Brakes slam on US economic growth

The US economy, the world’s largest, has slowed in the second quarter of the year, on the back of rising interest rates and soaring energy costs.
Gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an annual rate of 2.5% in the three months to the end of June, compared to a 5.6% annual rate in the previous quarter.

Some slowdown had been expected, but its severity comes as a surprise.