Tech giant Apple has launched a new service in the United States called “Apple Pay Later”, allowing users to pay for purchases in four interest-free installments over a period of six weeks. The new service is only available for online or in-app purchases via Apple devices such as iPhones and iPads, and at present, only some users have been granted access. However, Apple Pay Later will roll out to all eligible users in the coming months.
In other news, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus has released a statement saying that the country has allowed Russia to deploy tactical nuclear weapons on its territory due to concerns over NATO’s increasing military presence in neighboring Belarus. Meanwhile, the White House has confirmed that the United States will not exchange information about nuclear weapons with Russia, following Russia’s announcement to suspend cooperation in the “New START” nuclear arms control treaty.
On the business front, the Walt Disney Company has announced that it will begin a three-round layoff process, starting with all 50 employees at Metaverse. Alibaba Group, China’s e-commerce giant, has also made news with a major restructuring, dividing the company into six business groups, each with its own management department.
Finally, the World Health Organization (WHO) has revised its recommendations for COVID-19 vaccinations, advising that healthy children and adolescents may not need vaccination, but the elderly and high-risk groups should receive the booster vaccine within 6-12 months after the last vaccination. Key economic data to be released today include South Korea’s March consumer confidence index, Germany’s April consumer confidence index from the GfK Institute, and the US’s pending home sales in February and weekly oil stock from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) among the highlights.
