Sprint Nextel will announce a deal to offer cellphone services with the nation's three largest cable television operators as early as Wednesday.

Reuters - Federal Reserve policy-makers were set to nudge U.S. interest rates higher for a 12th straight time on Tuesday, confident that expansion is on track but wary that costlier energy could fire dangerous inflation.

Reuters - Johnson & Johnson's proposed purchase of Guidant Corp. is expected to be approved by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission as early as Tuesday, the New York Times reported, citing executives involved in the deal.

Reuters - The Nikkei share average rose 1.92 percent to end at a four-year high on Tuesday, as investors piled into the market after a worst-ever trading suspension was lifted and snapped up banks and other stocks on economic optimism.

Reuters - Bankrupt futures broker Refco Inc. denied on Monday that it misdirected and wrongfully seized assets at the center of a lawsuit by two funds backed by famed investor Jim Rogers.

AP - Union workers have ratified a four-year contract with Kroger Co., the nation's largest traditional grocery retailer.

China plans to open up its rail network to investors and aims to list parts of the nation's infrastructure on foreign and domestic stock markets.

The world's largest PC maker Dell warns that third quarter sales have missed forecasts, hitting its share price.

Euronext and Deutsche Boerse are given the go-ahead to bid for the London Stock Exchange - but only if certain conditions are met.

US oil giant Exxon Mobil dismisses a proposed bid to buy it from a little-known Chinese firm for $450bn.

Steve Case, a founder of AOL and a key player in its merger with Time Warner, resigns from the media giant's board.

Reuters - Switzerland's UBS soundly beat market expectations with a record profit in the third quarter of the year, putting the world's seventh-largest bank within sight of its best-ever full-year figures.

Reuters - The UK competition body has given European bourse operators Euronext and Deutsche Boerse the green light to bid for the London Stock Exchange, but only if the potential bidders limit their control of the future clearer.

Reuters - Britain's biggest airport operator BAA Plc posted a 5.2 percent rise in first-half earnings on Tuesday and said it planned to cut 700 jobs under a cost-saving program.

Qwest is expected to announce as early as Tuesday a $400 million settlement of its largest shareholder lawsuits relating to an accounting scandal during the dot.com boom.

Share trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange is suspended for more than four hours following a computer glitch.

Reuters - Switzerland's UBS soundly beat market expectations with a record profit in the third quarter of the year, putting the world's seventh-largest bank within sight of its best-ever full-year figures.

Reuters - UK airport operator BAA Plc said on Tuesday it planned to axe 700 jobs under a cost-saving program and posted higher first-half earnings despite rising utility bills and slowing passenger growth.

UBS posts better-than-expected profits that have put the Swiss bank on course for a record-breaking year.

Share trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange is suspended for more than four hours following a computer glitch.

Indonesia's unpopular decision to cut fuel subsidies already is having an impact on its economy, figures indicate.

Google resumes its controversial digital library project, saying it will focus on books in the public domain.

Reuters - Procter & Gamble Co. , the maker of Crest toothpaste and Tide laundry detergent, posted a 4 percent rise in quarterly profit on Tuesday, as strong sales of health and beauty items offset rising raw material costs and the impact of hurricanes on its coffee business.

Reuters - Colgate-Palmolive Co. , the maker of its namesake toothpaste and other consumer products, posted a higher quarterly profit on Tuesday, on stronger sales and the benefits of a restructuring program.

Reuters - Lockheed Martin Corp. and three private-equity firms are considering offering $64-$65 a share for Computer Sciences Corp. , valuing it at about $12 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

Reuters - Media conglomerate Viacom Inc. (VIAb.N) on Tuesday reported a third-quarter profit as higher advertising sales at its MTV cable networks and the "War of the Worlds" box-office release offset a slump at the television stations group.

Reuters - U.S. stock futures pointed to a slightly lower market opening on Tuesday, with investors bracing for another interest-rate hike from the Federal Reserve while an earnings warning from computer maker Dell Inc. led to weakness in technology shares.

Vladimir Putin says the Russian economy will diversify amid concerns of a slowdown in growth this year.

The Office of Fair Trading faces a court challenge of its decision not to refer supermarkets to competition watchdogs.

Reuters - Procter & Gamble Co. , the maker of Crest toothpaste and Tide laundry detergent, posted a 4 percent rise in quarterly profit on Tuesday, as strong sales of health and beauty items offset rising raw material costs and the impact of hurricanes on its coffee business.

Reuters - Qwest Communications International Inc. said on Tuesday it reached a tentative agreement with plaintiffs in a securities class action and could pay a $400 million cash settlement.

Reuters - U.S. technology stocks opened lower on Tuesday after bellwether Dell Inc. cut its revenue forecast a day earlier and the Federal Reserve was expected to raise interest rates for a 12th consecutive time.

Reuters - Lockheed Martin Corp. and three private-equity firms are considering offering $64-$65 a share for Computer Sciences Corp. , valuing it at about $12 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

Reuters - U.S. Federal Reserve policy-makers began a meeting on Tuesday that economists expect will yield a 12th straight interest-rate hike to keep consumer prices tame in the face of rising energy costs.

USATODAY.com - Even as some retailers try to kick off the holiday shopping season earlier, consumers are expected to spend later. Wal-Mart's rollout today of its 'Home for the Holidays' ad campaign is its earliest holiday ad start ever and an effort by the world's biggest retailer to get shoppers in stores now.

The US Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates on Tuesday, as the US economy grows strongly.

Media group Viacom thanks the success of hit movie War of the Worlds and other films for a 10% rise in revenues.

Hikma Pharmaceuticals, a Jordanian drug firm, is valued at £483m ($854m) for its float on the London stock market.

Reuters - The U.S. factory sector absorbed rising energy costs in October and ran at a robust pace, while construction spending hit a record high in September, according to data on Tuesday.

Reuters - Federal Reserve policy-makers were set to nudge U.S. interest rates higher for a 12th straight time on Tuesday, confident that expansion is on track but wary that costlier energy could fire dangerous inflation.

Reuters - Cox Communications Inc. on Tuesday said it agreed to sell some of its cable television systems to Cebridge Connections Inc. in a deal that will make Cebridge the eighth-largest cable operator in the United States.

AP - The nation's manufacturing activity grew at a slower pace during October as companies increasingly felt the strain of an ongoing rise in energy and raw materials prices. The continuing price increases ensured that the Federal Reserve will continue raising interest rates.

Reuters - U.S. technology stocks declined on Tuesday after Dell Inc. , the world's No. 1 personal computer maker, lowered its revenue forecast and as investors anticipated the Federal Reserve 12th straight interest rate increase.

Proposals to fundamentally reform the US tax system to boost savings and investment are put forward.

The South African parliament passes a law that compels diamond firms to pass more stones to indigenous finishers.

UK firms may have to pay an extra £130bn into final salary pension schemes over the next 10 years, the watchdog warns.

The leader of an internet identity fraud gang, a practice known as phishing, is jailed for four years.

Reuters - Ford Motor Co. was stuck in a rut for the second straight month in October, as high gasoline prices continued to undercut demand for big sport utility vehicles and pushed overall U.S. sales lower.

Reuters - Privately held cable company Cox Communications Inc. on Tuesday said it agreed to sell cable television systems to Cebridge Connections Inc. in a multibillion dollar deal that would more than triple Cebridge's customer base and move it into more densely populated areas.

Reuters - The U.S. factory sector absorbed rising energy costs in October and ran at a robust pace, while construction spending hit a record high in September, according to data released on Tuesday.

Reuters - Rising inflation in the United States remains a concern and the newly-nominated head of the Federal Reserve will have his hands full dealing with it, former Fed Chairman Paul Volcker said on Tuesday.

Reuters - U.S. stocks fell on Tuesday a day after Dell Inc. , the world's No. 1 personal computer maker, cut its revenue outlook and as investors anticipated the Federal Reserve's 12th straight interest-rate increase.

Once again, the Fed signaled its intention to keep raising the benchmark rate at a 'measured' pace in the months ahead.

The Federal Reserve raises US interest rates by 0.25% to 4% as predicted, the 12th increase in succession.

The South African parliament passes a law that compels diamond firms to pass more stones to indigenous finishers.

Reuters - The Federal Reserve on Tuesday raised U.S. interest rates to the highest in four years and signaled it still had leeway to tighten monetary policy, while data showed U.S. factories ran at a robust pace in October.

Reuters - General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. both reported 23 percent declines in October U.S. sales on Tuesday, as high gasoline prices further undercut demand for big sport utility vehicles.

Reuters - U.S. stocks fell on Tuesday, led by a drop in technology shares after a disappointing outlook by Dell Inc. , and as the Federal Reserve indicated it's still not done with raising rates.

Once again, the Fed signaled its intention to keep raising the benchmark rate at a 'measured' pace in the months ahead.

Automobile sales continued to slide last month, with General Motors and Ford - which have both been in dire financial straits of late - were stung particularly hard.

General Motors and Ford again report falling US sales, while those of their Japanese rivals continue to rise.

US computer firm Sun narrows its first quarter losses, helped by its takeover of fellow technology firm Storage.

Reuters - General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. reported 23 percent declines in October U.S. sales on Tuesday, as high gasoline prices hammered demand for big sport utility vehicles and industrywide sales slumped to their slowest pace in seven years.

Reuters - Please read in paragraph 1 and paragraph 6 ... fiscal 2006 ... instead of ... fiscal 2005.

Reuters - U.S. stocks fell on Tuesday, dragged lower by technology shares after a disappointing outlook from Dell Inc. , and as the Federal Reserve indicated it will keep raising interest rates.

Reuters - Electronic Arts Inc. , the world's biggest video game maker, on Tuesday posted a drop in quarterly profit but beat Wall Street expectations and backed its earnings forecast for the full fiscal year, sending shares up about 2 percent.

After seven weeks of often heated legal wrangling, a jury began deliberations in Humeston v. Merck, the second Vioxx-related lawsuit to go to trial.

AP - For the first time in nearly a decade, The Vanguard Group is raising the minimum amount required to open individual retirement accounts and custodial accounts for minors on most of its mutual funds.

Reuters - Japanese auto maker Mazda Motor Corp. (7261.T) expects its retail sales in Europe for the second half of this business year to rise more than 15 percent after a 3 percent fall in the first half, a company official said on Wednesday.

Hurt by imports, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler held their lowest shares of the American automobile market ever in October.

Undaunted by hurricanes and higher oil prices, the Federal Reserve raised short-term interest rates for the 12th time in a row.

The Spallino family is the first in the world to drive a car powered by hydrogen fuel cells, the technology that many automakers see as a solution to energy woes.

Microsoft introduced two new advertising-supported Web services, Windows Live and Office Live, as a direct response to competitors' challenges.

Prompted in part by employers who cite depression as a cause of absenteeism and low productivity, Aetna will begin paying for a depression management program.

By The Associated Press.

Cox Communications agreed to sell cable television systems to Cebridge Connections in a deal that would more than triple Cebridge's customer base.

Electronic Arts became the second major video game maker this week to warn that it was seeing soft demand from retailers as it heads into the holiday season.

Qwest Communications reported a smaller loss for the third quarter and announced a tentative $400 million settlement of shareholder lawsuits.

Europe's largest bank reported a 71 percent increase in third-quarter profit, benefiting from a boom in oil-related wealth in the Middle East and Asia.

The Electronic Data Systems Corporation reported a third-quarter profit after it worked out differences with the federal government on a huge Naval contract.

NEWARK, Nov. 1 (AP) Medco Health Solutions, a pharmacy benefits management company, said Tuesday that its third-quarter profit rose 33 percent, helped by a tax benefit and new clients.

The demand came from Private Capital Management, a money management firm, citing a 14 percent decline in the stock of the company.

Panasonic is betting that offbeat characters called Oxymites can help pull off a mighty feat: persuade younger consumers to buy a new brand of battery.

Los Angeles may be the car capital of America, but there is a growing interest in mixed-use complexes near - or right on top of - transit stations.

By Bloomberg News.

By The Associated Press.

With the copper rally stuttering in recent weeks, some analysts and investors say they see signs that a bubble is about to burst.

IAC/InterActiveCorp, the television and Internet-services company, said that third-quarter profit fell 25 percent on costs of spinning off the Expedia travel business.

The maker of computer servers and software reported that its quarterly revenues rose slightly as it benefited from two acquisitions.

CHICAGO, Nov. 1 - ATA Airlines, once the busiest carrier in Indianapolis but shrinking during bankruptcy proceedings in the last year, said yesterday that it would cancel its last three daily flights out of the city, which is its headquarters, as of Jan. 10.

In the battle over the next generation of DVD players, Toshiba is encouraging low-cost Chinese competitors to crank out machines using its standard.

A New York state judge indicated yesterday that he would deny a motion by Richard A. Grasso, the former New York Stock Exchange chairman, to limit a lawsuit that seeks the return of more than $100 million of Mr. Grasso's compensation.

A judge in Arkansas yesterday tossed out part of Wal-Mart's lawsuit against its former vice chairman, Thomas M. Coughlin, citing an agreement that bars the former executive and the company from suing each other. Mr. Coughlin has been accused by Wal-Mart of misusing up to $500,000 of company money.

HOUSTON, Nov. 1 - Jamie Olis, a former midlevel executive at Dynegy who was sentenced last year to 24 years in prison for accounting fraud, can breathe a little easier.

Viacom's revenue also rose, led by strong results at its cable networks unit, which includes MTV and Nickelodeon.

The best way to see the future of New York elevators may be to visit the Marriott Marquis Hotel, the behemoth in Times Square.

By The Associated Press.

AP - Former U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker warned Tuesday that inflation may be getting out of hand 'and the United States better watch out.'

Reuters - Japan's Mazda Motor Corp. outpaced expectations with a 12 percent jump in half-year operating profit even as a supply bottleneck kept sales in check, and it lifted its full-year forecast thanks to a weaker yen.