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.

According to the Uruguayan Minister, Louis Almagro, Nicolas Sarkozy was very upset to see that its proposed regulation, including tax havens, were not retained. Nicolas Sarkozy.

Luis Almagro, Uruguayan Minister of Foreign Affairs, said French President Nicolas Sarkozy was "very upset" with "the failure of the French strategy at the G20" and that he expressed in his statements on tax havens cause of a crisis with Uruguay.

"I think his statement (was dictated by) the bitterness and is linked with the failure of the French strategy at the G20", held in Cannes (south-eastern France) in early November, said M . Almagro in an interview published Thursday in the weekly Busqueda. "The four or five worn by strengths (Nicolas) Sarkozy at the G20 were rejected, as (the idea) to cap prices or on financial issues, etc..He used the G20 as a political platform, but it emerged weakened because the final statement did not address its program. I think it was upset and he has expressed in this unfortunate statement, "he added.

In early November, Nicolas Sarkozy said after the G20 summit that tax havens would be put "beyond the pale of the international community." He said that was part of the capital Montevideo which "did not have a legal framework for the exchange of tax information." These statements have angered Montevideo. The French government then explained that it was a statement on behalf of G20 and not of France and expressed its confidence in the willingness of Uruguay to fight tax evasion.

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.

The Greek government expects a budget deficit reduced to 5.4% of GDP in 2012 assuming implementation of the proposed debt exchange expected to reduce the burden of public debt, according to the proposed final budget submitted Friday in parliament.

Excluding the impact of the debt swap (PSI), the project includes a deficit equivalent to 6.7% of gross domestic product next year after 9.0% this year.

The exchange of debt should lead to an issue of new bonds with a nominal value of EUR 70 billion and the payment to bondholders deprived of 30 billion euros in cash.

The parliamentary debate on the budget next week to begin by examining the text in committee, the plenary vote is scheduled for 8 or 9 December.

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 giant consumer products Anglo-Dutch Unilever announced Friday the acquisition of 82% of the Russian cosmetics company Kalina Concern for 500 million euros.

Concern Kalina, Russia's number one segment of the cosmetics and hair care, is present mainly in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

"This will transform the business of Unilever in cosmetics in Russia (…) This will also strengthen and rebalance the portfolio of Unilever and its competitive position in Russia, an emerging market with great potential and the One of our priority countries, "he said in a statement the general manager of Unilever, Paul Polman.

The action Unilever, which gained 7% last month, advancing 1.6% to 20.88 pounds at 7:20 GMT, valuing the company at about 26 billion pounds (29.8 billion euros).

The Belgian, French and Luxembourg reaffirmed Sunday after a meeting held at midday in Brussels their solidarity in the search for a solution that ensures the future of Franco-Belgian bank Dexia .

In a joint statement, the Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme and French François Fillon stated that the three governments give their full support to the proposals of management of the banking group, presented at a Board of Directors scheduled to begin at 15:00 in Brussels.

"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," added the two prime ministers.

"I am confident in our ability to reach an agreement with our French colleagues and Luxembourg and will be then the board of directors of Dexia to decide", for his part said Yves Leterme on Belgian television.

The activities of the Franco-Belgian bank, first bank in size in Europe to be a victim of the crisis of sovereign debt in the euro zone could be split and the most risky assets confined to a separate structure.

The Belgian, French and Luxembourg Sunday began discussions on the future of Dexia, in order to reach agreement on the terms and their participation in the new rescue plan for the former world leader in financing local authorities, supposed to lead on an orderly dismantling of the bank.

Brussels and Paris are trying to agree on the guarantees afforded by the two countries to the hive to accommodate the bond portfolio of 95 billion euros in Dexia, hoping not to aggravate the situation of public finances .

The rating agency Moody's has also increased pressure on the Belgian camp Friday night: it has placed the sovereign rating of Aa1 by explaining kingdom under surveillance will include assessing the costs and liabilities that the state could play in supporting Dexia.

VALUE TEST

Negotiations on the dismantling of Dexia, already saved from bankruptcy in 2008 after that of Lehman Brothers, will be a test for investors who want to see in the folder Dexia the ability of European leaders to overcome their differences to solve the banking crisis and the crisis of sovereign debt.

According to the most likely scenario, the dismantling of the Franco-Belgian bank should go through a nationalization of the Belgian branch, Dexia Bank Belgium (DBB), which specializes in bank deposits.

According to the Belgian daily L'Echo, the trail of a takeover of DBB by a foreign bank is considered and several institutions have expressed interest, including Deutsche Bank, Rabobank, Crédit Mutuel and BBVA.

Another key point of discussion: the distribution of the financial burden of dismantling between Belgium and France, whose participation combined with that of the Caisse des Depots (CDC) is around 25%.

Yves Leterme and Didier Reynders warned Thursday the French government that Belgium would not only rescue the financial burden.

In France, a dismantling of Dexia should result in a link-financing activities of local communities in a structure owned jointly by the Deposit and Postal Bank.

Friday, François Fillon has announced that the Deposit would release three billion euros to finance the French local authorities until a new entity formed by the Deposit and Consignment Office (CDC) and the Postal Bank to take the Dexia relay.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, has to go on his side Sunday in Berlin for talks and a working dinner with Chancellor Angela Merkel before the summit of the euro area of ​​17 and 18 October and the G20 of Cannes and the three November 4.A bilateral meeting during which the larger issue of the recapitalization of banks in Europe should be addressed.

Pending the outcome of negotiations and decisions of the Board, the listing of the Dexia shares was suspended Thursday in Brussels. It will resume Monday morning.

Before the suspension, Dexia shares worth 0.85 euro.

European banking stocks were again down sharply Monday on the stock market due to lingering concerns of investors about the financial health of banks exposed to the crisis of sovereign debt in the euro area.

Around 9:50, the European banking index gave up 3.03%.

"This is the euro area is still Greece.We tend to underestimate the problem, "said one Paris-based financial analyst who requested anonymity.

"Clearly, I think of Greece, the banks will have to make additional provisions, especially after the statements of recent days as what the trajectory of debt (Greek note) was uncontrollable."

The analyst also noted that U.S. money managers have reduced their investments in European banks.

"Structurally U.S. banks will lend less to European banks as the crisis lasts," said he. "European banks will have to go looking for funding sources for other areas."

Among the largest declines, the German bank Deutsche Bank falling 6.74% to 24.25 euros.In Paris, Societe Generale was down 4.62% to 21.14 euros and BNP Paribas 4.14% to 32.0350 euros.

The action suffers from Deutsche Bank launched two investigations into the bank in Britain and the United States.

According to the Financial Times, the British authorities in the fight against fraud are currently reviewing certain transactions by Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs.

The bank is also part of the list of 17 major international banks covered by the plain of the U.S. federal agency oversight of mortgage loans (Federal Housing Finance Agency) for the role of these institutions in the subprime crisis.

The Spanish Socialist government announced Friday the signing of an agreement with the conservative opposition in the Constitution for the country the principle of limiting the public deficit and debt.

The Constitution will be amended through a law to be adopted before June 30, 2012, the government said in a statement released in the early hours of Friday.

Both sides agreed to secure 0.4% of GDP limit of the overall structural deficit of the country audience, ie excluding debt service.

The law will also include criteria for a gradual reduction of debt pursuant to the Pact of Stability and Growth in the euro area.

The two sides signed the agreement will review the deficit ceiling in 2015 and 2018.

This follows a call to that effect made by France and Germany to countries threatened by the debt crisis in the euro area.

Spain has already announced Tuesday that it would enshrine in the Constitution a public debt ceiling before the legislative elections in November.