New York Times #business# news

May 21 (Reuters) - The following were the top stories in the New York Times business pages on Friday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

* The Senate on Thursday approved a far-reaching financial regulatory bill, putting Congress on the brink of approving a broad expansion of government oversight of the increasingly complex banking system and financial markets.

* Fears that the fragile economic recovery in the United States might be threatened by the financial and political crisis in Europe gripped Wall Street on Thursday, sending the stock market into a sharp decline and leaving anxious traders wondering where the pain might stop.

* A top Federal Reserve official warned Thursday that Europe's debt problems could amount to a "significant external shock" to the United States economy, harming American banks and exporters and stalling the global recovery.

* Google Inc (GOOG.O) recruited a solid lineup of high-tech companies on Thursday to help it introduce Google TV, a new service that merges the predictable world of television programming with the more chaotic expanse of the Web.

* Officials in Spain, France and the Czech Republic announced plans on Thursday to investigate Google Inc's (GOOG.O) collection of data from wireless networks in their countries, raising the likelihood that the company could face sanctions in Europe.

* Tesla Motors and Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) announced on Thursday that Tesla had bought the recently closed Nummi assembly plant in Fremont, California, where it intends to make its Model S luxury electric sedan and other future models.

* U.S. President Barack Obama has decided to use his executive power to order tougher fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks, accelerating the fight against climate change without waiting for Congress, administration officials said Thursday.

* The enforcement division of the Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating whether market makers and brokerage firms fulfilled their legal obligations to provide liquidity in the markets by buying and selling stock during the sharp market drop of May 6, the chairwoman of the agency said Thursday.

* Pennsylvania's attorney general is demanding that Twitter unmask two of its users, a move that civil liberties groups say violates free speech.

* Dubai World [DBWLD.UL], the debt-plagued conglomerate and proxy for the free-spending emirate of Dubai, said Thursday that it had reached an agreement with a group of banks to restructure $23.5 billion in debt.

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