Months-long conflict with the US and a US blockade of Iranian ports have pushed up inflation and squeezed household budgets, leading Iranian firms to expand buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) and deferred-payment promotions. SnappPay and similar companies have erected billboards across Tehran advertising deferred payments for clothing, mobile phones, gold and holiday travel as consumer purchasing power declines. Ali Saedvandi, founder of private bank and training group EconClinic, says the prevalence of B

Wall Street Journal sources say Apple (AAPL.O) is seeking new deals with publishers to use their content to develop its AI voice assistant Siri.

After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled portions of tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act lacked legal authority, refunds have begun appearing in corporate filings. More than 40 S&P 500 companies have disclosed roughly $9.6bn in refunds, led by Apple (~$2.2bn), Nike (~$986m) and FedEx (~$800m). Apple reported EPS of $2.02 for the quarter, with refunds adding $0.11 and boosting gross margin by about 2 percentage points. These payments are reversals of past tariff costs, not signs of stronger demand or operating improvement, and should not be extrapolated as recurring profit gains. The impact will vary by firm: FedEx says it largely paid duties on behalf of customers and plans to return about $800m to shippers and consumers, while some retailers may retain refunds or use them to cut prices. In the near term refunds support cash flow and margins for import-heavy firms, but they should be stripped out when assessing underlying earnings trends.