AP - General Motors Corp., Chrysler LLC and Cerberus Capital Management LP have held preliminary talks about a merger or an acquisition of Chrysler by GM, according to a person familiar with the talks.

AP - After North Korea relented on nuclear inspection demands, the U.S. on Saturday erased from a terrorism blacklist the communist country President Bush once branded part of an "axis of evil."

AP - President Bush and foreign financial officials displayed joint resolve Saturday to combat the unfolding financial crisis, hoping to calm investors whose panic has spread despite bold and accelerating government action.

AFP - Austrian far-right leader Joerg Haider died in a road accident Saturday, APA news agency reported quoting the police.

AFP - The Republican presidential ticket was on the defensive Saturday after investigators found vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin had abused her powers as Alaska governor.

Reuters - U.S. President George W. Bush on Friday called Cuba a "dungeon" and vowed Washington would not lift its economic embargo until Havana released political prisoners and allowed free expression.

Reuters - Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sen. Ted Stevens had a "sterling" reputation for integrity as he vouched for the Alaska Republican at the lawmaker's corruption trial on Friday.

Reuters - North Korean state TV broadcast pictures of Kim Jong-il on Saturday as the reclusive country stepped up its campaign to show its leader was healthy after reports surfaced last month he may have suffered a stroke.

Reuters - The United States is developing plans to buy equity stakes in financial institutions, providing another weapon in its war against financial market turmoil, U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said on Friday.

Reuters - General Motors has had talks with smaller rival Chrysler LLC about a merger that would combine the No. 1 and No. 3 American automakers at a time when both are struggling to cut costs and shore up cash, according to a source briefed on the matter.

Reuters - An Alaska ethics inquiry found on Friday that Gov. Sarah Palin, the U.S. Republican vice presidential candidate, abused her authority by pressuring subordinates to fire a state trooper involved in a feud with her family.

Reuters - Democrat Barack Obama holds a 4-point lead over Republican rival John McCain in a tight race for the White House, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Saturday.

Reuters - The U.S. government pushed on Saturday to finish a plan to buy direct stakes in American banks as finance ministers from around the world struggled to find ways to stop the deepening financial crisis and shore up markets.

AP - Daisuke Matsuzaka's brilliant escape act bewildered Tampa Bay and put the Boston Red Sox on top in the AL championship series.