bank

Thieves drilled through a parking garage wall into a bank vault in western Germany over the Christmas holiday, smashing open more than 3,000 safe-deposit boxes and fleeing with an estimated 30 million euros in cash, gold and jewelry, authorities and the bank said. The heist at a Sparkasse branch in Gelsenkirchen, in North Rhine-Westphalia state, unfolded while most businesses were shut for the Christmas break. Investigators suspect the burglars may have used the extended closure to spend days inside the underground vault…

Israel has condemned a joint statement by 14 countries — including Ireland, France and Britain — that denounced its approval of new settlements in the occupied West Bank as illegal under international law, with senior officials calling the criticism discriminatory and vowing to press ahead. “Foreign governments will not restrict the right of Jews to live in the land of Israel, and any such call is morally wrong and discriminatory against Jews,” Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Saar, said. “The cabinet decision to establish…

Kenyan man gets life for al-Shabaab plot to crash hijacked airliner into Atlanta’s tallest building A federal judge on Monday sentenced Cholo Abdi Abdullah, 34, to two consecutive life terms plus a lifetime of supervised release for plotting a 9/11-style attack on Atlanta’s 55-story Bank of America Plaza on behalf of the Somalia-based terrorist group al-Shabaab. A Manhattan jury found Abdullah guilty in 2024 on six counts tied to the thwarted plot, which prosecutors said was designed to mirror the tactics of the Sept. 11,…

AfDB approves $76.37 million in additional financing to boost Somalia’s road corridors, cross-border trade Sunday December 14, 2025 The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group has approved $76.37 million in additional financing for Somalia’s Road Infrastructure Program, strengthening a key segment of the Horn of Africa corridor linking Somalia with Ethiopia and Djibouti and aimed at accelerating regional trade and integration. In a statement issued Thursday, the bank said the program is designed to “stimulate cross-border…

Israel has given final approval for 764 new homes in three settlements in the occupied West Bank, drawing condemnation from the Palestinian Authority and highlighting the strain on regional diplomacy as humanitarian aid to Gaza lags far behind targets set under a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. The approvals were announced by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, an ultra-nationalist who opposes a Palestinian state. Smotrich said that since late 2022, when he took office, 51,370 housing units have been cleared by the government’s…

Human Rights Watch says Israel’s expulsions from West Bank refugee camps amount to war crimes Human Rights Watch released a 105-page report alleging that about 32,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced from the Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps during Israeli "Operation Iron Wall" in January and February. The rights group says the expulsions, destruction of homes and denial of return meet the thresholds for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The report, titled "All My Dreams Have Been Erased," documents…

New York Attorney General Letitia James Indicted on Bank Fraud Charges WASHINGTON — New York Attorney General Letitia James, one of former President Donald Trump's most visible legal foes, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, on criminal charges of bank fraud and making a false statement to a lending institution, the U.S. Justice Department said on Monday. Summary of the charges The indictment, returned by a grand jury and announced by Lindsey Halligan, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District…

Banking on Recovery: How Salaam Somali Bank is Center Stage in Somalia’s Economic Reinvention In a country where the pulse of daily life is often set by drought cycles, clan politics and the steady flow of money from abroad, a bank has quietly become a barometer of Somalia’s recovery. Salaam Somali Bank (SSB), reconstituted in 2009 after decades of state collapse, is positioning itself as more than a commercial lender: it is a public utility, a bridge to the diaspora, and a partner in climate resilience. From…

Zimbabwe’s Currency Conundrum: A Tale of Change and Skepticism In a bold yet controversial move, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has announced plans to unveil newly designed ZWG notes, aiming to phase out the previous versions deemed “defiled” by the public. As Zimbabwe grapples with tumultuous economic challenges, the currency change raises questions about the nation’s financial future, consumer trust, and the potential for recovery. Facing Devaluation and Distrust The journey of the ZWG notes has not been smooth.…

The Palestinian health ministry has reported a grievous loss of life in the Tulkarm refugee camp situated in the West Bank, where at least 18 individuals were tragically killed due to an Israeli airstrike. This attack was purportedly aimed at eliminating a Hamas commander, whose presence was significant in the region. A representative from the Palestinian security services described this air raid as the most catastrophic event in the West Bank since the year 2000, highlighting the escalation of violence in recent times.…