Bad timing for Facebook. After the first listing of the giant online social networks, which received a mixed reception in the market, the site is subject to a complaint partnership or "class action". Filed in San Jose, California, the "class action" includes 21 cases of U.S. Internet users complaining of an invasion of their privacy. They blame Facebook for continuing to collect data on their online browsing after they leave the site.

The Wiretap Act, the U.S. law on eavesdropping, provides for "damages up to $ 100 per person per day and up to 10,000 dollars a Facebook user," says the complaint. At a rate of 800 million Internet users concerned, the amount required to Facebook miliards reached 15 dollars, or more than 11 billion euros.  

The plaintiffs wish to raise in their "class action" all Americans who have opened a Facebook account between May 2010 and September 2011, reports Bloomberg. They also seek to find ways to involve Internet users living outside the U.S..

Regular controversies on confidentiality rules

Because the class action brought hope to have a copy guaranteed cash advance. "It is not only an action for damages, but a trial on the rules of online privacy that should be a landmark," said David Straite, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs in Bloomberg.  

A spokesman for Facebook, meanwhile, responded that the allegations of the plaintiffs were unfounded and that the company would contest them.

Facebook is regularly the subject of controversy over its confidentiality rules change often and easily mastered by its undefined users. In 2010, Mark Zuckerberg apologized for airing personal network users to advertising agencies. Last year, the group was forced to accept a confidentiality imposed by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). But in February, Facebook was accused of spying on its users SMS Android application.

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The agenda is filled Francois Hollande. Two weeks after his election to the French Presidency, and one week after taking office, the new head of state will visit on May 23, at an extraordinary meeting of EU leaders to discuss ways to boost growth in Europe without ceasing to fight against public deficits and debt. A date has been announced on Twitter by the President of the European Union, Herman Van Rompuy.

Wednesday, May 23, Will Be the date of our informal dinner of Heads of State or Government. # EUCO

– Herman Van Rompuy (@ euHvR) May 8, 2012

This dinner will prepare the EU summit on 28 and 29 June next, and open the outline of a debate on growth, crediting the message supported by Francois Hollande during his presidential campaign of saying that the austerity alone can not get out the Europe of the crisis. According to European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, "many proposals (Commission) are on the table and waiting for the green light from Member States and Parliament. While the return to growth will take time, we could reach a turning point at the end of the year if the right decisions are taken now. "

Growth, yes, but how?

Because the situation is serious in Europe no faxing pay day loans. The Greek political earthquake this weekend shook the whole euro-zone. The spectrum of an output of Athens in the euro area returns and fears of a precedent is being felt. For bankruptcy and return to the drachma could then contaminate Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Italy and France. In Spain, the situation is alarming. And France, the passage of the political right to left removes an ally to Germany. Francois Hollande and his socialist political concern in the midst of crisis.

Europe, which as a whole is obviously to revive its growth, however, is not yet agreement on how to get there. For Francois Hollande, we must create Eurobonds. No question, the German chancellor. French side, advocates strengthening the European investment bank to support major projects. Okay, they reply the Rhine. However, it remains unthinkable for Angela Merkel to touch the Treaty nor the EU fiscal role of the ECB. Negotiations are open.

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Lactalis and its milk producers finally bury the hatchet. After several months of tensions, the global dairy products (Lactel, President, Galbani) reached an agreement Monday with representatives of its 14,500 producers, who collect five billion liters of milk. It took the intervention of the Ombudsman for agricultural trade relations as they agree to contracts that govern their trade relations now. Several calls to order the Minister of Agriculture have also been required to bend Lactalis. Among its competitors, including Bongrain or Danone, contracts have already been cordoned off.

The stakes are high. This is to prepare the end of milk quotas by 2015. Contracting business relationships between manufacturers and milk producers has been decided by the law of modernization of agriculture. Until then, these relationships worked on oral agreements, valid from generation to generation, and producers were paid on a monthly basis.

Reorganization of the sector

After several meetings, Lactalis and its producers have agreed on an "operating agreement". The Laval group is pleased to have offered "one of (the contract) most successful of the profession." It mainly offers "free transferability of the contract", the "no-monthly-payment imposed deliveries and settlement of supplies of milk in two monthly installments."

Especially, Lactalis has water in his wine, because the group now recognizes organizations (POs) as partners in the negotiations low fee payday loans. So far, the group wanted Laval to negotiate individually with producers, who feared an unfavorable balance of power.

A decree endorsing the creation of these organizations should be published shortly. OP local and regional associations of POs could coexist. Meanwhile, we must "work structuring" of these future producer organizations, Franck believes Guehennec, coordinator of the producer group Lactalis. "This is what one looks forward," he added.

Producers may elect by April 30 whether to integrate the OP. Still, many discussions always take place at industry level, such as on indicators for each company to fix the price of milk.

The agreement between Lactalis and its producers comes at a time of profound change in the sector, phase concentration, particularly in cooperatives. The number of farms (75,000 in total in France) is expected to decline over the coming years. Experts estimate that between 4,000 and 5,000 farms are disappearing each year as part of alliances, dispositions or retirements. These movements should also allow the emergence of true French champions.

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A rating agency on three, Standard & Poor's, has already withdrawn its prestigious Aaa to France. One of its competitors, Moody's, could soon follow, warned the Socialist candidate for president Francois Hollande. In the days following the presidential election.

Moody's placed under the supervision of the French debt rating earlier this year, he said in an interview with Journal du Dimanche. It "will make a decision on May 12, he argued. It will not be a consequence of the May 6 vote of the French. I warn, already, for our fellow citizens that there is no confusion (…) For now, I ask in any case to be assessed by the French and not by markets. "  

How the candidate can know the date on which the decision will fall on Moody's France? Rating agencies maintain absolute secrecy about the content of their deliberations and their timing, until the publication of their decision. To predict the date of May 12, the candidate is based on the deadline set by the agency between his warning to the country concerned and the actual announcement.

Moody's placed the rating a negative outlook on Feb. 14. It can give its verdict – probably too negative for AAA French – in May. However, it would have a year to decide. "She may wait to see what measures are being implemented by the future president, for example until fall, when the budget for 2013 will be presented," qualifies Norbert Gaillard, specialist rating agencies.  

Clearing the ground

Francois Hollande tried to clear the ground, should he be elected, and while his main opponent, Nicolas Sarkozy, waved the threat of an attack against France markets where Socialist victory. Today, has defended the PS candidate, turbulence affecting Spain and Italy but not France. "It is particularly irresponsible for the incumbent to use the threat of speculative movements to persuade voters to abandon the alternation," he pleaded.

The first week of the next president, whoever he is, ahead eventful. First Moody's should actually decide before May 15 the fate of Aaa it attributed to France so far. Then the Commission will publish its opinion on the stability program of France. This document, sent to Brussels last week, details how the government intends to restore the balance of public finances by 2016. Problem: it takes into account neither the promises of the outgoing president, nor those of his socialist opponent.

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The smallest city in the United States seeks inhabitant (s) and buyer (s). Don Sammons, the only resident of the town of Buford, in the State of Wyoming, decided to put his entire town for auction on April 5 for the price of $ 100,000 or about 76,000 euros. The sale includes a house with three bedrooms, a gas station, a shop that also serves as a post office, a garage, a school dating from 1905 and the postal code of the city (82 052).

Don Sammons who came to settle there in the 1980s, the city acquired in 1992 with his wife and son. Its only inhabitant who is also the mayor confides in his welcoming gas station nearly 1,000 customers a day in summer and 100 winter. But at the time of retirement, after the death of his wife and his son had deserted the scene, he believes it is now time to move on.  

An abandoned village of Limousin for sale

The future buyer will not complain about the neighborhood. Located at 2400 meters altitude and windswept, the small town of 4 hectares, bordered by the Rocky Mountains, was deserted after the railroad that served the was deflected. Buford claims the title of the smallest city in the United States. There is also no surprise that it is in Wyoming. With a population of 563,626 inhabitants in 2010, the State of West is the least populous country and has the lowest density with just over two per square kilometer. But according to the website of Buford, the city has not been abandoned. Founded in 1866, a time she counted 2,000 inhabitants and has also seen a few past personalities including U.S. President Ulysses S.Grant who visited in 1869. Butch Cassidy, the famous outlaw immortalized on screen by Paul Newman's even been arrested after pointing a trade.

The city is a bargain when compared to other cities recently implemented vente.Un little further north, in the neighboring state of Montana, the town of Pray is for sale for a whopping $ 1.4 million or just over one million euros. Another opportunity to be seized, this time closer to home, the hamlet of Courbefy, in Haute-Vienne, will be auctioned in May for $ 330,000 Euros.

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On February 20, during the auction of the hamlet of Courbefy, located 40 km southwest of Limoges, no buyer had appeared, despite a retail price of only 300,000 euros. With the effect of media coverage, between 150 and 200 buyers from around the world are scrambling to try to acquire this highly original property, offered for sale price of a two-room Paris.

Without buyers, the entire village, 19 rustic buildings in various states, the boxes for horses, pool, tennis court, culminating in nearly 557 meters high with a beautiful view of the mountains of Chalus in the Périgord Limousin regional park, should return to Credit Agricole, creditor's last owner who could not repay the loan. Its proposed resort, launched in 2003, has never worked and went bankrupt, causing the abandonment of the site in 2008.

The news of the sale of Courbefy was first taken up by the media in France, before being scattered by the whole world, fascinated by the idea that a whole village could be sold for a price as ridiculous . "Admittedly, this is an offer very original, very unique, because the entire village is sold at once," says Mr. Paul Le Figaro Gérardin, counsel for the Credit Agricole. "It's because someone has bought one by one all the houses after the abandonment of the hamlet."

After being abandoned by its last inhabitants in the 1970s due to rural exodus, the small village of Courbefy might find occupants with a last minute deal last Thursday filed with the court registry by Limoges an American company, AHAE Press, registered in the State of New York. This entity belongs to the Korean-born American photographer Ahae, artist specializing in landscape photography and wildlife, whose exhibition "Through my window" must be presented at the Louvre in Paris from June 26 to July 23.

With its 10% deposit of the purchase price, the sale process is restarted, and new auction will take place at court of Limoges on May 21. "I'm sure will be many bidders," suggests Paul Gérardin me. "We have already responded to 150 to 200 inquiries from around the world. Initial requests are first come from the Paris region, London, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden and other European countries before coming the United Arab Emirates, China, U.S. and Russian. "

One potential buyers, a Dutchman, wants to use the hamlet for a reality TV show in which participants would call premises in shape.

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There is one who has been lucky. Mining giant Rio Tinto said it had discovered a pink diamond of 12.76 carats in a mine in Western Australia. This is, to date, the largest diamond discovered in the country. "A diamond of this size is unprecedented, says Josephine Johnson, Manager of Argyle Pink Diamonds division. It took 26 years of operation to retrieve the stone and it is possible that we find in no other like this. "

The valuable discovery was named Argyle Pink Jubilee in reference to the name of the mine (Argyle) and the sixty-year reign, says, "Diamond Jubilee", which is celebrating Queen Elizabeth II.

Next step: cut and polish the stone, a delicate task that should take ten days. How Richard Kim Kam, in charge of the operation, already trembling, "I'll take care of it. I know that the world will look. "The diamond is then evaluated by a team of international experts and exposed before being sold.

Pink, more valued than white

Rio Tinto is kept for the moment any estimate on the price of wonder, but said in a statement that the high quality pink diamonds could exceed $ 1 million per carat. More than $ 10 million (7.6 million) for it.

It must be said that the diamond market is resisting rather well and that it is a pink diamond, which can be up to ten times more valued than white. In November 2010, a 24.78 carat diamond Pink has been awarded to more than $ 46 million. An unprecedented amount for a diamond and jewelry and is far ahead the previous record of $ 10 million for another pink diamond.  

Nearly 90% of pink diamonds discovered in the world come from the Argyle mine in the Kimberley region, says Rio Tinto. Stones the size of Argyle Pink Jubilee usually go to museums, the royal family or are auctioned in houses like Christie's. The latter has in fact sold only 18 pink diamonds over 10 carats in its 244 year history, said Rio Tinto.

The discovery of the pink diamond on Australian television:

VIDEO: Rio's biggest pink diamond gets the cut

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This is a recurring complaint of local elected officials: the proliferation of standards on the environment, urban planning, accessibility of the disabled, or food in school canteens, leaden local finances. The bill would be about 600 million euros a year, according to the advisory panel for assessment of standards (NECC). The moratorium on standards established by the government since July 2010 has been ineffective, he had to find new weapons. Among them is the proposed law (PPL) of UMP senator Eric Doligé, a proposal that was discussed Wednesday in the Senate. The text can not pass the Assembly before the legislative elections of June 2012. But at the very least, the process is launched.

The main idea of ​​the PPL is that standards may vary depending on community size. "It is absurd that the buildings of kindergartens in Paris, located on several floors in a building, have the same standards as local nursery in a small town, which are on one level," says Eric Doligé. The text also proposes to address the 400,000 current standards. The NECC would consider this stock, including devices older than five years and propose simplifications or deletions. The government would be required to indicate, within six months, the follow-up.

Step

The PPL also creates an instance of mediation departmental standards and simplifies certain procedures, particularly in the field of urban planning.

For Eric Doligé, this text is a first step. Once the elections are over, the senator wants to put on the table the 2005 law on disability law that forced utilities to make all buildings accessible to disabled people in 2015. "The cost of work – 17 billion – is too high to communities," said Eric Doligé.

His solution? Make the service, not local, necessarily accessible. "The employee asked the public service would come down on the ground floor to meet the disabled person. City Hall would no longer need to install a lift or other special equipment, "says the senator. Still, this subject is highly sensitive, both politically and humanly. Another idea, often mentioned, would increase the powers of the NEAC, to give this advisory body veto power. Gilles Carrez, Rapporteur UMP budget to the Assembly, is favorable.

The NECC could finally block orders it considers absurd. Such as the recent decree stipulating that social and medico-social will offer four to five dishes for each lunch or dinner to their residents, dishes that need to be tailored to their tastes and habits!

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Over the last twelve months, more than half of the beneficiaries of employee savings invested 12% of their pay. A percentage much higher than previous years.

"Employees are concerned about the consequences of the financial crisis. 40% of them plan to evolve their total savings, "says Henry Alline, president of the Club of employee savings. More than half (55%) of respondents in this study say they are satisfied for the moment the financial performance of their business investment. But they were 59% a year ago flexcheck cash advance.

As is the case for several years, employees save for retirement.Over the last twelve months, two thirds of employees and supports a PEE (company savings plan). This device, like Perco Plan (retirement savings plan), allows to build a long-term savings. It is powered by matching contributions from the employer or employee payments can spend up to a quarter of his annual salary.

Provided they meet the minimum capital funds (5 years for the EEP and until retirement for Perco), the yields of these products (dividends, capital gains) are exempt from tax income. This explains the growing success of these formulas, still reserved for the privileged. For 70% of employees do not have access to employee savings plan.