UNITED STATES

California IOU recipients can turn to credit unions and check-cashing storefronts if a state budget deal does not appear by Friday and if three major banks refuse to accepting the notes beyond Friday as planned, analysts said on Tuesday.

The top regulator of U.S. futures markets is considering a clampdown on excessive speculation in energy and commodity trading by restricting holdings of big players, part of a broader move by the Obama administration to stabilize the financial markets.

Signaling more forceful U.S. support, President Barack Obama called for the reinstatement of ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya on Tuesday even while noting he has been no friend of American policies.

Socks fell to their lowest level in 10 weeks on Tuesday as talk of a second government stimulus plan heightened fears that the economy is not yet on the path to recovery and that the corporate earnings season starting this week will be weak.

China, Russia and Brazil will use this week's G8 summit in Italy to push their view that the world needs to think about a new global reserve currency as an alternative to the dollar, officials said on Tuesday.

U.S. leaders should be open to the possibility of a second stimulus package to jolt the economy out of a recession still causing job losses, House of Representatives Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said on Tuesday.

The Libyan government had invested $500 million of its cash reserves with accused swindler Allen Stanford's firm as of late 2008, a court filing showed on Tuesday.

For once, the adoring crowds were absent as Barack Obama visited Russia this week.

General Motors Corp asked a federal bankruptcy court on Tuesday for permission to drop 38 U.S. dealers who have rejected the automaker's offer of a payout to wind down their operations.

U.S. antitrust regulators have approved a Nokia Siemens bid for a portion of Canada's bankrupt Nortel Networks Inc, the Federal Trade Commission said on Tuesday.

The 35th G8 summit will be held in L'Aquila, Italy from 8 to 10 July. Leaders from the G8 rich nations and the major developing countries will together discuss the most important global economic and political issues.

East Asian economies - Singapore and Hong Kong SAR - occupied the top two positions in the Enabling Trade Index (ETI) ranking, followed by Switzerland, Denmark and Sweden, the World Economic Forum (WEF) released on Tuesday in the Global Enabling Trade Report 2009.

U.S. antitrust regulators have approved a Nokia Siemens bid for a portion of Canada's bankrupt Nortel Networks Inc , the Federal Trade Commission said on Tuesday.

Tribune Co has agreed to terms for the sale of the Chicago Cubs to a group led by private equity investor Marc Utay, giving the company two offers to submit to the bankruptcy court, two sources familiar with the sale process said on Tuesday.

U.S. stocks fell on Tuesday as talk of a second government stimulus plan stirred fears that the economy is far from well, raising the specter of an anemic second quarter earnings season.

U.S. auto parts maker Lear Corp (LEAR.PK) filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Tuesday, a day after setting out plans to restructure its $3.6 billion debt burden under a proposed deal with creditors.

The public has dismissed Beijing Automobile Industry Corp.'s last-minute offer for General Motors' Opel business in Europe, but in fact this is not such a daft proposal.

Soaring U.S. unemployment and a shrinking economy drove delinquencies on credit card debt and home equity loans to all-time highs in the first quarter as a record number of cash-strapped consumers fell behind on their bills.

The U.S. office market vacancy rate reached 15.9 percent in the second quarter, the highest level in four years, and rent fell by the largest amount in more than seven years as demand remained weak, according to a leading real estate research firm.

U.S. stocks fell on Tuesday as talk of a second government stimulus plan stirred fears that the economy is nowhere near recovery, raising the specter of an anemic second-quarter earnings season.

Credid Card Mess; Senate's Climate Debate; Auto Shakeout Spreads