S&P 500 index futures rise briefly after data

NEW YORK (Reuters) - S&P 500 index futures briefly edged higher on Tuesday after data showed housing starts rose to their highest rate in more than four years in October. S&P 500 futures were last up 0.3 point. Dow Jones industrial average futures trimmed declines but were still down 8 points, while Nasdaq 100 futures added 1.25 points. (Reporting By Leah Schnurr;...

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Israel says prefers diplomacy over Gaza invasion option

GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel bombed dozens of targets in Gaza on Monday and said that while it was prepared to step up its offensive by sending in troops, it preferred a diplomatic solution that would end Palestinian rocket fire from the enclave. As international pressure mounted for a truce, mediator Egypt said a deal to end the fighting could be close. Twelve Palestinian...

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Adele's Son Is a Cutie, Says Alan Carr

By Simon Perry 11/19/2012 at 09:00 AM EST Adele and boyfriend Simon Konecki have been lying low since she gave birth to a son last month, enjoying the early days with their child away from the spotlight. The private singer hasn't even revealed her little boy's name to fans. But a close pal, comedian Alan Carr,...

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EU drug regulator OKs Novartis' meningitis B shot

LONDON (AP) — Europe's top drug regulator has recommended approval for the first vaccine against meningitis B, made by Novartis AG.There are five types of bacterial meningitis. While vaccines exist to protect against the other four, none has previously been licensed for type B meningitis. In Europe, type B is the most common, causing 3,000 to 5,000 cases every year.Meningitis mainly affects infants...

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Stock futures up on optimism over budget talk

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock index futures started a holiday-shortened week higher on Monday, with signs of progress in Washington talks to resolve the fiscal crunch lifting investors' mood. Leading Democratic and Republican lawmakers expressed confidence on Sunday that they could reach a deal to avert the "fiscal cliff" even as they laid down markers on raising taxes and spending cuts...

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Israel, Gaza fighting rages on as Egypt seeks truce

GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel bombed Palestinian militant targets in the Gaza Strip from air and sea for a fifth straight day on Sunday, preparing for a possible ground invasion while also spelling out its conditions for a truce. Palestinians launched dozens of rockets into Israel and targeted its commercial capital, Tel Aviv, for a fourth day. The "Iron Dome" missile shield shot...

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Taylor Swift and One Direction's Harry Styles: Are They Dating?

By Patrick Gomez 11/17/2012 at 10:40 PM EST Taylor Swift and Harry Styles Janet Mayer/Splash News Online; Don Arnold/Wireimage Taylor Swift appears to be taking her love life in a new direction.The "Never Ever Getting Back Together" singer is seemingly taking...

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EU drug regulator OKs Novartis' meningitis B shot

LONDON (AP) — Europe's top drug regulator has recommended approval for the first vaccine against meningitis B, made by Novartis AG.There are five types of bacterial meningitis. While vaccines exist to protect against the other four, none has previously been licensed for type B meningitis. In Europe, type B is the most common, causing 3,000 to 5,000 cases every year.Meningitis mainly affects infants...

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Wall Street Week Ahead: Going off "cliff" with a bungee cord

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The 1987 crash. The Y2K bug. The debt ceiling debacle of 2011. All these events, in the end, turned out to be buying opportunities for stocks. So will the "fiscal cliff," some investors say as they watch favorite stocks tumble during the political give-and-take happening in Washington. The first round of talks aimed at avoiding the "fiscal cliff" caused...

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Israel hits Hamas government buildings, reservists mobilized

GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli aircraft bombed Hamas government buildings in Gaza on Saturday, including the prime minister's office, after Israel's cabinet authorized the mobilization of up to 75,000 reservists, preparing for a possible ground invasion. Israeli planes shattered the office building of Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh - where he had met on Friday with the Egyptian prime...

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