The British economy unexpectedly grew in the second quarter of the year largely as a result of a strong rebound in June when many businesses, particularly in the leisure sector benefited from the warm and settled weather, official figures showed Friday.

The Office for National Statistics said the economy expanded by 0.2% in the April to June period, compared with the previous three-month period. That was higher than the 0.1% recorded in the first quarter and ahead of economists' expectations for no change.

Egypt's annual inflation rate reached a record high in July, as price hikes continue unabated in the cash-strapped North African country, official figures said Thursday.

Consumer prices rose 38.2% from a year earlier, up from 36.8% in June, according to data released by the state-run Central Agency for Mobilization and Statistics.

Bringing back factory jobs is one of the most popular of White House promises — regardless of who happens to be the president.

Donald Trump said he'd do it with tariffs. Barack Obama said companies would start "insourcing." George W. Bush said tax cuts would do the trick. But factory jobs seemed to struggle to fully return after each recession.

The signs of hip-hop's influence are everywhere — from Pharrell Williams becoming Louis Vuitton's men's creative director to billion-dollar brands like Dr. Dre's Beats headphones and retail mainstays like Diddy's Sean John and Jay-Z's Rocawear.

It didn't start out that way.

Stocks and bonds are holding relatively steady as Wall Street waits for a highly anticipated report on inflation. The S&P 500 was little changed in early trading Wednesday, coming off a rough run where it's dropped five of the last six days. The Dow and the Nasdaq were also barely moving. On Thursday the government will give the latest monthly update on inflation that consumers are feeling across the country. Economists expect to see an acceleration to 3.3% in July from 3% in June. That's down sharply from a peak of more than 9% last summer.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP's earlier story follows below.

The Syrian government decided to increase prices of drugs by 50%, the head of the pharmacies syndicate in Damascus said Tuesday, as the Syrian pound hit new a low in recent days.

Hassan Derwan did not give a reason for the price hike in his interview with the pro-government daily Al-Watan. Earlier this year, prices were raised by between 50% and 80%.

London-based sex worker Marin Scarlett and right-wing populist Nigel Farage might initially appear unlikely campaigning allies, but when it comes to the pitfalls of banking in Britain they share a common cause.

"It's ridiculous that financial institutions can act like moral arbiters," Scarlett told AFP, echoing Farage's exact same criticism last month after a scandal erupted around his treatment by British banks.

Argentines lined up on a bitterly cold winter morning in an annual pilgrimage to a Roman Catholic shrine for the patron saint of work, asking for jobs and prosperity as many struggle with one of the world's highest inflation rates.

Voters in the South American country are set to go to the polls Sunday in national primary elections that will determine party candidates for the October presidential race. But many of those in line at the shrine to St. Cayetano had little optimism things would change regardless of who comes out on top.

Italian bank stocks plunged Tuesday after the Cabinet approved a proposal to apply a 40% tax on some bank profits this year to help consumers and businesses cope with higher borrowing costs.

Transport Minister Matteo Salvini announced the tax at a Monday evening press conference, saying it was a measure of "social equity" to make up for a series of interest rate hikes from the European Central Bank.

China's exports plunged by 14.5% in July compared with a year earlier, adding to pressure on the ruling Communist Party to reverse an economic slump.

Imports tumbled 12.4%, customs data showed Tuesday, in a blow to global exporters that look to China as one of the biggest markets for industrial materials, food and consumer goods.