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1. UK economy back to growth according to latest numbers
The United Kingdom economy increased in May, according to the Office for National Statistics. The U.K. economy grew by 0.1% after the country reported a slight contraction in April, the BBC reports.
"The Iran war has pushed up oil and fuel prices, and also disrupted supply chains," the BBC reports. "The ONS said firms in a number of sectors had flagged the conflict as affecting activity, including some manufacturing industries, hospitality firms, travel agencies and entertainment companies."
While the U.K. economy had a strong start, the recent numbers don't give economists confidence that future growth is expected.
2. Trump Administration to implement 25% tariff on Brazil
In his latest move in an ongoing tariff back-and-forth with Brazil, U.S. President Donald Trump said he's imposing a new 25% tariff on the country next Wednesday, The New York Times reports. Last year, the administration announced a 40% tariff, which was walked back after Trump met with Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
In February, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Trump cannot use the emergency law he was citing to impose his tariffs, but this new measure is citing a separate law, per the NYT.
"The tariff will apply to thousands of Brazilian products, but will exempt several major categories of exports, including oil and gas, beef, coffee, oranges, and aircraft parts. The tariff will apply to Brazilian ethanol," reads the article.
3. Hotel investor Bohopo sees opportunity in smaller European properties
Cyprus-based hotel investment firm Bohopo is targeting smaller 20- to 50-room hotels in Europe, reports CoStar News' Terence Baker. The firm's CEO Minas Terlidis said he's seen real opportunities for boutique hotels in the region, and he's convinced his equity partners the smaller properties come with less risk and more flexibility.
“People increasingly want to stay in the heart of a city, in something with intimacy, rather than in a large, standardized hotel,” Terlidis said.
Bohopo is targeting gateway cities across Europe and currently has 11 hotels open or in development across five European cities — Athens, Brussels, Milan, Paris and Porto, with eight of them being operational right now.
4. Canada's wildfires push dangerous air quality levels into parts of the US
Around 100 million people in the U.S. are facing unhealthy air quality as wildfires in northern Minnesota and western Ontario in Canada continue, according to The Washington Post.
Beginning Tuesday, air quality conditions will worsen across the U.S. Midwest, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
“It is recommended that, when possible, you avoid strenuous outdoor activities, especially those with heart disease and respiratory conditions like asthma,” wrote the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality in its air quality alert for Wednesday.
5. OpenTable reveals top hotel restaurants
This week, OpenTable released a roundup of the top 100 hotel restaurants across America. The list organizes the eateries by destinations and also includes hotel restaurant trends the industry is seeing.
According to the report, 92% of Americans said they have eaten at a hotel restaurant when not staying at the hotel the restaurant is located in and dining in hotel restaurants is up 7% year over year.