The Belgian designer Raf Simons has been appointed artistic director at Christian Dior, succeeding John Galliano who was fired last year after having made antisemitic nature ; moth, announced Monday the fashion house said in a statement.

Raf Simons, "one of the best talent today", will be responsible for "haute couture collections, ready-to-wear and accessories for women," says the label, property ; Dior SA, the holding company of LVMH, the world of luxury.

"The House of Dior is excited to welcome Raf Simon to continue the work of its founder. It will inspire and propel the twenty-first century style that Mr. Dior has launched since the opening of his house and has changed since his first collection, the codes of elegance World, "it said in a statement … The first collection

…… created by Raf Simons will be presented in Paris in July

. "I am delighted to join this great house. Mr. Christian Dior has always been for me the biggest fashion designers. Dior is the absolute symbol of elegance. His unique expertise inspires me a deep respect, "says his side Raf Simons

." I appreciate the honor and responsibility ; my assignments today directing the establishment of the French brand the world's most famous, "the Belgian designer who at 44 years, has previously created his own label and worked for Jil Sander

. John Galliano, former star of British fashion designer Dior, was de ; set up office in March last year after uttering anti-Semitic insults. He was sentenced last September to 6,000 euros suspended fine

. Raf Simons's appointment ends months of speculation and rumors. It also puts an end to temporary qu'assurait Gaytten Bill, former assistant to Galliano, whose work has not attracted the worlds of fashion.

Sidney Toledano, CEO of the fashion house, had said a year ago that Christian Dior would take the time to find a successor to John Galliano.

The reforms adopted by Portugal to consolidate its public finances are on track and the country should be able to borrow again in the markets in 2013, as planned, said Tuesday the Europe Commission ; enemies.

Portugal received last year for a bailout of 78 billion euros over three years of the European Union and the International Monetary Fund after seeing its rate 'market borrowing to rise to an unsustainable level of debt for the country, whose growth is affected by low competitiveness.

This aid package was not fully reassured investors, some fearing that Lisbon does not follow the way of Greece requesting a new bailout that could mean losses for creditors of the private sector. 

"The program (reform) is broadly on track. Fiscal adjustment in 2011-2012 was remarkable in every respect, "said the third report of the European Commission on Reforms in Portugal ……. The

.. payment of a portion of the money promised by international creditors is dependent on compliance by the Lisbon reform objectives, subject to close monitoring EU, IMF and European Central Bank

. "Portugal fully complies with its contract," said, in the condition of anonymity, a European official who attended the presentation of the report

. Asked whether Lisbon could have need a second aid plan in case it would be impossible to borrow on the markets, he was optimistic

.. ……. "We feel that this plan is sufficient. But that's another question whether Portugal will be able to convince the markets, "he said

." At the moment, we estimate that the program is ongoing and that Portugal should be able to return to the markets in 2013, "said the European official, noting that the yields of Portuguese paper have already begun to decline secondary market

. The bond yield fell to ten years to 11.8%, against 17.4% in late January ..

……. The EC nevertheless warned against "the continuing risks and challenges", including a possible rise in unemployment to above expectations, 14.4% for 2012. The unemployment rate reached a record level of 15% in February, according to Eurostat data.

While Portugal is experiencing its worst recession since the 1970s, the government expects economic contraction of 3.3% this year and a 0.3% growth in 2013 .

The British group International Power said Thursday it had received from its majority shareholder GDF Suez a non-binding offer to purchase shares of the capital it does not already own, at a price of 390 pence.

The announcement comes after months of speculation about the intentions of the French group, which already owns 70% of International Power.

The proposed price is only slightly higher than the closing price on Wednesday (383.4 pence).

After the announcement of the offer, the title International Power gained 5.53% to 404.6 pence at 9:21 GMT.

The third largest economy in Asia posted a deficit close to 6% of GDP. The government wants to reduce it to a point by 2013, without giving up the farm subsidies. India rice, drying rice in western India, Ahmedabad.

Forgotten, the speech which placed India followed by China on an economic plan. The Asian giant is also caught by the downturn. Like Western countries, its growth is weakening and widening its deficit forcing the country to move towards more fiscal discipline.

The Indian government, weakened by an electoral setback in local elections and accused of inaction, posted Friday its intention to reduce the public deficit, betting on a recovery in growth to fund new social and agricultural subsidies.  

During the presentation to Parliament the 2012-2013 budget, the finance minister, Pranab Mukherjee, said targeting an annual budget deficit equal to 5.1% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), against 5.9% in 2011-2012 . "I am firmly set a goal to return to the path of fiscal consolidation," said the great financier of the third largest economy in Asia in a speech-river in which he also called upon to lend a accelerator for the reform program.

The government has said it expects annual growth of 7.6% next year, forecasts are more optimistic than the 6.9% expected this year, a disappointing figure for the administration of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The Finance Minister hopes that the return to strong growth after the slowdown this year due to a drastic monetary policy to fight against inflation, will help fund new grants.

He, among others, announced farm subsidies, food aid for the underprivileged, health programs to reduce malnutrition and infrastructure projects for drinking water. However, he promised that the grants would not exceed 2% of GDP. A mid-term, before the general elections scheduled for 2014, the center-left government is weakened in the political and economic. He had to backtrack on a key reform to liberalize retail trade.

Mukherjee, however, assured that efforts were underway to reach a consensus policy on allowing foreign multinationals to open supermarkets in India. The Congress party, at the head of the governing coalition, has also won a majority in only one of five states which were conducted in recent local elections. These elections were seen as a popularity test for the government, and Rahul Gandhi, last link in the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty.

Wall Street was up Tuesday in opening, as expected by the experts, reacting to the statistics of retail sales and a decline in concern vis-à-vis the situation the euro area.

Retail sales in the U.S. in February posted their biggest increase in five months, thanks to sales of vehicles, show statistics released Tuesday by the department improve Rican Trade.

Finance ministers of the euro area have endorsed Monday night the second aid package to Greece for better pass next hot topic, Spain, where they demanded a deficit target tighter this year for its budget back in the nails in 2013. 

Investors expect also that the U.S. Federal Reserve, which meets today, maintain interest rates unchanged and a slight improvement economic prospects without excluding further monetary easing.

In early trade, the Dow is 0.36% to 13,006.56. The S & P 500 is 0.52% to 1,378.18, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.67% to 3003.54 points.

A few minutes after the close, the S & P hit a session high not seen since June 2008.

France and Belgium have agreed on the need to implement as soon as possible the future solidarity mechanism in the euro area (MES) and its enhancement with the means of relief fund current the euro area (EFSF), it was said Friday a source close to the Elysee.

The same source, there were reports of an "identity of views" on these issues at the end of a one-hour interview at the Elysee Palace between Nicolas Sarkozy and Prime Belgian minister, Elio di Rupo.

"There is an identity of views on the need to implement the TSS as soon as possible and reinforcement, additionality between the MES and the EFSF," it was said.

"We have already said we would revisit the issue in March and here is our German friends to do move," they added. 

Enhancing capabilities of MES, whose creation was decided at a European council in late January, could be raised at the forthcoming summit scheduled to 1 and 2 March in Brussels.

Germany has so far refused to consider increasing its endowment beyond the planned 500 billion euros. France is pushing for his part in a combination means the EFSF and MES, successor to the fund, to give it increased firepower. Executive Director of the IMF, Christine Lagarde, had estimated late January that such a combination would be a "strong signal" to restore confidence in the euro area.

Always a source close to the Elysee, it indicates that Nicolas Sarkozy pleaded with Elio di Rupo to the European institutions, starting with the Brussels commission, adapt to a more integrated euro area.

"It is necessary that the commission revise the methods when she works for the euro area. We can not be refereeing by independent non-euro, "said the source citing the head of state

." We also need a much faster operation of the commission, can not wait months and months it takes to draft regulations so that there is urgency.

And also, it takes a much stricter monitoring of the government economic decisions (Heads of State and Government) in the euro zone takes. Belgian Prime Minister fully agrees with that. "

On leaving the Elysee, Elio di Rupo stressed that the European Union now had the form of two "concentric circles", the EU itself and the euro area, "which must have a dynamic linked to the single currency"

.

Kraft Foods posted a quarterly profit Tuesday as expected and said anticipating a growth in operating income of at least 9% this year, despite pruning announced its range in North America.

The first U.S. food group, which holds particular LU biscuits and coffee Carte Noire, will split into two companies later this year.

One will be dedicated to its snacks marketed worldwide as Cadbury chocolate and biscuits Oreos, the other brands in North America specifically, the e ; door leaf thereof being referred to shrink. 

To prepare for this separation, the group will fund a special charge of $ 1.6 billion to $ 1.8 billion (1.2 to 1.4 billion euros).

Kraft has said it expected a net increase its turnover by around 5% in 2012. This forecast takes into account the negative effect of around one percentage point reduction in its range in North America.

The group said also anticipate an increase of at least 9% of its operating profit at constant exchange rates, despite higher taxes and pension costs.

The action Kraft gained 1.9% to 38.73 dollars to 4:20 p.m. GMT on Wall Street, while the Dow Jones progressed from 0.37%.

The group recorded a fourth quarter profit of $ 830 million, or 47 cents a share, against $ 540 million (31 cents) a year earlier.

Excluding items, earnings per share were 57 cents, according to Thomson Reuters consensus I / B / E / S.

Turnover increased by 6.6% to $ 14.7 billion. Organic growth – is out acquisitions, disposals, calendar effects and exchange – rose 7% in North America, 3.1% in Europe and 7.2% in emerging markets.

The Tokyo Stock Exchange ended slightly lower, from 0.15% Thursday, after announcing an acceleration greater than expected rate of inflation in China and continuing uncertainty about the bailout of Greece.

The Nikkei lost 13.35 points to 9002.24 points while the Topix broader took 2.15 points (0.27%) to 784.49 points.

Nissan Motor has lost more than 1%, a victim of profit taking after its results.

The new home sales fell 13% in the third quarter. At the same time, housing starts and building permits have increased. An employee on a construction site offices and accommodation in Marseille.

The new home sales fell 12.9% in France over one year in the third quarter, according to the Ministry of Housing, which reported Tuesday alongside a 11.4% increase in housing starts and 22, 6% of building permits between August and October 2011. A total of 26,400 new homes were sold by developers in the third quarter of this year, a decrease of 12.9% over the same period in 2010, according to figures released by the Ministry.

Over the last four quarters (4th quarter 2010 to third quarter 2011), sales totaled 101,300, a decrease of 10.7% over the same period a year earlier.

Waiting period in case of sickness, duration and contribution rates for retirement, performance bonuses … Bit by bit, the government closer to the Staff that of private sector employees. Event officials in Paris in January 2009.

Last week by unveiling a second austerity plan, Prime Minister Francois Fillon announced that state spending would be reduced by an additional EUR 500 million in 2012. To achieve this, the government plans to introduce a particular day off for employees in case of sickness. In other words, a period during which the daily allowance is not paid by health insurance. The waiting period is required to have private sector employees where it may be extended from three to four days as part of that reform.While some, like the CGPME, denounced as "illegitimate and unjust officials see continued their treatment at the second day off while private sector employees do not benefit from per diem at the end of 5 days off "Trade Unions of Public Employees, themselves, see it as another attack on their status.

In fact, since the right is in power, "sacrosanct privileged status" has undergone many a penknife. This is especially true for retirement. Since the Fillon reform of 2003, the rules for age and duration of contributions from the private sector also apply to civil servants.