IBT Staff Reporter

General Motors Co will begin notifying some of its 1,160 U.S. dealers marked for shutdown that their franchises will be restored after congressionally mandated arbitration, two sources briefed on the matter said on Friday.

EU nations assured financing to bolster military transport strength on Friday by reaching a deal to cover cost overruns for the 3-year delay in the A400M heavy lift plane program.

Grace Groner, a woman who lived in a one- bedroom house in Lake Forest and never showed signs of owning a fortune, donated $7 million to Illinois' Lake Forest College when she died.

Toyota Motor Corp has not adequately supported its contention that it has rigorously evaluated electronic throttle systems for possible problems, lawmakers said on Friday.

Shares of General Growth Properties rose on Friday, their first day back on the New York Stock Exchange, even as the U.S. mall owner operates under bankruptcy protection.

General Motors Co will begin notifying some of its 1,160 U.S. dealers marked for shutdown that their franchises will be restored after congressionally mandated arbitration, two sources briefed on the matter said on Friday.

U.S. stocks rose on Friday as data showed U.S. employers cut fewer jobs than expected last month, offering relief to investors braced for bad labor market news.

Study English, a program specifically aimed at IELTS students, have now come with its third series. Using no scripts, the program is unique as it is presented using authentic, everyday speech. This, in turn, is expected to help the viewers to understand local Australian dialect and informal speech.

The S&P 500 Index gapped higher on Friday and extended gains in the morning trade session as investors continue to cheer the U.S. employment situation report.

European leaders expressed confidence on Friday that new austerity measures planned by Greece would be enough to pull the country out of its debt crisis and make any bailout unnecessary.

Apple officially set the release date of its highly-anticipated iPad for April 3, after months of speculation about when the device would become available to the public.

Toyota Motor Corp vehicles are losing residual value due to safety recalls and a perceived decline in quality, an influential automobile dealer tracking firm said on Friday.

Shares of Apple rallied as it announced the release date of its anticipated iPad.

European nations on Friday have reached an agreement in principle to finance cost overruns on the long-delayed a400m heavy lift transport aircraft, a German Defense Ministry spokesman said Friday, according to the Associated Press.

U.S. stocks rose on Friday as data showed U.S. employers cut fewer jobs than expected last month, signaling a continued recovery in the economy.

Sentiment of U.S. households in the top fifth of the income distribution improved in early 2010 compared with 2009, but worries over personal finances persist, a survey showed on Friday.

Gold and foreign exchange reserves in South Africa have declined marginally for the month of February, said a statement from the South Africa Reserve Bank (SARB) on Friday. It said net gold and foreign exchange reserves declined to US38.281 billion in February from US38.630 billion in January.

The debt crisis plaguing Greece has turned out to be another opportunity for global investment advisors to bat for gold, the hottest commodity traded in the world. And when it comes to gold, what the Swiss investing advisor and analyst Marc Faber says on the economic crisis that has hit Greece is making waves these days. Faber says Greek crisis is just the beginning and the entire Europe will be caught in debt problems. And the commodity that can save people is gold.

New York gold futures rose on Friday, boosted by an oil rally and as the dollar cut initial gains following February's U.S. non-farm payrolls report.* For the latest detailed report.

Oil rose to a seven-week high above $82 a barrel on Friday after a report showed the United States lost fewer jobs than expected in February and on signals China will maintain its economic stimulus measures.

A space observatory has identified has revealed the chemical fingerprints of potentially life-enabling organic molecules in the Orion nebula, a nearby stellar nursery in our Milky Way galaxy.

Apple Inc said the first iPads will be in U.S. stores on April 3 and hit nine international markets from Japan to the United Kingdom later in April.

U.S. stocks rose on Friday as data showed U.S. employers cut a smaller number of jobs than expected last month, signaling a continued recovery in the economy.

Britain's Prudential Plc may quit some countries in Asia should it seal a $35.5 billion buy of American International Group's AIA, sources directly involved with the deal said on Friday, allowing the bulked-up insurer to focus on key markets.

U.S. stocks extended gains on Friday after data showed U.S. employers cut a smaller number of jobs than expected in February, bolstering views the economy was on the brink of creating jobs.

The U.S. stock market continues to rally Friday morning as three reports this week have eased concerns over unemployment.

Singapore raised alert levels on Friday in the Asian financial centre and beefed up security at its airport and new casinos after a warning by its navy of possible attacks on oil tankers in a key shipping lane.

(Reuters) - The White House ratcheted up its push for a quick healthcare vote in the U.S. Congress on Thursday, criticizing rising health insurance premiums at a meeting with top industry executives and wooing key lawmakers.

Russia will not use a warship it agreed to buy from France last month against any NATO ally, the military alliance's Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Friday after some eastern European states expressed concern.