This is the first statement by a senior European official confirming the existence of such plans.

Speculation about the development and content of such projects are fed from the Greek elections of May 6, but their existence had not previously confirmed e.

"There is one and a half, the risk of domino effect could have existed," said Karel De Gucht Belgian Flemish daily De Standaard. 

"But today there are, both within the European Central Bank and European Commission services working in emergency scenarios where the Gre it can not. "

Judge Shira Scheindlin in Manhattan federal However limited the scope of these two complaints, finding that the offenses of incitement to fraud, negligence and breach of fiduciary duty were not founded ; es.

Stay the proceedings for deformation of agency activities relating to investment products in question, known as Cheyne and Rhinebridge.

The plaintiffs, including the Commercial Bank of Abu Dhabi, blame Moody's Investors Service and Standard & Poor's losses related to bankruptcy Product Cheyne in August 2007. Investment product Rhinebridge him collapsed a year later, in August 2008.

In both cases, the plaintiffs accused the rating agencies to have worked with banks for financial products that have a triple A, the highest credit supposed to guarantee a free investment risk, whereas these derivative investments were backed in part on credit "subprime" high risk.

The Fitch is also concerned by the complaint Rhinebridge.

The decision of Judge Scheindlin was taken Friday but was released on Monday.

Tony Mirenda, a spokesman for Moody's, said the complaints were unfounded, and that still recent allegations would be considered inadmissible in turn. 

Standard & Poor's, John Piecuch, spokesman, said similarly that the latest complaints were inconsistent with previous court decisions.

The CEO Stephen Hester also confirmed that the bank would have ended next week to repay emergency loans granted by London during the financial crisis.

It also will resume payment of dividends and coupons attached to hybrid securities.

RBS posted a first quarter operating profit of 1.2 billion pounds (1.46 billion euros), after a loss of 144 million the previous quarter. The consensus gave a profit of 800 million.

London has an 82% interest in the bank bailout since the surgery in 2008 and has "no desire" to sell given the situation of stock markets, reported the group.

"As far as I know, there is no desire to sell at current prices and I think it is quite understandable," said Stephen Hester at a conference tee ; léphonique. "Even if everyone wants it to be done, to my knowledge there is nothing in sight."

Sources had said in March that the government had held talks with Abu Dhabi, which had fueled speculation of a sale.

"MISTAKES OF THE PAST"

The rise of the bank in the green is due in particular to the investment bank, which posted an operating profit of 824 million pounds during the quarter against a loss of 109 million the previous three months.

"We are pleased with progress made in the first quarter, although the economic and regulatory environment remains tough," said Stephen Hester. "RBS continues to significantly grow in strength and resistance."

Hester added that the bank was progressing very well in the correction of "errors" of the past, with a decrease in non-strategic assets and increased liquidity.

She said her "Funded balance sheet", defined as total assets less the balance sheet derivatives, was further reduced by 27 billion pounds to 950 billion. Of this total, the non-strategic assets decreased from 11 to 83 billion pounds.

"Once again, the good news is the progress speed of adjustment of the balance sheet. It's all about cleaning up the balance (…)", said Ian Graham, an analyst at Investec. "For me, progress is obviously there but the road is long and painful."

Around 9:25 GMT, RBS shares gained 2.4% to 25.14 pence in morning, outperforming the European sector index of banks, up 0.22%.

The Markit / CIPS purchasing managers (PMI) thus fell to 50.5 last month against 51.9 (revised) in March. This figure, the lowest since December, is below the expectations of economists who had expected 51.5.

It remains above the 50 mark that separates growth and contraction, in contrast to similar data in the euro area.

Official statistics released last week showed that the British economy had plunged into recession in first quarter, which could further increase the difficulties of coalition government David Cameron.

Barack Obama pleaded Tuesday for the "rule Buffett," a rebalancing of tax scales to charge more for the richest Americans, a way to embarrass the multimillionaire Mitt Romney, his likely opponent in the presidential election. "What hinders our entire economy is the growing gap between the super rich and everyone else," said the American president during a speech in Florida (Southeast), a crucial state on the electoral map for the presidential Nov. 6 where he is seeking a second four-year term.

"I ask you: what is the best way to strengthen our economy? Provide $ 150,000 in additional tax relief to every millionaire and billionaire? Or invest in education, research, health and our veterans? "said Obama at a university in the city of Boca Raton, facing an enthusiastic crowd, which chanted" four more years! " The president has defended the September 2011 "Buffett rule", the taxation at least 30% of annual revenues in excess of one million dollars. The chairman stressed that it is unfair that the multibillionaire Warren Buffett, are among the world's wealthiest people, is subject to a tax rate lower than his secretary employed, due to a tax code that taxes less capital income than labor. Warren Buffett himself has said he supported this measure.

The Senate, dominated by allies of Mr. Obama should make Monday a procedural vote on this device. But Republican opponents of the president have said their hostility and can block it. Obama's insistence on the "rule Buffett" seems primarily intended to put on the defensive opponent Mitt Romney, became even more conservative favorite of the primary on Tuesday with the abandonment of its main competitor Rick Santorum. The president did not mention the name of Mitt Romney, merely ironic about the presidential candidates "that should not be appointed" and that according to him are lawyers from both deficit reduction and a reduction in taxes for the rich.

Mitt Romney only pays 15% tax

Mitt Romney, a former investor whose fortune is estimated at between 190 and 250 million dollars, be admitted subject to a tax rate of 15% despite annual revenues of over $ 20 million in 2010 and 2011. It thus benefits in particular, as many wealthy Americans, niche tax changes introduced in 2001 and 2003 under the aegis of former Republican President George W. Bush. The White House says that Americans appearing in 0.1% of the highest incomes pay taxes now represent 26% of their income, against 51% in 1960, while members of the middle class have seen in the same time their tax rate from 14 to 16%.

The discount on the carpet of the "rule Buffett" comes as Americans must report their income before April 17 and may be more receptive to such a speech. The Republican camp has fired back Tuesday stressing that what they called "Buffett tax" would raise no less than 50 billion dollars in ten years, while the federal government debt exceeds 15,600 billion . And communications director for Mitt Romney, Gail Gitcho, said that "President Obama is the first president in history to openly campaign for reelection on a platform of raising taxes." Former President Bush himself on Tuesday defended the tax cuts of 2001 and 2003, during a speech in New York. "If we increase taxes, we take money from the pockets of consumers," he said in a rare foray into politics since leaving the White House in January 2009.

This amount far exceeds the previous record of 49.1 billion borrowed in a month reached in August 2010, before Lisbon accepts a plan to help the IMF and the European Uni ; enemies.

According to Teresa Gil Pinheiro, chief economist at Banco BPI, the increase recorded in March was partly explained by the strong participation of Portuguese banks for refinancing proposed by the European Central Bank.

In December and February, she put on the market a total of over 1,000 billion euros. 

This strong growth also reflects the reluctance of banks in the euro area, who are reluctant to lend to each other.

These orders rose 1.3%, slightly below the consensus of analysts polled by Reuters which gave 1.5%, according to figures released Tuesday by the Commerce Department.

Many economists believe that the expiration of certain tax benefits on productive investment in late 2011 has encouraged companies to move their investments.

The decline in January was revised to 1.1% against 1% in the first estimate. 

Orders for civilian capital goods excluding aircraft, a category closely followed because it was considered a good indicator of future investment plans, rose 1.7% in February against 1.2% in the first estimate.

This initiative can in theory lead to penalties amounting to billions of dollars imposed on EU products.

"We refuse to remain inactive while companies and American workers are disadvantaged," said Ron Kirk in a statement. 

The text clarifies the intent of the United States to ask the WTO to say whether the EU has complied with a previous decision of the organization de ; favorable state aid to Airbus.

The Dow Jones Industrial 30 yielded 0.35%, or 45.57 points, to 13,124.62. The S & P-500, wider, lost 2.63 points, or 0.19%, to 1402.89. The Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 1.17, however, points (+0.04%) to 3,075.32.

The S & P 500 benchmark index fund managers, however, retains a gain of approximately 12% since the beginning of the year.

"We reached a plateau, but basically, the deal has not changed (…) There could be a setback but I see the stock market to grow to 1,430 or 1,450 items, "said Joe Benanti, CEO of Rosenblatt Securities, referring to the level of the S & P 500.

The former real estate sales declined in February against all expectations in the U.S. and inventories of unsold homes increased, according to data released Wednesday by the National Federation of Officers Real Estate (NAR). 

This statistic interrupts a recent run of good macroeconomic indicators and a reminder that the housing market, considered key to a sustainable recovery in the U.S., is still not completely out of case.

Despite rising oil prices, the S & P energy grouping values ​​fell 1.04%. That financial stocks lost 0.43% after rising on nine of the last 10 sessions.

"Some parts make me say that we are perhaps at the beginning of a correction of up to 4%: the relative poor performance of industrial and energy , the reversal of financial, "said Seth Setrakian, co-leader of the U.S. equities department at First New York Securities.

"Investors are waiting in general the beginning of a new quarter to regain some of their beads. This can happen earlier if everyone expects the same thing. "

In a note to clients, Goldman Sachs said, however, that the prospects for equity market returns, compared to bonds, are the best in a generation

. "Given the current valuations, we think it should say" goodbye for a long time "for obligations and start" buying long "on shares," said the middle .. The title

……. Oracle fell 2.29% to 29.41 dollars after posting its quarterly results yesterday, marked s in a drop in revenue from hardware sales. 

The action Hewlett-Packard for its part, yielded 2.17% to 23.46 dollars after the software giant announced the merger of its divisions PCs and printers as part of a major reorganization designed to generate savings and boost growth.

The Nasdaq Composite Index, heavily weighted in technology, however, was brought up by 2.46% to 13.72 of the action after the developer Zynga online game announced ; redeem OMGPOP, the manufacturer of the game popular "Draw Something".

This is a record. China recorded in February its largest trade deficit in over a decade, from 31.48 billion dollars, due to a surge in imports, particularly oil, according to figures reported Saturday by China Customs.

Imports jumped 39.6% year on year to 145.96 billion dollars, while exports rose 18.4% to 114.47 billion USD, have detailed the Customs on their website.

Imports grew far beyond the expectations of economists polled by Dow Jones agency, who on average expected 26% increase, while exports are well below their forecasts, which were 28.8% increase.

The expected deficit by these economists was 8.5 billion only. This is the largest trade deficit ever recorded in a single month by China since at least 2000, according to Dow Jones agency.

Slowdown

For the first two months of the year, China has a trade deficit of 4.25 billion. In January, it had a surplus, but the volume of China's foreign trade had shrunk because of the impact of Chinese New Year celebrations. The high level of imports is mainly due to oil imports, which hit last month to a record volume of 23.64 million tons, amounting to 19.47 billion dollars.

China recorded a trade deficit frequently earlier this year, but in 2011 it had only reached $ 890 million for the first two months of the year.

The deficit in February in addition to other economic indicators released reflecting a slowdown in the second world economy.

"Overall, we see an acceleration of deteriorating economic conditions," responded Zhang Zhiwei, an economist at Nomura Securities agency quoted Dow Jones. "The slowdown occurs more rapidly than expected in the government," he said.

The record trade deficit could prompt Beijing to further relax its monetary policy to support economic activity, while Chinese exporters are suffering from the impact of the debt crisis in Europe and weak economic growth in the U.S. .