At the beginning of 19th century, London was the heart of the world's market, with the pound as the main market currency. The city was a focal point for innovators, industrialists and intellectuals until it was overwhelmed by its own dominance.
Thanks to the power of steam and the growing cotton industry, London at the end of 17th century was on its way to becoming the first market democracy, creating real power for Great Britain.
A painting, believed to be the only surviving picture of William Shakespeare painted during his lifetime, was displayed on Monday at the National Portrait Gallery in London. The piece, recently identified, is dated from 1610.
"Simply Madonna: Materials Of The Girl", featuring some 300 outfits and knick-knacks from the singer's career, opens in London on Saturday. A chance to catch a glimpse of the wedding dress worn in the 1985 video "Like A Virgin".
In this edition: Charles Darwin honored in London for his work on the origins of the species, in Chile, a seven meters puppet called Lola walks in the streets of Santiago and Stieg Larsson´s Crime Trilogy to the movies.
English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur has unveiled the design for its new stadium, capable of hosting up to 60.000 fans, almost twice as many as the club's historic home at White Hart Lane. Building plans are to be submitted next year.
The current economic downturn has also impacted on preparations for the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games. With a rising budget and sponsors withdrawing, British organisers are trying their best to remain optimistic.
European shares were jubilant Wednesday, amid hopes of further rate cuts. In Paris, the CAC 40 closed up 9.2%, while London's main index jumped 8%. However, the DAX shed 0.45% in Frankfurt, dragged down by Volkswagen.
European stock markets opened sharply up after Japan's Nikkei index closed 7.74% up at the end of trading, following a strong rally at Wall Street overnight, fuelled by hopes for an interest rate cut at the end of the week.
In late London trading, the Euro sank to 1.3092 dollars, a low not seen since March 9, 2007. This comes on the heels of a US Federal Reserve announcement from Ben Bernanke that it would back another US stimulus package
