Technology giant Apple has reached a deal to bring the iPhone to China Mobile, the world’s biggest phone carrier.

AS Apple unveiled new iPhones, a complex operation had already kicked into gear behind the scenes to send millions of the handsets to store shelves worldwide.

Media and telecom owner Denis O’Brien has failed in his bid to secure a telecommunications licence in Burma, with Norway’s Telenor and Qatar’s Ooredoo being granted the rights to develop the south-east Asian country’s mobile network.

A former National Security Agency contractor wanted by the United States for revealing highly classified surveillance programs has been allowed to leave for a “third country” because a US extradition request did not fully comply with Hong Kong law, the territory’s government said today.

Denis O’Brien is teaming up with billionaire investor George Soros in a bid to secure a telecommunications licence in Burma.

Apple, already the world’s most valuable company, has reached the $600bn level for the first time.

Apple, already the world’s most valuable company, has reached the $600bn level for the first time today.

JITTERY Chinese authorities wary of any domestic dissent staged a concerted show of force yesterday to squelch a mysterious online call for a “Jasmine Revolution” apparently modelled after pro-democracy demonstrations sweeping the Middle East.

Chinese authorities staged a concerted show of force today to squelch a mysterious online call for a "Jasmine Revolution" apparently modelled after pro-democracy demonstrations sweeping the Middle East.

Mobile phone giant Vodafone is planning to sell its shares in China Mobile - the world’s biggest mobile-phone operator – for more than €4.9bn, it was reported today.

Google is still censoring content for some of its business partners in China, two days after moving its search engine offshore, a spokeswoman for the internet search giant said.

The world’s largest mobile phone operators, including the four largest in the US, announced today that they are combining forces to make it easier for software developers to write applications that will run on as many phones as possible.

Profits at China’s top state-owned companies fell 30% last year, hurt by the global financial crisis, but assets have increased.

GOOGLE launched its much anticipated mobile phone yesterday — using the company’s Android software designed to improve the speed and quality of using the internet on mobile handsets.

GOOGLE has topped a list of the world’s most powerful brands for the second year running — as its value soars by 30% to $86 billion (€54bn).

Shares in Vodafone slipped more than 2% today following a report the firm was mulling a multi-billion pound bid for India's fourth largest mobile phone operator.

VODAFONE was yesterday facing up to life without the title of the world’s largest mobile phone company.

Vodafone was today facing up to life without the title of the world’s largest mobile phone company.

UK mobile phone entertainment group Monstermob today signalled a major international expansion with the acquisition of a US rival for up to £17m (€25.3m).

Share prices closed the morning off their highs, lacking momentum to push the advance further after the Hang Seng index breached key resistance at 10,000 points, dealers said.

Share prices were lower, tracking the falls on Wall Street overnight, with sentiment continued under pressure after S&P's downgrade of the territory's local currency ratings outlook to negative from stable yesterday, dealers said.

Share prices closed the morning lower on profit-taking following yesterday's gains, with sentiment also weighed down by Standard & Poor's downgrade of Hong Kong's local currency ratings outlook and the ratings on HSBC's Hong Kong units, dealers said.

Share prices closed the morning lower tracking the overnight falls on Wall Street amid caution in the lead up to the first anniversary of the Sept 11 terrorist attacks next week, dealers said.

Shares prices closed lower in cautious trade, with Wall Street's overnight performance seen as a mere short-term rebound rather than indicating a genuine improvement in sentiment, dealers said.

Share prices closed the morning lower on the back of falls on Wall Street, coupled with rising concerns about the US economy, after the US Federal Reserve shifted to an easing bias in its monetary stance, dealers said.

Share prices closed the morning lower in listless trade, with investors waiting for the outcome of the US FOMC meeting tomorrow and the interim results announcement from China Mobile on Wednesday, dealers said.

Share prices closed the morning lower due to the general perception that the outlook for Wall Street will remain unstable, in spite of its strong gains overnight, dealers said.

Share prices closed a relatively rangebound morning session higher in thin trade, rebounding slightly from yesterday's heavy losses, although investors continued to exercise caution after a volatile session on Wall Street overnight, dealers said.

Share prices closed a relatively lacklustre morning session slightly lower, with trade locked in a fairly tight range as a lack of solid leads kept most players on the sidelines, dealers said.

Share prices closed the morning lower, pressured by Wall Street's overnight weakness following weak US retail sales data, dealers said.

Share prices were lower after Wall Street's decline, but off their lows with H-shares outperforming, amid general investor caution towards the weekend, dealers said.

Prices of American Depositary Receipts in Asian companies closed lower, as technology and telecoms pressured Asia lower, dealers said.

Mobile phone giant Vodafone was today expected to write off up to £6 billion from acquisitions it made during the telecoms boom.

Technology shares started Friday with the traditional end-of-the-week torpor exacerbated by the prospect of a three-day weekend, with the main direction coming from last night's slide on the NASDAQ, dealers said.