Research In Motion said late Tuesday its technicians are working to resolve e-mail messaging delays on its Blackberry smart phones in North and South America.

Phone calling and texting services appeared to be functional, but users in the Americas have been unable to send or receive e-mail messages. Would-be users tweeted their frustration on social networking site Twitter. Some said they also could not connect to the Internet.

Waterloo, Ontario-based Research In Motion said in a statement it apologizes for any inconvenience experienced by customers.

It marks the second time in less than a week BlackBerry users in North America have had to deal with e-mail outages on their Blackberry devices. Research In Motion said last Thursday technicians had isolated and resolved the issue and were investigating the cause. The company didn't say how many users were affected or how long that outage lasted.

STOCKHOLM — Ford moved closer Wednesday to selling its loss-making Volvo unit to China's Geely Group, saying a final deal is expected early next year if financing and government approvals fall into place.If the sale goes through, it would be another step in the U.S. auto industry's retrenchment from global operations, and another acquisition of such assets by a Chinese company.General Motors is selling its rugged Hummer brand to construction machinery maker Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery, and China's Beijing Automotive Industry Holdings agreed to buy some powertrain technology from GM's Swedish Saab unit, which is being closed down unless a buyer is found by year end.BAIC also was involved in the Swedish consortium Koenigsegg Automotive AB's failed attempt to take over Saab.