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US House gives final approval to Trump's big tax bill

House Republicans propelled President Donald Trump's big multitrillion-dollar tax breaks and spending cuts bill to final passage Thursday in Congress, overcoming multiple setbacks to approve his signature second-term policy package before a Fourth of July deadline.

The tight roll call, 218-214, came at a potentially high political cost, with two Republicans joining all Democrats opposed. GOP leaders worked overnight and the president himself leaned on a handful of skeptics to drop their opposition. Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York delayed voting for more than eight hours by seizing control of the floor with a record-breaking speech against the bill.

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US Treasury sanctions Hezbollah financial officials

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced Thursday sanctions on seven senior officials and one entity associated with the Hezbollah-controlled financial institution Al-Qard Al-Hassan.

The U.S. Treasury said the seven officials have served in senior management roles for Al-Qard Al-Hassan and have facilitated the evasion of U.S. sanctions, enabling Hezbollah’s access to the formal financial system. "Today’s action underscores Treasury’s commitment to disrupting Hezbollah’s sanctions evasion schemes and supporting efforts by the new Lebanese government to limit the terrorist group’s influence, particularly as entities like AQAH continue to undermine the already fragile Lebanese economy," the U.S. Department of the Treasury said.

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Wall Street hovers near record highs ahead of new jobs numbers

Wall Street was largely unchanged early Thursday, hovering near record levels ahead of new U.S. jobs data that is expected to show unemployment ticked up to the highest rates since late 2021.

Futures for S&P 500, Nasdaq and Dow Jones Industrial Average each inched up less than 0.1% before the bell. Markets are closed Friday for the July 4 holiday.

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Tesla sales fell sharply in Q2 as Musk backlash and competition chipped away at company's dominance

Sales of Tesla electric cars fell sharply in the last three months as boycotts over Elon Musk's political views continue to keep buyers away, a significant development given expectations that anger with the company's billionaire CEO would have faded by now.

The company reported a 13% plunge in sales on Wednesday in another sign that Musk's embrace of U.S. President Donald Trump and far-right politicians in Europe has had a deep and enduring hit to Tesla's brand appeal. The new figures also suggest that Tesla could disappoint when it announces second quarter earnings later this month. In the first three months of this year, net income fell 71%.

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Eurozone inflation ticks up slightly in June

Eurozone inflation accelerated slightly to 2.0 percent in June, in line with analyst forecasts and the European Central Bank's target, official data showed on Tuesday.

Inflation in the single currency area rose from the 1.9 percent recorded in May due to a slower decline in energy prices.

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Wall Street stocks rally further on trade deal optimism

Wall Street stocks pushed into record territory yet again on Monday amid optimism the United States would reach trade deals with its partners ahead of a self-imposed deadline next week and extend tax cuts.

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German minimum wage set to rise by about 14% over the next 18 months

Germany's minimum wage is set to rise by about 14% over the next 18 months under an agreement that appears to defuse a potentially divisive issue for the new government.

A commission in which employers and labor unions are represented recommended on Friday that the minimum wage rise from its current 12.82 euros ($15) per hour to 13.90 euros at the beginning of 2026 and 14.60 euros a year later.

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Israel-Iran tensions a wake-up call for Asia's dependence on Middle East oil

Asia's dependence on Middle East oil and gas — and its relatively slow shift to clean energy — make it vulnerable to disruptions in shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic weakness highlighted by the war between Israel and Iran.

Iran sits on the strait, which handles about 20% of shipments of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas, or LNG. Four countries — China, India, Japan and South Korea — account for 75% of those imports.

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Asian shares mixed after US stocks rise to brink of record

Asian shares were mixed on Friday, losing some of their morning gains, after U.S. stocks ran to the brink of another record. U.S. futures and oil prices also logged modest gains.

Investors were watching for further details after President Donald Trump said the U.S. and China had signed a trade deal. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in an interview on Bloomberg TV that the deal was signed two days ago, but he gave no details, saying "The president likes to close these deals himself."

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Musk tells Aoun he's interested in doing business in Lebanon

Billionaire businessman and CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and X (formerly Twitter) Elon Musk has called President Joseph Aoun to express his interest in having his companies available in Lebanon.

Musk "expressed his interest in Lebanon and its telecommunications and internet sectors" in a call with Aoun, the Lebanese Presidency said in a statement.

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