UNITED STATES

Airlines and their suppliers are reporting tentative signs that a severe industry recession is bottoming out, sending shares higher on Tuesday.

Wall Street was set to enjoy a positive return to trading on Tuesday after the Labor Day holiday, according to stock index futures.

Data in the coming week should deliver more proof that a global recovery is at hand, but policy-makers are facing up to how sub-par growth over the long haul might constrain their policy choices.

Switzerland knocked the United States off the position as the world's most competitive economy as the crash of the U.S. banking system left it more exposed to some long-standing weaknesses, a report said on Tuesday.

After clamping down last year, U.S. holiday shoppers are more willing to crack open their wallets in 2009, but still intend to hunt for discounts, a survey released on Tuesday found.

Emerging markets stocks hit a new year high on Tuesday, rising to levels last seen before the Lehman Brothers collapse, and world stocks in general headed toward a new 2009 peak.

Oil prices rose toward $69 a barrel on Tuesday, underpinned by comments by delegates from an OPEC meeting starting Wednesday, which analysts believe may see more rhetoric on compliance but no change in output targets.

Asian shares touched a one-year high on Tuesday, while gold prices hit $1,000 an ounce for the first time in six months in a sign of investor concerns about the sustainability of the global economic recovery.

U.S. gold futures hit a six-month high of $1,000 and spot gold also rose to six-month high on Tuesday as the dollar's weakness, concerns about the sustainability of the global economic recovery and worries about inflation underpinned sentiment.

Oil prices held steady on Tuesday with investors perched on the fence ahead of an OPEC meeting on Wednesday, which analysts believe may see more rhetoric on compliance but no change in output targets.

Asian shares touched their highest level in a year on Tuesday, while gold futures hit $1,000 an ounce for the first time in six months on investor concerns about the sustainability of the global economic recovery.

Oil prices rose above $68 a barrel on Tuesday with investors perched on the fence ahead of an OPEC meeting on Wednesday, which analysts believe may see more rhetoric on compliance but no change in output targets.

Google has offered concessions to European publishers who are concerned about the Internet giant's plans to further digitize books by saying that it will not include European books that are still commercially available.

U.S. gold futures hit a six-month high of $1,000 and spot gold also rose to six-month high on Tuesday as the dollar's weakness, concerns about the sustainability of global economic recovery and worries about future inflation underpinned sentiment.

President Barack Obama will deliver remarks to students across the U.S at 10:00 a.m. at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Va.

Obama Gears Up; Blame Game; Materialism Fading?

Gold inched up on Tuesday as the dollar's weakness, concerns about the sustainability of global economic recovery and worries of future inflation underpinned sentiment, with traders eyeing $1,000 an ounce.

:: Australian Dollar: The Aussie dollar continued to power ahead holding on to the psychological 85 cent support level to open this morning around 0.8550. Yesterdays ANZ job advertisement survey revealed a 4.1% rise in August from the previous month, the first monthly rise since April 2008. The news gave investors some confidence that this Thursday's employment report will show continued improvement in the labour market spurring the AUD higher. With the U.S on holidays it was a relatively quiet ...

Director Oliver Stone says the U.S. media and government have demonized Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and other leftist South American leaders, and argues in a new film that they were right to stand up to Washington.

That was how Richard Fuld greeted a Reuters reporter who had tracked him down to his country house in a bucolic setting beside a river and amid tree-covered slopes in Ketchum, Idaho last Friday.

Kraft Foods said it was intent on pursuing Britain's Cadbury , which soared in value after it snubbed a premium-rich bid from the U.S. group, reinforcing hopes of a broader-based pick-up in merger activity.