July 6 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories in the Wall Street Journal. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
- Facebook parent Meta Platforms on Wednesday launched Threads, a stand-alone microblogging app that takes a direct aim at Twitter as user unrest on that platform has grown since Elon Musk took the company over in October. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said in a post on the app that it gained 2 million sign-ups in the first two hours after its release.
- JetBlue Airways said it would drop its fight in challenging a U.S. judge's ruling against a partnership with American Airlines, focusing instead on its plan to acquire Spirit Airlines for $3.8 billion, which has also been challenged by the Justice Department.
- Wellful, owner of weight-loss company Nutrisystem, on Wednesday said it had acquired Jenny Craig, a defunct weight-loss brand which had shuttered in May after four decades offering personalized meal plans. While Wellful didn't disclose the purchase price, Jenny Craig's intellectual property was acquired for up to $15.5 million, according to court filings.
- United Parcel Service and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters said negotiations have stalled on a new labor contract, raising the risk of roughly 330,000 workers going on strike next month. The company and the union on Wednesday each accused the other of walking away from contract talks, which have been under way since May. The current deal expires July 31.
- Iran attempted to seize two oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz and fired shots at one of them, the U.S. Navy said. In both incidents, the Iranian naval vessels left after the U.S. Navy dispatched a guided-missile destroyer to the scene, according to the U.S.'s Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet.
- Most Federal Reserve officials expected they would need to lift interest rates further this year after pausing increases last month, though some wanted to raise rates in June because the economy has not slowed enough. Minutes of the June policy meeting suggest several of the 18 voting and nonvoting officials would have agreed to raise rates then. (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)
