IBT Staff Reporter

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday Iran would enrich uranium to a higher level itself, apparently ruling out a U.N.-brokered deal meant to minimize the risk of Tehran producing material for atomic bombs.

Mitsubishi Motors Corp and Peugeot-Citroen are in talks for a capital tie-up that would give Europe's second biggest carmaker a 30 percent to 50 percent stake in the Japanese automaker, the Nikkei business daily said.

The Nasdaq ended higher on Wednesday as investors grew optimistic about Amazon.com Inc's holiday sales prospects, but the Dow and S&P 500 were little changed after oil prices retreated, pressuring shares of energy companies.

The meltdown of the U.S. housing market is not over yet, and home prices will soon start trekking downward again as a flood of foreclosures looms, a well-known economist said on Wednesday. Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Economy.com in West Chester, Pennsylvania, said in an interview with Reuters home prices will resume their decline by early next year as foreclosure sales pick up again.

Fed reports improving economy; Tribune Changes Leader; Improving Labor Market

China and other big developing nations rejected core targets for a climate deal such as halving world greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 just five days before talks start in Copenhagen, diplomats said on Wednesday.

All about Tiger Woods' alleged lovers Rachel Uchitel, Jaimee Grubbs and Kalika Moquin.

Prices of everyday goods such as clothing and food will barely rise if rich nations slash greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, according to a study on Wednesday that concludes green lifestyles are affordable.

The U.S. labor market improved in November, with private sector job losses declining for the eighth straight month and employers planning fewer layoffs, separate reports showed on Wednesday.

Norwegian telecom firm Telenor will become the 12th operator in the Indian market when it launches its operations on Thursday, a company statement said.

Britain is to shift to a smart energy system, including a national smart grid, which should pave the way to a low carbon future that includes large wind farms, more efficient heating systems and electric vehicles.

The golf superstar Tiger Woods has apologized to his family for transgressions and he released a statement Wednesday on his web site with the headline Tiger comments on current events.

National Grid Plc and Cape Wind have agreed to enter negotiations for a long-term contract under which the power utility operator would buy power generated by Cape Wind's proposed offshore wind farm, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said on Wednesday.

Financial benefits from climate change legislation for U.S. farmers will greatly outweigh any additional costs they face from measures limiting greenhouse gas emissions, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said on Wednesday.

U.S. securities regulators have stepped up their probes of hedge funds and are asking some firms to hand over information about their performance and trades, a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

Residential and small commercial solar energy integrator Real Goods Solar said it signed a multi-site contract to design and install 790 kilowatt of photovoltaic systems, sending its shares up nearly 16 percent.

U.S. central bankers should not let pockets of weakness distract them from fighting inflation as the economy recovers, Richmond Federal Reserve Bank President Jeffrey Lacker said on Wednesday.

General Growth Properties reached agreements with additional lenders to extend loans on its shopping centers and other properties and will ask a judge later this month to approve the plan that so far covers $9.7 billion of its secured debt.

Alberta's sprawling tar sands region holds the second largest oil reserve in the world after Saudi Arabia, but investors lured by the promise of black gold should think twice about the environmental risks, a Canadian investment fund warns.

Alberta intends to spend C$285 million ($271 million) to help fund a coal-gasification project that would both produce electricity and capture carbon for use in boosting oil production from old fields, it said on Tuesday.

European Union carbon emissions futures paused for breath on Wednesday, after a two percent rally in the previous session. EU Allowances (EUAs) inched down 4 cents or 0.30 percent to 13.45 euros ($20.27) a tonne at 1209 GMT with light volume at 1,090 lots.

ConocoPhillips said on Wednesday it plans to spend 10 percent less in 2010 as the third-largest U.S. oil and gas company slims down and sharpens its focus in response to volatile energy markets.

Smart financing can multiply limited public funds to fight climate change, say investors targeting a financing gap and a major stumbling block for the world to agree a new climate deal.

Sharing the cost of fighting climate change is one of the main sticking points to agree a global

Tiger Woods admits 'transgressions' amid 3 lovers scandalTiger Woods issued a whole hearted apology for his transgressions, after numerous reports emerged involving the world famous golfer with apparently three different women.

India thinks it may be possible to cut its carbon intensity by 24 percent by 2020 compared with 2005 levels, according to provisional government estimates obtained by Reuters Wednesday.

U.S. central bankers should not let pockets of weakness in the economy distract them from fighting inflation, Richmond Federal Reserve Bank President Jeffrey Lacker said on Wednesday.

Rachel Uchitel, one of the women Tiger Woods allegedly had an affair with has denied any involvement with the golf star but details have surfaced revealing the opposite.

The U.S. labor market improved in November, with the number of jobs lost in the private sector falling again and the number of planned layoffs also easing, separate reports showed on Wednesday.