Opel’s future still up in the air

25/08/09 20:02 CET

corporate

| |

The future of Opel and Vauxhall remains unclear after a meeting between German national and regional government officials and General Motors’ vice president John Smith.

Various reports have said that GM is still interested in finding an investor for a controlling interest in its European division or that it would prefer not to sell. The two bidders are Canadian car parts maker Magna and Belgium-based RHJ International. Last Friday GM’s board of directors declined to endorse a sale to either. Reportedly GM fears that a sale to Magna would mean some of its car technologies being passed on to a rival Russian carmaker linked to Magna’s partner, the Russian state-owned lender Sberbank.More about: Car industry, General Motors, Opel

| |

Mali: Rebel groups agree to creation of Islamic state

Two Rebel groups have agreed to merge and create an independent Islamic state in Northern Mali. After seizing Azawad – an area larger than France – two months ago, the groups had initially disagreed, with the secular Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA)…