UNITED STATES

DirecTV Group expects to add significantly in excess of 200,000 net new subscribers in the United States in the current quarter, Chief Executive Mike White said on Thursday.

A growing demand for nuclear energy across much of the globe will undoubtedly make uranium a prized commodity, as new power plants proliferate. Investors seeking to capitalize on this evolving energy trend might consider a new exchange-traded fund, the Global X Uranium ETF (NYSE: URA), one of the very few investment vehicles in the world that can be regarded as a pure play on uranium.

The tension in Korean peninsula is unlikely to subside as South Korean intelligence chief Won Sei-hon said the North is highly likely to attack again.

Financial stocks led Wall Street higher on Thursday after the European Central Bank left in place a liquidity safety net for vulnerable banks.

Internet is now world’s single biggest source of information on every known and unknown subject and world’s largest mail order catalog with more than a billion people using it as of 2005 driven by growth of engine of dotcoms, dotnets and the legions of domain names becoming household words.

The global version of its iPlayer service will be on a subscription-only basis and will only be available on the iPad, said BBC.

Applications for the jobless benefits in the U.S. rose more-than-expected for the week ended Nov. 27, after falling sharply to lowest levels since July 2008 in the previous week.

The International Monetary Fund said on Thursday it is in a strong financial position and has the resources to help member countries in need, amid an escalating euro zone debt crisis.

After racking up strong earnings growth in 2010, major U.S. manufacturers are expect to set the stage for a slower-paced 2011 when they meet with analysts and investors to lay out their expectations for the coming year.

Futures on major U.S. stock indices point to higher opening on Thursday but pared earlier gains after the Department of Labor reported that weekly jobless claims climbed last week.

The cryptographic kernel of its BlackBerry 6 mobile operating system has earned the FIPS 140-2 security certification, said Research In Motion.

The holiday season welcomes these wintry conditions as many ski areas worldwide have opened doors for adventure travelers who wish to go on a ski holiday this year. Here’s a list of world’s most famous skiing spots one can visit to experience the “white” retreats of the season.

Wall Street rose on Thursday, led by banks and home builders after European lenders decided to continue a liquidity safety net for vulnerable banks and pending home sales data showed an unexpected jump in October.

Amazon removed whistle blowing website WikiLeaks from its servers amid pressure from federal lawmakers who were upset with WikiLeaks' recent release of certain confidential and sensitive government information.

General Motors Co said on Thursday that it made a $4 billion cash contribution to pension plans for its U.S.-based hourly and salaried workers.

Pending sales of existing U.S. homes unexpectedly surged in October, data from a real estate trade group showed on Thursday, despite concerns that problems in the foreclosure process might curtail activity.

The global economic recovery had started losing momentum from mid-2010 and all the indicators point to weaker growth next year, said a report by United Nations (UN) on Wednesday.

The mounting pressure of US government forced Amazon to oust Wikileaks website from its servers. Web users across the world, yet again, called for a boycott of Amazon.

US diplomatic cables leaked by whistle-blower site Wikileaks suggest that even as Russians are eagerly awaiting the dates of elections in 2012, the outcome is almost decided. American officials believe that Vladimir Putin, the current Prime minister would continue to influence the course of the country's politics no matter what role he plays in it.

The Stanford Law School and the Graduate School of Business have come together to drive the energy revolution forward through the establishment of the Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance - an interdisciplinary center to study and advance the development and deployment of clean energy technologies through innovative policy and finance.

Subaru of America, Inc. on Wednesday reported that its US auto sales went up 22 percent in November 2010, led by strong growth across major models.