Budget carrier EasyJet has announced that it has reached an agreement in principle on a £5.7bn takeover approach from US private equity group Apollo Global Management, only days after backing a proposal from a competing bidder. The airline stated that Apollo’s proposal offered “a superior outcome” for shareholders compared with the earlier bid from US investment firm Castlelake, which EasyJet had provisionally supported over the weekend. EasyJet ranks among Europe’s biggest airlines. It employs

July 9 - President Vladimir Putin is dismissing appeals to open peace talks with Kyiv, according to three individuals close to the Kremlin, as Ukraine’s recent drone attacks on Russian oil facilities and ports appear to have reinforced his determination to continue the war. Two of the sources, who requested anonymity, said Putin is more inclined to intensify military operations as the conflict enters its fifth year. One person who regularly meets with the president described a “strong