent.

This is to give a little more time to the development of the answer "global" announced this weekend in Berlin by Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel. The European Council President Van Rompuy must specify the new calendar in the day, according to his entourage.

'Global response'

In Berlin, the President and the Chancellor had foreshadowed the shift by promising "sustainable solutions, comprehensive and fast before the end of the month."They also kept to define the contours, which allows to believe that the agreement is to be locked at seventeen if not two, on the key points: the recapitalization of banks and the role of the European stabilization financial, finding economically viable treatment for Greece and modification of European treaties in order to strengthen collective discipline.

Europeans to revise their copy, just three months after concocted, July 21, a plan intended to resolve the crisis in Greece and curb its spread to Italy or Spain. It has not yet been adopted by all Seventeen. The vote of Slovakia, with a coalition divided on the subject may become paralyzing veto and the euro area.

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October 9, 2011

Dexia: Belgian government does not purchase a 100%

The French, Belgian and Luxembourg governments announced Sunday mid-day they had found a solution for the bank Dexia, about to be dismantled. "The proposed solution, which is also the result of intense consultations with all relevant partners, will be presented to the Board of Directors of Dexia which is responsible for approving proposals", they said in a statement, without giving more details on how they have learned.

Sunday morning, Finance Minister Didier Reynders has indicated in an interview to the channel RTBF, as Belgium does not redeem all of Dexia Bank Belgium (DBB), the Belgian entity of the bank on track to be dismantled. "The state will rise sharply in power. If we were 100% (in the capital of Dexia Bank Belgium), I do not rule, we do not intend to stay indefinitely.This does not mean that we will stay three months or six months, "he said.

Given the scale of the debt crisis, "I do not exclude that in three years, five years, maybe more, we are still present" in the capital of DBB, the retail banking business of Dexia , said the minister.

The pattern of the decommissioning of the Franco-Belgian bank Dexia today favors nationalization of the Belgian entity and the creation in France of a new bank dedicated to local communities.

Board in 15 hours

The board of Dexia, the first victim of bank debt crisis in Europe, will meet this Sunday at 3:00 p cash advance no fax.m. (1:00 p.m. GMT) in Brussels, said a spokesman for the institution.

It will have to decide on the decisions taken by France and Belgium to break up the Franco-Belgian bank, in big trouble.A meeting will be held in Brussels between pre-Yves Leterme and François Fillon, the Prime Ministers of Belgium and French, in an attempt to complete the dismantling of Dexia.

The meeting between the heads of government must be "at lunch", told AFP a source close to the negotiations. However, no details were provided on the venue.

A Luxembourg delegation will also be present during these exchanges, while an international investor has manifested itself this week to resume the Luxembourg branch of Dexia present in the retail banking and asset management."We are ready to enter the final stretch of negotiations," said Saturday night the Belgian Prime Minister in charge of current affairs, following a limited cabinet meeting devoted to the case Dexia.

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October 7, 2011

Negotiations on the future of Dexia accelerating

Febrile atmosphere around Dexia announced the dismantling of which is to organize. On Thursday afternoon, the rating on the stock exchange was suspended at the request of the Belgian regulator: the action was losing more than 17% amid rumors that many French-Belgian bank was forced each time to confirm or to reverse. It will again be listed on Monday.

Dexia has confirmed to be entered into exclusive negotiations "with a group of international investors that the government of Luxembourg will attend" to sell its subsidiary private bank, the BIL (Banque Internationale à Luxembourg). This discussion has actually been mainly engaged with the sovereign fund of Qatar, several sources indicate.The Luxembourg Finance Minister, Luc Frieden, for his part, justified the participation of the Grand Duchy as a "minority shareholder" in the name of "systemic" to his country of BIL's 12 billion euros of deposits and forty traditional bank branches.

The first assignment could be raised on Saturday by the Board of Directors of Dexia, intended, according to a close case, to "calibrate the overall strategy of the division of Dexia."

This strategy is already known in outline. This is to sell every major business or large branch. Dexia will gradually emptied of its substance and its assets down to the most difficult to sell, mainly the bond portfolio of 95 billion euros and a life of thirteen years.The State guarantee French and Belgian finance Dexia and ultimately apply to "cantonment" low interest rate personal loans.

On this basis, negotiations, under pressure from the markets and financial authorities who fear a confusion between the case of Dexia and the rest of the European banking sector are extremely complex: in addition to buyers interested in a particular asset, discussion involving the management of Dexia, its shareholders and the Belgian side the French side, and the states.

Mutual distrust

However, the pattern holds only insofar as the current shareholders of Dexia are collectively responsible. The centrifugal forces exerted, especially in Belgium, must be curbed. Thursday, pushing the Belgian regions, according to local press, a scheme of demerger of the retail DBB (Dexia Bank Belgium).

Seen from France, the idea goes wrong, since the ultimate goal of the operation is that the sale of assets – DBB is a price – reported enough money to build the hive and absorb as much as possible losses that would otherwise eventually be collected by the states.

The mistrust is mutual. On the Belgian side, Prime Minister Yves Leterme has hammered yesterday that his country did not intend to be alone with Dexia on the arms. "We must continue to fund all the past, and we will not do it alone," said the Finance Minister Didier Reynders. On this side of the border, negotiations continue on the transfer of the portfolio and lending activities to local authorities in the Deposit and La Banque Postale.

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October 6, 2011

TF1 and Canal + are for the survival of LCI

TF1 and Canal + are about to conclude their negotiations for the recovery of the non-exclusive news channel LCI. The parties are agreed on a price higher than the 5 million euros per year initially proposed by Canal +.

After months of standoff, the two operators have approached. Already on Friday, Frédéric Mitterrand, the Minister of Culture and Communication, has publicly that the government did not favor the passage of the LCI DTT to DTT. A position at which the staff of TF1 was more sensitive than the Higher Audiovisual Council has continued to increase, too, signs of reluctance.

Indeed, it is the regulatory body that should have given its approval to such an operation.The CSA has raised the legal difficulties of such an operation and would not have appreciated the statements of Catherine Nayl, director of information at TF1, the possible disappearance of LCI. Today, Canal + and TF1 prefer calm the game's announcement of the acquisition channels Direct 8 Direct and Star by Canal + and that the record fine imposed by the Competition Authority as part of merger with Canal + GST ​​urged to be more generous towards ICL. It would not be good for the group to be, in addition, responsible for the eventual death of the continuous news channel.

For its part, TF1 has weighed the pros and cons of an economic transition to free when the system always loses 5 million for a budget of 43 million euros. The move to free distribution would have widened the gap in the chain up to fifteen million.Difficult to take a risk in times of crisis.

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October 4, 2011

The euro area has not yet decided on Greece

Meetings on Greece and are very similar, a little. Following a meeting which ended yesterday, the finance ministers of the euro area have not taken any decision regarding the granting of the next tranche of 8 billion euros to Greece vital for the country.

The ministers of the Eurogroup, however, managed to find a compromise with Finland, the day after his election, had demanded of the counterparties to its participation in the second aid plan Greece's 109 billion euros decided July 21 last. Thus, the collateral will be provided in exchange for loans to Greece, said on Tuesday the Finnish government.

Efforts required to Greece

• The Eurogroup requires additional budgetary efforts of Greece, who said the day before not being able to meet its commitments to reduce its budget deficit."We call on Greece to take additional measures" in terms of savings for 2013 and 2014, thus going beyond those that have just been announced for this year and next, warned the president of the Eurogroup Jean-Claude Juncker. The euro area also recommends Athens to undertake more privatization of companies.

Increase the contribution of banks

• The President of the Eurogroup has also raised the possibility to contribute more financial rescue banks from Athens. Institutions might also undergo a discount greater than 21% of their claims previously considered Greek. There will be "technical revisions" on the subject from what was decided on July 21, he said.But Jean-Claude Juncker warned that "the involvement of the private sector, we must take into account the fact that we have experienced changes since the decision of July 21."

New missions Stability Fund

• And the ministers have suggested to increase the firepower of its Financial Stability Fund (EFSF). Ministers plan to make the fund more "efficient", as demanded insistently the U.S., but refuses however to increase its volume. This fund could help and use of leverage.

In this way, the mechanism would be allowed to use debt to leverage its ability to act. Several scenarios are circulating, the EFSF could turn into a bank that would finance itself from the European Central Bank (ECB).It could also act as an insurer from the holders of debt and cover their losses at 20% to 25%. Options involving the ECB should not be privileged ones, said Jean-Claude Juncker, without giving details.

The Eurogroup is reassuring

After the meeting, ministers have played the card of appeasement. The Eurogroup President said that Greece would be "able to fulfill its obligations" financial. He reiterated that a "failure of Greece will be avoided, adding that a person contemplates leaving Greece in the euro area."

He says that "final decision will be taken in the month of October" based on the findings of the creditors of Greece currently deployed in the country. The meeting between Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel in Berlin on Sunday planned should also do more advanced discussions.The Franco-German meeting will also prepare for the forthcoming European Council and the Eurogroup meeting on 17 and 18 October in Brussels.

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October 2, 2011

Total Access will make its first steps Monday

Tomorrow is the big day Monday for "Total Access". The new brand of the oil company, which will provide service stations with low prices, will make his first steps at Rocquencourt near Paris Gennevilliers and in the Hauts-de-Seine. The two prototypes will offer, according to the Journal du Dimanche, prices aligned with retail, or about 1 instant credit reports.46 euro a liter of unleaded and 1.38 euro per liter of diesel.

An artist's view of future gas stations cheap Total Access. (CD Total)

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September 30, 2011

The CAC 40 should be alert

The Paris Bourse could put a brake on the increase Friday. The CAC 40, which had ended on a sharp rise yesterday, could suffer from poor market sentiment in Asia this morning, themselves unconvinced by the mixed session on Wall Street.

The Greek case should again focus attention of the operators. Friday in Paris, Nicolas Sarkozy meets Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou to 17 hours to take stock of the crisis in the country. "After meeting with Mr. Papandreou, have the opportunity to say exactly what is our strategy regarding the support that we need a European country like Greece," said the head of the French government yesterday during a trip to Morocco.

The meeting came a day after the German parliament ahead of the rescue plan of the euro. Despite this vote, caution remains the watchword.German Chancellor Angela Merkel said wait for the results of the audit conducted by the troika of the country's creditors to determine whether or not to renegotiate the terms of the second international aid plan decided on July 21 in Brussels by the euro area . Troika has also resumed in Athens yesterday.

Busy schedule

In terms of macroeconomic announcements, the end of third quarter results in a responsible news for investors. In France, prices are expected in the production and consumption in August. Retail sales in Germany in August and the index of consumer prices in September are waiting for you. In the eurozone, the unemployment rate last month will be announced free business cards.

In the U.S., the ball will start with the incomes and spending. It will continue with the Chicago PMI and consumer sentiment index.

Mixed statistics were also published in China and Japan this morning.

As for currencies, the euro is still lagging behind against the dollar. The single currency is worth 1.3553 dollars in trade mantinaux. Side oil, a barrel of "light sweet crude" for delivery in November gained 53 cents to 82.67 dollars in early electronic trading. A barrel of Brent North Sea crude for November delivery took 28 cents to 104.23 dollars.

Values ​​to follow

• Axa

The Strategic Investment Fund said Thursday he would not consider an acquisition of Axa Private Equity, the private equity subsidiary of the French insurer has to sell. The Financial Times and the Tribune believe that the offers for Axa Privaty Equity, private equity branch of Axa, must be filed by early next week.

• France Telecom

Orange should have exclusivity on the sale of new phone Sharp Aquos smartphone Android Phone SH80F compatible 3D. It should be available from October 6 at Orange from 199 euros with a subscription, according to specialized sites.

• Soitec

In a statement Friday, the group confirms that the sequential growth of wafer sales in the first half of 2011-2012 compared to the second half of last year will be in line with its forecast of 20% at constant exchange rates.

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