MARGARITA ISLAND, Venezuela (Reuters) - Only a handful of leaders have traveled to a meeting of a large Cold War-era bloc in Venezuela this week, in an embarrassment for the crisis-hit socialist government.

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Barcelona's attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar were all on target as the champions roared back into life in La Liga by thrashing promoted Leganes 5-1 away on Saturday, while Atletico Madrid thumped visitors Sporting Gijon 5-0.

TORONTO, Sept 17 (Reuters) - General Motors Co and the Canadian union Unifor kept negotiating on Saturday, divided ahead of a looming strike deadline over union demands that the U.S. carmaker commit to new vehicle models at its Oshawa, Ontario, plant.

CAP HAITIEN, Haiti (Reuters) - Former Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide said on Saturday that dehydration caused him to faint at an election rally for his party's presidential candidate on Friday night.

VILLA ROSA, Venezuela, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Twenty minutes from the site of a global summit where Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro is proudly welcoming international dignitaries, a poor district of Margarita island has become a microcosm of the tumult the socialist leader is facing at home.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg took pole position for his 200th Formula One race after a stunning qualifying lap around Singapore's Marina Bay street circuit on Saturday.

Sept 17 (Gracenote) - Draw from the Davis Cup World Group Semifinal matches on Saturday

YARI PLAINS, Colombia (Reuters) - Colombia's Marxist FARC rebels will continue their fight for social justice under a peace deal with the government, its top commander said on Saturday at the opening of the group's final congress as an armed group.

TORONTO (Reuters) - General Motors Co and the Canadian union Unifor have not yet made any significant progress in their talks to hammer out a new contract, the labor group's President Jerry Dias said on Saturday as the sides entered the final stretch of negotiations.