FACTBOX-Obama's news conference: What will he say?

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House announced that President Barack Obama would hold a news conference at 12:30 p.m. EDT (1630 GMT) on Tuesday.

Here is a look at a few of the issues that may come up:

ECONOMY

Obama likely will take the opportunity to again lay out the steps his administration has taken to rescue the economy from its worst recession in decades. While there are hopeful signs the economy is slowly recovering, thousands of Americans still are losing their jobs every month. Obama also may address Americans' concerns about the size of the country's deficit, which is projected to grow to about $1.8 trillion this year, and increased government intervention in the economy.

HEALTH

Obama is in campaign mode this week trying to drive healthcare reform legislation through Congress that will provide health insurance coverage for some 46 million Americans without it. He is facing opposition from Republicans and other critics who say its $1 trillion price tag makes it too expensive, although a poll published at the weekend found that Americans were willing to pay higher taxes to fund it.

IRAN

How to deal with the aftermath of Iran's presidential election has proven to be the biggest foreign policy challenge for Obama's young administration. He is under pressure from Republicans to speak more forcefully about the Iranian government's crackdown on demonstrators who say the election won by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was rigged. Obama has sharpened his rhetoric on the crackdown, but with an eye on holding eventual talks with Iran on its nuclear program, he has chosen his words carefully in his comments on the election results.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Obama has made fighting climate change a priority. Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives hope they can soon pass a bill that would significantly reduce industry emissions of carbon dioxide, but it faces tough going in the Senate. Failure to pass the bill before the U.N. climate summit in Copenhagen would be a major blow to Obama.

NORTH KOREA

The United States is prepared for the possibility that North Korea may attempt to launch a missile toward Hawaii, Obama said at the weekend. This follows the United Nations Security Council's toughening of sanctions on Pyongyang over its atomic program and a nuclear test it conducted on May 25. The impoverished Communist-ruled state has so far rebuffed Obama's offer of diplomatic engagement and toughened its saber-rattling rhetoric.

G8

The leaders of the G8 club of industrial nations will gather in L'Aquila in Italy next month to discuss how to jump-start the global economy and when and how to unwind international stimulus efforts, along with trade liberalization and climate change. For Obama it will be an opportunity to build on his efforts to restore the United States' international standing after his predecessor, George W. Bush, alienated many allies with his go-it-alone diplomacy.

(Editing by Eric Walsh)