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Tehran in Turmoil as Residents Flee Following Trump’s Urgent Warning

The streets of Tehran are rapidly emptying as residents heed an urgent warning from U.S. President Donald Trump, who called for the immediate evacuation  of the Iranian capital amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel.  Trump’s statement, posted on his Truth Social platform, emphasized that “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon” and urged the city’s nearly 10 million residents to leave before it was “too late”. His remarks came as Israel intensified its airstrikes on Tehran, targeting key infrastructure and military sites.  Reports indicate that major roads leading out of Tehran are clogged with traffic, as families scramble to find safety. The city’s historic Grand Bazaar has shut down, an unusual move that underscores the severity of the situation. Meanwhile, Iranian authorities insist that “everything is under control” , though no official evacuation order has been issued.  The international community is closely monitoring the crisis, with leaders of the Gro...

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Small Businesses in Canada Face Bankruptcy Risk Amidst Pandemic-Era Support Withdrawal

 


According to a recent report, thousands of small businesses in Canada are at risk of bankruptcy after the government ended pandemic-era support last month with the economy slowing at a time of high interest rates. 

Small firms that employ fewer than 100 people are critical to the Canadian economy as they give jobs to almost two-thirds of the country’s 12 million private workers. A spike in bankruptcies, which jumped 38% in the first 11 months of 2023, would weigh on economic growth, lobby groups and economists warn. 

Last month, small businesses faced a deadline to repay interest-free loans of C$60,000 ($44,676) made available to each of them during the pandemic. Of the 900,000 who had taken the government support, a fifth have not yet repaid their loans, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Monday. Katherine Cuplinskas, a spokesperson for the Finance Minister said in an emailed response that the Department of Finance did not expect there will be a negative impact on the economy on account of repayment of the loans given as support during the pandemic. She said loan recipients have long had full information on timelines and have been able to plan accordingly.


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