MADRID (Reuters) - Tiny Murcia was on course on Sunday to be the second Spanish region to request help from the central government to keep it afloat, as media reported half a dozen local authorities were ready to follow in the footsteps of Valencia.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Bernerd Young has waited more than two years for a final decision from U.S. securities regulators about whether he will be charged over his role as compliance officer at the brokerage owned by convicted Ponzi schemer Allen Stanford.

BEIJING (Reuters) - Workers living through the slowest run of global economic growth in more than three years are in fear for their jobs everywhere except in the very place investors are most concerned about - China.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Nasdaq OMX Group's plan to pay a total of $62 million to firms that lost money due to Facebook Inc's botched market debut may fall short of appeasing Wall Street market makers, which would have to sign off on their right to take legal action against the exchange in order to collect.

CHICAGO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Long before Peregrine Financial Group's dramatic collapse last week, months before MF Global's meltdown triggered an industry-wide crisis of confidence, the world of the independently owned futures broker was not a happy one.

By Matthew Goldstein and Jennifer Ablan and Philipp Halstrick

TOKYO (Reuters) - Asian shares slid and the euro hovered near multi-year lows hit earlier on Monday, as Spain sparked concerns about its ability to stave off a sovereign bailout after two indebted regions sought financial assistance from the central government.

LONDON (Reuters) - Michael Rake has formally informed Barclays that he does not wish to be considered for the role of chairman, easyJet said on Monday, confirming what sources had told Reuters on behalf of Rake.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Anglo American Platinum , the world's top platinum producer, said on Monday it was reducing its full-year production and project spending targets, hit by chronic weakness in prices and demand for the precious metal.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore conglomerate Fraser and Neave (F&N) has hired Goldman Sachs to weigh Heineken NV's $6 billion bid for Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) as the takeover battle for the maker of Tiger Beer intensifies, sources said.

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's heavily indebted eastern region of Valencia said on Friday it would need financial help from Madrid, spooking financial markets and complicating central government efforts to stave off a full-blown sovereign bailout.

(Reuters) - General Electric Co on Friday reported a 2.5 percent rise in profit from continuing operations, topping Wall Street expectations, as solid demand in the United States and emerging markets offset weakness in Europe.