Argentina’s peso fell back on Friday afternoon to post a record low close, giving up earlier gains after a tumultuous week that saw the currency battered to its weakest ever level and local debt pummeled as anxious investors fled.
Prime Minister Theresa May and Taoiseach (Irish PM) Leo Varadkar have issued a joint statement setting up a new talks process aimed at restoring devolution in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley confirmed fresh talks would begin on 7 May. Earlier this week, the two premiers attended the funeral of Lyra McKee.
The US economy grew much faster than expected in the first quarter of the year, helped by a jump in exports and by firms building up stocks of goods. The economy expanded at an annualized pace of 3.2% in the January-to-March period, well above analysts' forecasts.
Microsoft hit the trillion-dollar value mark on Thursday for the first time, becoming the third technology giant to reach the milestone. Shares in Microsoft rallied some 5% in early Wall Street trade after a robust earnings report a day earlier to lift the value briefly above US$1 trillion
Argentine assets have tumbled so far, so fast that a few stout-hearted investors say it might be time to buy. “Find me a high-yield sovereign country with an IMF program paying so generously,” said Jean-Dominique Butikofer, the Atlanta-based head of emerging-market fixed income at Voya Investment Management, which oversees about US$ 205 billion.
Britain's splintered government was rocked on Friday by a growing scandal over who leaked news that Prime Minister Theresa May has conditionally allowed Chinese giant Huawei to develop the UK 5G network.
Former Brazilian president Lula da Silva on Friday said the country is governed by a “gang of madmen” in his first interview from prison, where he is serving an almost nine-year sentence.
The leaders of all of Spain's main political parties invited their supporters on Friday night to prepare for power, as campaigning for one of the tightest national elections in decades drew to a close. No single party will get an overall majority in Sunday's ballot, and opinion polls suggest all five leading contenders have a realistic chance of playing a role in government.
The oceans contain almost 200,000 different viral populations, according to the latest count. Marine viruses were found from the surface down to 4,000m deep and from the North to the South Pole. Though most are harmless to humans, they can infect marine life, including whales and crustaceans.
Brazil's state-controlled oil company Petrobras on Friday for the first time detailed long-awaited plans to sell a series of refineries and other assets as the company focuses on its core oil and gas exploration business.