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Israeli fire in Gaza killed Reuters journalist Hussam al-Masri.

As he lived in a tent and battled to provide for his family, Hussam al-Masri, a Reuters journalist killed by Israeli fire on Monday while running a live video feed at Gaza's Nasser Hospital, covered the suffering of civilians during the conflict. According to journalist colleagues, Masri, 49, was a seasoned cameraman who was well-liked by Gaza's close-knit community of reporters because of his upbeat demeanor in the most perilous circumstances. In the months before his death, he would say, "Tomorrow will be better," despite the fact that the Palestinian enclave was becoming increasingly desolate and hungry. That was the conclusion of his final discussion with Mohamed Salem, a senior Reuters visuals journalist who had collaborated with Masri in Rafah, in southern Gaza, last year and had known him since 2003. Salem, who left Gaza later in 2024 but stayed in daily contact with Masri until Monday morning, said he was a pleasure to work with because of his smiles and o...

China tariff delay hurts holidays with fewer fake firs and higher prices.

American shoppers looking for fake Christmas trees and holiday decor this year will have fewer options and higher prices due to Chinese import tariffs. Retailers will scale back orders as they assess customer budgets.
A 90-day tariff reprieve extension agreed to by Washington and Beijing on August 11 will allow retailers to rush last-minute shipments, but most holiday purchases are done. Many seasonal goods require six-month lead times, so retailers import them early.
"We're going to have a lower supply year," said Chris Butler, CEO of National Tree Company, a New Jersey-based artificial tree importer that supplies Walmart (WMT.N), Home Depot (HD.N), Lowe's (LOW.N), and Amazon (AMZN.O).
Butler said the company, which sources half its trees from China and the rest from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand, will raise Carolina pine, Nordic spruce, and Dunhill fir prices by 10% to 20%.
According to the US International Trade Commission, China exported 87% of Christmas decorations to the US last year, worth $4 billion.
Butler stated, "We're not overbuying (from our suppliers) because we don't want expensive inventory on our books, and we're not sure about consumer demand."
In order to lower the risk on their balance sheets, large retailers are more eager than usual to have National Tree ship straight to customers rather than purchasing them as inventory.
According to Mac Harman, CEO of California-based Balsam Hill, Butler's rival, there will be around 15% fewer trees available this season. "It's too late for any of us to add orders, even with the extended 90 days," he stated.
After U.S. President Donald Trump changed his mind about China tariffs, increasing them to 145% in April and then lowering them to 30% a month later, retailers began reducing their orders because they were unwilling to purchase trees at exorbitant prices, Harman said. He purchases trees from about 80 vendors, half of whom are located in China.
Nevertheless, he claimed that Balsam Hill had saved about $2.5 million as a result of the most recent pause.
According to a Walmart representative, the company was optimistic about its inventory situation before the holiday.
A Reuters request for comment from Lowe's was not answered, and neither did Home Depot nor Amazon.

SOURCES: NEWS AGENCIES

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