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Footballers play with Franco head at Spain art festival
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Italy squeeze past Belgium at Euro 2025 as grieving Portugal await Spain
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England in Deep trouble after India captain Gill's superb double century
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Two dead as wildfires rage near Turkish resort of Izmir
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Jota 'will never be forgotten', says heartbroken Slot
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Putin told Trump will not 'give up' aims in Ukraine: Kremlin
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Swiatek survives scare to reach Wimbledon third round
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Roman bigfoot? UK archaeologists probe 'unusually large' shoes
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Djokovic denies Wimbledon celebration is politically motivated
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Thousands evacuated as Greek, Turkish wildfires rage
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Australian top order wobbles once more against West Indies quicks
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Gaza civil defence says Israeli forces kill 69 people
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Defending champion Krejcikova battles into Wimbledon third round
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Refuge at risk: Mexican drug rehab centers in cartels' crosshairs
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Hidden gem: Angola opens up to tourists in a pivot from oil
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'Doubts' over US support boost need for EU cooperation, Zelensky says
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US Supreme Court to weigh transgender athlete bans
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Russell shrugs off reports, expects to sign new F1 deal within weeks
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Girmay has golden dream for Africa at Tour de France
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US trade deficit widens in May as Trump tariffs fuel uncertainty
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Joy riders give Paris bike share system a flat
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Hollywood star Reeves in driving seat for Cadillac series
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India captain Gill piles on the runs against England with maiden Test double century
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Djokovic routs Evans to step up history bid at Wimbledon
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Mali junta chief granted renewable presidential mandate
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Zverev revelations spark Wimbledon discussion about mental health
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Record-chasing Djokovic crushes Evans to reach Wimbledon third round
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Europe court says France allowed to fine president portrait snatchers
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Modi pushes further India-Africa cooperation on Ghana visit
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India captain Gill piles on the runs against England with second Test double century
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Monaco's Pogba 'dreams' of returning to France squad
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New Delhi says fuel ban on old vehicles not feasible
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Europe must 'step up' as US halts some arms to Ukraine, EU chief says
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Trump close to victory on flagship tax bill
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US hiring beats expectations in June despite tariff worries
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Klopp 'heartbroken' by Diogo Jota's death
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Ten years after Brazil mine disaster, pollution persists
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Diogo Jota: 'exceptional player, exceptional boy'
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US House close to final vote on Trump tax bill
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India captain Gill piles on the runs against England in second Test
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France fines Shein 40 mn euros over 'deceptive' sales practices
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5 dead, 29 missing after ferry sinks on way to Indonesia's Bali
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Liverpool football star Diogo Jota dies in car crash in Spain
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'We will all miss you': Cristiano Ronaldo on Diogo Jota's death
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Djokovic aims to step up history bid at Wimbledon
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Reaction to Diogo Jota's death
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British and Irish Lions call up former England captain Owen Farrell
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Liverpool left 'devastated' by death of Diogo Jota
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Ethiopia's mega dam on the Nile 'now complete': PM

US hiring beats expectations in June despite tariff worries
The US economy added more jobs than expected in June while the unemployment rate edged down, government data showed Thursday, offering signs of continued labor market strength despite worries over President Donald Trump's tariffs.
Job growth came in at 147,000 last month, rising from a 144,000 figure in May -- which was also revised upwards -- said the Department of Labor.
The unemployment rate ticked down from 4.2 percent to 4.1 percent, and wage gains decelerated to 0.2 percent, the report added.
The world's biggest economy has fared relatively well since the Covid-19 pandemic, with a resilient jobs market allowing consumers to keep spending.
But Trump's sweeping tariffs on US trading partners, including steep rates on imports of steel, aluminum and autos, have dragged on consumer sentiment and fueled business uncertainty.
That uncertainty has been accentuated by the US leader's approach of unveiling, then adjusting or halting measures -- causing firms to become cautious in investments.
With a further wave of tariff hikes potentially incoming next week, analysts are monitoring for fragility in the job market and signs that companies might pull back in hiring and expansion.
A consensus forecast by Briefing.com had expected overall job growth of 120,000.
In June, the state government and health care sectors added jobs while the federal government continued shedding roles, the Labor Department said Thursday.
The federal government lost 7,000 jobs and employment is down by 69,000 since reaching a recent peak in January, the report added.
But salary growth appears to be cooling, from a 0.4 percent month-on-month increase in May to 0.2 percent in June.
From a year ago, wage gains were up 3.7 percent, easing from the prior month as well.
But the figures will bring relief to observers worried after data from payroll firm ADP sparked alarm Wednesday, as it reported that the private sector unexpectedly shed jobs.
It is not uncommon for the ADP report to diverge from official figures, but analysts believe it can help understand the longer-term trajectory of the labor market.
ADP noted Wednesday that although layoffs were rare, there remains a hesitancy to hire and replace departing workers.
For now, a solid labor market is likely to give the US central bank some room to hold interest rates steady for longer as policymakers observe the effects of Trump's tariffs over the summer -- and whether they will fuel broad inflation.
If the labor market weakened too quickly, the Federal Reserve could be inclined to lower rates sooner to boost the economy, even if inflation were not progressing downwards as swiftly as hoped.
I.Matar--SF-PST