INVESTMENT

The president and the auditor of a Costa Rican company selling reinsurance bonds to life settlement companies have been arrested and charged for their role in a $670 million fraud scheme.

State Bank of Mauritius, the Indian Ocean island's second-largest bank, said on Tuesday first-half pretax profit rose 8.5 percent, boosted by dividend income, disposals, fees and commissions.

A presidential election in Niger aimed at returning the West African uranium exporter to civilian rule will go ahead as planned on January 31 after logistical problems were solved, the ruling junta said late on Monday.

Nine Chinese cities in the southern part of the nation around the Pearl River Delta are proposed to be merged to create world’s largest mega city at a cost of $300 billion with a population of 42 million.

Research by a UK-based independent property investment consultancy found that the property was considered a better investment than gold and shares for investors to invest their cash to make profit.

The Gold Price fell to new multi-month lows against all major currencies on Tuesday morning, dropping to $1325 per ounce as capitulation and panic hit Asian investment traders, according to one Hong Kong dealer.

Gold fell to its lowest in ten weeks on Tuesday, putting the price on course for its worst monthly performance in 13 months as safe-haven demand evaporated and investors booked further profits on the 2010 rally.

A faltering and uneven increase in jobs is holding back the overall economic recovery and unemployment is likely to continue at near record levels this year, the International Labour Organisation said on Tuesday.

Rules are needed to curb speculation in surging commodity prices as the world heads towards a food crisis that threatens political instability, the head of the U.N.'s food agency said.

The top after-market NASDAQ stock market gainers are: Tuesday Morning, Radvision, Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Skyworks Solutions, and China Valves Technology. The top after-market NASDAQ stock market losers are: Sify Technologies, Rediff.com India, Woodward Governor, Acacia Research, and Marshall Edwards.

Private equity fund TPG Capital plans to buy 14 percent stake in packaging company Time Technoplast at a near 30 percent premium to its market price, the Economic Times newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The government of Greece said it will take legal action against German engineering and electronics giant Siemens AG for allegedly bribing Greek officials.

Lately, we've noted the improving sentiment picture for Gold. As a market weakens, sentiment will naturally become less bullish. In this case, sentiment has weakened considerably yet Gold is only 6% off its high. Most interesting in particular is the divergence between the COT data for Gold and Silver and the rest of the commodities.

Canadian gold miner Greystar Resources said on Monday its gold and silver Angostura project in Colombia poses no threat to the ecosystem amid growing opposition from local authorities.

Gold turned weaker on technical selling on Monday, after the metal initially rose as a lower dollar and lingering worries about an European debt crisis helped recoup some lost ground from a two-month low last week.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating dealings between former Massachusetts Treasurer Timothy Cahill and a former top aide who now works at Goldman Sachs .

Lovers of chocolate probably have no clear idea where the Ivory Coast is located, but political turmoil in that West African nation will likely drive up the price of their favorite sweet treat.

Technology and retail stocks continue to drive market

Software and biotech startups once again got the msot money from U.S. venture capital funds in 2010.

Gold continues to form a long consolidation pattern which has lasted basically for the final quarter of 2010, says Phil Smith in his chart analysis for Reuters' clients. [On] the possible topping [head-and-shoulders] pattern I've been looking at...we have now broken the neckline. Watch for a decisive break below this line. The target for this topping pattern is $1230.

J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP) agreed to name William Ackman to its board of directors after the activist investor became the department store chain’s largest shareholder.