Trump endorses Romney – Celebrity business magnate Donald Trump endorsed Mitt Romney for president Thursday, telling reporters he will not mount an independent campaign if Romney is the Republican nominee. Trump, who has repeatedly flirted with the possibility of his own White House bid, revealed his decision in Las Vegas two days before Nevada’s Saturday caucuses. [CNN]

Impala Fires 17,200 Workers at World’s Biggest Platinum Mine – Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd., producer of about a quarter of global platinum, fired 17,200 workers after an illegal pay strike halted its Rustenburg mine, the world’s biggest for the metal. [Bloomberg]

Iran Blocks U.N. Nuclear Inspectors – Iran denied United Nations inspectors access to a suspected nuclear site, scientists and documents during a visit to Tehran this week, dimming already scant hopes for a breakthrough to end a standoff over Iran’s nuclear work, said diplomats briefed on the International Atomic Energy Agency’s mission. [WSJ]

Taliban in Nigeria? – IF Al Qaeda can be in Iraq, Yemen, Pakistan and North Africa, why can’t the Taliban be in Nigeria? However, whereas Al Qaeda retains its name wherever it goes, the Taliban in another country may adopt a different name. It is the agenda that matters, not the name. In Nigeria, for instance, Taliban counterparts are known as Boko Haram. [Dawn]

Dalai Lama judgment due today – Judgment on the constitutionality of the government’s decision to deny entry to the Dalai Lama is expected to be handed down by the Western Cape High Court on Friday. The Inkatha Freedom Party and the Congress of the People are seeking an order declaring Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s handling of the matter unlawful and forcing her to treat future applications by the Dalai Lama fairly. [IOL]

Internet operator VeriSign admits it was hit by hacks – VeriSign, the internet services company responsible for sending web users to the right place when they type in a particluar .com address, has admitted it fell prey to numerous data breaches in 2010. Top-level managers were not notified about the hacks until a year later, the company disclosed. [Fox News]

French court upholds Scientology ruling – A French court upheld fraud charges and a €600 000 fine against the Church of Scientology in France on Thursday for cajoling members into spending tens of thousands of euros on personality tests, vitamin cures and sauna sessions. [News24]

Blonde: I’m in Love With Cruise Captain – A 25-year-old Moldovan blonde who was spotted on the bridge of the Costa Concordia the night the ship wrecked on the coast of Italy confirmed to investigators Thursday that she is indeed the captain’s lover. “Yes, it’s true. I am in love with Captain Schettino,” Domnica Cemortan told the Italian newspaper La Stampa. [Daily Beast]

Former Beatle Ringo Starr on his new album [VIDEO] – Ringo Starr walks into the hotel suite at the Beverly Hills Hotel carrying a brown paper bag. It’s his sack lunch, and he’s packed it himself. He’s also driven himself to the hotel and arrived alone — no entourage, no bodyguard, no assistant, no fuss. [CNN]

Who Is RayWJ? YouTube’s Top Star – It doesn’t take the media to make a media star any more. The new economics of entertainment have enabled a foul-mouthed performer working on his own to carve out a very lucrative business. He doesn’t have the backing of a traditional media conglomerate. He’s a lone comic with a YouTube channel. [WSJ]

Kate and Will welcome new arrival – The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have welcomed a new addition to their family – an adorable three-month old puppy. The couple acquired the male cocker spaniel in early December and have been happily settling him in at their rented farmhouse in North Wales. [Daily Mail]

Graffiti Artist Set To Make $200 Million In Facebook IPO [VIDEO] – Since the company announced its decision to go public on Wednesday, Facebook employees and early investors must be bouncing off the walls over staggering reported earnings. But our favorite member of the Facebook IPO instant millionaire club is undoubtedly homeless San Jose graffiti artist David Choe. [Huffers]

JSE pushes record higher – The JSE was up at the close on Thursday, as the market’s underlying bullish tone continued to drive trade higher. A local trader said, “It’s difficult to tell if the tone is a result of expectation that a deal would be made in Europe.” The All Share has risen 7% in January alone which was “absolutely fierce”. [Fin24]

Lisa Marie Presley hints at Elvis film – Over the years, Lisa Marie Presley has become dissatisfied with movies chronicling her father’s life, so she just might make her own film about the rock ‘n’ roll icon. The daughter of Elvis Presley said she has been in talks about a movie, though she didn’t offer a timetable. [Channel24]

The Most Memorable Moments from David Letterman’s 30 Years on TV [VIDEO] – Tonight David Letterman celebrates 30 years on the air. It’s been quite a ride for old Dave, through different timeslots and networks, from the peak of zeitgeist to something else entirely. He’s hosted starlets and politicians, often treating them with a dash of anger and more than a bit of sarcasm. Here are some of the most memorable moments from his time on television. [Gawker]