- Can Target’s new CEO hit the bullseye? The retailer’s board believes a company veteran can promote much needed change. Now, Michael Fiddelke has to prove himself to others.
- Walmart revenue grows as it works to absorb tariff hikes: The retailer raised its full-year net sales guidance and noted that it is seeing costs increase as it replenishes inventory post-tariff changes.
- Lowe’s $8.8B acquisition aims to strengthen pro business: The deal with Foundation Building Materials comes about two months after the retailer closed on its acquisition of Artisan Design Group.
- AI in retail: How tech is transforming the industry: As one of the most promising technologies of the day, AI was a frequent topic of conversation across panels at Shoptalk’s spring conference.
- Abercrombie Kids adds Nordstrom, Dick’s Sporting Goods as wholesale partners: The children’s brand, also available at Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, is expanding its wholesale operation to reach more shoppers worldwide.
- Gap dances with Katseye to ‘Milkshake’ for denim-focused fall campaign: “Better in Denim” nods to the early aughts and return of low-rise denim and will span social media, in-store, influencer partnerships and more.
- Claire’s strikes $140M private equity takeover deal, pauses store liquidations: The bankrupt tween accessories retailer had plans to shutter at least 700 stores — possibly twice that — and now most will remain open.
- Cypriot lawmakers are pressuring the country’s tax officials to explain their failure to collect $15 million in taxes from a now-defunct company tied to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.
- Kazakhstan is pressing forward with a $160 billion arbitration case in Geneva against Western oil companies over profits from the Kashagan oil field.
- In Nigeria, Christiana “Christy Gold” Uadiale was convicted on six counts of human trafficking.
- Trump’s over $500M civil fraud fine overturned by N.Y. Appeals Court.
- Trump to personally patrol D.C. streets alongside police and National Guard amid crime-fighting efforts, public protests
- Democrats in ‘deep political hole’ as millions of voters leave for GOP
- Trump urges Ukraine to take offensive route: ‘Little chance of winning without launching attacks inside Russian territory’
- DOJ official previously warned Biden admin about his last-minute autopen pardons, raised legal concerns.
- GOP Rep. Chip Roy announces bid for Texas attorney general: ‘Will fight every day for our God-given rights’.
- Dr. James Dobson, Focus on the Family founder and Christian advisor to 5 presidents, passes away at 89.
- Trump intensifies long-held criticisms of wind energy, calling it ‘THE SCAM OF THE CENTURY!’.
- Erik Menendez, in prison for 35 years for killing his parents in 1989 with his brother Lyle, was denied parole on Thursday. The brothers were the subjects of a recent Netflix documentary, which generated much sympathy for their circumstances.
- Kim Jong Un praised “heroic” North Korean soldiers who returned from Russia in a ceremony. A concert was also held for the returning soldiers, alongside a banquet that included the families of soldiers killed.
- A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck the Drake passage between the southern tip of South America and Antarctica on Thursday, at a depth of 10km. There have been no warnings of possible tsunamis.
- Trump declared his crime crackdown in the US capital a safety success, while holding a pizza party for federal officers deployed under his plan. The thing is, city officials have rejected his claims of rampant crime, pointing out that Washington crime declined previously. Locals have complained about officers’ tactics being too heavy-handed.
- Former SA finance minister Trevor Manuel was officially unveiled as the chairperson of the organising committee for the 2027 Cricket World Cup.
- The Wallabies have reminded the world that they are still a proud Tier One rugby nation and are building towards a realistic assault on a home World Cup title in 2027.
- South Africa spinner Prenelan Subrayen has been reported for a suspect bowling action in the first ODI against Australia, the International Cricket Council said.
- Over 50 000 youth participate in #Coding4Mandela: From 30 learners in 2018 in Gqeberha to over 50 000 young people from across Africa and Southeast Asia in 2025; this is the incredible growth that the #Coding4Mandela movement has shown. The annual event hosted by Tangible Africa reached 6 000 youth in 2022, and in 2024 a total of 32 000 young people participated.
- South Africa Still Culling Sharks — New Coalition Calls It a Billion-Rand Mistake: There is a major story gaining momentum in South Africa and abroad: a coalition of over 50 organisations is calling for an end to the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board’s 70-year-old culling programme.
- The R486bn Roblox empire’s dark side: Roblox rakes in billions globally and millions in South Africa, fuelled by its youngest users – but its reliance on children has drawn lawsuits alleging predators exploit the platform. As revenue soars, the fight over safety, design and accountability is intensifying.
- Stocks in Asia edged higher in a shaky start on Friday.
- US unemployment claims rose last week by the most in nearly three months, after hitting a near four-year high the previous week.
- Gold prices held steady on Friday, with investors refraining from taking any big bets.
- Oil prices moved lower after strong gains on Thursday.
- Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang visited chip partner TSMC in Taipei Friday amid US-China tensions over AI chips. He downplayed his brief trip, saying Nvidia is in talks with Washington about potential successors to its China-limited H20 chip
- The Trump administration may reallocate R35-billion ($2-billion) from the CHIPS Act to critical minerals projects. The move seeks to cut US reliance on China, but risks undercutting semiconductor funding and raising coordination concerns.
- Botswana announced a R213-billion ($12-billion) investment deal with Qatar’s Al Mansour Holdings. A partnership with the Botswana Development Corporation aims to boost various sectors including infrastructure, energy, mining, diamond refinement, agriculture, tourism and cybersecurity.
- Eastern Cape attorney struck from roll: The Eastern Cape Division of the High Court has ordered that attorney Zoleka Ponoane be struck from the roll after she convinced a magistrate to let her write the judgment in a case in which she was representing a number of men against the minister of police.
- Justin van Niekerk, 32, was handed two life sentences in the Gqeberha Regional Court for the rape and attempted murder of his former girlfriend, plus concurrent terms for assault and kidnapping. He stabbed, kidnapped and repeatedly raped the 25-year-old victim in March 2024 before she escaped.
- Israel claims to have launched the first stages of a sweeping military operation to conquer Gaza City – the administrative heart of the strip – warning that a million people could be forced from their homes, sparking a wave of fear among residents.
- Protesters at the next mass demonstration against the ban on Palestine Action will withhold their details from officers to force en-masse processing at police stations in an effort to make it “practically impossible” to arrest everyone.
- Moscow threw Donald Trump’s Ukraine peace initiative into disarray on Thursday, insisting it must have a veto over any postwar support for the country as its forces carried out a large-scale overnight missile barrage.
- Refugee support organisations have been forced to install safe rooms in their premises, relocate to less visible sites and in some cases close their offices in response to the threat of far-right violence, the Guardian can reveal.
- A federal judge in Miami late on Thursday ordered the closure of the Trump administration’s notorious “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration jail within 60 days and ruled that no more detainees were to be brought to the facility while it was being wound down.
- Baby food manufacturers have been given 18 months to improve the quality of their products in England amid mounting concerns that leading brands are nutritionally poor.
- Crystal Palace will head to Norway for the second leg of their Conference League playoff a goal to the good after beating Fredrikstad 1-0 at Selhurst Park.
- The Women’s Rugby World Cup begins in Sunderland this evening, with England’s Red Roses looking to follow in the footsteps of football’s Lionesses.
- The FA is to trial cooling-off periods in grassroots football in acknowledgment that “more must be done” to contain bad behaviour by players.
- Major problem with ANC plan to tap pension funds for government projects: The potential revival of “prescribed assets” in South Africa, aimed at directing pension savings into infrastructure and state-approved projects, risks repeating past mistakes.
- The NHI’s hidden threat to South Africa: The NHI threatens healthcare supply and economic stability by centralising purchasing power under a single state-run fund, which could undermine medicine and hospital viability and expose the system to corruption and mismanagement.
- Reserve Bank Governor sends a message to South Africa’s government: Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago has stressed the need for structural and governance reforms, a lower inflation target, and debt stabilisation to unlock faster economic growth.
- South African company buys R480 million mall: Dipula Properties has acquired Soweto’s Protea Gardens Mall for R480 million as part of five new deals worth around R700 million to expand its retail, industrial, and logistics portfolio.
- End of an era for the United States dollar: While the US dollar is expected to remain the world’s dominant reserve currency, the greenback may not regain its previous strength as investors diversify their assets to hedge against further weakness and volatility.
- Kganyago reveals forgotten factor keeping interest rates high: South Africa’s relatively high interest rates are partly driven by the country’s elevated risk premium caused by years of fiscal mismanagement and rising debt.
- Nedbank CEO warns South Africa is missing out: Nedbank CEO Jason Quinn said foreign investors are losing interest in South Africa due to a lack of sustainable economic recovery, as they seek more “proof points” before committing to investmenting in the country.
- Uganda has temporarily agreed to take in certain migrants under a new deal with the US, officials confirmed yesterday. The arrangement will apply to individuals without criminal records and not unaccompanied minors, making Uganda one of several African nations—including Rwanda, Eswatini, and South Sudan—to accept third country nationals.
- Italian authorities arrested a suspect yesterday in the Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions. The arrest—at Germany’s direction—is the first of its kind following the September 2022 attacks.
- The 2025 college football season kicks off tomorrow with a limited slate of Week 0 games, including No. 17 Kansas State taking on No. 22 Iowa State (12 pm ET, ESPN) from Dublin, Ireland.
- Rapper Lil Nas X is arrested and hospitalized after walking in Los Angeles in only underwear, allegedly punching an officer twice in the face.
- The 2025 US Open tennis championships begin this weekend in New York City.
- CT scans and 3D mapping of an ancient child’s bones discovered in modern-day Israel suggest humans and Neanderthals interacted 100,000 years earlier than previously believed.
- Giraffe genetic data reveals Africa is home to four distinct species, not just one as long assumed; new taxonomy will enable more nuanced understandings of population threats and targeted conservation efforts.
- Light pollution is interfering with songbirds’ biological clocks, causing them to chirp an average of 50 minutes longer per day—18 minutes earlier in the morning and 32 minutes later in the evening.
- US stock markets close down (S&P 500 -0.4%, Dow -0.3%, Nasdaq -0.3%) ahead of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s annual policy speech in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, today (More) | Why do stock markets matter? (More)
- US existing home sales rise 2% month over month in July; median home price of $422,400 is up 0.2% from a year ago, representing smallest annual increase since June 2023 but still the highest median home price for any July on record.
- Cracker Barrel shares close down 7% following pushback on its new simplified logo—part of a larger brand refresh.
- Supreme Court clears the Trump administration to cut $783M in National Institutes of Health grants linked to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives while a lawsuit over the cuts continues.
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signs legislation sending redrawn congressional map to voters for approval.
- Erik Menendez is denied parole 36 years after murdering his parents in Los Angeles, will next be eligible in three years; brother Lyle goes before the parole board today.
- Influential evangelical leader James Dobson dies at age 89; the conservative activist served as an adviser to President Donald Trump and former presidents including Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush.
- iPhone Users Warned on Security Flaw: Apple said that it is aware of reports that the flaw is being ‘exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack’ against specific people.
- Trump Reveals Ukraine Win Condition.
- Federal Judge Prohibits US, Florida From Holding New Detainees in ‘Alligator Alcatraz’.
- Vladimir Putin is demanding that Ukraine give up all of the eastern Donbas region, renounce ambitions to join NATO, remain neutral and keep Western troops out of the country, three sources familiar with top-level Kremlin thinking told Reuters.
- A Ukrainian man was arrested at a holiday bungalow in Italy on suspicion of coordinating attacks on three Nord Stream gas pipelines in 2022, a breakthrough in an episode that sharpened tensions between Russia and the West.
- Famine has struck an area of Gaza and will likely spread over the next month, a global hunger monitor determined. Critically low supplies of fortified milk and special nutritious pastes are exacerbating food shortages and pushing greater numbers of children into starvation.
- In a triumph for Donald Trump, a New York state appeals court threw out a half-billion-dollar penalty while preserving a fraud case against him, enabling the president to rebound from one of his biggest legal defeats.
- The California legislature approved a redistricting plan aimed at giving Democrats five more seats in the US Congress, countering a partisan advantage Trump sought from a Republican move to redraw political maps in Texas.
- Chinese President Xi Jinping is unlikely to attend a major summit of Asian leaders in October, two people familiar with the matter said, dashing expectations of a potential meeting with Trump at the event.
- India’s Supreme Court modified its order on stray dogs, directing that those picked up from streets in and around Delhi be released after sterilization and immunization, after a storm of protests from animal lovers. Earlier this month, the court ruled that the stray dogs be moved to shelters.
- Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell attends the Jackson Hole economic symposium: Jerome Powell’s speech to the annual Jackson Hole economic conference later today comes amid unprecedented pressure on the central bank from Trump. Federal Reserve Correspondent Howard Schneider joins the Reuters World News podcast to talk about Powell’s colorful tenure as Fed chair.
- Germany’s economy shrank by 0.3% in the second quarter compared with the first three months of the year, as demand from top trading partner the United States slowed following months of buying ahead in anticipation of US tariffs.
- Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang arrived in Taipei to visit chip foundry partner TSMC, as the world’s most valuable company navigates rising friction between Washington and Beijing over access to its industry-leading AI chips.
- ChatGPT parent OpenAI will open its first India office in New Delhi later this year, deepening its push in its second-largest market by user numbers.
- Google has struck a six-year cloud computing deal with Meta Platforms worth more than $10 billion, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters, the search giant’s second big agreement recently after one with OpenAI.
- India’s parliament passed a bill to ban online games played with money in a move that threatens the survival of the popular fantasy gaming sector, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government flagged the high risk of financial harm.
- Nvidia’s earnings report on Wednesday takes on greater significance after tech shares stumbled this week on some caution over the AI boom.
- In tariffs news, packages valued at or under $800 sent to the US outside of the international postal network will face “all applicable duties” starting next Friday.
- When South Korean President Lee Jae Myung meets Trump next week for their first summit, he’ll face calls to pay more for the upkeep of American troops on the peninsula with security issues expected to be among the top agenda items.
- The year’s last tennis Grand Slam kicks off this weekend at New York’s Flushing Meadows, where the latest chapter of the Jannik Sinner-Carlos Alcaraz rivalry is expected to culminate in another blockbuster final.
World News – 22 August 2025
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