The organization ensures that there are several hundred people camped at that point, where a delegation of religious leaders has already gone to show their support to the members of the movement trying to mediate with the police.


Meanwhile, Zuccotti square, which is a privately owned site, remains closed waiting for a court hearing scheduled for this Tuesday in which to examine the legality of the evacuation of this morning.


Some of the protesters moved there were carrying and distributing at that time copies of that court order and even they gave these copies to officers guarding the place, which led to "some small confrontations," said Bray, who claimed that some officers beaten the demonstrators.


The court order prohibits the authorities to evacuate the members of Occupy Wall Street and enforce "laws that were issued after the beginning of the occupation or to prohibit demonstrators regain access to the park with shops and other property used before."


Mayor Bloomberg told reporters that, because of that court order, the city had suspended the reopening of the public space and protesters were informed, however, that local laws do not allow them to re-install with camping shops and sleeping bags.


The councilman personally defended the evacuation of the Zuccotti square carried out at dawn, an operation in which about 200 arrests were made and this was decided so because protesters were "violating the law."


Bloomberg said he gave the order to evacuate the square because it was becoming "a place where people did not come to protest, but to break the law and, in some cases, to do harm to others" as "Some businesses had received threats' and neighbors feared" for the quality of life."


"The evacuation of this morning was disgusting and shows that deep inside Bloomberg is more interested in preserving the financial interests of American workers," added the spokesman of the movement, who accused the mayor of "disrespect for the freedom of expression."


The responsible of "Occupy Wall Street" also indicated that they intend to organize "great deeds" for Thursday in collaboration with community organizations and unions, in order to commemorate the last two months of protests, which began on September 17th.


Pamela Anderson will be Virgin Mary in a special Christmas TV show


Along with Michael Buble and other prominent Canadians, she will appear on the television program "It's a Russell Peters Christmas" on December 1st


The Canadian Pamela Anderson has been the assistant of Tim Allen in "Home Improvement" lifeguard in "Baywatch" Bunny in "Playboy," the wife of rock musician Tommy Lee and now, the actress and model is the Virgin Mary in a special Christmas show at the Canadian television.


The private television channel CTV announced today that Anderson, along with the "crooner" (ballad singer) Michael Buble and other prominent Canadians, will appear on the television program "It's a Russell Peters Christmas" on December 1st, interpreting a very different Mary.


CTV presented today images of the television show in which Anderson, also known by the wide distribution over the internet of a pornographic home video where she appears together with her husband, the drummer of "Mötley Crüe," Tommy Lee, appears dressed as the Virgin Mary holding in a crib a doll depicting Jesus.


In the scene, Peters, a well known Canadian comedian of Indian origin who recently appeared as a presenter on the tour of "My Violent Torpedo of Truth" by Charlie Sheen appears as Joseph.


In addition to Anderson and Peters, the CTV Christmas special show features the Canadian singer Buble, who at the end of March married in Buenos Aires the Argentinean model Luisana Lopilato, and he is not a stranger as regards the controversy.


Recently, Buble called "bitch" the American Kim Kardashian during one of his concerts in New York.


Japan reborn after the earthquake


GDP grows by 1.5% due to domestic consumption and puts an end to the downward spiral that began in March


Since last March, the Japanese economy was paralyzed, still recovering from the devastating earthquake, resulting in a nuclear crisis, the worst catastrophe suffered by the Nippon country since the Second World War.


The first estimates of Tokyo government regarding the material losses amounted to $ 300,000 million, a blow that, despite the difficult global context, seems to have dimmed.


After three consecutive quarters of declines, the Gross Domestic Product data between July and September helped to turn the page, definitely: GDP increased by 1.5% compared to the previous quarter and by 6% in annualized rate.


The one recorded in the second quarter, for the Japanese the Fiscal Year begins in March 2012 - represents also the fastest rhythm of growth from January to March 2010.


The recovery can be explained in part by the recovery in the purchase of machinery to restore areas devastated by the earthquake and the following tsunami.


In fact, companies increased their investment by 1.1% versus 0.9% decline in capital expenditures which was observed from January to March, the first decline after six months of uninterrupted increases.


However, the true revulsion of the Japanese economy is not based exclusively on the Keynesian impulse that invites taking advantage on the crisis to strengthen-or rebuild-infrastructure, using of gaps to grow from scratch.


Japan has awakened, especially thanks to the evolution of the household consumption, which now represents 60% of the Japanese GDP.


This variable climbed 1%, driven by the increase of expenditure for cars, travels and leisure activities.


The stigma of the yen


Tokyo has entrusted to the internal market, when the yen-the Nippon currency has become one of the "refuge values" chosen by investors who wanted to get rid of the debt crisis in the euro area and the negative forecasts of the U.S., a privilege that weighs like a stone in the accounts of export companies.


With a stronger currency, the products are more expensive abroad, a serious slap for a country whose economic line is determined by the health of large technological groups.


Toyota or Sony, for example, blamed the yen for their weak results between July and September.


As markets continue their siege of the peripheral countries of the EU, the Government of Yoshihiko Noda does not lower the guard.


"We must be vigilant to the risks that remain, such as the deterioration of some foreign economies, the impact of floods in Thailand and the rapid appreciation of the yen," said yesterday the Secretary of State for Economic Policy, Motohisa Furukawa.


And indeed, the perspectives are not encouraging.


The Organization for Cooperation and Economic Development (OECD) said that most member countries showed in September clear signs of economic slowdown.


The indicator that anticipates the turning points in the global economy showed that the major powers are slowing.


Since it fell four tenths to 100.4 points, compared to 100.8 in August.


The euro zone even fell below the average, which is at the level of 100, since it rushed eight tenths up to 99.13 points.


Athens feeds back the doubts


Papademos said that adjustments will be approved, but conservatives will not sign any written commitment


With peripheral risk subsidies launched and uncertainty reinstated in the parks, Greece is still entangled in the maze that leads to the exit of the great European debt crisis.


The feeling that the "consent" of the new transitional government of Hellene comes imposed more by the demands of Brussels than by a genuine conviction of political forces began to be confirmed by facts.


While the new prime minister, Lukas Papademos warned yesterday that there is no alternative to structural reforms and that the period of one hundred days agreed in his appointment may be underestimated for applying them, the leader of the conservative New Democracy party, Antonis Samaras, ensured that he will not support new austerity measures in any case and reiterated his demand for new elections scheduled on February 19th.


"The main task of this Government is implementing the decisions of the summit of October 26th," Papademos said yesterday when opening a parliamentary debate that it will culminate tomorrow with a vote of confidence to the new Executive.


A package of 24 programs to boost employment, reform of the disciplinary code of civil servants and new measures against tax evasion will be the first initiatives.


However, the message of Samaras does not clear the doubts about his position: "We are committed to helping the transitional government, but we are not committed to anything."


The Conservative leader was one step further in his pulse to the EU and the IMF, the entities that must unfreeze the 8,000 million that Athens urgently needed, and made clear he will not give his approval to any letter of commitment to comply with the adjustments.


But the European Commission, still having a nappy rash by the impact caused by the all or nothing statement of the Papandreou referendum, reiterated yesterday that its demand is clear: it will not unlock the help if the new Government and the leaders of Hellene major parties do not sign "a written commitment without ambiguity and this as soon as possible."


The Economic Affairs spokesman, Amadeu Altafaj, said the troika inspectors would return "very soon" to Athens to discuss with the new government "what has to be done to pay the sixth tranche" of 8,000 million, although there is no definite date.


The Greek hank still has a thread for the moment.


Mrs. Sofia: "They are instruments of progress and hope"


The queen highlights the "dominant" place in Spain in relation to this type of finance


Spain "has achieved a prominent place worldwide in the role of Microfinance."


Queen Sofia recalled yesterday that the country has become over the last two decades the second donor in relation to the instruments of cooperation; whose "essence" she said lies in being an "instrument for social progress, justice and hope for a better future for all humanity, based on trust in human beings."


The Queen opened yesterday the Fifth Global Microcredit Summit in Valladolid with the belief that "there is no doubt" that such operations are "absolutely essential" to achieve the Millennium Goals set by the United Nations for 2015, and, "especially having as a goal halving the volume of people living with less than a dollar per day, with this fixing the "poverty line."


Spain is "still working" to expand the network of beneficiaries all over the world, and assumes the task with "responsibility" said Mrs. Sofia, who hoped that the efforts and contributions originated in the Summit, which will be held until Thursday, will "ensure the creation of new capabilities and better opportunities for the poorest people, and especially for women," the main beneficiaries of these loans.


There are "many achievements" and "many challenges we are facing."


The Microcredit Summit arises not only as a forum for debate, but also as a platform that promotes "two basic goals."


Thus, His Majesty explained that she hopes that at the end of 2015, 175 million poor families will have acceded to these financial services and one hundred million of these households will get out of the poverty in which they are immersed.


The impulse for the creation of micro credits in Spain and in the rest of the world "has followed the path started years ago" by Muhammad Yunus, highlighted Mrs. Sofia as an "act of justice and recognition."


And she described the father of this tool as an "admirable idealist of the universal cause of the fight against poverty," whose work is known for 15 years, when the Queen went to Bangladesh to find out in the field the policy of loans.


This experience was followed a year later by the first World Summit in Washington and other meetings such as those held in Ivory Coast in 1999, Canada 2006, and "in all I have seen the continued evolution," said His Majesty, whose link with this project made her earn yesterday the title of the "head of the family" in Valladolid from the "banker of the poor."


Finally, the Queen Mrs. Sofia concluded by encouraging those present to participate in the debate and find solutions to advance the fight against poverty.


"Ethical imperative"


Foreign Minister, Trinidad Jiménez, said that solidarity "is an ethical imperative" to every democratic state.


In this regard, she said that it would be a mistake to link cooperation with developing countries in times of economic boom, as it is a "continuing obligation."


Jimenez found that microcredit supposes "a serious and rigorous policy dedicated to eradicating poverty," and now "more than ever," the governments of developed countries must work under the criteria of solidarity and not let this fall as victim of adjustments.


For Spain, microcredit is "one of the main lines of development cooperation."


The Secretary of State for International Cooperation, Soraya Rodriguez, praised the "success" to give "trust" to people "excluded to whom all doors are closed," and the mayor of Valladolid, Francisco Javier Leon de la Riva, welcomed those present to a city that "opens its doors caught by the spirit of solidarity."


CDU intends to elect the European President by universal suffrage


The first day of the congress of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) on Monday 14 November, in Leipzig took place without any real problems arising for the Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is also President of the Christian Democratic party.


The future of Europe was not initially planned to be on the programme, but imposed itself in the autumn, in particular to satisfy the militants who will be watching the government's policy on Greece today and perhaps that on Italy tomorrow....


The motion on the preidency of the European Commission, tabled by the directorate, was adopted almost unanimously.


Out of 1001 delegates, only nine voted against and ten abstained from voting.


The standing ovation lasting several minutes which they, Angela Merkel and then a few hours later, Wolfgang Schäuble, the very Europhile Minister of Finance, received at the end of their respective speeches, left no room for doubt.


The main idea of the Chancellor and of the motion, is embodied in the slogan "the right response to the crisis is not less Europe, but more Europe."


Not only because Europe means peace, but because "nine million jobs depend directly on the Euro."


For the Chancellor, "the time has arrived for a breakthrough in Europe ."


This could mean modifications of the Treaty of Lisbon, making it possible to strengthen the control by the European Union of the budgetary policies of the countries of the Eurozone, but this could also affect the election of the president of the European Commission by universal suffrage "in order to impart a face to Europe."


This is, generally speaking, the case of one of the proposals of the motion adopted by the congress, whose inspiration clearly comes from Wolfgang Schäuble.


Certainly, it is not probable that the Twenty-Seven will rapidly agree to this solution; Great Britain is opposed to it and the heads of CDU think that Nicolas Sarkozy is also opposed to it.


But the marker is in place.


Similarly, the delegates rejected by an overwhelming majority the proposal to weight the vote of each country-Member of the directorate of the European Central Bank according the size of its economy, which would clearly increase the weight of the German economy.


Anxious to calm the climate in her party, the Chancellor increased the number of her references to Konrad Adenauer and to Helmut Kohl, but she did not seek to influence the congress on the back of the "small" European countries, or of countries in difficulty, which are quick to criticise "arrogant" Germany.


Although the motion on Europe devotes a paragraph to the importance of "Franco-German friendship," Angela Merkel did not mention France.


Except when in a hole.


Recalling that two centuries ago, Leipzig was the scene of a bloody battle.


In fact, it was one of the most humiliating defeats of the Napoleonic army.


What is sick leave fraud ?


After allowances, the UMP and the government are launching an offensive against sick leave.


On 15 November, Nicolas Sarkozy will be in Bordeaux to visit a family allowances allocation fund and to make a speech on this subject, which has been recurring since 2007, concerning the fight against social assistance fraud.


And to help this offensive stemming from a desire to make economies in the context of constraints, but which also forms part of the presidential re-election campaign, the majority want to concentrate on sick leave.


First and foremost, with a view to budgetary economies, the government intends to impose on private employees a fourth day of unemployment before the start of unemployment benefit


Clearly, without the specific consent of the employer, an employee falling sick will lose four days' pay equal to at least 15% of his/her monthly income.


A measure, which threatens to arouse anger, but which, according to Les Echos, would produce a saving of 280 million Euros.


And which would be accompanied by another measure with a more symbolic effect, namely, the imposition on public employees of one day's wait for benefit payment in the case of sick leave (public employees have not hitherto had to wait for the payment of benefit, as against a three days' wait by private employees).


Now that these questions are being discussed, the majority are also relaunching the subject of fraud, targeting abuses linked to medical certificates.


"The controls will become more rigid and in addition, if you are caught, you will have to repay any non-legitimate benefit received," warned Xavier Bertrand on RTL on Sunday 13 November.


As in other cases, the effects of the announcement appear a little disproportionate to the reality of medical certificate-related fraud.


This has actually been monitored constantly since 2002 via political offensives, which have usually borne fruit.


The French are no sicker than people elsewhere in Europe.


Let us first of all look at the national figures.


According to the Caisse nationale d'assurance maladie (CNAM), over 237 million Euros of daily compensation were paid in 2006.


According to l'Institut de Recherche et de Documentation en Economie de la Santé,the daily compensation expenditure in 2008 at 11,3 thousand million Euros, was 5% of total health expenditure.


Of this sum, 46% concerned maternity leave and accidents at work and 54% sick leave benefit at 6,2 thousand million Euros.


And therefore represented 2,5% of health-related expenditure.


The French spent an average of 14,5 days on sick leave in 2010, compared with 17.8 days in 2009, according to a study by Alma Consulting Group.


An average, which conceals certain divergences; another inquiry published in 2007 by the Monster.com career management site, showed that 75% of the 40 000 French employees questioned said that they had not taken any days of sick leave.


Another study, this time concerning sickness insurances, states that in 2010, 37% of sick leave lasted less than 8 days,15% 15 days to one month, 15% from one to three months and 11% lasted longer.


Comparing these figures with those of their European neighbours, French employees are no more inclined to take sick leave than those in any other country.


A long study carried out in 2010 by two CNRS researchers showed that between 1994 and 2001, the global rate of absence from work in France (for reasons of health or not) fluctuated between 10% and 11%, compared with between 20% and 28% in Denmark, 15% in the United Kingdom, or between 16% and 18% in The Netherlands.


Sickness certificate-related fraud is very low, compared with "black" labour.


As regards fraud, it is very low.


The strengthening of legislation since 2002 has led to systematic controls of certificates valid for longer than 45 days.


In 2008, out of 1,5 million controls,the CNAM found that 13% of the 285 000 controls on short-term sickness certificates were "unjustified," or too long," equal to 37 050 cases.


In the case of systematically controlled certificates valid for more than 45 days, 11% cases were found to be "inappropriate or unjustified" out of 1,2 million, equal to 132 000.


In total therefore, 169 000 cases were "unjustified," out of several million of employees issued with certificates.


A figure which represents very few cases, compared, for example, with the "black" labour figure.


According to the UMP deputy Dominique Tian, author of a report on the subject in June, this would represent 9 to 15 thousand million Euros annual tax shortfall, equal to more than the total cost of daily compensation and therefore infinitely higher than losses due to fraud.


Papademos: Greece must implement a new adjustment plan


Greece needs a new programme of adjustment to rescue its economy.


This was declared on Monday 14 November by the Prime Minister Lucas Papadémos in parliament, adding that the 100 days granted to his coalition government were not long enough for the accomplishment of this task.


"To pursue the efforts of rescuing the economy, we need the support of our European partners and a new programme of budgetary adjustment " declared the head of government, who made his first public speech opening the debate on the vote of confidence in parliament on Wednesday.


The implementation of the decisions taken at the summit of the Eurozone on 27 October shall be the "principal task" of the new government, because participation of the country in the Eurozone "is at stake," he added.


Consequently, M. Papademos forecast that the country's public deficit would be reduced to "about 9%" of the PIB by the end of the year, after having been 10.6% in 2010 and 15.7% in 2009.


The Right rejects new austerity measures


On Monday, Antonis Samaras, the leader of the Right, gave his support to already approved measures to try and emerge from the debt crisis, but warned that his party would not support additional austerity.


"We will not vote in favour of new measures," he said at a meeting with the deputies of his New Democracy party.


He declared his agreement with the objectives of reduction of the deficit and of the debt and of the struggle against waste, but also his opposition to any policy which would prevent economic recovery.


To Olli Rehn, the European commissioner responsible for economic and monetary affairs, who warned that the FMI and the EU would not unblock the loan of 8 thousand million Euros required, without a written guarantee of all parties that they would support the planned measures, Antonio Samaras replied that his word was sufficient and that he would not sign anything under outside pressure.


It is necessary to legalise euthanasia and assisted suicide, says a committee of experts


Canadians are living half dead, according to a report of the Royal Society of Canada


Regarding palliative medicine, the committee claims that governments, healthcare institutions and doctors work together to provide the best possible palliative care, apart from cancer cases.


Canadian society is half dead.


Only 9% of Canadians agree to speak with their doctor when they want to die and take steps to that end.


This is one the conclusions of an imposing report by the Royal Society of Canada, in which six experts in different fields took part, including ethics, the law and medicine.


This committee recommends to the government to modify the criminal code, so as to permit assisted suicide and euthanasia when it is elected by a patient deemed competent to make such a decision.


At the outset, the experts cite a recent inquiry by the Economist Intelligence Unit, which compared the quality of death in 40 countries worldwide.


Whilst Canada is placed 10th, the study notes that "the medicalisation of death in Canada has produced a culture in which people are afraid to tackle the subject of death.


Medicalisation or not, 77% of Canadians do not have access to palliative care, report experts appointed by the Royal Society of Canada.


And 86% of them end by dying in hospital


Countrywide, it is in Quebec that the rate is highest, with 86% of deaths taking place in hospital.


On the delicate question of euthanasia and assisted suicide, the authors of the report arrive at conclusions which oppose the position of the Federal government, which has already said that it does not wish to change anything in the criminal code concerning euthanasia and assisted suicide.


Now, according to the experts who also reviewed the position of all countries where these actions have been legalised or decriminalised, there is no proof that the aid decriminalisation involves abuses of application, that is to say, the practice of euthanasia, or of assisted suicide on persons who are not competent, or not consenting.


On the contrary, affirmed during a teleconference, Jocelyn Downie, who submitted the report, more such cases were found precisely in those countries, where euthanasia and assisted suicide have not been legalised.


"Euthanasia is practised in Canada, where it is clearly illegal."


"Assisted suicide is practised in Canada, where it is clearly illegal, explains Jocelyn Downie.


Canadians in favour of euthanasia


It should be remembered that 85% of Canadians are in favour of euthanasia, because according to an Angus Reid enquiry in 2010, they believe that it would allow persons at the end of their lives to alleviate their suffering.


And the legalisation of euthanasia would not result in sending a message that the life of aged or handicapped persons had less value.


Regarding persons who commit assisted suicide, investigations indicate that 41% of such cases should not have been prosecuted.


Regarding the continuation, or the withdrawal of nursing care of a patient, the situation is less clear, say the authors of the report.


They also suggest among their other recommendations, that the penal code should state that legally valid withdrawal of nursing care is not criminal.


The committee of experts also requests that health professionals should be trained in the duty to respect a withdrawal of nursing care at the end of life without having to fear criminal prosecution.


Regarding palliative care, the committee calls on governments, nursing institutions, and doctors to work together to provide the best possible palliative care and not only in cases of cancer.


Lastly, concerning palliative sedation already widely used in Canadian health institutions,the committee asks that it should be considered where it only serves to reduce physical pain, as does euthanasia and that it should be subject to the same procedures.


Reservations of other experts


Certain experts in the field of the health-related legislation have already voiced reservations concerning the conclusions of the Royal Society of Canada experts' report.


Maître Pierre Deschamps, a specialist in health legislation, described as "extreme" the position of the experts who signed the report, because among other things, it does not restrict the practice of euthanasia to terminal cases.


"This opens the door on a situation where everyone who is tired of life and who is over 18 years old, could ask for help to commit suicide, says Me Deschamps, who yesterday consulted a summary of the report.


Me Deschamps also stresses that the authors of the report appear to place the independence of the person above all other values which contribute to the fabric of society


He says that "in society there are signposts and constraints.


The specialist in health legislation, Margaret Somerville also expressed "strong opposition to the conclusions of the report, which she described as being "obviously pro-euthanasia."


Margaret Somerville, who is herself a member of the Royal Society of Canada, contests, in particular, the data of the report concerning abuses in certain countries where euthanasia and assisted suicide have been legalised as in The Netherlands and in Oregon.


The King of Jordan calls on president Assad to relinquish power


Damascus denounces a "plot"


Syria is becoming increasingly isolated


The partisans of Bachar al-Assad demonstrated yesterday in front of the offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.


Diplomatic pressures intensified yesterday on the Syria of Bachar al-Assad, who, with the support of Russia, is resisting them and has denounced a "plot" against his country.


Two days after the suspension of Syria from membership of the Arab League, the European Union has reinforced its sanctions against Damascus, whilst Syria's neighbours Turkey and Jordan, came out in favour of president Assad's departure.


King Abdallah II of Jordan yesterday became the first Arab leader to call on president Bachar al-Assad to relinquish power in Syria, where some forty civilians and members of the armed forces of the regime were killed.


"If Bachar had the interest of his country at heart, he would have to resign, but he would also have to create the necessary conditions for a new phase of the political life, said the King of Jordan, a neighbouring country of Syria, in a BBC interview.


In his turn, the Turkish foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu deplored the fact that Turkish efforts to mediate, which began at the start of the year, did not meet with success.


"Those in the Middle East who are at peace with their people, but cannot satisfy their aspirations, will leave power, he said, alluding to Syria, a neighbouring country, on which Turkey is adopting an increasingly hard line.


For their part, the United States are congratulating themselves on the increased consensus against Assad and the actions of the Syrian regime following the decisions of the Arab League and the European Union.


"The international community, the United States, the European Union, the Arab Legaue,and countries such as Turkey, are adopting an increasingly harder line" in the face of the the repression in Syria, observed Mark Toner, a spokesman of the State Department.


During this time, 16 civilians and at least 19 members of the armed forces of the regime die in the area of Deraa in the south of Syria, announced l'Observatoire syrien des droits de l'homme (OSDH).


Two other civilians died during exchanges of fire and heavy rifles at Jobar in the besieged town of Homs, according tot his ONG.


During a Press conference, the Syrian foreign minister Walid Mouallem stated that the country was approaching the end of the crisis."


He moreover reacted strongly against the decision of the Arab League to suspend Damascus which according to him represents a "dangerous step."


Syria will not bend, he added, assuring that plots against Syria would fail."


After its decision to suspend Syria, the Arab League is at present studying "a protection mechanism for civilians and wants the dispatch of 500 members of of Arab rights of man organisations, of media and of military observers into the country.


The French foreign minister Alain Juppé also declared himself in favour to the dispatch of UNO observers to help to protect civilians from repression by the regime, which according to him, is "paranoid."


A new extraordinary meeting of the League is planned for tomorrow to debate the implementation of escape from the crisis decided on 2 November and foreseeing in particular, the withdrawal of armed forces from the towns in dispute and the liberation of arrested demonstrators.


The Russian foreign minister, Sergyey Lavrov, yesterday described as "incorrect" the decision of the Arab League, whilst China exhorted Syria to implement the plan of emerging from the crisis, taking care not to support possible sanctions against Damascus.


Italy


Monti demands time from the markets and sacrifices from Italians


The future head of the Italian government, Mario Monti, has asked the markets for a little time to form his team and to implement a programme, which will involve "sacrifices," in order to recover credibility lost over the last few months of the Berlusconi government.


The former European commissioner was yesterday in discussions with the political parties before today's meeting with unions and employers


He will have to form a relatively moderate cabinet composed of technocrats from outside parliament.


"Monti spoke about an important programme involving a lot of sacrifices," said Francesco Nucara, a deputy of one of the numerous small parliamentary groups taking part in the discussions after meeting the prime minister-designate.


The president of the Chamber or deputies, Gianfranco Fini, said that he would wait to learn if Mario Monti would ask parliament for a vote of confidence between now and Friday, to ascertain whether the new government had enough support.


The consultations will end in the presentation by M. Monti of a limited list of a dozen or so ministers to the head of State, Giorgio Napolitano.


M. Monti commented on the nervousness of the stockmarkets here, asking them for time.


In a "democracy, time is needed for the preparation of a government and a programme, he stressed, adding that he was certain that the markets would be patient and understanding."


His appointment by the president was initially welcomed by the markets,but disquiet re-emerged, in particular after an unexpected fall in industrial production in Eurozone in September.


The prime minister-designate had to form a team, most importantly comprising technocrats, even though he stressed that he would also like to include "politicians."


The new government would have to last until 2013, the date of the next election, he said.


According to the president of the Chamber of deputies, Gianfranco Fini, the new government would secure the vote of confidence of parliament by Friday.


M. Monti undertook that once in office he would work hard to ensure that Italy would once again become a protagonist in Europe.


A spokesman for the European Commissioner, Olli Rehn. stressed that "regardless of a new government, our diagnostic of the Italian economy has not changed."


The European Union, being convinced that Rome would not achieve its objective budget in 2013 despite the austerity plan adopted over recent months, has asked, in particular, for stringent new measures.


The Italian "boss of bosses" Emma Marcegaglia, who will meet him on Tuesday, has also insisted on the necessity of relaunching the economy, "because a country which does not have growth, cannot observe the parameters of deficit."


M. Monti, known for his competence and for his independence when he was European Commissioner (1994-2004), represents a "change of epoch" for Italy after 17 years of "berlusconism," the "professor" symbolising "the challenge of seriousness" and "another Italy," according to the leaderwriters.


The great unknown is the longevity of his team.


President Napolitano would like to avoid an early election, because by April 2012 Italy must place State debentures worth 200 thousand million Euros.


A Russian scientist has assisted an Iranian nuclear programme


A Russian scientist, Vycheslav Danilenko, assisted Iran to develop a detonator usable with a nuclear weapon, confirmed on Monday an American agency specialising in the field of atomic hazard.


The Institute of Science of International Safety ISIS) bases itself on the recent report from the International Atomic Safety Agency (AIEA) and other documents from this UNO agency, to identify this researcher.


Last week, AIEA announced its serious disquiet concerning a "possible military dimension" of the Iranian nuclear programme.


According to ISIS drawing largely on AIEA documents, M. Danilenko, born in 1934, worked for 30 years from the 'sixties onward, in a Soviet military nuclear centre in Tcheliabinsk (Ural), and was involved in the manufacture by explosion of synthetic diamonds.


In 1989 or 1991 he left the centre to establish a company producing "nano-diamants" in Kiev.


The economic difficulties of his company led him to contact the Iranian embassy in Ukraine in 1995.


He then cooperated on an Iranian programme from 1996 to 2002, before returning to Russia.


In its last report, AIEA mentions "strong indications that the development by Iran" of a system of nuclear detonation "was aided by the work of a foreign expert, who not only knew this technique well, but who also informed the Agency that he had worked for most of his career on this technology in the military nuclear programme of his country of origin."


Anti-Moslem crimes have increased by 50%


Between 2009 and 2010, anti-Moslem crimes increase by almost 50%, whilst during the same period other forms of racial and religious violence had fallen slightly, or had not changed, according to FBI statistics published on Monday.


According to these figures, the total number of cases of violence against Moslems moved from 107 in 2009 to 160 in 2010, equal to an increase of 49%, as against an increase of 13% of cases of violence against Catholics, a fall of 4% of attacks on Jews and a global increase of 14% in anti-religious crimes.


The global number of hate crimes increased very slightly to 6 628 cases, of which 47,3% were motivated by racial differences and 20% by religious differences, according to FBI.


"After a decrease in 2009, it is disturbing to see these crimes increasing again, stressed the rights of man organisation, Human Rights First, "the increase of cases of anti-Moslem violence is particularly significant," added the organisation in a communiqué.


"Human Rights First has long stressed that acts of violence against Moslems, as well as all forms of hate crime, must be regarded as serious violations of human rights," adds one of the managers of the organisation, Paul Legendre.


"The American government can and must do more to deal with his abuse, he adds, judging that this could be due to the editing of police reports on hate crimes."


"Hate crime" in Federal law, is a legacy from the period of struggle for civil rights.


This legislation was passed after the death of Martin Luther King to punish acts of violence linked to race, colour of skin, religion, origin and now sexual orientation.


Twitter modifies its platform and resembles Facebook


On Monday, the microblog site Twitter introduced changes in the presentation of its platform, to allow its users, in particular, to observe the activity of those whom they are monitoring, which makes its service resemble that of Facebook.


A new tab "activity" and another "name" make it possible to follow more legibly and directly the activity of other "Twitters," the internet navigators whose messages are monitored ("tweets") and of those who monitor you.


This enables one to know if they cause messages to be monitored, if they subscribe new accounts, if they have favourite messages, etc.


This new Twitter formula was tested "on a small percentage of users in August"before being broadcast to the entire network on Monday, indicated a spokeswoman of Twitter, Carolyn Penner to AFP.


Twitter, which has been known so far for being rather unintuitive, and for its use of somewhat esoteric terms (RT for re-posting someone else's message, #followfriday for recommending following other users), much to the delight of experienced users, is thus opening itself to a wider audience by offering a user experience closer to those of popular social networks Facebook and Google+.


On the network, users debated this innovation via "tweets" on internet.


"It is useless, invasive and resembles Facebook excessively"


"The functionality activity will help me to monitor better certain elements of my Twitter flow," sent @dannykronstrom.


Austria


Inscription of a budgetary "golden rule" in the constitution


The government of the great social democratic /Christian democratic coalition in power in Austria decided on Tuesday to write a budgetary "golden rule" into the constitution, in order to reduce public deficits and so avoid a possible downgrading by rating agencies of Austria's sovereign credit rsting (triple A).


It was the social-democratic Chancellor his elf, Werner Faymann, who announced this decision at the end of a meeting of the council of ministers, with the Austrian public debt at 74,6%, much higher than the norm of a maximum of 60% set by the treaty of Maastricht, but below the public debt of countries like Italy, Greece or Spain.


"If the solvency of Austria had not fallen by a single notch,from AAA to AA+, we would have to pay three thousand million Euros of interest more every year," argued the vice-chancellor and Christian democratic foreign minister, Michael Spindelegger.


Austria thus complies with a request from the Brussels summit of member-States of Eurozone on 26 October; the heads of State and government requested a reduction by the end of 2102 of public deficits and a return to balanced public accounts in the constitution or in a law to the same effect.


The dispositions adopted by the Austrian government approach the "German model," being the first European country to adopt this "rule."


By 2017, the public structural deficit must fall by 0.75% of the PIB) and from 2017, the structural public deficit of the Austrian Federal State must not exceed 0,35% of PIB in any year, whilst the Länder, as well as communities, must submit balanced budgets.


The objective is that of making public debt fall below the 60% criterion fixed by the treaty of Maastricht by 2020/2021.


Yoshihoko Noda


threatens fresh intervention on the exchange market


The Japanese prime minister, Yoshihiko Noda, warned on Tuesday that the Japanese authorities would again intervene in the exchanges market if the value of the yen continued to rise.


"We would intervene as we did the last time, if we found excessive volatility in the rate of exchange of the yen, explained M. Noda to the Senate.


On Tuesday, the yen rose to near historical levels, causing the Japanese authorities to intervene on 31 October.


On that date, Tokyo sold the yen against the dollar on a massive scale in order to cut the value of the Japanese currency, which was setting a new record of strength since 1945.


But the yen had risen regularly since then, stimulated by purchases by investors who regard it as a "shelter" in these uncertain times of worldwide economic slowdown and the debt crisis in Europe.


On Tuesday, the dollar fell below 77 yen and the Euro fell under the symbolic bar of 105 yen, close to levels which triggered the last intervention.


Prior to the financial crisis of 2008-2009, the dollar was about 120 yen and the Euro over 160 yen.


This rise of the Japanese currency damages Japanese exports, because it makes Japanese products more expensive and reduces the value of income of Japanese firms from abroad, when converted into the national currency.


"Japan is fighting to reconstruct itself " since the earthquake and the tsunami on 11 March, which devastated the region of Tohoku (north-east), stressed M. Noda who fears that this rise of the yen does not kill the fragile embryonic recovery.


The world's third biggest economic power has resumed growth in the third quarter -1,5% compared with the previous quarter - for the first time for a year, thanks to a rise in exports and consumption of households affected by the catastrophe.


But the prime minister felt that the high price of the yen did to reflect "Japan's economic fundamentals ."


The minister of finance, Jun Azumi, called on the Bank of Japan (BoJ), which on Tuesday opened a two-day meeting of its monetary policy council, to take every necessary step to weaken the yen.


But the deputy governor of the institution, Hirohide Yamaguchi, warned that the Bank of Japan had already taken steps the "appropriate steps" stating that no additional monetary flexibility was to be expected on Wednesday


Since its last meeting at the end of October, the issuing institution increased by 5.000 million yen (47 thousand million Euro's) worth of treasury bond purchases, raising the ceiling to 55.000 thousand million yen (519 thousand million Euros), which it is devoting to the purchase of various financial securities to flood the liquidity market.


Eurozone:


the rates are climbing, the stock exchanges are wavering


The risk of contagion of the debt crisis is undermining European indices.


Despite the appointment of new heads of government in Greece and in Italy and better growth figures in France and in Germany, the rates in fragile countries continue to rise.


Still worried about the stability of Eurozone, European exchanges have entered a little further into the negative area on this Tuesday 15 November.


In Paris, at 10 a.m., the CAC 40 lost 1,4% to end at 3.064 points.


The Dax at Frankfurt fell 0,4% and London 0,1%.


"With the new tensions about the yield of loans of Eurozone States in difficulties, the share markets worldwide contimue to lose a part of their recent gains."


"Nervous investors are only too aware of the risk of contagion," explains Terry Pratt, an institutional broker at IG Markets quoted by Reuter.


The Tokyo exchange closed with a fall of 0,7%, suffering fresh doubts of market participants on the subject of the capacity of Europe to contain the debt crisis.


"Japan, like the rest of the world has its eyes riveted on Europe and the exchanges will chase one another in a corridor of narrow variations as investors will not have proof that the situation has stabilised," states Mitsushige Akino, fund manager at Ichiyoshi Investment Management.


This re-emergence of disquiet about the future of Eurozone penalises the single currency, which has continued to fall on Tuesday.


The Euro is reaching its lowest level for a month and a half.


Towards 10 a.m. the European currency is worth 1,3570 dollars, having fallen by 0,4%.


According to brokers,it fell after the party of the chancellor Angela Merkel, the CDU meeting on Monday adopted a motion, envisaging, in particular, the possibility of a country in difficulty leaving the Eurozone without also leaving the European Union.


Italian and Spanish rates substantially above 6%


The borrowing rates of Italy and Spain remain at very disquieting levels.


This Tuesday morning the yield of Italian 10-year debentures attained 6,85%, that of Spanish ones of the same maturity date, 6,2%.


These tensions of the rates of interest of southern countries, but also France, continue to feed the apprehensions of participants.


The head of the future Italian government, Mario Monti asked the markets for time to restore the situation in an Italy threatened by asphyxia by the weight of its debt.


The new Greek prime minister Lucas Papademos affirmed that the implementation of decisions taken at the Eurozone summit on 27 October would be "the principal task" of his government.


Spain finds itself in the line of fire by the markets ahead of the parliamentary elections on Sunday.


The spread of the rate between 10-year German and Spanish bonds has reached a new historically high level.


Awaiting the growth figures of Eurozone


France has recorded an economic growth of 0,4% in the third quarter, a little better than the expected 0,3%, due to increased household consumption.


The Inseen nevertheless revised downwards the figure for the second quarter, with a fall of 0,1% of the gross internal product (PIB) instead of stagnation.


And it is really the fourth quarter, which most disquiets the economists.


Germany for its part, ha recorded a growth of 0,5% for the same period.


A first estimate in respect of the whole Eurozone is expected at 11 a.m, the European Commission having warned against the risk of a new recession.


Energy policy:


Facts must prevail over dogmas


If there is a topic which cannot be dealt with via short-term considerations, or under the stress of emotion, it is energy policy.


The availability and cost of electricity affect directly the purchasing power and the competitiveness of companies.


It is healthy that an electoral rendezvous should be an occasion for reflecting on such stakes and the place occupied by nuclear power.


The debate will not be fruitful, unless it explores all the economic, social and environmental consequences of the proposed options.


The French must base their opinion on the objective facts of rational data.


Now that we are 7 thousand million human beings on the planet, demographic development will involve a doubling of demand for electricity by 2050, unless a huge proportion of the world's population is deprived of a vital element.


During the same period, it will become necessary to palliate the increasing shortage of fossil resources in order to continue to produce electricity permanently without forgetting the overriding need to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases to fight climatic imbalance, a subject which has vanished from the ecological debate.


The Fukushima accident does not modify any of these parameters.


This is why Germany is isolated in its decision to renounce nuclear energy.


This is not the case of Belgium, which subordinates its decision to the need to find a source able to replace nuclear energy, or that of Switzerland, which intends to build only the most modern ones.


On the other hand, Great Britain, Finland, Poland, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Sweden, South Africa, China, India, Brazil to quote only a few, pursue their projects with determination.


The United States, decided after Fukushima to add a unit to their range by resuming the construction of a centre, which was interrupted after the Three Mile Island accident.


Although the German model based on renewable energies is sometimes quoted as an example, the reality contradicts that argument.


The choice of Berlin will result in a rise of the price of electricity, an increased energy dependence aggravated by increased recourse to imported gas, in particular from Russia, a jump in carbon dioxide emissions due to the construction of gas and of coal centres.


In a few months all these adverse effects will already be felt.


The case of Denmark should be considered.


Champion of Europe in the construction of turbines, from which it draws 30% of its electricity, it is also one of the largest users of coal and of gas due to intermittent wind; due to which its carbon dioxide emissions and the price of its electricity are respectively 65% and 50% higher than the European average.


On the other hand, thanks to the constancy of energy policy, our neighbours pay 40% more for their electricity than French households.


Since in the worldwide economy the cost of energy is a key factor of competitiveness and a stake in the maintenance of the industrial tool in the national territory, French companies benefit from the cheapest electricity in Europe.


Due to this, any significant fall in the cost of nuclear energy would bring about a big rise of cost of electricity, which would render illusory the fine declarations on re-industrialisation of our country and the protection of purchasing power.


A price, which a large majority of the French refuse to pay, all the more so, since they do not object to this form of energy in principle.


It should be recalled that the energy policy of our country made it possible to establish an industrial line of 125 000 direct jobs and 410 000 resulting ones.


Strongly export-oriented, it attracts a galaxy of specialised RME's in international markets and creates many jobs, which cannot be moved elsewhere.


If France decided to abandon nuclear power, she would sacrifice a large number of these RME's and lose the annual 6 thousand million Euro's worth of French exports of nuclear equipment and services.


What electrician would recommend a EPR designed to function for sixty years, if the decline of its manufacture was programmed?


To solve the energy equation, it must be admitted that there is no miraculous or diabolical source of production of electricity.


The development by Areva of low carbon dioxide emission solutions, nuclear and renewable, bears witness to the complementary nature sources of energy.


For nuclear energy to maintain the highest level of safety, is absolutely vital.


In France, we have a safety authority, which exercises an intransigent and transparent control of existing generation centres such as Flamanville.


Our teams, whose professionalism is recognised, are accustomed to the same safety-related obsession.


In a space of 50 years, the nuclear industry has experienced three serious incidents.


Only one, Three Mile Island, occurred under normal operating conditions, but without any human or environmental consequences.


At Tchernobyl, the design of the reactor and unforgivable human error brought about the drama.


At Fukushima, some people appear to forget that the accident resulted from two natural disasters of unprecedented magnitude, which caused the death of tens of thousands of people.


The nuclear industry will draw lessons from this accident, as it has from its two predecessors.


The fruit of this step and of cooperation between safety authorities, the operators and French and German constructors, the EPR presents a design enabling it to resist such phenomena.


Since it is being considered by all electricians wishing to construct a generation centre, a decision to construct it at Flamanville would be a magnificent gift to the competitors of Areva and EDF by clearing their way to seizing the leadership of the unavoidable development of nuclear energy.


It is essential and legitimate to look for the best fan of energies for our country, but it would be irresponsible to allow emotion, dogmas and partisan manoeuvres to dominate the debate, which is so decisive for the economic, social and financial situation of our country.


Is immigration a burden or an opportunity for the economy?


Immigration policy under Nicolas Sarkozy was criticised from various aspects a congestion of police, legal and administrative services subjected to a policy of numbers and the compatibility of that policy with the self-proclaimed status of the country as the country of French human rights.


More recently, it is administrative harassment of foreign students, which is topical, with the minister of the interior ("Libération" on 23 May) declaring that France "does not need foreign talent, bricklayers and waiters."


But it is only rarely analysed from the economic viewpoint.


There is a lot of consensus between the Left and the Right on this subject.


On the Right, the tone was set by Jacques Chirac, who declared in 1976 that "900,000 unemployed would not become a problem in a country with 2 million of foreign workers," and on the Left by Michel Rocard explaining in 1990 that France "cannot accommodate all the world's misery."


The only difference, the degree of generosity


In 2005, the fear of invasion of the national territory by hordes of Polish plumbers was felt both on the Left and on the Right.


Both sides see immigrants as a burden on the French economy and on French society.


The only difference resides in the degree of generosity, which one deigns to grant to immigrants.


In his programme, François Hollande confines himself to banalities, saying that co-development would allow our immigration problem to be solved."


This notion of immigration being a burden and a problem, may be an electoral asset, but it is economically very costly.


As the economists Ian Goldin and Geoffrey Cameron, remind us in a recent book summarising the most recent knowledge of immigration (Exceptional People: How Migration Shaped Our World and Will Define Our Future, mai 2011, Princeton University Press, 352 pp.), there is wide consensus among specialists on the positive impact of migration flows on economic growth, wages and employment in countries, which admit immigrants.


Restraining immigration leads to anaemic growth and harms employment.


Fears about the impact of immigrants are based on the notion that they are liable to replace native workers, in particular unskilled ones, exerting downward pressure on wages.


But experience shows that in reality immigrants are much more complementary to, rather than replacements of, local labour, exercising trades in which there is a shortage of local labour.


Unskilled immigrants work in sectors, which do not attract local labour and the most highly skilled ones in dynamic sectors where training does is not linked to offers of employment.


A positive effect on wages


In the same way as a surgeon would find it difficult to work in a country with a shortage of anaesthetists, the complementarities existing between locals and immigrants bring it about that the arrival of immigrants has a positive effect on the pay of locals.


Giovanni Peri has calculated that a rise of 1% in the migratory flow causes an increase of between 0,6 and 0,9% in real long-term pay.


And does so without taking into account the fact that the diversity contributed by immigrants contributes to the creation of ideas and to economic growth (a large proportion of naturalised immigrants are among American Nobel prizewinners, whilst Google, Intel, Paypal, eBay and Yahoo were all founded by immigrants).


Migrants are also net contributors to social systems, averaging 1% of the total budgets of European countries.


Th World Labour Organisation estimates that for example in Germany, an immigrant arriving at the age of 30, will make a net contribution (receipts less expenditure) of an average of 150,000 Euros to public budgets during his lifetime.


Nicolas Sarkozy wished at the start of his mandate to look for missing points of growth "with the teeth."


The teeth in question, intended to serve to dissuade immigrants, had precisely the opposite effect.


Europe invented democracy, thinks in terms of European democracy


Democracy is a precious possession; it is also a fragile one.


The European continent should be able to remember that having invented it in Athens over two thousand years ago, it experienced during the XXth century the tragedies of the World War, of totalitarisms, the Holocaust, the gulag, but also Franco in Spain, Salazar in Portugal and the colonels in Greece.


Some believed that it was enough for democracy to finally triumph over its enemies, to exercise the vote, and to do so as directly as possible.


It is known that since the time of Napoleon it was a matter of faculty of thinking.


Universal suffrage, in order to be the sine qua non of democracy, is not enough and can actually become a "tool of oppression" as once said the republican philosopher Etienne Vacherot.


No,democracy requires a lot more, a public space, a public spirit, values, an organisation, a separation and control of powers, education, the Lumieres, economic and social solidarity, justice.


The European crisis, which we are passing through, is an economic crisis, but it is primarily a political crisis and a crisis of democracy.


In this respect, the palinode of a true-false Greek referendum will have a double revelatory value, that of a need of a powerful reversal of policy, but also that of the worrying sentiment of its impossibility and of its incongruity.


This ambivalence must be thought through, in order that it can be bypassed.


The truth is that the lines of the forefront of democratic struggle have now moved, and that for many, the republican soldiers are no longer firing in the right direction.


We have nothing to gain from demanding a succession of national referendums organised as required and in a confused sequence.


The "free hand" of an absolute European monarch, or a jump with tied feet into the nationalist void; what a choice for a citizen!


No, we do not want the blades of a guillotine, but an exercise, joint, serene and ongoing, of choice and of democracy, this time on European level.


There are no crises in Greece, Italy, Spain or Portugal and one would not know where to stop enumerating them, because there is only a single crisis and that is in Europe.


It is the whole of Europe, which defers to the dictates of the markets and of rating agencies, who suffer from their incapacity and a lack of solidarity.


It is all Europe, which is humiliated on the international scene.


There is disquiet about the transfer of sovereignty to Europe, but it is the entire Europe, which is gradually losing its sovereignty, and with its each of its nations.


The urgency concerns the return to popular sovereignty, the direction of the European project.


Because it is by all working together, that Europeans will be able reduce the weight of their individual debts, to free themselves from the markets and to prepare for the future by investing in it.


Emerging from the crisis will entail decisions on European level, which cannot be made without total democratic legitimacy without leading us into disaster.


After having long fought this proposal by specialists and of Jacques Delors, the whole world now calls for a European economic government.


Let is be so.


But the idea without stronger economic, political and democratic integration and lived in such by citizens, would be a fresh folly and a new impasse.


We must launch a new stage of European construction.


To establish the Republic in France, it was necessary to "make" republicans.


The Revolution of interests would not be enough.


This lesson remains valid.


We must construct a Europe integrated on economic level.


This can only be done by constructing a more democratic Europe on political level, a real popular European sovereignty.


To make Europe, let us make Europeans.


Chip maps without contacts become generalised


The worldwide chip map room opens on Tuesday at Villepinte near Paris, in an optimistic atmosphere.


The year 2011 should actually end on an 11% rise of worldwide sales of microprocessors (Bank cards, telephones with a SIM card ...), with over 6 thousand million units, according to Eurosmart.


The most important sector is that of contactless technology, which enables paying for common transport or paying for purchases simply by passing the card over a reader.


This year, 460 million of contactless chip cards should be sold worldwide, as against 320 millions a year earlier!


Their share will progress in 2012 (580 million units expected) and represent almost 10% of the global market of chip cards (6,925 million cards).


For a long time, lagging behind the Asia-Pacific region, Europe is now gaining ground in contactless payment.


Some 26 million Visa bank cards are already equipped with this functionality and 75 000 payment terminals accept them.


In France, the start is more modest; 400.000 contactless Visa card are in use.


But the large stores are installing superfast slots.


This year, Carrefour issued 2,5 million contactless MasterCards.


To achieve higher speeds, it is now necessary to equip their clients.


"Two large French establishments have undertaken to distribute systematically in future to their clients, bank cards equipped for contactless use, announces Gérard Nébouy, Director-General of Visa Europe France.


Banks are testing payment by mobile telephone


But this is only a first stage of the future mode of payment, namely, the mobile telephone.


Few apparatus are at present equipped with NFC technology (Near Field Communication, essential for implementing these transactions.


"They have been delayed.


"But they should really take wing next year."


"We are counting on a worldwide sale of 80 to 120 million units in 2012, explains Marc Bertin, president of Eurosmart.


But the banks are forging ahead.


Yesterday, Crédit Agricole announced a test to run from next December to June in Caen.


The iPhones of some 200 clients and collaborators are going to be equipped to authorise contactless payment.


The BPCE has a similar project in Strasbourg and in Marseille.


And the Société Générale also said yesterday that it is preparing the market launch of an offer enabling its clients to pay via their mobiles.


The terrorist front extends from Sahara to Nigeria


Paris is disquieted by links between the Islamic Maghreb and the Boko Haram sect.


Suspected for a long time, the links between the terrorist group al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (Aqmi) and the Nigerian Boko Haram sect have been confirmed.


On Sunday, the Algerian deputy foreign minister, Abdelkader Messahel, even stated that Algiers is now certain.


"The manner in which the two organisations operate and the reports of secret services show that there is a lot of cooperation, he explained without elaborating.


Paris appears to make a similar analysis.


The inquiry into the kidnapping of two Frenchmen in Niger in January discovered two bridges.


The men kidnapped men in a restaurant in Niamey by relatives of Aqui, Antoine de Léocour and Vincent Delory had to be killed on the next day at the same time as several of their kidnappers during an operation launched by special French forces.


Among the rubble left behind by the action, French and Nigerian investigators found several telephone chips belonging to the terrorists.


Terrorist axis


The analysis of calls exchanged indicates several interlocutors based in Mali, in Niger and in Nigeria.


According to Radio France Internationale (RFI), two numbers interest the investigators in particular; one leads to a Nigerian who lived for a long time in Maiduguri, a town in Northern Nigeria,the cradle of Boko Haram and the other to a man said to be close to Aqmi and to the sect.


"This is an advance, but it is undoubtedly necessary to await more exact proofs before talking about operational cooperation between Aqmi and Boko Haram."


"But it is possible."


"It has been known for years that the sect benefits from outside financial and intellectual support and that it is becoming more and more active, says Kunle Amuwo, a Nigerian researcher.


In recent months, this support became more and more evident from the developments and statements by Boko Haram and from its methods of operation, which increasingly include resort to kamikazes and to increasingly complex explosive engines of the same type as those used by Aqmi.


The international community, starting with Washington, is now exerting pressure on Abuja to take into account the problems caused by Boko Haram.


Nigerian authorities have in fact long considered the group to be a community of enlightened persons not worthy of interest.


Rapid success


Founded in 2002 at Maiduguri around a mosque, a school and a fundamentalist imam Mohammed Yusuf, Boko Haram - which means in Hausa "with Western education" is a criminal, who promotes the installation of an islamic emirate in the Moslem north of Nigeria.


In this poor region, the association is enjoying rapid success.


It is politicised and demands rigid respect of sharia, whilst its militants engage in a struggle with the impious central government.


The latter target primarily churches, bars and administrations.


In 2009, the militants of Boko Haram showed themselves particularly active, multiplying attacks on police establishments.


The reaction of Abuja is, as usual, without light and shade.


The army surrounds a town and leaves 800 dead behind.


Mohammed Yusuf, arrested alive, was killed in prison.


Now the sect will become radicalised and will leave its northern fiefs.


Last Christmas it claimed an attack, which left 80 dead at Jos and then more at Abuja.


In June at Abuja, Boko Haram takes a secured police QG during a suicide attack,its first.


In August, the local United Nations headquarters will be its first international target.


The creation of a terrorist axis in Africa, which will move from Mauritania to Somalia via Nigeria, now disquiets all security specialists.


Now that Aqmi has invested Mali and Niger and the Somalis of al-Chebab operate in Kenya, Boko Haram appears to be a new menace in the continent.


Last week during an interview in Nigeria with president Goodluck Jonathan, Alain Juppé warned against Boko Haram and declared himself ready to share all intelligence.


The world according to the republican presidential candidates


Concerning China, Iran, aid to Israel, Mitt Romney, Herman Cain, and Rick Perry compete in simplification and a lack of knowledge.


Can an America weakened by crisis, lead a complex world by simple and indeed, simplistic,ideas ?


To listen to republican presidential candidates, the electors might believe it.


For some days, Mitt Romney, Herman Cain, Rick Perry and the others multiply resounding and abbreviated foreign policy declarations, which are traditionally a republican strong suit.


Concerning China, Iran and aid to Israel, the slogans, are often fused together.


Mitt Romney, the best placed for nomination of the "Grand Old Party," threatened to drag the Chinese before the OMC and to accuse them of "manipulation of their currency, a sensitive subject in an America exasperated by the migration of whole sections of its industry to Asia.


So much the worse if this should trigger a trade war, he said.


Jon Huntsman, Obama's former ambassador to China and the only candidate with a vision of a sophisticated foreign policy, has failed to suppress an attitude which flatters the emotions.


He called for a muscular, but a constructive, dialogue with Peking (the current position of Obama).


But Huntsman, who is stagnating at the bottom of the polls, remains inaudible.


In the style of Reagan


Romney also promised military strikes on Iran, if sanctions failed to stop its nuclear programme.


"If I am elected, I will stop Iran, he trumpeted."


"If Obama is re-elected, they will have the bomb."


Hr also promised to increase military aid to Israel, accusing Obama of failing in his obligations to wards that partner.


The entrepreneur Herman Cain, the second best-placed candidate, declares an embarrassing lack of knowledge of the files.


Recently, he called for opposition to the Chinese military threat, because Peking is trying to develop a nuclear capacity - apparently unaware of the fact that China has possessed it since 1964!


The Texas governor Rick Perry, who supports Israel and wants military strikes against Iran, says that he is ready to involve the USA army in Mexico against the drug cartels.


Resort to the torture of terrorist suspects prohibited by Obama in 2009, is also recommended by Cain, Perry and by the candidate Michele Bachmann.


One is far away from the 2008 republican candidate John McCain, a foreign policy heavyweight.


The opponents of the current president reply that Reagan also had simple ideas and that he won the cold war.


They recall that Obama himself was an amateur and that he had to water down his wine concerning anti-terrorism.


They insist with good reason on the setback of his naive dialogue with Iran on the premature departure of the "boys" from Iraq, his tergiversations in Libya labelling him weak.


But the attack is not so easy.


The population judges as positive Obama's the balance of national security, which eliminated Bin Laden.


Since Iraq, it distrusts military interventions, which run into quicksands.


And in arguing that it is necessary to reconstruct America economically to revive its leadership, Obama is right.


The North Stream, a new portal for the entry of Russian gas into Europe


The North Stream gasduct connecting Western Europe and Russia directly along the bottom of the Baltic sea, has been commissioned.


It is scheduled to supply gas for the equivalent of 30 million homes.


Gazprom, the giant Russian gas producer, wanted to celebrate the event with a "bang."


Over 500 guests including four heads of State and of government took part last Tuesday on the shores of the Baltic, between an orchestral performance and a fine buffet, in the inauguration of North Stream, the new gasduct, which directly links Russia and Germany under the sea.


Symbolically, the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the Russian president Dmitri Medvedev, the French prime minister François Fillon and his Dutch opposite number Mark Rutte jointly turned the valve controlling the entry of Russian gas into the West European network.


With this new gasduct, 27,5 thousand million additional cubic metres of Russian gas will arrive every year in Western Europe via a first pipeline of 1 224 km linking the region of Saint Petersburg to the Land of Mecklemburg-Pomerania.


A second pipeline is due to be ready by the end of 2012, making it possible to deliver a total of 55 thousand million cubic metres of gas, the equivalent of the entire French consumption.


And the possibility of constructing a third pipeline of the same course is already under discussion.


For Gazprom, the completion on time of this huge project is a victory.


The project was fiercely competed for by Poland and the Baltic States.


The North Stream will in fact allow gas to be delivered directly to Germany, avoiding any passage via a third country (Poland or the Ukraine).


These two countries will lose some of their power: it will become more difficult for them to influence Russia by threatening to close access to West European markets.


At the most critical point of the debate, Warsaw did not hesitate to compare North Stream new "German-Soviet pact," referring to the alliance between Hitler and Stalin to occupy Poland in 1939.


That is to say that the topic is politically sensitive.


By supporting this Russian project, Western Europe is gaining greater security for its supplies.


But at the price of depriving Europe of energy, since the project has created a breach between eastern and western Europe.


Russia has succeeded in less than five years, in achieving its vision of a direct alliance between Russia and the the rich Western countries, which consume large quantities of gas, and whose deposits are declining.


"This gasduct is a component of partnership with Russia, it is a new artery which links us organically," confirmed François Fillon inaugurating the gasduct, demonstrating to what extent large gas contracts are both politically and economically important.


All this explains the broad smiles on the faces of the heads of Gazprom, present in large numbers at Lubmin, the point of arrival of the gas.


The construction of this gasduct is also a technical exploit.


The undersea pipeline is made of steel embedded in concrete, in order to protect it from ships' anchors.


Ir rests on the bottom of the sea, at an average depth of 200 metres.


To construct it, it was necessary to avoid minefields dating back to the second World War.


"A hundred had to be removed or destroyed as a precaution," says Jens Müller, spokesman of North Stream company.


It was also necessary to multiply steps of protecting the fauna and the flora.


The pipeline is a long metal serpent, of weight equivalent to that of 242 Eiffel towers, with no breaks throughout its length, no valves and no maintenance stations.


A control platform was provided on the level of Sweden, but the project managers abandoned it since the Swedes were not keen on seeing a Russian State company becoming permanently on its shores.


"In case of accident we stop the passage of gas for at least one minute," states Jens Müller.


In the case of a leak, the gas contained in the gasduct therefore escapes into the air.


But this is thought to be unlikely by the constructors who provided welds to leak only every 100 000 years.


The surveillance of the state of the gasduct is provided by an undersea robot, pulled by a ship for outside observation, as well as by an apparatus circulating within the gasduct.


Being cigar-shaped, it is introduced inside the 1-metre wide pipeline, and it is pushed along by the gas.


On arrival after 3 complete days of travel at a speed of 3 metres per second, it delivers precise information concerning any metal deformation.


The gasduct was designed to work for 50 years without any need for even the smallest repair.


The gas circulation is implemented simply by its pressure.


This is 200 bar on leaving and 100 bar on arrival.


Five companies combined their forces to implement this project.


The leader remains Gazprom, which holds 51% of the shareholding.


The others are the German companies E.ON and BASF (15.5% each) and the Dutch Gasunie and the French Group GDF Suez (9% each).


These five companies have created a joint enterprise called North Stream, delegated to construct and to operate the gasduct.


It has its headquarters at Zug in Switzerland, where taxation is particularly favourable.


Gazprom next leased to this company for twenty renewable years,the entire capacity of gas transport.


"Gazprom will pay for the total capacity, whatever may be the quantity of gas actually transported," states Jens Müller.


The financing of the construction of the gasduct was provided to the extent of 30% by the shareholders and of 70% by Bank loans.


The total cost of the works will be 7.4 thousand million Euros for the two pipelines.


The GDF Suez investment will be about 240 millions.


But the minority shareholders are certain to recover their costs, since Gazprom assumes the entire risk.


The gasduct emerges from the Baltic sea at Lubmin on a sandy littoral planted with conifers.


4.5 metre high valves form the gas exit.


Sensors measure pressure, temperature and the specific gravities of arriving gas before being transferred into German gasducts.


Since last Tuesday, the terminal has been receiving one million cubic metres of Russian gas every hour.


At full capacity, this will be 3 million an hour and in 2012, 6 million.


Moleskine, a brand card.


Created fifteen years ago by an Italian company, Moleskine will restore the taste of writing.


It is a scent of adventure, of hours sent in writing by a the light of a candle.


The Moleskine notebook is easily recognised, by its black rectangular cover, its elastic, its broken white pages, as if aged over time.


Nevertheless, the Moleskine notebook as we know it today, was born in 1997.


The Italian company Modo Modo, based in Milan, decided to launch a designer notebook.


Maria Sebregondi, then a consultant of the company, has assumed responsibility for the launch of the new product.


The notebook draws its inspiration from an old production technique, the mole skin which means varnished cotton used for covering benches, for example.


This type of notebook is said to be highly prized by writers and travellers.


"Moleskine has been updated to meet current taste for an old and forgotten object, which was an avantgarde artists' icon up to the XXth century," related Maria Sebregondi, who has since become the manager of the brand name at Modo Modo.


Success is there.


Between 2006 and 2010, sales rose by 25% to reach 12.7 million units.


One has travelled far from the production of the first years, when only 3000 notebooks were made.


Moleskine is crossing the Italian frontiers and is exporting to 70 countries, from France to the USA.


It is difficult to establish a profile of the typical purchaser, because the notebook attracts equally a businessman, a student and a professional.


Moleskine consumers are cosmopolitan, open-minded and cultivated.


The small Italian company, which had only 12 employees at the start, now has almost 100 and two offices, one in Milan and the other in New York.


Its distributes its notebooks to Fnac libraries, small shops in town centres and has succeeded in becoming well known.


"We followed the spirit of the times and this need for new means of writing, notwithstanding the rise of e-mail," explains Maria Sebregondi.


This cultural signature accompanies the development of Moleskine; recently, the brand launched an exhibition "Detour" where architects or artists exhibit their own notebook.


In August, it also launched a leopardskin pattern cover on the occasion of the Film Festival in Locarno.


Exploiting its success and the cultural aura, Moleskine diversified its products to include handbags, pens, computer bags. The brand includes every kind of support.


A success, which aroused envy; in the autumn of 2006, Modo Modo was bought by the investment fund SG Capital Europe, now Syntegra Capital, to write a new page in the history of Moleskine.


Why is the rate of unemployment of handicapped workers so high?


Some 19% of handicapped persons are looking for work.


The 15th week for the employment of the handicapped starts today.


Despite a public voluntary policy introduced in 2005, the rate of unemployment of the handicapped is still twice as high as the average, namely 19%, versus 9% for the population as a whole.


Discouraging?


"No, stresses Eric Blanchet, Director-General of Adapt, the association which organises the week for the employment of the handicapped."


"The progress achieved since 15 years ago is considerable."


"At that time the rate of unemployment was not 2x but 3x as high."


"There is however still a huge amount to do."


It must be said that for the handicapped, the obstacles to obtaining employment are still many.


They are rather old: 37% are over 50 (17% on average).


They have rather a low level of qualifications; 80% do not have the "bac" and out of the 2.3 million students in higher education only 10 000 are handicapped.


Lastly, long-term unemployment is very widespread, being 85% for the handicapped versus 38% on an average.


Briefly, all these are criteria which greatly complicate a return to employment and which constitute the nub of the problem," according to Christian Grapin, director-general of Tremplin, an association created in 1992 to help companies to recruit handicapped workers.


Here are some of the brakes.


It is hardly necessary to speak about mentalities, which do change, but too slowly.


A study carried out in April by the association IMS-Entreprendre pour la Cité showed that the managers questioned had a low level of knowledge of handicap," with an "over-representation of persons in wheelchairs, psychically or intellectually deficient persons."


Result - private companies employing over 20 persons are still far from achieving the objective of employing the 6% of handicapped workers, fixed by a law dating back to 1987.


The latter known figures dating to 2008 have a ratio of 2.6%.


"We are now on around 3%," says Pierre Blanc, director-general of the Agefiph, the organisation responsible for collecting contributions from companies which do not observe this law.


Proof: The number of "taxed" establishments, like the sums paid, have fallen between 2007 and 2011, from 59 000 to 46 000 structures (and from 606 to 480 million Euros).


"The law of 2005, which raised the contributions, created a strong pressure on companies, explains Pierre Blanc."


"But this improvement also reflects a rise of consciousness, in particular within large groups."


According to the ministry of employment, only 59% of establishments employing between 20 and 49 handicapped persons, versus 82% of companies employing between 100 and 199 persons.


Chance: "What happiness"


Before facing the Blues on Tuesday evening (20.45 hrs) Eden Hazard and Georges Leekens did not hide the pleasure, which this friendly match gave to them.


We do not go so far as to say that there was connivance between them, but the image is symbolic.


Sitting side by side on the tribune of the auditorium of the Stade de France, Georges Leekens and Eden Hazard made peace.


Five months following the gesture of humour of his attacker against Turkey, the Belgian selector can only be praised.


"I am very pleased with Eden, his progress and the fact that he is Belgian."


"I want to go forward, assures the Lillois.


In contrast between his respective club and selection performances, "it is of a piece if it is justified."


"At Lille, I am there all the year round, which is not the case of Belgium."


"I must take my marks."


Selected to play against Romania on Friday evening in its match against France, Hazard went to Saint-Denis in order at last to "shine."


Not however forgetting the notion of "pleasing."


He encouraged the Blues from the age of 7 years and the victorious campaigns of 1998 and 2000.


"I always supported them, he affirms.


This necessarily participates in strengthening even more the particular character of this match.


All the more so, since opposite are Mathieu (Debuchy), Yohan (Cabaye) and Adil (Rami) ," he recalls.


"We just crossed each others path."


"To be able to play against them, that is pure happiness!"


With bonhomie, Leekens recalled "pride."


"Pride" of playing in "a gala match."


"Pride" also in inding ass "neighbour" that France has "become again a very high level team" only a little more than one year after the trauma of Knysna.


"Laurent Blanc was a thunderbolt, he enthuses.


Now that Belgium will miss the next Euro, the technician will share an aircraft with the Blues management... Brazil in 2014.


"Our little Belgians become big," he stressed.


"One is building something, the players are ambitious, they are hungry."


"You will realise this during the matches to come. Including that against France.


Portugal is very confident


The Portugal of Paulo Bento starts its return match against Bosnia (22h00) very optimistically, this Tuesday in Lisbon.


On their way there, both teams appeared to lack realism.


"At the end of these 90 minutes, we will be a happy team and most importantly, a happy country."


Paulo Bento already sees himself in Poland and in the Ukraine.


For him there is not a shadow of a doubt, the Selection, with which he has been at odds since September 2010, will qualify for Euro 2012.


Portugal is only 90 minutes away from happiness.


But there is match to play and an opponent, Bosnia to conquer.


In view of the (0-0), on Friday in the hell of Zenica it is clear that the games are not over.


Whilst Portugal dominated the match for over one hour, it was not able to reach this precious target, which would have consoled it.


"It is a good result, which nevertheless involves a certain risk"


But on their side, in their illuminated Stade de la Luz in Lisbon, the Portuguese are convinced that they are playing in front of a public which must be enthusiastic, even if the match is very close," said an optimistic, but lucid, Bento


"We are expecting a very close match, but we are convinced that we can win, declared the Portuguese trainer aged 42.


"We continue to have a 50% chance of being at Euro 2012," even under the successor of Carlos Queiroz.


The zero taken on Friday from Bosnia obliges the Portuguese to win.


A zero may be sufficient for the Bosnians.


"It is a good result, which nevertheless carries some risk, regrets Bento.


"We are going to play a team which has many technical qualities and which has players possessing many individual qualities," he added.


As already in Zenica, the Portuguese would plan to exert maximal pressure on the Bosnians from the start, to "give them no time to think."


A good idea, provided that it will, prove realistic this time.