Fastest

• The Eurozone GDP performed better than expected in Q2 2026, though growth remained uneven across member states. • Lithuania led the expansion with 1.7% growth, followed by Sweden at 1.4%, while Portugal (0.8%) and Spain (0.7%) showed continued resilience in Southern Europe. • Economic stagnation occurred in Belgium and Austria, while major economies including Germany, France, and Italy experienced a slowdown in their growth rates.

A brown huntsman is the quickest of more than 250 species analysed by scientists in the UK and GermanyIf arachnophobes were not frightened enough by the horrific ability of Australia’s huntsman spiders to drag dead mice up the sides of fridges, they now have another reason.They might be the fastest spiders on the planet. Continue reading...

• The IMF forecasts that ten European economies, including Malta and Kosovo, could grow twice as fast as the eurozone through 2031. • Kosovo is projected to grow nearly 4% annually on average, though growth is expected to dip to 3.6% in 2025 and 3.3% in 2026 due to political deadlock. • Economic resilience in Kosovo is driven by a young workforce, public investment, and significant remittances from the diaspora in Germany and Switzerland.

• The IMF forecasts that the eurozone will grow by just over 1% annually through 2031, though smaller European economies are expected to significantly outperform this average. • Malta leads the medium-term growth rankings with an expected annual increase of nearly 4% over the next five years. • Ukraine is also projected to outpace the eurozone by more than two to one, driven by diaspora remittances from Germany and Switzerland, public infrastructure spending, and a growing banking sector.

• ResearchAndMarkets.com announced on July 1, 2026, the addition of a comprehensive "Open Banking Market" report to its service offerings. • The market is currently driven by regulatory mandates for API-based data sharing, increased fintech investments, and the adoption of cloud technologies. • These trends are facilitating the growth of embedded finance, Banking-as-a-Service platforms, and more efficient payment systems.

• The Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index, the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge, rose at an annual rate of 4.1% in May. • This figure represents the fastest pace of price increases seen in three years and aligned with economists' forecasts provided by FactSet. • The data underscores the significant challenges the central bank faces in its ongoing efforts to rein in inflation and stabilize prices.

China’s LineShine debuts at number one in Top500 – a list sometimes viewed as a national measure of global tech prowessA supercomputer in China now outranks its US counterparts as the world’s most powerful. It is the first time since 2017 that a Chinese computer has topped a list sometimes viewed as a measure of a nation’s technological prowess.The LineShine computer in Shenzhen displaced top-ranked US computer El Capitan in the Top500 rankings released on Tuesday. It was LineShine’s debut on the list. Continue reading...

• UK borrowing costs experienced the fastest decline in Europe on Wednesday following news that inflation unexpectedly remained steady at 2%. • Market indicators suggest the Bank of England is unlikely to raise interest rates until November, pushing back previous expectations of a September increase. • Suren Thiru of ICAEW notes that softer May data makes an interest rate hold during Thursday's meeting highly probable.

• West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari stated that India has transitioned from lagging in infrastructure development under previous regimes to becoming one of the world's fastest-growing economies. • Adhikari attributed this economic acceleration to strategic improvements in national infrastructure and governance. • This shift is significant as it highlights a perceived turnaround in India's global economic standing and internal developmental capacity.

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that India is the fastest-growing major economy, with GDP growth projected to remain robust at 7%. • This economic growth is being driven primarily by strong domestic demand and ongoing structural reforms. • The announcement was made during a summit presided over by French President Emmanuel Macron, which included leaders from G7 nations, Brazil, China, Kenya, South Korea, and the IMF.

• Union Minister Piyush Goyal stated that India is projected to remain the world's fastest-growing economy for the next two decades. • The growth is expected to be driven by an increase in global investments and the expansion of the domestic manufacturing sector. • To highlight this potential, Goyal cited Hyundai's success, noting the company entered India in 1999 with a $200 million investment and has since scaled operations.

Americans are growing frustrated with Trump’s handling of the economy as cost of living soars ahead of midtermsUS inflation increased at its fastest pace in three years in April, driven by higher energy prices amid the war with Iran, and cementing economists’ views that the Federal Reserve could hold interest rates unchanged well into next year.Surging price pressures are eroding household income and could restrain consumer spending and economic growth this quarter. Income at the disposal of households after adjusting for inflation dropped for a third straight month in April, other data showed on Thursday. Given the soaring cost of living, Americans are growing frustrated with Donald Trump’s handling of the economy. A Reuters/Ipsos survey last week showed the president’s approval rating fell to nearly its lowest level since he returned to the White House, hit by a drop in support among Republicans. Trump won the 2024 presidential election in large part because of his promise to lower inflation. Continue reading...

Dip in credit card spending in April, particularly on travel, suggests Britons preparing for harder times amid Iran war falloutHouseholds cut back on their spending in April at the fastest pace in 18 months, as the conflict in the Middle East provoked fears of another cost of living crisis, a report from one of the UK’s biggest banks has suggested.Barclays, which processes nearly 40% of the UK’s credit and debit card transactions, said its data showed there had been a 0.1% fall in card spending last month compared with a year earlier. This was the first year-on-year fall since November 2024. Continue reading...

• Inter Miami defeated Toronto FC 4-2 on Saturday, ending a four-match winless streak at their new home stadium that included three draws and a loss to Orlando. • Messi scored one goal and provided two assists, reaching 100 goals and assists (59 goals, 41 assists) in just 64 regular-season MLS matches, shattering the previous record set in 95 games. • The victory improved Inter Miami's record to 6-2-4, placing them third in the MLS Eastern Conference ahead of upcoming matches in Cincinnati and at home.

Owner-occupier mortgage growth slowed under growing costs while investor loans grew by $42bn in the year to March, a 9.6% increaseGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastProperty investor borrowing rose at its fastest rate in a decade in March, according to the Reserve Bank, despite higher interest rates and speculation about property tax changes.Owner-occupier loan growth slowed under the weight of growing mortgage costs but investor lending is continuing its record surge. Continue reading...

• Amazon Web Services achieved its fastest growth in nearly four years, fueled by AI solutions and enterprise adoption. • Key drivers include innovations like Bedrock and Kiro amid surging cloud spending. • AI is sparking a new wave of infrastructure investments in the US market.

BYD's first-quarter net profit dropped 55.4 per cent from a year earlier to 4.1 billion yuan.

Survey by global economic forum shows ‘tax wedge’ in Britain increased to 32.4% of income in 2025Business live – latest updatesTaxes on workers in Britain rose at the fastest rate among the world’s richest economies last year, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.With Labour under pressure on the economy amid the Iran war, the OECD said a key measure of the total tax paid by workers and their employers rose by the most in the 38-member club of rich nations in 2025. Continue reading...

CBI figures showing surprise jump in financial sector’s growth will be welcome news for Rachel ReevesBritain’s financial services companies have reported a strong recovery in activity at the start of the year, in a surprise boost to the government after a gloomy end to 2025.Banks, insurers and investment managers said their businesses were growing, with a positive balance of nearly two-thirds noting an expansion, according to a long-running survey by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), a lobby group. That contrasted with the negative balance of 38% in December, despite the start of the US-Israel war on Iran. Continue reading...

• Commercial property insurer FM Global announced April 2, 2026 that the Financial Times has recognized it as one of The Americas' Fastest-Growing Companies of 2026. • The Johnston, Rhode Island-based insurer joins other leading regional companies on the prestigious FT list recognizing high-growth businesses. • The recognition highlights FM's strong business performance and market position in the competitive commercial property insurance sector.

• Human-driven climate change is lengthening Earth's day by 1.33 milliseconds per century, the fastest rate in 3.6 billion years, due to melting ice redistributing mass toward the equator. • ETH Zurich researchers Mostafa Kiani Shahvandi and Benedikt Soja used foraminifera fossils to confirm this anomalous effect outpaces historical changes, including El Niño winds. • Projections show a 2.62 milliseconds-per-century increase by 2080 under high-emissions scenarios, impacting precise timekeeping in spacecraft, computing, and geodesy instruments.