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EU commission approves Lufthansa purchase of long-troubled Italian airline ITA, with conditions

AP Business Writer MILAN (AP) — The European Commission has approved Lufthansa’s takeover of Italian airline ITA with conditions to protect competition. Italian Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti on Wednesday called the deal “historic,” and said it would bring an end to a long period of state help. Lufthansa will invest 325 million euros ($350 million)

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Open on July 4th: Retailers and airlines. Closed: Government, banks, stock market

NEW YORK (AP) — The Fourth of July holiday, also known as Independence Day, celebrates the Second Continental Congress’ unanimous adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, a document announcing the colonies’ separation from Great Britain. One year later a spontaneous celebration in Philadelphia marked the anniversary of American independence. But observations

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Tunisia sets elections for October. The increasingly authoritarian president hasn’t said he’ll run

Associated Press TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tunisia’s increasingly authoritarian leader has scheduled the next presidential election for October without saying whether he will seek a second term. President Kais Saied has had five tumultuous years at the head of the North African nation once seen as a model of democracy for the Arab world. Saied

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California city cancels July Fourth fireworks as firefighters battle flames amid hot weather

Associated Press OROVILLE, Calif. (AP) — Officials in a Northern California community cancelled an annual Fourth of July fireworks celebration as an estimated 26,000 residents remained displaced by a growing wildfire, while hundreds of firefighters toiled under extreme heat to keep flames from reaching more homes. The Thompson Fire broke out before noon Tuesday about

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Cancer-stricken Belarusian political prisoner is released after authoritarian president’s promise

Associated Press TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A prominent Belarusian opposition politician who is suffering from a severe form of cancer has been released from prison, three years after his arrest in the authoritarian country’s crackdown on dissent. Ryhor Kastusiou’s son-in-law says his release on Wednesday came a day after President Alexander Lukashenko announced he would

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US filings for jobless claims inch up modestly, but continuing claims rise for ninth straight week

AP Business Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits inched up last week, but remain at historically healthy levels despite elevated interest rates. The Labor Department reported Wednesday that jobless claims for the week ending June 29 rose by 4,000 to 238,000 from 234,000 the previous week. The total number

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Missing nuts and bolts caused last year’s deadly construction elevator accident in Sweden

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A construction elevator that killed five people when it collapsed last year in Stockholm was missing the bolts that were supposed to hold its mast together, authorities said Wednesday. The deadly crash “was caused by failure to perform relevant safety inspections of the hoist assembly,” the Swedish Accident Investigation Authority said.

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