ST. ANDREWS, Scotland - Britain called for consideration of a global tax on financial transactions to insure against another crisis and urged world finance officials meeting Saturday in Scotland to agree on bearing the cost of fighting climate change.

SHARM EL-SHEIK, Egypt - China appeared on Saturday to be adopting a more nuanced investment approach in Africa amid stiff criticism that its aggressive quest for natural resources has ignored local human rights violations.

WASHINGTON - For months he had warned it was coming but that didn't ease the political shockwaves for President Barack Obama when unemployment topped 10 percent.

SEOUL, South Korea - Tens of thousands of South Korean workers rallied Saturday to protest the government's plan to begin implementing contentious labor laws.

PHILADELPHIA - Members of Philadelphia's largest transit union and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority are set to vote on a contract to end the strike that has idled buses, subways and trolleys for five days.

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland - Rifts among the world's top financial officials are threatening to stymie their attempts to secure future global growth and break a deadlock over who bears the cost of fighting climate change.

WASHINGTON - Capping months of months of struggle, Democrats in the House of Representatives cleared an abortion-related impasse blocking a vote on sweeping health care legislation late Friday and officials expressed optimism they had finally lined up the support needed to pass President Barack Obama's top domestic priority.

WASHINGTON - Democrats in the House of Representatives have cleared an impasse over abortion that has been holding up a vote on sweeping health care legislation.

WASHINGTON - House Democrats have cleared an impasse over abortion that has been holding up a vote on sweeping health care legislation.

CHARLOTTE, N.C - Regulators on Friday shut banks in Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and California, bringing the number of bank failures this year to 120 amid the struggling economy and a cascade of defaults on loans.

OMAHA, Nebraska - Paper gains on derivative contracts helped Berkshire Hathaway Inc. triple its third-quarter profit as its insurance businesses did well, but Warren Buffett's company said Friday that many of its other operating businesses struggled.

CHARLOTTE, N.C - Regulators on Friday shut small banks in Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota and Missouri, bringing the number of bank failures this year to 119 amid the struggling economy and a cascade of defaults on loans.

NEW YORK - Oil prices tumbled Friday after the government said the U.S. unemployment rate topped 10 percent for the first time since 1983.

WASHINGTON - Consumers borrowed less for a record eighth straight month in September amid rising unemployment and tight credit conditions.

WASHINGTON - Freddie Mac's losses narrowed to $6.3 billion in the third quarter, but the government-controlled mortgage finance company didn't need a federal cash infusion.

WASHINGTON - Regulators on Friday shut small banks in Georgia and Michigan, bringing the number of bank failures this year to 117 amid the struggling economy and a cascade of defaults on loans.

WASHINGTON - Just when it was beginning to look a little better, the U.S. economy relapsed Friday with a return to double-digit unemployment for only the second time since World War II and warnings that next year will be even worse than previously thought.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama signed a $24 billion economic stimulus bill into law Friday, giving tax incentives to prospective homebuyers and additional jobless benefits to those idled by the business slump.

NEW YORK - Investors undaunted by a surprisingly weak jobs report found enough positive news to nudge stocks higher Friday. News that the nation's unemployment rate rose above 10 percent last month for the first time in 26 years didn't derail the stock market's strong gains in the week, which lifted major indexes more than 3 percent.

WASHINGTON - Regulators on Friday shut United Security Bank, a small bank in Georgia, bringing the number of bank failures this year to 116 amid the struggling economy and a cascade of defaults on loans.

WASHINGTON - The unemployment rate has hit double digits for the first time since 1983 - and is likely to go higher. The 10.2 percent jobless rate for October shows how weak the economy remains even though it is growing.

DETROIT - Carl-Peter Forster, the chief executive of General Motors Europe who runs its struggling Opel unit, will leave the company, GM said Friday.

NEW YORK - AIG said Friday it was profitable for the second straight quarter as its core insurance operations continue to stabilize after the company's bailout by the government last year.

NEW YORK - This holiday season's biggest entertainment blockbuster likely will be a sequel to a popular franchise, with jarring depictions of war and an intricate story of good versus evil.