Economic conditions continued to improve in the United States in January-February, "although harsh snowstorms in early February have dampened activity in several regions," according to the Beige Book released Wednesday by the U.S. central bank (Fed).
The document states that the activity has increased in nine of the twelve regions (by cutting the Fed), but that "in most cases, these improvements were small.
The information provided by the Beige Book are very important because they serve as a reference to the meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Fed scheduled for March 16, which will decide on changes in interest rates.
Regarding the labor market, for which the Fed chairman, Ben Bernanke, gave recently bleak outlook before Congress, the document notes that "the pace of layoffs has slowed in most regions, but that hiring plans of companies remain "soft in general."
As for expenditure on household consumption, traditional engine of growth of the country which is struggling to regain its role, they "grew slightly in many areas, but have been hampered in some by the snowfalls of early check cash advance .
Japanese carmaker Toyota, which is considering the recall of hundreds of thousands of Prius cars due to brake problems, may also recall the models and hybrid Lexus HS250h Sai said Monday the Nikkei daily.According to the newspaper, which cited no sources, this measure would cover some 28,000 cars in Japan and abroad (8000 Sai and 20,000 Lexus), with the same braking technologies that Prius.
The Japanese beverage maker Kirin Holdings will continue to seek strategic partners to become a global leading insisted Monday the director general of the group after the breakdown of merger talks with fellow Suntory.
After the acceleration, braking. Toyota Motor has already recalled 2.3 million vehicles suspected of being equipped with a faulty accelerator pedal. The group had calmed the controversy by presenting apologies. But Wednesday, she reflects, about this time of the braking system of the hybrid model, the Pruis.
Toyota says its dealers in Japan and North America have received complaints by the dozen, deploring the failure of the braking system of the new Prius on bumpy road or icy.
Within the group, these discontents are known since December, said a spokeswoman in Tokyo. Toyota provides to address the issue."The company will decide what action to take after realizing what has caused this problem."
The Japanese Ministry of Transport has himself received letters about the problem of braking payday loan . There are fourteen complaints, including one following an accident in July and thirteen others between December and January.
This third-generation Prius is the top seller in Japan and has enjoyed great success in many other global markets. However, customers are beginning to shun U.S. concessions after the case of defective accelerator pedals. In January, the market share of Toyota in the United States and has eroded from 18% in December to 14%.And these disappointed consumers are turning to domestic manufacturers: GM and Ford are the two main beneficiaries of this disaffection for Toyota.
"Toyota wants to get out as quickly as crisis accelerators
China takes the issue of energy efficiency head on. The central government announced Wednesday the creation of a National Commission of Energy. Its mission: "to strengthen the strategic and policy coordination in the energy field.
This Commission will be chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao and co-chaired by Vice-Premier Li Kegiang. Among the 21 members it will have included several ministers.She will be responsible for developing "a national strategy on energy, key issues relating to security and energy development" for the overall coordination in domestic and international cooperation in this field, explains the central government, in his statement.
A voracious appetite for energy
During a visit to the headquarters of the National Commission of Electricity Regulation in Beijing, January 14, the vice-premier Li Kegiang stressed the need to intensify efforts to ensure security of supply China's energy. The country has experienced sharp drops in temperatures and heavy snowfall this winter, which boosted energy demand and tight supply, said Li Kegiang.
After the winter, the supply remains a critical issue for China.Driven by economic and population growth over the past thirty years, Chinese energy consumption has exploded. China has become the second largest energy consumer in the world behind the United States pay day loans .
The critical issue of supply
Its energy dependence is increasing accordingly. Thus, the country has been dependent to 52% of its crude oil imports in 2009, against 47% in 2006, says AFP. According to Wang Xudong, president of the National Commission of Electricity Regulation, Chinese consumption of electricity could rise by 7% this year if the country maintains its economic growth rate of 8%. Consumption had increased by 6.44% in 2009 compared to 2008, according to figures from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.Coal, however, still represents 70% of the energy consumption of China.
Focus on efficiency of energy policy
For Beijing, centralization is the answer to this challenge of supply. "Energy policy is now conducted by various ministries and local authorities," said Xu Bei, economist at Natixis. "The creation of this new body will respond to an emergency security of energy supply." The main domestic priority.
Ultimately, the Commission could also help Beijing to seal agreements on international cooperation, said He Jun, of Anbound Consulting. Provided that his role is really detached from that of many other government agencies that account China.
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London
The Conservatives have hit hard. Visiting at Thomson Reuters in Canary Wharf – the other lung financial London with the City – George Osborne, the rising star of the party presented its plan for the bonus. The finance minister's shadow cabinet, David Cameron, who did not 40 years, called the Treasury and the FSA, Constable of the British Stock Exchange, "to unite their forces to ensure that banks stop squandering their profits in huge bonus. " The highest paid bankers, including those with premium "six figures," Osborne says the BBC, should receive as 2 000 pounds maximum (less than 2 200 euros) in cash, the rest would be paid in shares.In the crosshairs, the British retail banks Lloyds, RBS, HSBC and Barclays, as well as their investment subsidiaries.
This proposal is intended to boost lending, while, according to George Osborne, the credit crunch is still raging in Britain "starved of credit and confidence". The initiative, temporary, could free him by 20 billion pounds for the trade or consumers.
The measure goes much further than those taken at G20 Pittsburgh last month, calling to pay only half the bonus tracks because, for the voice of Tory finances, "we can not expect a culture more responsible bonuses into place by itself. We must take urgent action. " The Conservatives took the example of the United States, where new policies of the Obama administration will lead to a reduction of 90% bonuses to employees the best paid."America works. Britain today does not, "Osborne Assen.
Labor has taxed George Osborne of hypocrisy. "The Conservatives have fought against all the plans that were put in place to support business and jobs," said Liam Byrne, secretary of the Treasury. "We have already introduced more stringent regulation in the world, says the Labor Party. We have not banned short bonuses in retail banking because it's impossible, but we are in talks with RBS and Lloyds about bonuses in 2009. The conservative discourse has also aroused the indignation of retail banks , who argue that "the culture of big bonuses is rather that of investment banks.
The United States as an example
The offensive conservative times, however timely.Last week, the CEBR Institute reported that in 2009 the bonus should be around 6 billion pounds in Britain, an increase of 50% compared to 2008. And on Monday, an IDS study found that if the bonus bosses 2008-2009, the largest UK listed companies have fallen by one third, increasing their salary has almost offset the decline. Two studies that provoke anger from the British while the macroeconomic data are poor, as evidenced by the contraction of GDP in the third quarter. At 8 months of a national election, the Tories have tried to show they had a plan of action to propose.
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Big contract for Bouygues in the United States. His division of Public Works, a subsidiary of Bouygues Construction, will build a road tunnel in Miami for $ 440 million. A contract was awarded by Miami Access Tunnel, the project company, as part of a public-private partnership signed with the Florida Department of Transportation.
"This tunnel will provide a second access road to the port of Miami, which is essential for its development. Located on the island of Dodge, is currently served by a single road.This new access road, which will be connected to the motorway network MacArthur Causeway, will become the main track for freight traffic and will thus relieve the center of many trucks pass through "the group said in a statement.
750 people mobilized
For Bouygues, it will include extending six meters MacArthur Bridge over a length of 800 meters. The group will also build two parallel tunnels, each 1,100 meters and 12.3 meters in diameter, and access roads. The group will also undertake the development of road connections to the network port, the electromechanical underground parts, the automatic traffic control and construction of farm buildings.
A site that should Altogether last 55 months for Bouygues and start in mid-2010.750 people are expected, at peak, be mobilized on the project.