Paris

Today's plop will see you in courtThe Mill went to see that Michael Douglas and Matt Damon film the other day and was shocked to learn that it was not a biopic about Vincent Candela so it could have read the following incorrectly too. It would probably make more sense, for news that Chelsea are willing to let Juan Mata leave makes about as much sense as the storyline of Man of Steel (why did no one just tell General Zod to chillax?). The midfielder has apparently fallen out with José Mourinho, whose raison d'etre these days seems to be winding up the Spanish, because The Happy One is blocking a new pay rise and Barcelona are planning a £30m swoop. They're already "making overtures" to Mata's father.Once Mata is safely ensconced inside Camp Nou, Barcelona will move quickly to sell Thiago Alcântara to Manchester United, David Villa to Tottenham, Christian Tello to someone and overrated timewaster Alexis Sanchez to the local scrapyard, before heading off to Paris to nab Thiago Silva, which will also spell trouble for Chelsea. If Barcelona get what they want then PSG will need a new centre-back and they believe David Luiz, who they value at £35m, is the man to fill that hole.Not that PSG always get what they want – they've been thwarted in their attempt to appoint Tottenham's Andre Villas-Boas as their new manager and have instead turned their attention to the Russia manager Fabio Capello, whose contract has a £3m buyout clause. It's a totally rational way of going about your business: if rejected by a young up-and-coming Portuguese manager, then clearly the response should be to chase a 67-year-old Italian who hasn't managed a club side since 2007. They'll be after Joe Kinnear next.Villas-Boas's decision to stay at White Hart Lane is a handy boost for Tottenham, and life could get even better for them if they are successful in their bids for a pair of Brazilian midfielders, Corinthians' Paulinho and Atlético Mineiro's Bernard. Yes, Bernard. It's not all good news for Tottenham, though, because Gareth Bale is off to Real Madrid! How do we know this? Because they have earmarked the No11 shirt, previously worn by Ricardo Carvalho, for the Welsh flyer. Madrid really do know how to woo a target. They've even promised there'll be a mint waiting on his pillow every evening.Not content with derailing Tottenham, Madrid also intend to derail the best-laid plans of Chelsea and Manchester City. Firstly they'll enrage Chelsea by signing Edinson Cavani from Napoli and then they'll drop a fly in City's champagne by pinching Isco from Malaga, the utter wretches. Although having said that, Isco could yet become a target for Bayern Munich if they listen to their former manager Jupp Heynckes. "There are some very interesting players out there – like Malaga star Isco," he said, sounding curiously like a tabloid journalist. "He's a class act in midfield." Does anyone else reckon that Heynckes actually said "Malaga star" or "class act"? No, thought not.With Andy Carroll's move to West Ham almost done, boring old Sam Allardyce is about to go STRIKER CRAZY!!! Wilfried Zaha, Romelu Lukaku and Demba Ba are all loan targets, while West Ham have also joined the pack chasing Udinese's Matej Vydra, who spent last season on loan at Watford. The chasing pack also includes Crystal Palace, Fulham and Werder Bremen. Meanwhile Liverpool will celebrate getting shot of Carroll by facilitating Brendan Rodgers's winger habit, signing Christian Atsu from Porto for £5m, Luis Alberto from Sevilla and Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Shakhtar Donetsk.Arsenal are unsure about paying £23m for Marouane Fellaini so will move for Real Sociedad's Asier Illarramendi, who has a release clause of £25.7m. Don't ask questions about things like logic, just smile and nod. Smile and nod.Andre Wisdom is set to join Fulham on loan from Liverpool, while Fulham, Norwich, Palace and Swansea all want Birmingham's £2m winger Nathan Redmond. Only one of him can have him, though, unless they all agree to

CIT, Boeing Announce Order for 30 737 MAX 8s LE BOURGET, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- CIT Group Inc. (NYS: CIT) and Boeing (NYS: BA) today announced from the 50th Paris Air Show that CIT Aerospace has placed an order for 30 737 MAX 8s. The order is comprised of 10 new incremental aircraft and conversions of 20 existing Next-Generation 737 orders. "The addition of these Boeing 737 MAX 8s ensures that CIT Aerospace maintains one of the youngest and most fuel efficient fleets," said C. Jeffrey Knittel, President of CIT Transportation Finance. "As a leading aircraft lessor, we continually strive to provide our customers with the most technologically advanced aircraft. The Boeing MAX provides the fuel burn improvement and lower seat mile cost that our customers demand to run their airlines with optimal efficiency." The 737 MAX brings the most advanced engine technologies to the world's best-selling airplane, building on the strengths of today's Next-Generation 737. The 737 MAX incorporates the latest-technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines to deliver the highest efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort in the single-aisle market. According to Boeing calculations, airlines operating the 737 MAX will see a 13 percent fuel-use improvement over today's most fuel-efficient single-aisle airplanes and an 8 percent operating cost per seat advantage over tomorrow's competition. "CIT is one of the leading lessors in the industry and this order demonstrates its confidence in the capabilities of the 737 MAX," said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray Conner. "The CIT leadership team recognizes the value the 737 MAX offers for its airline customers. The 737 MAX is on the leading edge of passenger comfort, fuel efficiency and reliability." As of March 31, 2013, CIT owned or financed a fleet of approximately 350 commercial aircraft, including operating lease and financing agreements in place for 128 Boeing aircraft. With this new order, the company now has a total order book of 164 aircraft including Next-Generation 737s and 787 Dreamliners. EDITOR'S NOTE: Watch the CIT corporate overview video (cit.com/corporatevideo) that showcases CIT's support of the small business, middle market and transportation sectors. Follow us on Twitter: @citgroup, on LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/company/cit, on YouTube:YouTube.com/citgroupvideo, and on Facebook: facebook.com/citgroup. Individuals interested in receiving corporate news releases can register at cit.com/newsalerts or subscribe to the RSS feed at cit.com/rss. About CIT Aerospace CIT Aerospace provides financing solutions to a broad spectrum of the global aerospace value chain ranging from operators of commercial and business aircraft to manufacturers and suppliers in the aerospace and defense industries as well as financial institutions. cit.com/aerospace About CIT Founded in 1908, CIT (NYS: CIT) is a bank holding company with more than $35billion in financing and leasing assets. It provides financing and leasing capital and advisory services to its clients and their customers across more than 30 industries. CIT maintains leadership positions in small business and middle market lending, factoring, retail finance, aerospace, equipment and rail leasing, and vendor finance. CIT also operates CIT Bank (Member FDIC), its primary bank subsidiary, which, through its online bank BankOnCIT.com, offers a suite of savings options designed to help customers achieve a range of financial goals. cit.com About Boeing Commercial Airplanes Boeing Commercial Airplanes, a business unit of The Boeing Company, is committed to being the leader in commercial aviation by offering airplanes and services that deliver superior design, efficiency and value to customers around the world. There are more than 12,100 Boeing commercial jetlin

The seventh generation Corvette, sporting the proud Stingray badge, will hit Europe and UK from autumn 2013. Featuring many upgrades, visually and technically, over the previous generation, the Stingray stands a good chance of becoming popular in the UK – even though it still suffers from a bad image over there. In the UK they think of the Corvette as a brash and ostentatious American sports car made out of recycled plastic. It is just not cool enough for the classy Brits. Some of those arguments don’t hold water anymore about the new Stingray. Granted, it still has a cheesy design, but it’s become sophisticated. It uses carbon fiber body panels; a brand-new engine; many technology features; a well-made interior; and above all, the performance is now on the par with the best of what Europe has to offer. The C7 Stingray is powered by a 6.2L LT1 V8 engine coupled with a 7-speed manual transmission with active rev matching. With 460 hp (343 kW) and 630 NM (465 lb-ft) of torque at the disposal of you right foot, 60 mph is met in under four seconds, while, potentially, you can get up to 26 mpg out of it. The UK-spec Corvette Stingray comes with the Z51 performance pack as standard, which includes an aerodynamic body kit, electronic limited-slip differential, uprated suspension, revised gear ratio, larger wheels, and larger brakes. Also standard is Chevy’s MyLink infotainment system, featuring an 8-inch display screen. Pricing for the 2014 Corvette Stingray starts at £61,495. Notable optional extras include: Metallic paint (£600), Tintcoat Paint (£1,000), Navigation System (£1,450) and Black Aluminium Wheels (£550). The post 2014 Corvette Stingray – UK Prices and Specs appeared first on Motorward.

I almost did a spit-take on reading that the organization that oversees the 1855 Bordeaux classification is applying for UNESCO World Heritage status.  UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, which is sort of the U.N.’s kumbaya wing; and part of it is the World Heritage Centre, which recognizes world sites of great historical and cultural importance and seeks to protect and preserve them. Among the 962 recognized World Heritage sites are Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, the historic center of Vienna, the Magao caves of China, the Acropolis, Israel’s Masada, the Pyramids of Egypt and, here in the States, Mammoth Cave, Yellowstone and the Statue of Liberty. And now–let me get this straight–the Bordelais want to include a list of wineries? What am I failing to understand here? The Classification was drawn up, let us remember, by wine brokers, who had been asked by the Emperor Napoleon to choose wines to display at a Paris exposition. It was nothing more nor less than a price list. True, it has assumed far more importance over the decades, but it’s hard to see how a “classification” can be included on a list of World Heritage sites. I suppose I might have more sympathy with the nomination if they had suggested Bordeaux itself as a region, rather than the 1855 Classification. But then, Bordeaux already received World Heritage status (in 2007), so what is it that the nominators are looking for, beyond that? All we have to go by is the Decanter story; I could find no additional information on the Internet. Here’s how the magazine quoted Phillippe Castéja, president of the Conseil des Grands Crus Classés, in explaining his group’s nomination: The 1855 classification is the fruit of both natural and human factors and it has only gained in importance over time. Its value lies not just in the excellence of the wines, but the architectural richness its chateaux have brought to Bordeaux, the artisanal trades that it supports, from hand-picking of grapes to traditional vine pruning skills, to the renown that it has bought to France across the world. This is true, as far as it goes, but Bordeaux’s architectural heritage already was honored in that 2007 World Heritage status, and it’s not clear to me (from an admittedly inadequate but nonetheless fairly closely scrutinized review of the existing list) that there are any other World Heritage sites that are devoted to “trades” and “skills,” as opposed to places. Nor is it clear from the Operational Guidelines whether such recognition is even possible. It may be that the Bordelais are seeking recognition, not as a “natural heritage” (such as Mammoth Cave) but as a “cultural landscape,” which is allowed. The Guidelines define “cultural landscape” as, briefly, “the combined works of nature and man,” and as “illustrative of the evolution of human society and settlement over time.” But it’s very hard to see how the 1855 Classification would qualify as a “cultural landscape” the way, say, the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces of China (which is currently nominated for Heritage status) are. It looks to me like the Bordelais, having achieved their World Heritage status six years ago, are looking to gild the lily. Maybe I’m wrong. But if the 1855 Classification is worthy of World Heritage status, then so are the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence. I therefore officially nominate our founding documents.

Si on oublie le lancement au O Patry Vys il y a un mois, le projet de Francis Mineau, Oothèque, prenait vie pour une toute première fois mardi soir sur la scène extérieure Ford des FrancoFolies. Le rendu était sauvage, en ce sens où il n’était pas rodé et apprivoisé parfaitement par les musiciens, mais c’est cet état brut qui faisait la beauté de la chose. Le résultat est très prometteur.Francis Mineau, batteur du groupe Malajube, s’est présenté très humblement au public, mettant de l’avant le son de sa musique rock et électro pop. L’artiste semblait visiblement heureux de présenter ce matériel qui lui est propre, tout comme le claviériste Thomas Augustin, aussi de Malajube, qui lui, avait l’air stimulé par ces nouveaux sons. À la base, Francis Mineau avait lui-même enregistré tous les instruments sur le disque. Les musiciens de Malajube sont définitivement des touche-à-tout et disons qu’il était temps que ça sorte…More...

Billet original publié sur la page Facebook de Dominique Reynié"Si j'étais le patron d'un parti "socialiste", j'interdirais à l'un de mes adhérents d'être élu maire "socialiste" d'une ville comme Paris.More...

The theme of this Renault campaign via Publicis Conseil Paris is "good resolutions". The film sets up a red herring, showing people of all ages talking to the camera. These people have just resolved something that they viewed as a problem, and they are both emotional and proud to be able to talk about it. These portraits, which will be shot in a variety of natural environments, will of course remind us of statements made by former Alcoholics Anonymous members. In reality, this is a red herring that works beautifully for both its meanings, right through to the final revelation. VIEW THE SPOT

Bianchi’s new £1,500/US$2,000 carbon bike has already been selling well, and filling up waiting lists where stocks have sold out, so we thought we’d see what all the fuss was about. As far as we know it’s the only road bike that shares its name with an Alfred Hitchcock film, though we’d quite fancy a Frenzy, and Psycho would surely make a great name for a BMX bike, and North by Northwest a great tourer. But will the Vertigo leave you Spellbound?It forms part of Bianchi’s more comfort-orientated C2C (Coast to Coast) range, with slightly lengthened chainstays for greater stability, the top tube shortened a little and the head tube elevated to create a more upright, back-friendly riding position. But the geometry isn’t that extreme, our 54cm model having only slightly relaxed 72.5-degree seat tube and 72-degree head angles. That doesn’t mean this is one for dawdling on, though. It has a 1 1/8in steerer, oversize tube profiles, an impressively large bottom bracket junction and chunky chainstays. Sportive friendly? Yes. But it doesn’t mean you can’t put the hammer down.The wheel and tyre combination is pretty much what you’d expect on a bike of this price, and is one of the main areas where costs have been trimmed. We’d certainly replace the budget Hutchinson Equinox training tyres when they expire, and the R500 wheels themselves are pretty weighty, forming a hefty percentage of the bike’s overall mass. But, being Shimano, they’re well made and tough enough for British roads. The design, with cup and cone hubs and non-bladed spokes, is a doddle for the DIY-minded home mechanic.Head badge of honour: Bianchi started making bikes back in 1885Shimano 105 is also par for the course, and, as with many bikes at this price, most of your hard-earned cash is going into the very well-finished frame with full internal cable routing. Costs are cut with Shimano’s non-series R565 chainset, training tyres and own-brand kit, the Vertigo having a Bianchi-branded Reparto Corse bar, stem, seatpost and brakes. But apart from the wheels – easy to upgrade later – that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The chainset will add a few grams, while the rest of the kit does the job well enough.We certainly put its cartridge calliper brakes to the test. On a far too narrow, high-speed descent we found ourselves face to face with a taxi. We don’t know who was more surprised – driver or rider – but we scrubbed speed rapidly and safely, squeezing past slowly. As for comfort, we even rode a few miles of muddy, rutted and gravelly towpath without issue, the bike tracking perfectly, as it did downhill, and staying pleasingly comfortable.Shimano’s R565 chainset is a step down from the 105 groupsetWhen the going turns upwards the Vertigo is stately rather than sprightly, the overall weight fighting against gravity on the climbs. But the 28-tooth sprocket and compact chainset mean you can stay in the saddle even when you hit steeper slopes, waiting for the thrill of the bike’s excellent descending abilities when you crest the peak and gravity’s your friend once more.While you really do need better wheels to make the most of its frame, with the Vertigo you’ll be getting a bike from a marque with more history than Giant, Specialized and Trek combined, and one that’s well designed for long days out if not the hustle and bustle of competition. There are even some subtle celeste green touches on the frame and kit – if you look hard.This article was originally published in Cycling Plus magazine, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio.

Italian brands Fiat and Smeg have joined forces to create the Smeg 500 fridge. Making its world debut in Paris at the Colette concept store in Rue Saint-Honore, the Smeg 500 fridge celebrates an historic collaboration between Fiat and Smeg that goes back to the 1950s. Built around the shared design concepts of enticing the eye, raising a smile, and “applying the passion of creativity to the rigour of technology”, the Smeg 500 is aimed at expanding the Fiat 500‘s appeal “into the bars and living rooms of the entire world”. The retro front-cut fridge, which keeps food and drinks chilled under its bonnet, is part of the Fiat 500 Design Collection that already includes exclusive Fiat 500-inspired products such as a sofa, a table and a console table. Fiat and Smeg are spruiking their historic connection, with the two brands coming together following the Fiat 500’s Turin presentation on July 4, 1957. The duo says the meeting led to the Italian car maker expanding its production to include refrigerators, assisted by Smeg. The post Fiat and Smeg target retro cool with Smeg 500 fridge appeared first on CarAdvice.

Antalis Makes Binding Offer to Acquire Xerox's Western European Paper Business NORWALK, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Antalis, the leading European merchant for print and office paper, has made a binding offer to acquire Xerox's (NYS: XRX) paper and print media products business in Western Europe. Antalis is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sequana (NYSE Euronext Paris: SEQ), a global producer and distributor of paper. "This announcement follows the sale earlier this year of Xerox's United States and Canadian paper business, as we continue to focus on growing business services and developing innovative document technologies," said Herve Chauveau, managing director, Xerox Document Supplies Europe. "As a leading distributor of paper and print media supplies, Antalis is well positioned to serve our clients exceptionally well and continue delivering the same high level of quality they expect from Xerox and our brand." While Xerox does not manufacture paper, the company has long distributed through its brand name a broad range of coated and uncoated papers and specialty print media including business forms as well as carbonless and wide-format paper. On closing, Xerox's paper business in Western Europe will become part of Antalis, which will hold exclusive rights for the marketing and distribution of Xerox-branded paper and print media products across the region. This offer does not affect the manufacture, sale and support of Xerox's broad range of consumables, such as toner and ink, and Xerox Replacement Cartridges. The transaction is expected to close early in the fourth quarter of 2013, subject to closing conditions which include obtaining necessary regulatory approval from the EU Commission as well as employee communication and consultation. Until the close, Xerox customers may order paper and media through Xerox and its resellers. After the sale closes, customers will order paper through Antalis and its trade reseller network. The following countries are included in this transaction: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom. About Xerox Since the invention of Xerography 75 years ago, the people of Xerox have helped businesses simplify the way work gets done. Today, we are the global leader in business process and document management, helping people be more efficient so they can focus on their real business. Headquartered in Norwalk, Conn., United States, more than 140,000 Xerox employees serve clients in 160 countries, providing business services, printing equipment and software for commercial and government organisations. Learn more at www.xerox.com. About Antalis Antalis is the leading European distributor of paper, packaging solutions, and visual communications products, ranking number 3 worldwide, with sales of 2.7 billion Euros in 2012. Our 6,000 employees serve more than 135,000 print and business customers worldwide, in 44 countries through its 108 distribution centres. Antalis makes 12,000 deliveries per day in Europe, and distributes 1.9 million tons of paper per year worldwide. Antalis is the distribution arm of Sequana. For further information, go to: www.Antalis.com. Note: To receive RSS news feeds, visit http://news.xerox.com/rss. For open commentary, industry perspectives and views visit http://www.linkedin.com/company/xerox, http://twitter.com/xeroxcorp, http://realbusinessatxerox.blogs.xerox.com, http://www.facebook.com/XeroxCorp, http://www.youtube.com/XeroxCorp. Xerox® and Xerox and Design® are trademarks of Xerox in the United States and/or other countries. Media:Xerox EuropeRobert Corbishley, +44 1895 843239robert.corbishley@xerox.comorXerox CorporationKaren Arena, +1-203-849-5521karen.arena@xerox.comKEYWORDS:   United States  Nort