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.

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.

BRUSSELS (AP) – EU lays out $11.4 billion for 7 AI gigafactories as it aims to catch up with US and China.

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Microsoft posted strong results for its quarterly earnings on Wednesday, beating expectations and showing strong growth in its cloud computing platform and a boost in paid AI users.

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) – The noise is everywhere in Hanoi. The crack of a hydraulic breaker, the groan of excavators, the crunch of brick and concrete being torn apart. As Vietnam pushes for double-digit economic growth, its capital is pursuing an ultramodern vision for the next 100 years.

Starbucks shares soared Wednesday after the coffee giant reported better-than-expected quarterly revenue and profit and raised its financial outlook for the year.

GENEVA (AP) – FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity investors was hit hard Thursday by his former colleagues at UEFA, who agreed to boycott all the global soccer body’s competitions in protest.