Aid to poor countries remains a priority

15th October

Fight against poverty, access to clean water, education, health … Target the poorest countries of sub-Saharan Africa while engaging more in North Africa. These are the priorities declined by the French development, according to the 2011 AFD Ifop barometer, conducted in July, against a background of "Arab spring". They are 63% to support the continuation of official development assistance (ODA), despite the crisis and the context of budget restrictions. 77% of them even consider that France should have its own policy in Europe.

Tax on financial transactions

Given that France is the third largest contributor to global. "ODA accounts for 10 billion euros, or nearly 10% of global ODA, while France weighs 5% of global GDP.And the 2012 budget will not be affected by lower public spending, "said Minister of Cooperation Henri de Raincourt. Welcoming the outcome of the investigation that "incites to put development at the heart of the international agenda," the minister said that the G20 Development to be held next Friday in Paris will be a first in this proceeding with three priorities: food security, infrastructure and innovative financing.

Paris has the support of Brazil and several European partners to push the proposed tax on financial transactions, despite the opposition displayed the Anglo-Saxon countries, the United States in mind. "It will take these countries explain to their publics at the same time they lower their ODA they refuse to find new financing.This is an ethical issue, "criticizes the French minister.

If aid is important to the French, they are only 55% find it effective. They are even more severe in the result on the reduction of poverty, the fight against global warming and support for economic growth. Overall 60% believe the French budget enough, young people, however, require a greater commitment.

Respondents also believe that aid should rely more on local actors: communities, civil society organizations, entrepreneurs and NGOs …. The transfer of skills and know-how is considered very important to avoid over-reliance of the States for assistance. Finally, like other years, they want more information on funded projects, their progress and results.

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The Paris Bourse rebounded strongly

5th October

The Paris Bourse has regained some color. At least temporarily. The CAC 40 gained 4.33% to 2973.90 points in a little volume of trade expanded by about 3.3 billion euros. The day before, he had lost 2.61% and nearly 6% in the space of three days.

Moderated somewhat in early trading, the Paris market has accelerated the pace in the afternoon, reassured by the good performance of Wall Street. In session, the Dow Jones advanced 0.30% and the Nasdaq by 0.63%. The day before the New York Stock Exchange had hoisted the green flag in the home straight with any information that has filtered after the meeting of economic ministers of the European Union about a possible recapitalization of banks in Europe.The hypothesis was reinforced Wednesday when German Chancellor Angela Merkel ruled "justified" to recapitalize European banks in need, noting that his country was ready to do "if necessary".

Other European markets rose in unison. London was up 3.19%, Frankfurt was awarded 4.91%, Milan 3.94% and 4.03% Euro Stoxx 50.

Markets were also encouraged by the good employment figures in the United States. The firm ADP, which always reveals its figures a step ahead of the official statistics, said the U.S. private sector had created 91,000 jobs in September, about twice as anticipated by analysts.

But for most experts, this is a rebound "essentially technical" free business cards. In fact the concerns about the future of Greece are still present.Similarly, fears of slowing global growth or even recession are ever more brightly. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has painted a particularly grim situation. "A global recession in 2012 can not be excluded" admitted Antonio Borges, Director IMF Europe.

Dexia regaining ground

The announcement of the degradation of three notches on the note of Italy by the rating agency Moody's has however not really affected the morale of the operators. The news was widely anticipated by the market. September 20, its rival Standard & Poor's had also downgraded Italian.

Investors have indeed benefited from the falling value of certain financial and industrial stocks in recent days to engage in purchases with it. In Paris, Societe Generale has returned 8.65%, 9.89% Credit Agricole and BNP Paribas 8.5%.Even the Franco-Belgian Dexia threatened to dismantle and had fallen by over 22% the day before a section of the movement. The stock has recovered 1.49%. This is despite a particularly harsh note from Goldman Sachs with respect to the French banking sector.

The cyclical industry and the technology were also in great shape with Cap Gemini (14.18%, largest increase in CAC 40) Saint Gobain (+9.3%), Lafarge (8.72%) and Peugeot (8.60%).

The lunch break continue to drink

28th September

The long pause between colleagues at lunch time lived. The increased pace of work was right in this traditional division, whose length has been reduced to a trickle in the last twenty years. While employees willingly stopped for over an hour and a half to sustain themselves in the 1990s, they now spend no more than 22 minutes on average to the ritual, according to a study released Tuesday by Malakoff Médéric.

"The lunch break has become the adjustment variable of the workday, says Anne-Sophie Godon, director of prevention within the group of social protection Malakoff Médéric. The content of the day was densified, while the distance between work and home tends to increase. In this context, employees have no choice but to cut back on the lunch break. "Women are more concerned than men, many of them prefer to take the shortest time at noon in hopes of starting earlier work, says Odile Fox, medical officer in Paris.

Employees bring their lunch more

With less time spent at lunch, it is the nature of the meal that has changed. A perceptible change in the last few years yet, the study said. Since 2009, the number of employees who go home for lunch has been declining (29% of respondents in 2011 against 34% in 2009), as well as those who go to a restaurant business (19% instead of 22%). In contrast, the share of those who swallow a sandwich as a meal is still growing by 2 points in 2011 compared to 2009.

Shortening the length of the lunch break is not always synonymous with "junk food" one of the most striking findings is that the share of employees who bring their pittance to work, after having prepared at home is strong growth. Almost a third say they do frequently, women are over-represented again. "The French are trying to eat more balanced, it is a serious sociological trend installment payday loans. Provide meals is a way to control your diet. It's also a way to save money, "says Anne-Sophie Godon. The crisis is over there.

Decreased concentration

Sandwich and dish prepared in advance, reducing the dwell time has nevertheless perverse effects. "When you eat quickly, no time to feel full. Satiety occurs only after a quarter of an hour.And when we eat at his computer, it's worse: it does not even pay attention to what you swallow. Result, we tend to snack in the afternoon, "said Patrick Serog, doctor. In 2011, 39% of employees admit to regularly snacking, two points more than in 2009. "Making a real pause, three-quarters of an hour, is crucial, says Odile as Fox. Without this cut, the stress builds up. "

The health of the employee is not only involved for the company either, the lunch break is not wasted time. An employee who does not stop and does not cut even if it's only twenty minutes with their working environment is an employee who may lose concentration. "Attention has its phases. It can be really careful for forty five minutes or an hour, but rarely more.If we restore his normal work environment at his office, for example, the concentration decreases even faster, and we made mistakes, "warns Patrick Serog. This did not include an office where you eat according to host Monster 400 times more bacteria than the toilet normally maintained.

"Testimonials – And you, do you take time for breakfast? Prepare your meals in advance or do you buy close to your work? Share your experience in comments below or by email at temoin@lefigaro.fr.

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Toshiba testing of online services for seniors

26th September

"Television will become the media on which the user will find all the services he needs, including health," said Philippe Delahaye, president of Toshiba Systems France. For nearly a year and for another six months, the Japanese tests, with the support of the General Council of Bas-Rhin, a service called Demeter and home support for elderly dependents.

The system set up involves monitoring remote computer. But not to frighten the people involved, the main unit is television, connected to the Internet. "The equipment costs about 6,000 euros full, two months' rent in a nursing home," said Philip Bell, general manager of Toshiba-Cebea, a subsidiary of Toshiba dedicated services.This includes television and home automation equipment, including a smoke detector, a wristband alarm in case of fall and appliances suitable for pathology (blood pressure, diabetes control …). Then, the service costs 200 euros per month, including Internet access.

"This allows medical personnel to perform remote controls, but also the patient to easily get in touch with family members through a videoconferencing system on the TV," said Philip Bell. Medical staff and the senior may also contact by mail, through an electronic pen. Just write on a single sheet, the text is automatically entered and the e-mail sent when the pen is rested on its base free business cards. Forms to the attention of nurses and doctors have also been developed: just check the right boxes with the electronic pen and they are added to the medical record.It also allows for monitoring of medication, food … "We found that health staff was not comfortable with a keyboard, where the idea of ​​electronic pen, said Philip Bell . We are also working to develop a speech recognition system. "

Recurring revenues

For Toshiba, the objective is to develop this service at the national level but also in other countries. Japan pays attention to the experience of Alsace. Beyond the societal issues related to aging, a new economic model that is emerging. This type of service should allow the manufacturer to generate recurring revenue through subscriptions.

"The rise of the TV connected through the development of local services," added Philippe Delahaye.Most TVs sold today by Toshiba can be connected to the Internet, or consumers do not always use this function. By bringing seniors to the technology, Toshiba is not only the population but also those around them: Health care workers, children and grandchildren.

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Eurobonds are too expensive for Germany

21st August

Eurobonds are too expensive. It is seeking to demonstrate that the calculations of the German Ministry of Finance, taken by the weekly Der Spiegel on Sunday. This mechanism, which is to pool the debts of 17 countries in the euro area, regardless of their health, the first year would cost 2.5 billion euros of interest in addition to the budget of the German finance minister. This cost would be twice as high the second year to a total of 20 to 25 billion at the end of ten years.

On this basis, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has once again firmly rejected the introduction of this system, although many market professionals believe that this is the solution to the crisis of European sovereign debt. "The Eurobonds are quite the wrong response to the crisis of the moment.They would lead us to a union of debt and not a union of stability, "she says in an interview with ZDF.

His comments echo those made by the Minister of Economy Philip Rösler the newspaper Bild am Sonntag: "The Euro-bonds are a bad signal sent to national economies failed. Cover the risks of other countries with Eurobonds would immediately drive up interest rates in Germany. This would have dramatic effects on growth in our country, "said he.

Strengthening governance

Despite all these outputs, the German government did not draw a line under this system payday loans in 1 hour. The finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, has again said that the countries of the euro area could issue Eurobonds if échafaudent prior fiscal policy and fiscal policy.But this move towards integration is not fast enough, he said. "Most Member States are not quite ready to accept the necessary limitations on national sovereignty. But believe me, it's a problem we can solve, "said the Minister in an interview with Welt am Sonntag.

Wishing to lead by example, Wolfgang Schäuble has said for his part personally prepared to transfer sovereignty to Brussels. "As a person, I would be ready. The idea of ​​a European finance minister I have no problem.But as finance minister I say that it is our duty to solve problems here and now, and that as soon as possible based on existing contracts. "

Wolfgang Schäuble will meet his French counterpart Francois Baroin Tuesday to discuss the harmonization of corporate tax and the introduction of a tax on financial transactions. France is the country with Germany most strongly opposed to the Eurobonds.

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Titanic struggle for control of the Web

16th August

It's a battle of titans. On one side of the ring, Google and its $ 39 billion in cash. On the other, Apple, which has a strike force of 75 billion. And the challenge of combat is the title of world champion all kinds of platforms for the exchange of content on the Internet and mobile. These famous platforms (YouTube, iTunes, Amazon, Netflix, Facebook, Twitter …) named by the Anglo-Saxons' OTT "(over the top), have made off the Internet. The report "Global Internet Phenomena Report" Netflix accounts for 30% of Internet streams in the United States, YouTube and iTunes 11% 3.2%. Between them, they weigh already 43% of U.S. Internet traffic!

The famous vision of the convergence of content and pipes dear to Jean-Marie Messier is totally outdated. Today, a group that controls a movie studio and a telecom operator has only his eyes to cry.The new Web giants like Google and Apple do not control any of this. They just developed a huge platform of exchange on the Internet on which they aggregate to music, movies, television series, electronic books, newspapers, video games and entertaining thousands of small applications. The challenge for them is to distribute such content on devices (mobile phones, tablets, PCs, TVs connected) and to levy a tithe in the process. But to control the distribution, they need three pieces of the puzzle: the platform, the terminal and finally the software that connects the platform and the terminal.

This is Steve Jobs, the genius head of Apple, who developed the concept cash advance. His platform called iTunes and Apple Store. Its terminals are called iPod, iPhone and iPad. Finally, the software that links is called IOS.Engineering is to develop an easy to use and so user friendly that consumers choose to voluntarily shut themselves in a world of Apple and even give him the credit card number! A dream!

Next step: the network

In this strategy, Google has a delay time. But in the world of technology, the positions are turning very quickly. The platform called Google and now Google + YouTube, social networking competitor Facebook, which has already gathered more than 25 million users. Google has also developed its software: Android. Used by 150 million mobile phones and hundreds of thousands of tablets, Android than Apple the IOS.

However, Google has never succeeded in producing a terminal. His first mobile, the Nexus One, was a failure.Its case for Google TV connected TV is not taking off and there is still no tablet Google. A huge hole in the strategy. Larry Page, Google CEO, knows that to win against Apple, it needs to control the terminals. Motorola is a strong brand and its laboratories are full of excellent telecom engineers. Specifically, the next battleground may be the control of telecom networks. In 2007, Google was a candidate for the purchase of mobile frequencies in the United States. Without success. But this is only a postponement.

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The man who hears the water under his feet

14th August

The pendulum swings between her fingers. "As soon as the balance is broken, it means that there is radiation." So potentially the water flowing underground. Small round glasses and goatee-like of the eccentric Professor Calculus of Hergé, Hervé Laurent is no less serious. His profession: divining, or "geobiologist." A broader term to refer to a specialist in environmental influence on living organisms. In 2007, after receiving specific training in Vannes and have trained for three years, the former surveyor of 49 years decides to create his own company, Art of the place, to practice his passion. Since then, he walks every week in its adoption of Normandy, but also in Seine-Maritime, near Paris or in Normandy, in search of blue gold.

To do this, Hervé Laurent uses the methods of dowsing.This technique, which is controversial in the scientific sphere, based on the faculty of feeling "all that shines, like electromagnetic waves", including water. Once on the ground, sticks and other clocks are involved, "they function as amplifiers of radiation," said he. But according to him, "a trained diviner may very well do without it, once it knows how to put his body in condition to capture any breach of magnetic fields." Although it states "take them out to professional confidence to the customer …" In addition, Hervé Laurent also uses the "scintillation counter, an electronic device can also detect water" and that confirms a first trial.

"A failure rate of 10%"

Like the rods, the pendulum is used to find water. Photo: PM

Majencia prefer "pay wage bills as oil"

5th August

For Majencia, a French company whose clients are exclusively French, to produce 20,000 km was "questionable logic," in the words of its current CEO, Vincent Gruau. With the adventure of trying relocation in 2004, in 2006, when the company encountered serious financial difficulties, the newly appointed CEO has decided to repatriate all of the manufacturer's production office.

"When I joined the company, I found that our plants were in a situation of overcapacity. The workers were laid off at 20%. Rather than close the plant, whose vacancy was expensive, we decided to give work to our employees, "said Vincent Gruau.

Social progress

The company at that time in full recovery, putting on sustainable development.From this point of view, the relocation of production is clearly relevant: it is a CO2 saving, and social progress for the company employees who see their jobs secure. It remained to assess the economic impact of such change.

Given the nature of the products Majencia including metal storage boxes – the raw material and transportation were already 80% of their cost. "Our products are heavy and bulky, their price per kg is low. These are typically products that support a hard rising costs of transportation, "said Vincent Gruau.

When energy prices begin to rise, the cost differential production with France rises to 10%. To fill the latter gap is that the direction of the working groups with the workers at its plant in Noyon, in Oise online payday loans.Objective: To identify the stages of manufacture, areas for improvement in productivity, which will relocate in September 2006 in constant costs.

More flexibility

If the primary objective of management was at full capacity to hold one of its French factories, the relocation has had other benefits, this time trading. Besides selling point is that the anchor 100% French, Majencia gained flexibility. No more delays transport 6 to 8 weeks which require to store the items. The manufacturer of office can now provide on demand.

"Our customers are increasingly attentive to the quality of work spaces. They expect from us a custom production that we could not provide China, because we did not master the entire process of production, "says the CEO.While only boxes light gray and dark gray out of their Chinese factories, Majencia now produces small batches to order. "If a customer asks us boxes purple polka dot young, we can provide!".

Since the relocation, 31 positions were created after the finances of the company recovered, from 2009. While production of 30,000 boxes were repatriated in 2006, the additional volume has now more than doubled. With a net increase of 174% in 2010, the company is now profitable, is considering moving to 90,000 in the coming years.

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Greece still down by Standard & Poor's

28th July

After his sister Moody's, the rating agency Standard & Poor's sanctions Greece. It announced on Wednesday the downgrade of the country to "CC" with a negative outlook. Athens is found in two notches of default. The aid plan presented last Thursday by the European leaders will put Greece in a de facto situation of "selective default", argues the agency.

The plan, which provides a 20% loss to investors holding voluntary debt Greek, "is not investor friendly," said Standard & Poor's (S & P). "Although no date was given for the launch of this plan, we understand that it will not take place until September at the earliest. When it announced a deterioration in the notes to the rank of "selective default" (SD) should occur, "warns S & P.

In addition, Standard & Poor's believes that if the European Financial Stability Fund (EFSF) acquires large-scale debt securities on the market at prices planed, the country will also be in default selective. Note of Greece will be raised when the buybacks and debt restructuring will be completed.

But S & P remains cautious. After this first failure, the risk that the country face new fault "remains high". The head of the country rating agency launched statements in that Tuesday morning. "We plan to grant Greece a low rating in the speculative grade", that is to say high risk, he warns. The debt would still represent more than 130% of GDP at the end of 2011 and growth prospects, S & P notes, remain uncertain.

The President of the European Central Bank took the defense of Greece, shortly before the announcement of S & P. Speculate on a failure of Greece, he said, "would be the surest way to lose money after the decision last Thursday," giving new aid to the country.

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The state must better understand the risks before investing

19th July

"If a new outbreak of disease occurs tomorrow in Kenya and Mexico, what should be the response of a health minister? Doing nothing is obviously wrong, decide the day after the onset of the disease in this country to immunize all the French media is not a point of view of our public finances. " Any resemblance to a situation that existed would not be purely coincidental …

Less than two years after the vaccination campaign against influenza A (H1N1) from Asia, which cost 700 million euros to the state (France had ordered 94 million doses before returning to 45 million for … that finally only 5.3 million French people to get vaccinated) is the illustration chosen Monday by the Director General of the Center for Strategic Analysis (CAS), Vincent Chriqui, at the outset of a study on the "calculation of risk in public investments. "Purpose of this report, led by Christian Gollier, head of the Toulouse School of Economics: to show that it is possible to take into account the risk and uncertainty before launching expensive projects.

"A position of equilibrium"

For this, the document recommends "a balancing of possible or probable gains with losses likely, or unlikely but possible" (sic)! Concrete expression to this current example chosen by Vincent Chriqui: "The catastrophe of Fukushima reminds us how the apprehension of risk and its assessment is an essential component of a public investment program."

Take into account not only the approach of the engineer, doctor, biologist or climatologist, but also that of the economist.The report stresses the importance of considering cost-benefit, cost utility and cost-effectiveness and integration of risk in the economic calculation. CAS advocates actually define rules that would result in "a position of balance" between spending and risk reduction. It offers among others a "mainstream" risks in the economic evaluation of investment projects in fields as diverse as new drugs, transport infrastructure and energy production or the urbanization of areas exposed to natural hazards …

It is "necessary" to take into account the benefit that a project can bring to the community risks associated with climate change, changes in oil prices, economic growth, the report says.It should, for example, remember that oil prices could rise in coming decades, when evaluating the benefit of a railway line.

The report also introduce a "risk premium" in the calculations when the fundamentals of a project are strongly correlated to economic activity. This would in some downgrade in the order of priorities "to guide public policies for projects that reduce the risks borne by households."

The Center for Strategic neglects, however, in size: large investments must be decided according to their degree of economic rationality, certainly, but also political choices or ethical. They can even be taken under the fear of lawsuits.This is precisely what has weighed against influenza A: After the tragedies of contaminated blood or the heat, the top priority policy was that the French can not blame them for not being vaccinated when they wished.