Watches of Switzerland expects no impact from US tariffs in first half
Djokovic advances to US Open semifinals after defeating Fritz, will face Alcaraz
Published On 3 Sep 2025
Novak Djokovic set up a titanic US Open semifinal with Carlos Alcaraz as the Serbian star kept his bid for a record 25th Grand Slam firmly on track.
The 38-year-old Djokovic advanced to a record-equalling 14th US Open semifinal on Tuesday with a four-set win over fourth seed Taylor Fritz, eliminating the last American in the men’s draw.
Djokovic’s 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 victory saw him improve to 16-0 against US opponents in New York, as he reached the last four of a major for the 53rd time.
“It was an incredibly close match. It was really anybody’s match,” said Djokovic, who also drew level with Jimmy Connors for the most US Open semifinal appearances.
“I thought I was really lucky to save some crucial break points in the second set. I think for most of the second and third sets, he was the better player.”
Fritz saved two match points in a tight fourth set, before sealing his own fate with a double fault.
“That last game was nerve-racking. A tough one for Taylor to finish with a double fault; he didn’t deserve that,” said Djokovic.
Djokovic and Alcaraz will square off for the first time since the Australian Open quarterfinals in January, when the Serbian won in four sets to take a 5-3 edge in their rivalry.
Friday’s encounter is their fifth at a Grand Slam, but first at Flushing Meadows. Djokovic has won all three past meetings on hard courts.
Djokovic spars with crowd, wears down Fritz
Djokovic broke Fritz straight away inside a raucous Arthur Ashe Stadium as he zipped into a 3-0 lead in the first set and brought up set point on his opponent’s serve in the eighth game.
Fritz resisted and piled on the pressure in the following game, earning five break points.
He could not convert, though, as Djokovic relied on his trademark grit to foil Fritz, including in an astonishing 25-stroke rally.
Djokovic eventually held to clinch the set, but Fritz carved out more chances in the fourth and sixth games of the second set.
His failure to capitalise allowed Djokovic to again seize the initiative by breaking for a 4-3 advantage. Fritz broke back with Djokovic serving for a two-set lead, only to tamely surrender his own serve with a double-fault in the ensuing game.
Djokovic made no mistake this time to pouch the set and mockingly blew kisses to the crowd as he walked to his chair.
But he began to get riled up with the pro-Fritz support willing their man back into the contest, prompting Djokovic to plead with the umpire to do more to quieten the crowd.
His focus dipped fleetingly, and Fritz broke to nudge 3-1 ahead and force a fourth set. It went on serve until Djokovic brought up two match points with Fritz trying to stay alive.
Fritz scrambled to save both, but Djokovic earned another shot and the American double-faulted to seal his rival’s passage to the last four.
Alcaraz demolishes Lehecka
Earlier on Tuesday, Alcaraz, who has yet to drop a set at Flushing Meadows in 2025, cruised into the semifinals, demolishing Czech Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Alcaraz had the crowd in the palm of his hand as he fired off 28 winners and never faced a break point, putting on yet another almost pristine performance.
Alcaraz broke in the first game, helped on his way by a pair of Lehecka double faults, and the Spaniard got the crowd going as he triumphed in a thrilling, cat-and-mouse exchange at the net in the 10th game, sending a backhand winner streaking past the Czech.
The 2022 champion kept the momentum going in the second set, converting a break point at the net in the first game, and Lehecka became visibly agitated as he went down another break with a double fault in the seventh game.
Alcaraz smiled in disbelief as he nailed a series of precise shots to set up a break point in the seventh game of the final set, but Lehecka dug in to hold.
Alcaraz let out a triumphant cheer as he prevailed in a 12-shot rally on break point in the ninth game and deployed his golf swing celebration to the delight of fellow Spaniard and 2017 Masters champion Sergio Garcia, who was in attendance.
“I just played a really – or almost – perfect match,” he said. “I’m just feeling great and hungry to make it.”
The five-time major winner has only been broken once so far in the tournament and could retake the number one world ranking from Italy’s Jannik Sinner, although he is trying not to think about it.
“If I think about the number one spot too much, then I’m going to put pressure on myself, and I don’t want to do that,” he said.
Nestlé’s CEO terminated without a payout following scandals—an unprecedented decision, according to expert
When Nestlé abruptly ousted its chief executive Laurent Freixe over Labor Day weekend after revelations of a romantic relationship with a direct subordinate, one detail stood out: He was shown the door without a severance package.
That, according to corporate-governance veteran Nell Minow, is almost unheard-of in the C-suite.
“That is really unusual,” she told Fortune. “I think that’s actually a badge of success for corporate governance, because that’s something investors have been concerned about for a long time: CEOs being dismissed and somehow getting to stay on.”
Nestlé confirmed to Fortune that Freixe will not receive a severance package.
For years, high-profile executives who crossed ethical lines have left with multimillion-dollar parachutes. Famously, Steve Easterbrook, the former chief executive of McDonald’s, walked away from the role with a hefty sum of $40 million after getting caught having a consensual relationship with a subordinate. McDonald’s later clawed back $105 million from Easterbrook after finding he hadn’t disclosed sexual relationships with other subordinates at the fast food giant.
Adam Neumann—after leading a disastrous charge to take the company he founded, WeWork, public—received $445 million in a payout package during his ouster. And after 346 people died in two crashes during Dennis Muilenburg’s tenure as Boeing CEO, he was not awarded severance but still left with more than $60 million in stock options.
Minow said these different outcomes show that boards are not always consistent in how they police misconduct, but that one thing remains the same: Social media has left directors with fewer options to look the other way.
“There has been bad behavior in the boardroom for a long time,” Minow said. “But partly because of social media, partly because of the way things get out, the board is under more pressure to respond.”
The reputational fallout from bad behavior can be brutal. A Polish CEO who was recently caught on video snatching a U.S. Open souvenir hat from a child watched his company’s online reviews collapse to near zero in days. The “John” of Papa John’s caused Major League Baseball to pull its promotion with the pizza chain after he used the N-word during a media-training call in 2018.
Boards are slowly adapting, Minow argued. Some have begun docking bonuses or moving faster to terminate CEOs “for cause,” meaning the executive in question committed serious misconduct that warrants dismissal without severance pay. But she warned many still demonstrate a double standard.
“If you see some hypocrisy in the board, by the way that they handle the CEO versus the way they handle a middle manager, that’s a green light for employees to behave badly themselves.”
Even the apology, she said, operates as a test of governance. Minow keeps what she calls an informal “hall of shame” of poor executive apologies. The worst, she explained, dodge responsibility or fail to show how the company will prevent a repeat. The best are blunt, swift, and backed by action.
Ultimately, Nestlé’s move may prove a turning point. By denying Freixe a golden parachute, the Swiss food giant signaled that boards are starting to treat reputational risk as seriously as financial risk, and that missteps at the top no longer guarantee a cushy landing.
Fortune Global Forum returns Oct. 26–27, 2025 in Riyadh. CEOs and global leaders will gather for a dynamic, invitation-only event shaping the future of business. Apply for an invitation.
Eric Skufca Steps Down as CFO of USA Swimming to Join Nonprofit Organization
By Keith Dunlap on SwimSwam
Eric Skufca has left USA Swimming for another job.
Skufca, who had been the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for USA Swimming since December 2018, has accepted a job as CFO for Solari, Inc.
Solari, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that provides free and confidential crisis support and a 24/7 mental health lifeline to individuals I need of such services.
Skufca originally came to USA Swimming after spending more than five years with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment. He also spent time working with Deloitte, an audit, consulting and tax advisory firm.
At USA Swimming, Skufca led the financial units of USA Swimming and the USA Swimming Foundation, which consisted of accounting, financial planning and analysis, compliance, treasury, purchasing and travel.
Skufca graduated from Northern Colorado, where he was a left-handed pitcher on the school’s baseball team.
Skufca’s departure is the latest for a USA Swimming organization that still is without a permanent CEO and has faced criticism from greats such as Michael Phelps, Rowdy Gaines and Ryan Lochte.
Previous USA Swimming CEO Tim Hinchey resigned just over one year ago after seven years on the job, and the organization has had two interim CEO’s since, Shana Ferguson and currently Bob Vincent. Chrissi Rawak was introduced as the new CEO in February but resigned just days later after a SafeSport complaint was filed against her.
Sources have told SwimSwam one of two men brought in for final interviews for the vacant CEO job has emerged as a favorite.
Whoever is eventually named will now have to find a new CFO with Skufca now gone.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Eric Skufca Leaves Post As USA Swimming CFO For Job At Nonprofit
Utilizing Robotics for a Greener Planet
With his prolific literary output in science fiction, Isaac Asimov is remembered for his three laws of robotics. These specified the requirements for a fruitful coexistence between humans and robots: a robot shall not harm a human being by action or omission; a robot shall always obey human instructions; a robot shall avoid situations that harm it. Asimov, one of the pioneers of modern ecology, would perhaps have added one more today: a robot will do its best to take care of the environment. Will scientific and technological breakthroughs be the key to achieving this?
That has been the approach of the University of Leeds in the UK, which has carried out a process known as “horizon scanning,” i.e., a type of scientific forecast, in this case, by interviewing a hundred scientists from around the world. The initial approach was to establish the goals and threats of robotics and autonomous systems (RAS) in fulfilling the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
What SDGs will robotic and autonomous systems affect?
The survey of scientists, the results of which have been published in the journal Nature, indicates that 58% consider that autonomous tasks to transform natural and artificial environments could contribute to fulfilling the SDGs in their area of expertise. Examples mentioned by the specialists include crop production, aquaculture management, food processing and packaging, waste management, eradication of invasive species, and water management, among others.
Seventy-eight percent of specialists believe that SARs will make a difference in monitoring and data collection to support decision-making with an impact on the SDGs. Aspects such as resource distribution, wildlife, water quality, or illegal fishing are mentioned here. In addition, it is believed that these systems will help the public sector to plan more effectively.
Along with other positive aspects, such as promoting innovation in the SDGs, the scientists also identified several threats. These include increasing inequality due to the lack of access to RAS, the rapid transformation of labor markets, and the impact on biodiversity. Thus, 51% believe that increasing inequality is one of the greatest threats. However, in general, no SDG is considered negatively affected by RAS, and there are seven SDGs for which three-quarters of respondents believe that the impact will be positive.
The remainder of the study focused on identifying ways to achieve a positive impact of RAS on the SDGs. The very act of introducing sustainability criteria in their development and implementation will be crucial, as is a collaboration among all stakeholders to minimize negative impacts.
Towards sustainable robotics in the real world
Beyond scientists’ forecasts, fundamental advances are already being made in robotics applied to sustainability. Here are some of the most exciting ones:
- Drones to combat air pollution. A recent MIT student program has worked on a drone solution that patrols the city measuring air pollution This makes it possible to create maps of problem areas much more reliably than traditional static stations.
- Robotics applied to recycling. We have already covered the application of robotics and AI to waste processing. The use of artificial vision, robotic arms, and AI to detect different types of waste promises to improve the efficiency of these processes.
- Ocean cleanup. Ocean pollution is one of the greatest environmental challenges. Fortunately, projects like SWARMs are laying the groundwork for using autonomous vehicles to monitor and clean up underwater debris.
- Robots to study sea life. Sticking to the underwater world, autonomous robots such as those mentioned in this article will open up new possibilities in the study of sea life, as they will be able to examine remote areas over long periods of time.
- Robotic farms. The use of robots and hydroponic crops will improve crop productivity and move production to urban environments. That is the goal of this robotic farm we talked about some time ago.
Robotics and artificial intelligence have a lot to say in the field of sustainability. Together with renewable energies, they are poised to be one of the cornerstones of a greener economy and a powerful tool for combating climate change.
Source:
Northern Lights Display Captured in Timelapse Over the North Sea
The Northern Lights were spotted in the skies across the UK on Monday night.
Video shows a timelapse above the North Sea, it consists of 782 separate photographs, taken over three hours and 40 minutes.
The display was captured from Flamborough in East Yorkshire, by Astro Dog, an astronomy and astrophotography business based in nearby Scarborough.
Space weather forecasters say there is another chance of seeing the aurora on Tuesday night.
Sony Music Publishing honored with Publisher of the Year award at BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards
Sony Music Publishing has been named 2025 Publisher Of The Year at the BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards.
The company was announced as the winner of the prize last Thursday (August 28) at a ceremony in Los Angeles.
SMP songwriters were also well represented across 23 of the top-perfoming songs of the past year.
Upon receiving the 2025 Publisher of the Year award, Sony Music Publishing President, Head of US A&R Katie Welle said, “Congratulations to all of Sony Music Publishing’s incredibly talented songwriters – we are so inspired by your artistry and impact each day.
“Thank you to the entire SMP team for your dedication and passion, and thank you to everyone at BMI for recognizing our songwriters and team.”
SMP-signed standout winners on the night included Sounwave picking up R&B/Hip-Hop Song of the Year award thanks to his contributions across Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us.
Sounwave was also named BMI’s R&B/Hip-Hop Producer of the Year for his work on hits like Kendrick Lamar’s Euphoria, 6:16 in LA, and for producing Lamar’s entire 2025 GNX album.
Meanwhile, SMP-signed Mike Dean was honored as Songwriter of the Year in recognition of his work on top songs including The Weeknd and Playboi Carti’s Popular, Type S**t by Future, Metro Boomin, Travis Scott and Playboi Carti, and many others.
Dean shared the Songwriter Of The Year prize in a three-way win with Tay Keith and GloRilla.
Elsewhere, GloRilla was also presented with the BMI Impact Award, while T-Pain received the BMI President’s Award.
SMP-signed MTech was recognized among the year’s top producers during the ceremony, marking his first-ever BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Producer Award.
SMP’s songwriter honorees include AyoPeeb, Babyface Ray, Bandplay, Bangs, BigXthaPlug, Brian Holland, Bryson Tiller, Chalie Boy, Charlie “Hoss” Singleton, Coleman, DJ Scheme, Frank Wilson, GENT!, Gerreaux, Isaiah Henry, Jahaan Sweet, Jo Christo, Jordan Adetunji, Kavian, Kenenbaev Meder, Kenny Thomas, Mike Dean, MTech, Olmo Zucca, Rob Bisel, Sage Skolfield, Sheck Wes, Tate Kobang, and Usman Taiwo.
The ceremony was hosted by BMI’s EVP and Chief Revenue & Creative Officer Mike Steinberg and BMI’s Vice President, Creative, Atlanta, Catherine Brewton.Music Business Worldwide
Pakistan Once Again Ravaged by Devastating Floods
new video loaded: Deadly Floods Hit Pakistan Again
By Elian Peltier, Rebecca Suner, Leila Medina, Jon Hazell and Asim Hafeez•
Pakistan has been hit by a string of devastating floods this year that have brought devastation across the country of 250 million people. Elian Peltier, an international correspondent at The New York Times, reports from Punjab, the latest province to be hit, where communities and businesses that rely on agriculture have been destroyed.
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105 people, including children and journalists, killed in Israeli attack in Gaza | Child Rights News
Published On 2 Sep 2025
The Israeli military onslaught on Gaza City continues nonstop, resulting in the killing of more than 50 Palestinians, including aid seekers, as it seeks to seize control of the enclave’s biggest urban centre – home to some 1 million people.
At least 105 Palestinians were killed across Gaza on Tuesday as Israeli strikes levelled densely populated areas, particularly al-Sabra neighbourhood, which has been under attack for days. At least 32 of those were killed while seeking aid.
The attacks are intensified as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is facing a “decisive stage” of the war as it prepares to seize Gaza City despite global condemnation.
“Palestinians are in a cage in Gaza City right now, trying to survive as many air strikes as possible. Wherever they go, the air strikes follow them,” said Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary.
“They are also dying from the food and aid blockade as they are not able to get the basic means of sustenance,” she said, reporting from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza.
Palestinians are struggling to survive the dual threats of targeted attacks and starvation, with at least 13 people dying of starvation in the past 24 hours, bringing the total hunger-related death toll since the war began to 361. Eighty-three of those deaths have been recorded since a global hunger monitor confirmed famine conditions in Gaza on August 22.
Among those killed on Tuesday were at least 21 people, including seven children, who were struck by an Israeli drone while queuing for water in the al-Mawasi area near Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
Images posted online by Palestinian Civil Defence spokesperson Mahmoud Basal showed children’s bodies and water containers stained with blood at the attack site, which Israel had previously declared a so-called “safe zone”.
“They were standing in line to fill up water … when the occupation forces directly targeted them, turning their search for life into a new massacre,” Basal said on Tuesday.
In Gaza City, an Israeli strike on the al-Af family home killed 10 people, mostly women and children, Gaza officials said.
“These crimes expose the criminal fascist nature of the enemy,” Gaza’s Government Media Office said in a statement, accusing Washington of complicity. It called Israel’s actions “war crimes under international law” and urged the UN Security Council to halt the “brutal genocide”.
Two more journalists, Rasmi Salem of al-Manara and Eman al-Zamli, were killed in the latest attacks, bringing the total number of journalists killed since October 7, 2023, to more than 270. The war in Gaza has become the deadliest conflict for media workers ever recorded, press watchdogs say.
Israel starts ground assault in Gaza City
On Tuesday, thousands of Israeli reservists reported for duty as efforts to end the war seemed to be stalling.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said Hamas had accepted a ceasefire proposal, but Israel had yet to respond.
“There has been no Israeli response yet,” he said, adding that negotiations with mediators and the United States had stalled. He warned that Israel’s plan to occupy Gaza “poses a threat to everyone”, including Israeli captives.
But Israel has tightened its siege of Gaza City in recent days, barring even limited humanitarian aid deliveries.
Israeli Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir confirmed ground operations were intensifying. “We are going to deepen our operation,” he told reservists as tens of thousands of troops were called up. Israeli media reported that 365 soldiers have refused to report for duty.
Prime Minister Netanyahu, wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity, said in a video statement on Tuesday that “we are working to defeat Hamas.”
Yemen’s Houthi movement said its forces launched four drones targeting Israel’s General Staff headquarters near Tel Aviv, Ben Gurion Airport, a power station, and the port of Ashdod, days after Israel killed Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi along with top officials in Sanaa.
The group claimed its drones “successfully hit their targets.” It also said a missile and drone attack struck a cargo vessel in the Red Sea for violating a ban on entering Israeli ports.
International ‘indifference’ to Palestine
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry welcomed Belgium’s decision to recognise the State of Palestine on Tuesday and urged other nations to follow suit, saying it was “in line with international law and UN resolutions” and necessary to halt “genocide, displacement, starvation, and annexation”.
In a separate statement, the ministry accused the international community of “alarming” indifference to Gaza’s economic collapse and Israel’s seizure of Palestinian tax revenues. It called for urgent financial support to “enhance the resilience of citizens and their steadfastness on their homeland’s soil”.
![Mourners stand next to the bodies of Palestinians killed in overnight Israeli strikes, according to medics, during the funeral at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, September 2, 2025. [Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2025-09-02T083339Z_868352862_RC2HJGAUE9BT_RTRMADP_3_ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-GAZA-1756805226.jpg?quality=80)