UNITED STATES

North Korea stated Tuesday that preparations for the Unha-3 rocket, which would carry its first satellite into space, had been completed and that it was now assembled and ready for launch. The White House said it was a ballistic missile in disguise.

Thomas Kinkade, the self-styled Painter of Light, died aged 54, of what is believed to be of natural causes. Officials are awaiting the results of an autopsy which is reportedly scheduled on Monday, in order to determine the exact cause of death.

Microsoft's push into the tablet industry will see only limited success, with the U.S. software maker remaining a distant No. 3 behind Apple and Google, research firm Gartner said on Tuesday.

Microsoft's push into the tablet industry will see only limited success, with the U.S. software maker remaining a distant No 3 after Apple and Google, research firm Gartner said on Tuesday.

The number of unemployed American workers for every job opening fell in February to its lowest since late 2008, pointing to ongoing healing in the still-weak labor market.

The United States is hoping that new sanctions targeting Iran's central bank and its oil industry will pressure the Islamic Republic to stop enriching uranium, but Iran is defiant, claiming that it can withstand any oil embargo for two or three years.

The S&P 500 fell for a fifth straight session in choppy trading on Tuesday, again testing key technical support ahead of the start of first quarter earnings season.

Same-store sales rose 0.5 percent from the previous week and 4.5 percent year on year, the International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs reported. Redbook Research said same-store sales were up 0.8 percent from March and 4.1 percent from April 2011.

Housing busts and recessions are more severe and last for at least five years when they follow a big run-up in household debt, according to a study released on Tuesday by the International Monetary Fund.

Best Buy Co said Chief Executive Brian Dunn has resigned from the world's largest consumer electronics chain, which has struggled against stepped-up competition from internet retailers and discounters.

Pakistan's foreign minister might lose her portfolio for contradicting Pakistani President Yusuf Raza Gilani's remarks on US-Pak ties. The speculation was sparked by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's statement at an interaction with the journalists in Lahore, in which he said that fresh team would carry forward diplomatic talks with India, to discuss bilateral issues including Kashmir.

A hot dog named after Yu Darvish is creating a stir.

Brian Dunn, who has worked at the electronics retailer for 28 years, will be replaced on a temporary basis by director G. Mike Mikan. A search committee will seek Dunn's permanent replacement.

Miss Universe and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) announced on Tuesday that the organization will allow all transgender women to compete in beauty pageants beginning in 2013 after a 23-year-old Canadian participant named Jenna Talackova garnered worldwide being disqualified, then reinstated, based on her gender.

Carl Icahn sued Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc to block enforcement of a bylaw that prevents the billionaire investor from launching a proxy fight that could lead to a sale of the maker of diabetes drugs.

McDonald's Corp will franchise out restaurants in Russia for the first time after picking the sector's largest restaurant holding company Rosinter as its partner in the fast-growing market.

Gold steadied on Tuesday, surrendering earlier gains as a rally sparked by expectations that a sluggish U.S. employment market could fuel further monetary easing ran out of steam in the face of a firming dollar and easing appetite for risk.

Wall Street stock indexes were mixed, pointing to a flat open on Tuesday as S&P 500 futures found support near their 50-day moving average, following four days of losses on the benchmark index.

China posted a surprising trade surplus in March, reversing a hefty deficit in February, but the underlying data indicated that its domestic economy seems to be losing steam, while exports were still weak as the European economy falters.

Stock index futures were little changed on Tuesday as S&P 500 futures found support near their 50-day moving average following four days of losses on the benchmark index.

The think tank's composite leading indicators for February showed strong signs of regained momentum in the U.S. and Japanese economies, while Brazil, India, Russia and China showed positive signals compared with the previous month's assessment.