Ruesselsheim, Germany - Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday that her government would grant credit guarantees to Opel to help the struggling German carmaker in its battle for survival.

Germany was looking for an investor that it could support with the goal of finding a long-term solution to secure the company's future, she told workers at an Opel plant in Ruesselsheim.

Ruesselsheim, Germany - The board of German carmaker Opel are meeting Friday to consider a rescue plan for the ailing General Motors (GM) offshoot.

This could lead to Opel breaking away from GM after 80 years as part of the US car giant's empire with the German Government saying Friday the battle for Opel and its European operations would be raised at a European Union (EU) leaders' summit set down for Sunday.

Berlin/Ruesselsheim - Thousands of workers employed by General Motors in Europe took to the streets Thursday to demonstrate against the giant US carmaker's sweeping restructuring plans and to save their jobs.

The protests came as GM's German offshoot Opel prepared to unveil a rescue plan for the German operations and the government in Berlin stepped up its criticism of the US-based auto group amid a deepening crisis in the global car industry.

Ruesselsheim, Germany - Opel has announced that its 2009 model Insignia can be ordered with a camera that can recognize traffic signs and includes a lane departure warning system.

Ruesselsheim, Germany - General Motors' European arm, Opel, is recalling 47,000 of it