COMPANIES

More than half of the company's announced cut backs are taking place in the United States. Company officials intend to permanently close its smelting operations in Alcoa, Tenn., as well as two of six idled potlines in Rockdale, Texas.

PepsiCo Inc is considering cutting about 4,000 jobs and reducing pension contributions in order to boost its earnings, the New York Post said, citing sources close to the situation.

Before next week, Craftsman's largest unveiling of a new tractor wasn't very large in scope at all. It certainly wasn't a tractor show with more than 40 introductions. It certainly wasn't an auto show of the same magnitude. It wasn't even open to the public.

The increasingly ugly divorce between White House party crashers Michaele and Tareq Salahi continues to grab headlines, despite audience fatigue with the publicity-seeking reality TV personalities.

Gold mining stocks fluctuated around the unchanged mark during regular-session trading on Thursday, as miners tracked the price of physical gold, which saw some choppy trading itself.

Bank of America Corp shares surged more than 7 percent on Thursday, outpacing other U.S. banks on a day of positive job news.

Stocks rose on Thursday led by bank shares as investors bet a stronger economy will help boost balance sheets of U.S. based lenders.

Online game developer Zynga Inc is releasing a new mobile word game called Scramble with Friends on Thursday to expand its user base beyond Facebook and catch up with rivals in the handheld market.

Essentially meaning greater force, the Dutch oil company is attempting to insulate itself from possible liabilities following a pipeline leak, the second in more than three weeks in the country, by declaring it beyond the company's control.

The former CEO of Japan's Olympus Corp is dropping his bid to retake control of the troubled company because of lack of support from Japanese institutional investors, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

The former CEO of Japan's Olympus Corp is dropping his bid to retake control of the troubled company because of lack of support from Japanese institutional investors, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

IBM said it was honored by the European Commission for 27 data centers that reduce energy consumption “in a cost-effective manner” without lowering mission-critical capabilities

Over 2,160 Boeing workers in Wichita will be laid off as the airplane and defense company closes its facility in the Kansas city in light of U.S. defense budget cuts.

A video diary of Casey Anthony, the 25-year-old Florida mom who was cleared of killing her daughter Caylee, 2, surfaced online on Thursday. The video, which MSNBC, has confirmed is of Anthony, is her first public statement since she left prison last July.

Italian automaker Fiat increased its majority stake in Chrysler on Thursday to 58.5 percent from 53.5 percent, reaching the goal set by the United States government after it bailed out and restructured the American automaker under bankruptcy protection in 2009.

The New York-based retailer said it expects 2012 consolidated sales between $7.0 billion and $7.2 billion. The company expects full year losses to total $1.10 and $1.40 per share.

Venerable bookseller Barnes & Noble said it will consider spinning off its thriving Nook business – its thriving e-book unit – while determining its own corporate future.

Stocks of Japanese oil refiner TonenGeneral Sekiyu KK keeps dropping following an announcement that ExxonMobil Corp., is considering selling its majority shares of that company.

Struggling phone maker Nokia Oyj basked in brightening prospects for its much-hyped Windows phone on Thursday as it prepared to strengthen the hand of new boss Stephen Elop by replacing its old-guard chairman.

The Nano is not a flop, its creator Ratan Tata said on Thursday, but he acknowledged that his Tata Motors failed to capitalise on the early excitement surrounding the launch of the world's cheapest car.

A slowdown in car sales in India is seen as a passing phase and automakers expect demand to pick up once high interest rates start easing and growth in Asia's third-largest economy bounces back.

In a letter to the U.S. Department of State, six lawmakers, including five Republicans and a Democrat, stated the government should investigate whether Huawei - the world's second largest telecommunications equipment maker - had violated the law by providing sensitive technology to the Iranian government.

Apple Inc. is expected to release iPad 3 anytime in the next two months, as reports and analysts forecast suggest February to March time frame.

The Washington Governor Chris Gregoire supports same-sex marriages and wants to legalize it. The 64-year-old democrat announced that she believes in equality and would introduce a bill to legalize same-sex marriages in Washington. It's time, it's the right thing to do, and I will introduce a bill to do it, Gregoire said in a statement posted on her Web site. I say that as a wife, a mother, a student of the law, and above all as a Washingtonian with a lifelong commitment to equa...

HTC Amaze 4G, which was released in October for T-Mobile, is expected to face immense pressure from Samsung Galaxy S2, which is considered to be the best Android smartphone yet.

Jefferies & Co. downgraded its rating on shares of Yahoo Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) to hold from buy with a price target of $18, after the company announced the appointment of PayPal's President Scott Thompson as new chief executive officer and director effective Jan. 9.

Google's patent portfolio just got stronger. The software corporation managed to acquire over 200 patents from IBM Corp.

Apple Inc has appointed Adobe Systems Inc's Todd Teresi to head its iAd mobile-advertising business, Bloomberg said, citing three people with knowledge of the matter.

A German citizen was charged Wednesday with setting dozens of fires across Los Angeles over the New Year's weekend in a spree an arson investigator said was motivated by a rage against Americans.