IBT Staff Reporter

Hundreds of survivors of Italy's April earthquake protested outside parliament Tuesday as lawmakers debated a bill authorizing Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's reconstruction plan.

Britain is to provide universal broadband access by 2012 and plans to use a tax to fund superfast connections, it said on Tuesday as it outlined its digital vision requiring the BBC to share some funding.

The leaders of the world's biggest emerging markets demanded a greater say in the global financial system on Tuesday at their first summit, but steered clear of any assault on the U.S. dollar's dominance.

A judicial body is urging Congress to authorize new bankruptcy judgeships to cope with a surge in bankruptcy filings that has tracked weakness in the U.S. economy.

The U.S. Treasury Department will not propose a new regulatory framework for the insurance industry when it outlines sweeping new rules for the financial services sector, sources familiar with the plans said on Tuesday.

The draft communique of Brazil, Russia, India and China does not mention the role of U.S. dollar or a supranational reserve currency, sources with knowledge of the document told Reuters on Tuesday.

Britain aims to provide universal broadband access by 2012, it said Tuesday, as it outlined its vision for a digital future that will require the BBC to share its funding.

The Dow and the S&P 500 dropped to session lows on Tuesday, while the Nasdaq trimmed gains, as investors worried that the economic recovery's pace might not be as strong as initially hoped.

The Small Business Administration in a bid to help struggling small businesses climb out of the recession has started guaranteeing loans up to $35,000 to help keep their doors open and get them back on track.

GE Aviation on Tuesday won a huge contract to provide engines and support to Abu Dhabi-based airline Etihad Airways, which is getting ready to launch a new fleet of 45 large commercial jets.

Investors say they are getting more promotional material from hedge funds than ever before, as funds seek to replenish assets withdrawn or lost because of negative performance during the financial crisis.

An engine deal from Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways worth more than $5 billion could be the biggest news to come from this week's Paris Air Show, where the global recession has frozen sales of planes from Airbus or Boeing Co.

Stocks rose on Tuesday as renewed U.S. dollar weakness lifted shares of oil and other natural resource companies, but concern that the pace of the economic recovery may be tepid limited a broad advance.

Smithfield Foods Inc posted a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss on Tuesday on better-than-anticipated margins in its hog and pork businesses, but high feed costs weighed on results.

Stocks headed for a higher open on Tuesday as renewed U.S. dollar weakness lifted shares of natural resource companies, while a rebound in May housing starts added to signals that the economy could be stabilizing.

Jefferies & Co raised its price target on Microsoft Corp's stock to $26 from $22 and recommended buying shares of the world's largest software company ahead of a possibly large, rapid corporate PC upgrade cycle starting in late 2010.

Britain aims to provide universal broadband access by 2012 to make the country more competitive, it said on Tuesday, as it outlined its vision for a digital future that could require money taken from the BBC.

The government of Newfoundland and Labrador has signed a memorandum of understanding with a consortium that includes Exxon Mobil Corp to develop the 220-million barrel Hibernia South oil field off the Canadian province's North Atlantic coast.

The head of German chemicals company Bayer said debt reduction and securing liquidity was taking precedence over acquisitions during the economic crisis, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported on Tuesday.

The Obama administration is pushing tough reforms for credit rating agencies and wants them to differentiate between corporate bonds and mortgage-backed securities -- a measure long opposed by Wall Street and the real estate finance industry.

U.S. producer prices rose by less than expected in May despite a jump in gasoline costs, government data on Tuesday showed, while prices compared with a year ago notched their steepest fall since 1949.

Best Buy Co Inc maintained its forecast for the year after posting lower first-quarter earnings on Tuesday, dragging its shares down 3.5 percent even though the profit topped analysts' expectations.

Social networking service Twitter delayed a planned upgrade to avoid cutting daytime service to Iranians who have been using it to coordinate protests against a disputed presidential election.

Freddie Mac (FRE.N) (FRE.P), the second largest U.S. home funding source, hopes to name a new chief executive officer and a finance chief next month, the Wall Street Journal said.

New U.S. housing starts and permits rebounded in May from record lows as ground-breaking for multifamily units surged after tumbling the prior month, a government report showed on Tuesday.

Best Buy Co Inc posted lower first-quarter earnings and weaker-than-expected sales on Tuesday and also implied earnings for the rest of the year would be worse than forecast, dragging its shares down 3 percent.

Stocks rose on Tuesday as renewed U.S. dollar weakness lifted shares of oil and other natural resource companies, while a rebound in May housing starts reinforced hope that the economy could be stabilizing.

Gov. Sarah Palin said Tuesday she accepts David Letterman’s apology for the sexually charged joke he made about her daughter.

Credit card consumers have difficulty finding details about their debt on statements, results of an international study show.