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The property prices fell in 43 of the 70 cities monitored by the Institute of Chinese statistics. Only three cities have recorded an increase. Prices remained stable in the remaining cities.

The measures taken by Beijing to prevent the bursting of a housing bubble in China are bearing fruit. Average prices real estate in April continued their downward trend for the seventh consecutive month, according to figures reported Friday by the government. Over a month, prices of new homes fell in 43 cities and towns of 70, reported the National Bureau of Statistics.

Prices remained stable in 24 others and increased in three cities. The decline had affected 46 cities in March. The building is a key sector of the Chinese economy alone generates about 10% of GDP, and much more if one takes into account the production of steel and concrete upstream.  

After reaching highs that have raised fears the Government the bursting of a housing bubble, the housing market began to return in the fall, but Beijing has so far refused to lift restrictions put in place to acquisition of homes by individuals for fear of boosting speculation.

"We must firmly tighten control of the real estate market", commented Friday even in the Chinese press Zhang Xiaohong, a senior Ministry of Housing.

Panasonic said Friday forecast a rebound in operating profit in the current year, thanks to reduced costs and reduced losses its television division.

The consumer electronics group has reported a net loss of 772.2 billion unprecedented yen (7.5 billion euros) in fiscal 2011/2012 ended 31 March .

It is due mainly to restructuring charges, related mainly to the elimination of 17,000 jobs, as well as a provision on subsidiary Sanyo Electric.

Panasonic projects an operating profit of 260 billion yen in fiscal 2012/2013, while the Thomson Reuters consensus I / B / E / S provides 241.5 billion yen. 

Panasonic, which like its counterparts Sharp and Sony suffers from competition from South Korea's Samsung and a declining demand for plasma displays, does not see its TV division back in the green during year 2012/2013.

The maker of Viera televisions estimated that sales of flat screen TV will fall to 15.5 million units during the current year against 17.5 million in fiscal year pre yield.

The action Panasonic ended down 1.55% at 570 yen before the publication of results. She has sold more than 12% since the beginning of the year, while the Nikkei was up 5.9% at the same time, investors fearing further losses of the TV division.

Sony has also released Thursday an annual net loss record over the 2011-2012 fiscal year and hopes to revive an operating profit of the current year by halving its losses in TVs.

While patronnat is concerned about a downturn, unions undertake a standoff and claim 6.5% increase in wages, after fifteen years of freezing. The BMW company was hit by labor movements in Germany

Wage disputes are concentrated in Germany, where employees want to finally enjoy the fruits of 15 years of austerity facing employers who are concerned about a slowdown in the economy. In a ritual of the social agenda German IG Metall, which appears as the first union in the world, showed its muscle this week, organizing walkouts across the country who have gathered more than 160,000 employees. These demonstrations of workers wearing red hats or caps, hit the icons of the German model, such as Bosch, Siemens or BMW.  

Moreover the union negotiates for more than 3.5 million employees of metallurgy, machine tools, automotive or semiconductor, its counterpart in the Verdi services organized strikes involving 15,000 employees, Deutsche Telekom and do the same account in the bank (220,000 employees in question). "The pressure is the barometer of wage negotiations", welcomed the leader of IG Metall in North Rhine-Westphalia, where the industrial Ruhr Valley, Oliver Burkhard. "This clearly means that employers must move".

Of excessive wage increases "would weaken the companies, which some can not afford," said his side the boss of bosses of metallurgy, Martin Kannegiesser, while the latest indicators point to a clear slowdown in the industry. IG Metall demanded 6.5% increase in wages, but the final round of negotiations failed, the employers are not willing to grant that 3%. Company officials estimate that the German economy ate his white bread in 2010/2011 and will now suffer from the crisis in its European neighbors. "The industry has had very good results last year (and) the employees want their fair share," however, "the success of the German economy appears to be blunted," Analysis Hilmar Schneider, of the Research Institute on the Future of Work (Bonn).

Germany, with unemployment of only 7%, beginning to feel the effects of the crisis affecting its neighbors, although it continues to fare better. This year, the level of "claims is unusual, edged with a long period of 15 years of payroll deduction," said Eckart Tuchtfeld, labor market specialist at Commerzbank. Whatever the outcome of the standoff, "the agreements will be higher" than in previous years, he predicted, partly because of the 6.3% increase over two years obtained by two million employees of Public in April. "We feel that (the movement) is not just this year but there is a real turning to broader increases of 3% per year as against 1-2% before," said Mr. Tuchtfeld. He said the talks marked a turnaround for the unions who walked hand in hand with management, making concessions on wages to promote the competitiveness of companies in the name of the job.

Overall, "the power of employees is growing" skilled in many areas, where lack of manpower will increase due to the accelerated aging of the German population, abundant Warsewa Gunter, director of the Institute for work (Bremen University). However, "the German system of social negotiations can still get a result smart," he said. "The unions will not jeopardize the growth and productivity," he adds.

Executive Director of the IMF is confident that the fund benefit from a strong increase in resources will devote to help countries protect themselves or to die make the debt crisis of the euro area, now that Europe has taken its own measures.

Believing that "the euro area is the epicenter of the potential risk" to a global economic recovery "timid and fragile," Christine Lagarde also urged European authorities to directly inject some funds from international aid troubled banks.

"We believe our firepower will increase substantially as a result of this meeting," she said at a news conference at the start of the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. 

The IMF wants to recover at least $ 400 billion of new money, which would double its resources to address the crisis in the euro area and its aftermath.

He has collected so far $ 320 billion, from the Europeans and Japanese. He wants to see the major emerging economic powers make their contribution, which are reluctant as they have no assurance they will have greater control over the management of the Fund.

Greece, Portugal and Ireland have already received a combined support of the European Union and the IMF and the markets fear that as it may The same shortly for other countries in the eurozone such as Spain and Italy.

The finance ministers of the BRIC – Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa – were to meet Thursday in Washington and the question of IMF financing will certainly be addressed. 

This increase in IMF resources should also be discussed by the Group of Seven (G7) at an informal meeting Thursday, mandated by the Group of Twenty (G20) on the occasion of a dinner ; dinner and meeting again Friday.

"Ensuring that the Fund has sufficient resources to handle crises and promote global economic stability is in the interest of all Member States," said Christine Lagarde Wednesday.

The spring meetings will conclude on Saturday by a steering committee meeting of the IMF Development Committee and joint IMF / World Bank.

Christine Lagarde praised European initiatives but also felt that the bailout mechanisms could be used to directly inject capital into banks. 

"The European Stability Mechanism (MES) and the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) may actually participate with respect to recapitalize, anywhere in the euro area", has she said.

It goes almost without a day in Italy a new drama is announced. A network of counseling has also been set up by an association of undertakings. All in a political climate very deleterious, which accuse each other of political recovery.

In late March, a mason sued for not paying his taxes had set himself on fire. He died after nine days of agony. A drama today far from being isolated in Italy, hit hard by the crisis. In recent weeks, the media of the peninsula are almost every day the echo of the desperate act of a contractor weighed down with debts and only seeing the closure as a future for your company, or employees dismissed without espour while Unemployment reached a record 9.3% in February. Dramas that evoke a strong emotion in the country.

"It's a terrible sign of desperation, a unique case of distress, which illustrates a time of great difficulty," said the former head of government of Romano Prodi left after the procedure of Mason Bologna. Angelino Alfano, LDP party leader Silvio Berlusconi (right), said he was on his side "very hurt" by "a wave, which has never been so long, suicide due to reasons of economic hardship." This is "the reflection of an unbearable situation" in the economic and social, not "isolated news items" found Sergio Marchionne, the boss of Fiat Auto, the largest in the country.

The number one party Italy of Values ​​(left) has instead created a controversy by attacking the prime minister Mario Monti who, he says, "the suicides of consciousness" when he "tells lies in newspapers on the crisis would be over. " Already hit by a deep crisis in 2009, Italy, leaded by the debt crisis and austerity plans for the chain to reassure the markets, just plunge in the recession at the end of last year.

Businesses are strangled by debt

Faced with this increase in suicides, the organization "Companies that resist" (che Imprese resistono) has set up a network in several regions of counseling called Terraferma to allow contractors or employees to discuss their problèmes.Alors that companies are already "proven" the first recession since 2009, "it currently takes to put them in big trouble," said Massimo Mazzuchelli, entrepreneur of the province of Varese (northern) which is responsible for this project . 

Strangled by debts, tax arrears and late payments from their customers, they are also very difficult to obtain credit from their banks, he says. "There is a concrete need for psychological support as the situation worsens". Lead contractors to lie on the couch is not easy, he admits, as they are often made their own and are used to solve their problems alone "

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psychoanalyst in Veneto (Northeast) participating in this initiative, Kety Ceolin notes that contractors who consult are beset by "shame" have "no hope in the medium term and feel that there is no interlocutor who seek practical help. "But" to talk with someone (they) can open and avoid the risk of isolation that leads to dramatic gestures, "said she

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European shares ended higher after a session sawtooth, like the other days of the week, markets have not yet exhausted potential correction, say some observers.

In Paris the CAC 40 index closed up 0.99% at 3269.79 points, is back above its 200 days moving average.

Among the major European markets, London and Frankfurt gained 1.34% 1.03% but Madrid, affected by concerns over its sovereign debt, lost 0.75%. Of the European indices, the Euro Stoxx 50 has been 0.46% and 1.01% Eurofirst 300. Cyclical stocks led the way increases, including commodity index which took 3.03%.

Values, STMicrolectronics ended up 4%, while Schneider Electric gained 3.9%. A reversal of the trend, Vivendi ended down 1.76%, the worst performance on the CAC 40.

"There is a rumor circulating on the Chinese GDP tomorrow (Friday) … rumor of 9% instead of 8.40% expected," said one trader. Analysts polled by Reuters expect the announcement of a GDP growth of 8.3% in China in the first quarter versus the same period last year.

Greece rejected again on Thursday the deadline for the exchange of debt issued by it, giving investors concerned until April 20 to make a decision .

Athens had said that the conversion of 20.27 billion euros of debt placed on the exchange and corresponding to 72% of securities issued under a system not under Greek law would take place on April 11.

The deadline for investors who refused to participate in the exchange to reverse their decision had already been extended to April 4 by the Greek government, who said no not afford to repay. 

Three options are now open in Athens vis-à-vis investors who continue to refuse to participate in the exchange: to continue to service the loans in question, to die be on these securities may offer a trial or improved while ensuring fair treatment for investors who have already accepted the exchange.

The Greek authorities have not yet decided but none of the tracks envisaged undermine the exchange agreed last month by private creditors, which conditioned a new slice Country Assistance.

Meetings of bondholders were held from March 27 to 29 to determine the contribution of 36 lines. The decision was adjourned for seven of them, representing an outstanding facial 2.45 billion euros and for which the deadline of April 18 was also ; postponed to April 20.

March 12, Athens had exchanged sovereign bonds governed by Greek law with a face value of 177 billion euros against new titles, with the resulting loss of value of 74% for de Holders of bonds.

Economic growth of the G20 countries slowed to 0.7% in the fourth quarter of 2011, after +0.9% in the third, according to preliminary figures released Wednesday by the OECD .

Over the whole of 2011, growth stood at 2.8% in the 20 largest world economies, a marked slowdown compared to 2010 (5.0%).

These figures mask differences: the U.S., growth was 0.7% in the fourth quarter (+0.5% in the third), it increased significantly in India and Indonesia sia, and it slowed to 2.0% in China (2.3% in the third).

In Japan, growth was down 0.2% after a strong rebound (+1.7%) in the third quarter. 

In the EU, as in the euro area, GDP fell 0.3% in the fourth quarter, the first decline since the second quarter of 2009, after 0.3 % and 0.1% in the third quarter.

The new home sales fell 10.5% in France in 2011. A trend that continues in January. New homes are less popular.

The new home sales by developers in France fell by 10.5% in 2011, according to the Ministry of Housing. Housing starts also falling sharply for the month of January 2012 compared to the previous month.

A total of 103,300 new homes were sold by developers in 2011, a decrease of 10.5% over 2010, according to figures released by the Ministry. During the months of November and December 2011 and January 2012, the number of starts of new homes rose to 114,087, an increase of 26.6% over the same period a year earlier.

But this statistic hides a sharp decline in housing starts in January that, with a total of 29,659, is down by more than 14,000 units compared to December 2011. "This is a historic fall for the month of January compared to December. Jmais We had seen that since the creation of these statistics in the early '80s," said Michel Mouillart, professor of economics at the University of Paris West.

Over the last twelve months (February 2011-January 2012), the number of starts, with 380,209 units, an increase of 19.7% over the previous twelve months. The number of building permits has meanwhile increased by 20.6% to 121,563 units for the months between November 2011 and January 2012, compared to the same period a year earlier. Over the last 12 months (February 2011-January 2011), the number of building permits issued is 466,197, up 15.1% over the previous 12 months.

The majority of the Greek people do not want to leave the euro, according to a survey published Sunday. Finance ministers of the euro area, they should endorse the new plan to rescue the country. Demonstration in Athens on Syntagma Square, October 19, 2011.

The Greeks are overwhelmingly in favor "of the European perspective" of their country, despite the austerity measures imposed by the EU and the IMF, which have raised new protests Sunday in Athens on the eve of a crucial meeting of the euro area.

Prime Minister Lucas Papademos went on Sunday night in Brussels Monday to participate in the meeting of finance ministers of the euro area, which is expected to endorse the second bailout of Greece, vital for the country risk that a bankruptcy next month, it was learned from European sources.  

While partners of Greece openly mention a departure from the country of the euro, only 19.6% of Greeks surveyed in a poll published Sunday by the newspaper Ethnos voted to return to the drachma, the national currency of the country before its accession to the eurozone in 2002. Three-quarters (75.9%) appear instead in favor "of the European perspective" of their country and two-thirds (66.5%) want the sanitation program dictated by the EU and IMF succeed. The publication of this survey comes after a week of racing against the clock to the Greek government, under intense pressure from Europe, finalized new austerity measures in Budget 2012, one of the preconditions for the outbreak of the second plan Rescue.

The plan includes an international loan of 130 billion euros and a restructuring plan and erasing debt. It is vital for Greece, threatened to default on March 20, at maturity of an obligation of 14.5 billion euros. But the drastic measures of rigor with it have led to new protests Sunday in Athens before Parliament where about 3,000 people participated in two different rallies, one in late morning to call the union and the second in 'afternoon organized by the radical left. Previous demonstrations of a week ago had been marred by violence.

The banners criticizing the wage cuts, especially the 22% decrease in the minimum wage (currently 740 euros), adopted by the coalition government the right (New Democracy) and the Socialists (PASOK). "The national consensus is a scam, poverty and hunger have no nationality" stated a banner subtitled in English: "All of us we are Greeks, Merkel and Sarkozy are freaks" (we are all Greeks, Sarkozy and Merkel are monsters). But while the survey found eight out of ten Ethnos assign responsibility for the situation of the country "to the Greek governments" and only 6.1% "to the Europeans and the IMF," some demonstrators expressed an awareness of changes considered necessary for the country.

New pension cuts

Phevos and Iliopoulos, consultant, said the measures "have a profound impact on how society functions." But he said "if the Greeks are finding ways to improve the way they work, then there is no doubt that they will be able to move and they will turn this dark page in their history." His comments echo those of the European Commissioner Viviane Reding Justice that Greece should stop looking for "scapegoats" abroad to explain his own problems and work harder to rebuild their state and get out of his disastrous economic situation. "I am hopeful that (finance ministers) reach agreement on the (rescue). But with certain conditions. Money should not be poured into a bottomless pit, "said the European official Austrian newspaper Kurier

. Saturday, the Greek Cabinet approved further cuts in pensions and additional principal to fill a hole of 325 million euros in the 2012 budget, as required by the EU and the IMF. A bill on the subject to be debated in parliament next week, the main pension exceeding 1,300 euros per month will be reduced by 12%. "There is optimism in that everything we asked for was done and the troika (EU-ECB-IMF), the 'approved', ruled Saturday the government spokesman Pantelis Kapsis. But he acknowledged that "the discussion would be very difficult because there are several opinions". "Last round for the agreement," warned his side on Sunday liberal newspaper Kathimerini

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