International
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.
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.”
Shares of Walmart rose 3.7 percent to $137.48 in Tuesday pre-market trading.
International
Federal immigration agents kill man in Minneapolis, sparking protests and outrage
Federal immigration agents shot and killed a 37-year-old Minneapolis man during an operation on Saturday, authorities confirmed, sparking new protests and deepening outrage over federal immigration enforcement in the city.
The victim, identified as Alex Jeffrey Pretti, was a U.S. citizen and intensive care nurse who worked at a Veterans Affairs hospital and was widely respected in his community, according to colleagues and news reports.
Officials said the shooting occurred during a targeted immigration raid in south Minneapolis. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described the incident as an act of self-defense by agents who believed the man posed a threat.
However, videos reviewed by multiple outlets and eyewitnesses show Pretti holding a phone and not displaying a weapon before being pepper-sprayed, tackled by agents and then shot multiple times, raising serious questions about the official account.
The killing comes amid a broader federal immigration enforcement operation in the city and follows another controversial shooting in early January in which Renée Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, was fatally shot by an ICE agent, leading to widespread protests and criticism of federal tactics.
International
Delcy Rodríguez seeks political agreements after Maduro’s ouster
Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, on Saturday called for “reaching agreements” with the opposition to achieve “peace” in the country, which the United States says it now controls following the military operation that removed President Nicolás Maduro from power.
Rodríguez, who previously served as Maduro’s vice president, assumed interim leadership after the leftist leader was captured on January 3 during a military incursion that left nearly 100 people dead.
In her first public statements since taking office, Rodríguez signaled a shift in the strained relationship between Caracas and Washington, while also committing to the release of a “significant number” of political prisoners.
“There can be no political or partisan differences when it comes to the peace of Venezuela,” Rodríguez said during an address in the coastal state of La Guaira, broadcast on state television VTV.
“From our differences, we must speak to one another with respect. From our differences, we must meet and reach agreements,” she added.
The day before, Rodríguez instructed the head of Parliament — her brother Jorge Rodríguez — to convene talks with various political sectors in the country aimed at achieving “concrete and immediate results.”
International
Bogotá and Quito Seek Dialogue After Tariffs and Power Cut Escalate Tensions
Bogotá and Quito will hold an emergency bilateral summit next week amid recent developments that have strained relations between the two countries.
Tensions escalated this week after Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa unexpectedly announced a 30% tariff on Colombian imports. Colombia responded with a reciprocal measure, imposing the same tariff on around 20 Ecuadorian products and suspending electricity exports to Ecuador.
Aware that electricity imports are critical to easing Ecuador’s recent energy crises, Quito further imposed a 30% tariff on the transportation of Colombian oil through its territory.
However, recent statements from the Ecuadorian government suggest that dialogue between the two sides has intensified in recent hours. Ecuador’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gabriela Sommerfeld, confirmed that active conversations are under way.
In Colombia, segments of the business sector have welcomed the prospect of negotiations. The National Business Council (Consejo Gremial Nacional, CGN), for instance, urged both governments to restore commercial relations, warning that the dispute “puts jobs and regional economic stability at risk.”
Federal immigration agents kill man in Minneapolis, sparking protests and outrage
Delcy Rodríguez seeks political agreements after Maduro’s ouster
Bogotá and Quito Seek Dialogue After Tariffs and Power Cut Escalate Tensions
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International5 days agoMexican influencer “La Nicholette” kidnapped in exclusive area of Culiacán
-
International4 days agoTrump to invite Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez to Washington
-
Central America4 days agoMazatenango Carnival cancelled amid State of Siege in Guatemala
-
International5 days agoMajor winter storm to blanket U.S. and Canada with snow, ice and arctic cold
-
International4 days agoMarkets rise as Trump halts Europe tariffs and floats Greenland agreement framework
-
International5 days agoColombia slams Ecuador’s 30% tariff as ‘economic aggression’
-
International5 days ago
Trump announces preliminary NATO agreement on Greenland, suspends tariffs on Europe
-
International4 days agoVenezuela’s interim president predicts 37% increase in revenues for 2026
-
Internacionales3 days agoMajor winter storm threatens “catastrophic” ice and snow across much of the U.S.
-
International2 days agoTrump-Era Defense Plan Prioritizes Border Security and Scales Back Global Commitments
-
International4 days agoJapan reopens Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Plant despite public concerns
-
International4 days agoFour minors killed in deadly clash between FARC dissidents in Colombia’s Amazon
-
Central America3 days agoGuatemala’s president rules out negotiations with inmates after prison riots
-
International3 days agoGuatemala considers sending high-risk gang members to military prisons
-
International2 days agoBogotá and Quito Seek Dialogue After Tariffs and Power Cut Escalate Tensions
-
International5 days agoJosé Jerí claims destabilization attempt after videos of secretive meetings surface
-
International24 hours agoDelcy Rodríguez seeks political agreements after Maduro’s ouster
-
International3 days agoRights group says over 5,000 killed in Iran protests, mostly civilians
-
International24 hours agoFederal immigration agents kill man in Minneapolis, sparking protests and outrage