Across rural America, people say they are frustrated with a loan program created by Congress to extend Internet service.

Reuters - Gold topped $500 an ounce in Asia on Tuesday for the first time since December 1987 as dealers said funds had diversified into precious metals on worries about inflation and geopolitical tensions.

Gold prices surge past the $500-an-ounce mark, and more gains are predicted amid fears of quicker inflation.

Argentina replaces Economy Minister Roberto Lavagna, the man widely credited with steering the country out of a hard-hitting recession.

Ports and ferries group P&O agrees to be bought by Dubai Ports World in a takeover deal worth £3.3bn ($5.7bn).

Oil prices fall sharply due to unseasonably mild winter temperatures in the northern states of the US.

Reuters - World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz has appointed a committee to find candidates from developing countries for the bank's No. 2 position, a step intended to open up a traditionally closed decision-making process for top officials.

Reuters - Dutch retailer Ahold reported third-quarter operating income in line with expectations on Tuesday and said it would split its U.S. Foodservice operations in two and cut $100 million in costs.

Interest rates in the eurozone should not rise until its economic recovery gathers pace, the OECD warns.

Kingston Communications reports a 22% rise in first-half earnings but gives no update on bid talks.

A big marketing push is planned for the latest version of Firefox, the main rival to Microsoft's Internet Explorer.

The OECD calls on China to let the yuan appreciate further as it says the country's strong growth is set to continue.

Interest rates in the eurozone should not rise until its economic recovery gathers pace, the OECD warns.

Japan's improving economy is underlined by a number of reports, despite some figures missing market expectations.

Reuters - U.S. stock futures pointed to a higher market opening on Tuesday amid expectations that data would show an increase in U.S. consumer confidence and orders for durable goods.

Reuters - U.S. economic expansion is solid despite this year's devastating hurricanes and will continue at or above its trend rate in 2006, but the inflationary impact of soaring oil prices remains a key risk, the OECD said on Tuesday.

Reuters - Gold rose above $500 and platinum above $1,000 an ounce on Tuesday when investment funds diversified their portfolios on worries about inflation and geopolitics.

AFP - The OECD predicted that the eurozone economy is set to enjoy a "modest recovery" in coming years, lifting its growth forecasts for the 12-nation bloc to 1.4 percent this year and 2.1 percent next year.

AP - Royal Ahold NV, the global retailer that owns the Stop & Shop and Giant supermarket chains in the United States, posted a third-quarter loss of 239 million euros ($280.7 million) on Tuesday, including a 585 million euro ($687 million) charge for a settlement with shareholders who lost money because of Ahold's 2003 accounting scandal.

Reuters - New orders for U.S.-made durable goods jumped a larger-than-expected 3.4 percent in October on a surge in demand for aircraft, but non-transportation orders rose a smaller-than-expected 0.3 percent, a government report showed on Tuesday.

Reuters - Calpine Corp. on Tuesday replaced its chief executive and chief financial officer in a move the independent power producer said was intended to address its financial problems.

Reuters - Stocks rose on Tuesday, amid expectations data would show an increase in U.S. consumer confidence and help the holiday season outlook.

Reuters - U.S. mortgage finance regulators on Tuesday raised the limit for loans that can be bought by government-sponsored mortgage enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to $417,000 for 2006, in most areas.

A surge in sales of military and commercial planes drove demand for durable goods in October even as other industries reported softer than expected orders.

US consumer confidence leapt in November, boosted by falling gasoline prices and improved job prospects, a report says.

Russian gas price rises look set to sour relations between Moscow and several former Soviet Union nations.

The body which oversees the workings of the internet is been sued over its handling of the .com domain.

Reuters - U.S. consumer confidence picked up considerably in November as Americans took comfort from falling gasoline prices and better job prospects, according to a report published on Tuesday.

Reuters - New U.S. home sales hit a new record in October, while durable goods orders rose by 3.4 percent as aircraft demand surged, but non-transportation orders were barely changed, data on Tuesday showed.

Reuters - Calpine Corp. on Tuesday replaced its chief executive and chief financial officer, as the independent power producer struggles with a $17 billion debt load and a recent court ruling that restricts its ability to buy fuel for its plants.

Reuters - U.S. stocks were solidly higher on Tuesday after better-than-expected consumer confidence and new home sales data boosted investors' hopes about household spending for the holidays.

Reuters - Sales of new U.S. homes shot up unexpectedly in October, climbing 13 percent to hit a record pace, according to a government report on Tuesday at odds with other signs of a slowdown in the long-hot housing market.

AP - India's economy will grow 7.5 percent this fiscal year and the expansion could accelerate to 10 percent in the next two to three years because of stronger growth in agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Tuesday.

The Motley Fool - Annuities. Insurance salesmen often push these mutual fund-like instruments (which generate hefty commissions), but although there are now some annuities out there that are more attractive than those of yesteryear, they usually aren't the wonder-investments they're cracked up to be. Here are some reasons why:

Reuters - Ahold beat forecasts as third-quarter profits more than doubled, helped by higher margins and cost cuts, and the Dutch retailer announced a split of its U.S. Foodservice unit, sending its shares higher.

Total agrees to compensate Burmese workers who claimed they were used as forced labour on a pipeline project.

Reuters - U.S. stocks gained on Tuesday after stronger-than-expected consumer confidence data lifted hopes about holiday spending, while a rise in orders for the largest manufactured goods boosted industrial stocks, including aircraft maker Boeing Inc.

Reuters - Frontier Airlines Inc. , gearing up for stiffer competition at its Denver hub from low-cost power Southwest Airlines , on Tuesday warned investors that it faces a potential cash crunch that could jeopardize its business.

Reuters - Gold spiked above $500 an ounce for the first time in 18 years on Tuesday and platinum surpassed $1,000, the highest in more than two-and-a-half decades, fueled by heavy fund buying.

Two other reports showed a sharp rise in consumer confidence this month and higher orders for big-ticket goods in October.

Court proceedings against Conrad Black are pushed back to 1 December, at the request of the media tycoon's lawyers.

Japan's improving economy is underlined by a number of reports, despite some figures missing market expectations.

Reuters - A dissident group of Time Warner Inc. shareholders led by billionaire investor Carl Icahn said on Tuesday it retained investment bank Lazard Ltd. to study "options" for the media conglomerate and propose a new slate of board candidates.

Reuters - U.S. technology shares fell on Tuesday as investors sold off such shares as Apple Computer Inc. following their recent run-up.

Reuters - The U.S. economy shook off much of its post-Katrina blues in October as new home sales hit a record and booming demand for aircraft helped reverse September's sharp decline in durable goods orders, data showed on Tuesday.

Reuters - Gold spiked above $500 an ounce for the first time in 18 years on Tuesday but ended in New York trade just below the psychological threshold as investors quickly claimed their reward after weeks of fervent buying.

A rise in the value of the state pension and the age at which it is paid are set to form part of radical reform proposals due to be unveiled.

Reuters - Despite tough regulations aimed at improving corporate governance, financial fraud is still on the rise around the world, and most is still detected by chance, a study from auditing firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC) showed on Tuesday.

Reuters - TiVo Inc. on Tuesday posted a narrower quarterly loss as the provider of digital video recording services added more subscribers through its relationship with DirecTV, but shares fell as the number of subscribers it added on its own declined from a year ago.

Reuters - A U.S. District Court judge on Wednesday will decide whether to accept a plea agreement in which Samsung Electronics Co. admits to conspiring with other firms to fix the prices of computer memory chips that use technology from Rambus Inc, court records show.

Reuters - Auto parts maker Delphi Corp. on Tuesday won bankruptcy court approval to pursue a plan to pay some prebankruptcy bills owed to key suppliers in exchange for extending contracts set to expire at the end of the year.

Investor's Business Daily - Investors slowed purchases of stock funds in October as the market took its time recovering from a sharp, early-month stumble.

By most measures, the economy appears to be booming, but as always with the United States economy, it is not quite that simple.

Carl C. Icahn, who is leading a group of investors in a campaign against Time Warner and its board, has hired Bruce Wasserstein to advance the fight.

Shoppers, intent on skipping crowded stores, spent 26 percent more money online over the Thanksgiving weekend than they did in 2004.

Some retailers are playing to one of the holiday season's guilty pleasures: shoppers indulging themselves.

A failure by the U.S. and the European Union to reduce agricultural subsidies in trade talks in Hong Kong could bring a slew of legal challenges.

Money managers have been stepping up their search for Wall Street's holy grail: an investment that consistently generates 'alpha.'

The lawyer argued that taking Vioxx for a month was enough to cause a man's fatal heart attack.

Dubai, the upstart sheikdom of the United Arab Emirates, agreed to purchase the storied British shipping company Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation.

By The Associated Press.

The Australian government plans to use funds from several years of budget surpluses to pay pensions owed to its employees in the future.

By Reuters.

Corporations would be allowed to post proxy statements and annual reports on Web sites under a plan proposed by federal regulators.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 29 (AP) - The Wachovia Corporation said Tuesday that it planned to sell its trust and custody businesses to U.S. Bancorp for $720 million.

Moscow could face rolling blackouts during periods of extreme cold this winter, the head of the electricity monopoly said Tuesday.

By Bloomberg News.

The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission proposed that companies provide customers with more choices to reject some channels.

Intel is expected to announce partnerships with movie, music, and game providers to introduce content that would work with its Viiv technology for home media centers.

The rules governing the use of most free software programs will be revised for the first time in 15 years, in an open process that begins Tuesday.

Mark Kipnis, a former counsel at Hollinger International, pleaded not guilty to charges of helping Conrad M. Black steal $51.8 million from the company.

Fox's contract with Simon Cowell of 'American Idol' means that the network will keep intact the elements of the show.

Imported from Europe by a group of environmentally conscious entrepreneurs, the concept of renting cars by the hour has become increasingly popular.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said that the Federal Reserve should keep raising interest rates.

Royal Ahold, which agreed to pay $1.1 billion to settle a long-running accounting scandal, announced a split of its U.S. Foodservice unit.

Downtown Manhattan today is much like Times Square in the mid-1990's, argues Kent M. Swig, the president of Swig Equities, which owns four office buildings in the financial district and has contracted to buy another.

Ford's chief executive told employees that those who could not support the company's drive for innovation should find something else to do.

By Reuters.

Cabela's, a shopping amusement park for the hunting and fishing set, serves as a retail magnet for small towns.

Reuters - Gold breached key support of $498 an ounce in Asia on Wednesday as investors booked profits after propelling the price to its highest level in 18 years above $500 the previous day.