S&P 500 futures fall after Apple results

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The S&P 500 rose for a sixth day on Wednesday after stronger-than-expected profits from IBM and Google but the rally could be halted as Apple's after-hours miss send its shares lower. The S&P was just 4.7 percent from its all-time closing high as IBM's and Google's earnings, released after Tuesday's close, followed on the heels of stronger U.S. economic data....

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Into deep space: second U.S. firm takes aim at mining asteroids

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Jan 22 – A team of entrepreneurs and engineers unveiled plans on Tuesday for a space mining company that would tap nearby asteroids for raw materials to fuel satellites and manufacture components in orbit.Deep Space Industries, based in Santa Monica, California, said its inaugural mission is targeted for 2015, when it would send a small hitchhiker spacecraft called “Firefly”...

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Seau's family sues NFL over brain injuries

Add Junior Seau's family to the thousands of people who are suing the NFL over the long-term damage caused by concussions.Seau's ex-wife and four children sued the league Wednesday, saying the former linebacker's suicide was the result of brain disease caused by violent hits he sustained while playing football.The wrongful death lawsuit, filed in California Superior Court in San Diego, blames the...

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2013 could be 'climate game-changer'

An ice sculpture entitled 'Minimum Monument' by Brazilian artist Nele Azevedo outside Berlin's Concert Hall, September 2, 2009.STORY HIGHLIGHTSThe "neglected" risk of climate change seems to be rising to the top of leaders' agendasExtreme weather events are costing the global economy billions of dollars each yearGas can be an important bridge to a lower carbon future but it's not the answerMore investment...

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2 men died in high-rise fire after rescuing elderly woman: officials

A high-rise fire on Chicago's south side killed two men and seriously injured a woman. The two men who died in a South Shore...

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Cameron promises Britons vote on EU exit

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron promised Britons a vote on quitting the European Union, rattling London's biggest allies and some investors by raising the prospect of uncertainty and upheaval. Cameron announced on Wednesday that the referendum would be held by the end of 2017 - provided he wins a second term - and said that while Britain did not want to retreat from the...

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S&P 500 ends at five-year high on banks, materials

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bank and commodity shares led the Standard & Poor's 500 to a fresh five-year closing high on Tuesday on hopes that the global economy continues to mend. The Dow Jones industrial average also ended at a five-year high, buoyed by an advance in Travelers' shares after the insurer's earnings. The market also gained on signals that Republican leaders in...

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Construction workers battle cold weather

CLEVELAND – Drivers traveling through the intersection of St. Clair Avenue and East 45th Street in downtown Cleveland Tuesday morning had to feel bad for a group of construction workers who were working out in the frigid elements.Workers for Terrace Construction, bundled from head to toe, completed a sewer repair that could not wait.“Today is the coldest day in a long time,” said worker Ed Zacharias.Zacharias,...

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Djokovic getting the hang of winning in Australia

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Novak Djokovic is really starting to get the hang of how to handle himself at the Australian Open.An expression often used Down Under — "Keep your shirt on" — is designed to discourage anyone from becoming unnecessarily overexcited.Djokovic took it literally after his 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 win Tuesday night over fifth-seeded Tomas Berdych, advancing to the semifinals at an...

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Defterios: What keeps Davos relevant

STORY HIGHLIGHTSSince the late 20th Century, the ski resort of Davos has been synonymous with the World Economic ForumDefterios: I first came to Davos as a relatively junior correspondent, two months after the Berlin Wall fellFall of Communism, China's opening, removal of apartheid in South Africa unfolded in the 90sIt's the inter-play between geo-politics and business is what keeps the forum relevantDavos...

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