Turkish Airlines says it will buy 105 new planes from Boeing Co. and Airbus. The national airline says it has asked Airbus and Boeing Co. to submit proposals for 35 double-aisle and 70 single-aisle planes. The airline says in a statement released Tuesday that its passenger numbers have increased 150 percent in the past four years, and that it is in good financial shape despite the global economic crisis. It says it wants the deliveries to start in the second half of 2010.
Judge OKs pet food settlement
A federal judge Tuesday approved a $24 million settlement for owners of dogs and cats who were sickened or died after eating pet food contaminated with an industrial chemical. Pet owners have until Nov. 24 to file claims. More 1,500 animals in the U.S. died after eating the food last year. About 10,000 people have filed claims so far, with claims averaging about $1,500 in damages. The case began in March 2007, when dogs and cats began mysteriously getting sick. It turned out that the common thread was pet food produced under nearly 200 labels — much of it by Menu Foods Income Fund. Most of the food turned out to contain Chinese-made wheat gluten laced with melamine, an industrial chemical.
Overdue stimulus checks on their way
Overdue economic stimulus checks will soon be mailed to about a quarter of a million married couples who had been denied the money because of an IRS glitch. When a couple marries and a spouse — usually the woman — changes names, the couple is supposed to alert the Social Security Administration. But tens of thousands didn’t and were unaware of the consequences until this year, when they didn’t cash in on the rebate package enacted in February. The IRS told The Associated Press last month that stimulus checks would go only to those whose names and Social Security numbers matched. But last week, the IRS changed course and said on its Web site that it regretted the inconvenience.
Apple updates its line of laptops
Apple Inc. touched up its line of laptop computers Tuesday with a minimal nod to the economic turmoil that might push consumers to be more frugal this holiday shopping season. Apple did lower its least expensive laptop, the existing version of the entry-level MacBook, by $100 to $999. But in the updated versions of its MacBook and MacBook Pro machines, Apple focused mainly on adding features. Some had been in the MacBook Air, including thinner laptop casings and a multitouch track pad. The redesigned laptops are thinner and lighter, and use what Apple touted as a construction “breakthrough” when it debuted in the MacBook Air in January. All the new laptops now use casings made of aluminum. At the lowest end of the redesigned laptops, a MacBook will retail for $1,299. The most expensive MacBook Pro will cost $2,499.
Correction
The address of SecurFocus was listed incorrectly with a story in Monday’s business section. The correct address is 4330 Rucker Ave., Everett. The company’s number is 425-258-2302.
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