“A number wanted to caricature the French situation by saying that we could have a protectionist positions. I say that not to protectionism than to protect a company’s defense sector,” he told a briefing in Washington on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the IMF.

“This is not the U.S. that we will say that if a contractor wants to buy a company in the defense or homeland security, do not ask for insurance. Is that the we did, “he added.

“For casinos, this is for tax reasons and to avoid the dubious” of capital, against a backdrop of terrorism, “he further explained.

Mr. Breton has participated since Friday until Sunday in Washington at the G7-finance, the IMF and World Bank.

The French government announced in early September its intention to protect firms from ten industries cons of a hostile takeover bid from abroad.

Place your bets: bet won for 888 which put the London market almost a quarter of its capital this morning. The leading online casinos raised 147.7 million pounds (216 million euros) at a listing price of 175 pence.

The online gaming site 888 has been on the market 84.4 million shares, valuing the company at 590 million pounds. In the early morning, the price climbed to 183 pence.

The leader of the operation, HSBC still has 12.66 million additional shares ready to put on the market. The current offer was oversubscribed five times, such additional shares could be placed on the market quickly. But general manager John Anderson welcomed this morning that “the IPO of 888 has been so very very popular with institutional investors in the UK and Europe.”

The site still had to revise down its claims. Following the announcements a few weeks ago the market leader PartyGaming on a market downturn, 888 decided to revise its IPO price. And besides, the market has taken account of these effects ad, the introductory course is putting down the fork, the title was suggested between 162 and 212 pence per share.

Founded in 1997, 888 proposes a casino and an online poker site online. Before placing on the market, the founders of the site, Avi and Aaron Shaked, combined 70% stake in the family trust controlled by Shay and Ron Ben-Yitzhak 20%, the balance being held by employees.

By midmorning, however, the euphoria fell somewhat, the price was 178.5 pence.

But in case of disagreement on strategy, “Colony may convert its shares and get the ORA redemption in cash of its convertible bonds (500 million). Accor will then either choose to pay within six months or wait for the start of the repayment period, in May 2008, a surcharge of 2% of the amount, 10 million euros. Accor has more than 2 billion euros in confirmed lines of credit and non- used. It would therefore have no difficulty to replenish his treasury, “said Benjamin Cohen.

Spokesman Partouche for Switzerland, the undersigned Albert Nussbaumer Fribourg no secret that any future concession for Saxon still interested the French group, but will not be at the expense of Crans-Montana. “Contrary to the strategy of the Federal Commission for games in 2001, we believe there is room in the Valais mountain for a casino in Crans-Montana, establishing a plain Saxon.” The new

Chosen from four candidates, “Casinos Austria International” had inherited in October 2004, the concession for the City of Brussels, the first step toward opening the future casino. Initially, the casino will be located temporarily in the hall of the Madeleine, to the final installation of it in 2009 in Anspach Center. The Austrian company will invest 7 million euros in the transformation of this room, in addition to 2 million euros to be spent on the eradication of asbestos recently found in the building. The playroom should be open early next year.

“I’m an addict casino, it relaxes me,” said Jacquelyn Sherman, a retired librarian of 57 years. “I like winning but I was not expecting such a sum.”

Since Katrina, which devastated his home in New Orleans and killed nearly a thousand people in late August, Sherman is housed with her sister in Opelousas, Louisiana.

The pensioner is now determined to acquire a comfortable home in the “Big Easy” (Great Easy), a nickname given to Louisiana.

Chief of Police of the Canton of Vaud, Alain Jeanmonod confirmed the information given by the Radio Suisse Romande (RSR). The approach of the townships reveals once again the opposition of the cantons with the decisions of the Federal Commission for gaming (CFMJ).

In June 2004, it had declared a moratorium on installing new games like “Tactilo” time to determine if slot machines and whether they fall under a ban .

But speaking cantons only be felt with responsibility for licensing and supervision of societies lotteries and lottery games. They believe that the CFMJ encroach on their powers, is Mr. Jeanmonod.

In September 2004 they had planned to file a claim for public law to TF. They have now decided to approach the brackets and join the appeal lodged against the moratorium by the Loterie Romande.

Rejected by the Appeals Committee of gaming, which has denied them as parties to the proceedings, the cantons have petitioned to TF public law, said the police chief of the Canton of Vaud.

The controversy is not unique to western Switzerland. The Federal Commission for Gaming (CFMJ), which ensures that casinos comply with legal requirements, prohibited the installation of electronic lotteries speaking Switzerland. A decision has been opposed by SWISSLOS.

“It is time for us to reflect on how to get us out of there,” he said. Its proposed casino, which requires the approval of the Legislature of Louisiana, would be allowed only in hotels over 500 rooms, near Canal Street, he said.

Slot machines are already allowed in about half of the 64 parishes in Louisiana, but there is only one casino in New Orleans. Three riverboat casinos operating in the region. Hurricane Katrina virtually destroyed the 13 floating casinos in the Gulf of Mississippi.

Recall that the departure of Jean-Marc Espalioux was made at the request of Gerard Pelisson and Paul Dubrule. They have found the ideal president in the person of Gerard Pelisson nephew, Gilles Pelisson. The two founders of the group want a man more charismatic Jean-Marc Espalioux to head the group, able to improve its image and attract investors. It’s bad start …

Gerard Pelisson and Paul Dubrule, say they will distance themselves from the management bodies of the hotel group as soon as Gilles Pelisson will succeed Jean-Marc Espalioux to the presidency of the company on 15 January, reports La Tribune “in its online edition.

Under these conditions, the two men do not understand the reluctance of bankers. The latter, minority votes in the supervisory board (4 votes out of 15), are hostile to the candidacy of Gilles Pelisson, fearing that his family ties with one of two founders of the group is an obstacle to the rules of good corporate governance. Therefore, they chose to endorse another candidate, Pierre Danon, the number two group Capgemini.

Monday night we know the name of the new CEO should be no surprise Gilles Pelisson, but in terms of value creation and enhancement of the group’s image, it will have to wait a while .. .