With the planned sale of Dresdner Bank to Commerzbank, Allianz is set to abandon the biggest experiment in German finance of the last decade in favor of a global trend: focusing on core competencies. Read more..

By CARTER DOUGHERTY - The New York Times

After extolling the virtues of automated bill payments, I heard from many wary readers. Here are their reasons. Read more..

By RON LIEBER - The New York Times

The struggling state-owned Italian airline Alitalia, which is trying to clear the way for a sale to private investors, said Friday that it had filed for bankruptcy protection. Read more..

By CAROLINE BROTHERS - The New York Times

Comcast, one of the country’s largest Internet providers, will put a 250 gigabyte-a-month cap on residential users, a move certain to create tension. Read more..

By BRIAN STELTER - The New York Times

Europeans’ confidence fell more than forecast this month as the economy teetered on the brink of a recession. Read more..

By BLOOMBERG NEWS - The New York Times

The increasing flow of data around the United States may have intelligence, and possibly military, consequences. Read more..

By JOHN MARKOFF - The New York Times

Anthony Pellicano and Terry N. Christensen were convicted Friday in the wiretapping of the ex-wife of the investor Kirk Kerkorian in a child-support case. Read more..

By BROOKS BARNES - The New York Times

Economic recoveries in the decade after World War II were brisk affairs, but then they slowed. After stabilizing in the 1980s and 1990s, they seem to have taken another step down. Read more..

By FLOYD NORRIS - The New York Times

Utah has become the first state to experience broad consumer interest in running cars on clean natural gas. Read more..

By CLIFFORD KRAUSS - The New York Times

The Boeing Company’s largest union urged members to reject a contract offer next week and walk off the job in a strike that would shut production and may further delay the 787 Dreamliner. Read more..

By BLOOMBERG NEWS - The New York Times