HARRISBURG — A bill to keep up to 13 weeks of federal emergency jobless benefits for an estimated 45,000 Pennsylvanians took one step closer to the finish line Thursday, as a debate over Pennsylvania's massive debt to the federal government for the cost of unemployment benefits looms later this year.

The state House of Representatives voted unanimously to pass the bill and send it to the Senate, where a vote was scheduled for Friday. Lawmakers have known for four weeks that they had a deadline of this week to preserve benefits for 45,000 unemployed Pennsylvanians without interruption, but still ran their votes into the final days.

If nothing is done, another 90,000 could miss out on the 13-week benefit before the end of this year, when it expires.

PHILADELPHIA — Local lawmakers approved a proposal Thursday to raise taxes on real estate, not soda, in order to help Philadelphia's school system plug a $629 million deficit that has officials threatening hundreds of teacher layoffs.Stakeholders and students filled City Council chambers all day as the panel weighed options for avoiding job losses and drastic program cuts in the cash-strapped district, which was seeking about $100 million in aid.Late Thursday night, council members passed a preliminary plan to raise property taxes about 3.5 percent for one year to generate $37 million for education. Combined with money from the city's surplus fund and a hike in parking meter fees, the total aid package comes to $53 million. A final vote is expected next week.

LONDON — The British government says it has barred UPS from moving air cargo through some U.K. facilities because of security deficiencies.The Department for Transport disclosed the action on Friday but gave no information on the security issues and it didn't identify the locations involved.UPS could not immediately be reached for comment.The vulnerability of air cargo to terrorist attacks is a major worry for international security agencies.Last year, two bombs were sent disguised in toner cartridges on cargo flights from Yemen. One was discovered at a FedEx cargo facility in Dubai, the other at a UPS depot in England.In March, someone shipped a hoax bomb — which had a timer, wires and a detonator — to Turkey via the UPS office in London.

SIGNAPORE — Oil prices tumbled to below $93 a barrel today in Asia amid a stronger dollar and mixed signs about the U.S. economy.Benchmark oil for July delivery was down $2.36 to $92.59 a barrel at late afternoon Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 14 cents to settle at $94.95 on Thursday.In London, Brent crude for August delivery was down $2.19 to $111.83 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.On Thursday, a survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia found that manufacturing slowed in that region, one day after a similar report found that manufacturing was weakening in the New York area.