UNITED STATES

Tesla Motors will open seven new sales and service centers by the end of June in the U.S. and Europe, the all-electric car manufacturer said today.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu addressed the community of Harvard University on Thursday for a commencement speech humorously calling himself a nerd.

Harvard University is creating an endowed professorship in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual studies, the first of its kind in the United States and reflecting a rise in sex-related academia nationwide.

Bank of America Corp is forcing out Chief Risk Officer Amy Woods Brinkley, after a surge in credit losses led to a government bailout and an order by regulators to raise $33.9 billion of capital.

An Internet service provider with links to Eastern Europe has been unplugged after it was suspected of being behind computer intrusions at NASA and sending massive amounts of malicious spam, the Federal Trade Commission said on Thursday.

The outbreak of the new H1N1 flu virus has begun to wane with the start of summer in North America, and U.S. health officials said on Thursday they are looking to lessons learned as they prepare for its return in the autumn.

Global health officials underestimated the risk that pig herds might be a source of new influenza strains, choosing instead to focus on the threat of bird flu, researchers in Mexico said on Thursday.

The Obama administration stepped up its push for tougher bank and financial firm rules on Thursday, scheduling a briefing for lobbyists, with a focus on insurance oversight, and sending a top regulator to a Senate hearing to discuss plans for regulating derivatives markets.

Stocks rose on Thursday as a brokerage's upbeat view on U.S. banks drove a run-up in financials, while soaring prices of oil and other commodities lifted natural resource companies on bets the economic slump is waning.

Actor David Carradine, star of the 1970s U.S. television show Kung Fu, was found naked and hanging dead from a rope in the closet of his luxury Bangkok hotel room on Thursday, Thai police said.

The U.S. regulator of the futures industry proposed a package of reforms for the first comprehensive regulation of over-the-counter derivatives and the dealers who handle the exotic instruments on Thursday.

Medical bills are behind more than 60 percent of U.S. personal bankruptcies, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday in a report they said demonstrates that healthcare reform is on the wrong track.

Bank of America Corp is forcing out Chief Risk Officer Amy Woods Brinkley, after a surge in credit losses led to a government bailout and orders by regulators to raise $33.9 billion of capital.

A U.S. federal appeals court on Friday will hear arguments that Chrysler LLC's sale to a group including Italian carmaker Fiat SpA and the U.S. government violates long-standing bankruptcy law and should not be allowed to go forward.

Citi Private Bank announced Thursday the appointed of Peter Charrington as the Chief Executive Officer of its North American business.

Mumbai-based automaker Tata Motors on Thursday said it plans to expand its smallest car to new markets, including America and to its neighboring markets in Asia.

Toyota Motor Corp. may bet strongly on the hybrid vehicle market in the coming decade after an executive of the firm discarded the idea that electric vehicles can become mainstream for some time unless a

Xcel Energy Inc would offer incentives for Minnesota customers who take steps to conserve energy, which could include installation of solar panels on homes and businesses, under a $280 million plan filed this week with regulators, the state's biggest power company said on Thursday.

Oil prices hit a seven-month high on Thursday after U.S. data showed a drop in jobless claims, boosting expectations of an economic recovery that could revive ailing energy demand.

There is no compelling reason to merge the U.S. equities and futures regulators, said the chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Thursday when asked if a merger will be proposed.

The Pre smartphone from Palm Inc received mostly positive reviews and predictions it will be a tough competitor to Apple Inc's iPhone, sending Palm's shares up more than 10 percent.