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Inflate his resume … "inadvertently"? It is possible, according to Yahoo!, which has adopted this line of defense when one of its shareholders accusing its CEO had lied on his resume.

The investment fund Third Point, which is mounted to 5.8% stake in Yahoo! in a few months, denounced in a letter to the Board an anomaly on the resume of Scott Thompson, CEO of Yahoo! since January.

In the financial records of Yahoo!, Carol Bartz's successor is introduced as a degree in accounting and computer science from Stonehill College. Now the university has begun offering this course in 1983, four years after Scott Thompson finished his studies there!

For Third Point, this embellished resume "undermines its credibility as an expert in technology" and gives a poor impression when his "character" bad credit personal loan lenders. Incidentally, it also tackles the activist fund board, which would not properly investigated and considered the nominations for the position of CEO.

The risk oversight, however, be difficult to argue, to the extent that this error has been made several times on the resume of Scott Thompson. Previously President of the payment service Paypal online, a subsidiary of eBay, it is always presented as a computer science graduate of the Australian editions of these two sites

.

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What are the strategic oil stocks?

As a state member since 1974 to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IEA) – created in response to the first oil shock – France has an obligation to provide oil stocks equivalent to 90 days of net imports or about 17 million tonnes. Member States of the European Union are also required to undergo a similar provision. In early October, the French reservation represented 98.5 days of oil consumption, 60% of processed products and 40% of crude oil.

How are they managed?

This is the Professional Committee of strategic oil stocks (PSSDC) which is responsible for building reserves. All operators who sell oil in France are legally obliged to contribute to their supply. Each of them must provide the equivalent of 27% of quantities released for consumption in the previous year. Some of these quantities is given to manage the limited company inventory management security (SAGESS), which operates under the aegis of PSSDC. The rest is kept available in the repositories of the operators.

The reserves are spread over 235 depots around France. The regulations provide for their distribution in the seven major regions called "defense zones" in administrative and military language, so that each zone has ten days of minimum fuel consumption low fee payday advance. Filing the largest (6 million cubic meters) is located near Manosque in the Alpes de Haute-Provence.

Under what circumstances can they be used?

Strategic stocks are intended solely for civilian use. The Army manages its own reserves separately. In the case of a local crisis of supply, CPSSP may transfer stocks to oil operators, who must agree to make restitution of less than a month. During this time, operators must also make available PSSDC equivalent quantities of products in another place. These punctures are very limited and local.

To really begin three months of compulsory reserve, we need a government decision, taken in cooperation with the IEA and the European Union. Only a severe supply disruption due to a serious international crisis (eg, an oil crisis or boycott a producer), can in theory lead to such a decision.

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With over 62,000 franchised units recorded at the end of 2011, for a turnover of 49 billion euros, the franchise remains a dynamic sector in the economic universe French. According to statistics from the French Franchise Federation (FFF), which holds up to Wednesday night's annual meeting at the Porte de Versailles, 92 new franchise networks were launched last year (for a total of 1569 ). However, some areas are most promising and lucrative than others. Especially, new areas, some surfing very clearly on the crisis, appear and arouse vocations, especially since in their general admission tickets are more affordable.

Overall winner, the 7313 claim services auto franchises across 61 networks. Midas (315 service centers, fast), for example, announces the hiring of 50 franchises this year (either by creation or by recovery sites). Candidates must, however, an investment fund of between 160,000 and 250,000 euros, with 30% minimum down payment. Short-term rental is also dynamic with Rent a Car (480 stores including 200 franchisees) which expects 10 new franchises this year, while Ada is a net balance of 20 openings (for a total network of 480 agencies) .

Ten franchises for over Legendre

Another promising sector, fast food, where we no longer launches, which counted at the end of last year franchises for 3740 123 networks (20 more in a year). One example, Subway, the specialist sandwich and salads, has announced no fewer than 90 new restaurants in 2011, crossing at the same time the 300 units operated under franchise in France. Among the newest signs, Basil & Co, a concept of takeaway pizzas (entrance fee to 60,000 euros). In catering to themes (1101 deductibles and 79 networks), the time is in development with Memphis Coffee, which provides a dozen openings this year with a target turnover of 20 million euros. As for La Boucherie, it plans 20 new restaurants this year (including 10 free) and will recruit 350 people. In total, the company has 83 restaurants for a turnover of 83 million euros.

In the services sector, the academic support stand. During the Legendre who launched the franchise last year with a target network of 50 agencies in 2015, currently has ten franchises (including Toulouse, Pau, Bordeaux, Lyon, Annecy or Saint-Etienne). "For the first year of operation, the agency is a forecast of around 200,000 euros in business volume on average, for the only activity being at home," said Olivier Gresse, marketing director. During the Legendre in 2011 showed a turnover up 13 million euros (+10%) and this year expect a growth of 10%. For its part, Anacours (4.9 million euros of turnover) announces ten new franchises in 2012, while during Ado (23 agencies, including 3 branches), provides eight openings free.

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Strong positions internationally

On the Old Continent, German manufacturers have their dominant position in Germany, the strongest of the major European markets, making them less vulnerable to the slump in Southern Europe. More importantly, they are very well established internationally in areas experiencing strong growth. The Volkswagen Group sold 2.26 million cars in China last year (+18%). The volumes of BMW and Mercedes jumped 37% and 31% in this market. VW owns 20% of the Brazilian market. United States, he occupies a position lower than in the rest of the world, but continues to gain market share. BMW and Mercedes also post strong gains overseas.

The reputation of "Made in Germany"

The renowned German manufacturers is such that Opel now speaks the language of Goethe in its advertising. Renault, who wants to prove the reliability of its cars, has also made him also to speak in German last year, in a spot parodying the brand in flash. This reputation allows German brands to sell their products more expensive than their French rivals. "This is the result of an approach based on decades of product quality and innovation, says Philippe Houchois, an analyst at UBS. In the early 1990s, there was little difference in perception between a Volkswagen Passat and Peugeot 504. It is no longer the case today, with the successors of these models. "The VW group continues to accelerate: it plans to invest 62 billion euros by 2016 in its cars and factories, over 14 billion in China. It is also thanks to the obstinacy Audi, brand considered robust in the 1980s, has turned into a symbol of social success. Result, three manufacturers, BMW, Mercedes and Audi (VW Group), dominate the high-end sales, a lucrative and growing faster than the world market. Profits are particularly high in China, where wealthy customers are willing to pay a high price. This market, Audi's largest market, is also one on which flow over the Mercedes E-Class and 7 Series.

Economies of scale

To take advantage of its size and achieve significant economies of scale, Volkswagen, like the Renault-Nissan, went further in sharing components of its brands. The group strenna this year its new scalable platform, MQB, which shares many components between cars belonging to segments of different sizes. It plans to manufacture about forty models on a common basis, the Polo to the Passat, through the next Golf and the new Audi A3. More than 3 million vehicles will be assembled each year on this platform, enabling the group to reduce procurement costs and investments by 20%.

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The revolution that began last September by Facebook is now bearing fruit. The founder of social network, Mark Zuckerberg, was then unveiled the "Timeline apps", applications that show the profile of a user's activities on other sites as well-display the songs that played on Spotify read articles the Wall Street Journal. They were accompanied by new action buttons such as "read", "listen," "look" … Several services, including Deezer and Dailymotion in France, had created their applications in the process, followed in January, many other publishers content.

Results published recently by Facebook are spectacular. Since September, 25 million users have installed the application from Yahoo! News. That of the Guardian newspaper has attracted more than 6 million users, half of whom are under 25. More than 10 million people read the Washington Post on Facebook every month five times more than the daily hoped for. In France, the site of movie reviews Cinemur recorded a jump of 40% of its traffic. At Dailymotion, engaging users, who watch more videos on Facebook and connect more often with their IDs on Dailymotion, has tripled.

These successes are helping to win over new Facebook content publishers. Last week, 12 U.S. media, including CBS, the Huffington Post website and portal MSNBC.com, announced the launch of their applications. In France, those of Canal +, Wat (TF1), M6 and Warner Bros. are imminent. "We promise two things to the media: a distribution of their content to potentially 850 million people, and the commitment and recommitment of users," said Julien Codorniou, director of partnerships Facebook France payday loan lenders.

Platform distribution

The virality of social networks operating at full capacity. In France, the fledgling social network travel Wipolo has multiplied by seven the number of users from Facebook. "It was a big accelerator. If we extrapolate these figures, we will save much time on our roadmap, "said Matthew Heslouin, its founder. "The Timeline App provides a distribution platform as powerful as the radio for music," Analysis of turn Spencer Hyman, founder and CEO of Artfinder, a service dedicated to the discovery of works of art. He himself has observed a 60% increase in time spent on its site by users from Facebook.

A priori, the operation is winning for both sides. "The space within the application 100% owned by the publisher who can sell advertising. We do not touch anything over there, "said Julien Codorniou. Facebook sells him, advertising in the sidebar of the browser. To do this, have applications that enrich its database of qualitative information is very valuable. "I listen to Lady Gaga has more value than I like Lady Gaga," says Julien Codorniou. Advantage acquired cheaply: "While Facebook does not touch anything on our advertising revenue, but he pays nothing in buying rights for music and video that contribute to the attractiveness of the platform. The beauty of the tool is that all this work is done by the ecosystem, "says Martin Rogard, CEO of Dailymotion France.

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The Department of Defense is mobilizing to help reduce public spending. Authorized since 2004 to sign agreements of public-private partnership (PPP), the military have a growing use, like other state services.

The Air Force is leading. It announced yesterday the award of the contract to upgrade its computer networks and communications in a pool of companies led by Alcatel-Lucent. This contract runs on sixteen for a value of 350 million euros, the amount of royalties to be paid by the Air Force over the period. The state expects "tens of millions of euros in savings" through the pooling of engineering resources used on other projects as well as the speed of network deployment."Without the PPP, we would never have as quickly renovate and take advantage of new technologies," says Marc Leclere, director of central purchasing in the Directorate General for Armaments (DGA).

Financial arrangements entrusted to the Caisse des Depots

PPP is the second signed by the DGA and the first for the Air Force. The yard is huge. This is to equip a hundred bases, to wire several hundred buildings and installing 36,000 "access points" (for computer, telephone or system) to build high speed, with the latest fiber optic generation, the future "Internet protocol network service" of the Air Force (Air-RDIP). The construction should start in the coming days with commissioning of the first "positions" equipped end of 2012. The deployment should be completed in 2014. Alcatel-Lucent's partner INEO, an infrastructure specialist defense techniques.

As for the financial package, it is entrusted to the Caisse des depots associated with the Luxembourg investment funds SEIEF. The pool of partners committed to cede 10% of contracts outsourced to SMEs and to provide reclassifications to hundreds of military and civilian personnel involved. Alcatel-Lucent will assume management and maintenance of networks of Air Force with the requirement, half-life of RDIP-Air, an "update" so that it benefits from technological developments.

All of the information flow internal air bases including allowing the Air Force to conduct its missions – such as surveillance of airspace – will therefore be outsourced. The information will be protected and secured through five levels of privacy from the most basic to the "secret NATO" and "confidential defense".Alcatel-Lucent is also committed to service quality (availability and reliability) together with a penalty system if necessary. The operation could RDIP-Air School with the Navy and the Army in time, although for now the two armies have computer networks and communications referred to as "suitable."

Three sectors where the state says its operations in private

1. The defense pointed

The Army had the ball rolling in 2008 benefiting from the first PPP contract signed by the DGA. Specifically, with the company DCI has taken over the management of flight hours and the helicopter fleet of the School of Dax which trains pilots of the French armies.

The contract worth 400 million euros spread over twenty-two years. It must allow a saving of 600 million euros.But the PPP's most famous landmark is undoubtedly the contract of 3 free 3-in-1 credit report.5 billion euros, signed in early June, with Bouygues to build the "Pentagon in French" (pictured) at Balard. In 2014, 10,000 military and civilian staffs of the three armies and the DGA have to regroup. The PPP is not always the rule to outsource activities and services where military competence is not necessary. After the lawn or airport maintenance (based Cognac), the Ministry of Defence had retained in 2006 the American GE Fleet Services to manage its fleet, more than 20,000 commercial vehicles. With, in sight, a savings of 25% on an annual budget of 90 million.

2. Transportation and Maintenance

Bikers of the gendarmerie and the police accompanying the convoy will soon be a thing of the past exceptional.The state decided to entrust to private companies the management of transportation of wind turbines, ships and other bulky goods. Effective November 1, this measure is indicative of the willingness of departments to focus on their core missions. This is the philosophy of the modernization of the state launched since 2007. The functions called "media" such as purchasing, information technology, are among the first to be restructured. "We look first at the pool," says one at Bercy. A purchasing department of the State, which oversees the current purchases of government departments, has been created. The state also uses outsourcing. No more garages in the ministries: the management of their 72,000 vehicles will be performed by private companies at the end of the year. Caretaking, cleaning, heavy lifting, the reception is already provided by the private staff at Bercy.This is also true at the Musée du quai Branly. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he, a single private provider for the maintenance of its buildings in Paris. The government can also go further, by giving public-private partnership in the management and construction of prisons.

3. Public enterprises

Public companies, subject to increasing competition, should ensure the public service closer to the citizens without increasing their operating costs. It is the object, including the action plan for rural areas launched last year. The plan includes for example the Post Office launches 17,000 "contact points", mainly in shops run by individuals. In this way, 90% of French people will have access to a courier service within 5 kilometers.For their part, the old disused railway stations could be reused to pool several services in one place: social security office, ticket sales SNCF, EDF payment services. The state is full of ideas. Left to ogle the side of the private sector. The opening to competition of regional express trains (pictured) could well tip the railway in the private sector. It is expected that a "social framework harmonized" be defined so that they retain their current benefits. The Elysee confirmed in an engagement letter to the President of the SNCF. And Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, the responsible minister of the SNCF, was asked last June that the negotiations between social partners are committed as soon as possible. These issues should be addressed in the coming weeks as part of Focus on the rail.

Asian stock markets are in a bad mood on Thursday. Investors in the region are not reassured Wall Street that ended Wednesday in the balance after a volatile session. Fears of an economic slowdown in the world come to the fore.

The Tokyo Stock Exchange sets the tone with an opening in the red, down 0.42% for the Nikkei. The Japanese benchmark index widened its losses in the morning to show a decline of 1.24% to 8944 points at a time of closing. A new mixed indicators on the front disrupted operators: Japan reported in a July trade surplus, four months after the earthquake of March 11, but the surplus has shrunk by more than 90% because of lower exports and a surge in energy costs.The third largest economy last month generated a trading profit of 72.5 billion yen (650 million), confirming a recovery in economic activity, but its exports fell by 3.3%.

Tokyo is hit by a rise in the yen against the dollar, which traded below 77 yen again this morning values ​​exporters are under pressure, in the image of Mazda Motor (-5.65%), Fuji Heavy Industries (-5 , 16%), Nissan (-2.96%). The electronics sector is hit by the fall of Dell in the U.S. markets. Toshiba lost 4.45% and 2.34% Panasonic.

Hong Kong is the perfect balance while in Shanghai, the stock market unscrews from 0.34%. The Korean Kospi lost 2.95%, the S & P Australian loose 1.40% and the Indian Sensex was down 0.73%.

Oil off again down

Oil prices were down Thursday morning in electronic trading in Asia as investors await key U.S. economic indicators, the first consumer of black gold in the world. On the menu, including: the weekly jobless claims, the index of leading indicators and consumer prices.

In morning trading, a barrel of "light sweet crude" for September delivery lost 33 cents to 87.25 dollars. That of Brent North Sea crude for September delivery yielded 30 cents to 110.30 dollars.

The French Association of Private Enterprises (Afep), which includes very large groups, will this evening at dinner Xavier Bertrand. Labour Minister and his guests have something to talk about everything found: the taxation of the remuneration of top managers.

Xavier Bertrand Tuesday reiterated the government's intention, not to establish a "maximum wage", but to increase the levies on companies' pay extravagant wages "- which in his view, means" several million euros. " The idea was initiated by a part of the majority in the debate on the alleviation of the ISF and the end of the tax shield. The Left had also seen a way to feel good after a "gift to the rich" … The measure should be passed in the fall.It could take two forms: a new tax or the inability to deduct the payments of the tax base of companies. "I favor the latter possibility," the minister said Tuesday.

"Branding a category»

Neither of the two formulas, in any case not suitable for Afep. Its chairman, Maurice Levy (Publicis Groupe), found the need to "be bad enough faith to consider that there is a problem together" on the compensation of top managers of French companies. Based on a study Aon Hewitt, he assured that they are on average paid less than their counterparts at the head of U.S. companies, Swiss, British, Spanish or German. "It's not healthy to attack a general executive compensation. This leads to stigmatize a category, "says Maurice Levy."I'm not at all support the idea that decides what should be the compensation of one or the other, in a total abstraction of what the company," he says. As to subject executive compensation to the general meeting of shareholders, rather than the board or a special committee, the president of the Afep sees "no need to submit to such AG decision over another ", saying that there is already" in the company a democracy that works very well. " Annual reports, accessible, detailed executive compensation.

"Personally," Maurice Levy, however, sees "no objection" that the persons whose total income is high "contribute more in difficult times," as an "element of solidarity."

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The Portuguese prime minister resigned, the socialist Jose Socrates, was not reappointed after the parliamentary elections held Sunday. The President of the Social Democratic Party, Pedro Passos Coelho is now leading the country, winning 105 seats of the 230 elected members of Parliament against a backdrop of record abstention to 41.2%. Shortly after the results, the chairman of the Social Democratic Party, Pedro Passos Coelho wanted to reassure its creditors. He said Sunday night that his country would not be "a burden" for them, promising to "do everything" to "honor the commitments" of the Portuguese State. "We will do our best to honor the agreement between the Portuguese State, the European Union (EU) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), to regain market confidence," he added.And to avoid political instability, the leader said he would form "as soon as possible" a "majority government headed by the DSP (…) with the CDS-PP, the minority party the right.

Analysts estimate that the net result of the election will be welcomed by investors, who had deserted the Portuguese debt market in recent months. In addition, the government will now hands free to discuss with the EU and the IMF to implement the bailout of 78 billion negotiated by the government resigned in exchange for a program of fiscal discipline and reforms economic over three years.The future government, which could become operational in late June or early July, will help reduce the government deficit of 9.1% of GDP last year to 5.9% this year and drop to 3% by 2013 .

The election comes as Greece, she received a new support plan in exchange for increased rigor in Athens. This second program of aid could exceed 100 billion euros are to believe the German newspaper Der Spiegel on Monday, and would aim to keep the country who still could not borrow in the medium and long term contracts, on a drip until 'in 2014.

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Good student, but must continue its efforts. It is, in short, the message delivered by the rating agency Fitch in France. She confirmed the debt rating "AAA", the best possible, with stable outlook. The French government has taken "a series of measures", says the agency, "which have improved the outlook for public finances." And mention the pension reform, or the draft law in fixing the principle of balance of public finances.

"However, these efforts must be extended to stabilize and then reduce the level of debt of France, which was the end of 2010 to 81.7% of gross domestic product (GDP)," warns Maria Malas-Mroueh, responsible scoring countries at Fitch. A number of risk still hovers in effect on the financial health of the state. Starting with 2012, a major election year.It should not, Fitch warns that the budget skids on the bottom of the presidential election. Especially since the forecast growth in the medium term Bercy (+2.5% per year) are considered "optimistic."

It should not, the agency said that the newly elected unleash the flange to the public finances in 2013. Instead, the agency left little choice to the government that emerges from the polls: "We expect the 2011 budget will meet its objectives (a deficit of 5.7%, Ed), but further efforts are needed to reduce the deficit to 3% of GDP in 2013, as agreed. " Debt levels will then stabilize at a level higher than before the crisis, reducing the flexibility to cope with future crises.

Note "under pressure"

In the medium term, Fitch added that "the memo from France could be under pressure (read: be revised downward, Ed) if the competitiveness of France was deteriorating again and if the position of France was weakening." The agency plans and the current account balance, ie the difference between money coming in and who leaves the territory, will remain negative in 2011 and 2012, approximately 2% of GDP. Fitch impels France to further reduce its "structural rigidities".

Despite these black spots, the Hexagon rest for now, said the agency, a "healthy and diversified economy," equipped "social institutions, civil and effective policies." He added: "financial flexibility reflect its status as a major issuer of sovereign benchmark in the eurozone. Clearly, the markets like, so far, take on France.