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Cyprus Economic Sentiment Edges Higher In June As Retail, Construction And Consumers Improve

Cyprus recorded a marginal improvement in economic sentiment in June 2026, according to the latest Economic Sentiment Surveys, with the Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) rising by 0.2 points from May.

The surveys, conducted monthly by the University of Cyprus Economic Research Centre in collaboration with RAI Consultants, track how businesses and households view current conditions and their expectations for the months ahead.

Retail, Construction And Consumers Lift The Index

The increase in the ESI was driven by stronger confidence in retail trade, construction and among consumers, offsetting weaker sentiment in the services sector. Despite the modest gain, the index remained above its long-term average of 100 points.

Sector Performance Remains Uneven

Retail and construction recorded improved sentiment, reflecting more positive assessments of current conditions and stronger expectations for the coming quarter. By contrast, confidence in services weakened as businesses reported less favourable assessments of current activity and lower expectations for turnover.

Manufacturing sentiment remained broadly unchanged, with weaker production expectations offset by an improvement in assessments of finished goods inventories.

Consumer Confidence Strengthens For A Second Month

Consumer confidence improved for a second consecutive month, supported by more optimistic expectations for household finances and the wider economy. At the same time, households reported a less favourable assessment of their recent financial situation.

Uncertainty Rises, But Inflation Expectations Stay Elevated

The Economic Uncertainty Indicator increased in June, although it remained below the levels recorded in March and April. The rise was driven mainly by services, construction and households.

Price expectations also remained elevated, indicating that inflationary pressures persist, albeit at a more moderate pace.

Relay Shuts Down As Its Founder Returns To Google To Shape The Future Of Chrome

AI workflow automation startup Relay is shutting down, with founder and CEO Jacob Bank returning to Google as vice president of product for Chrome. Some other Relay employees are also joining Google’s Chrome team.

Relay launched in 2021 with ambitions to challenge automation platforms such as Zapier. Its platform helped businesses automate repetitive work, including document creation, copyediting and project management.

According to Relay’s announcement, free users lost access on August 15, while paying customers will be able to use the service until September 14. The shutdown was first announced in July.

Relay Founder Returns To Google

Bank previously spent more than six years at Google. He joined the company in 2015 after Google acquired his scheduling startup Timeful, later working on products including Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Chat.

Now back at Google, Bank will lead Chrome’s product and developer relations teams. He said the role will focus on helping people use AI in Chrome while preserving their creativity and decision-making.

Bank described Chrome as a strong platform for working with AI agents and said he would share more about Google’s plans in the future.

Chrome Becomes A Bigger AI Platform

Bank’s return comes as Google continues expanding AI across its consumer products. Gemini is already integrated into Search and Chrome, where it can act as an in-browser assistant and support more agentic tasks.

The company’s AI push is also reaching a growing user base. Google recently said the Gemini app had surpassed 1 billion users.

For Relay, the shutdown marks the end of an attempt to build an AI-powered alternative to established workflow automation platforms. For Google, bringing Bank and members of his team into Chrome could strengthen its efforts to make AI agents a more central part of the browser experience.

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