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Despite strong criticism from politicians, the public and shareholders, the board of directors of the British group BSkyB has renewed their confidence in James Murdoch, who remains in control of the company. "As you might expect, there was a long discussion on the board (Thursday), concerning in particular the role of the president and the board unanimously reaffirmed its support for James," said Jeremy Darroch, the chief BSkyB, the BBC.

In the spotlight since the outcry over the wiretapping scandal in the UK and the abandonment of the News Corp. offer. the entire bouquet of satellite channels paid, son of Rupert Murdoch resisted so pretty well. It must be said that under his leadership, BSkyB can not stop producing exceptional results.During the fiscal year ended June, BSkyB managed to attract 426,000 new customers to over 10 million users. What increase its annual turnover by 16%, to 6.6 billion pounds, or 7 and a half billion euros. Operating profit, up 23%, even more than the symbolic billion pounds (1.14 billion euros). In short, BSkyB is a real cash cow for its parent News Corp., Which holds 39.1% stake. And that is why Rupert Murdoch would put both hands on the entire group. An ambition he had to drop against the scandal caused by tapping the News of the World. The penalty was immediate the London Stock Exchange: title BSkyB plunged nearly 15% in July.

Very angry shareholders

Faced with obviously very angry shareholders, BSkyB multiplies the gifts.The group will hand out a total of one billion pounds through a share buyback program of 750 million pounds and a dividend increase of 20% to 23.28 pence per share. James Murdoch, who is also chairman of News International and Executive Vice President of News Corp., Has certainly won a race, but it is nevertheless not completely out of the woods. The natural heir of the empire, Murdoch could be again required to explain himself to MPs in the summer. British MPs seek, in fact, to understand why James Murdoch supported them, during his hearing, there are about ten days, he was not aware of the extent of fraudulent tapping, as of News International's former colleagues say otherwise.

Besides, sources from the board of BSkyB, quoted by the BBC, the support of the Board of satellite package does not go on forever, if new evidence calling into question the credibility of James Murdoch, chairman of the British broadcasting company since 2007, its role could be reviewed.

"BSkyB close to 10 million subscribers

"The personalities in the heart of the scandal-tapping

"News Corp renounces the acquisition of BSkyB

Find a solution to the debt crisis before the holidays. This is the roadmap of finance ministers of the euro zone next week. The European Council President, Herman van Rompuy, do not let them choose by calling Thursday for a summit. In the meantime, they must agree on the terms of a new plan of aid to Greece, the key to stability in the euro area.

"Our agenda will be the financial stability of the euro area as a whole and the future funding of the program (help) Greek," said Herman van Rompuy in a statement released Friday night. A summit should be held this week, but the disagreements were apparently still too large to meet the ministers of the euro area.

Friday, the German government still insisted on the need to reach a solution on this point before considering a meeting at the highest level."It's not a meeting in itself will help Greece, is a new program," said Berlin spokesman of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Steffen Seibert. A meeting will take place only if "it makes sense and is necessary," he added.

"Practicalities"

The fact that the president of the EU sets a date for the meeting means that the countries of the region are close to an agreement to overcome their differences on the plan must shelter Greece until 2014. The difficulties relate to the private sector. While States have agreed on this principle, "the element that continues to be discussed is the scope and practical arrangements," said the Belgian Minister of Finance Didier Reynders.

This question, seemingly technical, is the more political aspects.Specifically, Germany would like the creditor banks of Greece their hands to the portfolio. German Chancellor Angela Merkel does not want to antagonize the public, tired of paying for its European neighbors. The German solution has the potential to place Athens in de facto default. An option rejected by the European Central Bank (ECB), France and Madrid. "We made good progress" in discussions of the issues that upset "but there is still work to do," said a source close to the talks.

"Treat the Greek problem '

These dissensions troubled financial markets in the euro area. The crisis reached a new level this week, the contagion affecting Italy's third largest economy in the euro area. Rome, however, managed to extinguish the fire in the markets by adopting an emergency in the austerity plan of 48 billion euros.Publication of the results of stress tests of European banks on Friday could also help calm the fears of investors.

If the finance ministers do not want to disturb the relative calm, they will present next Thursday, practical solutions. "It should address the problem of Greece, as a starting point of an overall therapy," say economists at Credit Agricole. The recipe that will be applied to Greece as an example. "

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No waffling. The Paris Air Show is clearly a prime target for terrorists of all stripes. "The means are enhanced this year given the international context," admits Gilles Fournier, director of the show. Everything is made to ensure that nothing spoils the biggest party in the aviation world. The device, classified top secret, similar to that established for a G8 or the movement of a Barack Obama in Normandy. But the BBC is able to detail some components.

The government and relevant ministries including Defence and Interior, make available to the people living in 2000 to carry out missions of security, air traffic management, protection of public figures and the public. In total, no fewer than 45 state departments are present. Le Bourget hosts a control center.This PC has 80 permanent crisis covering all areas: safety, security, public order, land and air circulation. Protection services and intelligence are also at work, the DCRI provides security industry while teams of HPPD (protection service VIPs) are deployed French and foreign. At least 50 cameras monitor every corner, while ground crews are based in the crowd of visitors. Officially, no foreign intelligence service is present on the site but "it is well known that the Bourget swarms of spies from all over the planet," says one industry.

A public prosecutor is always present on the site in order to treat all topics: crime, air accident, fire or bombs … "We conduct rehearsals of all scenarios.In a crisis the PC can trigger the red plan, "said Gilles Fournier. The show requisition, order of the prefect, a representative of the Association of radio amateurs (ADRASEC). "If everything is cut and the saturated mobile is the ultimate way to help to communicate with the outside," says the executive director of the show.

70 hectares to monitor

Mobile police squads roam the 70 acre site while the Air Force ensures its protection Air Show. A special device for aviation security (DPSA) is deployed in order to "put the Bourget in a protective bubble" without disrupting the airports of Roissy and Le Bourget. A temporary exclusion zone (FTZ) flight is drawn from the south to the north of Roissy Le Bourget. This space is reserved for bounded planes and pilots accredited with flight plans, passenger names were submitted.An intruder is likely to be intercepted "by any suitable means." AWACS surveillance aircraft and helicopters for surveillance and intervention runs continuously and monitors "anything that flies." On the ground, the Air Force is on alert: the Mirage are ready to take off. Rattlesnake missiles are pre-positioned and radar detection of the Air Force record "everything that moves." All are ready to respond regardless of the scenario: small escort the aircraft flying club that has accidentally wandered into the FTZ, to land an aircraft in emergency or eliminate a target whose trajectory is clearly hostile. "

On the ground, military aircraft are under the protection and monitoring of specialized private companies but also armed them support like the American aircraft.As for civilian aircraft, they are under the protection of security companies licensed by the prefecture and the Ministry of Interior. Three companies subsidiary of ADP Alysia, GPS and Stand-Up is under contract with the organizers of the show. "These are companies of reference, approved in the prefecture who usually major events at the Stade de France or Cannes. They carry out checks at the entrances of the show, searches and identity checks, "said Gilles Fournier.

Similarly, vehicles entering the territory of the exhibition are all controlled and searched by teams cynotechniques explosion of Police.

The site displays a complete medical device. An advanced medical post (PMA) managed by the EMS Department is mounted. It also relies on the private firefighting resources in the Order of Malta delegating nearly 80 people throughout the show.A field hospital is also there with his two centers equipped with defibrillators, resuscitation and 8 beds. "Every year it handles about 150 cases: this is the little bobo heart attack through the heat stroke," says Gilles Fournier. The medical task force also has in its ranks doctors, nurses and firefighters from the brigade of Paris. "Around the room, barracks and hospitals were placed on standby, ready to intervene and welcome. Beds reserved in hospitals in Paris, "said Louis Le Portz.

Stringent safety rules for flight demonstrations

Another aspect to manage public safety and residents during the presentation of aircraft flights. Le Bourget is also a city of more than 13,000 residents, schools and shops. "The rules of safety are absolutely stringent," the organizers insist.The show is under the authority of an Interministerial Commission of Control, chaired by the Prime Minister. From it depends on the Organizing Committee and Coordination Committee (COC) which brings together representatives of the Ministry of Defence and Interior, the Air Force, Airport of Paris, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the prefecture of Seine Saint Denis. The COC approves the demonstration flights daily that drive the show from 14 hours.

The space dedicated to demonstrations is well defined this is called the volume-flying aerial displays and controlled by radar trajectory to track and record real-time trajectory and the exact position of a plane in 3D. Station to the driver that does not follow the strict rules.Prohibition is made out of "volume of flight," to fly across the room, the crowd, to make figures prohibited from encroaching on the airspace close to Roissy. A system of penalty and prohibition of flights is planned but it is very rarely used, say the organizers of the show. The drivers are all experienced professionals who have been approved by the direction of flight at Le Bourget.

From Wednesday to Saturday before the show opens, theft of repetition and validation takes place. Pilots, flight plans and the figures have to be approved by Stéphane flick, the director of flight appointed by the state. The former head of the school test pilots is still active. It is the center pilot flight test of the Directorate General for Armaments (DGA).

Spring 2011 is the warmest spring (+2.6 ° C) since the beginning of the twentieth century, surpassing 2007 (+2.1 ° C) and 2003 (+1.8 ° C). The lack of rainfall between March and May 2011 (deficit of 55%) is also the largest before 1976 (46%) and 1997 (40%).

Result: the vine is ahead. Flowering, key moment, arrived three weeks early. According to the adage, the harvest takes place one hundred days later, the Beaujolais expects to harvest around 15 August, the Bordeaux and Burgundy in late August.

First question: the heat and drought are they harmful to the vine? In principle, no. The vine is a perennial plant with long roots, sometimes over 10 m, which are immune to the vagaries of weather: it is only the first foot of land that are dry.Only the vines suffer not worked and amended with very shallow roots.

We therefore takes a great vintage? Is going a bit far, because spring is not only the result. Moreover, in recent vintages hot, 2007 has not left a great memory, because the summer was wet and ruined the great hopes of the Champagne, Bordeaux and Burgundy, among others. Everywhere, 2007 are to drink, and only Sauternes and some great Rhone wines, especially side Chateauneuf-du-Pape, save the reputation of the vintage.

As for the 2003 vintage, with its very short growing season, it remains a curiosity, because with the hot clouds an average but the wines are of low acidity. At birth, the great Bordeaux had raised the enthusiasm of a few tasters, especially overseas, and prices had skyrocketed.But today, the big bottles are rare, first quantitatively, because the harvest was reduced, and they do not shine by their qualities. Those who blindly follow the sirens Bordeaux were fooled. It goes back to 1893 or to 1811 for a hot high quality, but primarily because the weather was dry.

Lower yield

Drought, it should not be confused with heat, produces other effects personal loans for bad credit. The concentration is generally at the rendezvous, but with diminishing returns. The year 1976, which is included in the collective unconscious with his "drought tax" does not figure in the pantheon of great vintages, came too late because the rain has swelled the grapes. In contrast, small droughts have resulted in some recent vintages, like 2005 and 2009.But not too much should not, because it can harden the wines, as in 2010.

For now, the drought of 2011 is not worrying at all, and the vine does not suffer. All the more she has spread the bloom in some places, which is still not a good sign for the quality of the vintage. If it lasts for another month or two, the vine will slow its growth and lead to smaller bays, resulting in a lower yield.

However, "until there is no rain, no need to treat, philosopher producer. The vines are planted on soils with good moisture capacity, which saves them. "Because, contrary to conventional wisdom, it is not enough sun and heat to make great wines, and even wine while short, seeing as Australian producers, who had been seduced by the warm valleys they are forced to abandon due to lack of water.Even with irrigation, there are no great wines in the deserts.

In the New World, the science of irrigation, source of many theses and a large number of studies, has made tremendous progress, but not enough to work miracles. Good wine, let alone the great wines, the result of a complex alchemy between the sun, temperature and water from the sky just as we must, with consummate skill and suspense.

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The European Union (EU) comes to the rescue of its farmers. The Agriculture Ministers of the EU meeting in Luxembourg this afternoon, should decide to unfreeze 150 million euros in aid proposed by Brussels on Tuesday morning. This is to cope with the losses suffered by the fruit and vegetables after the psychosis to EHEC bacteria has killed 23 people in Europe.

"We will propose a $ 150 million" financial aid to cover losses of farmers, whose products are shunned by consumers, concerned as salads, tomatoes, cucumbers and others may be carrying the potentially deadly bacterium , told the press the Agriculture Commissioner, Ciolos. The exact amount of aid will however be adjusted estimates by country."We will take the period from late May, marking the beginning of the crisis at the end of June" to calculate the amount of compensation, "said the European official.

Already, the 150 million mentioned seem insufficient, as the amount of losses made by European farmers. The only Spaniards consider that the bill because of the boycott of their products by European consumers has cost them 200 million euros. In France, the bill, according to professionals, is approaching 5 million.

Berlin slammed

Germany on the other hand was roundly criticized for his handling of the crisis by European Commissioner for Health in the European Parliament meeting in Strasbourg on Tuesday. She had made allegations, soon withdrawn, cons of cucumber Spanish after the demonstration of the first cases of contamination."It is critical that national authorities are not lining up to give alerts unproven, because it creates problems and psychosis," warned John Dalli. "It is important to trigger alerts when certain scientific data," he said.

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The earthquake that rocked the small Spanish town of Lorca and killed 8 people, has struck a very agricultural area and little industry. An advantage when it comes time to estimate the cost of the disaster. Insured losses (excluding public infrastructure), however, could represent "tens of millions of euros," said Baunay Yorik, director Ubyrisk and specialize in the study of natural hazards.

"The earthquake seems to have caused more damage than the information from its one magnitude 5.1 on the Richter scale, could suggest," says the consultant. "This reflects the fact that the epicenter was only 10 km from the surface." Nothing to do yet with the earthquake of 2009 that destroyed the Aquila, Italy: he had killed 308 people and cost nearly $ 2.5 billion. Nothing to do with either the earthquake and tsunami, which struck Japan in March.This disaster will cost 217 billion euros.

A region rather poor

Wednesday's quake hit a rather poor part of Spain. The Autonomous Province of Murcia, where Lorca is only in effect for only 2 no teletrack payday loans.5% of gross domestic product compared to its 3% of the population. "Beyond the human cost and trauma it caused among residents, the earthquake is unlikely to have major economic impact," said Jesus Castillo, an economist at Natixis. "But the consequences can be severe for some small local contractors whose production tool has been damaged by the disaster."

Lorca is also home to a factory in Swiss cement giant Holcim. "The 53 employees are safe," a spokesman reassured the group Thursday morning. "The site itself has undergone some very minor damage, which does not involve the production chain.Power was cut, the plant discharged and engineers currently auscultate the site. "The group does not specify how long the plant will remain shut down.

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Lefigaro.fr – Moral and household consumption in U.S. economic growth and lowered down. Yet financial markets are up sharply since the beginning of the year. How do you explain it?

Francis Mouté – The morale of Americans is not really half-mast. They are even more optimistic, despite rising gasoline prices. Getting back to your question, several factors explain the rising trend of U.S. exchanges: the zero interest rate, the excellent corporate profitability, liquidity held by many investors, the tension on the bond markets. U.S. investors have no other choice but to invest in the shares.

U.S. companies generally show very strong first quarter.What should we expect for the second quarter?

In the first quarter despite soft U.S. growth, U.S. companies that have operations in Europe and around the world have benefited from a favorable currency impact, due to the sharp decline in the dollar. We are more cautious on U.S. equities by the end of the year. We believe that the ticket of green should stabilize or even rise against the euro. And then this exchange will not make a favorable economic growth will remain weak.

What are the priority sectors?

Our portfolio is structured in the context of sluggish growth and high inflation. Thus, we are overweight the oil companies, gold and agricultural products.While rising oil prices do not impact the market price of oil companies due to additional costs (staff, investment, energy) and the next taxation imposed by governments, but the shares remain attractive valuations.

Despite what the President of the U.S. central bank, Ben Bernanke, the dollar remains weak. Is there a risk of the dollar crisis?

Certainly, but the weak dollar also arranges the U.S. for their growth. Hear the Fed saying otherwise is a joke. Given the depreciation of the dollar as investors rush to protect assets such as gold or real estate. U.S. monetary policy remains too loose. The proof is that interest rates are zero in the short term, while inflation is at 2.7%. Ben Bernanke's speech Wednesday was disappointing.Financial markets were expecting a change in language from the last meeting. It is clear he has not changed one iota. He merely found a decrease in growth prospects and rising inflation. Ben Bernanke does not surely expect that U.S. growth is still too soft.

The end of "quantitative easing" * In June he announced a hot summer in the financial markets?

It is not certain. On the one hand, doubts remain about the ability of the U.S. economy to get by without the injections of liquidity of the U.S. central bank (900 billion), which still represent almost 60% of the U.S. budget deficit. Secondly, financial markets know the conditions of release. So do not expect a collapse of financial markets from June.

The continuation of measures to support the U.S. economy is feasible?

Everything will depend on U.S. growth in the second quarter and oil prices. If the upward movement of black gold will continue, U.S. growth will remain sluggish in the second quarter. At this point, anything is possible including further measures to support the economy. The proceeds from maturing U.S. bonds held by the Fed, could thus be used to finance the acquisition of new Treasury bills. Conversely, if U.S. growth in the second quarter is high, the Fed will end its policy accommodation and financial markets will adapt.

The "quantitative easing" Is not the only way to revive the U.S. economy?

The "quantitative easing" is not in any way to revive an economy but to inflate the balance sheet of the Fed.The U.S. central bank can not indefinitely pursue a lax especially when we know that the debt of the United States own more than 30% by foreign investors. If monetary policy remains accommodative for too long, the risk of a bond crash is inevitable but by default support the equity markets. The U.S. financial situation is not very strong. Degradation by Standard and Poor's at the prospect of debt the U.S. is justified. However, the fact that the rating agency has dared to tackle this "monument" that are the United States, is surprising. So much so that the equity markets and bonds do not much mind. Investors do not believe a country like the United States may be degraded. They make it too confident for that.

* The "quantitative easing" (QE) is a monetary policy used by some central banks to increase money supply by increasing the excess reserves of the banking system.

The bad blood between the two parliamentary channels: LCP National Assembly and Senate Public. The case is of such magnitude that it is on the menu for breakfast Tuesday morning, between Bernard Accoyer, president of the National Assembly, and Gérard Larcher, the Senate. These two senior figures of the Republic should even decide to convene the Board of harmonization and Arbitration, a body set up last year and charged with settling disputes between the two chains. This will be a first.This council brings together the presidents of both chambers, the two chairpersons of committees of Communications, Catherine Vautrin, Catherine Tasca, the CEOs of the two chains and six parliamentary deputies and six senators.

Why such a show of force? The spark that ignited the powder is the decision of the Senate to pass a public partnership with the AFP for its political program "Proofs by three," by Michel Grossiord and broadcast on Wednesday at 18 hours. This new partnership has angered Gerard Leclerc, CEO of LCP YEAR. For the AFP since 2006 is already associated with the issuance policy Questions info, "presented by Frederick Haziza on LCP YEAR. "Matters of info is also posted on Wednesday, but at 19 h 30. Gerard Leclerc Gilles Leclerc criticizes his Senate counterpart Target, taking the same partner for a political broadcast aired the same day.A veritable casus belli.

Yet both Leclerc, Gérard and Gilles, both appointed in 2009, know, talk and appreciate. A big change from the era Jean-Pierre Elkabbach (Public Sénat) and Michel Richard (LCP AN) who ignored each other superbly and cordially hated. But even for two people of good will, the daily management is complicated and the disagreements on slots multiply. Because both channels share the same channel TNT in 2005. Their schedules are completely interwoven with a dozen flip from one channel to another day. Consequently, viewers become confused.

Merger of two chains

In each conflict, the substantive issue resurfaces. Should we merge the two channels? A question that arises from the creation of two parliamentary channels in 1999.But today Accoyer insists and says publicly that he regrets not having succeeded in 2007 to persuade the Senate president at the time – Christian Poncelet – to conduct a merger.

It must be said that the two chains are also jealous of their independence are the two Houses of Parliament.

However, they each have a tiny annual budget: EUR 16.1 million for Public Sénat and 15.9 million for LCP NA, directly from funds of the two assemblies. Advertising is prohibited on both channels. They define themselves as both political and news channels following an editorial line very close. Finally, they each claim a cumulative audience of twenty million viewers per month.Shake the specter of the merger will perhaps bring a semblance of harmony.

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"Participation is beyond anything we dreamed. It's fantastic. It is the largest event in a generation in London, "enthused the general secretary of Unite union, Len McCluskey. "There is a palpable anger in this country and hundreds of thousands of people came here to say overnight pay day loans. According to police, there would be almost half a million people, "he said.

Protesters across the Waterloo Bridge. Photo credits: Paul Hackett / Reuters

Growth has accelerated in late 2010. It was posted at 0.4% in the fourth quarter after a modest increase of 0.2% in the third, according to Insee. It's a bit better than the previous estimate of 0.3% of the National Institute of Statistics. The figure for the year was left unchanged at 1.5% contrast.

Household consumption has firmly taken its French business. Consumption expenditure of households grew by 0.9%, while business investment slowed to +0.3% against +0.5% in the previous quarter.

The last three months of 2010, trade has contributed positively to growth. Although exports have slowed, but imports have them squarely fell 1.2%. The latter being credited domestic production accounted for in GDP to decline traced mechanically growth.