IBT Staff Reporter

The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits fell to a 3-1/2-year low last week and factory activity in parts of the Northeast gained speed in December, suggesting a further strengthening of the economic recovery.

Research In Motion posted a 27 percent drop in quarterly profit on Thursday and said it would likely ship between 11 million and 12 million BlackBerry smartphones in the weeks around Christmas, the first decline in years for that historically strong period.

Bill Gross's PIMCO Total Return Fund, the world's largest bond fund, keeps shrinking as investors look to put their money with some of his competitors.

Buoyed by renewed pledges of customer support, TransCanada Corp said on Thursday it not only wants to proceed with its stalled Canada-to-Texas Keystone XL oil pipeline but to undertake a $600 million expansion and extension.

A 16-year-old charged with the killing of one man and attempted murder of another who responded to a Craigslist ad touting a job on an Ohio farm will be tried as an adult, a judge ruled on Thursday.

U.S. stocks rose on Thursday, as signs of strength in the economy and higher-than-expected profit at FedEx outweighed more warnings about Europe.

The separatist Bloc Quebecois has staged a comeback and is now tied in public support with the federalist party that has the most Quebec seats in the House of Commons, a Harris-Decima poll released on Thursday shows.

Diamond Foods Inc said the Securities and Exchange Commission has launched a probe into its accounting of payments to walnut growers, raising concerns of further delays to its deal to acquire Procter & Gamble's Pringles business.

Canadian commercial lending growth accelerated in the third quarter, showing smaller businesses expanded even as Europe's deepening debt crisis rattled investors worldwide, according to a PayNet Inc report.

Chief Executive Officer Tom Horton wrote in a letter to employees Thursday that company should expect less generous labor contracts and some pink slips, according to the Wall Street Journal. The Fort Worth, Tex.-based company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last month. But earlier Thursday, Reuters revealed the company owned an exquisite town house in the wealthy Kensington district in London.

FedEx Corp beat its quarterly profit forecasts and is updating its fleet with fuel-efficient Boeing aircraft while delaying delivery of other new planes to cut overall costs, driving its shares up nearly 8 percent.

Standard & Poor's cut the credit ratings of 10 Spanish banks on Thursday and said they remained on watch for a possible further cut subject to a review of Spain's sovereign rating.

Credit Agricole will stop trading commodities and will also slash its financing of the multi-billion-dollar market, the most sweeping commodity cuts yet among European banks strained by the euro zone crisis.

Stumped on what to get the person always on the move? This slideshow of 10 great gift ideas for frequent travelers will make the holidays a breeze.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc has named Pete Lyon as co-head of its business that caters to private equity and hedge fund clients in the Americas, according to an internal memo distributed Thursday morning.

At this time of year Hollywood brings out big-budget movies like Mission: Impossible with Tom Cruise and the new Sherlock Holmes film starring Robert Downey, Jr.

Golden Globe organizers shook up the television industry on Thursday, snubbing old favorites and nominating a slew of new shows and stars for its highest honors.

Relativity Media has entered into a joint venture with German distributor Senator Entertainment, the studio announced Wednesday.

Keanu Reeves has secured financing and distribution for his directorial debut, the martial-arts film Man of Tai Chi.

Fox and CBS competed in a close race for first place in the Wednesday night ratings, with X Factor and Criminal Minds sharing the night's top numbers but CBS eking out an overall victory for the night, according to preliminary numbers.

Kroger Co said on Thursday that four of the pension funds to which it contributes will merge into a new fund, a move that should ultimately trim its pension contribution costs after it takes a charge this year.

Movie studio The Weinstein Company and cable network HBO led rival companies at the Golden Globe nominations on Thursday, giving their movies and TV shows a measure of prestige that should lure audiences.

It's no secret that Janet Jackson has battled weight issues her entire life, but what her fans may not know is that even when the singer is on tour, sweating every night, she still has problems staying slim.

Controversial radio shock jock Howard Stern will be the new judge on TV show America's Got Talent, NBC said on Thursday, and will also continue to host his daily radio program for SiriusXM.

U.S. soldiers facing emotional problems and contemplating suicide may soon be able to use a smart phone application to connect them to help.

Deutsche Boerse and NYSE Euronext have stepped up their lobbying with an advertising campaign to pressure EU regulators and secure approval for their $9 billion merger.

Stocks rose on Thursday as signs of strength in the economy and higher-than-expected profit at FedEx outweighed a stark warning from the IMF about inaction over Europe's debt crisis.

Morgan Stanley, the only large Wall Street bank to avoid major job cuts this year, said on Thursday that it would fire 1,600 employees in the first quarter to cut costs as trading and banking revenue show few signs of recovering.

Though he continues to lag in national polls, Rick Perry is launching a massive comeback effort in Iowa, which will hold the nation's first caucuses on Jan. 3. Here is an overview of his positions.