IBT Staff Reporter

Germany raced to overcome a transatlantic spat and growing tensions among Opel bidders to clinch a deal for the German carmaker on Friday, as parent General Motors hurtled toward bankruptcy.

Futures for the Dow Jones industrial average, the Nasdaq 100 and the S&P 500 share indexes rose 0.3-0.5 percent on Friday, pointing to a higher start on Wall Street.

Auto parts supplier Delphi Corp may soon emerge from bankruptcy with the Obama administration's autos industry taskforce pushing for a sale of its assets, possibly to another parts supplier or an investment firm, the New York Times said, citing people briefed on the matter.

Japanese factories raised output by the most in nearly 60 years last month and India grew faster than expected in the March quarter, Friday data showed, further evidence the global economy may have turned a corner.

German efforts to forge a rescue for General Motors unit Opel were under threat on Friday after Italy's Fiat said it would skip crucial talks and a source said frustration was rising at rival bidder Magna.

Oil rose above $65 a barrel on Friday, on track for its largest monthly percentage gain in more than a decade, after Japanese and U.S. data suggested the economic downturn may be moderating.

A group of banks and money managers plan to release a letter to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and other U.S. and overseas regulators to help fend off some rules proposed by the Obama administration that seek to control trading in the derivatives market, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Oil rose to a new six-month high above $65 a barrel on Friday, on track for its largest monthly percentage gain in more than a decade, after government data showed a surprisingly sharp drop in U.S. crude inventories and OPEC left output steady.

The Australian dollar surged to a eight-month high on Friday on the back of rising raw material prices, while crude oil matched a six-month high above $65, up some $4 this week on hopes that a global economic recovery will spur energy demand.

U.S. yellow-pages publisher R.H. Donnelley Corp filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Thursday, court documents showed.

Dell Inc, the world's No.2 PC brand, aspires to be the leader in the Asian market in three years if the economy picks up, a senior executive said on Friday.

Dell Inc, the world's No. 2 PC brand, aspires to be Asia's top PC brand in 3 years if the economy picks up, a senior executive said on Friday.

Oil fell below $65 a barrel on Friday but was on track for its largest monthly percentage gain in more than a decade after government data showed a surprisingly sharp drop in U.S. crude inventories and OPEC left output steady.

The yen rose on Friday, helped by the biggest monthly spike in Japanese industrial output since 1953, while crude prices eased from a six-month high but were still up around $3 this week on expectations of increased demand.

Sony Ericsson introduced a new phone on Thursday that allows consumers to connect to their PlayStation3 gaming consoles, part of its Christmas line-up and its strongest sign yet of integration with parent Sony Corp.

Journalist Roxana Saberi, who was released by Iranian authorities last week, said Thursday she had been under “severe psychological and mental pressure” during interrogations.

New York state Insurance Superintendent Eric Dinallo will resign effective July 3, Governor David Paterson said on Thursday, amid speculation the former prosecutor may run for state attorney general.

A U.S. traffic safety agency has ordered the first recall of Tesla’s electric sports car Roadster over a problem which can cause its rear wheels to come loose.

A proposed class action lawsuit alleges Delta Airlines and AirTran Airways colluded to begin charging customers a $15 fee to check a first bag, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

A key North American executive has resigned from Yahoo Inc, according to an internal memo on Thursday, becoming the latest senior executive to depart as new management shakes up the Internet giant.

Merrill Lynch’s energy trading operations in Houston are having a switch in some key trading positions, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.

Oil surged past $65 a barrel on Thursday to a fresh six-month high after OPEC decided to keep output unchanged and government data showed a steep drop in U.S. crude inventories.

The U.S. recession is fading but the economy will not recover in a meaningful way before the end of this year and deflation remains a risk in this climate, a top Federal Reserve official said on Thursday.

Palm Inc. said on Thursday its newest smart phone the Pre, which is coming soon, will feature Palm Media Sync, Twitter Search and App Catalog.

Top bond-fund manager Bill Gross warned of a slow U.S. recovery in coming years and said investors would do best aiming for modest returns.

Target Corp shareholders dealt a blow to activist investor William Ackman on Thursday, rejecting his slate of proposed directors and voting instead to keep four incumbents on the retailer's board.

Sales of small wind turbines in the United States grew 78 percent in 2008 compared to the previous year, the American Wind Energy Association reported on Thursday.

Venezuela's garrulous President Hugo Chavez on Thursday began a marathon four-day edition of his trademark television show to mark 10 years since the influential and widely watched program first hit the airwaves.

Police in Northern Ireland charged seven men on Thursday with the murder of a Catholic community worker which has stirred up sectarian tensions in the British-controlled province.