http://www.earthtimes.org The Earth Times online newspaper, serving the planet with news that matters. Covering current affairs, world news, environmental affairs and sport en-us PHP/4.4.4 http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293398,extra-merkel-calls-obama-to-raise-pressure-on-general-motors.html Berlin - German Chancellor Angela Merkel called US President Barack Obama on Thursday to urge action on a new strategic plan for troubled European carmaker Opel, after parent company General Motors said that they would not sell the firm. The Chancel... Europe,World Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:04:39 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293398,extra-merkel-calls-obama-to-raise-pressure-on-general-motors.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293272,extra-gm-defends-opel-u-turn-as-best-for-both-companies-future.html Washington - US carmaker General Motors said Wednesday it was confident it could silence the skeptics over its surprising decision to keep European subsidiary Opel, which has drawn sharp rebukes from the German government. John Smith, GM's vice presi... US,Business Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:10:19 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293272,extra-gm-defends-opel-u-turn-as-best-for-both-companies-future.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291550,opels-future-thrown-into-doubt-as-gm-mulls-sale.html Berlin - US carmaker General Motors' sale of its troubled Opel unit has been thrown into uncertainty after GM said Friday it was putting the deal on hold until next month amid speculation it may seek to retain control of its European offshoot. The De... Business Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:28:47 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291550,opels-future-thrown-into-doubt-as-gm-mulls-sale.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292059,us-electric-cars-to-be-built-at-old-gm-gas.html Washington - A fledgling US electric car maker Tuesday said it is converting an abandoned General Motors plant in the north-east state of Delaware to build two lines of plug-in hybrid cars. Fisker Automotive, which has another production line in Cali... Cars,General Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:34:36 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292059,us-electric-cars-to-be-built-at-old-gm-gas.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294258,gm-hold-talks-with-germany-on-future-of-its-opel-unit.html Berlin - Giant US carmaker General Motors Co launched fresh talks with the German government Wednesday on a restructuring plan for its troubled European offshoot, Opel. But while GM vice president John Smith met with key officials, the US auto group ... Cars,General Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:52:21 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294258,gm-hold-talks-with-germany-on-future-of-its-opel-unit.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294273,gm-needs-33-billion-euros-for-opel-revamp--summary.html Berlin - Giant US carmaker General Motors Co will need about 3.3 billion euros (5 billion dollars) for the restructuring of its troubled European Opel offshoot, German Economics and Technology Minister Rainer Bruederle said Wednesday. Speaking after ... Business Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:46:22 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294273,gm-needs-33-billion-euros-for-opel-revamp--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293626,european-head-of-general-motors-quits--summary.html Ruesselsheim, Germany/Washington - The European head of General Motors, Carl-Peter Forster, is quitting after GM's surprise U-turn over European subsidiary Opel, the US carmaker confirmed Friday. Detroit-based GM did not give a reason for Forster's d... Business Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:22:25 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293626,european-head-of-general-motors-quits--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293621,gms-european-head-quits-company-confirms.html Washington - The head of General Motors' European subsidiary is quitting, the carmaker confirmed Friday, just days after GM's surprise announcement that it was holding onto its troubled European operations. Carl-Peter Forster, president of Opel Europ... Business Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:16:21 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293621,gms-european-head-quits-company-confirms.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293212,spanish-analysts-hope-for-new-and-better-deal-for-opel.html Zaragoza, Spain - Spanish Opel employees on Wednesday expressed concern that General Motors' decision not to sell the carmaker meant a return to point zero in negotiations about the future of Opel in Spain and elsewhere in Europe. Some analysts, ho... Business Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:46:22 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293212,spanish-analysts-hope-for-new-and-better-deal-for-opel.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293210,putin-spokesman-astonishment-over-gm-decision-on-opel.html Moscow - The Russian government expressed its surprise Wednesday at the decision by US car giant General Motors to hold onto its European subsidiary Opel and not to sell it. Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, was quoted by ... Business Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:40:18 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293210,putin-spokesman-astonishment-over-gm-decision-on-opel.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293206,extra-gm-willing-to-return-german-government-loan.html Frankfurt - General Motors is willing to return a German government loan of 1.5 billion euros (2.2 billion dollars) which helped GM's European unit Opel to avert bankruptcy in May, an Opel spokeswoman said in Frankfurt Wednesday. German government of... Business Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:28:29 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293206,extra-gm-willing-to-return-german-government-loan.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293088,gm-board-considers-opel-sale-to-magna-after-new-concerns-surface.html Washington - General Motors' board Tuesday was weighing its final decision on whether to sell Opel to the Canadian car parts manufacturer Magna, as last minute questions surfaced about whether there had been political pressure on the deal. One of the... US,Business Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:22:20 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293088,gm-board-considers-opel-sale-to-magna-after-new-concerns-surface.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293028,gm-to-avail-itself-of-another-28-billion-dollars-in-aid.html New York - Ailing US carmaker General Motors (GM) plans to draw on another 2.8 billion dollars in aid from the US government in an effort to purchase parts of Delphi, a car parts maker spun off from GM in 1999. The Monday night announcement means the... US,Business Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:52:23 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293028,gm-to-avail-itself-of-another-28-billion-dollars-in-aid.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293022,opel-employees-agree-to-restructuring-deal-with-magna.html Ruesselsheim - Employees of ailing German carmaker Opel agreed to a restructuring deal with its proposed future owner, Canadian car parts manufacturer Magna, on Tuesday. The workforce at General Motors' European subsidiary was willing to forfeit 265 ... Business Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:10:25 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293022,opel-employees-agree-to-restructuring-deal-with-magna.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294586,gm-spat-sends-mixed-message-on-state-aid-for-opel.html Berlin - A disagreement between the two top executives of US automotive giant General Motors (GM) has created confusion about whether or not the firm will get German government money to restructure its European subsidiary Opel. Signs of a power strug... Business Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:46:26 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294586,gm-spat-sends-mixed-message-on-state-aid-for-opel.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293256,gmu-turn-shocks-berlin-and-moscow-angers-workers--summary.html Berlin - German leaders were left licking their wounds on Wednesday after the U-turn by General Motors (GM) over the sale of its ailing subsidiary Opel triggered shock and annoyance, as well as concern... Europe,World Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:16:26 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293256,gmu-turn-shocks-berlin-and-moscow-angers-workers--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295625,gm-opel-restructuring-plan-by-mid-december-cuts-up-to-25.html Washington - US carmaker General Motors will present a new restructuring plan for its European operations by mid-December, Nick Reilly, the new head of GM Europe, wrote on his new blog Friday. While the details were still being hashed out, Reilly war... US,Business Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:52:18 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295625,gm-opel-restructuring-plan-by-mid-december-cuts-up-to-25.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/290288,sale-of-gm-european-carmaker-faces-last-minute-hurdles.html Berlin - Giant US carmaker General Motors (GM) hopes of signing off on a deal Thursday to sell its European offshoot Opel appear to have run into last-minute problems, company sources told the German Press Agency dpa. Detroit-based GM was expected to... Cars,General Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:34:47 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/290288,sale-of-gm-european-carmaker-faces-last-minute-hurdles.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/289446,gms-opel-future-raised-in-german-coalition-talks.html Berlin - Berlin's state-backed rescue plans for the US carmaker General Motors Co's (GM) troubled European unit Opel emerged Friday as an issue in the talks to form a new German government. My fears are that it has not been correctly thought through... Business Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:05:03 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/289446,gms-opel-future-raised-in-german-coalition-talks.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294050,merkel-hits-out-at-gm-over-opel-revamp--summary.html Berlin - German Chancellor Angela Merkel lashed out Tuesday at giant US carmaker General Motors, saying it would have to bear most of the cost of restructuring its troubled European Opel offshoot. Speaking to parliament, Merkel said GM has not been i... Business Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:10:18 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294050,merkel-hits-out-at-gm-over-opel-revamp--summary.html