Google meets earnings estimates, high costs drag down profits.

Google today announced financial results for the quarter and fiscal year that ended in December. The search engine leader reported consolidated revenues of $16.86 billion for the quarter, an increase of 17 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2012. Acquisition costs totaled $3.31 billion, or 24 percent of advertising revenues.

Net income in the fourth quarter of 2013 was $3.38 billion, compared to $2.89 billion in the fourth quarter of 2012. Earnings per share in the fourth quarter of 2013 were $9.90 on 341 million diluted shares outstanding, compared to $8.62 in the fourth quarter of 2012 on 335 million diluted shares outstanding. The company holds $58.72 billion in cash and equivalents.

The now-sold Motorola Mobility division continued to see decreasing revenue. The segment contributed $1.24 billion, or seven percent of consolidated revenues, in the fourth quarter of 2013 -- compared to $1.51 billion, or 11 percent of consolidated revenues in the fourth quarter of 2012.

Google segment revenues from outside of the United States totaled $8.77 billion, representing 56 percent of total Google segment revenues in the fourth quarter of 2013, compared to 56 percent in the third quarter of 2013 and 54 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012. Revenues from the UK alone totaled $1.5 billion, 10 percent of Google segment revenues, unchanged from 2012.

Aggregate paid clicks, which include clicks related to ads served on Google sites and the sites of network members, increased approximately 31 percent over the fourth quarter of 2012 and increased approximately 13 percent over the third quarter of 2013. Average cost-per-click across the same network decreased approximately 11 percent over the fourth quarter of 2012 and decreased approximately two percent over the third quarter.

World Cup - Australia dismiss New Zealand.

Ruthless Australia compounded the miseries of rivals New Zealand by notching up a seven-wicket victory in their World Cup match in Nagpur.

Chasing an easy target of 207 runs for victory, Australia openers Shane Watson (62) and Brad Haddin (55) piled on 133 for the first wicket in just 18 overs as they punished the erratic bowling of New Zealand in the Group A encounter.

The start ensured that there were no hiccups, though both openers departed in the same over to paceman Hamish Bennett.

Captain Ricky Ponting (12) followed soon after, stumped brilliantly down the leg side by Brendon McCullum off Tim Southee.

Vice captain Michael Clarke and Cameron White saw Australia home in just 34 overs with an unbeaten fourth-wicket stand of 40 runs to extend their team's unbeaten run in World Cup to 31 matches.

The Kiwi bowlers did not help their cause by bowling 32 extras, which included 29 wides.

The match was played against a sombre backdrop following the devastating earthquake in Christchurch earlier this week.

Both teams observed a minute's silence and wore black arm-bands, while the New Zealand flag flew at half mast in memory of the victims of the earthquake, which has claimed at least 113 lives with 228 people still missing.

Some of New Zealand players struggled to keep their emotions in check as they linked arms while their national anthem was being played before the start of the match.

After the solemn start, the Australian pace duo of Mitchell Johnson and Shaun Tait vindicated Ponting's decision to field first by skittling New Zealand for a 206.

Overnight rain and a little cloud cover prompted Ponting to bowl first in the day match and some fiery fast bowling saw the Kiwis lose their first six wickets with just 73 runs on the board.

Johnson (four for 33) and Tait (three for 35) shared seven wickets among themselves, while Brett Lee and Shane Watson also chipped in with a wicket apiece.

Steve Smith was the only spinner to pick up a wicket.

Injured Bollinger out of World Cup.

Australia's injury worries have worsened with Doug Bollinger to be sent home from the World Cup due to an ankle injury that may require surgery. The Australians came to India already missing Michael Hussey, Nathan Hauritz, Ryan Harris, Clint McKay, Xavier Doherty and Shaun Marsh due to injuries, but Bollinger is the first member of the squad to be flown home mid-tournament.

Bollinger suffered pain in his left ankle during the first warm-up game against India and although the soreness eased and he was available for Monday's match against Zimbabwe, the problem intensified when the team arrived in Nagpur. Peter Siddle would be the logical replacement for Bollinger, but the selectors have not yet decided on who should join the squad.

The ICC has also confirmed that withdrawn players can return to replace other injured men, meaning the door has been opened for Michael Hussey to make a potential dash to the World Cup. However, the Australians would most likely prefer a backup fast bowler to replace Bollinger, with John Hastings the only reserve seamer in the touring party.

"He's got a thing called posterior impingement," Australia's physio Alex Kountouris said. "Basically, the bones at the back of the ankle, when he lands to bowl, one bone hits another bone and the bone becomes really inflamed and irritated. It irritates all the soft tissue around it as well. It's fairly common in fast bowlers.

"Brett Lee has had five or six lots of surgery on that in the past. It's reasonably common but he [Doug] has never had it before, so we thought we'd push it for as long as we could go, and he just can't go any further at the moment. We need to take him out of cricket for a while, whether he needs just rest or needs other treatment, maybe even surgery, that will be decided in the next few days."

Bollinger will have scans in Australia to determine whether he will need an operation and if that is required, he will have several months to recover before Australia's next Test tour, to Sri Lanka in August. The problem first appeared towards the end of the recent one-day series against England, but the pain did not become significant until the team was preparing for the match against New Zealand.

"It was only when he bowled yesterday here it became really sore again," Kountouris said. "He tried bowling again today and he was really sore today, so based on that, based on the sort of injury it is we're going to send him back to Australia and look at what our options are for treatment."

Shaun Tait, Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson, again proved themselves a formidable trio by dismissing New Zealand for 206 on Friday. The selectors will decide which player will join them over the next few days.

Pakistan’s blind cricketers thrash Australia in T20 series.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s blind cricket team completed a comprehensive whitewash over Australia when they won the third Twenty20 match by 89 runs on Thursday.

Pakistan, who led the series 2-0, decided to bat first in the third T20 match at Adelaide’s Park25 and posted a mammoth 217 runs for the loss of four wickets.

Muhammad Jameel starred for Pakistan with the bat, as he scored 104 runs off 65 while Anees Javed scored an unbeaten 50 off 25 balls.

Raymond Moxly, David Gauci and David Saxberg took a wicket each for the hosts.

In reply to the huge total, Australia were unable to score at a brisk rate and finished their innings at 128-2 in their 20 overs. Lindsay Heaven was the main contributor with 49 runs and Mathew Horsey scored 24 runs.

Meanwhile Muhammad Waqas and Muhammad Mudassar took a wicket each for Pakistan.

Jameel was declared man of the match for his swashbuckling knock.

Pakistan wrapped up the Twenty20 series 3-0 and will play their first one-day international against the hosts on February at the same venue.

Johnson pace crushes Zimbabwe.

AHMEDABAD: Mitchell Johnson and Shaun Tait shared six wickets in a superb display of fast bowling to fire Australia to a crushing 91-run win over Zimbabwe in their opening World Cup match on Monday.

Johnson finished with 4-19 and Tait, bowling in short spells, took 2-34 as defending champions Australia dismissed Zimbabwe for 171 after scoring a challenging 262-6 in the day-night match.

There was no respite from pace for the hapless Zimbabwe as Brett Lee also tested the batsmen to finish with 1-34 as Australia racked up their 24th successive World Cup win.

The win was also the perfect way for captain Ricky Ponting to celebrate his record-breaking 40th World Cup match in the Group A clash at the the Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium.

Australia, aiming to win a fourth successive World Cup, virtually wrapped up the match when they reduced Zimbabwe to 44-4 in 12.3 overs, with Johnson taking two wickets and Lee and Tait one apiece.

Zimbabwe, however, had reasons to be pleased with the performance of their spinners, who did not allow the Australian batsmen to score freely with their disciplined efforts.

But their top-order batsmen failed to back the bowlers, offering no resistance to the Australian pace trio of Johnson, Tait and Lee with tailender Graeme Cremer top-scoring with a fighting 37.

Lee was the first to strike when he removed Charles Coventry, who top-edged an attempted pull to be caught by the bowler. The Zimbabwean made 14, including a flat six over point off Lee.

Johnson had Tatenda Taibu caught by Shane Watson in the slips and trapped Craig Ervine lbw in successive overs, while Tait bowled Brendan Taylor before accounting for Sean Williams (28).

Australia were earlier indebted to in-form opener, and man of the match, Watson (79) and Michael Clarke (58 not out) for setting a challenging target, but could never really dominate the Zimbabwean spin attack.

Zimbabwe used seven bowlers, including five spinners who sent down 39 of the allotted 50 overs.

Left-arm spinner Price, who shared the new ball with seamer Christopher Mpofu, was instrumental in keeping the run-rate low early in the innings with a tidy line and length to finish with 1-43 off 10 overs.

Off-spinner Prosper Utseya and leg-spinner Cremer bagged one wicket apiece, giving away 84 runs in a combined tally of 20 overs.

Watson, who smashed one six and eight fours in a 92-ball knock, added 61 for the opening wicket with Brad Haddin (29) and 79 for the next with Ponting (28).

Clarke provided the late flourish with a 55-ball knock as Australia plundered 90 runs in the closing 10 overs, with Cameron White (22), David Hussey (14) and Steven Smith (11) playing supporting roles.

Australia managed just 65 in the opening 20 overs, their best coming when Watson and Haddin smashed two fours apiece in a Mpofu over in a rare show of aggression.

Skipper Elton Chigumbura promptly turned to spin. Utseya provided the breakthrough when he trapped Haddin lbw, with Zimbabwe asking for a review of the umpire’s decision after the batsman had initially been given not out.

Watson was also ruled out lbw off Cremer following a referral, but not before he had set the stage for the final onslaught.

Ponting looked set when he was run out after a superb piece of fielding by Mpofu, who hit the stumps at the non-striker’s end from deep midwicket.