UNITED STATES

Germany heaved a sigh of relief on Saturday over a deal with Canadian auto parts group Magna, General Motors and the U.S. government to save carmaker Opel from the imminent bankruptcy of its U.S. parent.

General Motors Corp on Saturday finished a key piece of business before a bankruptcy filing planned for Monday as the deadline for bondholders to accept an exchange offer brokered by the Obama administration expired.

Three private equity firms have agreed to invest up to $450 million in First Southern Bancorp Inc, giving them control of a small Florida lender that could be used to acquire more banks.

The National Ignition Facility - the U.S. largest laser system to date which aims to achieve self-sustaining nuclear fusion and energy gain – formally opened on Friday at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California.

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's health has improved and she is ready to face a verdict that could see the Nobel laureate jailed for up to five years, her lawyers said on Saturday.

Pakistani forces have regained full control of Mingora, a week after re-entering the main town in the Swat valley to dislodge thousands of Taliban fighters, the military said on Saturday.

The United States has made a new request for Australia to accept a group of detainees from Guantanamo Bay for resettlement, a government spokeswoman said on Saturday.

Wall Street faces a historic shake-up next week as General Motors, a pillar of American industry, heads into bankruptcy, but the market could advance further if economic data signals the worst of the recession has passed.

General Motors Corp will find out on Saturday if investors holding $27 billion in the automaker's bonds will accept an exchange offer as it races to tie up loose ends before a bankruptcy filing next week.

Germany heaved a sigh of relief on Saturday over a deal with Canadian auto parts group Magna, General Motors and the U.S. government to save carmaker Opel from the imminent bankruptcy of its U.S. parent.

Global Internet sensation Susan Boyle competes in the final of Britain's Got Talent on Saturday amid signs she is struggling to cope with her sudden rise to stardom and constant media intrusion.

Germany reached a landmark deal with Canadian auto parts group Magna, General Motors and governments to save carmaker Opel from the imminent bankruptcy of its U.S. parent, German leaders said on Saturday.

The U.S. bankruptcy judge overseeing Chrysler LLC's bankruptcy case said on Friday he would issue an opinion sometime on Monday on the automaker's proposed sale of most assets to a new company run by Italy's Fiat SpA.

The European Union, the United States and Russia will hold detailed ministerial talks next week on Moscow's bid to join the World Trade Organization, diplomats said on Friday.

- A U.S. judge has given final approval to $695 million in settlements to shareholders suing Qwest Communications International Inc for securities fraud.

The U.S. bankruptcy judge overseeing Chrysler LLC's bankruptcy case said on Friday he would issue an opinion sometime on Monday on the automaker's proposed sale of most assets to a new company run by Italy's Fiat SpA.

Germany reached a landmark deal with Canadian auto parts group Magna, General Motors and governments to save carmaker Opel from the imminent bankruptcy of its U.S. parent, German leaders said on Saturday.

U.S. auto parts maker Visteon Corp received interim court approval on Friday to pay employees, parts suppliers and vendors, but it still lacks debtor-in-possession financing to keep it afloat during its restructuring.

Rewarding employees for hard work, and not just for showing up, has become a key tenet of good corporate compensation policy. So why are some Wall Street firms sending a very different message?

President Barack Obama said he will name a White House-level czar to coordinate government efforts to fight an epidemic of cybercrime, which even touched his presidential campaign.

Stocks rose on Friday, capping their third straight monthly advance, as rising commodity prices lifted shares of natural resource companies, while a sliding dollar boosted the allure of multinationals, including Coca-Cola Co .