AP - President Bush, sounding upbeat as consumer confidence swooned, said Tuesday that the government's effort to stimulate the economy is just starting to kick in.

Reuters - Exxon Mobil Corp has scrapped with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez over nationalized oil projects and sparred with U.S. senators over high oil prices.

Reuters - SEOUL (Reuters) -- General Electric named South Korea's LG Electronics (066570.KS) as a contender to buy its appliance business, which is valued at $4-$8 billion, along with others, including China's Haier Electronics Group Co Ltd (1169.HK), Mexico's Mabe and Turkey's Arcelik .

Reuters - Like two movies going head to head on opening weekend, Netflix Inc and Blockbuster Inc will make rival presentations to investors on Wednesday, as each DVD rental company tries to stay competitive in a converging marketplace.

Reuters - Merger talks between United Airlines and US Airways Group Inc have slowed and a deal is not expected in time for review by the Bush administration, sources said late on Tuesday.

Reuters - Arun Sarin, the chief executive who safeguarded Vodafone's dominance among mobile operators by expanding into emerging markets, announced his departure on Tuesday, saying he had achieved all he had set out to do.

Reuters - InBev has not yet begun merger talks with Anheuser-Busch Cos Inc but is still weighing an acquisition of the U.S. brewer, a source familiar with the situation said on Tuesday.

Reuters - Shares of General Motors Corp slumped to a 27-year low while smaller rival Ford Motor Co hit a new six-week low on Tuesday as analysts warned the U.S. auto market could remain weak well into 2009.

Reuters - U.S. stocks were slightly higher on Tuesday as lower oil prices dragged down shares of energy companies while lifting airlines and data showed a mixed picture of the housing sector.

Reuters - Prices of single-family homes plunged a record 14.4 percent in March from a year earlier, while consumer confidence slumped to its lowest in 16 years in May as gasoline prices surged.

Reuters - Top contract chip maker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC) (2330.TW) said on Tuesday it may raise prices for its higher-end chips as rising costs threaten to squeeze profits.