National, World, Business News

Vinci said Thursday that its subsidiary had won five contracts Eurovia maintenance of road infrastructure in the UK for a cumulative value exceeding 1.7 billion euros.

The contracts, whose initial terms ranging between five and ten years, covering all aspects of road maintenance, such as routine maintenance, inspection and repair works of Art, emergency response, snow removal and street lighting, Vinci said in a statement.

Two of these contracts were won through a joint venture with the American consulting firm Jacobs.

The Tokyo Stock Exchange ended Friday in a piecemeal, according to a new low of two and a half years in session for the Nikkei, while France and Germany have not reached the day before to convince investors of the imminence of a consensus on the answer to the debt crisis.

The Nikkei lost 0.06% (-5.17 points) at 8,160.01 points, while the Topix, broader took 0.52 points (+0.07%) to 706.60 points.

For the week, the two indexes have lost respectively 2.6% and 1.9%.

At the conclusion of a tripartite meeting in Strasbourg between the Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, the French president Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the latter reiterated his opposition to any change in the mandate of the European Central Bank (ECB ) and the introduction of Eurobonds.

"Some investors bought oversold values ​​in the afternoon (Japan), but concerns about the situation in Europe remains" Judge Kenichi Hirano, Tachibana Securities.

Areva's strategic plan will not result in job cuts in France, said Tuesday the Minister of Economy, following a meeting with the CEO of French nuclear group.

The government so far ruled out job cuts, leaving the possibility of voluntary redundancies or job cuts by not replacing departures.

The president of Areva, Luc Oursel said at the meeting that the plan would result "no job cuts, no voluntary separation plan, no impact on the French sites," said Baroin reporters.

Private sector employees in four will. And the public, who were spared, one will suffer. "In fairness", says Bercy, which hopes to save 200 million euros a year. A fourth day waiting period will be introduced for private sector employees.

A fourth day waiting period will be introduced for private sector employees on sick leave, the government said Tuesday, expecting a saving of 200 million euros for Social Security. Currently, time to which employees are compensated by health insurance is three days, often offset by the employer in large companies.

"In fairness," will also be established "one day waiting in the three public functions", announced in a joint statement the Ministers Budget Valérie Pécresse, Labour Xavier Bertrand and François Public Sauvadet.Earlier in the morning, Prime Minister Francois Fillon ruled "reasonable" before the UMP to create a day off for employees on sick leave.

If the introduction of a fourth day in the private sector is a regulatory measure, the measure for staff requires a statutory provision, the statement said. The ministers' per diem disease, representing 6.6 billion, growing at a rapid pace and difficult to justify (3.9% in 2010, after 5.1% in 2009). "

Ministers argue that "the bill initial funding of social security plans to change the replacement rate of subsistence allowances (DSA), enabling a lower expenditure of 220 million euros." Both measures are intended to achieve "an economy equivalent," explains Ms. Pécresse and MM. Bertrand and Sauvadet.

After having declined slightly in September, prices of consumer goods in supermarkets rose by 0.2% in October. Carrefour supermarket in Antibes.

Prices of consumer goods in supermarkets are starting to rebound in October, with an increase of 0.2% over one month, after stability in September, announced Thursday the National Institute of Statistics and Studies economic (INSEE). Over one year, prices rose 3.2%.

In hypermarkets, these prices rose 0.2% last month after falling 0.1% in September. In one year, rising prices in hypermarkets reached 3.4% compared with a decline of 0.7% a year earlier. In supermarkets, prices rose 0.2% in October, after stability in September. Over one year the increase was 3.3%, after falling 0.4% in October 2010.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) could provide up to 74 billion euros in loans to banks in two years in Europe if its own capital was strengthened, including with money provided by its shareholders, according to a document prepared for the finance ministers of the Union.

Prepared for the Council of Finance Ministers of the EU, which meets Tuesday, the report details the means that could be implemented if the credit crunch.

"The risk reduction of leverage by the banks is not negligible and it is important to maintain and even increase of EIB lending to the real economy through the banks," said Bank in this document, dated November 3.

A source close to the government, China is considering investing 50 to $ 100 billion in the European Financial Stability Fund (EFSF). Nicolas Sarkozy and Hu Jintao in Beijing, April 28, 2010.

China is considering investing 100 billion dollars to help the euro area to combat the crisis of public debt, reported the Financial Times on its Web site Thursday, citing a government source. "China might be willing to contribute between 50 and 100 billion in the EFSF (European Financial Stability Fund) or to fund a new mounted under his leadership in collaboration with the IMF, according to a person familiar with the intentions of the Chinese leadership" , said the British newspaper.

"If conditions are suitable then something a little over $ 100 billion is not inconceivable," said the person at the Financial Times.

Nokia, faced with declining sales and profits, announced Thursday the elimination of 3,500 positions, including the upcoming closure of its plant in Cluj, Romania.

The closure of the Cluj result in the layoff of 2,200 persons.Nokia also plans to eliminate 1,300 positions in its other division Rental & Commerce, which includes the world leader in digital mapping Navteq.

These staff reductions are in addition to a program unveiled by the group in April to achieve 1 billion euros in savings, and including the removal of 4,000 jobs.

The world's largest maker of mobile phones by volume is facing a decline in sales and earnings after announcing in February that now employ the operating system from Microsoft for its smartphones.The first of them well equipped arrive on the market later this year.

The action Nokia has lost half its value since February, investors feared that the group would lose much market share until the launch of its new smartphones and no longer able to fully regain thereafter.

Around 9:10 GMT, the action to Nokia gained 0.96% 4.22 euros, while the European sector index electronics progressed from 0.17%.

Nokia also announced it would inject with Siemens € 500 million in their joint venture Nokia Siemens Networks, headed by Jesper Ovesen would succeed Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, former CEO of Nokia.

Wall Street closed down Tuesday for the third straight session, concerns about the debt crisis in the euro area has once again taken an advantage over all other considerations.

The Stock Exchange, closed Monday for Labor Day, but ended above its low of the session.

The market questions the desire of Italy and Greece on the path of austerity, even in Germany voices are heard in protest against the aid given to countries in the area Euro trouble.

The Dow Jones lost 100.96 points (0.90%) to 11,139.30. The S & P 500 drops 8.73 points (0.74%) to 1165.24. The Nasdaq Composite Index gives 6.50 points (0.26%) to 2473.83.

Banks in particular have suffered and KBW index yielded 1.68%.So far only the German Dax and the Nikkei Japanese have sunk.

In terms of statistics, the growth of services sector in the United States has stepped up against all odds in August, ending three successive months of slowdown in the sector.

Sprint has taken legal action because it believes that the transaction will result in higher prices and create a duopoly between AT & T and Verizon Communications.

Sprint lost 4.5%, while AT & T has sold 0.78%. Verizon Communications fell almost 1%.

The creation of non-agricultural jobs in the United States were zero in August and the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 9.1%, according to official statistics released Friday.

Last month, the creation of non-agricultural jobs were zero, according to the Labor Department, while economists on average expected 75,000 creations.

Statistics better than expected in July (117,000 new jobs) was also revised down to 85,000.

That of June was also revised downward, to 20,000 against 46,000 initially.

Overall, the private sector created 17,000 jobs, against 105,000 expected and after 156,000 in July (revised from 154,000).

The unemployment rate however remained unchanged from one month to the other 9.1%, in line with analysts' expectations.

In August, the U.S. economy has eliminated 3,000 manufacturing jobs, while economists expected 4,000 new jobs after 36 000 (revised 24000) in July.

The public sector has in turn eliminated 17,000 jobs, after having destroyed 71,000 in July (revised from 37,000).