latest world business news

Google earned a record $7.5 billion in the third quarter, and announced that its three-month-old Google+ social network now has 40 million users. That's a big increase from the 10 million users Google+ had at the end of Google's last quarter, when it remained in a "limited" trial phase. The network opened to the public in late September.  In an earnings release late Thursday, Google said it earned $9.72 per share. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had forecast earnings of $8.74 per share.  Investors are looking to Google's advertising figures as a barometer of the overall economy, and the numbers were good -- though the cost-per-click increase was not as high as it was last quarter. Profit rose as both the number of clicks on Google's ads and the amount that advertising partners pay per click increased.  Paid clicks rose 28% and cost per click ticked up 5% compared to last year. Sales for the Mountain View, Calif., company rose 33% over the yea...

Prices in China continued to rise at a steady pace in September, a sign that the world's largest nation still faces significant inflation pressures even amid signs of a slowing global economy.  Overall prices were up 6.1% from a year ago, little improved from the 6.2% rise in August. The reading matched the consensus forecast, according to Jay Bryson, international economist at Wells Fargo Securities. Food prices continued to lead the way, increasing 13.4%, the same as the previous month, and adding 4.1 percentage points to the overall increase. "Food price increases seems to be, at a minimum, stabilizing, maybe even beginning to recede for some products," Bryson said.  Food prices were increasing at a 14.8% annual rate as recently as July. The Chinese government has been taking steps to try to curb inflation. The People's Bank of China has raised it key interest rates five times since October. And it has also allowed the Chinese currency, the yuan, to ...

AT&T sold more than 2.00 lac of latest iPhone made by Apple Inc's in the first 12 hours its first unveiling and said it had seen "extraordinary demand" for a gadget unveiled a day before the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. The iPhone 4S was unveiled on Tuesday (October 4, 2011) and immediately underwhelmed fans who had hoped for a revolutionary design after a wait of more than 15 months. But Wall Street analysts are betting that hardware updates and software enhancements, including a well-reviewed voice-recognition software system, will pull in buyers.  AT&T, Verizon Wireless and Sprint began taking U.S. online orders for the device on Friday(October 07, 2011). Comparisons are difficult because the iPhone is now carried by three wireless operators, versus just one.  Last year AT&T was the only carrier to sell the phone. But the previous generation of the smartphone, the iPhone 4, was the fastest-selling mobile in Apple's history, with...