Syria’s state-run media reports that kidnappers released a boy after his family paid a ransom, a child they had held for over three months. The local media reported that the ransom was 500 million Syrian pounds ($139,000), with some claiming the kidnappers threatened to cut off Quteifan’s fingers if the ransom wasn’t paid. Syrians have
Despite the country’s rampant inflation, the Turkish president announced on Saturday that taxes added to basic food supplies will be reduced by seven percentage points. The Turkish president said that, in addition to the tax discount, the government requires food companies to lower their prices by 7%. He described such foods as being a major
Alma, a French buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) platform, announced on Thursday it has raised 115 million euros ($131 million) in equity funding in order to expand in Western Europe. The platform attracted new investors such as Chinese tech giant Tencent. The company also raised 95 million euros in debt financing in its latest fundraising round, which brings
Police in Portsmouth said a man was shot early this morning and suffered a life-threatening injury. As a result of a gunshot wound, officers at the intersection of Airline Boulevard and Winchester Drive found a man suffering a life-threatening injury, police said in a tweet. On Saturday, dispatchers received a call at around 4:20 a.m.
As Russian troops remain largely concentrated near the border, the country’s top diplomat angrily rejected U.S. allegations that it is prepping a pretext for having troops invade Ukraine. The White House said Friday that the U.S. intelligence community concluded that Russia had already sent operatives into rebel-controlled eastern Ukraine to carry out acts of sabotage
Reuters reported that China and Iran announced a 25-year cooperation deal on Friday, with China criticizing the United States’ unilateral sanctions against Iran at the meeting. As noted by the news outlet, the two nations will collaborate in areas such as health care, infrastructure, cyber security, and agriculture as part of a cooperation agreement signed
The companies said on Friday, Truck fleet operator J.B. Hunt Transport Services and self-driving vehicle unit Waymo, part of Alphabet Inc., announced Friday their plans to deploy autonomous trucking services in Texas in the next few years. During June of last year, the companies began testing self-driving trucks delivered cargo between Houston and Fort Worth,
There is a surge of infections due to the new omicron variant spread by COVID-19 that has caused thousands of people to line up under leaden skies on Christmas Day in order to receive vaccination against it. As part of a government initiative to offer booster shots to all adults by the end of the
ForUsAll Inc., a 401(k) provider, announced earlier this month a deal with Coinbase. Employees who have a 401(k) with an investment account with ForUsAll may see a new option in their plan: cryptocurrency investments. Alt 401(k) is the provider’s newest plan that allows people to direct up to five percent of assets and contributions to an
During the pandemic, most people worried about savings, as unemployment numbers spiked and businesses closed. Corporations did the same. Now, as the economy begins to recover and states are reopening, the banks serving such corporations have a desperate plea for their corporate customers: Stop depositing money. Bond-buying programs, loans, and lowered interest rates from the
