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The outlook on platinum prices is cautious, said UBS, due to a deteriorating European truck market fueled by the crisis in Europe. The precious metal is a key component in catalytic converters for heavy duty diesel vehicles, tying platinum's outlook to the continued production of cars and trucks.

Netflix Inc won back Wall Street's affections on Thursday after adding more U.S. subscribers than expected in the fourth quarter, a rebound that prompted analyst upgrades and the company's biggest one-day stock jump in two years.

Below are highlights from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's news conference following the Fed's policy meeting on Wednesday.

The average Muslim convert in the U.K. is described as a “27-year-old white woman.”

Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich called on Wednesday for a base on the moon and an expanded federal purse for prize money to stimulate private-sector space projects.

The World Economic Forum's signature closed-session on banking saw financiers increasingly hopeful that the euro zone's debt crisis can be resolved and confident of a deal to ensure Greece's now inevitable debt default will be orderly.

A coalition of veterans say retired Lt. Gen. William Boykin's inflammatory rhetoric is incompatible with Army values, and only puts our troops in danger.

American International Group Chairman Steve Miller said on Thursday the bailed-out insurance giant may eventually want to buy a life insurer outside the United States, including possibly a larger stake in the spun-off subsidiary AIA Group , as confidence in its turnaround grows.

The 26-foot Queen Bee (a.k.a. the Nantucket ghost boat) surfaced off the coast of Spain this week after traveling nearly 3,500 nautical miles away from home over three years.

The Navy SEALs strike that rescued two Western aid workers on Tuesday, coming as the Pentagon begins detailing how it will adapt to massive budget cuts, reflects a shifting emphasis toward elite, nimble units that can carry out targeted operations.

Samsung Electronics Co, the world's top technology firm by revenue, will report record quarterly profit on Friday, powered by strong sales of its smartphones, but most interest will be in its 2012 spending plans and mobile sales numbers as it vies with Apple Inc for smartphone supremacy.

Online recruitment firm Monster Worldwide Inc forecast a weak start to the year and said it will cut jobs, as it does not expect the global job market to improve drastically in the near term.

J.C. Penney will undergo a complete store revival, announced new CEO Ron Johnson on Wednesday. The new strategy includes permanent 40-percent price-cuts and hopefully Apple's magic touch. On Wednesday new CEO Ron Johnson announced his ideas during a 90-minute presentation in NYC.

Anonymous issued a response to Poland, who signed the controversial ACTA copyright protection treaty on Thursday, by hacking their government websites.

A January poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation said more Americans believe the U.S. Supreme Court will overturn the Affordable Care Act's insurance mandate, but will base their decisions on ideology, instead of legal analysis.

ACTA has replaced SOPA as the biggest threat to internet freedom worldwide, internet advocates say.

AT&T Inc posted a $6.7 billion quarterly loss due to a hefty break-up fee for its failed T-Mobile USA merger and other charges on top of costly subsidies for smartphones such as Apple Inc's popular iPhone.

Ahmadinejad is the highest Iranian government official thus far to offer to re-start the talks.

DeLay, a colleague of Gingrich's during his time in the House, said the presidential hopeful is not a true conservative.

When Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer confronted President Barack Obama on a tarmac and thrust an accusing finger at him, it was a small skirmish in a larger battle between Brewer and the Obama administration.

Online recruitment firm Monster Worldwide Inc said it will reduce its global workforce by about 7 percent and forecast a first-quarter profit below analysts' estimates amid a weak job market in the United States.