Stock futures flat with data, Fed minutes on tap

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock index futures were little changed on Wednesday, ahead of data on the housing market and inflation, as well as minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee's January meeting. Housing starts and permits for January along with the January producer price index are due at 8:30 a.m. (1330 GMT). Economists in a Reuters survey forecast the housing starts...

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Bulgarian government resigns amid growing protests

SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria's government resigned on Wednesday after violent nationwide protests against high power prices, joining a long list of European administrations felled by austerity during Europe's debt crisis. Prime Minister Boiko Borisov, a former bodyguard who swept to power in 2009 on pledges to root out corruption and raise living standards in the European Union's poorest...

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Fergie Pregnant: Singer & Husband Josh Duhamel Confirm News On Twitter

Fergie and Josh Duhamel are expecting their first child together.The pair both confirmed the news on their Twitter accounts on Monday afternoon.PLAY IT NOW: Josh Duhamel & Julianne Hough’s Double Date Night At Safe Haven PremiereFergie, 37, wrote, “Josh & Me & BABY makes three!!! #mylovelybabybump.”Josh, 40, Tweeted, “Fergie and Me and BABY makes three. #MyLovelyBabyBump.”VIEW THE PHOTOS:...

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Reeva Steenkamp Laid to Rest

By Tim Nudd 02/19/2013 at 07:45 AM EST With her boyfriend Oscar Pistorius in court 600 miles away, slain model Reeva Steenkamp was laid to rest in her south-coast hometown of Port Elizabeth, South Africa, on Tuesday – cremated at a service attended by devastated friends and family. "There's a space missing inside...

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Hip implants a bit more likely to fail in women

CHICAGO (AP) — Hip replacements are slightly more likely to fail in women than in men, according to one of the largest studies of its kind in U.S. patients. The risk of the implants failing is low, but women were 29 percent more likely than men to need a repeat surgery within the first three years.The message for women considering hip replacement surgery remains unclear. It's not known which models...

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Stock futures edge higher after seven-week rally

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock index futures edged higher on Tuesday, indicating the S&P 500 will build on its seven-week winning streak ahead of data on the housing market. * The S&P 500 <.spx> has risen for seven straight weeks, its longest streak since January 2011, and is up 6.6 percent for the year. * The strong start to the year was fueled by legislators in...

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Chavez back in Venezuela, on Twitter with 4 million followers

CARACAS (Reuters) - After Hugo Chavez spent two months out of the public eye for cancer surgery in Cuba, the Venezuelan government hailed his homecoming on Monday and said the president had achieved another milestone - four million followers on Twitter. The 58-year-old flew back from Havana before dawn and was taken to a military hospital. No new details were given on his health, and...

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Sony cuts price of Vita handheld games console in Japan

TOKYO (Reuters) – Sony Corp on Monday slashed the price of its struggling Vita handheld games console in Japan in a bid to spur sales of the device as gamers switch to free or cheap games played on tablet computers and smartphones.The maker of Playstation consoles trimmed the price of its 3G Wifi version by 10,000 yen ($ 110) to 19,980 yen, with all other models also reduced, it said in a statement.Tablets...

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Photo Fun at the Oscar Nominees Luncheon

Jessica Chastain, Hugh Jackman, Denzel Washington and more pull their best poses at PEOPLE's exclusive photo shoot Credit: Larry Busacca/Getty for People.com Updated: Tuesday Feb 05, 2013 | 01:30 PM EST By: Alison Schwartz Subscribe Now ...

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Study: Better TV might improve kids' behavior

SEATTLE (AP) — Teaching parents to switch channels from violent shows to educational TV can improve preschoolers' behavior, even without getting them to watch less, a study found.The results were modest and faded over time, but may hold promise for finding ways to help young children avoid aggressive, violent behavior, the study authors and other doctors said."It's not just about turning off the television....

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