Xynthia cost at least $ 1.2 billion to insurers

This is a first official estimate. Le Figaro had argued Wednesday the number of one billion euros in damage, according to the French Federation of Insurance Companies (FFSA), the Xynthia storm that swept through France last Sunday is expected to cost at least $ 1.2 billion of EUR insurers. Because this encryption is based on insurance claims 500,000 victims and will probably be revised upwards. Firstly because other people should still report damage in the coming days. Xynthia is indeed the most violent storm in the 1999, stronger than that Klaus had 740,000 victims last year in the Southwest. Secondly, many houses are still flooded making it difficult to make a definitive estimate of the damage.

The assessment takes into account the damage caused by wind and partly by water.These latter are partly supported by governments that have recognized the state of natural disaster one hour payday loan .

To find the total cost of damage from the storm, it would also add all those suffered by all the infrastructure (roads, bridges, dams). Borne by state and local governments and not covered by members of the FFSA and the Grouping of mutual insurance companies, they have not been integrated to 1.2 billion euros. The final cost of Klaus – 1.68 billion euros – was nearly three times the initial estimate.According to the FFSA, it will take one to two months in order to establish the final amount of the cost of the storm for its members.

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The 35 o'clock a ball for SNCF

The statement should be screaming the railway unions. According to the Court of Auditors, the reform of 35 hours explaining the difficulties of the station to cope with the opening of its monopoly to competition, including productivity gap with its competitors. They can reach 30% in the sector of freight transport.

According to the report published today, law enforcement has led to increased numbers of staff from 7000 to 7500. However, "the additional staff that the reform had resulted represents almost half the number of posts abolished during the seven subsequent years, totaling approximately 15,600 officers between 2002 and 2008.

This reform overstaffed and it has quickly established a consolidated "in terms of labor significantly less than the theoretical time required by law."In 2008, train drivers have been working daily 6:14, 1:35 or less than the theoretical length of bad credit payday loans . Even finding for drivers to maneuver and supervisors who work 20 minutes at 1:35 less than their working theory. On the RER B, managed with the RATP, the effective working time of workers down even at 5:50 am daily.

The institution of the Rue Cambon notes that despite its efforts, the station is "not reached a sufficiently relaxed social setting strictly regulated. A situation that could weaken against its competitors and "constitute an obstacle to its development."

The Court of Auditors called the coup, a "necessary harmonization of rules between the station and private operators.

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The crisis creates a record deficit

Declining tax revenues and rising costs: the state budget did not end in 2009, suffering from this terrible effect scissors. The budget deficit widened to 143.3 billion euros in November 30, cons -66.6 billion a year earlier, said the Budget Ministry on Tuesday.

The difference, over one year amounted to 76.8 billion euros. He "explained mainly by the impact of economic conditions on changes in revenue and up to 34 billion euros by the end measures of recovery plan," says the ministry said in a statement.

In late November, total expenditure amounted to 329.7 billion euros, 13.9 billion more than a year ago. A difference can be explained by the cost recovery plan, advance Bercy."Out Recovery Plan expenditure (general budget and levies on revenues) increased by 850 million euros a year to another," says he.

In late 2009 the fiscal deficit, however, register under the 140 billion euros, one billion less than originally planned, said the Budget Ministry. This table to limit the deficit on tax revenue in December "slightly less degraded" and on "buoyant spending.

Direct consequence of this widening deficit, government debt under the Maastricht should represent 77.9% of GDP at end 2009 and 84% of GDP in 2010. To fill this gap, the state will borrow this year to market a record $ 188 billion.

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Panhard dream wedding with the Leclerc tank

The French manage to reach a critical size in the Light Armored? It is hoped that the group Panhard attempting a rapprochement with the public Nexter (formerly Giat). The building is well underway in Europe, led by the Anglo-Saxons.

To the north, Britain's BAE Systems has steadily increased, including the purchase of Swedish Hagglunds, and now shows 7 billion euros of turnover. To the south, the U.S. General Dynamics has swooped on the Spanish Santa Barbara. The French Nexter and Panhard, which respectively carry a turnover of 579 million euros and hundreds of millions, have emerged as Tom Thumb. A rapprochement with Renault Trucks Defense, a subsidiary of Volvo Trucks, has also been mentioned.

Hence the idea of boss Panhard, Christian Mons, initiating a rapprochement with Next.Especially since the group's main shareholder, with 75% of the capital, George Cohen, had once considered separate from that asset. Having no desire to become a sub-subsidiary of a foreign group, Panhard therefore seeks to grow, with a preference for a Franco-French solution. Interviews with representatives of the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) – who presides over the future of Nexter – have already been held and the proposal would have received a rather favorable.

Crossing several pitfalls

Panhard side, do not hesitate to think big. The company already imagine that after having bought Nexter it could begin negotiations with its German competitors Rheinmetall and KMW, also looking for external growth operations to reach a critical size.Such discussions would kick off an equivalent of one armored EADS.

Before that happened, it remains to Panhard to cross several hurdles. Only Nexter Armored Division and its flagship, the Leclerc tanks, interest Panhard. It performs alone 450 million euros of turnover. The group led by Christian Mons no secret to be much less inclined to acquire the activities of artillery and information systems and command.

Although it is still too early for a pattern emerges, buying only part of Nexter or the total surrender before a non-strategic assets, then he should know how to organize a form of privatization of the former Giat. Finally, if Thales does not seem to be a candidate for a merger with Nexter, Renault Trucks Defense had already expressed interest Nexter in 2008.The subsidiary of Swedish group had also extended a hand to Panhard, who was then preferred to decline the proposal.

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United States: enrollment in unemployment at its lowest since September 2008

Good news on employment front in the United States. New entries in unemployment at its lowest since September 2008, to 452,000 in the week ended on December 18. This figure comes after two weeks of up and confirms the downward trend observed since late March in the United States.

Analysts do not expect a decline of this magnitude and had forecast about 470,000 new registrations. The total number of unemployed receiving benefits rose to 5.07 million, a decrease of 127,000 persons over the previous week.

The Department of Labor, which published the statistics, held relative to this development, stating that "this week in particular is extremely difficult to adjust for seasonal variations, because the raw numbers can be very different depending on the configuration calendar year. Clearly, the actual unemployment has probably not declined much.

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