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Step aside, here come Europe's hot economies: Spain and Ireland

Spain reported on Thursday that its economy grew 1 percent between the first and second quarters of the year and is running at an annual clip of 3.1 percent. Ireland, meanwhile, issued a delayed report on its first quarter. Spain and Ireland have suffered badly over the past few years as their banks have creaked under the weight of lending into now-burst housing bubbles.

Olympic athletes not worried about polluted waters

Olympic sailors are not worried about getting sick during the Rio Olympics next year in spite of reports that waters where the sailing events will take place have pollution levels equivalent to raw sewage, competitors told Reuters on Thursday. “Brazilians haven’t caught anything,” Olympic gold medalist Marcelo Ferreira told Reuters. “I have never had any health problems sailing in the Guanabara Bay.