IBT Staff Reporter

Two top Federal Reserve officials on Friday pushed the case for more stimulus from the U.S. central bank to help the economic recovery, each zeroing in on the country's weak housing market.

The futures regulator has been investigating whether the CME Group did enough to safeguard customer money before the collapse of MF Global last year, sources said on Friday.

Friday's stronger-than-expected December U.S. jobs growth figures drew a sharp contrast with European numbers, but staffing executives who track labor demand on both sides of the Atlantic caution Europe's impact on jobs in the United States may yet prove deeper than it has so far.

Stocks were slightly lower on Friday as investors were pulled in a tug-of-war between strong domestic data and continued concerns about Europe's debt crisis.

JAN 6 - Coca-Cola Co and Nestle SA said on Friday that Coke's license for the Nestea ready-to-drink tea brand would expire at the end of this year and that the companies' tea joint venture would now focus on Europe and Canada.

Japan's Sony Corp will promote its consumer business chief Kazuo Hirai to the role of president as early as April, taking the title away from Howard Stringer, who is expected to remain chairman and CEO, the Nikkei newspaper reported

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti warned the European Union on Friday not to let divisions over managing its debt crisis blow up into serious splits, and President Nicolas Sarkozy warned that a euro collapse could trigger instability.

The world's biggest technology trade show will feature razor-thin laptops, powerful new smartphones, and fancy flat-screen TVs, but talk in the cavernous halls of the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show may center on whether the CES itself has a long-term future.

European film subscription service Lovefilm has signed deals to give its members access to past BBC and ITV television shows including Doctor Who and Prime Suspect, it said ahead of an expected imminent launch of rival Netflix in Britain.

Louis Castle has been preparing for this moment for months.

Stocks were slightly lower on Friday as investors were pulled in a tug-of-war between strong domestic data and continued concerns about Europe's debt crisis.

Friday's stronger-than-expected December U.S. jobs growth figures drew a sharp contrast with European numbers, but staffing executives who track labor demand on both sides of the Atlantic caution Europe's impact on jobs in the United States may yet prove deeper than it has so far.

Rick Santorum defended his anti-gay marriage stance to college students in New Hampshire on Thursday, and to say it didn't go over very well would be an understatement. Watch the video here.

Stocks edged lower on Friday as investors were pulled in a tug-of-war between strong domestic data and continued concerns about Europe's debt crisis.

Employment growth accelerated last month and the jobless rate dropped to a near three-year low of 8.5 percent, offering the strongest evidence yet the economic recovery was gaining steam.

American Airlines and US Airways Group have joined other big U.S. carriers in adding surcharges to flights in the wake of a disputed European law requiring airlines to pay for aircraft emissions.

Some things haven't changed since 2008: for the second time, the largest newspaper in Massachusetts has endorsed someone other than former Gov. Mitt Romney for the Republican presidential nomination.

U.S. stocks cut losses and the Nasdaq turned positive on Friday after a strong jobs report and strength in large-cap Internet stocks.

Employment grew solidly last month and the jobless rate dropped to a near three-year low of 8.5 percent, offering the strongest evidence yet of an acceleration in economic activity.

Music blared and white smoke swirled in the cavernous Tata Motors hall at the India Auto Expo as an excited crowd milled near a stage displaying the company's new hybrid car.

Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC Corp recorded a worse-than-expected yearly profit decline in the fourth quarter, and the first decline in two years, as its models scrambled to compete with Apple Inc's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy range.

Best Buy Co appeared to gain market share from rivals in the United States during the key holiday season and stood by its profit outlook for the financial year despite a 1.2 percent same-store sales decline in December.

The global economy could withstand widespread disruption from a natural disaster or attack by militants for only a week as governments and businesses are not sufficiently prepared to deal with unexpected events, a report by a respected think-tank said.

Stocks fell on Friday despite a strong jobs report as concerns about Europe's debt crisis stayed in the spotlight, keeping investors away from riskier assets.

LG Electronics Inc said on Friday it would unveil its first Google TV next week, joining Sony Corp and Samsung Electronics Co in partnering with the search giant to get a foothold in the emerging Internet TV market.

U.S. employment grew solidly last month and the jobless rate dropped to a near three-year low of 8.5 percent, offering the strongest evidence yet of an acceleration in economic activity.

Talk of a future for bankrupt Saab, maker of quirky Swedish sedans that once dazzled car enthusiasts worldwide, is little more than a pipe dream, industry analysts say.

Samsung Electronics, the world's top maker of memory chips and smartphones, reported a record quarterly profit on Friday, aided by one-off gains and best-ever sales of high-end phones.

A rating downgrade on Friday left Hungary's debt rated junk across the board, underscoring investors' doubts about the government's willingness to change its controversial policies in return for aid to stave off a financial crisis.