Current News Headlines

Research in Motion (RIM) launched Operation Last Chance. The Canadian group yesterday presented a prototype of the interface it wants to develop its next smartphone called BlackBerry 10, scheduled for the end of the year. Great break with previous phones brand, there will be more keyboard, the main element that differentiated the BlackBerry of its major rivals.

RIM programmers gathered in Orlando, Florida for its annual meeting and gave them the prototype of its operating system so that they begin to develop compatible applications. A specific series of video games is also being prepared by the publisher Gameloft.

The group, which saw sales of its BlackBerry decline from 25% last quarter, hopes its new interface will help him return to the market to compete with the leaders, Apple – former direct rival of RIM today ahead – and Samsung phones side, and operating systems, Apple and Google holding 80% market share.

The new RIM will also be used by the tablet group, Playbook, whose sales have failed to take off since its launch. Models include the keyboard will continue, also, to be produced.

The announcement of the Canadian group has in any case, not to enthusiastic markets. The action of RIM fell 5% on Tuesday afternoon in Toronto.

ALSO READ:

"The coup de blues of former stars of mobile

"The downward spiral continues for BlackBerry

No miracle. Greece's gross domestic product will fall by "around 5%" this year, suffering a fifth year of recession, acknowledged Tuesday the Bank of Greece. The plunge "will be less pronounced than in 2011", where GDP fell 6.9%, concedes the national bank, but 0.5 points higher than it expected in March. And it is also necessary that the restructuring measures promised by Athens to be "implemented without delay."

Unemployment, says the Bank of Greece, will exceed 12% of the workforce this year, against 17.7% last year, while inflation will be around 1.2%. And the future of the country, which aims for this year a deficit of 7% of GDP and a reduction of its debt to 145.5%, against 9.1% and 165.3% in 2011, rests entirely on the recapitalization of its banks, thanks to 50 billion euros in aid provided by its creditors. They were accused last year a record loss of 27.9 billion euros.

For Panagiotis Tampoureas, director of development pole of the ATE bank in Athens, the estimate of the central bank "is still very optimistic." In his view, the continued decline in wages and consumption can only increase at half the recession yet.

If the Governor of the Bank of Greece, George Provopoulos, underscores, once again warned his country against the risk of leaving the euro area, it must consider the uncertainties posed by parliamentary elections on May 6 Although 36 parties have submitted bids, Greece will probably have to seek a coalition government between the conservative New Democracy and PASOK socialist.

Pension fraud

Will it have the means to stay the course of rigor? This is not won. The government has discovered 200,000 cases of fraud in pensions and social benefits over two years – enough to save over 800 million euros a year.

The Ministry of Labour has also identified 4,000 businesses that reported the imputed social contributions. And Greece, which combines a shortfall of 60 billion euros in unpaid taxes, is preparing to create an electronic record capable of correlating all transactions of taxpayers with the banks, credit insurance, hospitals and all public services. He could emerge from this year and significantly reduce tax evasion.

But the Greek authorities also face another reality of the crisis. In the first half of this year, calculates the European Commission, a thousand individual companies will put the key under the door every week in the country. This is the same economic base of Greece disappears. In 2010, there were indeed very small companies with 742,600 total 2.51 million employees, over 85% of total employment in the country.

ALSO READ:

"Greece: Brussels pushing down wages

"Greece: a pensioner committed suicide on the altar of austerity

"Greece: the island to the blind, a story of ordinary corruption

From our correspondent in Moscow The Russian oligarchs are slightly fewer in 2012 and earn a little less money than last year. But this year is the emergence, in the first place in the ranking of the 200 richest, a virtual unknown in France, Alisher Usmanov, who caused a sensation.

With its $ 18.1 billion of personal wealth (13.7 billion euros), the man closest to the provincial notary that the flamboyant raider jumped five places in the ranking compiled by Forbes newspaper, and dethrones the other metal tycoon Vladimir Lissine, relegated to second place overall (about 12.1 billion euros). The steelmaker Alexei Mordashov (Severstal) completed the podium of the largest fortunes of the country (11.6 billion euros).

For its part, the very Francophile Mikhail Prokhorov, who just getting into politics and was third in the presidential election, going from third to seventh place, losing a year to the next 4.8 billion dollars (10 billion euros of total assets).

World record for the number of billionaires per capita

Best known for his West London home of Beechwod, acquired for $ 96 million, and its 25% stake in Arsenal football club, Alisher Usmanov has become one of the most discreet but also the most influential Russia, where wealth is acquired always at the intersection of business and politics. He has assisted the Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov, and his wife to make a fortune.

Alisher Usmanov, who spent six years in prison for fraud in his country, now runs the company Metalloinvest. But the businessman has also been careful to diversify its business, particularly in the media and new technologies. In 2009, he has invested nearly a billion dollars in Facebook, took a stake in the site Groupon online sales. Alisher Usmanov has also media group Kommersant.

The Vedomosti reminded Friday that Russia holds the world record number of billionaires per capita (96 143 million), before the United States and Singapore. The journal regrets that contrary to Western mentality, money has become the ultimate horizon of Russian society, including the acquisition to be held by "any means", including "violating the law" .

In 2012, the wealth of the 200 richest Russian, however, declined by $ 52.3 billion, with a total of nearly $ 446 billion (338.6 billion euros).

ALSO READ:

"For the Russian tycoons, the crisis is a distant memory

"The new Russian oligarchs

"He saved the Rostropovich collection

Free Mobile Will it or not benefit from wholesale rates (called call termination) preferential? ARCEP, the telecoms regulator, has made a proposal along these lines for voice calls, and is currently thinking about for SMS. These tariffs, paid by one operator to another to reach a call on its network, are an important component in the economic equation telecom.

But Friday night, the European Commission got involved addressing "serious reservations" to the proposal of the ARCEP. "Imposing tariffs on mobile termination rates over the networks of new entrants only makes sense if the costs are actually more important," said Commission. Clearly, the French regulator has not sufficiently justified its proposal. ARCEP has immediately responded, saying it would reflect the opinion of the Commission, but considers that its decision is not challenged on the merits.

Finally, what impact will Mobile for Free? If Arcep reviews its copy, it could result in less favorable prices for Mobile Free. However, the economic impact should have been limited because these rates apply in any case for a short period and the proposed differential rates with competitors is weaker than expected.

"For Free, the new would be unpleasant, but of limited importance, because in any case, European regulations do not allow an asymmetry that over a maximum period of four years," say analysts at Natixis. "We believe that this could make the start-up losses expected in the early years of Free Mobile a little more important. At first assessment, it could have an impact of around 25 million euros on our valuation of the mobile business, or 0.4% of the current valuation of the group, "they continue.

Technical difficulties seem resolved Free

Oddo: same observation, the impact seems too limited. "According to our preliminary calculations, the impact should be limited to 0.5 euro per share or 1.1 euros in the scenario of an abandonment of the asymmetry which seems unlikely," analysts say.

But behind the subject of voice call termination, covering tens of millions of euros for Free Mobile, looms on the SMS termination, whose stake is about ten times larger, Arcep on which to make a decision this summer.

While Free Mobile asked a very strong differential on SMS interconnection rates, its competitors are totally opposed. "There is no question of accepting the call termination on asymmetric voice calls and SMS, it would amount to subsidize the Iliad offers up to 7 euros', stated the CEO of SFR in late January . While ARCEP must decide, the Commission has wanted to send a signal?

The debate on tariffs between operators comes as Free Mobile seems to have solved the technical difficulties encountered during peak hours. "Capacity problems are solved," said Maxime Lombardini, chief executive of Iliad-Free on lemonde.fr, adding that the group had "added last week, and again in early this week, links to physical spend more simultaneous calls. "

ALSO READ:

"Virgin Mobile is playing the return match against Free

"The price of mobile calls will drop in Europe

"Customers Free pardon of" teething problems "

Then prices will drop? In this ritual question about real estate professionals meet today with a little yes. Certainly not a solid yes, frankly, but yes a little, and that is something. Even in the Ile-de-France and Paris, the traditional stronghold of the rise, things are changing. "In 2012, prices should fall by about 5 to 10% in the Ile-de-France," say solicitors. "We expect a relatively sharp decline in activity this year, about 20%, but a decline of more than 5% of prices in France," ahead of his side Pallincourt Rene, President of Fnaim, who is about to give up his siège.Au beyond the delicate exercise of global forecasting, rather symbolic as the evolution of prices can vary depending on the asset markets, all professionals describe the same picture, that of a market slows down, where transactions are less easily. But none ventured to compare the situation to that of 2008. "At that point, everything had stopped, said Sebastien de Lafond, President Meilleursagents.com. This is not the case today, the market remains fluid, even if transaction times are getting longer cheap credit report. "What has changed in six months? Much and little at a time. Laurent Vimont, president of Century 21, says "a sharp contraction in sales, including in Paris." The slowdown is real: last year, with about 850,000 sales in the former, was a record. This year, professionals expect between 700,000 and 740,000 sales only. "We lost buyers since last July. The apartments and houses that have a default and are too expensive are the same most visited, "said Sebastien de Lafond. "What is new is that Paris is affected by volume, whereas it was the last market to be in 2008," said Mr. Bazaille, president of the Institute for Notarial real estate. The sluggish housing market is not good news for local authorities and public finances. And the change in taxation of capital gains might not make the tax revenue espérées.Finies, flights, quarter after quarter.

"More than at any price"

appetite for stone is real. Credits: Jean-Michel Turpin / Fedephoto

As part of the Post found hanged at his place of work on Sunday in Finistere, Brittany, had documented his act. In a dossier of account, minutes of meetings, videos and audio recordings, man details his charges against the company. This is the second suicide in the Breton Post in ten days.

In the documents left behind, under forty, married with two children, due in particular that it "considers the hierarchy of the Post (all levels) to cause (s) has lost their bearings." "For over three years, I feel an eagerness, a desire hierarchical cornered me," says the executive who had been off long illness since November.

"Let me go"

"Let me go, it's my choice," he says in a document circulated by SUD. In a note called "My Requests", in which he says refuse any resuscitation, be prepared to donate organs and calls for burial "in family privacy" without "any representative of the corporate hierarchy, or other message the same hierarchy. "

In another note called "Appendix", he asked whether a pension for his family is' likely ',' getting that (s) are desperate gesture is reclassified as industrial accident. "

Among the documents, is also an email to the CEO of the Post and Jean-Paul Bailly dated March 11, the day of his death but not sent. In this mail, whose purpose is "SOS", the framework itself "back to the wall." He considers that his "career is over at the Post," saying fear, "in the best case," a shelved. "That's twice in less than six months that I prepare my suicide," he wrote.

"Everything was prepared"

Patrick Campion, SOUTH delegate in Finistère, said in the email sent on the day of his death to trade unions, he said it had "left other documents home" to the CGC, CFDT, CGT and SUD. He said he had recovered these documents Tuesday.

"We were given a shirt, a pocket where everything was prepared. In these documents included a series of letters, minutes of the account of interviews and two CDs, one with videos and one with lots of other documents, including audio recordings of conversations he had with his superiors "said Patrick Campion. For Blanchot Regis (SUD), these documents, in which part "explains how the Post has destroyed" prove the link between drama and work. The unions will ask the qualification of this accident as suicide.

A HSC held Wednesday at Vannes has voted to recognize this act as "accident service" and the cessation of ongoing or planned reorganizations, said the unions and management. In a statement after the meeting that lasted all morning, the unions also state that the HSC is to "use a certified expert on the effects of reorganization and managerial pressures."

Finally, unions and management announce "stop all ongoing reorganization and future direction of the e-Western Brittany (Morbihan and Finistère) until the publication of the findings" of the various surveys and assessments.

After Jeremy Bouan, chief executive of 28 years, has defenestrated in Rennes on 29 February, an investigation was initiated by the committee on health, safety and working conditions (HSC) La Poste de Rennes. Two others are being conducted by police and labor inspection.

ALSO READ:

"New suicide of a part of the Post Office in Britain

"The Post has won 478 million euros in 2011

"Post: A Framework commits suicide in Rennes

"La Poste is fining for its price (with the individual)

China's growth confirms its moderation. All indicators earlier this year indicate a general slowdown given the Chinese engine. This weekend, China Customs have announced for the February trade deficit of $ 31.5 billion. The most since 1989, according to figures from Bloomberg.

China's demand for foreign goods, raw materials whose economy is greedy, in particular, continued to grow, while the two main trade partners of Beijing, the European Union and the United States, slowing their orders in a difficult economic environment on both sides of the Atlantic. Exports then rose only 6.9% on the first two months of the year, year on year, against 13.4% in December, while imports grew by 7.7% at the same time, against 11 , 8% in December.

China's trade balance continues to play a little yo-yo earlier this year, with the effect of Chinese New Year festivities, which saw disengage almost all plants of the country. But last week, Chinese Commerce Minister Chen Deming announced already that keep foreign trade growth to 10% as in the past would ask "hard efforts".

Inflation sharply down

For it is all Chinese machine out of steam. By last weekend, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that industrial production grew by 11.4% over January and February, its lowest level in two and a half years, and retail sales of 14.7 %.

Inflation has never been so low in twenty months. The index of consumer prices rose only 3.2% over one year against 5.4% for the whole of 2011. A figure lower than expected, but also below the target the government set itself for 2012 to 4%. This price moderation should breathe a sigh of relief to more than a senior party. She had become, last year, a major concern of the central government, fearing that it would nourish the social scolds. Reassured, the Chinese leaders could now ease off on their monetary policy and the exchange rate of the yuan.

But the pause early this year by China's growth is primarily seasonal, with the parenthesis Chinese New Year, the central government may wish to wait for confirmation of this curbing of its economy before flowing again . The specter of inflation, which can leave at any moment, has not deserted the minds of Beijing.

ALSO READ:

"China cools Asian stock markets

"The Chinese auto manufacturers are moving into Europe

"Shanghai will free property sales

"The Asian market continues to rise

After Guadeloupe and Mayotte, it is the turn of the meeting to fight against high prices. If measures to lower gasoline prices and basic commodities were announced, anger persists. According to figures from INSEE, in 2010, prices were more expensive by 12.4% in Réunion in the mainland. A difference that amounts to 14 saving account payday loan.8% in Guadeloupe, and 16.9% for Martinique. In Guyana, where the price differential is highest, this amounts to paying twice the tax: a basket of goods (including rent) money is 19.6% higher than in metropolitan France.

Investigation of spatial comparison, INSEE.

Politicians and leaders of employers' organizations concerned regularly extinction risk of thousands of business for lack of buyers. Their fears are great, but it is impossible to quantify accurately the number of companies involved, lack of national statistics. "The market for the transfer of SMEs is opaque," said Gregory Bush, President of Epsilon Research, a consultancy specializing in financial analysis, acquisitions of unlisted companies in Europe.To better understand this market, Epsilon Research and National Society of mergers and acquisitions (CNCFA) created last year, a barometer of the transfer of SMEs in France.

The second edition of the barometer, which analyzes the SMEs employing between 20 and 249 employees and transactions with a value between 1 million and 50 million euros, the market potential is estimated at 4 130 SMEs on a total of 87,000. The SME market for family businesses in 2840 a total of 44,400. It consists of 710 transfers and 2,130 internal transmissions. For SMEs subsidiaries of large groups (42,670 businesses) in 1020 and 260 sales outlets LBO.

Rising prices

Direct consequence of the crisis, the market recorded transactions from the database professional has experienced sharp declines in 2008 and 2009.The value of transactions fell from 5 billion euros in 2007 to 2 instant personal loans guaranteed.1 billion in 2009. "The activity was slightly recovery in 2010 with a 7% increase in volume and 7.5% in value," says Gregory Buisson. The price of SMEs increased by 10% compared to 2009. However, the number of transactions, which had risen to 862 in 2007 was only 698 last year. LBO funds "were the only engine of the recovery," while industry groups have remained cautious in their procurement policy.

Purchasers of the euro area are the most active (35%) on the French market. They regained their 2003 level. Europeans outside the euro area, that is to say mainly the British, are increasing. North Americans are sharply down. They are at their lowest.Asians, who were increasingly active since 2002, are also down.

2011 will probably be a difficult year. The recovery in 2010 seems compromised. "According to preliminary figures, the market fell by 45% by volume in the first three quarters of 2011 compared to 2010," says Gregory Buisson. But the valuations of companies that are fit are high, thanks to the appetite of the funds.

ALSO READ:

"INTERVIEW – 80 steps to make life easier for SMEs

"The French SMEs have weathered the crisis

"SMEs are not attracted to the stock quote

This year again, the market shelves is essentially … the Apple iPad, despite an influx of competing products on the market. "Other manufacturers are struggling to create the right set-shelf applications to counter Apple," says Kirk Campbell, CEO of IDC. Samsung advanced course in second place world ranking producers of tablets, but it is still far behind the iPad. "RIM, the maker of BlackBerry, will come with an improved product. It retains its chances of success, "said the boss of IDC, while sales of PlayBook, the first tablet of RIM, have not changed the world rankings.

"There's always room for one leader in the business world," said Kirk Campbell.Indeed, users have iPads'm more likely to want to use it in a professional, IT departments are often the resistance, finding the subject too insecure. "The market remains very open shelves and Apple will sell mechanically market share," said Kirk Campbell. However, the firm at the apple still have good days ahead. If Microsoft Tuesday unveiled a new Windows Tablet 8 can equip, no product should be on the market before the end of 2012. Accordingly, IDC does not anticipate any real rebound in the PC market before that date.Then, computer sales are expected to further growth in France, with the arrival of the new Windows, but also new forms of computers and especially ultrabooks These extra thin and light PC Faxless payday loans.

Sales of smartphones are also expected to continue to grow, reaching four billion euros, an increase of 33% at the end of 2011. About 12 million handsets will be sold in France this year. "This increase meets the mobility needs of consumers," said Kirk Campbell, for whom the main battle takes place on the side of operational systems. If for the moment the landscape is dominated by IOS (Apple) and Android (Google), "there is room for five or six players, according to Kirk Campbell. There will be regional solutions. Remember that the Chinese are still not entered the race. "In France, Bada, the operating system from Samsung that plays the third male. Korean is also passed by Apple in July. Android now holds more than 50% of the French market of smartphone sales, against 17.7% for Bada (which equips Samsung Wave) and 17% for iOS Apple.

"The future cars will be connected devices" said Kirk Campbell, who predicted the establishment of a new economic model that would allow manufacturers to generate recurring revenue by selling subscription services. Ford has already extensively engaged in this way with Sync.