From our correspondent in London

Rupert Murdoch and his son James are roundly scolded by a British parliamentary committee responsible for a report on the scandal of the late plays of the tabloid News of the World. Rupert Murdoch "is not fit to lead a large international group," concludes the report, released Tuesday. The board deems "surprising" the allegations of Murdoch, father and son under which they would not have been in practice courtant espionage on a large scale in force in their newspapers. "Rupert Murdoch closed his eyes and demonstrated a willful blindness to what was happening in their societies and publications," the whips 121-page report, the culmination of nine months of hearings. MEPs also say that the News of the World and its publisher News International deliberately "misled the committee about the true nature and extent of the investigations they claimed to have carried on wiretapping."

Several leaders of the media group, are also the subject of harsh criticism. His ex-CEO Les Hinton is considered an "accomplice" of concealment of practices in the home. The parliamentary committee has, however, divided on the report's findings, adopted by six votes against four. Conservative members refused to accept the judgment against Rupert Murdoch's ability to manage. Labour MP Tom Watson, spearheading the investigation, has firmly told the opposite: "News International has conducted a cover-up scale of its illegal actions. Its top leaders have lied to parliament repeatedly. And the two men at the head, Rupert and James Murdoch, should now respond to these facts. They have corrupted our country to shame our police and our parliament. They lied, cheated, practiced blackmail and intimidation. "

David Cameron called

The report leaves the House of Commons to decide on possible sanctions, which could involve the convening of Rupert Murdoch for a public apology. It is an embarrassment media mogul facing some of its shareholders, especially Americans, tired of the damage inflicted by News Corp. in this case. The report could also weigh negatively in the review by Ofcom, the regulator of the British media, the legitimacy of the group to manage the BSkyB satellite TV bouquet, whose license could be withdrawn.

Finally, the parliamentary report increases the pressure on David Cameron, who was summoned Monday to the House of Commons where he justified his support for his culture minister Jeremy Hunt challenged for its proximity to the leaders of the Murdoch group in reviewing the file BSkyB. Tom Watson claimed that the Prime Minister and his predecessors Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, the court submit to their email exchanges with the leaders of the Murdoch group.

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Johnny Hallyday is still found in the sights of the French tax authorities. According to Duck chained, the singer was notified of a recovery of 9 million euros, after a heavy investigation since late 2010. In January 2011, several searches took place at home and some of his relatives. Yesterday press service of Johnny Hallyday stated that he had "no comment". Interviewed this morning on RTL, the French rocker has refused to confirm that a tax adjustment it was notified in late 2001.  

When asked after the launch of its 2012 tour Tuesday night in Los Angeles, the singer said only: "I can confirm anything because it is you who teach me, I go out on stage, I is my music for me is what is most important. "

According to the weekly satirical, the IRS regrets the existence of "a complex network of companies operating in rather baroque", particularly for a Luxembourg company, Nerthus Invest SA, a shareholder is an entity based in Liberia.

The rocker is well again at the center of a tax case. He who had already seen straightening of some 100 million francs (15 million) in 1975. A sum which he performed fifteen years later. Johnny Hallyday, who has tried several ways to pay less tax in France, was eventually settled in Switzerland in 2007. This is the Swiss tax authorities that he pays taxes on his personal income. But his artistic and commercial activities performed in the Hexagon fall under French law.

This notification to the star falls ill. At 69, after his serious health problems, "the Taulier" was to make his comeback from the Orpheum Theater on Tuesday night in Los Angeles, before starting a huge tour in mid-May in France.

It could also be controversial, right in between the two rounds of presidential elections. Johnny Hallyday has also indicated today that he "meddles never openly political" believing that an artist does not have to decide, "he said in an interview with Republican Lorraine. Close to Jacques Chirac, Johnny Hallyday had taken position for Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007 who married in 1996 with Laetitia.  

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The misfortune of one is the happiness of others! The soaring oil bill burden on household budgets Western made the fortune of the Gulf countries. The Institute of International Finance (IIF) evokes that an increase of over 19% in one year the amount of net foreign assets of the wealthy Gulf states this year. In 2012, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain, and should show net foreign assets of 1900 billion against $ 1.6 trillion of assets held in late 2011. And the outbreak of the assets of these countries should increase to 2140 billion at the end of 2012, provides for the IIF, provided that oil prices and production levels remain unchanged.  

These Gulf countries should also make record oil revenues of 572 billion this year, against 538 billion in 2011, according to estimates by the financial organization. Their nominal GDP added totaled 1.4 trillion dollars last year, posting an annual increase of 31%. Their sum is expected to reach 1.5 trillion dollars at the end of this year, still provides the IIF.

The six monarchies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are indeed the prime beneficiaries of record oil prices since they own 40% of global oil reserves and 25% of those of natural gas. These oil-producing countries have spare capacity in oil production from 2.5 million to 3 million barrels per day (bpd), indicates the financial organization.

But these natural assets are not everything. The institute suggests the existence of risks detrimental to the growth of the Gulf and especially the impact Arab Spring or tensions over Iran. The institute plans to capitalize on a growth rate of the six countries of 4.9% this year and 4.2% in 2013 against 6.9% in 2011.

Minister of Industry, José Manuel Soria, foreign affairs, Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo, through the CEO of Repsol, Antonio Brufau is a general mobilization in Madrid. Since the announcement Monday night from the expropriation of the group YPF, Repsol's subsidiary in Argentina, the Spanish government officials and oil company's succession of television sets in press conferences to express their anger.

Because even if it concerns also international investors, largely present in the capital of Repsol YPF, the coup of President Cristina Kirchner is lived in Madrid as an affront to the country. "A decision against the interests of Spain and Spaniards," says Soria. It must be said that YPF is the crown jewel of Repsol. The Argentine subsidiary to the parent provides half of the production of hydrocarbons (or 459,000 barrels per day), 40% of its reserves and a third of its gross profit. Repsol, the coup, wants to pay a high price Buenos Aires: Antonio Brufau requires 8 billion euros in compensation for the 57.4% stake in Spanish oil YPF.

"A very bad signal"

For now, Spain brandished the threat of retaliation, without elaborating. Minister Soria evokes "the consequences of different fields: diplomatic, commercial, and industrial energy." Europe is united with Madrid. The head of European diplomacy, Catherine Ashton, denounces "a very bad signal" sent by Argentina to foreign investors and warned that Brussels is studying all options instant payday loan.

Beyond the rhetorical threats, what are the real possibilities of retaliation? Specifically, Madrid remains an important outlet for Buenos Aires. Spain imports twice what it exports to Argentina. In 2011, Spaniards bought 2.01 billion euros of products to Argentina and that they have sold 1 billion. Chemicals, raw materials, intermediate products as well as fruits, vegetables, fish and seafood are among the goods most in demand in Spain.

"Legal uncertainty" in Argentina

Repsol also is not the only company of Spanish origin present in Argentina. In energy, construction and banks, the Spanish groups have settled in Buenos Aires and the rest of the country. Gas Natural has reached such an EBITDA of 27 million euros last year. Santander and BBVA, the two giants of Spanish bank, achieved respectively 5.36% and 5.22% of their net profits in Argentina. Telefonica de Argentina, finally, achieved a turnover of more than 3 billion euros, thanks to its 24,000 employees in Argentina.

For now, the 400 Spanish companies are located low profile. Spanish executives point out, the image of Gas Natural, "the excellent relations with the Argentine government." But on condition of anonymity, officials complain in the Spanish press of the "legal uncertainty" that takes place in Argentina.

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Against finance, but not against the big bosses. The Socialist candidate for president, Francois Hollande, has reassured business leaders of the CAC 40, in an interview in Paris Matchpubliée Thursday. He was lampooned in mid-February, their salary increases "of 36% on average in 2010."

As we approach the elections, it has softened its tone. "We will need all the forces for the country's recovery. Therefore, in the aftermath of the presidential election, I will convene the CAC 40 companies, although many of their leaders will not vote for me, he says. I tell them: "You are the spearhead of the French economy. We need you and you need the state. We face together the challenge of recovery of France "."

The Socialist candidate was told by the president of MEDEF, Laurence Parisot, France 2 on Thursday, that the vocation of the employers' association was "to work with any government whatever." Tenors Socialist Party had in fact accused of campaigning for the incumbent president Nicolas Sarkozy free business cards.

Francois Hollande tried several times to reassure the campaign finance and management. Visiting London, and then he gave himself to enemy "the world of finance," he said at the City he was not "aggressive" and that n ' there was "nothing to fear" if elected.

Still, the Socialist candidate wants to increase the effective tax rate of 35% in large groups and, among other things, against the practice of stock options. "France seems to bring out the multinationals," said Denis Kessler, CEO of Scor, quoted by The Economist. For the second consecutive week, the weekly British Liberal lampooned the socialist project to tax at 75% marginal bracket the higher incomes of over one million euros.

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After the United States, Canada, Britain and Japan, Google is embarking on movie rentals in France. "Several hundred feature films from major Hollywood studios and French are available for rent today," said Google France Thursday on his blog.

The films include new releases available at 3.99 euros in high definition and VF, such as Drive, Tintin and The Year of the State, and feature films catalog at 2.99 euros (3.99 euros HD) as The Jerk, Pirates of the Caribbean and Inside Man. These films come from partnerships with EuropaCorp, M6 Video / SND, Europe Disney, NBC Universal and Sony Pictures. The lease is for one month, and the reading must be completed within 48 hours.

Play Google, reply to iTunes

Movie rentals enrich Google under "Movies" from YouTube No teletrack payday loans. They are also the new Google platform Play, launched in early March, which integrates the Android application store (eg Android Market) and could accommodate the service Google Music at its launch in France.

With "Play", Google seems to replicate the strategy of Apple's iTunes. The films are not only readable from a computer, but also from within the application "Google Movies Play 'on the shelves, and Android smartphones (but not television). Sign of the importance of Google Play, a link to the new service appears in this week since the navigation bar of Google, along with research, Google Maps and Google +.

The success of the magazine inspires XXI Francois and Jean-Dominique Siegel. The two brothers, son of the founder of VSD, Maurice Siegel, April 5 launch a new "magbook" magazine mid-mid-book, Tomorrow We. Their ambition is to make a "marker of social change."

In line with Current, relaunched in 1970 by the post-68 generation, or the U.S. magazine Wired, established in 1993 to decipher the impact of technology in society, they hope to re-register in the frame of the time. "This magazine is a showcase to build something new, Siegel says Francois. If the stock settles, we will develop a website, a platform for trade and a think-tank. "We Demainmise on this societal positioning to differentiate itself from other" magbooks "turned to the big story (XXI), Foresight (& Usbek Rica) or polar (Alibis).

Like the latter, We Demainsera distributed in large networks of library. On an initial run of 30,000 copies, most books will be reserved for rays of Fnac, Virgin, Relay and large newsagents, and those of Carrefour hypermarkets, Auchan and Leclerc no fax payday advance. The title is based on the publisher Le Cherche Midi and its distribution network Interforum (Editis). Tomorrow we will start at 12 euros, and will cost 15 euros, the same price level as other "magbooks".

Create a "label"

The project was fully funded by the GS Group, owned by Francois and Jean-Dominique Sylvain Attal and Siegel, who oversees GS Press, governed and publisher of the monthly Info-Driver and two television quinzomadaires for Auchan and Leader Price. Jean-Dominique Siegel Demainun We hope to do the "label" that will generate a new economic model. Without advertising startup, the title is meant to seduce "brands involved," for traditional advertising or through partnerships, but also to attract investors.

Antoine Frérot, CEO of Veolia, has again scored points in the guerrilla who opposes Proglio, former CEO of the environment and current president of EDF. Thursday, the Board of Directors of Veolia was held in the absence of Proglio. The meeting, which took place in calm, devoted to a marked shift in the balance of power between the two men at the expense of Proglio, and in favor of Mr. Frérot.

Esther Koplowitz and Jean-Francois Dehecq, two directors of Proglio relatives, should leave the Board in effect at the expiration of their term at the general meeting on May 16, 2012. The banker at Lazard, George Ralli, hitherto independent director and be close to Proglio, will he, the representative of Groupama, in place of Jean Azema, arrived five months ago the management of the mutual insurer .  

"Engendering the board"

Finally, Serge Michel, the fourth director whose term will soon expire, is the only one to be renewed as it is. 85 years old and named, like all other board members when Proglio was CEO of Veolia, this connoisseur of Veolia always follows the group and its executives very closely.

Antoine Frérot wanted, according to a close, "feminize the board and introduce other adminirtrateurs present and ready to engage in the conduct of Veolia Environnement." Two women, Maryse Aulagnon, founding president of the Affine group, specializing in commercial real estate, and Nathalie Rachou, manager of Topiary Finance, should come to the board at the general meeting, as well as the general manager of the automotive Valeo, Jacques Aschenbroich. Finally, Augustin de Romanet, who recently retired head of the Deposit, Veolia's largest shareholder with 9.2% stake, will be replaced by chief financial officer of the public group, Olivier Mareuse.

Of seventeen directors, only three or four belong, after the meeting, the clan of personalities hostile to Mr. Frérot. The risk of a challenge after the elections, the leadership of this group which the State is not a shareholder, seems to go away.

In February, Proglio had sought to evict his ex-Dolphin Executive Officer of Veolia. He had found the boards of other voices to challenge the implementation of the recovery plan of the group. But the prospect of arrival of former Minister of Ecology Jean-Louis Borloo, opportunely announced in early March, killed the project in the bud. Better, Mr. Frérot then received its directors affirmed its support radical strategy, focused on an overall cost reduction, debt and group activities to local services. Although some have yet to see "how the restructuring is taking place," investors and financial analysts have welcomed the decision of the board. The stock has gained 1.08% Thursday. Worst performance of the CAC 40 in 2011, he returned 43% since January 1. What, again, release the pressure on the group.

New stage in the case of illegal surveillance of employees and customers to Ikea in France. The former head of the French subsidiary of the manufacturer of the Swedish furniture giant and a former director of human resources have been "laid off for the duration of investigations," today announced to AFP the current director General, Stefan Vanoverbeke. The two former leaders will have to "cooperate with the authorities."

In addition, two experts from the National Commission on Informatics and Liberties (CNIL) arrived this morning at the offices of Ikea stores Paris-Nord. Came to inspect the computers and other databases, they are seeking internal documents, including letters attesting espionage practices that would prevail in Ikea France.

These practices were revealed by The Chained Duck which reported information obtained from employees and customers with information stolen from the police file Stic. Wednesday again, the satirical weekly publishes new copies of emails that show that these practices were known by several senior executives, contrary to what the management of the subsidiary. Since the publication of the charges, Ikea France has stated its commitment to "respect for privacy." As proof of his good faith, the group has made available to justice, as part of the preliminary inquiry last Thursday, its Director of Risk, Jean-Francois Paris, presented as the architect of these operations flicage.

Several controlled stores

Now, according to The Chained Duck, the "dress cut by Ikea" to the department head may be "a little wide." Several e-mails containing information to illegal recipients had the recruiting officer at headquarters, the deputy finance director, customer relations officer, the director general and human resources. Drug use by a client and is mentioned, as the lifestyle estimated too high of an employee. Monday, the news site Mediapart also published letters exchanged in 2008 between Jean-Francois Paris, Jean-Louis Baillot, the CEO of Ikea France until, in 2009, and the HR manager Claire Hery on the case part of a group suspected of abusing sick leave to stay in Morocco.

According to an inside source, "the CNIL has primarily moved this morning to see if information about the staff had been stored." Experts have also performed the same checks yesterday in another store in the Paris region.

Asked by The Chained Duck, and this morning by AFP, management has stated that it was at the beginning of its internal investigation. Meanwhile, the security manager has been suspended "to protect", and private phone. The person feels about himself "betrayed by those who, for years, urged the inquiries of all kinds," says one of his friends. North of Paris to the store, it was confirmed that the pressure on employees is permanent. This morning, break room, the publication of new mail was in every conversation.

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The state reform was one of the major projects of the quinquennium. In this reform called General Policy Review (RGPP), launched by Nicolas Sarkozy, the non-replacement of a retirement of two in the public service was the single most iconic. RGPP but is also creating employment Pole, the merger of Taxation and Treasury Bercy or the removal of small courts.

In a report released Tuesday, the OECD welcomes this approach. It considers the RGPP as "an important step in modernizing the State in France" and believes that our country is now in "a relatively privileged position" in relation to others. The international organization noted that the RGPP has a 6.4% drop in employment in the State Civil Service between 2007 and 2012 (or 150,000 job cuts), which had never happened before in the Hexagon.

Method of systematic cuts

Nevertheless, the OECD, France must go further. The process cost optimization should become permanent. The organization advocates to develop a method of systematic cuts, setting an annual goal of lower costs – staff and others – by department.

For this, the future government will have to better communicate with officials. For today, the cost reduction is not part of the culture of public service, according to the OECD. RGPP was seen as temporary. It has not attracted the membership of the employees. "There is a gap between the feeling of the effort made by the agents and the amount of the reforms on the one hand, and budget savings from the other," wrote the report.

In fact, the savings should only reach 15 billion by 2013. This is small compared to a deficit of 136.5 billion in 2010. But that is because the RGPP was limited to a restructuring of the state.

To reduce its debt, France must now carry out a review of its social policies and its tax loopholes. The OECD also asked to set up a RGPP for local communities. "The organization and governance of local government – characterized by many levels of local, a very large number of common, yet significant presence of the state and level of employment increasing rapidly – are expensive and need to be rationalized, "we read in the report. It would be clearer!

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