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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ailing Sen. Edward Kennedy, 76, was released from a hospital on Wednesday, a day after suffering a seizure at an inaugural lunch for President Barack Obama, a Kennedy spokeswoman said. "His spirits are good, and doctors want him to get some rest," the spokeswoman added, giving no indication when the Massachusetts Democrat may return to work. Kennedy, who is fig ...

By Jane Sutton GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba (Reuters) - A U.S. military judge on Wednesday halted the trial of five prisoners accused of plotting the September 11 attacks, giving President Barack Obama the time he sought to decide whether to scrap the Guantanamo war crimes tribunals. Obama has pledged to shut down the Guantanamo prison camp that was widely seen as a stain on  ...

DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Corp on Wednesday said its global vehicle sales for 2008 had dropped 11 percent, allowing rival Toyota Motor Corp to surpass it as the world's largest automaker for the first time. GM, now struggling to restructure under a $13.4 billion U.S. government bailout, had held the title as the global auto industry leader for 77 years and used the line in its mark ...

KHARTOUM (Reuters) A Sudanese man on Wednesday denied murdering a U.S. diplomat and his driver in Khartoum, but he told a court he thought killing "American unbelievers" was honorable. Mohamed Makkawi Ibrahim Mohamed is one of five men accused of murdering John Granville, a 33-year-old officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development, and his driver, Abdelrahman Abbas Rahama, 39.  ...

By Tim Cocks BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Many U.S. troops in Iraq were overjoyed to see President Barack Obama take his oath, but some were unhappy about one thing the Democrat has promised to do: permit gay and lesbian soldiers to serve openly. Obama said during his campaign he opposed a 1993 law stating that homosexuals are not eligible to work in the U.S. military, widely referred to as t ...

By Kevin Krolicki DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Corp Chief Operating Officer Fritz Henderson said the automaker expected to receive a delayed U.S. government loan payment in the next several days that it needs to avoid running out of cash. Separately, Henderson said GM had been in touch with the Swedish government and potential investors for Saab as it looks to sell that brand t ...

KABUL (Reuters) - U.S. General David Petraeus met Afghan President Hamid Karzai overnight, U.S. officials said on Wednesday, after the regional military chief said deals had been made on new transport routes into Afghanistan from Central Asia. The U.S. military has had to look at new ways to help supply its troops in the landlocked country from the north after Taliban militants have attacke ...

Barack Obama has requested the suspension of all military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay, in his first major act as the new US president. The request would halt proceedings in 21 pending cases, including one against five men accused of plotting the 11 September 2001 attacks. The halt would give Mr Obama time to review the tribunal process. The new president is beginning his first working day by meeting economic advisers and top military commanders. Most of his cabinet is in place but several ke ...

(Reuters) - Frank DiPascali Jr, a key lieutenant of Bernard Madoff, is a potential point man in the investigation of the alleged fraud Madoff ran for decades, the Wall Street Journal said, citing a criminal complaint and people familiar with the matter. Federal investigators are interested in information DiPascali can provide about the inner workings of Madoff's operation, who -- if anyone  ...

By Steve Holland and Caren Bohan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Barack Obama took power as the first black U.S. president on Tuesday and quickly turned the page on the Bush years, urging Americans to rally to end the worst economic crisis in generations and repair the U.S. image abroad. "Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking Ameri ...