Africa is expected to host more high-growth economies than any other continent in 2026, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as major infrastructure projects, reform programmes and shifting global alliances reshape the economic outlook.

Alphabet hit a $4 trillion market valuation on Monday, as the Google parent’s sharpened artificial intelligence (AI) focus allayed doubts about its strategy and thrust it back ​to the forefront of the high-stakes race.

Top finance and development experts are meeting in Geneva this week to push for a fundamental rethink of how economic growth and progress are measured, amid mounting concern that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) offers little insight into sustainability, inequality and human wellbeing.