And Apple sold floating-rate bonds that mature in three and five years at rates of 0.05 and 0.25 percentage point over the three-month London interbank offered rate, an industry benchmark.

WSJ: Apple to Sell $17 Billion in Bonds

The central bank also said it would begin buying government bonds of all maturities as part of its easing, instead of those that mature in three years or less, as it does now, meaning yields on all maturities are likely to fall.

WSJ: Japanese Government Bonds Soar

Some take two or three hundred years to fully mature - and no timber licence lasts that long - so the diversity of the forest is being eroded.

BBC: Roger Harrabin reports from Cameroon

At about three weeks old the chicks were mature enough to band, because their legs won't grow any more, but too young to fly away.

WSJ: 4 falcon chicks living on NY-NJ bridge are banded

This arrangement would ensure that funds would be available to cover both principal and interest payments even though, over the three years CCC credits take to mature, there may be substantial erosion in the price of gold.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Trying to put Moscow on the dole

Adecco, the giant Zurich, Switzerland-based human resources consulting firm, just ran a survey of 500 hiring managers that found that respondents said they were three times as likely to hire a mature worker, defined as age 50 or above (60%), as they were to hire a Millennial (20%).

FORBES: Older Workers, There's Hope: Study Finds Employers Like You Better Than Millennials

Mature industries versus infant industries have three types of knowledge that give them a competitive edge.

FORBES: Do Tariffs Protect an Infant Industry?

They have helped hundreds of mature people acquire computer skills over the last three years and their work has been recognised with a national award.

BBC: Cardinal Allen Internet Rangers

Campaign group No Oulton Turbine said 342 mature trees, including oak, ash, sweet chestnut, rowan and Corsican pines, covering three-quarters of an acre, had been felled.

BBC: Bernard Matthews 'illegal' tree felling investigated