IBT Staff Reporter

IBM launched new services and programs on Friday to migrating customers from Sun and HP servers to IBM's System z, particularly on the Linux platform.

The European Union confirmed Friday a proposal to allocate $154 million (€109.4 million) to France from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) for fighting the devastation caused by Hurricane Klaus in south-west France in January.

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

Microsoft unveiled its improved search engine called “Bing” this week and is doing so without the help of Yahoo’s search engine, as negotiations for a possible deal are stalled.

North Korea warned Friday that it would take self-defense measures if the U.N. Security Council punished it for this week's nuclear test.

First Solar Inc shares rose more than three percent on Friday after it announced the signing of a long term supply deal for rooftop and free fields solar projects with Pfalzsozar GMbH, a unit of German Pfalzwerke AG.

Thousands of South Koreans have packed the streets of Seoul on Friday for the funeral of former President Roh Moo-Hyun.

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.

Irish biotech firm Elan Corp is in late-stage talks to sell a minority stake to Bristol-Myers Squibb Co , a deal that could be a precursor to a full takeover of Elan, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.

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.

All the TV ads that came out in support of Green Day's new album, 21st Century Breakdown, featured the lead single Know Your Enemy. But only one advertiser got exclusive footage of the band -- online music service Rhapsody.

Qatar is still considering taking a stake in debt-laden Porsche , or other German auto companies, after the carmaker scaled down a bid for Volkswagen , the prime minister said on Saturday.

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.

Qatar is still studying taking a stake in debt-laden German sports carmaker Porsche , or other German auto companies, after Porsche scaled down a bid for Volkswagen , the prime minister said on Saturday.

Software service provider Novell Inc (Nasdaq: NOVL) on Thursday evening reported higher-than-expected profit for its fiscal second quarter which ended April 30 despite an 8.5 percent fall in revenues reflecting a huge drop in software licenses and services revenue.

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.

Hamas Islamists said on Saturday Fatah forces of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrested 22 of their activists in the West Bank.

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.

Pope Benedict said on Saturday he still had difficulty understanding why God had chosen him to lead the Catholic Church worldwide, recalling his isolated upbringing in a rural community of southern Germany.

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.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Saturday the United States would not accept a nuclear-armed North Korea and he warned Pyongyang against transferring nuclear material overseas.

President Barack Obama pushed back on Saturday at conservative critics of his Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor, accusing them of twisting her words to score political points.

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.

Young job-seekers face a tough time ahead looking for work as the recession deepens, with almost half of 500 firms in a survey saying they will not be taking on school-leavers or graduates this year.

The World Bank announced it has approved a $125 million loan to the Republic of Belarus for a project meant to improve energy efficiency in heat and power generation.

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.

Poorly controlled asthma can lead to serious medical problems for pregnant women and their fetuses.

Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia that allows to edit its content, has implemented a ban contributions that come from computers owned by the Church of Scientology, saying it’s a punishment for repeated and deceptive editing of articles related to the controversial religion.