Digis Mak

15Aug

By George LaningtonNo Comments

China’s consumer and factory data miss expectations in July

Employees working on an air-conditioner production line at a Midea factory in Guangzhou, China.Jade Gao | AFP | Getty ImagesBEIJING — China reported data for July that came in well below expectations.Retail sales grew by 2.7% in July from a year ago, the National Bureau of Statistics said Monday. That's well below the 5% growth forecast by a Reuters poll, and down from growth of 3.1% in June. Within retail sales, catering, furniture and construction-related categories saw declines.Industrial production rose by 3.8%, also missing expectations for 4.6% growth and a drop from the prior month's 3.9% increase.Fixed asset investment for the first seven months of the year rose by 5.7% from a year ago, missing expectations for 6.2% growth.Investment into real estate fell at a faster pace in...

15Aug

By George LaningtonNo Comments

Updates

Who died in killing spree? spoiler

Spoilers ahead: Don't read until you've seen the "Westworld" finale, streaming on HBO and HBO Max.Ed Harris' Man in Black has always been a dark-hearted killer in HBO's sci-fi series "Westworld."But the android host version of William/Man in Black that emerged in Season 4 evolved to even greater depravity, culminating in a killing spree in Sunday's finale. Major characters died in the "Game of Thrones"-style bloodbath.The murderous mayhem harked back to the rampage of Yul Brynner's Gunslinger android in the OG 1973 "west world" movie."We finally came full circle to the Yul Brynner character from the original movie. At last, the Man in Black is a host and on this mad killing spree," says executive producer Lisa Joy. She notes the "Westworld" losses were significant, even for a show cen...

15Aug

By George LaningtonNo Comments

Europe

Suspect confesses in deadly crash into crowd at benefit, police say

The suspect in Saturday's deadly vehicle collision with a crowd in Pennsylvania said it was intentional and detailed a subsequent fatal attack on his mother, police said Sunday.Adrian Oswaldo Sura Reyes, 24, faces two open counts of criminal homicide following the deaths of a yet-to-be identified 50-year-old woman from Wilkes-Barre who was in that crowd, and Reyes' mother, identified by the Luzerne County coroner ace Rosa D. Reyes, 56.In a criminal complaint filed Sunday, Pennsylvania State Police investigators say defendant Reyes confessed to both homicides—an estimated 2 miles apart—after he was informed of his right not to cooperate.A trooper asked if he was aware of what happened outside a bar in Berwick, where 18 people were struck by a vehicle early Saturday evening. "Yeah, that w...

15Aug

By George LaningtonNo Comments

Updates

Hanoi brings back loudspeakers as old-school propaganda methods return to Vietnam | Vietnam

Vietnam's capital of Hanoi is famous for its noise pollution, with the sound of vehicles driving, horns blasting, construction hammering, hawkers yelling and neighbors singing karaoke combining in a discordant cacophony. But if the city government has its way, there will soon be one more source clamoring for ear space: loudspeakers blaring out state proclamations.The use of loudspeakers harkens back to cold war-era information sharing and propaganda. They were officially retired by the city's mayor in 2017, but started creeping back in a limited capacity during Covid-19.The government has since unveiled plans to roll out loudspeakers for daily announcements starting this year, aiming to cover the entire city by 2025.Political analyst Carl Thayer called the plan “archaic and redundant”...

15Aug

By George LaningtonNo Comments

Espanol

History has proved anything is possible, so don’t stop paying attention to these Red Sox – The Boston Globe

But the Sox inexplicably collapsed, winning only seven more games. A loss in Game 162 knocked them out of the playoffs.That team is why I steadfastly ignore the postseason odds published by Baseball-Reference.com, Fangraphs.com, and other sites. They’re based on probability and baseball has a funny way of defying probability.Which also is why the Red Sox are still worth paying attention to this week when they go on the road to Pittsburgh and Baltimore.The Sox are in seventh place in the wild-card race. With 46 games remaining they would have to pass four teams to make the postseason. It’s unlikely.Get 108 StitchesAn email newsletter about everything baseball from the Globe's Red Sox reporters, in your inbox on weekdays during the season.But with the trade deadline long past, the Sox hav...

15Aug

By George LaningtonNo Comments

Updates

Anthony Albanese seeks legal advice over reports Scott Morrison secretly swore himself into ministry roles | australian politics

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is seeking legal advice over reports his predecessor Scott Morrison secretly swore himself into three ministry positions while in government, a fact that was allegedly concealed even from senior cabinet colleagues.Morrison's deputy PM Barnaby Joyce described the reportedly secretive arrangements, allegedly made without the input of the governor general, as “very bad practice”, while Labor minister Bill Shorten questioned whether the former leader had a “messianic complex”.The immigration minister, Andrew Giles, said Albanese was seeking advice on the legality of Morrison reportedly secretly swearing himself in as the minister for health, finance and resources during his time in office. Those reports, published in the Australian newspaper and News.c...

15Aug

By George LaningtonNo Comments

Europe

Goals and Highlights: Cruz Azul 2-3 Toluca in Liga MX 2022 | 08/14/2022

8:07 PM23 minutes agoThank you for joining us in this gameThank you for joining us in the broadcast of the Cruz Azul 2-3 Toluca match, we are waiting for you at VAVEL for more broadcasts. 8:06 PM24 minutes agogame overThe referee whistles the end of the game, Toluca wins the match. 7:59 PM31 minutes ago90+7'14 minutes of compensation are added. 7:55 PM35 minutes ago90+7'Toluca goal! 7:51 PM39 minutes ago90+2'After a review in the VAR, there is a penalty for Toluca and Sebastián Jurado receives a red card. Cruz Azul is left with 10 players and has a penalty against. 7:41 PM One hour ago80'Cruz Azul goal! 7:34 PM one hour ago70'Cruz Azul plays long positions to cool down Toluca who had several dangerous attacks. 7:19 PM One hour ago58'Cruz Azul maintains pressure throughout the field in ...

14Aug

By George LaningtonNo Comments

Europe

2022 St. Jude Championship leaderboard, grades: Will Zalatoris escapes bizarre playoff with first PGA Tour win

The FedEx Cup Playoffs once again began in dramatic fashion. For the second consecutive season, the first postseason event needed extra holes. In a three-hole battle between Sepp Straka and Will Zalatoris, it was Zalatoris who proved victorious after what can only be described as a bizarre playoff.Having traded pars on the 18th to kick off extra holes, the two returned to the tee. Zalatoris lost his tee shot right, and it easily could have gone out of bounds. Meanwhile, Straka found the hazard -- narrowly avoiding the water lining the left side of the fairway in the process. They both would ultimately make unconventional pars, but that is where things would stop being normal.With Zalatoris' tee shot finding (and inexplicably staying on) the rocks in the hazard ...

14Aug

By George LaningtonNo Comments

Espanol

Zalatoris notches first PGA Tour victory in playoff

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The 10-foot par putt in regulation was so crucial and the moment so important that Will Zalatoris doesn't remember screaming out when he made it, "What are they gonna say now?"It took three playoff holes to get the answer on Sunday in the FedEx St. Jude Championship, and it was more along the lines of what they won't say.Zalatoris is no longer the best on the PGA Tour without a victory.Already a force in the majors, Zalatoris got that first win out of the way with clutch putts and smart decisions to beat Sepp Straka and capture the first FedEx Cup playoff event."It's hard to say, 'About time,' when it's your second year on tour, but it's about time," Zalatoris said. "Considering all those close finishes, it means a lot."He could have been referring to his runner-up fin...

14Aug

By George LaningtonNo Comments

Espanol

Texas still headed in the wrong direction, voters say

A majority of voters — 56% — say Texas is headed in the wrong direction under Gov. Greg Abbott’s leadership, the same percentage from a previous poll taken in May.But Texans still gave the Republican incumbent a modest lead over Democrat Beto O’Rourke in the simmering race for Texas governor, according to the new poll from The Dallas Morning News and the University of Texas at Tyler. It surveyed 1,384 registered voters Aug. 1-7 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.The 56% mark is an increase from 49% in February. The growing unease crosses all party and racial-ethnic categories. Only 43% of Texans say the state is on the right track, down from 50% in February.Mark Owens, a political scientist at UT-Tyler and director of the poll, said voters could be turned o...