Syngenta Full Year Results 2008: Record Sales and Earnings Growth ...

Currency movements
The impact of currencies on reported sales was positive in the first half of the year and neutral in the second half reflecting the appreciation of the dollar towards the end of the year, notably against emerging market currencies.

The preparation of financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.

The most important factors contributing to the recognition of goodwill were the economies of scale that Syngenta expects to achieve in its global marketing, selling and distribution operations, research and development activities, and product supply chain by consolidating the operation of SIL with other wholly owned Indian Syngenta subsidiaries, and making greater future use of SIL as a manufacturing and research and development center for the global business.

In connection with the Operational Efficiency program announced in 2007, $27 million in cash costs were incurred by Crop Protection related to the restructuring of the Development function, projects to improve the efficiency of the distribution and manufacturing networks and for restructuring of Crop Protection organizations impacting sites in the UK, Switzerland, Australia, France and Spain.



Source: http://www.examiner.com/p-296516~Syngenta_Full_Year_Results_2008__Record_Sales_and_Earnings_Growth__Winning_Technology_Offer.html

German troops to be stationed in France

BERLIN - German troops are being stationed in neighbouring France for the first time since the Nazi occupation during the Second World War.

The brigade, made up of 2,800 German and 2,300 French troops, was set up in 1989 with the aim of furthering rapprochement between two country that fought against each other in both world wars.

The joint brigade is currently stationed at three bases in the southwestern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, which borders the French region of Alsace-Lorraine, a territory that has swapped hands between France and Germany several times.

Since its inception, the brigade has served in missions in the Balkans and in Afghanistan.



Source: http://www.torontosun.com/news/world/2009/02/04/8264471.html

Fed Cup: la France éliminée sèchement par l'Italie

En plus d'un pourcentage de premières balles de 50% seulement, la jeune Française de 19 ans n'a remporté que neuf points sur son premier service et marqué 10 points gagnants.

Il a suffi à Pennetta de transformer six de ses 13 balles de break pour s'assurer une victoire facile, grâce à son puissant coup droit, en une heure et 18 minutes de jeu au Palais des Sports d'Orléans.

Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms.

Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.



Source: http://fr.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idFRPAE51706R20090208