Venezuela OKs payment for French retailer Casino (Reuters)

Reuters - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has approved a $690 million payment to French retailer Casino and other owners of a supermarket chain nationalized earlier this year, state media said on Saturday.

BP: Crews lifting key device from Gulf face delay (AP)

AP - Icelike crystals had formed Saturday on the 300-ton blowout preventer that failed to stop oil from spewing into the Gulf of Mexico, forcing BP crews to wait before they could safely hoist the device to the surface.

Obama says his economic policies halted "bleeding" (Reuters)

Reuters - President Barack Obama, previewing a big push on the U.S. economy next week, on Saturday defended policies that he said "have stopped the bleeding" and put the middle class on the road to recovery.

Trichet calls for united EU at the IMF (AFP)

AFP - European Central Bank chief Jean-Claude Trichet called Saturday for Europe to hold a united position on refomin the International Monetary Fund.

China tells state companies to explore Potash bid (Reuters)

Reuters - Chinese officials have ordered state companies to meet investment bankers to explore ways to block BHP Billiton's $39 billion bid for Potash Corp, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Exclusive: American Apparel in talks with restructuring firm (Reuters)

Reuters - Hipster brand American Apparel Inc is in talks to bring in an outside restructuring firm as the manufacturer and retailer struggles to fix its flagging operations, sources told Reuters on Friday.

Taxpayers likely to face initial loss on GM IPO: sources (Reuters)

Reuters - The U.S. government is likely to take a loss on General Motors Co in the first offering of the automaker's stock, six people familiar with preparations for the landmark IPO said.

Kia recalls tied to electrical issue (Investor's Business Daily)

Investor's Business Daily - The South Korean automaker is recalling 56,000 cars, the Soul and Sorento, sold in the U.S. and South Korea, because of defective wiring harnesses that could cause fires. Kia Motors said some harnesses made by Johnson Controls for lighting in '10 model-year Soul cars and 2011 model-year Sorento SUVs were improperly soldered, leading to possible electrical shorts. Kia's Soul sales had more than doubled through Aug. in the U.S. to nearly 44,000 units.

A rise in unemployment that is "about unchanged" (AP)

AP - For most Americans, the most important information in the monthly unemployment report is whether the jobless rate rose or fell, and by how much.

Petrobras sells 64 bln dlrs of stock to fund oil exploration (AFP)

AFP - Brazil's Petrobras unveiled one of the world's biggest share offerings Friday, a sale of up to 64 billion dollars in new stock to finance oil exploration aimed at turning Brazil into a leading oil exporter of the 21st century.

Campbell reports Q4 profit rise on better margins (AP)

AP - Summer is rarely a hot sales season for Campbell Soup Co., and this year's sweltering June and July made that even more true, but the company said Friday that cost-cutting and strong drink sales helped its net income climb.

Stocks rally as jobs data spurs optimism (Reuters)

Reuters - Wall Street closed a stellar week on Friday after recent economic data, including a stronger-than-expected labor market report, bolstered optimism that the economy would not fall back into recession.

Obama planning new package of economic aid (AP)

AP - Eager to jumpstart the economy ahead of crucial midterm elections, President Barack Obama said Friday he intends to unveil a new package of proposals, likely including tax cuts and targeted spending, to spark job growth.

MGIC added $1.2B in mortgage coverage in August (AP)

AP - Private mortgage insurer Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corp. said Friday it added $1.2 billion in new primary insurance coverage in August and the number of delinquent loans it insures declined.

Spending cuts before 2011 could hurt recovery: IMF, ILO (AFP)

AFP - The IMF and the UN labour agency are urging advanced economies not to cut government spending before 2011, warning that a move to tighten fiscal policies could hurt the global recovery.

Crafting a Career in Eco-Chic Jewelry (BusinessWeek)

BusinessWeek - Goldman Sachs may not have a lot of friends in the White House these days, but one of its former employees has made a good impression. After three years as an analyst in Goldman's fixed-income, currencies, and commodities division, Monique Pean began her own jewelry line that can now be found in Barneys, Jeffrey New York, and around the neck of Michelle Obama.

Report: SEC Investigating canceled trades (AP)

AP - The Securities and Exchange Commission is looking into certain types of stock trade orders that could be distorting share prices and trading volume, according to The Wall Street Journal.