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Blast at Islamabad Mosque Leaves Dozens Dead

                    Blood stains at the site of a deadly explosion at a Shi'ite Muslim mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan A suicide bomber detonated explosives inside a crowded Shi’ite mosque in Islamabad, killing 31 people and injuring many others during Friday prayers. The attack struck the Tarlai neighborhood, where worshippers had gathered in large numbers, turning a moment of devotion into chaos and devastation. Witnesses described a powerful blast that shattered windows, collapsed parts of the structure, and left victims trapped beneath debris. Emergency teams and local residents worked together to rush the wounded to nearby hospitals, where several remain in critical condition. Authorities have heightened security across the capital as investigators work to determine how the attacker breached the area and whether others were involved. The bombing marks one of the deadliest assaults in the city in years and has intensified ...

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US Stock Futures Retreat After Intel’s Gloomy Outlook

 

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US stock futures retreated on Friday after Intel’s first-quarter outlook fell well short of Wall Street expectations, somewhat denting the AI-fueled hopes that have helped lift stocks to record highs. 

Intel shares fell over 10% in premarket trading, with peers AMD and Nvidia also taking a slight knock. The S&P 500 futures dropped 0.2% after a winning Thursday saw the benchmark close at another record high. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures also lost around 0.2%, while those on the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 sank nearly 0.5%. Techs led the way lower after a gloomy outlook from Intel, as investors awaited a key inflation reading seen as influential in the timing of an interest rate cut.

The release of the PCE index for December painted a rosy inflation picture for investors, however. “Core” PCE, the inflation gauge commonly known as the Fed’s preferred measure, fell below 3% on an annual basis, the slowest rate of growth since March 2021. That number, combined with a hotter-than-expected early estimate on fourth quarter US GDP, could further the notion that the US economy is headed for a “soft landing.”

The Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (PCE) is a measure of the prices that people living in the United States pay for goods and services. It is released each month in the Personal Income and Outlays report and is used to calculate the GDP and inflation . The PCE index is known for capturing inflation (or deflation) across a wide range of consumer expenses and reflecting changes in consumer behavior. The latest release of the PCE index for December 2023 shows that the “core” PCE, the inflation gauge commonly known as the Fed’s preferred measure, fell below 3% on an annual basis, the slowest rate of growth since March 2021.


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