US & World News

Fitch Ratings downgraded Wednesday the long-term rating of Greece from CCC to C, a decision widely expected after the announcement by the Greek government that could force private creditors to bear their losses if they were not involved voluntarily agree to exchange debt.

The note of Greece at Fitch is no longer only a notch above default.

The rating agency said that this decision follows the announcement Tuesday by the Eurogroup agreement on a second bailout program and those of Greece on how to the debt swap involving voluntary participation of the private sector. 

She believes that the exchange, if completed, will constitute a debt exchange and forced the decommissioning and spoke "indicates that a default is likely in the short term. Ratings securities affected by this exchange were also lowered to 'CCC' to 'C' ".

When the exchange is completed, the rating of Greece will be lowered to "restricted default" and after being re-evaluated, with the emission new obligations, "to a level consistent with the evaluation of the agency's structure and its credit profile post-default".

An American from Wisconsin was charged Thursday for selling fake Facebook actions by taking advantage of impatience about the upcoming IPO of the first global network community.

According to the complaint filed Thursday, Marianne Oleson would have claimed one million dollars in Facebook stock and have convinced several people to become the purchaser.

She was accused of 31 charges, including theft, forgery and misrepresentation.

Facebook announced Wednesday, almost eight years to the day after it was created by Mark Zuckerberg, its proposed IPO with the intention to raise $ 5 billion.

Marianne Oleson, according to the complaint, explaining that her daughter was linked to Mark Zuckerberg and had had access to titles Facebook. 

She would have paid in false actions including a contractor who performed for nearly 14,000 dollars of work on his house. The man would have also paid 10,000 dollars to buy other securities fictitious.

Another of his alleged victims, a sexagenarian, he would have four checks totaling about $ 40,000.

The IPO of Facebook, expected in May, should be the operation of this type the most anticipated of the year, and set a passing record for a spin start-up Internet.

At its IPO in 2004, Google had sold nearly two billion dollars of securities.

The Institute for International Finance (IIF) said Wednesday that the Greek government and its private creditors are close to final agreement on debt restructuring of the country, a conclusion is expected this week. "We are close to finalizing a voluntary debt exchange as part publicly exposed earlier this week by Jean-Claude Juncker in his capacity as President of the Eurogroup," have clared leaders Ifi. "We expect to conclude next week as discussions on other topics continues." Tuesday, bankers and politicians had suggested that the talks between Greece and its private creditors could come Wednesday. The prospect of such an agreement has contributed to the rise in world stock markets.

The Education Minister Luc Chatel announced that from February 2012, teachers begin their careers at the minimum wage of 2000 euros gross. About 100 euros per month. Insufficient effort according to FSU. The Education Minister Luc Chatel

Beginning teachers will start their career with a salary in excess of 2000 euros gross in February 2012, which is a "symbolic" of crossed, said Thursday the Minister of Education, Luc Chatel. "The symbolic threshold of 2,000 euros early career will be taken from 1 February 2012," said the minister during a speech at the end of his visit to the Education Fair in Paris. Beginning teachers had already received a gesture of Mr. Chatel in March 2010, so compared to "1690 euros in 2007," the rise of their gross salary is "18% in five years," the Minister added.

Right in the debate on a more vigorous European Central Bank (ECB) in the rescue of the euro, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union said it had "the potential" to resolve the debt crisis. ECB

The U.S. ambassador to the European Union suggested Tuesday that the European Central Bank had the "potential" to do more to resolve the debt crisis in the euro zone, while the debate rages in Europe on this issue. "We are following with keen attention that the European Central Bank is able to do and the potential it has to do more" to the crisis, said William Kennard, in a meeting with some journalists in Brussels.Many economists believe that only the ECB is now able to effectively firefighters to extinguish the fire and should follow the example of the Federal Reserve (Fed). The U.S. central bank acts as "lender of last resort" for the administration by buying unlimited market U.S. Treasury bonds.

"At the peak of the (financial) crisis that we experienced (USA), we were able to use the Fed in a manner different from that in which Europe can use the ECB. It s' acts of a fundamental structural difference, "said the ambassador. Mr. Kennard said would not know how to change the debt crisis. "The outcome of this crisis is quite unpredictable, we do not know how it will be resolved and I think nobody knows," he said.

Boeing said Thursday that the Indonesian airline Lion Air was about to sign an agreement for the purchase of 201 737 MAX 29 and 737-900 for a total, based on list prices, from 21.7 billion dollars (16 billion euros).

"This transaction, when finalized, will be the largest order of civil aircraft in the history of Boeing, both in value and number of aircraft ordered," said a statement from the U.S. aircraft manufacturer.

He adds that the agreement with Lion Air, Indonesia's largest airline, also has rights to purchase 150 additional aircraft.

Boeing said that U.S. President Barack Obama will attend the signing ceremony for the purchase of 230 aircraft.

Like the A320neo from the A320, the MAX 737 is the version of 737 for fuel savings. The first copies should be delivered in 2017.

JCDecaux has significantly exceeded expectations in the third quarter, posting a sales growth almost twice the stated goal, boosted by its transport division and the dynamism of France.

World number one outdoor advertising company in front of the U.S. Clear Channel Outdoor, has for the first time provided a forecast for the full year, saying rely on organic growth of about 5% of its turnover .

"The current economic uncertainties lead us to be cautious," said Chief Executive and Co-CEO Jean-Francois Decaux, in a statement, while the group's growth stood at 6.7% in the first nine months of the year .

The Director General of the World Trade Organization, Pascal Lamy, on Wednesday approved the holding of a referendum in Greece on the rescue plan passed by the Europeans. All the latest news. Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou announced the holding of a referendum in January in Greece, to check the public support for austerity plans adopted by the country.

9:56: "The Greek referendum can be won" according to Pascal Lamy.Interrogé France Inter on Wednesday morning, the Director General of the World Trade Organization has justified the holding of a referendum in Greece. On the one hand, it "is normal that the people decide." On the other hand, argues that it is not in "the interest of creditors dealer with a government" which may be weakened and not reversed its commitments. "Finally, he believes that" from what my friends tell me Greek, the referendum can be won.The Greeks are probably able to appreciate that this or something even worse. "He admits, however, that the collapse of the euro area is" not totally ruled out a possibility today. "

9:34: "China sincerely hopes the stability of the euro area and the euro," said Hu in an interview with Le Figaro on the eve of the opening in Cannes for a G20 summit, to be dominated by the issue of European sovereign debt. The Chinese president is silent, however, on specific measures that China could hang in helping Europe to solve this crisis, in particular its proposed participation in a relief fund for highly indebted countries.

The French left the presidency of the European Central Bank on October 31. It gives way to the Italian Mario Draghi. Record of eight years of a presidency marked by the seal of the crisis. The mandate of Jean-Claude Trichet President of the ECB ended October 31, 2011

The least we can say is that the end of term Jean-Claude Trichet has not been easy. The French left the European Central Bank (ECB), after eight years of presidency, when the euro area is experiencing a critical step – critical? – Of its crisis. For if the Europe Agreement birth Thursday morning in pain is an important step in the short term, it does not eliminate all long-term risks of contagion from the debt crisis.

We do not worship nor hate Jean-Claude Trichet, as it is more consensual than cleaving – it boasts of never having been outvoted by the Governing Council of the ECB. We respect him.For he succeeded in making the institution of Frankfurt an economic and political front. The markets were suspended in any of his words at monthly conferences of the ECB on interest rates. And since Europe is in crisis, he took part in EU summits as well as leaders and heads of government of member states of Euroland.

The route of Jean-Claude Trichet

1942: Born in Lyon

1969-1971: ENA

1978-1981: Economic Advisor, Valerie Giscard d'Estaing

1986-1987: Director of the Office of Edouard Balladur, Minister of Finance

1987-1993: Director of Treasury

1993-2003: Governor of the Banque de France

2003-2011: President of the European Central Bank

Of the review of eight years as president of the ECB, it can be fierce independence vis-à-vis the Franco-German policies.No sooner did he take the levers of the ECB in November 2003, accusing Jacques Chirac and Gerhard Schröder to gut the Stability Pact. In 2010, he opposed the will of Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel to involve private investors in the rescue of Greece. But we remember also its renewed calls for member states to implement a real economic governance of the euro area. Not to mention his extraordinary responsiveness during the financial crisis in August 2007 first, then in October 2008, noting that the interbank market is frozen, the ECB is the first to lend banks as much liquidity as they wish.

The strong euro, the result of the fight against inflation

Two of his actions, however, are highly controversial.

BASF, the world leader in chemistry in terms of sales, announced Thursday a quarterly profit above expectations, but warned that its growth was slowing, clients sell their stocks.

"BASF's customers are more cautious, reduce inventory and postpone some of their orders in hopes of a possible drop in prices," explains the German group said in a statement.

Operating profit (EBIT) fell 11.3% to 1.96 billion euros, while analysts polled by Reuters anticipate an average of 1.89 billion euros.

The quarterly revenue was up 11.6% to 17.6 billion euros, according to consensus.

BASF has confirmed that the CAand EBIT adjusted for taxes on oil would experience a significant increase this year.

"However, growth slowed further over the first half of 2011. We expect this trend to continue in the fourth quarter," warns the group.