With gas prices falling, the National Retail Federation yesterday raised its sales forecast for the holiday shopping season, a rare upward revision for the generally cautious trade group.

Google plans to move quickly to capitalize on its new Google Base database service, adding a feature that lets merchants provide local shopping information.

By Bloomberg News.

Shares in Asian chipmakers Samsung and Toshiba fall sharply after rivals Intel and Micron sign a joint deal.

The boss of Airbus parent firm EADS insists Boeing's longer 747 jumbo will not hit sales of its own twin-deck A380.

Cliff Freeman & Partners is hiring a chief executive to help attract clients seeking campaigns that go beyond the realm of traditional media.

Top negotiators are to meet in Geneva in an effort to break the deadlock over world trade negotiations.

Adecco boss Jerome Caille leaves the firm with immediate effect, a week after disappointing results.

Leisure firm Hilton Group sells 15 UK hotels to Managed Hotels Unit Trust, and says it plans to sell further sites.

Budget airline Easyjet sees profits rise by 9% to £68m during the 12 months to September, despite soaring fuel costs.

China needs to move from an investment-led boom to greater emphasis on consumption, the IMF says.

Endemol, the firm behind the TV show Big Brother, heads for the stock market after its parent firm sells a 22% stake.

Danish brewer Carlsberg cuts 70 UK posts as part of a restructuring in the face of 'challenging' trading conditions.

Shares in Endemol, the firm behind Big Brother, rise 3.6% after they debut on the Dutch stock market.

Media tycoon Conrad Black is expected to appear before a court in Chicago shortly to face 11 fraud charges.

Worldwide sales of mobile phones rise 22% in the third quarter of 2005 and are forecast to hit 810 million by the end of the year.

Energy company Scottish Power rejects a £10.7bn bid approach from German utility firm E.ON.

Top negotiators are to meet in Geneva in an effort to break the deadlock over world trade negotiations.

Sony's woes over its controversial anti-piracy CD software have deepened with two new lawsuits in the US.

Zimbabwe's national airline receives a fuel shipment and resumes flights after all seven of its planes were grounded.

Italian police begin seizing 30m litres of Nestle baby milk after tests suggest a possible contamination.

Reuters - Packaged foods maker H.J. Heinz Co. on Tuesday posted higher quarterly profit, boosted by a resolution of tax liabilities on businesses spun off in 2003.

Reuters - Albertsons Inc. , the No. 2 U.S. grocer, on Tuesday posted lower quarterly profit, dragged down by higher costs from hurricanes that hit Louisiana, Texas and Florida during the period.

Reuters - Shares of Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), Toshiba Corp. (6502.T) and other chip makers fell after a deal between two U.S. rivals to produce chips for digital cameras and music players triggered worries of increased competition.

USATODAY.com - Ben Harris' expenses are rising faster than his paycheck. A 26-year-old technician at Jackson National Life Insurance in Lansing, Mich., Harris is an hourly employee who usually receives a 3% annual raise, plus a bonus.

Reuters - U.S. stock futures pointed to a lower market opening on Tuesday as oil prices rebounded, raising concerns about the impact of higher energy costs on the U.S. economy.

USATODAY.com - Eliot Spitzer, the New York attorney general who has made a career out of attacking abusive Wall Street practices, dropped a criminal indictment against a former CIBC executive who had been accused of aiding a mutual fund market-timing scheme.

Reuters - Mothers Work Inc. , a retailer of maternity clothing, on Tuesday reported a larger quarterly loss.

The wholesale price of gas rises to its highest level since March as the government says it will challenge EU suppliers.

Reuters - Packaged foods maker H.J. Heinz Co. on Tuesday posted better-than-expected quarterly profit, helped by acquisitions and a lower tax rate.

Reuters - Albertsons Inc. , the No. 2 U.S. grocer, on Tuesday said quarterly profit fell 30 percent, missing Wall Street's expectations, as higher costs from hurricanes and pressure from discount retailers such as Wal-Mart weighed on results.

Reuters - Farm equipment maker Deere & Co. reported lower quarterly profit on Tuesday as low farm commodity prices depressed its machinery sales in the United States, and said that trend would continue into next year.

Reuters - U.S. stocks fell at the start of trading on Tuesday, as an increase in oil prices renewed worries about the impact of higher energy costs on corporate profits.

Court proceedings against media tycoon Conrad Black - accused of 11 counts of fraud - are adjourned by a court in Chicago.

Flights on Zimbabwe's national airline are still not back to normal after a fuel shortage grounded the whole fleet.

Reuters - Shares of General Motors Corp. fell more than 3 percent on Tuesday as analysts remained skeptical of a turnaround at the auto giant after it announced plant closings and job cuts that would save billions of dollars.

Reuters - U.S. holiday gift spending will likely fall slightly this year and stores will have to offer discounts to satisfy shoppers hunting for bargains, according to a survey released on Tuesday.

Reuters - Albertsons Inc. , the No. 2 U.S. grocer, on Tuesday said quarterly profit fell 30 percent, missing Wall Street's expectations, as higher costs from hurricanes and pressure from discount retailers such as Wal-Mart weighed on results.

Reuters - U.S. blue-chip stocks were lower on Tuesday as a jump in crude oil prices reignited worries about the effect of energy costs on consumer spending and corporate profits, while the Nasdaq index was little changed, with semiconductor stocks limiting losses.

Manufacturers used scaremongering tactics to persuade MEPs to vote against banning harmful gases, a politician has complained.

General Motors shares fall more than 3% as analysts voice concerns over the car maker's long-term survival.

Nestle orders the recall of baby milk from four countries after tests suggest chemical contamination.

Reuters - U.S. technology shares rose on Tuesday, fueled by gains in semiconductor stocks after a deal between chip makers Intel Corp. and Micron Technology Inc. , while blue-chip stocks were little changed.

The country's No. 3 record company agreed today to cease using pricey gifts and promotional giveaways to buy radio airtime for its artists.

The US Federal Reserve may soon consider an end to its current cycle of rate rises, minutes from its recent meeting show.

Reuters - Federal Reserve policy-makers worried about inflation risks at their meeting on November 1, but were mulling how to lay the groundwork for ending a rate-rise cycle that has lasted for a year and a half, meeting minutes released on Tuesday showed.

Reuters - In an industry where 'product is king,' General Motors Corp. is in dire need of attractive new vehicles to rule the road, analysts say, mostly dismissing a move by the ailing auto giant to cut jobs and close plants to save billions of dollars a year.

Reuters - U.S. stocks rose on Tuesday as minutes from the most recent meeting of the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy-setting committee suggested that the Fed may be looking at ways to end its recent cycle of interest-rate hikes.

The Motley Fool - Online banking marketplace Bankrate (Nasdaq: RATE - News) has shown strong results lately, including in its most recently ended quarter. CEO Tom Evans has overseen what he has called a 'building year' that has included online redesigns and new revenue sources, while the company's stock price has increased over the past year from $12 to more than $31. Now, to continue the growth trend, Bankrate is looking toward making some acquisitions. The company announced two deals this week.

Key WTO members admit they will not be able to agree a framework for a trade deal at talks in Hong Kong.

Reuters - Federal Reserve policy-makers worried about inflation risks at their meeting on November 1, but were mulling how to lay the groundwork for ending a rate-rise cycle that has lasted for a year and a half, meeting minutes released on Tuesday showed.

Reuters - Farm equipment maker Deere & Co. reported lower quarterly profit on Tuesday as farmers cut back on machinery purchases, but its results beat Wall Street's lowered expectations by a wide margin.

Reuters - Stocks ended higher on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 rallying for a fifth consecutive day, after minutes from the Federal Reserve's last policy meeting showed members are considering how to prepare for the end of the interest-rate-raising cycle.

AP - The slim tunics and velvet blazers on Wal-Mart's clothing racks this holiday season are more than the latest trendy fashions — they're a sign that the intense competition between the world's largest retailer and its upscale discount rival is ratcheting higher.

Shares in Endemol, the firm behind Big Brother, close above their offer price at the end of their first day of trading on the Dutch market.

Reuters - Moody's Investors Service said on Tuesday it may cut its ratings on Ford Motor Co. deeper into junk territory, citing sharply lower demand for the company's trucks and sport utility vehicles.

Reuters - Bankrupt futures brokerage Refco Inc. said on Tuesday it was seeking an injunction in a Swiss court to stop a majority-owned online foreign exchange broker from diluting its 51 percent stake.

AP - Automakers said Tuesday they support the direction of a Bush administration proposal to revamp fuel economy rules for pickup trucks, minivans and some sport utility vehicles, saying it would improve fuel economy and provide more equity in the marketplace.

Reuters - U.S. stocks rallied on Tuesday, taking the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq to their highest closes in 4-1/2 years, after minutes from the Federal Reserve's November policy-setting meeting hinted at a possible end to its series of interest-rate hikes.

The country's No. 3 record company agreed today to cease using pricey gifts and promotional giveaways to buy radio airtime for its artists.

Oil prices near the $59 mark amid fears that a snow storm in the north-eastern US could trigger strong demand.

Reuters - US Airways Group Inc. said on Tuesday it had raised $189 million from a September public stock offering to help finance its operations but warned of significant liabilities from post-merger costs.

With the Delphi Corporation in bankruptcy proceedings, the company's chief executive has confronted its unions in a way that Detroit has rarely seen.

The Warner Music Group settled with the New York attorney general to resolve allegations that it made payoffs to persuade radio programmers to play certain songs.

Texas Genco has accomplished a deal so ambitious in its scale that it has caused jaws to drop in Houston's energy circles.

Kind and gentle didn't work for Wal-Mart last holiday - so now it's giving the cutthroat approach another try.

More marketers are seeing the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade as a launching pad for promotional campaigns, including product tie-ins involving movies and merchandise.

Years ago, Santa Claus would not have dared show his whiskered face in stores until the fourth Friday in November. But that was before the holiday shopping season became as elastic as his waistband.

By Reuters.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 - The Federal Reserve offered its first hint on Tuesday that its long series of interest rate increases could be drawing to an end. Some analysts said the minutes confirmed that the Fed was closing in on a 'neutral' rate that neither stokes inflation nor slows economic growth.

Germany's giant power and gas company E.ON said that it was abandoning plans to take over Scottish Power after its $19.4 billion offer was rebuffed.

By Bloomberg News.

By Bloomberg News.

It has become common in New York City for real estate developers to offer public amenities in exchange for the right to put up buildings that are taller than the zoning ordinarily would allow or to garner public support for projects that might stir controversy. But those amenities - parks, plazas or atriums, for example - sometimes fail to live up to expectation, fall into disrepair and are occasionally scrapped altogether.

By Reuters.

People across the country gathered in the rain and stood in line all night to buy Microsoft's Xbox 360, the much-publicized next generation of video game consoles.

Michael J. Rigas, the former executive vice president of Adelphia Communications, is scheduled to plead guilty.

A book written by Thomas Friedman, an Op-Ed columnist, won the inaugural Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award.

PITTSBURGH, Nov. 22 (AP) - The H. J. Heinz Company reported Tuesday that its second-quarter earnings edged up 2 percent thanks to a one-time gain, and said that it was close to selling several underperforming European businesses.

By The Associated Press.

By Reuters.

Caffeinated energy drinks are the fastest-growing sector of the $93 billion domestic beverage industry, but are some youths hooked?

The lead plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit against the Delphi Corporation yesterday asked the judge overseeing the company's bankruptcy to reject a proposed $110 million executive pay plan.

The maker of defibrillators has agreed to settle a lawsuit over the death of a 21-year-old man who used a company-made heart device that failed.

By Bloomberg News.

By Dow Jones/AP.

The arraignment of Conrad M. Black, the former chairman of Hollinger International, was postponed to give him more time to choose who will represent him.

The creator of software used to download movies agreed to prevent his Web site from linking to illegally available movies online.

By Bloomberg News.

A unit of the State Street Corporation, a Boston bank, was fined $1.4 million yesterday by NASD for its failure to report thousands of corporate and municipal bond trades over a 17-month period.

Trade officials from the U.S., Europe and leading developing countries were again unable to move ahead in global trade talks.

The Commerce Department said on Tuesday that it would substantially reduce hefty duties on Canadian softwood lumber.

Al Jazeera urged an investigation into a report that Prime Minister Tony Blair had dissuaded President Bush from bombing the station's headquarters.

Some are wondering if the outlet-heavy Mills Corporation, a fast-growing real estate investment trust, is a victim of its success.