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At the instance of investor Guy Wyser-Pratte, conglomerate Lagardere SCA's shareholders will vote on resolutions that would add Mr. Wyser-Pratte to Lagardere's supervisory board and change bylaws to narrow the company's focus to improve profitability. Lagardere's profit in 2009 plummeted 77% to 137 million euro.

After setting aside 550 million euro to cover possible legal expenses, Vivendi S.A. reports that net profit fell 68% to 830 million euro in 2009. Revenue rose 6.9% to 27.13 billion euro. Vivendi plans to invest in emerging markets to offset slow growth in the U.S. and Europe.

Emerging from bankruptcy protection, Technicolor S.A. - formerly known as Thomson S.A. - reports a net loss of 342 million euro for 2009, compared with a net loss of 1.93 billion euro in 2008. Full-revenue fell 14% to 3.53 billion euro.

In 2009, Publicis Groupe S.A.'s net profit fell 9.8% to 403 million euro, while revenue dropped 3.8% to 4.52 billion euro. Fourth-quarter revenue declined 5.4%, compared with a 7.4% drop a year earlier.

Part of a 35-billion-euro plan to boost the economy by improving infrastructure, France will invest 2 billion euro to update the country's high-speed Internet networks. France will spend a total of 4.5 billion euro on information and communications projects.

A French court ordered Google Inc. to pay 300,000 euro to French publisher La Martiniere for infringing its copyrights by posting online extracts of Martiniere's books. Google said it will appeal the case. Article discusses how the ruling will affect Google's efforts to create a global online library.

In interview, Vivendi S.A.'s chief executive Jean-Bertran Levy discusses his vision for the French media conglomerate, including bulking up the company's many units through acquisitions and investments in emerging markets. In the first nine months of 2009, Vivendi's earnings rose 10% to 19.5 billion euro.

Following Vivendi S.A.'s sale of its 20% stake in NBC Universal to General Electric Co. for $5.8 billion, GE is expected to transfer control of NBC Universal to Comcast Corp. after creating a joint venture that would include the television network, several other cable television networks, and the Universal Studios film company and theme parks. The resulting entity would surpass Time Warner Inc. and Walt Disney Co. with annual assets of about $51 billion.

An unconfirmed report that Vivendi S.A. has agreed to sell its 20% stake in NBC Universal to General Electric Co. for $5.8 billion caused Vivendi's share price to rise nearly 3% in Tuesday trading. When the Vivendi-GE dial is finalized, GE plans to transfer control of NBC Universal to Comcast Corp. The possible Comcast deal values NBC Universal at $30 billion.

General Electric Co. seeks to accelerate negotiations to acquire Vivendi S.A.'s 20% stake in NBC Universal. The companies are yet to agree on the value of the stake. GE owns 80% of NBC Universal.

Vivendi S.A. will buy Television Francaise 1 S.A.'s 9.9% stake in pay-television provider Canal Plus France for 744 million euro. The transaction raises Vivendi's stake in Canal Plus to 75% from 65%. Vivendi also offered to buy M6-Metropole Television S.A.'s stake of 5.1% in Canal Plus France.

Security technology firm Gemalto N.V.'s first-half sales inched up 1.2% to 800 million euro. The company plans to boost annual profit from operations to 300 million by 2013, more than a 50% increase from profit in 2009. The global security-card and electronic-passport market is expected to increase 9.9% between 2009 and 2010 to 5.4 billion units.

Alcatel-Lucent S.A.'s third-quarter net loss widened to 182 million euro from a net loss of 40 million euro a year earlier. Sales fell 9.3% to 3.68 billion euro. Alcatel says it is close to achieving its target of cutting costs by 750 million euro by year's end.

Vivendi S.A. has expressed interest in selling its 20% stake in film and television company NBC Universal, majority owned by General Electric Co. The value of NBC Universal has been reported in the range of $24 billion to $35 billion. The sale of the stake could be beneficial to GE and cable operator Comcast Corp.'s planned merger of NBC Universal and Comcast's television networks.

In a move to offset declining European sales by investing in emerging markets, Vivendi S.A. is bidding 2 billion euro to acquire Brazilian fixed-line operator GVT Holding S.A., which has 2.3 million customers and 4% market share in Brazil. GVT posted sales of $800 million in 2008.

Buoyed by growing demand for toiletries and cosmetics, L'Oreal S.A. reports a 2.6% second-quarter rise in sales to 4.39 billion euro. L'Oreal expects full-year sales to improve further, because of growing demand in emerging markets.

LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton S.A. reports a 23% first-half net profit drop to 687 million euro from 891 million euro a year earlier, and a 0.2% drop in sales to 7.8 billion euro. Sales of the Louis Vuitton brand rose 8% to 2.98 billion euro, watch and jewelry sales dropped 17% to 346 million euro, and sales at the wine-and-spirits unit fell 17% to 1 billion euro.

Fashion house Hermes International S.A. reports a second-quarter sales increase of 12% to 446.6 million euro and says it expects to meet its target of flat sales in 2009. The company did not report on its net profit. Sales at the leather-good division rose 33% to 228 million euro, but sales of watches fell 11%.

Fashion house Christian Lacroix SNC filed for bankruptcy protection in May, and, unless it finds a buyer by the end of the month, it'll be forced to reduce staff from 124 to 12. The label posted sales of 30 million euro last year, and a net loss of 10 million euro.

Boosted by strong sales of its Louis Vuitton brand, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton S.A. reports an 11% first-quarter net profit rise to 1.59 billion euro. Revenue rose 0.4% to 4 billion euro.

Fashion house Hermes International S.A. reports a slight increase of 0.8% in 2008 net profit to 290.2 million euro. Full-year sales rose 8.6% to 1.76 billion euro. Article discusses Hermes's cost cuts, planned store openings and renovations, and expected earnings in 2009.

Undersea tunnel operator Groupe Eurotunnel S.A. reports a 9.2% drop in revenue to 704 million euro, and an increase in net profit from 1 million euro to 40 million euro for full fiscal year 2008. The company plans a dividend of four European cents per share. Eurotunnel suffered about 200 million euro in losses from a fire in one its tunnels.

Fashion house Hermes S.A. reports an 8.6% increase in sales to 1.76 billion euro in the fiscal year 2008. The company did not disclose net profit. Article discusses Hermes's sales by division, and expected sales in 2009.

Luxury goods retailer LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton S.A. reports a 4% sales increase to 17.2 billion euro, and flat profit of 2 billion euro for the fiscal year ended December 31. Fourth-quarter sales rose 4% to 5.2 billion euro. Article discusses LVMH's sales by corporate unit and market.

Boosted by revenue from the sale of assets, French resort operator Club Mediterranee S.A. reports a 2-million-euro profit for the fiscal year ended October 31. The previous year, the company had reported a net loss of 8 million euro. Club Med's sales increased 5.7% to 1.49 billion euro. Article discusses Club Med's per-bed revenue, capital expenditures on resort renovations, and plans to cut 31 million euro in costs in 2009.

Boosted by strong sales in Europe, electronic controls manufacturer Schneider Electric S.A. posts a 4.1% third-quarter revenue increase to 4.65 billion euro but expects demand in the near future to fall in key markets. The company's sales in the Asia-Pacific region rose 6.1% to 879 million euro, sales in Europe rose 9.1% to 2 billion euro, and sales in the U.S. grew by 1.9% to 1.3 billion euro. Citing an unstable global economy, the company will temporarily halt large-scale acquisitions. On Wednesday, Schneider's shares rose 8.2% to 44.14 euro on the Paris Stock Exchange.

French authorities question stock broker Manuel Zabraniecki as part of the investigation into bank Societe Generale S.A.'s $7.6 billion losses incurred by trader Jerome Kerviel. Article discusses the ongoing probe and business relations between Zabraniecki and Kerviel. Also, investor files lawsuit against Societe Generale over alleged misinformation of bank's exposure in subprime-mortgage crisis.

Byline: MAX COLCHESTER NORTHFLEET, ENGLAND -- The question of who is the boss of England's small Ebbsfleet United soccer team is about to get interesting. If all goes as expected, [...]

France's Fimalac S.A. has offered $338 mil to buy financial daily Les Echos from Pearson PLC, besting a bid by luxury goods firm LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton S.A. Journalists at Les Echos oppose a LVMH deal and support Fimalac's offer.

Luxury goods retailer LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton S.A. is currently in exclusive negotiations with Pearson PLC to purchase France's financial daily Les Echos. Another financial daily, La Tribune, is already owned by LVMH. The Les Echos deal would be valued at approximately $299 mil.

THE streets of Battersea were filled with people heading out to enjoy the Good Friday sunshine in nearby Battersea Park or across the river along the King's Road in Chelsea [...]

PARIS -- The last time the French government interfered with smoking habits, in 2003, when the tax on cigarettes rose by 27 per cent, tobacconists went on strike and Nicholas [...]

PARIS and MADRID -- Didier Lombard, chief executive of France Telecom, yesterday dealt a thinly-veiled rebuke to his government's growing protectionism by applauding Spanish politicians for allowing his group's Euros [...]

BRUSSELS and PARIS -- Local transport companies that enjoy a monopoly in their home market without first winning a competitive bid will be banned from obtaining business elsewhere, the European [...]

PARIS -- Angela Merkel, German opposition leader, and Nicolas Sarkozy, French presidential hopeful, yesterday found common cause on the need to relaunch the Franco-German relationship, reform the European social model [...]

PARIS -- Located next to the Palais du Louvre in Paris, the theatre of La Comedie Francaise is often referred to as the bastion of French culture. For more than [...]

PARIS -- France, it is sometimes said, veers between self- congratulation and self- flagellation. There is little doubt about which phase France is experiencing this summer. High unemployment, slow economic [...]

PARIS -- The thousands of people gathered in front of the Paris city hall to celebrate victory in the Olympic race were stunned into silence. But only for a second. [...]

Keywords: wsjworld; photo-commission; leder; Asia; BRICS Countries; Emerging Market Countries; Developing Economies; Central/Eastern Europe; Europe; North America EN wsjworld photo-commission leder Asia BRICS Countries Emerging Market Countries Developing Economies Central/Eastern Europe Europe North America N.PAG N.PAG 1 09/27/23 20230926 NES 230926 Assets taken from sanctioned Russian billionaires are costly to maintain as legal hurdles hold up sales; $28,000 a week to keep mold out of the Alfa Nero FALMOUTH HARBOUR, Antigua and Barbuda - Two dozen armed police and five FBI agents fanned out across the harbor here early one morning last year. The Italian government last year earmarked €13.7 million, or about $14.8 million, to cover urgent maintenance costs of assets such as yachts and villas. They raided the Alfa Nero, a 270-foot megayacht believed to be owned by Andrey Grigoryevich Guryev, a Russian phosphates magnate sanctioned by the U.S. for links to President Vladimir Putin. [Extracted from the article]

"Eye of newt" is a key ingredient in the witches brew in Shakespeare's Macbeth (although even those witches wouldn't actually hurt a newt - the expression is a pseudonym for mustard seed). Keywords: a-hed; wsjworld; Building Construction; Residential Building Construction; Non-residential Building Construction; Leisure Facility Construction; Construction; Real Estate/Construction; England; Europe EN a-hed wsjworld Building Construction Residential Building Construction Non-residential Building Construction Leisure Facility Construction Construction Real Estate/Construction England Europe N.PAG N.PAG 1 08/28/23 20230825 NES 230825 Endangered amphibian endangers new construction for pop stars and politicians; Boris Johnson promises to build a "newtopia" to compensate for a swimming pool EASTCOURT, England - The bane of Britain's great and powerful is a couple of inches long, has warty skin and a bright orange underbelly - and the power to disrupt some of their most heartfelt ambitions. [Extracted from the article]