Browsing: Business

The Bank of Italy expects the country’s gross domestic product to grow by 1% in 2026, above its previous forecast. Growth is then projected to slow to 0.7% in 2027 before edging up to 0.8% in 2028. The central bank

European Union borrowing could reach about €1 trillion by the end of 2027, the European Court of Auditors said in its latest annual report. Outstanding EU borrowing rose more than 20% to €738.9 billion at the end of 2025. It

The World Trade Organization raised its 2026 global merchandise trade growth forecast to 3.9 percent. That marks a sharp increase from the 1.9 percent estimate issued in March. The WTO said stronger first-half trade, supply chain adjustments and artificial intelligence

Royal Mail plans to cut up to 2,500 head-office and support jobs by the end of 2027. The company announced the proposed reductions on October 7 as part of an organisational review. The cuts represent less than 2% of a

France and Germany have urged the European Commission to create a rapid-response trade tool for serious market distortions. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz sent the proposal to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Their joint initiative

Average UK five-year fixed mortgage rates reached 6.00% on October 5, returning to levels last seen about three years ago. The average two-year fixed rate rose to 5.98%, its highest since mid-December 2023. Moneyfacts recorded the increase after several major

Russia expects its 2026 grain harvest to reach about 140 million tonnes as farmers move into the final stage of the season. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev said growers had already collected more than 126 million tonnes of grain. They

British households enter winter with energy bills rising again as industry forecasts point to the sharpest increase in years. Energy UK said the average of current forecasts puts the January 2027 price cap at £2,077. That compares with £1,723 from

Euro area unemployment held at 6.4% in August 2026, unchanged from July, according to Eurostat. The rate stood at 6.3% in August 2025. Across the European Union, unemployment remained at 6.1% for a second month. That compared with 6.0% a

European Union house prices rose 4.7% in the second quarter of 2026 from a year earlier. Rents increased 3.0% over the same period, extending their upward movement across the bloc. Eurostat reported that house prices also gained 1.2% from the