DETROIT/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - General Motors Corp will file for bankruptcy later on Monday, U.S. officials said, forcing the 100-year-old automaker once seen as a symbol of American economic might and dynamism into a new and uncertain era of government ownership.

BEIJING (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Monday reassured the Chinese government that its huge holdings of dollar assets are safe and reaffirmed his faith in a strong U.S. currency.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama makes a second foray into European diplomacy this week facing pressure to demonstrate his consensus-building foreign policy can produce results where his predecessor George W. Bush's go-it-alone style failed.

Reuters - General Motors Corp will file for bankruptcy later on Monday, U.S. officials said, forcing the 100-year-old automaker once seen as a symbol of American economic might and dynamism into a new and uncertain era of government ownership.

Reuters - U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Monday reassured the Chinese government that its huge holdings of dollar assets are safe and reaffirmed his faith in a strong U.S. currency.

Reuters - U.S. President Barack Obama makes a second foray into European diplomacy this week facing pressure to demonstrate his consensus-building foreign policy can produce results where his predecessor George W. Bush's go-it-alone style failed.

AFP - Defying international pressure, North Korea was reported to have moved a long-range missile to a military base for a planned launch that would deepen tensions in the wake of its nuclear test.

AP - A bomb exploded Monday at a wholesale produce market in southern Baghdad, killing four people and wounding 14, Iraqi police officials said.

AP - North Korea is preparing to launch its most advanced missile, believed to be capable of reaching Alaska, from its west coast near China, news reports said Monday.

AP - It's go time for President Barack Obama's promise to enact a sweeping health care overhaul this year.

AP - The military lifted curfews Monday in seven towns in the Swat Valley in a further sign of confidence that its military offensive against the Taliban there is making progress, though violence flared elsewhere.

AP - Scottish singer Susan Boyle was taken to a London clinic for treatment following her second-place finish in a nationwide talent competition, a newspaper reported Monday.

AP - A Detroit Red Wings fan, with a toy octopi strapped on his back, led a one-man chant after the defending champions took their second straight 2-0 lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup finals.

AFP - General Motors will declare bankruptcy Monday, ending an era in US manufacturing and setting a path for the government to take a majority stake in what was once the world's largest corporation.

PARIS (Reuters) - An Air France plane on its way from Brazil to Paris has not arrived and has disappeared from radar screens, a spokeswoman for the Paris airports authority said on Monday.

LONDON (Reuters) - British internet singing star Susan Boyle has been admitted to a private clinic after being beaten into second place in the final of the popular 'Britain's Got Talent' television contest, British media reported.

AP - Brazil's Air Force says an Air France jet bound from Rio de Janeiro to Paris disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean and a search is under way near the Brazilian island of Fernando de Noronha.

AP - A man suspected of shooting and killing a well-known doctor who performed late-term abortions was in jail Monday while investigators sought to learn more about his background, including the extent of his connections to anti-abortion groups.

AP - Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner sought to assure America's biggest creditors on Monday that the Obama administration is committed to attacking soaring budget deficits.

AP - The number of Iraqi civilians killed in war-related violence fell dramatically in May after what was the bloodiest month this year, Iraqi officials said Monday.

Reuters - An Air France plane that has gone missing on its way from Rio to Paris is an Airbus 330-200, according to the French airports authority website.

AFP - An Air France passenger jet with 215 people on board is missing after dropping off radar over the Atlantic off the Brazilian coast Monday, a Paris airport official said.

PARIS (Reuters) - An Air France plane with 228 people on board went missing on its way from Brazil to Paris on Monday, after hitting strong turbulence, prompting military jets to take off from both sides of the Atlantic to search for it.

DETROIT/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - General Motors Corp filed for bankruptcy on Monday, forcing the 100-year-old automaker once seen as a symbol of American economic might and dynamism into a new and uncertain era of government ownership.

LONDON (Reuters) - British internet singing star Susan Boyle has been admitted to a private clinic after being beaten into second place in the final of the popular 'Britain's Got Talent' television contest, British media reported.

AP - General Motors has filed for bankruptcy protection as part of an Obama administration plan to shrink the automaker to a sustainable size and give a majority ownership stake to the federal government.

AP - Air France says the Airbus jet that disappeared en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris sent an automatic signal indicating electrical problems while going through an area of strong turbulence.

AP - Iraqi civilian deaths fell dramatically in May after what was the bloodiest month of the year, officials said Monday. A bomb in a Baghdad market killed four people — a sign that the city remains far from secure.

AP - U.S. stock futures pointed higher Monday as data on the manufacturing industry added to hopes that the global economy may soon recover.

AP - Scottish singer Susan Boyle was suffering from exhaustion after taking second place in a TV talent competition that turned the humble church volunteer into an Internet sensation and global star, the show's producers said Monday.

AP - Valtteri Filppula and Jonathan Ericsson scored in the second period and the resilient Detroit Red Wings opened a two-game lead over Pittsburgh in the Stanley Cup finals for the second year in a row, winning 3-1 in Game 2 on Sunday night.

Reuters - An Air France plane with 228 people on board went missing on its way from Brazil to Paris on Monday, after hitting strong turbulence, prompting military jets to take off from both sides of the Atlantic to search for it.

Reuters - General Motors Corp filed for bankruptcy on Monday, forcing the 100-year-old automaker once seen as a symbol of American economic might and dynamism into a new and uncertain era of government ownership.

AFP - An Air France jet carrying 228 people on a Rio de Janeiro-Paris flight went missing over the Atlantic on Monday amid mounting fears it had crashed into the ocean.

PARIS (Reuters) - An Air France plane with 228 people on board disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean on its way from Brazil to Paris on Monday after hitting strong turbulence and French officials said they feared a disaster.

BEIJING/LONDON (Reuters) - Manufacturing from China to Europe is showing signs of improvement, suggesting the global economy may be over the worst of a recession despite U.S. carmaker General Motors filing for bankruptcy protection.

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) - A Kansas doctor reviled by anti-abortion groups for his work providing 'late-term' abortions was shot and killed in his Wichita, Kansas church on Sunday, and police said they captured the man responsible.

AP - A missing Air France jet carrying 228 people from Rio de Janeiro to Paris ran into lightning and strong thunderstorms over the Atlantic Ocean, officials said Monday. Brazil began a search mission off its northeastern coast.

AP - General Motors Corp. says it will permanently close nine more plants and idle three others to trim production and labor costs under bankruptcy protection.

AP - Frugal consumers trimmed spending in April — although by less than expected — as rising unemployment kept pocketbooks in check and motivated Americans to save.

AP - Stocks are extending their gains on news that construction spending and manufacturing activity are improving.

AP - Roger Federer rallied from a two-set deficit Monday to keep his French Open bid alive.

Reuters - An Air France plane with 228 people on board disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean on its way from Brazil to Paris on Monday after hitting strong turbulence and French officials said they feared a disaster.

Reuters - Manufacturing from China to Europe is showing signs of improvement, suggesting the global economy may be over the worst of a recession despite U.S. carmaker General Motors filing for bankruptcy protection.

Reuters - A Kansas doctor reviled by anti-abortion groups for his work providing 'late-term' abortions was shot and killed in his Wichita, Kansas church on Sunday, and police said they captured the man responsible.

AFP - An Air France jet carrying 228 people on a Rio de Janeiro-Paris flight was feared to have crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on Monday after suffering an electrical failure while flying through a fierce storm, officials said.

AFP - General Motors filed for bankruptcy protection Monday, culminating the collapse of the automaker that once symbolized American global industrial might.

PARIS (Reuters) - An Air France plane with 228 people on board was presumed to have crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on Monday after hitting heavy turbulence during a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - Taliban militants kidnapped about 300 students, teachers and their relatives traveling in a convoy of mini-buses in Pakistan's restive northwestern region Monday, police said.

LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Global manufacturing showed signs of improvement on Monday, suggesting the world economy may be over the worst of the recession even as U.S. carmaker General Motors Corp filed for bankruptcy protection.

LONDON (Reuters) - Talent show contestant Susan Boyle's giddying rise from unemployed Scottish church volunteer to global superstar has come at a price, in what is being seen as a cautionary tale for the celebrity age.

AP - President Barack Obama pushed General Motors Corp. into bankruptcy on Monday and said it was part of a 'viable achievable plan that will give this iconic company a chance to rise again.'

AP - Suspected militants armed with rockets, grenades and automatic weapons abducted some 400 students, staff and relatives driving away from a boy's school in a troubled tribal region in northwest Pakistan on Monday, police and a witness said.

AP - Frugal consumers trimmed spending in April — although by less than expected — as rising unemployment kept pocketbooks in check and motivated Americans to save.

AP - Car and pedestrian traffic flowed smoothy through U.S. border crossings Monday, the first day that Americans coming home from Mexico and Canada faced stricter identification requirements, officials and travelers said.

AP - Wall Street is getting a boost from reports that paint a more upbeat picture of the global economy.

Reuters - An Air France plane with 228 people on board was presumed to have crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on Monday after hitting heavy turbulence during a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

Reuters - Taliban militants kidnapped about 300 students, teachers and their relatives traveling in a convoy of mini-buses in Pakistan's restive northwestern region Monday, police said.

Reuters - Global manufacturing showed signs of improvement on Monday, suggesting the world economy may be over the worst of the recession even as U.S. carmaker General Motors Corp filed for bankruptcy protection.

AFP - An Air France jet carrying 228 people from Rio de Janeiro to Paris was feared to have crashed into the Atlantic on Monday after suffering an electrical failure in a fierce storm.

PARIS (Reuters) - An Air France plane with 228 people on board was presumed to have crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on Monday after hitting stormy weather during a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - Taliban militants in northwest Pakistan kidnapped up to 400 students from a military-run college, with teachers and relatives, on Monday as they were traveling in mini-buses, police said.

AP - President Barack Obama pushed a humbled General Motors Corp. into bankruptcy on Monday and said the federal government will act as 'reluctant shareholder' when it assumes a 60 percent ownership of the smaller carmaker that emerges.

AP - Taliban militants armed with rockets, grenades and automatic weapons abducted at least 400 students, staff and relatives driving away from a boy's school in a northwest Pakistani tribal region on Monday, police and a witness said.

Reuters - An Air France plane with 228 people on board was presumed to have crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on Monday after hitting stormy weather during a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

AFP - An Air France jet carrying 228 people from Rio de Janeiro to Paris is believed to have crashed into the Atlantic on Monday after suffering an electrical failure in a fierce storm.

AFP - General Motors filed for bankruptcy protection Monday, seeking a quick restructuring to allow the former American industrial icon to emerge leaner and wipe out massive debts.

AP - Taliban militants ambushed a convoy of vehicles carrying at least 400 students, staff and relatives from a boys' school Monday, taking dozens — possibly hundreds — captive in northwestern Pakistan, officials said.

AP - Fresh signs emerged Monday that the recession is letting up.

AP - The stock market started June with a rally thanks to more benign economic data.

AP - Now that it's over, it's fair to ask: Was 'Britain's Got Talent' worth it?

AFP - An Air France plane with 228 people on board disappeared over the Atlantic on Monday after suffering multiple breakdowns in a fierce electrical storm on a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal judge rejected on Monday a U.S. government request to keep secret the unclassified evidence that it says justifies the continued imprisonment of more than 100 Guantanamo Bay prisoners.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Global manufacturing showed signs of improvement on Monday, suggesting the world economy may be over the worst of the recession even as General Motors Corp filed for bankruptcy protection.

LONDON (Reuters) - British singing sensation Susan Boyle was admitted to a London clinic suffering from emotional exhaustion after being beaten in the final of the 'Britain's Got Talent' TV contest, judges on the show said on Monday.

AP - In a defining moment for American capitalism, President Barack Obama ushered General Motors Corp. into bankruptcy protection Monday and put the government behind the wheel of the company that once symbolized the nation's economic muscle.

AP - Taliban militants ambushed a convoy of vehicles carrying at least 400 students, staff and relatives from a boys' school Monday, taking dozens — possibly hundreds — captive in northwestern Pakistan, officials said.

AP - Conan O'Brien debuts as 'Tonight' show host Monday, taking over television's most historic late-night franchise in a transition five years in the making.

AP - Roger Federer knows full well, of course, that Rafael Nadal is no longer around this year to befuddle him, to beat him, to stand between him and a French Open title.

Reuters - Pakistani authorities negotiated on Tuesday for the release of about 200 students and staff from a military-run college abducted by Taliban militants as they traveled home for a holiday.

Reuters - A federal judge rejected on Monday a U.S. government request to keep secret the unclassified evidence that it says justifies the continued imprisonment of more than 100 Guantanamo Bay prisoners.

Reuters - Global manufacturing showed signs of improvement on Monday, suggesting the world economy may be over the worst of the recession even as General Motors Corp filed for bankruptcy protection.

PARIS/RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - An Air France jet disappeared after hitting stormy weather over the Atlantic Ocean on Monday and all 228 people on board were feared dead.

DETROIT/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - General Motors Corp filed for bankruptcy on Monday, as the Obama administration took the first steps in court to try to revive a failed icon of American industry by extended unprecedented funding and oversight.

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistani authorities negotiated on Tuesday for the release of about 200 students and staff from a military-run college abducted by Taliban militants as they traveled home for a holiday.

AP - An Air France jet with 228 people on a flight to Paris vanished over the Atlantic Ocean after flying into towering thunderstorms and sending an automated message that the electrical system had failed. A vast search began Monday, but all aboard were feared killed.

AP - General Motors' bankruptcy filing will do what its past chief executives could not — cleanse the century-old company of burdensome labor costs, unprofitable old factories and a boatload of debt.

Reuters - General Motors Corp filed for bankruptcy on Monday, as the Obama administration took the first steps in court to try to revive a failed icon of American industry by extended unprecedented funding and oversight.

DETROIT/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - General Motors Corp filed for bankruptcy on Monday as the Obama administration took the first steps to try to revive a failed icon of American industry by extending unprecedented federal funding and oversight.

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean media reports on Tuesday said North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has anointed his youngest son to continue the family dynasty that has ruled the impoverished communist state since it was founded.

Reuters - General Motors Corp filed for bankruptcy on Monday as the Obama administration took the first steps to try to revive a failed icon of American industry by extending unprecedented federal funding and oversight.

Reuters - South Korean media reports on Tuesday said North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has anointed his youngest son to continue the family dynasty that has ruled the impoverished communist state since it was founded.

Reuters - Scores of kidnapped Pakistani students and staff of a military-run college abducted by Taliban militants in the northwest of the country were recovered on Tuesday, a military spokesman said.

AFP - The search continued through the night for an Air France plane that disappeared over the Atlantic, but little hope remained that any of 228 people on board would be found alive.

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has told top officials to pledge loyalty to his youngest son, signaling his anointment as heir to the family dynasty that has ruled since the state's founding, a lawmaker and South Korean media said on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Overhauling the U.S. healthcare system to contain soaring costs and expand medical coverage to the uninsured would help boost U.S. economic output, lower budget deficits and raise workers' incomes, a White House report said on Tuesday.

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Scores of kidnapped Pakistani students and staff from a military-run college who were abducted by Taliban militants in the northwest of the country were rescued on Tuesday, a military spokesman said.

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese officials are giving U.S. efforts to prime its ailing economy a vote of confidence and understand why higher budget deficits are necessary, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Tuesday.

AP - Troops manning a checkpoint Tuesday rescued dozens of students, teachers and staff from a boys school who had been taken captive by militants in the northwest, the Pakistani military said.

AP - Defense Secretary Robert Gates isn't ruling out spending more on missile defense than what he's asked for in next year's budget if North Korea or other nations increase threats against the United States.

AP - North Korea told its diplomatic missions that Kim Jong Il's youngest son — who reportedly enjoys skiing and studied English, German and French at a Swiss school — will be the nation's next leader, a South Korean lawmaker and newspapers said Tuesday.

AP - Scientists looking for lost penguins stumbled upon an effective method: Follow their poop from space.

AP - A nervous Conan O'Brien debuted as host of 'The Tonight Show' Monday. He started his first monologue after a long filmed segment supposedly depicting him running from New York to Los Angeles.

AP - Joba Chamberlain allowed two runs in a career-high eight innings and the New York Yankees set a record for consecutive games without making an error in a 5-2 victory against the Cleveland Indians on Monday.

Reuters - North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has told top officials to pledge loyalty to his youngest son, signaling his anointment as heir to the family dynasty that has ruled since the state's founding, a lawmaker and South Korean media said on Tuesday.

Reuters - Overhauling the U.S. healthcare system to contain soaring costs and expand medical coverage to the uninsured would help boost U.S. economic output, lower budget deficits and raise workers' incomes, a White House report said on Tuesday.

Reuters - Scores of kidnapped Pakistani students and staff from a military-run college who were abducted by Taliban militants in the northwest of the country were rescued on Tuesday, a military spokesman said.

Reuters - Chinese officials are giving U.S. efforts to prime its ailing economy a vote of confidence and understand why higher budget deficits are necessary, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Tuesday.

AFP - Pakistan said soldiers rescued 80 kidnapped staff and students in a sting operation during a fierce battle, one day after they were snatched by masked Taliban gunmen.