China's factory activity unexpectedly slips into contraction in July

HONG KONG (AP) – China’s factory activity unexpectedly slowed in July, the first such contraction in five months, weighing on the pace of broader growth for the world’s second-largest economy. The official manufacturing purchasing managers index, or PMI, fell to 49.2 from 50.3 in June, China’s National Bureau of Statistics said Friday.

Social media companies sued over deaths of four teens

The families of four teenagers who died by suicide are suing Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube over what they describe as “years of escalating harms” from using their platforms that eventually resulted in their deaths.

Senior FIFA executive says staff were deceived over World Cup sell-off plan

GENEVA (AP) – FIFA’s chief operating officer said its staff were deceived by their president Gianni Infantino’s World Cup sell-off plan, and suggested on Friday the project must not go ahead.

Editorials from The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and others

Editorials from The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and others

Discarded SpaceX rocket is on a high-speed collision course with the moon

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – A drifting SpaceX rocket is on a collision course with the moon after launching a pair of lunar landers more than a year ago.

Hungary braces for a full shutdown of the Paks nuclear plant

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) – Hungary’s only nuclear power plant will shut down for the first time in its history due to record-low water levels on the Danube River, Prime Minister Péter Magyar said Friday, adding that the plant may not come back online for several weeks as the river is expected to continue receding.

30-year US mortgage rate rises to highest level in a year at 6.66%

The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate rose for the fourth consecutive week to its highest level in a year, another setback for prospective homebuyers hoping for a break from elevated home loan borrowing costs.

US economy grows at a sluggish 1.5% with inflation stubbornly high

WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. economy expanded at a sluggish 1.5% pace from April through June as rising imports weighed on growth, yet consumers continued to spend. And the Federal Reserve’s favored measure of inflation grew more slowly last month. But it remained above the central bank’s 2% target at a time when Americans are frustrated about the high cost of living ahead of the midterm elections, now less than 100 days away.

Bank of England keeps key rate at 3.75% for the fifth time this year

LONDON (AP) – The Bank of England kept its key interest rate on hold for the fifth time this year on Thursday after a bigger-than-expected drop in the inflation rate last month gave policymakers breathing space to assess the fallout from renewed fighting in Iran.