According to the New York Times Monday reports, for the Auburn Hills, Michigan-based Chrysler to qualify for additional loans from the US government, it must strike a deal with Italian auto biggie Fiat SpA by April 30. As per the terms of the alliance, Fiat would receive a 35 per cent stake in Chrysler, but would provide no cash infusion.

In case Chrysler, the third largest automaker, fails to materialize the projected pact with Fiat by the set deadline, it would receive no more aid from the government, because the Obama administration would not consider it a viable stand-alone company.

Detroit, Michigan  - With a worldwide recession driving car sales sharply lower, this week's Detroit Auto Show left most carmakers touting cheap, fuel-efficient and even electric cars as the wave of the future.

But Fisker Automotive, a California-based startup founded in 2005, is hoping the wealthy are just as interested in the environment as those looking to save money. The company rolled out a production-ready luxury sports car this week with a twin electric and petrol engine.

SAGINAW, Mich., Dec. 4 - A Saginaw, Mich., neighborhood watch group said it had to cancel a meeting after arriving members tripped a burglar alarm.

Bonnie Leiner, president of the Covenant Neighborhood Association, said the alarm started blaring after she opened the doors of Communications Workers of America Hall for Wednesday evening's meeting, the Saginaw News reported Thursday.

Leiner said members tried for almost an hour to contact someone who could switch the alarm off, but they were eventually forced to cancel the gathering 10 minutes after it was supposed to have started.

JACKSON, Mich., Dec. 4 - Authorities in Jackson County, Mich., said a 16-year-old girl being pursued by a police officer sped off in an unattended patrol car.

Blackman Township Public Safety Director Mike Jester said an officer responded to a domestic dispute early Monday morning and the 16-year-old, whose name was not released, fled on foot, the Jackson (Mich.) Citizen-Patriot reported Thursday.

Jester said the girl evaded the officer and entered an unattended police car that had been left unlocked. The dispatch tape from the evening recorded the girl using the car's radio to taunt the officer for "leaving his car unlocked."

The girl also used expletives to tell the female dispatcher to "shut up," the tape recorded.

Johannesburg - Football's controlling body FIFA on Friday said that the global economic crisis has not caused a problem for the organization.

"We are glad that the crisis has not touched FIFA. We are not Swiss for nothing. We are still a safe company," general secretary Jerome Valcke said.

Addressing a press conference in Johannesburg a day before the Confederations Cup draw Valcke said that any unplanned changes that the FIFA expected to be implemented by the local organizing committee (LOC) that placed a financial burden on the LOC would be discussed between the parties.

A proposal to distribute medical marijuana by a private group has been approved in northern Detroit suburb. 

The opponents’ arguments that medical marijuana would increase crime and recreational use of the drug were discarded by the voters. 63% voters in Michigan favored the proposal.  

The proposal would be implemented later this month. This means, patients suffering from cancer, hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS, glaucoma and other illnesses to grow would be allowed to possess and use marijuana.