Dependent on business investment, the French machinery industry has experienced a particularly gloomy year 2009. The turnover of this sector has plunged 15% to 97.9 billion euros, returning to its 2005 level.

Compared to its European competitors, French industry is doing rather well. "The activity of other countries fell by an average of 19%," said Yvon Jacob, president of the Federation of Engineering Industries (FIM). The French exception is explained in part by the support that was received by French manufacturers.

The recovery plans, the state aid measures such as scrapping bonus, or the continuation of regional investment activities have supported activity. The role of the state does not explain everything. Companies based in France have taken advantage of the health of certain sectors such as construction, aerospace, energy and railway industries."Moreover, thanks to social shocks, household consumption remained at a good level," says Yvon Jacob. The social situation remains tense engineering industries (650,000 jobs) lost 5.5% of their workforce in 2009. The FIM also fears of new staff reductions, and does not expect improvement until the end of the year. The activity should indeed be further reduced by 5% this year. "If the recovery occurs in 2010, it does not benefit us immediately, says the president of the Federation, as investments leave last.

According to Mexican press, Vivendi and the Mexican group Televisa broadcasting are currently negotiating to bring candidates, common way for a new mobile phone license in Mexico, for an undisclosed amount. The announcement comes as the Mexican telecoms regulator, Cofetel, proposed on the market the equivalent of 120 MHz (Mega Hertz) frequency in the band 1.7 / 1.9 GHz (Giga Hertz). Your Shopping comments have yet been received from Vivendi.

The limit for submission of tenders is set for May 25 and the award (or) licenses is expected a month later. According to the press, Vivendi and Televisa will give until 15 February to agree this.

Latin America in the collimator

After Africa, so it is that Latin America is covered by the French group.Already, Vivendi, winning the battle against the Spanish giant Telefonica to afford GVT (2.8 billion euros), has offered to pass a strong position in the region.

Mexico and its 110 million inhabitants currently host three large operators, Telcel and Movistar in mind. "The penetration of mobile phones in Mexico is higher than 70%," says an analyst specializing in the field.

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All the big names in the electronics world is found in Las Vegas. All except Apple, which looks January 27 to make a revolutionary new listing, which may take competitors by surprise.

Since late 2009, it seems clear that the firm will make an apple Internet Tablet to be called islation. The announcement will take place in late January, because Apple has rented a conference room in San Francisco. But the date of its Internet Tablet, which would have a multi-touch screen 25 to 28 centimeters diagonally, is only scheduled for the second quarter of 2010. Indeed, one of the subcontractors Taiwanese Apple said establishing a production of screens and aluminum chassis which should start next month. "It will not take long to assemble the different elements.But output in the second quarter is what we envision, "said an anonymous source to Reuters.

It seems that islation, including a video circulated on the Internet is the answer to Apple's digital media books. It is the first color. This could lead to the creation of a new department of sales on the iTunes website.

Competitors eclipsed

But it would be difficult to know now than to give this one new activity. The new product Apple should allow you to download applications, listening to music, watching movies, into a true entertainment product while traveling. It would be more appropriate than the iPod touch and iPhone, whose screen is too small (9 cm) to qualify for comfortable vision. Islation with the Cupertino company remains true to its business model winner.It sells very expensive and a revolutionary product takes the services market (music, video, books …) that are downloaded on this product. Exits to sell these services at very low prices. Consequently, when Apple makes money, the service providers do not share the crumbs.

This ad may overshadow those of its competitors have made in Las Vegas. Last week, new Internet Tablet, which is a kind of PC without a keyboard but with a multi-touch screen, were presented by almost all PC makers. Among them, the Chinese Lenovo freed from Intel and Microsoft opted for the chips Qualcomm U.S., of Britain's ARM and a Linux operating system. But these are, after all, only computers that are trying to rise from their ashes. Five years ago, a first wave of Tablet PCs had appeared before dying for lack of customers.

Yves Rocher French entrepreneur who founded the brand of beauty products that bears his name, died Saturday in Paris, Lariboisière Hospital. He was 79 years.

Born April 7, 1930 at The Gacilly, a village of Morbihan which he was the mayor (various right) for forty-six years, from 1962 to 2008, Yves Rocher has played the card environmentalist before his time. Having passed through small ads in "Ici Paris" ointment hemorrhoids cons including a Breton healer gave him formula, he founded the famous brand of cosmetics in 1959, supporting its development on the choice of "beauty through plants' and refusing any synthetic product.

In 1965, Yves Rocher is launching a "Green Beauty", now translated into over twenty languages. Focusing initially on sale at a distance, it opens three years later the first store. The following year, he sets up shop in Belgium.After leaving the reins of his business to his son Didier in 1992, he took control in January 1995 after the accidental death of the latter.

"A French industrialist," according to Nicolas Sarkozy

Present in about thirty countries, the Yves Rocher Group achieves a turnover of 2 billion euros, placing it in 18th place worldwide in this sector. Its turnover is three times larger than The Body Shop, its direct competitor bought in 2006 by L'Oreal. Claiming to be "financially healthy, profitable, low debt, despite recent social movements, the group employs over 15,000 people, has nearly 2,000 stores and boasts over 40 million customers.

Saturday, President Nicolas Sarkozy paid tribute to "a French industrialist, inventor of the cosmetics made from plant products and a pioneer of the mail.Yves Rocher, adds a statement of the Presidency, "had managed to build step by step a group serving the beauty of women, invested in the development of sustainable employment and environmental protection, particularly through the Yves Rocher Foundation-Institut de France. "

In a letter he sent to his employees, CEO of the U.S. bank Morgan Stanley, John Mack, said it will waive for the third consecutive year to its traditional premium end of the year. "At Morgan Stanley, we are aware of the context in which we operate and the economic difficulties faced by both countries. (…) I recommended to our remuneration committee last week not to grant me the premium end of the year. According to news channel CNBC, the management of Morgan Stanley's CEO wanted to receive this award.

John Mack will leave his post as CEO at the end of the year to become non-executive chairman of the board of directors. It's James Gorman to take over at the head of the U.S. bank.

Banks are currently in the sights of government and the American public, particularly incensed by the level of compensation of bankers, while the unemployment rate reached 10% in the country. In view of appeasement, many large institutions have decided to make efforts to pay. As such, the CEO of Citigroup, Vikram Pandit, will not touch a dollar of earnings this year and many executives of Goldman Sachs, another behemoth of American finance, agreed not to receive bonuses cash. Finally, Kenneth Lewis, boss of Bank of America at the outset, it has been pushed by the U.S. Treasury to waive any remuneration for his duties in 2009.

The tax evaders are more than a month to repent: December 31, cell regulation introduced in April by Bercy close its doors. Reportedly, this special structure has so far treated about 800 cases of taxpayers who, after a time concealed their assets abroad, wish to put in order.

In these penitents, the French Treasury provides the "market" after they pay tax but the interest charges and penalties are negotiable. In addition, they are guaranteed not to be criminally prosecuted.

Betting on a rush of wrongdoing in the final straight, Bercy envisaged a final review of 2 000 cases handled. Such a result may seem disappointing. The famous list brandished by the Budget Minister, Eric Woerth, French listing of keeping accounts in Switzerland, has, alone, 3 000 names.The sums collected by the cell should not be extraordinary. Especially since, to attract shoppers, Bercy was ready to make some additional discounts for last repented, lowering the rate of penalties. These could, according to some tax, limited to 15% tax in the best cases (an ancient heritage or income expatriate several years old).

Small estates

"These are mostly" small estates "under 10 million euros using the cell. People are just very fortunate, "says a lawyer also. The motivation of repentant? Often leave a more healthy children. Some also come back by reason investments hidden in Switzerland do not always offer the best returns and, ultimately, capital good position in France, even subject to tax, almost all can relate.

In any case, people interested in the cell are no longer hanging. "The Swiss banks are in no hurry to give the pieces necessary to assemble the file," says another lawyer.

"To lower the ceiling on tax loopholes