Monsanto Profit Balloons on Latin American Sales

WASHINGTON (AP) — Agricultural products giant Monsanto reported Tuesday that its profit nearly tripled in the first fiscal quarter as sales of its biotech corn seeds expanded in Latin America. The company raised its earnings guidance for the year, briefly lifting its shares to its highest level in more than four years. The company's sales grew 21 percent to $2.9 billion in the...

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Supporters Back Strike at Newspaper in China

James Pomfret/ReutersDemonstrators gathered outside the headquarters of Southern Weekend Monday in Guangzhou, China. BEIJING — Hundreds of people gathered outside the headquarters of a newspaper office in southern China on Monday to show their support for journalists who had declared a strike to protest what they called overbearing censorship by provincial propaganda officials. The journalists,...

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Hitting a high Note: 'phablets', chips to drive Samsung fourth quarter profit

SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics, the world leader in mobiles and memory chips, likely earned a quarterly profit of $8.1 billion, as it sold close to 500 handsets every minute and as demand picked up for the flat screens it makes for mobile devices, including those for rival Apple Inc products. That run of five straight record quarters may end in January-March on weak seasonal demand, though...

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Oscar host Seth MacFarlane to announce nominations

LOS ANGELES (AP) — For the first time in 40 years, the host of the Academy Awards will help announce the Oscar nominations.Academy officials say Oscar host Seth MacFarlane will join actress Emma Stone to reveal the nominees for the 85th annual Academy Awards. This is the first time since 1972 that an Oscar host has participated in the nominations announcement. Charlton Heston was the only other show...

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Books Of Style: Three Books on Becoming a Better You — Books of Style

The Beauty Experiment: How I Skipped Lipstick, Ditched Fashion, Faced the World Without Concealer, and Learned to Love the Real Me, by Phoebe Baker Hyde. Da Capo Press. 248 pp. $16. Wheat Belly Cookbook: 150 Recipes to Help You Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health, by William Davis, M.D. Rodale Books. 352 pp. $27.99. Making Habits, Breaking Habits: Why...

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You're the Boss Blog: This Week In Small Business: YOLO!

DashboardA weekly roundup of small-business developments.What’s affecting me, my clients and other small-business owners this week.The Deal: A Not-So-Grand BargainA “fiscal cliff” deal is reached and after all the drama this chart sums up the impact. One provision could head off a doubling of milk prices. Here’s what’s in it for small businesses. Jared Bernstein says the fiscal debate has killed the...

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Relocation Therapy

Brian Harkin for The New York TimesNEW VIEW Marilyn Kotcher moved to Manhattan to find “community.” ALMOST four years ago, Marilyn Kotcher suddenly became a widow. And the large — 2,250-square-foot — condominium in Fort Lee, N.J., that she and her husband had bought together and lovingly remodeled no longer seemed like home. Brian Harkin for The New York TimesMs. Kotcher moved to East...

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Cars, homes smarten up at Vegas tech extravaganza

SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - At the world's largest technology conference that kicks off on Monday, the most intriguing innovations showcased may be gadgets and technology that turn everyday items into connected, smarter machines. This year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas promises a new generation of "smart" gadgets, some controlled by voice and gestures, and technology...

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'Chainsaw 3-D' carves out No. 1 debut with $23M

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It took Leatherface and his chainsaw to chase tiny hobbit Bilbo Baggins out of the top spot at the box office.Studio estimates Sunday show the horror sequel "Texas Chainsaw 3-D" at No. 1 with a $23 million debut. The follow-up to 1974's "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" has masked killer Leatherface on the loose again.Quentin Tarantino's revenge saga "Django Unchained" held on at No....

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Despite New Health Law, Some See Sharp Rise in Premiums

Health insurance companies across the country are seeking and winning double-digit increases in premiums for some customers, even though one of the biggest objectives of the Obama administration’s health care law was to stem the rapid rise in insurance costs for consumers. Bob Chamberlin/Los Angeles TimesDave Jones, the California insurance commissioner, said some insurance companies...

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