Millions of young Chinese are embracing the Internet as a discreet space for their thoughts and emotions, according to a survey of Chinese and American youth released by IAC, which operates businesses in sectors being transformed by the Internet, and JWT, the fourth largest advertising agency network in the world.
Research funding needs to be increased to meet binding CO2 targets in the car industry, says the Industry Committee's report on a competitive automotive regulatory framework (CARS 21). The committee adds that cars should be permitted to emit more CO2 if these emissions result from mandatory safety measures, and that intellectual property rights must be effectively protected worldwide.
Mortgage rates declined slightly this week, with the average conforming 30-year fixed mortgage rate now 6.29 percent. According to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey of large lenders, the average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.35 discount and origination points.
Strong economic growth and improved financial systems along with limited exposure to U.S. subprime mortgages have helped curb spillover effects of global credit woes on emerging East Asian economies, but risks loom, says a new report issued by Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The working day and seasonally adjusted current account of the euro area was close to balance in September 2007, reflecting surpluses in goods and services which were nearly offset by the deficit in current transfers. In the financial account, combined direct and portfolio investment recorded net inflows of EUR 24 billion.
In October, employers took 1,320 mass layoff actions, seasonally adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported.
While supporting the extension of some temporary measures allowing specific Member States to impose lower than standard rates of VAT on certain goods and services, the Economics Committee argues that all Member States should be able to use lower rates, if they wish, for locally supplied services and for basic goods and services where there is a clear social, economic or environmental benefit from doing so.
The euro area (EA13) industrial new orders index fell by 1.6% in September 2007 compared with August 2007. The index rose by 0.8% in August. EU27 new orders decreased by 2.1% in September 2007, after an increase of 1.0% in August. Excluding ships, railway & aerospace equipment4 industrial new orders dropped by 1.9% in the euro area and by 1.4% in the EU27 in September 2007.
comScore, a leader in measuring the digital world, released the first in a series of studies into the online shopping activity of U.K., French and German consumers over the Christmas shopping period. The study tracked cyber shopping activity, defined as visits to secure Web pages of online retail sites.
The vast majority of metropolitan areas showed rising or stable home prices in the third quarter with most experiencing modest gains compared with a year earlier, despite a broad decline in existing-home sales, according to the latest quarterly survey by the National Association of Realtors.
