IBT Staff Reporter

Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili was buried before thousands of mourners in his snowbound hometown Saturday as debate raged over the safety of the track that claimed his life at the Vancouver Olympics.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on Saturday dropped her legal case challenging the election of rival Viktor Yanukovich as president, saying the court could not be trusted to reach a fair verdict.

President Barack Obama urged Democrats and Republicans on Saturday to find common ground at a White House summit next week he hopes will rejuvenate efforts to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system.

The countries using the euro currency will together provide aid worth between 20 billion and 25 billion euros ($27.2 billion and $34 billion ) for Greece, according to Germany's Finance Ministry, a magazine reported on Saturday.

Corrects currency in first paragraphThe countries using the euro currency will together provide aid worth between 20 billion and 25 billion euros ($27.2 billion and $34 billion ) for Greece, according to Germany's Finance Ministry, a magazine reported on Saturday.

Greece's financial problems have scared other government into taking action to strengthen their finances, and any talk of a chain reaction affecting other countries should be avoided, Finland said on Saturday.

The head of Dutch ABP, the world's third-largest sovereign pension fund, has resigned over an investigation into a failed savings bank where he once sat on the board, ANP-Reuters said.

Iran sees an increase in oil demand in the second half of 2010 by between 1 and 1.4 million bpd which the major OPEC producer thinks will cause a rise in oil prices, Iranian media said on Saturday.

Simon Property Group Inc said it could not agree to conditions General Growth Properties Inc wanted to impose before talks about Simon's $10 billion bid for the No. 2 U.S. mall owner.

Schlumberger Ltd is in advanced talks to buy Smith International Inc, The Wall Street Journal said, in a move that would expand the oilfield services leader's arsenal as the weakened sector begins to recover.

Sweden waited eight years but finally got revenge for one of the biggest upsets in Olympic men's ice hockey with a 4-2 win over Belarus on Friday.

Canada's stated aim of winning a lion's share of medals in their home Games has led to high excitement in the streets of Vancouver and hopes for a lasting legacy, Canadian Olympics chief Chris Rudge said on Friday.

Aksel Lund Svindal flashed down Whistler mountain to win the men's super-G Friday and deny American Bode Miller an elusive gold medal at the Winter Olympics as Norway stormed up the medals table.

Yevgeny Plushenko accused his rivals of not moving with the times but Evan Lysacek cracked the code to the new scoring system to win Olympic gold and show it was the Russian who was stuck in the past.

The largest U.S. auto insurer alerted regulators earlier than first believed about a worrying trend of accidents involving Toyota Motor Corp vehicles, while the Obama administration's top transportation official said on Friday he would not relax pressure on the carmaker.

President Barack Obama is expected to publish his healthcare plan as early as Sunday or Monday, combining features of the two Democratic bills passed by the Senate and House of Representatives, congressional aides and healthcare advocates said on Friday.

U.S. securities regulators will consider new short sale restrictions at an open meeting next week, a person familiar with regulators' plans said on Friday.

The Federal Reserve on Friday poured more cold water on speculation that a surprise rise in its emergency lending rate signaled it was moving faster to rein in its easy money policies.

Harrah's Entertainment Inc, one of the world's largest casino operators, said on Friday it acquired the 2,500-room Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

Simon Property Group Inc said it could not agree to conditions General Growth Properties Inc.

The U.S. International Trade Commission said on Friday it has agreed to investigate Apple Inc's patent infringement complaint against Nokia Oyj, as the legal battle between the two technology heavyweights continues to play out.

Major U.S. stock indices closed higher on Friday as the market shook off initial fears stemming from the Fed's discount rate hike and saw the positive implications for such move.

Top executives at The New York Times Co. went into great detail to discuss their new metered model system that the company intends to launch on its web site next year.

U.S. home improvement chains Home Depot and Lowe's Cos must find a quick fix for their sagging sales to retain investor confidence in 2010.

An online survey of 895 Web users and experts found more than three-quarters believe the Internet will make people smarter in the next 10 years, according to results released on Friday.

U.S. stocks rose on Friday as investors took the Federal Reserve's discount rate increase as evidence the financial system is healing but worried the eventual withdrawal of easy money will hurt Wall Street.

Consumer prices edged higher in January, while prices excluding food and energy fell for the first time in 27 years, supporting the Federal Reserve's contention it would keep its benchmark interest rate low for an extended period.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is considering his options on resuming indirect peace talks with Israel after meeting U.S. and European diplomats this week, a senior aide said on Friday.

An online survey of 895 Web users and experts found more than three-quarters believe the Internet will make people smarter in the next 10 years, according to results released on Friday.