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S&P 500 ends near record high as AI optimism lifts chipmakers

By Noel Randewich and Ankika Biswas (Reuters) -U.S. stocks ended sharply up on Thursday, with the S&P 500 approaching record highs as AI optimism drove gains in Nvidia and other chipmakers. U.S.-listed shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) soared nearly 10% after the world’s largest contract semiconductor maker projected 2024 revenue growth of more than …

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Texas school shooting victims ‘deserved better’ from police, US review finds

By Andrew Goudsward, Brad Brooks (Reuters) -Police failed in their response to the 2022 elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that killed 19 children and two teachers, the U.S. Justice Department concluded on Thursday, saying the victims “deserved better.” The report faulted law enforcement officers for waiting more than an hour to breach the classroom …

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US strikes Houthi anti-ship missiles, shipping disruptions grow

By Trevor Hunnicutt, Steve Holland and Krishn Kaushik ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE/WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI (Reuters) -The U.S. launched new strikes against Houthi anti-ship missiles aimed at the Red Sea on Thursday, as growing tensions in the region’s sea lanes disrupted global trade and raised fears of supply bottlenecks that could reignite inflation. The two anti-ship missiles …

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US bank profits shrink on higher deposit costs, one-time charges

By Manya Saini, Niket Nishant and Lananh Nguyen (Reuters) -Several U.S. banks reported a plunge in fourth-quarter profits on Thursday, hurt by a drop in interest income and charges tied to replenishing a deposit insurance fund. Higher payouts on deposits to retain customers from chasing high-yielding alternatives have resulted in an industry-wide contraction in net …

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‘Oppenheimer’ leads BAFTA Film Awards nominations

By Marie-Louise Gumuchian LONDON (Reuters) -Historical drama “Oppenheimer”, one of last year’s highest- earning movies, led nominations for the BAFTAs with 13 nods on Thursday, but the omission of some favourites from Britain’s top movie honours surprised fans. “Oppenheimer”, about the making of the atomic bomb, was followed by sex-charged gothic comedy “Poor Things”, with …

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Wall St ends higher, Treasury yields climb as robust data bolster soft landing bets

By Stephen Culp NEW YORK (Reuters) -U.S. stocks rallied on Thursday as robust labor market data offered the latest evidence of U.S. economic strength despite the fact that it could prompt the Federal Reserve hold off on lowering its key policy rate. The Fed’s counterpart, the European Central Bank (ECB) warned in minutes from its …

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Slovak president urges lawmakers to rethink criminal law reform, thousands protest

By Jan Lopatka and Radovan Stoklasa BRATISLAVA (Reuters) -Slovakia’s president urged lawmakers on Thursday to reconsider plans to scrap a special prosecution office for high crimes and lower sentences for financial crimes, as tens of thousands protested against moves they see as threats to the rule of law. The government led by four-time Prime Minister …

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Biden aims for North Carolina as 2024 election comes into focus

By Trevor Hunnicutt RALEIGH, North Carolina (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden fixed his gaze on one of the prizes of the 2024 election three days after Donald Trump’s Iowa Republican primary triumph, taking his economic pitch to closely contested North Carolina on Thursday. Biden sought to tie $82 million in new broadband internet development money …

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