UNITED STATES

The Hollywood studio behind the Twilight teen franchise said on Friday it has acquired North American rights to distribute jailed director Roman Polanski's latest film, The Ghost Writer.

Diane Sawyer is changing the landscape of American broadcast television news and is likely hoping history won't repeat itself when she becomes the second woman to solo anchor a major evening news program.

Mariah Carey, who hasn't toured in more than three years, will embark on a national Angels Advocate trek beginning December 31 at Madison Square Garden in New York, and wrapping February 27 at the Pearl Concert Theater in Las Vegas.

Irish actress Saoirse Ronan was only 13-years-old when she took the part of a murdered girl who watches over her grieving family in The Lovely Bones. But even at such a young age, she never once worried about playing a dead person.

A U.S. court last year secretly froze more than $2 billion allegedly held for Iran in Citigroup Inc accounts, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing legal documents.

The United States and Japan reached a landmark aviation agreement on Friday, a deal that eases barriers to passenger and cargo services and opens up the possibility for stronger alliances, officials said.

The United States and Japan reached a landmark aviation agreement on Friday, a deal that eases barriers to passenger and cargo services and opens up the possibility for stronger alliances, officials said.

U.S. regulators closed Republic Federal Bank, N.A., SolutionsBank and Valley Capital Bank on Friday, bringing the total number of bank failures so far this year to 133, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp said.

New York gold futures hit a four-week low Friday, reversing initial gains as a resurgent dollar following upbeat U.S. economic data sent jittery bullion investors racing to cut positions.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid urged Chinese President Hu Jintao to address his country's huge trade imbalance with the United States through a significant revaluation of China's currency.

Craigslist's chief executive said on Friday he was so alarmed by a condescending attempt by his counterpart at eBay to reassure him about their relations that he started maneuvering to remove the online auctioneer from his board of directors.

The U.S. pay czar on Friday expanded a crackdown on pay packages at four companies rescued with taxpayer money, limiting most cash salaries at $500,000 for a second tier of top earners.

U.S. securities regulators are looking at what Bank of America disclosed to shareholders as it was acquiring Merrill Lynch, including the investment bank's mounting fourth-quarter losses that eventually topped $15 billion.

The leadership of the United Auto Workers is set to meet next week to name Bob King as the preferred candidate to succeed retiring President Ron Gettlelfinger, two people with knowledge of the plan said.

Two senior Citigroup executives told a group of investors the bank will only pay back government funds this month if it is comfortable with regulators' demands and market conditions, two people at the meeting said.

U.S. securities regulators are looking at what Bank of America (BAC.N) disclosed to shareholders as it was acquiring Merrill Lynch, including the investment bank's mounting fourth-quarter losses that eventually topped $15 billion.

Angelina Jolie and her partner Brad Pitt were very affectionate to each other hugging and caressing at the UNICEF Ball in Beverly Hills, California on Thursday.

Airbus parent EADS is sticking to plans to boycott a potential $50 billion competition to build a U.S. Air Force refueling fleet absent major changes in the way the winner would be picked.

A jailed New York hedge fund manager whose fraud was revealed in the wake of the Madoff scandal, admitted in court on Friday to fabricating client account statements and overstating asset values by hundreds of millions of dollars.

Consumers stepped up their spending in November and grew more optimistic this month, unexpectedly strong data showed on Friday, raising hopes a self-sustaining economic recovery was starting to unfold.

A jailed New York hedge fund manager whose fraud was revealed in the wake of the Madoff scandal, pleaded guilty in court on Friday to charges of bilking investors of an estimated $150 million.