Apple hit a market cap of US$1 trillion on Thursday — and hung onto the record valuation at market close — as the iPhone maker became the first publicly traded U.S. company to reach US$1 trillion.
The Bank of England announced a rate hike despite ongoing uncertainty over the future of the U.K. economy. The Monetary Policy Committee voted unanimously for an increase in rates from 0.5 to 0.75% on the back of a strong labor market and credit growth.
One of the winners of the award known as the Nobel Prize for mathematics had his gold medal stolen minutes after it was given to him. Caucher Birkar, a Kurdish refugee turned Cambridge University math professor, was among four winners of the prestigious Fields Medal on Wednesday in Rio de Janeiro.
The Federal Reserve held its benchmark interest rate unchanged on Wednesday and reaffirmed its plans to continue raising borrowing costs at a gradual pace. The decision to hold rates had been widely expected and came after a two-day meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee, which dictates monetary policy.
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has reported a loss for the first time in three years after sales slowed in China. The UK's biggest car firm, which is owned by India's Tata Motors, blamed the setback on multiple challenges.
Prime Minister Theresa May is to hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday, Downing Street says. Mrs. May has been invited to Mr. Macron's holiday retreat in the south of France. It comes as the UK government steps up its engagement with counterparts in the EU over Brexit.
Downing Street has insisted the UK Government is engaged in “good planning” and taking “sensible precautions” in case there is a no-deal Brexit. Asked if Theresa May would continue to lead the country if her negotiations fail and the UK is plunged into a no-deal scenario, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said she is “fully committed to delivering on the will of the British people”.
Last year was the fifth warmest for the UK in records dating back more than a century, the Met Office has confirmed. Figures show the UK climate is warming, with average temperatures over the last decade around 0.8C above the 1961 to 1990 average, while the country has also seen 8% more rain and 6% more sunshine.
The heat wave gripping large stretches of Europe has already been blamed for deadly forest fires and crop failures. Now, freshwater fish could be its next victims. Some regions in Germany sweltered as the mercury hit 39C, and the German Meteorological Office said the country’s all-time record of 40.3C could be topped this week.
China's offer of financial support to Argentina is the latest example of the Asian nation filling a vacuum in what has traditionally been the backyard of the U.S. While President Donald Trump has not paid a visit to Latin America since his inauguration in January 2017, China has stepped up its financial assistance to Argentina and worked to strengthen their trade ties.