IBT Staff Reporter

Europe's top financial watchdog warned on Tuesday that the euro zone's sovereign debt crisis has become systemic and threatens global economic stability unless decisive action is taken urgently.

Slovak Prime Minister Iveta Radicova put her government on the line on Tuesday by saying that a ballot on expanding the euro zone rescue mechanism that one of her junior ruling partners opposes would also be a vote of confidence in her cabinet.

A Slovak ruling party said it would abstain on Tuesday from a vote on expanding the euro zone's EFSF rescue fund, forcing the government to turn to opposition parties to push through a deal agreed by the currency bloc to contain the Greek debt crisis.

The European Union postponed a summit by a week on Monday to allow time for a broader solution to Greece's debt crisis, after Athens said it had concluded talks with international lenders on an aid payment needed to avert default.

Stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Wall Street on Tuesday following a brisk rally, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.7 percent, Dow Jones futures down 0.6 percent, and Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.4 percent at 0938 GMT.

The euro zone sovereign debt crisis has become systemic and risks to the economy are increasing rapidly with Europe's banks in the danger zone, European Systemic Risk Board Chairman Jean-Claude Trichet said on Tuesday.

The euro zone sovereign debt crisis has become systemic and risks to the economy are increasing rapidly with Europe's banks in the danger zone, European Systemic Risk Board Chairman Jean-Claude Trichet said on Tuesday.

Sony Corp sees little cheer in the normally robust year-end shopping season amid global consumer gloom and has few options to cope with the euro's tumble against the yen, a senior official said.

Sony Corp sees little cheer in the normally robust year-end shopping season amid global consumer gloom and has few options to cope with the euro's tumble against the yen, a senior official said.

The Japan Open finished with a bang as British number one Andy Murray clawed back from a set down to beat world number two Rafael Nadal in Tokyo.

Japan will consult with the United States before it considers buying more euro zone bonds, raising the stakes for European policymakers under pressure from world leaders to resolve the debt crisis quickly.

Three years after the collapse of Lehman Brothers touched off a tidal wave of bankruptcy filings, corporate failures may be about to pick up again, with some big-name companies among those struggling for survival.

The sovereign debt crisis has become systemic and risks to the economy are increasing swiftly, European Systemic Risk Board Chairman Jean-Claude Trichet said on Tuesday.

European shares fell on Tuesday, while the euro took a breather from a rally against the dollar with investors focused on Slovakia's parliamentary vote to ratify an expansion of the euro zone's rescue fund.

Research in Motion said on Tuesday it had restored BlackBerry services in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, some 20 hours after users in EMEA and India first reported problems with email and BlackBerry Messenger.

Steve Jobs will be remembered as one of the greatest visionaries ever. What he did for the technological as well as entrepreneurial world, will never be forgotten.

China's purchases of beaten-down bank shares may be one of several baby steps along an easing path that eventually leads to interest rate cuts.

Asian shares rose on Tuesday after China moved to support its stock market by buying shares of major banks, and the euro held the previous session's big gains on hopes that European leaders are finally taking action to protect the continent's lenders.

A Kansas City television station has received a grand jury subpoena for interviews it conducted in covering the disappearance of a 10-month-old baby last week, the station said on Monday.

Game of Thrones has found its Ygritte.

Remember when, if you heard someone associated with the Disney Channel extol the club, they meant the one where you needed mouse ears to get past the velvet rope?

Regulators Tuesday are set to give nervous insurance companies, mutual funds and other big players in financial markets a better idea of whether they will be tapped for the same type of additional government scrutiny facing large U.S. banks.

Marketing chiefs feel overwhelmed by the growing volume of customer data on websites like Facebook and Twitter, and while they realize its potential value they consider themselves ill-equipped to harness it, an IBM study found.

Congo Republic's ruling Congolese Workers Party (PCT) and allies maintained their grip on the Senate upper house of parliament, winning 29 of 36 seats up for renewal in a mid-term election, results showed on Monday.

It's not quite a yellow submarine, since it's destined for travel on top of the water, not under it.

A Hong Kong design student's tribute to Steve Jobs that generated a buzz in cyberspace following the death of the co-founder of Apple last week is not original, but it is not a rip-off, the teenager said.

Hana Financial Group <086790.KS> is willing to renegotiate its agreed takeover deal of Korea Exchange Bank <004940.KS> from Lone Star , should the U.S. fund decide not to appeal a court verdict against it, Hana's chairman said on Tuesday.

Sony Corp said on Tuesday it was not planning any major announcement about restructuring its television business, after expectations had grown that the company would unveil drastic changes to turn the unit around as it heads for its eighth straight year of losses.

Congress should not endorse another big tax break for overseas corporate profits because the last one in 2004-2005 was a costly failure, said U.S. congressional investigators in a report released on Monday.