IN THE PAPERS
In the papers 27 February
27-02-2008
by Sylvia Leatham
Google shares fall on lower metrics | L'Oreal sponsors women scientists
The Irish Times reports that broadband penetration in Ireland was among the poorest in Europe in 2007, according to a twice-yearly scorecard published by the European Competitive Telecommunications Association (ECTA). Although Ireland's rate of broadband expansion was the third-fastest among the 15 countries examined, the Republic remained in the bottom half of the league table, moving from 14th to 12th place.
The Irish Examiner says that women scientists in Ireland and the UK are being targeted for sponsorship to help them stick with a career in science. Fellowship awards of EUR20,000 have been set up by L'Oreal. The prize money can be spent in any number of ways to enable women scientists to further their careers and facilitate research. They are tenable at any British or Irish university or research institution to support 12 months of postdoctoral research in the life or physical sciences. "At the moment, women are under pressure from family commitments and the challenges of child rearing, including the cost of childcare. This is where sponsorship can help," said a spokesperson for L'Oreal.
The Financial Times reports that IBM on Tuesday sought to boost returns to shareholders by authorising USD15 billion in new share buy-backs, with USD12 billion earmarked for this year. The company said the share repurchases could add up to USD0.05 per share to its earnings this year. IBM's shares jumped 2.9 percent after the announcement.
Meanwhile, the paper says that Google shares fell 4.6 percent on Tuesday as investors took fright from signs that growth is stalling at the leading internet firm. Research firm ComScore said clicks on Google advertisements in the US last month were down 0.3 percent year-on-year. This compared with 13 percent growth in December and 27 percent growth in November. Google's shares closed down 4.6 percent at USD464.19. The stock is down 20 percent in the past month and nearly 40 percent off its all-time high of USD747 last November.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the EU is expected -- as early as Wednesday -- to detail the size of a massive fine against Microsoft for failing to comply with a 2004 antitrust decision, according to a source. The figure could be as much as EUR1.5 billion, which is three times the EUR497 million that was assessed in 2004, and an EU record. The fine would be in addition to the EUR280.5 million already levied for non-compliance.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 