Between austerity and growth, Spain and Portugal chose austerity. The two countries have had the opportunity on Wednesday to position themselves on the subject after the election in France of Francois Hollande. Met yesterday in Porto at the twenty-fifth summit Iberian, the two heads of executive kept intact their desire to fulfill their goals of rigor.

The Spaniard Mariano Rajoy and the Portuguese Pedro Passos Coelho spoke with one voice. Asked about the possibility of surrendering to 2014 – instead of 2013 – the target of increasing the public deficit below 3% of GDP, the Spanish prime minister responded without ambiguity. "The debate is not how to relax the requirements, but how to respect our commitments," said Rajoy. "Do not spend what we do not have is a good policy, he said. Spain signed the pact budget and considers it to be maintained. "

Structural reforms

Passos Coelho has said the same direction. Portugal depends on the conditions of a European aid plan, said the Prime Minister, and "if it fails to meet its objectives, it will engage with a new plan that will be more expensive, longer and more expensive socio-economic terms. Nobody wants that. "

The design of the growth of the two leaders did not have much to do with the defenders of the stimulus. "We run growth policies in Europe and in our country, argued the Spanish head of government. We adopt structural reforms that take effect in the medium and long term. "

Since taking office four months ago, Rajoy flexibilized labor law, encouraged bank mergers and generalized rigor. Passos Coelho also expressed the way forward: "We can not grow if the debt is unsustainable, he thought. Fiscal restraint is the first step of a return to growth. "

Only concession to the stimulus, the role given to the European Investment Bank. "We defend the idea of ​​reinforcing the EIB to take into account SMEs and micro-businesses," said Passos Coelho well.

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The scene is legendary: Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, eye to eye, to say goodbye. Then a detail: the famous American actor wears a trench coat of the British brand Burberry. It is this image of one of the last minutes of the film Casablanca, released in 1942, which is causing a standoff between the brand and the heirs of Humphrey Bogart.

They have filed a complaint this week against Burberry, alleging that it had used this image without their consent on Twitter and in the timeline of the brand on Facebook. "Burberry needed the permission of Bogart representatives to use the name of Humphrey Bogart," said the lawyer of the heirs, Michael O. Crain. The specific brand, meanwhile, have been contacted at least three times since last month by the heirs of the actor, who made a "significant financial request."

For Stephen Bogart, son of famous actor, Burberry has acted in a "disrespectful and incredibly disappointing cash advance no faxing." "They apparently believe that a shoe manufacturer has the right to make a commercial with Brad Pitt because he wears them when he made his mark jogging, (…) without asking, let alone obtain their permission." , is outraged he.

Burberry wants "to illustrate his story"

But Burberry defends itself and file its own complaint against the legatees of Bogart. She claims to have obtained permission to use the photo agency Corbis. Moreover, the image was not published in a context of "sale of goods," argued the brand, but "was intended to illustrate the long history, meaning and influence of Burberry clothes on society." Facebook page of Burberry and other rub shoulders with famous wore trench brand, like Robert Mitchum in Hang me high and short, George C. Scott Patton and Meryl Streep in Kramer against Kramer.

The invoice is salted for five hypermarkets Carrefour and Leclerc. The latter were sentenced Friday by the criminal court of Rouen to pay 140,000 euros in fines for "deceptive marketing practices."

The court points to operations such as "buy four, one free" or "20% free" set up on certain products. After controls, the investigators of the Departmental Direction of protecting the population of Seine-Maritime realized that these operations were unfavorable to consumers. The latter indeed paid these products more expensive than had they purchased individually. Similarly, the comparison price in the store were found. Result: Three of the Carrefour stores will have to pay 100,000 euros while two stores Leclerc pay 30,000 and 10,000 euros respectively cheapest personal loan rates.  

The stores are doing better than what the prosecutor of the Republic, Maela Guéguen, had addressed, namely a total of 190,000 euros in fines. The lawyers had demanded the release distributors to their customers because they believe these development operations were performed by providers who decided the proportion of free and conditioned themselves the product. For its part, the association UFC-Que Choisir, who received 2000 euros in damages, a judgment that recognizes hello "fraud and false advertising," according to his lawyer Catherine Kersual.

(With Agents)

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This is the story of an Alsatian deputy mayor, Eric Straumann, who, wishing to save a supermarket brand of monumental and illegal blocks all the mayors of France who want to limit the display advertising in their municipality. Summoned by the prefect to remove the acronym which stands Cora to 17 meters above the campaign Husain (1600 inhabitants), the elected UMP has decided to amend the second law of the Grenelle del'environnement on the billboard said "outside business card templates." Include: large panels and signs disfiguring number of entries in cities.

"I have a large area with a large sign that does not bother anyone,

The sign of Cora Hussen.

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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The Lada 2107 was an evolution of the Lada 2101, which was partially a licensed copy of the Fiat 124 of 1966. It was produced in Russia since 1982 on the banks of the Volga in a huge industrial city called Togliatti, named after a founder of the Italian Communist Party, Togliatti. In the 1980s, he left the plant of AvtoVAZ over 700,000 cars per year.

Lada was born in Russia in June 1970, shaped by the automaker AvtoVAZ, and originally destined for the Soviet market.

Between the decades 1980-1990, the production of Lada was widely exported, up to 60%, primarily west of Europe, except the United States, only major country not to have imported the mark. Since this period, a total of over 18.5 million Lada labeled "Rivas" was recorded.

The term "Lada" meaning "boat" in old Russian, the brand has always been characterized by very basic equipment personal loan for poor credit. Its logo is also a Viking longship, echoing the supposed strength of his cars. But a key to the success of this car is its Soviet economic price: he had to rely Euro 2800 – with the aid of the state to offer the Lada 2107. Something to be looking at least the lack of comfort, and limited accessories offered the Lada 2107: a radio and a fan.

AvtoVAZ has already bet to replace the veteran by more modern models such as Kalina, Priora and Granta. While relying on the car "ultra-low cost" during the project with Renault, which owns 25% stake in AvtoVAZ.

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Users are indeed more likely to make purchases from the shelf but it's mostly e-commerce, according to a survey conducted by Orange. And if they plébiscitent reading news on this screen pleasant, that finds her diary, they are not necessarily willing to pay. In the U.S., only 14% of users have an application fee information, the survey conducted in the fall by the Pew Research Center Center among 1200 users. Only 21% would be willing to pay $ 5 a month to access their preferred source of information on shelf.

In France, the time spent reading newspaper articles increased by 75% for tablet users. The tablet has changed the online consumer and has particular evening.

"63% of these same consumers prefer the traditional players in the information, having a strong brand, aggregators like Google News," according to a study by the agency Starcom and BBC.com. But only 2% of households are equipped … And it is especially the magazines that have taken their game from the start by providing copies of pay. Newspapers rely surf craze enhance their subscription offer which allows to find the newspaper on all media.

"Buy simple and painless"

In addition to revenue from advertising, some also hope to sell their content on the tablet. "People are willing to spend as long as the act of purchase is simple and painless, around € 0 my credit score.10 article," said William Multrier, which launched YouMag, an aggregator of content by topic, iPad . "The economy of the media on the net is made of small numbers." Ad rates have fallen "but the production costs of essays pure player more," Sire Cédric assumes, of Webedia. Clearly, traditional media will survive after a diet, tablets or not.

Especially as intermediaries try to capture this market. Several aggregators have joined the race. They propose a new reading experience. Flipboard, for example, appears as the contents recovered a magazine on social networks. But the media are wary of these intermediaries that undermine the unity of the mark (before they bought a newspaper and not an article or section). Moreover, "they are only useful for more widely distributed paid content. Otherwise, on the free items, they cannibalize our advertising revenue, "says does one group within the French ePresse Premium.

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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.