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Walmart reports Q2 sales surge, partly due to inflation

AFP

Walmart reported a jump in quarterly revenues Tuesday partly driven by inflation as the retail giant signaled it expects its US sales growth to moderate over the next six months.

The big-box retailer, which had cut its profit forecast three weeks ago due to shifting consumer behavior, said pricing pressures on consumers boosted sales of groceries, while denting demand for other items such as apparel, electronics and home products.

Revenues for its second fiscal quarter ending July 31 were $152.9 billion, up 8.4 percent from the year-ago period.

Profits rose 20.4 percent to $5.1 billion, with some of the increase connected to the accounting for an asset sale in Brazil.

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Walmart’s US comparable store sales rose 6.5 percent from one year ago, but the company expects about three percent growth in the second half of 2022.

Higher gasoline prices, along with elevated prices for grocery-item staples have been prompting more consumers to “trade down” to lower-priced goods.

On the positive side, gas prices have gradually fallen during the summer, mitigating this effect somewhat.

“We’re pleased to see more customers choosing Walmart during this inflationary period, and we’re working hard to support them as they prioritize their spending,” Walmart Chief Executive Doug McMillon said in a news release.

McMillon said the company made “good progress” to manage supply chain costs “and that work is ongoing.”

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Shares of Walmart rose 3.7 percent to $137.48 in Tuesday pre-market trading.

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International

Japan lifts tsunami alert after strong 7.6-magnitude earthquake hits northern coast

A powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck Japan’s northern coast on Monday, triggering several tsunami waves of up to 70 centimeters, authorities said. The tsunami alert was lifted in the early hours of Tuesday.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the quake occurred at 11:15 p.m. local time (14:15 GMT) off the coast of Misawa, at a depth of 53 kilometers. Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA) immediately issued a tsunami warning. The first wave reached a port in Aomori Prefecture at 11:43 p.m. (14:43 GMT), followed by others measuring up to 70 centimeters.

Public broadcaster NHK reported that an employee at a hotel in the city of Hachinohe confirmed that several people were injured. Live footage showed shattered glass scattered across roads, while many residents evacuated to the city hall seeking shelter.

The strong tremor was also felt in Sapporo, where emergency alerts were sent to residents’ mobile phones. A reporter in Hokkaido described a horizontal shaking that lasted around 30 seconds, making it difficult to stay standing.

Before the alert was lifted, the JMA had warned of the possibility of tsunami waves up to three meters high along Japan’s Pacific coast. Government spokesperson Minoru Kihara urged residents to remain in safe areas until the warning was officially lifted.

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Interior Dept. redefines 2026 Patriotic Days, sparking criticism over removed civil rights holidays

A statement from the Department of the Interior announced that there will be eight designated “patriotic” days in 2026, most of them different from those recognized in the previous two years.

In addition to June 14, 2026—which marks both Flag Day and Donald Trump’s 80th birthday—the calendar includes Presidents’ Day on February 16, Memorial Day on May 5 in honor of U.S. soldiers killed in combat, Independence Day weekend from July 3–5, Constitution Day on September 17, and Veterans Day on November 11, which honors former service members.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 19, 2026) and Juneteenth (June 19)—a holiday commemorating the end of slavery—are typically included among free-entry days but have now been removed.

Critics argue that the changes are designed to promote the president while downplaying the nation’s history of slavery and the civil rights struggle.

“The president didn’t just add his own birthday to the list; he removed the two holidays that commemorate the African American fight for civil rights and freedom. Our country deserves better,” lamented Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto on X.

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Starting in 2026, free admission on these eight selected days will apply only to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. “Non-residents will pay the regular entrance fee and the applicable non-resident rates,” the National Park Service (NPS) stated.

The cost of an annual entry pass will rise to $80 for residents and $250 for non-residents. Those without an annual pass will be required to pay $100 per person to enter 11 of the most visited national parks, in addition to the standard entrance fee.

Earlier this year, Trump marked his 79th birthday—which coincided with the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army—by organizing an unusual military parade in downtown Washington.

The United States has 63 national parks, federally protected areas designated by Congress. Last year, they received more than 330 million visitors.

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Five laboratories investigated in Spain over possible African Swine Fever leak

Catalan authorities announced this Saturday that a total of five laboratories are under investigation over a possible leak of the African swine fever virus, which is currently affecting Spain and has put Europe’s largest pork producer on alert.

“We have commissioned an audit of all facilities, of all centers within the 20-kilometer risk zone that are working with the African swine fever virus,” said Salvador Illa, president of the Catalonia regional government, during a press conference. Catalonia is the only Spanish region affected so far. “There are only a few centers, no more than five,” Illa added, one day after the first laboratory was announced as a potential source of the outbreak.

Illa also reported that the 80,000 pigs located on the 55 farms within the risk zone are healthy and “can be made available for human consumption following the established protocols.” Therefore, he said, “they may be safely marketed on the Spanish market.”

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